10 Minute Tales

Feb 9

The nurse had been kept in an unused consultation room. Queenson burst in, making the nurse flinch.

"Oh, uh, good morning." he mumbled, glancing aside. Queenson raised an eyebrow, taking a seat opposite him.

"Liam Johnson?" Queenson asked. Liam simply nodded a little. "We've got a couple of questions for you."

"Okay, I'll answer..."

"Alright. When did you notice the victim had been attacked?"

"Well... I was acting as his secretary for the night shift. It's usually quiet at this clinic, and I was offering to get the doctor a coffee. He accepted and I got him one, as well as one for myself. I set off at about, uh... three thirty, and I came back at three thirty-four."

"Didn't see anyone?"

"No, sir, just the doctor. Silent as anything on the way there and back."

"Hm." Queenson stared at Liam. "Alright, what about the camera footage?"

"Huh? What about it?"

"Sentinel recorded a loss of all security feeds in this building for a while before and after the fact. Only staff get access to the security feed, right?"

"Well, yes, but I don't have the access card for that area."

"What about the power supply? Medical facilities, even cosmetic ones like this, have their own backup generators if the link is down, and if I'm not wrong, every member of staff has access to that."

"Oh, well, yes... yes, that's true." Liam swallowed nervously, glancing aside. Queenson's stoic face didn't change.

"Do you have your access card?"

"Yeah, it's right..." he brought a hand to his hip, but his eyes soon widened. "What... no, it's..."

"How convenient that it's vanished."

"N-no, you don't understand, I have to have it, if I don't it violates the contract...!"

"Here I thought you didn't like the job."

"I mean, I... I'll admit, I'd rather be an aug mechanic, but... I wouldn't give here up without another job ready to go..."

"I'm sure you wouldn't, kid. One last question."

"O-okay, I... I'll listen..." He was worrying now, nearly panicking.

"What's your take on this genetic manipulation stuff?"

"Huh? On genetic...? I, uh...?"

"Just answer the question."

"It's... It's neat, I guess, though I'm not gonna go for it..."

"... right." he stood up.

"You don't think it's me, right...? I wouldn't hurt the doctor, he knew I wasn't very good with this stuff but he still gave me a chance..."

"You'll hear later." He got up and turned away, heading out of the consultation. "Don't leave."