A Different Time

Eleven

Dan
Finally, the doctor had come out to the waiting room, calling my name. My eyes shot up from the floor and I jogged over to him.
"Mr. Smith, I'm—" he says, looking down at the ground.
"She's okay, right? In a coma, maybe?" I asked, panicking. When a doctor starts with your last name, it's never good.
"She didn't survive the procedure."
I feel my stomach tie in knots. I want to cry, I almost want to die, but I can't just give in. I can't be weak. I loved her, and I'm pretty damn sure she'd want me to keep going.
"Her heart gave out halfway through. I'm very sorry. But—do you have anyone you could call?" He asks calmly from behind his mask and glasses. Do people die all the time on this guys table or something?
I shake my head.
"No."
"No family?" He asks.
"No." Tears threaten to spill, but I blink them back.
He lowers his clipboard to his side.
"No friends? Nobody?" He asks, sounding a little amused.
"No." I shake my head.  "No one."
He clears his throat. My eyes flicker to his.
"Well... I'm sorry to hear that, Dan." He says, resuming his earlier position, clipboard parallel to the ceiling.
I narrow my eyes. I never told the EMS my first name.
I look at his name tag around his neck, light blue against the dark purple scrubs he wore. W. F.
I smile at him politely, feeling a horrible pain in my gut.
He killed her. She came to, and he killed her.
"It's really no big deal. Can't trust anybody these days." I let out a forced chuckle. His eyes lock onto mine and they look slightly panicked, but angry.
"Anyways, I'll see you later, Doctor."

I turn and I exit the hospital, and I sob. I sob as soon as the doors close behind me. Alex. Oh, Alex. If only I'd have told you sooner.
—
Its been weeks. I've had a few encounters with 'WWCOMMS', but nothing serious. Threats in the post, Kyles bracelet. Things to haunt me.
But it hasn't worked yet.
Kyle's wristbands now litter my wrists, and the letters have all been shredded.
I look up from my desk, papers littered about, plans laid out. Plans to put a stake in WWCOMMS.
—
I walk up to the hospital, confidently springing open the doors and walking through, up to the front desk.
"Have an appointment?" The desk clerk, Charlie, asks in a monotone voice, tapping away at his keyboard. I smile and nod.
"8 o'clock, for Doctor..." I trial off. This has to be convincing.
Charlie looks up at me and raises an eyebrow.
"William F.?" He says.
"Ah yeah."
"Which appointment, Mr. Runner?"
I cringe at my fake name.
"Errr... The side pain one. Surgery supposed to be in three weeks, but I felt like I had to come in. It's been getting worse. Sometimes I get the shits, and—"
Charlie's face twists into disgust and annoyance as he flicks his wrist down the hall.
"You're checked in. Room 405, second floor."
I smile and I walk off towards the elevator.
"Jesus," I hear Charlie say behind me. I chuckle to myself, pressing the button for the second floor.
—
The elevator doors open, and I walk straight down the first hall on my right.
I count each door number until I get to 405, on the very end.
The door is cracked open a small bit, so I knock, not entering.

"Mr. Runner?" I hear him say, the squeak of a chair following suit.
I hear the rummaging of papers and I slide inside, to see his face scouring the files.
"I have you for Surgery in three weeks, what brings you—" he looks up as I click the door shut behind me. We lock eyes and I give him a polite smile, sitting down in the chair in front of the desk.
He goes to shout for help, but I lift up my shirt and I flash him a glimpse of the gun on my hip. He shuts up immediately.

"Take a seat, Will." I say, pointing to his chair.
He slowly sits down.

"How long have you been a doctor?"
"I—"
"Wait. Don't answer that. How long have you been working for WWCOMMS?" I sneer.
He rolls his eyes and lets out a long, bored sigh.
"Four years before I met you." He grumbles.
"So, nearly, what—twenty years now?" I said quietly. He nods.
I stand up, the chair shrieking as it slides across the floor, and I gently place my hands on the desk, leaning in towards his face.
"Who runs the place?" I ask. He leans his head backwards slightly.
"How am I supposed to know? I'm just the leader of my group. There's thousands of us." He smirks. I stand straight and I cross my arms.
"Thousands?" I ask.
"A third of your fan base, Danny. The lucky few who were caught wandering alone." He lets out a prickish smile.
"Where is everything based? What state? Where?" I demand.
"Fuck, man. California." He says, putting his hands up slightly, in surrender.

I smile.
"Give me your phone."
He reaches into his left pocket.
"Your OTHER. phone." I put my hand on my gun and I slide it out of its place on my hip, snapping the slide back and letting it snap forward. He flinches, taking out his personal phone.
I screw a silencer onto the front of my gun and I scroll through Will's phone. I catch a state name and I smile up at him.

"You're such a liar, Will... all you ever do is lie..." I scowl, my eyes burning into his forehead. He uses his hands to push himself up a bit in his seat.
"There's nothing in Cali, is there?" I ask.
He goes to smirk at me and I pull the trigger, watching as a hole in his forehead suddenly appears like magic, blood trailing out, squirting over his face and clothes.

I turn and I walk out of the hospital, not bothering to put away my gun. Doctors look at me, and they don't seem alarmed or surprised. They're probably in on this as well.
I pass the counter and I stop by Charlie.

He reaches under the desk and tosses me a set of keys.
"Still remember how to drive this thing?" He asks.
I smile at him.
"How could I forget?" I say, passing by several more staff and pressing through the front doors.

I click the unlock button on the keys and I hear a car chirp. I look behind me and press the button again.
I grin and start to walk over to a car parked under a tree in the shade.
A matte black 1971 Buick Riviera.

I slide in and I run my fingertips over steering wheel. I put the keys into the ignition and the car roars to life. I shut the door, smiling to myself, and I pull out of the parking lot. Once on the road, I open the glovebox, to reveal a single plane ticket.
'Arizona, here I come,' I think to myself.

'Cause, shit.
Now that I think about it,
We were born with nothing. And we sure as hell have nothing now.

——————— END ——————
Jesus! ITS OVER! (Or is it?)
Finally, Dan's going after the people who stole his life from him. Poor Alex though, why'd she have to die?! IM A KILLER EVERYONE! STAY BACK IM DANGEROUS lol naw
But I'm glad you've all been enjoying this, and I wanna thank you for sticking around for the end.
This was one crazy ride! ♥️🔺

ERROR:>%YO(7U*%•CA<N^T::-77]RUN_•*#**FROM__~***•*^•US***~:#;**