The Oddities Of Grand Marquis - Book 1: Galactic Seed 🪼✔

Twenty-Third

I pulled into the storage facility and entered the code. I found the unit number and then knocked on the rolltop door. It rolled open halfway and Mr. Taylor motioned for me to come inside. It was definitely rudimentary, but at least it looked like a medical room or sorts. Mr. Taylor looked like shit though. His hair is all askew and he looked like he hadn't slept in days when it had only been a few hours.

"You look like hell..." I said.

"Yeah, well, I've been dealing with some shit, ya know?" he snapped.

I probably shouldn't have said anything and he had every right to be snappy.

"Sorry... where's Mrs. Taylor?"

"She's at work. She didn't want to leave Max but someone has to have a job."

"...Did you get fired?"

"I asked for a small leave of absence; my job was willing to let me. I can't stand by and let those fuckers keep screwing around with my son."

He seemed really angry, like he was about to punch me or something, when this other guy came from seemingly nowhere and put his hand on Mr. Taylor's shoulder.

"Brunswick, please calm down. You're going to give yourself a stroke." He turned to me. "Hello, I'm Dr. David Bluewater. You must be Max's friend."

"Yeah..."

"Let go of me, dammit, I'm going to sit." Mr. Taylor growled as he shrugged out of the doctor's hand.

He walked over to a small twin sized bed and laid on it, staring at us with a grumpy expression. Even though he was staring at us, I still got the impression he wasn't at the same time.

"Ever since the Taylor's called in the incident with Max, Brunswick hasn't let himself got to sleep. He just won't sleep. Do you know if he does this often?"

"Kind of. I know when Max was still missing, he was always cranky and snappy and sometimes when I would go over there Mrs. Taylor would tell me that we would have to talk quietly because Mr. Taylor finally went to sleep or something to that effect. She said that he would stay up days on end waiting for Max to come home and then finally his body would make him fall asleep... So... you're the only doctor willing to help Max out? You're definitely not from here."

"I'm from Tracerville. I was given a sample of Max's blood for further instruction and came right to Grand Marquis but it seems that no on wanted to help me find Max or his family. They had a lot to say except where they were. Then, it took me forever to get someone to lend me their sonogram machine so that I could do a proper evaluation and then this happened with Max..." He sighed. "Oh, good, he's asleep."

I looked over as Mr. Taylor laid on the bed with his arm hanging off and his glasses askew, fast asleep.

"Geneva wanted to be here as well but as Brunswick said, his job had no problems letting him off for a week or two to take a paid leave. It hurt Geneva so much to have to leave them here with me, but Brunswick has been like a hawk with me. To be honest, I'd rather deal with Geneva; she seems to have a level head."

"Mr. Taylor is just trying to crawl out from all the guilt and blame he threw on himself while Max was gone. Can I see Max?"

"Of course..." We started walking. "The Taylors must have a lot of trust in you to let you know where they are."

"I guess so... I mean, I'm Max's best friend..."

We walked around a corner made up by a curtain on one of those portable clothes hangers and I saw Max laying in an adjustable bed, tubes in his arm and nose. He was bruised and battered, like someone that beat the hell out of him.