Piper

Seeking Stability

"Stability can only be attained by inactive matter." - Marie Curie

After meeting a difficult client, a cranky social worker and now hugging a secretary that acted as his own mother, things didn't
exceptionally look good for the doctor.

After these bizarre encounters happened all at once, Nolan had the impression that something wasn't quite right.

Vera wasn't naturally overly protective before; so he wondered why did she suddenly have a change of heart?

He knew she had an estranged family of her own that lived in another state and probably missed them.

Yet, Nolan never knew the real reason behind the story on why Vera's adult children abandoned their mother after their father passed away, but he felt sorry for the old lady and couldn't let her down.

Her strong grip on his shoulders made him uncomfortable and wanted to tell her to let him go.

Something was also odd about her since she talked in a fashion as if she had an accent ... a southern brawl that wasn't her own. Those very words that came out of her mouth a minute ago on how she knew things would just turn out right, didn't seem to be something she would say often.

Nolan assured himself that maybe Vera was just trying to comfort him or offer him advice, but deep down, Nolan had a hunch that someone other than his sweet old secretary spoke to him. Perhaps she was feeling homesick after she heard his discussion with Ms. Swanson and Janneth.

But then again, the doctor remembered Piper, the invisible spirit that Ms. Hudson talked about earlier and how he definitely heard disturbing voices in his office.

It gave him the shivers just thinking about it as a breeze ran through his spine causing him to pull his jacket upwards.

If this theory about Piper were true, he wondered if she was playing with his mind. The thought was absurd, but Nolan didn't have any other explanation.

But he couldn't reveal his thoughts out loud for the doctor was afraid of the consequences. So he just thanked his secretary for her kind words.

"Thank you, Vera, I hope everything will turn out well for Ms. Hudson's case too. And I am willing to work with Ms. Swanson as well." The doctor gulped as he mentioned this for he was hanging on a wing and a prayer. He briefly closed his eyes and folded his hands to ask for help.

When he returned to his office, Nolan arranged all his papers and placed them in his briefcase, but he noticed something peculiar. There was a lace-trimmed handkerchief in the corner hidden near his bookcase. It wasn't his, so he immediately thought it might have belonged to Janneth for he never saw it before. She might have dropped it when she was in her office. Yet it was quite small, about child-size in fact, that even a short doll could use it.

No, it couldn't be. Could it?

It was anyone's guess, but it could have also definitely belonged to HER - a fictional spirit. He decided to pick the handkerchief up to inspect it, so he put on some plastic gloves for protection and retrieved it from the floor. After all, if it did belong to an unknown person who probably had it for a very long time, he had to be sure it was germ-free.

It didn't look to be harmful as he felt it, yet it had a faint smell - one Nolan couldn't figure out, but the odor on it seemed to be fresh - as if someone just soaked it in ammonia. That idea puzzled him yet it convinced him  that whatever lay beyond the grave might haunt him after all.

Letting out a breath of relief that he never knew he held, he opened his drawer and took out a sandwich bag where he could store the item for safekeeping.

Wearily, Nolan closed the door to his office for the day and was anxious to go home to see both his wife and child.