AVENGE

CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX - HENRY MORTON

26.

HENRY MORTON

It had been just over five months since he had been told of his family's killers being arrested and charged. The case still hadn't gone to trial yet. The first hearing had been completed and despite the evidence against them, the accused were denying the charges.

Henry was sitting behind his desk, having a ten-minute break between patients. He had been back at work for a month now. He found that keeping busy helped. Moping around at home had been a dangerous time for him until his friends – Samuel, Glenda and Leonardo had ganged up on him and pulled him back from the drinking problem he was beginning to develop.

He looked at a framed family photo sitting on his desk and finished his coffee. He was placing his cup back on its coaster when his secretary buzzed him. "Yes, Glenda."

'Mr Edmire is here to see you.'

"Thanks, Glenda. Send him in."

Esteban Edmire was one of Henry's fellow hypnotherapists and particularly good at his job. He entered and sat in front of Henry.

"What can I do for you, Esteban?"

"I've discovered a new piece of technology that I think could be of use to us."

"We're fine with our current techniques."

"Would you please take a look. It could revolutionise our industry, Mr Morton."

Henry spotted the rolled-up magazine in Esteban's hand. "You said technology, not technique, am I right?"

"Yes, Mr Morton. I think we could be pioneers."

"Okay. Let's have a look. I only have five minutes before my next patient though."

Esteban unrolled the magazine and turned it to face Henry. "Read that."

Henry slid the magazine closer with his fingertips and began to read. Once he was finished he looked at Esteban. "It requires a surgical incision, and insertion, into the spinal cord just below the medulla oblongata. One slip and the patient could be paralysed or have problems with either their breathing or their heart rate." Henry sat back in his chair. "It's a no go, Esteban."

"You did read it all?"

"Yes."

"There are lots of patients that we can't help due to them not being susceptible enough to hypnotherapy. This chip increases that chance by almost forty percent. We'd be able to help so many more people."

"I appreciate your enthusiasm but we're hypnotherapists – not surgeons. Patients come to us to either avoid or because of surgery amongst other things. I couldn't suggest to them more surgery."

"Keep the magazine, Mr Morton. Read it again. Think about it."

"Okay, Esteban. Now go. You've got your own patients as well."

"Thank you." Esteban strode out of Henry's office.

When the door was closed, Henry looked at the article again. He frowned and leaned closer to the magazine. The image of the CEO of Pressman Industrial seemed familiar to him. That's Jack Jackman. He's changed his name. I wondered what happened to him. Henry closed the magazine and held it over the bin then changed his mind and placed it in one of his drawers.

Oh, Esteban. What will you come up with next? He shook his head.

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