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Because of Him Ch 19

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Because of Him Chapter 19
By: Dizappearingirl (2016)

Summary: It was his job. It was what he did. It was all he thought half-ghosts were allowed to do. But then he meets her and everything changes. His world expands. His memories begin to return. And he remembers. Remembers who he was, what happened to him, and who was responsible (AU)

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Chapter 19: Open the Door

Maddie

Hearing Detective Lowry give his consent had sent my emotions spiraling. I almost didn’t hear Jack ask if the detectives wanted us to drive them or Lowry’s partner, Tanner, respond with surprise that we expected to go right now. Lowry, fortunately, seemed to know this already and simply said that they would follow.

The trip to the hospital could not go quickly enough. Even with Jack at the wheel it still seemed to take forever. The detectives managed to match our pace, so we didn’t have to wait for them at the entrance. That was a relief. Instead, we were able to walk right in and onto the elevators, headed for the third floor.

Jack rocked back and forth impatiently as it rose and I had to grab his arm to stop him. Instead we gripped each other’s hands tightly. Every fiber in my body seemed stretched and taut. My stomach twisted and flopped. I wanted so badly for this to be it, for this to be the moment when I was finally reunited with my son. What would I do when I saw him? What would he do? Would he know me? Of course he would…except there was the fact that the detectives kept saying he said he wasn’t Danny. Why? Was it because something had happened to him?

Or was it because he wasn’t Danny?

I had to keep reminding myself that that was the likelier option. After two years of a complete lack of clues, it would be a miracle for him to show up alive in our hometown. I had to prepare myself for the worst. This could all be a mistake and he would be someone else’s child. And Danny would still be missing. His room would still be empty. Jazz wouldn’t have her brother. We wouldn’t have our son. My stomach clenched and I squeezed Jack’s hand harder. He looked down and gave a small reassuring smile that quickly faded away. I did the same. I knew that was the expectation, but please. Please let it be Danny.

“Now remember,” Detective Lowry said as he gestured for us to turn left down the hall, “we’re not sure this is Danny. You could walk in and realize that it isn’t him.” It seemed we were on the same wavelength, him and I. Both of us just trying to be reasonable and not let our hopes get too high. I nodded.

“Please don’t…” he hesitated, glancing back at us, “don’t upset him if he isn’t.” This is why I respected this man. He cared. He cared for us but he also cared for the boy we were going to visit, whether he was Danny or not. He just didn’t want to see anyone upset. I understood all of this, admired it, but knew that we had to see him. Whatever the outcome.

“And even if you’re sure it is him, you can’t just go up and hug him,” his partner added, looking back himself with the hint of a frown on his face. “We don’t know how he is going to react, so take it slow. We don’t need to spook him. Let him make the first move.”

Detective Tanner hadn’t been with Lowry when they were investigating Danny’s disappearance and I hadn’t paid too close attention to him until today. At Axiom Labs he had seemed like a good detective, relaxed, in control, and friendly. He had answered each of our questions promptly and as best he could. Now, he seemed closed off and almost irritated. I suppose I couldn’t blame him for not liking this unorthodox approach, but I found his antagonism frustrating. Didn’t he realize just how hard this was for us? I wanted to tell him just how big of a mess of emotions you were when one of your children goes missing, but he wouldn’t understand it. And I couldn’t blame him for that.

“We just want to see him,” I replied, trying to keep my voice from shaking.

He nodded and reluctantly replied, “He’s right down this hall.” The hall we were standing in hit a ‘t’ a few feet away and branched to the left and right. He nodded his head towards the left turn as he told me that. We followed it, went a few feet, and then had the wall turn us again to the right this time so that we faced a long corridor of doors. People milled about, walking in and out of rooms. I stared, wondering which one sheltered the boy that could be my son.

We walked down the corridor at a slower pace. Funny, now that I was here, possibly seconds away from seeing him, I couldn’t seem to move my feet properly. It was like I was walking through water. Jack, strong and steady at my side, pulled me along. Tanner quickened his pace, moving away from us towards an African-American woman with a curly mane of dark hair. She was talking to a nurse in pink scrubs, papers passing between them. They both looked up as he approached and he spoke to them quietly.

The woman in the suit suddenly looked over at us, her eyes oddly fierce. She whispered back to him and he responded quickly. Several different emotions flitted over both of their faces and finally she turned her focus back on us, her expression now speculative.

“That is Heather Strade,” Lowry informed us as we continued our slow approach. “She’s the CPS agent for this case.” Then that meant…one of these rooms just around us were the one. I glanced at each of them. Several were partially closed and a few were dim, though the ones on our left were generally lighter since the sun was on that side of the building. I could see into those who had their doors open and I was tempted to go and peek inside each. To stop myself, I tightened my grip on Jack’s hand and focused on following Lowry.

It didn’t take us very long to catch up with the CPS agent and Tanner. The nurse that had been talking to her walked passed us as we stopped at their side in time to hear her say, “—should probably go in first, talk to him and see what I think.”  

“Ms. Strade,” Lowry said. She turned towards us and nodded.

“Detective. You’re throwing me a curve ball here.”

“I know, but it could help. It’ll be faster than the x-ray at least,” he replied. “And it’s completely up to you exactly how you want to do it. First, though, let me introduce you to Mr. and Mrs. Fenton.” He gestured at us and we gave each other brief nods. I would have offered my hand but it was still securely in Jack’s and I didn’t think I could let go of that right now.

“Nice to meet you,” Heather smiled, though it disappeared quickly into a thoughtful look. Her eyes swept towards the room across the hall and then back to us. I followed her gaze and stared at the partially open door. Was that the room? “I can’t say this is the best idea for him, but since we already have some evidence that supports that he could be your son I am willing to consider this.”

She sighed and continued, “I would like to speak to him before I let you see him. He isn’t exactly forthcoming with information right now and I would hate to overwhelm him.” I forced myself to nod again, my mind still on that room. If I shifted my position slightly I could see into it. The door was open enough and if a curtain wasn’t pulled closed I would be able to see the bed. Even if she decided not to have us talk to him, at least I wanted a glance of the boy. I rolled my weight to my right foot, moving myself over just a few inches.

As the inside of the room came into view, my whole world seemed to slow. The blue curtain was pulled back, the bed situated so that the person in it would be facing the door, but I couldn’t see much as someone was standing in front of it. It was a young teenage boy dressed in the standard hospital gown, which hung loosely off of his body. It made him look thin—much thinner than he had been. But it also made him look younger than they claimed him to be and closer to the age I still had cemented in my head for my son. Like he hadn’t been missing for two years, but only a few days. He had a messy head of black hair and bright blue eyes—oh, familiar blue eyes—peeked out from underneath, widening as they caught sight of me. How could they say he looked ‘like’ Danny? He was Danny. In every way he was my son.  

I meant to say something to garner Jack’s attention but all that came out was a choked gasp. I stared at the boy and he back at me, both of us frozen. And then the others turned around and the moment passed, everything suddenly speeding up like it was trying to make up for the pause. The detectives and CPS agent began to speak, Jack’s hand crushed mine and he took a step forward, and the boy—my son, Danny—wrenched the door to the room shut, disappearing from our view.

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Phantom

I watched as Heather and the nurse spoke out in the hall. I couldn’t see them well from my angle of the bed and the partially closed door, but that was good. Hopefully that meant that they wouldn’t see me move. I threw off the blankets and swung my legs off of the bed. I paused here as cool air swept over my exposed legs and I looked down. Oh crap. I was still in the hospital gown. My clothes…I glanced around the room instinctively though I already knew they weren’t there. I had studied every inch of this room and the adjoining bathroom and there weren’t any places to hide them.

What did I do? I couldn’t just return to the warehouse in nothing but a hospital gown! Yes, that wouldn’t matter when I was in ghost mode, but it would be very uncomfortable when I changed back. I would need to get clothes. Were there any in the hospital? Did they keep my t-shirt and jeans? What about my shoes? They wouldn’t like having to go get me new ones. The few times they had had to buy me clothes, they had made it seem a big hassle. I looked around again, knowing that my time alone was limited. I would need to figure out clothes later. For now, changing into my ghost half and leaving had to be my priority.

I ran a finger over the small tube that led from an IV bag to the crook in my right arm. Holding onto one end, I turned it intangible and then dropped the end so it dangled near the floor. A bead of blood rose from the pinprick and I swiped a tissue from a box next to me, pressing it against my arm to catch it before it trailed down my skin.

Next, I stood up and had to stop again as my body adjusted to standing. I hadn’t done much of that in the last few days. I shook off the weird stiffness mixed with light-headedness and moved towards the front of the room. The bathroom door was right next to the one that led out into the hall. I needed to get inside there without Heather or any of the nurses noticing. I would need to change into my ghost half and the best way to hiding the blinding rings of light that were included in that transformation was to hide in there. I edged closer, keeping to the right of the door to remain out of sight.

I could hear Heather’s voice and…wait, was that Detective Tanner? I listened closely, my hearing amplifying as I tapped into my ghost side’s abilities.

“What? What are they doing here?” she asked, sounding startled and a little annoyed. What about the x-ray?”

“They came with their son’s copies and insisted on coming here.” Yes that was definitely Tanner’s voice and that doubly-confirmed when I heard him say, “Lowry said it was ok. He thinks it might trigger something in the kid…”

I gripped the wall that I was pressed against, a fresh wave of panic crashing over me. Why were the detectives here too? And who else was with them? Heather didn’t seem to like that they were here but Lowry thought it would trigger something…? In me? Who could they possibly have with them?

I shook my head, bringing up both hands to either side of my face. Focus. Focus on getting out of here. It didn’t matter what was going on because I was leaving. I was flying out of here and never looking back. They could investigate and search all they want but they would never find me. They were very good at disappearing and I could do that too—literally.

I could hear Heather speaking again and I was pretty sure Lowry’s gravelly voice had joined them. It was now or never. I scooted around the little wall that extended out for the bathroom and moved next to the door that led into the little room. I was at my most exposed, so close to the hallway that I could see a portion of it better now. I couldn’t help the glance out in the direction of their voices, hoping to see them all too busy to notice me going in here. It was then, as my eyes swept over the now-familiar forms of Heather, Tanner, and Lowry, that I saw who was with them. That I saw her.

Standing near the detectives, was a woman and a man in skin-tight body suits that were very similar to the one I wore as my ghost self, complete with gloves, boots, and a belt in black which contrasted sharply with his neon orange and her blue. Despite the glaring color of the man’s clothes, I found myself drawn to the woman. She seemed small compared to the man at her side, though I would probably be shorter than her if we were standing next to each other. Her hair was cut to chin length and was a beautiful auburn color. But what really stood out to me were her eyes. They were lavender, the same color as Sam’s. And as I met her gaze—because she was already staring right at me—my mind exploded.

Images and sounds suddenly bombarded me, slamming into my brain and flying away in random snippets that were bewildering.

The same woman smiling, laughing, her arms reaching out towards me.

The man in orange, holding something up that was blinking and buzzing and gesturing animatedly in the air, talking loudly about something like it was the most exciting thing in the world.

The woman patting me on the head as she stood next to me, leaning over a little to meet my gaze with her purple eyes.

A little girl with long red hair holding my hand and guiding me through a room.  

The woman walking around a kitchen with a mixing bowl—a place I felt like I had seen just recently though the thought was gone before I could fully process it.

The man pulling me up onto his shoulders and bouncing around while laughing goofily.

The woman kneeling in front of me while I sat on something, her expression solemn and tone serious. The man was in the background with a similar expression.

The man picking me up off of a couch and carrying me up the stairs.

A large room full of metal tables and science equipment and a deep hole dug into one end, both the woman and man gesturing towards it and talking fast with excitement.

A flash of blinding, painful green light…


I took in a shuddering breath, the images still coming, still confusing and terrifying. What was this? Some of those…weren’t they my dreams?

Sitting on a couch between the two of them, eyes on a glowing screen not far away.

The redheaded girl sprawled out on the floor, surrounded by papers covered in colorful drawings.


Why was this happening? What was I seeing?! I was still staring at the woman and I tried to breathe in again, my lungs struggling to work as my mind spun and head began to ache. Was she causing this?

Both the woman and the man lying in a large bed sound asleep as I ran towards them in the darkness, holding a stuffed animal in my arms.

The man throwing a ball my way and I reached up to catch it with both hands.


The others with her were turning, looking my way, speaking to me. I couldn’t hear the words but I recognized the fact that they were paying attention to me and I didn’t want that. I needed to go. I needed to get away from them. And from her. The woman with Sam’s eyes. Away from her and the man who were showing up like wisps of dreams in my mind, though I had never met them once in the last two years.

The woman crouching down beside me while I lay in bed, pressing one hand to my forehead as a worried frown played across her face….

I reached out blindly until my hand found the door handle and I threw it forward, slamming it shut. I stood there for a moment, my eyes now on the white-painted wood of the door as I tried to get my brain to work again. I…needed to focus…I needed to…to get out of here. Right. That’s what it was. I needed to leave.

I closed my eyes and pulled forth my ghost half, the twin circles of lights sliding from the center of my body over the rest of me with its familiar chill. The feeling helped clear my head and I immediately pushed off of the ground and headed towards the window. I turned intangible and invisible and was just about to slip through the wall when I heard the sound of the door handle being pushed open. I shot forward with a burst of speed and left the building behind me.  

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???

The room was dim, the only source of light coming from a large computer console against one of the walls. Its screen glowed faintly, barely illuminating the four walls, tile floor, and the contents of the room. A variety of machines was scattered around, humming and whining with small blips of lights flickering on and off on their screens and panels. Across from the mainframe were several tables and a long counter covered in neat rows of glass beakers, coiled wires, and several contraptions in different stages of development.

Abruptly the large monitor’s glow brightened, throwing sharp shadows across the empty room. The screen went black and then green letters appeared.

Record change detected

The words were replaced by an empty bar and the word,

Downloading…

The bar quickly filled and the image changed to a document with blocks of text and a picture in the upper left corner. The photo was of a boy with black hair and blue eyes. At the top of the page it read,

Missing Person Report

Name: Daniel J. Fenton
Age: 12 years


The document continued to describe the initial report, a description of the missing person, a witness testimony, interviews with family members, and notes of the investigation. The screen scrolled down and paused at the start of a second document after the first. The text and picture on the page became illuminated in green. Text in the same color appeared again.

New Document Found



Identified: Request to Re-open Case



Downloading to mobile device


A new bar flickered onto the screen only to fill quickly and disappear. The document then closed leaving the black backdrop once more. Ten minutes passed. The monitor had just lapsed into sleep mode when it beeped and was brought back to life. More text scrolled across it.

Receiving from mobile device



Instructions: Request clearance for private flight to Amity Park for Saturday.



Sending request


Images flashed across the screen too quickly to recognize and once again there were green words.

Request granted
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