Love Beyond Death

Chapter Nine

I guess Charles and I must have been too much into the argument to realize he was standing in the door. How long was he there for?

Charles smirked. "Did the doctor call?" He asked sarcastically.

The guard frowned. "If we weren't in front of all these people, you would be calling for doctor."

Wow, that's so original.

"You're pathetic, Cole. Did you actually think you could win? It's not over. This is not over."

I stared coldly at him for a moment, registering what he had just said.

"How am I the pathetic one? At least I am trying do something instead of holding someone back. At least I have something better to do than to try and scare a couple of teenagers. At least I have a life."

He cracked his dry lips into a smile. Then he turned and started to walk away, when he looked over his shoulder to look at us and said, "This is just a game, boy, and so far, we're in the lead." He gave us a moment to think about that. "By the way, doctor's ready to see you." And he walked off, just like that.

Charles was dumbfounded, until he finally said, "Let's just go."

We walked out the door to find the doctor walking around the waiting room. Apparently, he took his break earlier than others. I guessed that he was able to do that because he was so highly rated. That didn't really matter at this point, he was there, and we wanted answers.

He saw us watching him.
"Cole? Charles?" His voice was deep and stern.

"Sir, I'm Cole Alph. This is my friend Charles Libt. We just need to ask some questions."

The doctor laughed. "I see? Well, may I see some identification? I don't suppose you are with the FBI. You're far too young,"

"Unfortunately not, sir. But we were extremely good friends with Alice. We were hoping you could tell us some things that would help with the investigation?"

The doctor raised an eyebrow. "You don't even know my name, and you want answers?"

Charles and I blinked in realization.

The doctor laughed another hearty laugh.
"Relax boys. You can call me Doctor Herkskill. 'Herk ' for short. Now, why don't we go somewhere a bit more private to discuss this matter?"

I nodded in agreement and signaled slightly for Charles to follow.

We walked into a break room where there were less than a half a dozen nurses and doctors. Each one of them engaged in a conversation, sipping heated coffee from the slightly chipped mugs. Not one paying attention to the two teenagers walking in with the kingly man.

"Back here, boys," called Herk from a few feet ahead.

He led us to a smaller, yet more comforting, room just around the corner from the previous one.

He sat down on a wheeled chair, parked behind his desk.

"Now, you wanted answers?" He tilted his head slightly, looking back and forth between Charles and I.

I nodded. "Yes, sir."

He looked down and wagged his finger at us. "I thought I was going to be able to tolerate that." He looked up. "But seeing as how many medical mysteries could be solved if I just put all my knowledge into them one at a time, I think I earned the title 'doctor'. Don't you think?"

He smiled warmly before asking, "Now, what would you like to know?"

I shifted on my feet and opened my mouth to speak, still a bit taken aback from the recent statement, but Charles got there before me.

"How do you suspect she was killed?"

Herk chuckled. He stood up and walked around his desk, leaning on his hands when he reached the front of it.

"Well then, getting straight to the point now. Aren't we?" He raised an eyebrow. "Tell you what," he started to rub his hands together. "If you give me a specific question, I'll give you a specific answer."

Charles crossed his arms. "Describe specific."

"What do you mean?" His forehead wrinkled in annoyance. "Specific means specific. If you asked me something like.." The genius looked around the room, as if looking for the question he needed. His brows fell as soon as they were raised. "How many years old was she?" He gestures towards himself. "I would reply, 'approximately 17 years old'." He smiled as if he were the only one who could understand.

Charles smirked. "Okay then."

I took a quick glance at him before asking Herk, "Exactly how was Alice killed?"

"Simple. Extreme loss of blood and multiple ruptured organs."

"What created and or caused the 'extreme loss of blood and multiple ruptured organs'?"

"Carving of a religious cross in her spinal area."

I peeked at Charles again. His head was slightly hung. He blinked slowly. His facial expressions changed often. I took my attention and placed it on Herk once more.

"Any evidence to claim who the culprit is?"

He shook his head slightly. "Not allowed to say, even if I knew."

I mentally slapped myself. Of course he wouldn't give such an official answer to us. That was private information.

"What about other information? Like, facts?"

Herk smiled, looking relieved because of the question.

"I was wondering when you'd find the loop hole."

He stood up. "Now, facts." He walked towards the filing cabinet. "Obviously I wouldn't know them off the top of my head." He pulled out a file labeled 'A. Winstill' and opened it. "Let's see." He flipped through two pages. "Blood Type? A-positive. Eye color? Blue. Height? Five feet and one inch." He looked over the file and at us. "Any specific fact that you would like?"

He carried on after receiving a quick 'no' from me.

"Ah, how about an obvious one. She was 16 weeks far."

Charles looked up, so fast I thought he would've hurt his neck.

"What?" He looked at Herk with questioning eyes. "What do you mean? Was she-"

He was quickly cut off by the doctor. "Pregnant? Yes, she was. Honestly, I'm surprised you hadn't noticed. How could you not?"

Charles' eyes were red and watery. "That's impossible." He held his breath. "We.. She.. Oh God." He started to sob. I watched his tears trail from his palms where he held his head, to the back of his hand, to the floor.

"Would you like to sit down?" Herk offered him a plastic chair from the corner of the room. Charles graciously took it, slightly shaking, but still crying.

I, on the other hand, was furious.

"Pregnant? What? Charles, are you?"

He looked up at me. His eyes were puffy, his cheeks covered in wet tears, his hair a mess from where he had ran his fingers through.

"Yeah, I am."

That's when I ran.

HELLO LOVELIES! I'm sorry I haven't updated in awhile. I really am. I'm already working on the next chapter, no worries. Anyways, I just wanted to say that, and sorry not sorry this took such an unexpected turn.