Smile and put on a happy face

Murray's other face

There´s a commotion outside the building when I get home. An ambulance is stationed at the entrance and a group of paramedics hurries out, pushing a stretcher and yelling at the neighbors and onlookers to move aside. I approach the scene and suddenly I recognize the woman on the stretcher. It´s mom!! 

- Wait!! That´s my mother!! What happened?

- You´re her son?- one of them asks.

- Yes.

- Come with us, quick!!

They push me inside the ambulance and I climb in behind mom. 

- What happened?? 

- She collapsed. Does she take any medication?

- No.

I can´t think clearly right now. Everything is happening so fast. The trip to the hospital is short. No one can tell me yet what exactly happened. We enter through the emergency wing and the doctors ask me to wait outside the room. I´m so scared. Several minutes go by and I walk from one side of the corridor to the other until finally one of them comes out and speaks to me. 

- You´re her son, right?

- Yes, how is my mom?

- She´s alright for now. But she had a stroke. She´s going to have to stay in the intensive care unit for a few days. 

- What happened to her?

- We´re not quite sure. It was a police officer who called the ambulance. 

The police? I don´t get it. Mom always stays home alone…

- She needs to rest for a moment, then you can see her. 

- Ok. Thank you, doctor.

I need to smoke.

I head out through the back door and sit down on a bench. I light a cigarette and try to keep myself calm. 

-Mr. Fleck?

I look up. Two gentlemen in black coats walk over to me. 

- Yes?

- Good night- says the chubbier one - I´m detective Garrity, this is my partner, detective Burke.- 

Detectives…now everything starts to make sense. 

- We were looking for you at your apartment, but you weren´t home. So we spoke to your mother. 

- What did you say to her? Wait…did you do this?

- We just asked her some questions. She got hysterical, hyperventilated and fell. She hit her head. 

- The doctor said she had a stroke!!

- We´re really sorry, but as I said, we still have some questions to ask you. It´s about the triple murder that happened on the subway last week. 

I try my best to maintain a relaxed posture even though cold sweat is running down my body. 

- Yes, I heard about that. It´s horrible…- I say, focusing on smoking as casually as possible. 

- That´s right.

I don´t look them in the eyes. Now it´s the other officer who speaks to me. 

- We spoke to you boss at HAHA, he said you were fired for bringing a gun to a children´s hospital. 

- It was a prop, it´s part of my act! I´m a party clown.

- Alright, then why were you fired?

 - They said I wasn´t funny enough…can you believe that? – I reply, upset.