The Typewriter

Chapter 16 or Day 16 of NaNoWriMo 2012 (1,717 words)

Chapter 16: Miles Dragonslayer Interviews Jose Fastrunner

After two hours of waiting in line at the reception desk, Miles walked into Jose Fastrunner's room. Jose, the blueish-black bruises on his face glistening under the harsh white lights of ER room 18, lay on his back with his eyes closed and his hands in restraints. Before touching the restrains, Miles studied them and noticed that they were the newer and more expensive type which had an alarm attached to them. That meant that only the head nurse or attending physician could unfasten them without setting off an alarm.

Miles sit down in the chair next to the bed and pressed the call button. Fifteen minutes later a nurse came into the room, removing his wallet from his back pocket, showed the nurse his identification and then returned his wallet to his back pocket. "Could you please removed the restraints?" He smiled at the irritated expression on her face.

"I'll get the floor supervisor," she left the room.

A few minutes later a RN came into the room, she stared at Miles for a few seconds and then said, "I'm sorry, Sir, but I can't remove the restraints for any except Mr. Fastrunners parole officer."

Again, Miles removed his wallet from his back packet and showed her his badge and identification, "I am Miles Dragonslayer, Mr. Fastrunners parole office. Now can you please removed the restraints!"

She continued to stare at him for a few seconds, "I'll have to get the physician on duty." She left the, as Miles put his wallet into his jacket pocket.

Twenty minutes later, a doctor came into the room, "I'm Dr. Crystalhealer," he proclaimed. "And you are?"

"Miles Dragonslayer," he removed his wallet and showed the doctor his identification and his badge. "I would like Mr. Fastrunner's restrains removed immediately!" When there was no response in two seconds, "If you can't remove the restrains then get someone in here who can!"

"Of course, Mr. Dragonslayer," Dr. Crystalhealer, punched in the security code and removed the restrains. "When you're finished talking to your client, please let the head nurse know so she can replace the restrains."

"When I finish talking to Mr. Fastrunner, he'd damn well better be released into my custody or you and this hospital will be dealing with an irate dragon and instead of a dragon slayer."

"Shit," the doctor said under his breath and left the room. The doctor went to the nurses station, "Nurse Simple," he said to the head nurse. "Draw up release paper for the patient in ER 18 stat!"

"But doctor..."

"Don't argue with me, Simple, just draw up the damn papers and let Dragonslayer sign them." He took a deep breath, "He can deal with military security!"

"Of course, Doctor," Nurse Simple began the release process.

After the doctor left, Miles turned to face the bed and found Jose rubbing left wrist with his right hand. "Thanks, Mr. Dragonslayer."

"You're welcome, Mr. Fastrunner," he noticed that Jose's knuckles were bruised. "Who started the fight?"

"The other guy."

"Looks like you got in a few good licks yourself," Miles smiled, making himself a mental note to check every parolee in town in the coming week. "I know you're not going to rat on another parolee, so my only question is why did he attack you?"

"He was pissed because, when he works on my days off, he's not allowed into Miss Lydia's private garden."

"Does that pay more?"

"Not in cash, Sir," Jose smiled at Miles confused look. "Miss Lydia allows me to take home any vegetables, fruits, or herbs I want."

At that moment, Nurse Simple came into the room and handed Miles the release paper. Miles read them carefully and then removed a pen from his shirt pocket. "Nurse..." he looked at her name tag. "Nurse Simple, this doesn't say anything about the possibility of internal bleeding."

"That's not a problem, Mr. Dragonslayer," she glared at him. "The tests for internal bleeding came back negative."

"Then," he signed the papers but held onto them. "Why was Mr. Fastrunner placed in restraints?"

"Uh.." she tried to take the papers, but Miles continued to hang onto them. "Well... Uh, Mr. Dragonslayer... A request by military security."

"Thank you, Nurse Simple," he handed the release paper to her. "You have a nice evening."

"Mr. Fastrunner," Miles turned to face Jose, who was out of bed and putting on his clothes. Miles turned around, walk to the door of the room, and looked outside. Except for Nurse Simple, who was setting at the nurses station talking on the phone, this section of the ER was empty.

"I'm ready," said Jose tapping Miles on the shoulder.

"Then we'd better leave before the MPs arrive." They walked through the narrow corridors and then into the ER's main entrance. Sally got up came over to Miles and kissed him on the cheek, "Are you ready?"

"Yes," he squeezed her hand. "Sally, this is Jose Fastrunner."

"Nice to meet you, Mr. Fast Runner," she shook his hand and the headed for the main entrance.

"Like wise, Miss Sally."

Just outside the door of the ER, two security guards were talking to a soldier in dress uniform. As they walked past, Miles glanced at the insignia on the soldier's right arm. Embassy guard, he thought, What the hell is an embassy guard doing this far from Central City.

In the car, Miles pretended to adjust the rear view mirror. Instead, he was watching the soldier as he got into a dark blue four door sedan. The sedan drove to the parking lot and turned into a doctor's only parking place. "Interesting," Miles said turning on the ignition. "We're being followed."

"By who," said Sally glancing into the side view mirror.

"An embassy guard in a blue sedan," he drove to Main Street and turned right.

"Why?"

"I have no idea, My Dear," then he turned into the left lane and headed toward Mrs. Martin's boarding house. "Mr. Fastrunner, do you know why the military would be after you."

"No, Sir, I served four years in the Navy, was honorably discharged, and then I was stupid enough to attempt to rob a bank."

Miles turned into the boarding house parking lot and then parked in Visitor's Parking. He went around to the passenger side and opened the door for Sally. As she was getting out, he glanced toward the street and saw the sedan park in front of a fire hydrant. Jose got out of the backseat and they all went into the building.

"Sally, you stay here," he pointed to an empty chair near the door. "While we go up to my client's room and get his clothes."

When they get up to the room, Jose's roommate is setting by the window drinking a cup of coffee and watching something outside.. He looks up, waves to Jose and turns back to his observations. Jose goes to his bed, picks up a large backpack, and begins putting clothes into it. Miles goes over to the window.

"Miles Dragonslayer," he extends his hand. "You must be Patrick O'Hara."

"Yes, Sir," he shakes Miles' hand and then returns his gaze to the alley below.

"What's so interesting," Miles looks down into the alley.

"MP's going through our trash. They started about an hour ago and their getting trash all over the place." He shook his head, "Mrs. Martin ain't going to like it, if their still here when she gets back she'll take a broom to them."

When Jose was finished packing, they went downstairs. Miles stopped at the office and knocked on the door. A bald headed man answered. Miles showed him his badge and ID. "Nice to meet you, Mr. Dragonslayer," the man said as they shook hands. "I'm Jacob Martin, my wife will be sorry she missed you. What can I do for you, Sir?"

"Inform your wife, I'll be assigning Mr. O'Hara a new roommate in a few days."

"Of course, Sir."

"Also," Miles frowned. "There is a blue sedan blocking the fire hydrant in front of your building."

"I'll take care of that," he went to the front door. Miles, Jose, and Sally followed him out of the building and got into Jake Nolan's car. Mr. Martin went to the sedan and pounded on the driver's side window until someone rolled the window down. While Mr. Martin was talking to the driver, Miles, with his lights off, turned west and then at the next stop light turned south.

"Where are we going, Miles," Sally ask..

"To Aunt Lydia's," Miles checked his rear view mirror and then turned his lights back on. "I noticed a guest house in her private garden where Mr. Fastrunner can stay until I find out what's going on."

"Sir," Jose looked nervous. "I don't want to endanger Miss Lydia."

"There isn't any place else for you to go," Miles turned onto Applewhite Lane. "At least until I find out why the Military are interested in you, Mr. Fastrunner. If it is you they're interested in and not..."

"Please, Sir, call me Jose."

"Miles," Sally knew by the expression on his face that he had just jumped to an answer based not on logic, but intuition. "If it isn't Jose they're interest in then who?"

"Aunt Lydia," Miles frowned."

"Why would they be interested in Miss Lydia," Jose looked worried.

"Because people disappear when they piss her off." He stopped in front of the Applewhite house and turned off his light. Before he could get to the passenger side of the car, Sally got out and opened the back door motioning Jose to get out of the car. Jose dragging his backpack with him got out of the car and the three of them went through the front gate.

Miles got to the front door first, but before he could ring the doorbell Lydia opened the door. "What happened," she asked motioning them into the setting room.

"Someone beat Jose up," Miles gave the obvious answer. "Aunt Lydia, could he stay in your guest house for a while. I'll let Marry Ann Walton-Gray know where he is tomorrow morning."

Of course," Lydia smiled. "Jose can stay in my guest house permanently. He's the best gardener I've ever employed."