Deaf Fish - Introduction Chapter

Introduction - The Hospital

The busy ward was filled with sounds of beeping equipment; chatter of patients and their visitors; the PA system barking out pages every few minutes; and a radio plays quietly from the nurses station.

One patient in a bed in the corner stands out from the rest. The tall, brawny guy dwarfs the bed as he lays unconcious. White gauze bandages covers his right ear and neck. His muscular arms are sleeved in tattoos and his left wrist is handcuffed to the bedrail.

His legs start stirring under the blankets. A newspaper masking the occupant in the chair next to the bed starts rustling and the police officer behind it folds it up. The patient sluggishly sits up and looks around.

"Well nice of you to join me Dean". The officer remarks. Dean gently feels the bandages on his head.

"You're in a world of trouble now" the officer continues.

Dean puzzledly asks, "Are you talk -" he stops abruptly and fear crosses his face. "Huh? Hello? HELLO? HEY!" Dean looks around wildly and starts tugging at the handcuffs.

The officer stands up and motions with his hands, "Now take it easy big guy".

Dean glares at him and screams, "I can't HEAR! Why can't I HEAR?"

The officer reaches for Dean's shoulder, Dean grabs the officer's shirt and shoves him backwards into the chair.

"Call Security!" the officer shouts.

Dean looks around frantically, screaming and tugging harder on the handcuffs. Two large orderlies dressed in light blue uniforms rush Dean and tackle him from both sides of the bed. Dean frees his right arm and starts pummeling one of them. The officer wraps his arms around Dean's arm and pins it back. Another orderly comes and pins Dean's legs down.

All the while a tall, lean man in a white lab coat is standing beside the nurse's station.

"5cc's of Thiopental NOW", he orders.

When he receives the syringe he calmly walks up to the struggling mass of body parts, reaches out, grabs a tattooed arm and injects the drug. Soon the huddled bodies settle down and one by one the men climb off the bed until there's only Dean.