The Typewriter

Chapter 22 or Day 22 of NaNoWriMo 2012 (1,671 words)

Chapter 22: In the Emergency Room

"General Baldwin," said Dr. Crystalhealer walking into ER room 10. "You haven't broken your tail bone, but you did bruise it. What happened?"

"I was wearing my bedroom slippers," Baldwin mumbled. "When I slipped on the wet grass and feel down."

"General Baldwin, I presume you had a good reason to wear your slippers when you went outside."

"Yes," he grunted. "I was trying to chase a sheep away from my prize rose bush."

"I didn't know live stock was permitted within the city limits," the doctor shook his head. Why, he thought, do I get all the crazy patients and military cast offs. Perhaps I should start looking for a residency in Central City or the coast, where all the normal people live.

"Live stock aren't allowed in the city limits," said Constable Parker walking into the room. "Which is why I'm here Mr. Baldwin."

"Brigadier General Baldwin if you please, Constable Parker."

"I don't please, Mr. Baldwin and I don't give a damn what rank you achieved in the military." He took out his ticket book and begin writing, "On the military base, they might have allowed live stock to live in your yard, but you're a civilian now and you live in Dragonview. We don't allow live stock within the city limits because they attracts dragons and other predators." He finished writing the ticket, "Now, Mr. Baldwin, if you will sign on the bottom stating you will appear in court, I'll not arrest you." Baldwin signed the ticket, Constable Parker tore off a copy, handed it to Baldwin, and left the room.

"Maybe, I should have reminded him that I hold a seat on the Supreme Council," Baldwin said staring down at the ticket.

"I wouldn't have helped," said Crystalhealer hand Baldwin a prescription. "That's for pain medication, Brigadier General Baldwin. I suggest you get it filled as soon as you leave the hospital, otherwise you're going to find it extremely painful setting down." He started to leave, but turned around at the door. "You know a man your age should be a little more careful, you could have did more damage then just a bruised tailbone."

Outside the room, he went to the nurses' station. "Nurse Simple, are the release papers for General Baldwin ready?"

"Yes, Doctor."

"Good," he signed them and handed them back to her. "Also, there are two other doctors on call. If anyone else checks in who looks like their with the military or crazy, call another doctor. Let them deal with the nuts for a while."

"Wonderful," she took the release papers into ER 10. "General Baldwin, sign these and you can go home."

Two hours later, K. C. and Baldwin arrived at the Baldwin estate. Before K. C. could honk the horn, the soldier on duty opened the gate and greeted the general with a salute. K. C. helped Baldwin out of the car and escorted him into the house. Inside, Baldwin detected the slight scent of vinegar, but otherwise his carpet was clean and his house sheep free. Captains Whitehead and Walton were sitting on the couch reading a newspaper.

"How did..."

"We get the carpet clean," Walton smiled. "I consulted my sister's maid, she was quite helpful."

"Where's that damn sheep?"

"The ewe and her lambs are tied in the backyard, under the tree oak tree." He got up, "Would you like to sit down, Sir?"

"No, Captain Walton, I'm taking my pain medication and going to be." He yawned, "We'll discuss your mission in the morning." Baldwin limped out of the living room into the kitchen where he filled a glass with water and then down the hall to his bedroom. He sit down on the bed and removed his boots, next he took the bottle of pills out of his picket, removed one tablet and swallowed it. After a few minutes he removed his clothes and laid down.

After Baldwin left the living room K. C. took the keys out of his pocket and laid them on the coffee table. "There are the keys to the general's car," he went to the door and turned to face to two Captains. "When General Baldwin wakes up, tell him I'll be back in the morning to finish trimming the hedge."

"Wait up, Mr. Wainwright," said Captain Whitehead. "I'll give you a ride home."

"Thank you, Sir." K. C. followed Whitehead out of the house and got into his car, "My address is Number Eleven Star Light Court."

"Mr. Wainwright," Captain Whitehead ask as they drove toward Star Light Court. "Do you have any idea who used the shotgun on that rose bush?"

"I didn't see it, but General Baldwin said he killed the rose bush and killed was the word he used, Captain," K. C. studied the expression on Whiteheads face. "Why?"

"The General didn't seem himself this evening," he shook his head. "Maybe it was the pain medication, but he seemed a bit out of it, a bit distant."

"Sir, we picked up the prescription, but he didn't take any of the tablets," K. C. rubbed his chin with his hand. "It could've been the pain, I know he couldn't sit still in the car because of it."

"That's probably the reason," Whitehead stopped the car in front of Number Eleven Star Light Court, K. C. got out and climbed the stairs to his room.

Thirty minutes later, he drove into the parking lot of his hotel. He parked his car in his designated parking space and got out. He started to go straight to his room, but as he was waiting for the elevator which seemed to take an extremely long time to descend he reconsidered and went to the front desk.

"Good even, Captain Whitehead," the front desk clerk smiled and removed some envelops from his rooms mailbox. "There are several letters and messages for you."

"Thank you," he took the letters, placed them in his jacket pocket, and went back to the elevator which was standing with its door open as if waiting for him. He got in, pushed the button for floor nine, and the door closed.

When he got to his room, he laid the envelops and his phone on the nightstand, after that he prepared himself for bed. Then he sit down on the bed and sorted the envelops. Three had Central City postmarks and one a Dragonview postmark. The other envelop had the hotel's crest in the upper left corner.

Two of the envelops from Central City had his office address on them, so he laid them aside. The other, which was from Major Markov, he opened inside was a handwritten message.

Whitehead,

I will arrive in Dragonview on the 9:00 A.M. Meet me at the state, we have a problem and need to talk.

Major Markov

We, he though scratch his head. Odd, usually when Markov has a problem it's mine not ours. I suppose, since:30 he wasn't waiting for me in the reception are, he means tomorrow morning's bus.

Then he opened the envelop with the hotel's crest, it was a handwritten note on hotel stationary.

Captain Whitehead,

Please meet me at the Baldwin residence at 9:00 A.M. We have a problem.

Parole Officer Miles Dragonslayer

Yes, he nodded his head. We do have a problem, I don't have a clone and I can't be in two places at the same time.

He picked up the envelop with the Dragonview postmark, in the upper left corner was the Constable Parker's office address.

Whitehead,

I've notified Animal Control about the sheep in Baldwin's yard. Animal Control, accompanied by my officers and myself, will arrive at the Baldwin estate between 9:00 and 9:30 A.M. to pick up the animals. The troops guarding the General's sheep damn well better not cause any trouble because my officers and I ar armed.

Constable Parker.

He picked up his phone and dialed Captain Walton's number. "Captain Walton, I'm sorry to disturb you so late, but several guest will arrive at the front gate in the morning at 9:00 A.M. Make sure the gate is locked and the guards at the gate have no visible weapons."

"No, we have several problems."

"Constable Parker and his officers are escorting Animal Control. Parker and his people will be armed, but I don't know how many deputies he's bring."

"Parole officer Dragonslayer will be there as well, but I don't know if he's armed."

"I'm meeting Major Markov at the bus station at 9:00 A.M. Inform our guest that the gate will be opened as soon as Major Markov and I arrive."

"One more thing, make sure the General Baldwin is not armed. I don't want any problems because the old bastard is pissed off or offended by armed peace officers at his front gate."

"Markov and I will come directly there from the bus station."

"You have a good night, as well, Captain Walton."

He sit the alarm for 5:00 A.M. and then opened the two remaining envelops. They were just request for leaves, he signed them and put them in the return envelops his security had been thoughtful enough to enclose. Then turning out the light, he lay down and went to sleep.

He found himself standing in General Baldwin's front yard, watching the General aim a shotgun at a rose bush with Constable Park'er's face. The first shot missed the rose bush, which started running with the General in pursuit. The alarm went off and he awake to the sun streaming through the glass patio door of his hotel room. Yawning, he reach over, turned the alarm off, and then forced himself to sit up.

He sit on the edge of his bed, staring at the bright sunlight. After five minutes he got up, walked to the patio door and closed the curtain. Then he half stumbled, half walked into the bathroom, turn on the cold water in the shower, and held his head under the spray for five minutes.