Dr. Feelgood Comes Out to Play

"Greg, whats it been a couple days since I last saw ya?" The police officer asked meeting him at Fritts' doors.

"Sad circumstances."

         Together they walked up the stairs to a dark bar where they find a bathroom floor covered in blood and a young girl sitting on the ground with slit wrists facing upward.

"Isnt that the girl from that one OD case?" Greg asked.

"Yup. Found her boyfriend's suicide note sitting on the bar where she left it before coming in here."

         The medical examiner shook his head. "What a shame."

"Wasn't she saying something about a doctor or murder?" The officer asked.

"Yea," Greg answers. "But I ran the tests." He shook his head.




*SCENE TWO*


         Mandy walks in through the front door and sets her briefcase down with a sigh to turn around and find her cousin standing in the kitchen sipping coffee.

"Bad day at work?" Ash asks.

"Just long."

"Coffee 's made." Ash sets a mug out for Mandy as she reaches and pours cream and sugar into the mug. "Got called in to work today."

"Atleast you love your job." Mandy sips her coffee.

"What are you talking about? You love helping people. Thats why you got into that profession."

"Yeah. Helping people who I cant change."


*** Scene changes to a flashback as Mandy and Ash continue talking through the flashback.

                   Its late at night and camera is focused on a hallway as a crash sounds from the other side of the house. A young girl comes out from the bedroom door and enters into the hallway. Dressed in pajamas and still tired from her woken up sleep.

-"Mandy, I've gotta get goin. But, you should stop trying to cure all the heroine addicts. It'll never bring back your mom and you can't go back in time."

"Mom?" She calls down the hallway. No sound as she waits. "Mom?" Young Mandy walks down the hallway and through the living room and kitchen. Mandy comes to a master bedroom. Clothes are strewn all over the room. The light in the bathroom is on and the door is partially open. Mandy concerned pushes the door open.

-"Trust me Ash, I know I can't cure heroine addicts and I know I can't go back in time. But maybe I can help someone else before they grow up without a mom."


**** Scene flashes back to present



"Alright, Mandy. I'm going. Stop by for a drink later if ya want. The bar 'll be packed tonight we've got a huge show."

         Mandy nodded as Ash set her mug in the sink and leaves out the front door. Mandy holds her mug with two hands trying to get rid of the memory that keeps replaying her head. She sits on the couch reaching for the book on the end table beside the couch. She opens the book.


**** Scene flashes back to the past.

         The bathroom door pushes open. Everything inside the medicine cabinet is strewn over the bathroom floor and counter. The window blows cold air into the room,  fluttering the curtains to the right of the door. Mandy looks to the left. A bloody curtain and rod has broken off the wall and fallen on top her mother who lays murdered in a bathtub full of bloodied water. Her hand drapes over the tub a deep defense stab wound punctured through the palm. Mandy stands in shock at the door. Mandy's mother's throats is slashed deep from ear to ear.

***Scene comes back into present time.


         Mandy slams the book closed and throws it on the side of the couch and rises to her feet.  She turns and walks down the hallway to her office. A desk sits to the left of the room with a filing cabinet beside it. Yanking the file cabinet open hard she pulls out  several different manila folders. She flips one open, reads for a moment and then shoves it behind the last one. She opens a second folder and she stares at him for a moment and then drops it on the desk with the picture of a man staring back at her along with his background information typed up beside and underneath the photo and an extra page of writing paperclipped to the back of it.

         While leaving the folder on top the desk, she puts the other manila folders back, and she pulls out a small safe from a drawer the requires a key to unlock it that she keeps taped to the top of the inside of the filing cabinet. Using the key, Mandy opens the safe where patches stacked in a neat pile and pills kept in small ziploc bags are kept orderly on the left side of the box. On the right side of the box a small box of empty needles sit, waiting.

         Staring at the contents of the box for a moment, Mandy sits down in front of the desk. Carefully, she picks up a patch wrapped in a paper titled Fentanyl and she opens it. Taking the paper wrapper she sets it into a copper bowl set beside her computer monitor and picks up a needle. Sticking the needle into the soft, clear gel fentanyl and she retracts the substance inside. Dropping the empty packet into the copper bowl she taps the needle with her fingers and lines up the amount of fentanyl on the side.

         Laying the filled needle on top the manila folder, Mandy gently closes the safe and locks it. Stuffing the box into the drawer and putting a new piece of tape on the key, she sticks it to the top of the filing cabinet's inside again. Before, closing the filing cabinet door she retrieves a bottle of lighter fluid and squeezes some into the copper dish.

         A pack of matches is kept in the top drawer of her desk and she lights one and drops it in the copper bowl along with the record inside the manila folder after memorizing the address and removing the paper clipped page.  The empty fentanyl patch and wrapping burns into ashes and she returns the lighter fluid to the filing cabinet.


*SCENE THREE


         
"Karen, I need you right now." A man paces back and forth in nervousness from the kitchen back to the living room over and over while holding a phone to his ear.

"Baby, you can do this. I'll be there tomorrow I promise."

         Devin runs his hands through his hair nervously. "I tried going to Nick's funeral but my own mom kicked me out. Karen, they all hate me!"

"Dev, hun, they don't hate you, but you have hurt them all alot. You can do this, baby, I know you can. I believe in you. And, your family is gonna see that you can live a regular life and they'll let you back in. You just gotta stay on track and you've been doing that."

"Thats cause I've always had you here with me when I needed.."

"Devin! You don't need it. You think you do."

         Devin collapses on the couch with his head down. "Baby, Nick was ten years younger than me. Its my fault he's gone. I introduced him to this life style!"

"And you are going to live the life he didn't get to. Devin, stay strong if not for me baby, but for Nick."

- A knock sounds on the door.

"Kare. Hang on a sec someone's at my door."

"Ok babe."

         Devin lays the phone on the end table and unlocks the deadbolt on the door opening it to a professionally dressed woman at the door.

"Good evening. I'm sorry if I'm interrupting something I truly am," the woman apologizes.

"No, you're fine. What can I help you with?"

"Well, actually, I'm Dr. Mandy Languler and I just wanted to make sure you were doing well. I read in the hospital files that you had come in a couple weeks ago from an accidental overdose."

"Yeah. I haven't touched the needle since then. I've really been working at staying clean."

"Thats really good, Devin. I'm proud of you and I'm sure your family is as well."

         Nervously, Devin smiled and looked down.

"Well, anyway Devin, I'm sure you have things to do and you don't look so well, so I'm a bit concerned. I wouldn't normally offer this sorta thing to anyone, but I can tell you really want to stay clean and I want to see you succeed."
         Mandy reaches into her briefcase and pulls out a needle. Devin stares at it nervously.
"Dont worry. This isn't anything bad. This is just a tranquilizer and I give this to some people who I know could really use it. Its to help them when they really feel the need to get high I offer them this instead. If you take this, you'll fall asleep and in the morning you wont feel the urge to use. I can't do this on the books though."

"Oh, I totally understand. So this is just a tranquilizer?" He takes the needle from her.

"Yes, Devin. I can't give prescriptions for these or I'd lose my liscense, but anytime you need one just call the hospital and have them connect you to me."

"Thank you, so much Dr. Languler. I really am thankful for this, extremely."

"No problem. But, I must ask that you don't tell anyone about this. I can lose my liscense to practice and I could get into a lot of trouble."

"You don't have to worry about a thing. I wont mention this to anyone."

"Thank you. Have a wonderful night Devin. I hope everything goes well for you."

         Mandy turns and walks away as Devin shuts the door and walks back to where he laid the phone down.

"Karen, you'll never believe what happened! Its like the Lord heard my prayer and sent me an angel."

"What are you talking about?"

"This doctor from the hospital I was admitted at a few weeks ago just stopped by."

"Isn't it a little late for house calls?"

"I don't know. But she gave me a tranquilizer. She said itd put me to sleep and to take it when I really feel the urge to get high. Baby, I'm taking it."

"Honey, I don't think you should do that. Did she tell you what it was?"

"No. And I don't care babe. I need to get some sleep I can't take all this stuff right now. I need it all to just shut off for a few hours."

"Alright hun. But, if you feel funny or anything promise me you'll call me or the police right away."

"I will. I love you."

"Love you too. See you tomorrow."

         Devin hits the end button on his phone and sits down on the couch. There wasn't very much liquid in the needle and he inspected the clear bit inside. On the coffee table in front of him a picture of him and his brother sat inside a frame. Tears well up in his eyes, but he refuses to cry, so he shoves the needle in his arm.
         
         Nothing happens at first so he turns the television on and watches it. The clock on the dvd player beneath the television reads 10:15. Fifteen minutes later Devin covers his eyes and passes out sitting up.

*SCENE FOUR



         One man in uniform walks with another man, dressed nicely, with a medical examiner title sewn into the left top of his suit shirt. They climb up the steps and into a house in the early afternoon. Inside, another officer is calming a hysterical woman in the kitchen. The man with the uniform starts talking to the medical examiner.

"Greg, it looks like another OD on our hands. He relapsed and his hysterical girlfriend keeps talking about a doctor who gave him some prescription last night, but there's no prescriptions in the house at all."

"He was probably just lying to her. Embarrased to tell her that he relapsed."

"That's what we keep telling her. We found the empty needle on his coffee table and he was found sitting up on the couch with the television on. Maybe you can talk some sense into her. "

"I can tell you right now, I can't give any answers until I check to see if heroine shows up in his blood stream. "

         The medical examiner gestured for the two officers who just entered the premises to lay the man in the body bag and take him out.

"Are you the medical examiner?" A woman with tears down her face asks as she pulls on his sleeve.

"Yes I am ma'am."

"My name is Karen Helms and the victim of this crime was my boyfriend of the last five years. I know he was a recovering addict, but he was doing good. Some chick stopped here last night and gave him that syringe. He's clean. Do the tests! Please."

"I promise you Karen, I will run the tests and I'll get you answers."

"Thank you. I'm sorry I didn't catch your name."

"Greg Finch."

         Karen shook his hand and leaves the scene. Two police officers bag up the body and lift it up to walk out with it.


*SCENE FIVE



         Medical examiner Greg Finch  walks into a petite office with a stack of papers in hand. Setting them down on his desk he sits in his chairs and spins to the phone taking one paper off the top of pile. Examining the paper for a moment he then picks up the phone and dials a number.

"Good afternoon Ms. Karen Helms. I'm calling back to you about the autopsy on Devin Mills."

"Oh great! I've been waiting to hear from you. What did you find in the autopsy?"

"After receiving the tests back and completing his autopsy I've found that Mr. Devin Mills was in relatively normal health, however I did find traces of heroine in his system. No other drugs seemed to show themselves in the test, so I'm deeming his death an overdose. I'm sorry Ms. Helms I know this isn't what you wanted to hear."

"Can't you do more tests? A doctor showed up at his door that night. I know he wouldn't have relapsed."

"I'm sorry. There's nothing more I can do. He did relapse a few weeks before this tradgedy. Are you even certain that the doctor that showed up at his door wasn't really his supplier?"

"Ugh! I can't believe I'm hearing this! You're supposed to be a medical examiner. This is your job to find out the reason someone died!"

"And I have ma'am. Heroine is still strongly based in his system and I can't find traces of anything else. If you have any issues with this I can send you the death certificate and autopsy report and you can seek out a privated detective or a second opinion. However, I am not covering for anyone and I've been in this profession for 22 years. Maybe it would be wise to seek some help from professionals if you can't deal with your boyfriend's death."

         - Scene switches to Karen's side of the conversation.

         Karen is sitting in her car. Angrily, hits the end button on her cell phone and throws it on the passenger seat.  She starts to cry bent over the steering wheel and then stops, wiping the tears off her face.  Grabbing her phone she looks up the hospital's phone number Devin had been admitted to weeks prior.

         The phone rings.

"Henry Ford Hospital, this is Tina, how may I direct your call?" The receptionist asked in a cheery voice.

"My fiance was admitted there a few weeks ago on November 7th and I was wondering who his attending doctor was."

"One moment please. What did you say his name was?"

"Devin Mills."

"He had two doctors. His main doctor was Dr. Jacob Lawrence and his other was Dr. Mandy Languler."

         Karen thinks for a moment and then responds.
"Can you connect me with Dr Mandy Languler please. "

"Yes, one moment please."

         A short pause and the line clicked over to a professional sounding woman.
"This is Dr. Mandy Languler, how may I help you?"

"Good afternoon, Mandy. This is Devin Mills' girlfriend. Or I was until you murdered him. Meet me at Chets bar. I'll see you there tonight at seven." Karen hangs up the phone, puts the car in reverse and speeds down the street.



*SCENE SIX



         Mandy drops the phone and collapses into her chair. Running her hand through her hair she fidgets for a moment until she collects herself. Picking the phone back up she dials for her secretary.

"Joan stop all calls and cancel all my cases today, I have a family emergency."

         Mandy hangs up the phone and leaves the office.


***** At the bar.


         Mandy sits at the bar sipping a drink in hand as Karen enters.  Its dark and few people are out. Karen sits beside Mandy.

"Dr. Languler?"

"Yes I am." Mandy pulls a file out from underneath her coat. "Before you go on to accuse me of some rediculous acquisition I need to show you something." She hands the paper to Karen to read. "I'd get fired if they found out I took out his file, but I'm doing this for you to give you some closure. He wrote this in my one session with him."

         Ash walks up. "Can I get you something?" She asks Karen.

"Just a coke is fine."

         Ash nods, grabs a cup, scoops ice and pours soda into it. "Three dollars."

"Just put it on my tab," Karen says as she hands her a credit card.

         Ash nods and turns to Mandy. "Hey girl."

"Hey," Mandy smiles and Ash turns away from them to go to the opposite side of the bar.

"I only spoke with Devin on two occasions. He's been seeing Dr. Lawrence for years, however the one time I did have him, he wrote this letter in my session. You should be able to tell his handwritting better than I."

          Karen holds it up to her face and as she does Mandy sneakily grabs a small dropper and empties the contents into the soda.

         Shakily, Karen lowers the paper, grabs her drink and swallows a large amount. "This is a suicide letter?"

"Yeah, I know. I don't know what you are blaming me for. I didn't stop at his house that night. I was concerned when he wrote that letter, but Dr. Lawrence has kept me updated and said he's been doing well. I deeply apologize for his departing, but I assure you I was not there."

         Karen shakily nods her head and swallows the last of her drink. "This is just so hard to believe."

"I understand. If you'd like I can set you up with a grief counselor at the hospital."

         Karen starts to sweat and she puts her hands on her head. "I'm not feeling good at the moment. I need a moment. Can you help me to the restroom."

"Of course."

         Karen and Mandy rise and Karen hangs onto Mandy as she leads her to the bathroom. At this point Karen can barely stand. Mandy takes her into the bathroom and locks the door. She helps her sit on the floor.

"I haven't been completely truthful with you Karen. I was there that night. I gave Devin Fentanyl, just like I gave you a fatal dose in your soda. Don't talk," Mandy holds her finger to Karens lips. "Shh. Thats good. In a few minutes you're heart will stop." She took out a razer from her pocket and slid it across both of Karen's wrists, then dropped the razer on the ground.

         "That shouldn't hurt at all. You'll bleed to death and when they find you later they'll think you commited suicide. You might be wondering why I kill. Karen I kill heroine addicts because that is what killed my mother when I was young. They'll never get better. There's always that need after they're addicted. I don't kill other people, except ones like you who get in the way or who were brought into this mess by my victims. I'm sure you're getting sleepy now."

"You were there. You wont get away with this. They'll find the drug in our bloodstream."

         Mandy smiles. "I'm sure you made the medical examiner test his blood already, and I'm guessing since you wanted to meet me here that they didn't find anything in his blood. Its because, darling, fentanyl only shows up on a test if you're specifically looking for it. And there's no reason for them to look for it in your case or his."

         With an evil grin, Mandy stands up from her kneeling position, opens the bathroom door and pushes the lock button in shutting it behind her so its locked from the inside. She walks up to Ash.

"That girl seems like she needs some time. She seems really upset I guess her boyfriend just overdosed or something."

"Ooh. Ok."

"If she doesn't come out soon I'd check on her. But, I'm goin home I've got some work I need to get done tonight."

         Ash nods with a smile and waves Mandy goodbye.


*SCENE SEVEN




"Greg, whats it been a couple days since I last saw ya?" The police officer asked meeting him at Fritts' doors.

"Sad circumstances."

         Together they walked up the stairs to a dark bar where they find a bathroom floor covered in blood and a young girl sitting on the ground with slit wrists facing upward.

"Isnt that the girl from that one OD case?" Greg asked.

"Yup. Found her boyfriend's suicide note sitting on the bar where she left it before coming in here."

         The medical examiner shook his head. "What a shame."




*Scene ends and opens showing a woman from shoulders down outside a house. She slides a needle into her jean pocket and walks up the stairs and rings the doorbell. A moment later a distressed woman answers the door.

"Can I help you?"

"Hi."  The camera moves from the distressed woman to the guest at the door. Mandy smiles at the camera. "I'm Dr. Mandy Languler.Good evening. I'm sorry if I'm interrupting something I truly am, but I just wanted to make sure you were doing well. I read in the hospital files that you had come in a couple weeks ago from an accidental overdose."

Scene ends.