Perpetrator in White

Dr. Lucas Wright walked through the main hallway of St. Gisele’s Hospital as his seven foot frame cast his shadow in the early morning sun.  His black dress shoes clicked with an echo as he made his way to room 324. He smiled brightly as he sat at the bedside of an elderly woman who smiled back.

  “Good morning Margret, how are you feeling this fine day,” he said.

    “Oh, so so, you know how it is.  Some days are better than others.”

    “Well, I have good news for you, the medication seems to have significantly reduced your liver degradation.”

    Margret leaned back in her elevated bed with and sighed. “Oh, thank God.  That’s a relief.  What will happen next? Will I be able to go home soon?”

    Dr. Wright tilted his head squinted his eyes and spoke with high tone.  “We still need a  bit more time to fully evaluate the long-term outlook of your condition.”

    Margret directed her eyes down at her chest then out the window as she admired the sun and thought of the next time she would  ever go walking in its’ pungent yellow glow in the grassy park near her home.  “I see. Well, I’ll just have to keep hoping,” she mused.

    Suddenly the nurse poked her head inside the room and spoke to Dr. Wright.  “Mr. Trance wants to see you.”

    He rolled his eyes took an anxious breath. “I’ll be back to check on you later  tonight,” said the now exasperated doctor as he followed the nurse out the door. 

  “Just remember he’s  new,” the nurse said. 

  “I miss our old head doctor.  He actually  listened to you.”

  “Just try to keep a cool head,” she said she left his side.

    He paused and composed himself before entering his office then cordially entered expecting the worst.

    Mr. Trance sat in a high back brown leather sea.  He was a well-built man that posed an intimidating persona. “Dr. Wright, have a seat.  I have a small favor to ask of you.  I have important business to attend to this evening.  Would you mind if you stayed late tonight and did my rounds for me?”

  “I certainly would but my son has  his piano recital tonight. Could one of the other doctors do it?”

    “You’re the first person I asked.  It would not be fair to ask another.”

      “Okay, I hope your business goes well.”  Dr. Wright agreed.

      “Excellent.  You’re dismissed.”

        The sad doctor nodded and let the office.  “Of all the nerve..!” he said under his breath. 

        He walked angrily down the hall and passed some of the male nurses and over heard them talking.

      “Yeah I heard the big boss is going bowling with some of his upscale buddies.  I heard him talking to one of them on his cell when his door was opened a little,” said one of them with blond hair and glasses.

    “Man,  some people have it so good,” said the other.

    “That’s nothing.  You should hear him argue with his wife.  It sounds more mortal enemies than a married couple 

      “Dr. Wright was furious.  He bit his lips and fought the urge to yell at his boss.  He stopped inhaled and regained control over himself.  Okay then. He can do what he wants.he thought. A devious smile went across his face. But so can I

    Without a further thought eh charged down the hall to the elevator and stepped inside.  He pressed for the garage and stood and cracked  his knuckles. When the doors opened he raced to the head doctor’s parking spot.  There in front of him was Mr. Trance’s car; a 2013 Bentley.  His first thought was to simply slash his tires. The he got another plan; one that would scare him to death.  He got out his fathers’ Swiss army knife that he always went to work with and neared the hood of the car.  He then  scratched the words DON’T’GO BOWLING OR ELSE!!. 

  “That’ll learn yah.” He said. His mischievous smile left him as he saw a man in  a t-shirt stare at him who quickly ran into the elevator.  “I won’t be able to stop him! What will I do?”

    He paced around the parking lot thinking what he would say.  What could he say. His heart dropped as Mr. Trance waked out the elevator doors and ran to his car.  “You are so fired!”

  DR. Wright blurted out the forest thing that came to mind.  “Someone put me up to it!”

  “What? Who?” 

    “Your wife. How else  could know you were going bowling?”

    “That witch! I should have known she would do something like this. I am going to give her a piece of my mind!”  The enraged man got into his car and slammed the door then drove off leaving behind him the sound of screeching tires.

    Dr. Wright felt slightly guilty, but then, maybe he deserved it.  After the incidence, Mr. Trance was replaced and the whole hospital staff was happy as could be.  The lone perpetrator’s deed was never found out.

  The next day Dr. Wright returned to Margret with the best news of her life.  “That‘s it.  The deterioration has halted. You’ll be released tomorrow.”

    “Oh, my word!-the best news of my life!” she cried and clapped her hands together.

      Dr. Wright smiled. “I’m Justas happy as you are.”

    Word count: 897