//------------------------------// // Chapter 16 - Hospital Visits // Story: The Equestrian Odyssey - A Tale of Two Worlds // by Kamahido //------------------------------// The next morning Dave waits by the news van. At precisely 9:00 A.M., Minerva arrives. “We ready to do this, Miss Moore?” “I… uh, suppose so.” Dave raises an eyebrow. “Something wrong?” “N-nothing! Let’s go!” The pair get into the news van. Dave pulls the vehicle out of the parking lot and drives down the road before turning to Minerva. “I haven’t actually been told where we’re going.” “We’re doing a story on hospital staff and clerical medical procedure at a local hospital.” “Oh? I thought you hated this kind of thing.” “Truthfully, I’m not a fan. But at the same time, this could turn into something much larger.” Dave chuckles. “What? Is the hospital a front, or something?” “Oh, it’s a real hospital all right. But I get the feeling something more is going on over there.” “Professional intuition, ma’am?” “Something more concrete this time.” “More from our normal tipster, huh?” “Different source this time. But he’s certainly proven to be helpful in the past. I think it’ll pan out.” Dave shrugs. “And if not, the editor will have some nice filler.” Minerva frowns. “Ugh. I hate that word.” “Not everything can be headlines material.” “I know. But one can’t make it in this industry doing this kind of thing all the time.” “So what’s the plan?” “All you have to do is follow and film me.” Dave frowns. “How’s that different than any other time?” “Because we’re bringing along some very special help.” “Are they coming to help you or me?” “Both if something goes wrong.” “Wrong?” Minerva nods. “Yes. This might not go well.” Dave sighs. “And now I’m worried.” “You won’t be when you see who our backup is.” They drive outside the city limits. Minerva points to a two-track. “Pull in there.” “Uh… okay. But why?” “To pick someone up.” “Way out here?” Minerva fumbles for the right words. “They… ah… don’t do well in crowds.” Dave shrugs. “You’re the boss.” Slowly driving down the path Minerva looks around. She spots a long red ribbon tied to a low hanging branch. “Stop here.” “Okay, but there isn’t anyone around.” Minerva grins. “We’ll see about that.” As the van stops Minerva turns to Dave. “Open the side door.” “Uh… okay.” He pushes a button and the side door opens automatically. “Now what?” Minerva leans back in her seat. “Give it a minute.” A few moments later the sound of someone getting in can be heard. Dave turns around but sees nothing. “That didn’t feel like the wind. What was it?” Minerva turns to Dave. “Close the door.” “Huh?” Minerva looks back. “You good?” Two soft taps on the back on Minerva’s seat answer the question. Confused, Dave does as he is told as Minerva grins. “Onward to the hospital.” “But what about…?” “Trust me.” Sighing, Dave puts the van in reverse and backs up. Turning around, they return to the main road. As they near the hospital Minerva looks around. She points to a secluded side street. “That looks pretty good.” “For what?” “A little chat before we get to the hospital. All of us need to be on the same page before we do this.” Dave breathes a sigh of relief. “Finally.” Pulling over, he puts the van in park and looks to Minerva. “Alright. What’s the plan?” Minerva turns around. “My friend here has, I’m sure, come up with something.” Arc decloaks, clad in Eidolon’s Ward and magic robe. Dave instinctively draws back. “WOAH!” Arc waves. “Hello again.” “H-hi?” Dave turns to Minerva. “THIS is your tipster?!” Minerva nods. “Yes. Something wrong with that?” “Not… really.” Minerva turns back to Arc. “We have everything to do this story from our end. Can I assume you have a plan?” “I do. Both of you step back here.” Arc removes a cloth bag from his magic ring as Dave and Minerva unbuckle and step into the back of the van. Reaching into it he pulls out a wig and hands it to Minerva. “Put this on.” “But with this no one will recognize me.” “Exactly.” Dave protests. “But this is her story. Name recognition is everything in our industry.” “That may be. But Minerva said her editor wanted more feel good stories. This bit isn’t going to be attention grabbing for your viewers, right?” “I suppose not.” “So it doesn’t really matter who reports on it?” Dave sighs. “Not… really. But what about me?” “Give me your hat.” The man does so. Arc tosses it behind him and pulls a plain baseball cap from the bag. Dave frowns. “What was wrong with the one I had?” “Well, for starters, it said ‘Channel 7’ on it.” Minerva nods. “That one’s a bit more neutral.” Dave picks up his camcorder and points to the logo on the side. “Well, this will still give our station’s identity away.” Arc holds out a gauntlet. “I thought of that too. Hand it over.” Dave begrudgingly does so. Arc takes the device and sets it on its side. Pulling a large sticker out of the bag he carefully puts it over the logo before returning it to Dave. “There. Different station name and number.” Minerva looks at Arc’s handiwork. “I’m not familiar with that news outlet.” Arc chuckles. “I’d be surprised if you were. They don’t exactly operate around here.” Dave frowns. “But someone could trace it back to them though, right?” Minerva grimaces. “I suppose that’s true.” Arc chuckles. “They’d have a hard time doing that. The station in question is based in Denmark.” Dave nods soberly. “It would appear you’ve thought of everything.” Minerva smiles at him. “If your hero gig doesn’t work out, I’ll hire you in a second!” “Thanks, but I have responsibilities elsewhere. Now then, thank you for bringing an unmarked van.” Minerva shrugs. “Just following directions. But we still need more of an angle. Every story has one, you know.” “Even cutesy ones?” Dave nods. “Yup.” “How about this? Say you’re doing a story on the typical day of hospital staff.” Minerva frowns. “That’s not very interesting.” Arc chuckles. “Remember, it doesn’t have to be. You just have to get the staff talking. They might tell us something interesting without even knowing they let it slip.” Dave raises an eyebrow. “What should we be listening for exactly?” Arc turns to Minerva. She nods. “Ultimately, anything to do with a man names ‘Doctor Rieper’, or information on known hospital issues.” Minerva raises an eyebrow. “Like what?” “No clue. Just get them talking and act chummy. They’ll open up in no time. Now then, do you have to report to someone first?” “The person in charge is always a good place to start.” Dave nods. “So we’ll go see the hospital director?” Arc chuckles. “Sounds like a plan.” Minerva looks Arc up and down. “So… are you going to just follow us around?” Arc shakes his head. “No. My armor and robe slow me down enough that I’d just cause problems.” Dave points to a monitor built into the wall of the van. “You could view the feed from my camera here.” “That’s not a bad idea. But I’d rather be in there to see things for myself.” Minerva narrows her eyes. “Why do I get the feeling you’ve already figured out how to do that?” “I have indeed. But this might seem a bit strange to you.” Minerva giggles. “After all I’ve seen you do, I don’t think there’s anything that would surprise me.” A short time later Minerva and Dave enter the hospital with their gear. They head for the elevator. As the doors close, Minerva sighs. “I take back what I said.” Dave chuckles. “Kinda late for that now, Miss Moore.” Arc peeks out of her jacket’s pocket and looks up. “Well, this is the best way for me to stick with you two.” Minerva frowns as she looks over his smaller form. “Are you going to be okay in there?” “Sure. This isn’t the first time I’ve done this.” Dave clears his throat loudly. “We should do a radio check.” Arc nods. “Agreed.” Dropping down into the pocket, Arc grabs a shrunken down radio and whispers into it. “Can you two hear me?” Dave nods. “Loud and clear.” Minerva sighs. “Me too. But how are you supposed to see without being seen?” Arc thinks for a moment. “How attached are you to this sport coat?” Minerva looks down, confused. “Um… I have several others at my place. Why do you ask?” A miniature magic blade pokes through the cloth momentarily. Minerva gasps. “You could’ve said something before you did that!” Arc chuckles. “I’ll buy you a new one.” Minerva mutters under her breath as the elevator doors open. “I’m holding you to that.” The pair walk down the corridor toward the director’s office. As they approach, the door opens and a young woman walks out. “Hello. Can I help you two?” Minerva nods. “Yes. We’re looking for the Director. Is she in?” “Oh yes. I’m Rosa Morales, head of this hospital.” “I see. Well, we’re reporters here about a doing a segment on local hospitals.” Rosa nods. “Yes, I was notified of that when I arrived this morning, miss…” “Oh! I’m… Lavinia Smith.” Rosa extends a hand. “Well, it’s a pleasure to meet you, Miss Smith.” They shake and Rosa motions for them to follow her. “So what kind of story are you looking to do on us, Miss Smith?” “We want to focus on the daily grind of hospital work. The movies always portray healthcare provider’s jobs as pulse-pounding, non-stop action and drama. Our hope is to be able to portray the reality of this matter.” “An interesting story idea to be sure. I’ve certainly never heard of anything like this being reported on.” Minerva nods. “Our editor wants a different angle.” “I’ll help in any way I can. Where should we start?” Dave looks to Minerva. “How about making some stock footage of various halls? We use it as filler during dialogue.” “Yes, we can’t make a story with just interviews.” Rosa gestures to the elevators. “Let’s head downstairs. I’ll show you a few places that might be good shots.” “Thank you.” Heading downstairs, Rosa escorts the pair to numerous areas of the hospital before coming to one of the larger wards. Dave puts the camera on his shoulder as Minerva pulls out her microphone and begins to speak. “I’m here at the Farburg Hospital today to give you an in-depth view into the daily lives of hospital staff. With me today is Director Rosa Morales. Director, can you explain to our viewers how the realities of a healthcare worker’s daily activities differ from that portrayed on television?” “Well, as you can see, things aren’t always running around and shouting.” Minerva nods. “Yes. I notice it’s pretty quiet here.” “The patients need their rest after all. That and the staff needs to be able to concentrate on their duties.” Arc whispers into his radio. “Ask her about the duties of a doctor.” “I see that your nurses appear very efficient. But where are all the doctors?” “They do make rounds at regular intervals. At the moment they’re probably going over charts and paperwork in their offices. Hospital work relies heavily on it, after all.” Minerva turns to Dave. “Perfect, cut.” He nods as he aims the camera at various angles around the room. Minerva turns back to Rosa. “My cameraman is getting some stock footage of this area. Do you think we could see the offices?” “I don’t see why not. But why?” “To show our viewers that their offices are like everyone else’s. We’re trying to portray them as just like everyone else. To make them appear more human.” Rosa nods. “This way please.” Arc speaks as Minerva and Rosa walk on. “Have your cameraman get a bunch of footage of the corridor.” Minerva nods slightly but says nothing as Dave complies. A few minutes later they arrive at a long corridor with numerous offices on either side of it. “This is the administrative wing. Here our doctors can take care of their work in peace.” Minerva turns to Dave. “Get some good shots of the corridor.” She turns back to Rosa as Dave gets to work. “Do they all come out at a certain time?” Rosa shakes her head. “No. They make their rounds on their own schedule.” “Is there any way we could speak to one of them? Get a quick interview, that is.” “This might not be the best time. After all, they’re quite busy.” Arc cautions her. “Don’t push the matter.” “Understandable. When my cameraman finishes we’ll continue our interview out here.” “Very well.” Arc peeks out the hole in the coat. “Walk the corridor. Pretend you’re looking for a good spot to shoot.” Minerva looks around. “Let’s see if we can find the best place to continue.” The pair walk down the corridor. Arc looks around as best he is able. He grins as a large window comes into view. “Those windows overlooking the town will be a decent place, Miss Moore.” Minerva points. “How about these windows? It’ll make a nice backdrop for the shot.” Rosa nods. “Agreed.” Arc hisses into the radio. “I’m going to check something out. Try to drag this interview out as long as you can.” Silently, Arc Blinks out of Minerva’s pocket. He reappears behind a chair shrunken and cloaked. Looking up at the nameplate on the large door before him Arc mutters to himself. “This is the one.” Channeling his magic, Arc shrinks himself enough to be able to slip under the door. Looking around he spots Doctor Rieper sitting at the desk looking over his laptop. He touches his earring before speaking. “You guys hear me?” Viktor frowns. “Faintly, sir. Your signal’s a bit weak.” Rose presses keys at a feverish pace. “I’ll try to amplify it as best I can. But as long as you’re that size, it’s going to be hard for my sensors to help you.” Arc nods. “Understood.” Max chuckles. “What’s your plan, sir?” “Not fully sure yet. I’ll let you know when I think of something though. Arc out.” Xenos sighs as he turns to Hugh. “I don’t like this one bit.” “Really? I thought you were a fan of ‘winging it’.” “Kinda. But if the commander gets caught, his reputation here on Earth will be destroyed!” Rose nods soberly. “Arc is aware of that.” Max sighs. “Yes. However, as we’ve all seen, he’ll go to any length to help a friend in need.” Viktor looks over. “Even four lowly soldiers.” Meanwhile, Arc peeks out from his place under the door and around the small office. “The laptop probably has something of interest on it.” Cherry sounds confused. “How so? I mean, don’t you have something like that back home?” “That I do. But it’s not so much the device itself as the incriminating data on it.” Cherry sighs. “Well, I don’t think he’s just going to move aside and let you have a look.” “Probably not. So we’ll have to make him.” Arc raises a hand toward the desk and channels his magic. Thirty seconds pass before Cherry pipes up. “Um… is something supposed to be happening?” Arc frowns. “He’s supposed to fall asleep.” Cherry responds sheepishly. “Maybe you need more practice?” “It’s worked fine in the past. Remember those two nurses?” “I… suppose that’s true.” Rose looks over her video feed. “Your size and proximity may be playing a factor, Arc.” He frowns and stops casting. “Great. Now I need a new plan.” Xenos chuckles. “How about the direct approach?” “The what?” Max frowns. “I believe Xenos means to get behind the doctor and surprise him, Miss Cherry.” Hugh nods. “That could work.” Viktor gives them the thumbs up. “I second that.” Arc shakes his head. “As if enough strange things haven’t happened here in the past. Two nurses collapsing and next a doctor. They’ll put that together in a heartbeat and start some kind of investigation.” Cherry pipes up. “How about a distraction then?” “My thoughts exactly.” Blinking, Arc reappears behind a nearby plant in the office. He pulls the radio from his ring and speaks into it. “I need a distraction, Miss Moore. Walk over to Doctor Rieper’s door and pretend to twist your ankle.” Sighing, Minerva casually walks over to the door as she and Rosa continue talking. She pretends to trip and gasps. Rosa hurries over to her. “Miss Smith?! Are you alright?!” Minerva winces. “It’s just my ankle. I think I may have twisted it when I tripped.” “Let me see if we can get someone to look at that.” The director knocks lightly on the nearby office door before entering. “Doctor Rieper, might I see you a moment?” “What seems to be the problem?” “A guest here needs her ankle looked at.” Rieper stands up. “I’ll be right there.” He picks up the open laptop and, after scanning his badge on a nearby reader, opens a now unlocked cabinet. As the man turns to close the door Arc Blinks inside. “There we go.” Cherry calls out nervously. “Arc?!” “Something wrong, Cherry?” “I… I don’t really like it in here!” “Sorry, but I had to check this thing out. Don’t worry. I’ll hurry.” “Can’t you just grab the thing and get us out of here?!” “I could. But that would certainly tell the doctor someone was on to him. Let’s see what there is to find.” Arc walks over to the keypad of the still open laptop. “Now then… let’s see what you’re up to, Doctor Rieper. Email…” Opening the browser, he quickly spots the doctor’s email tab. “This is interesting.” “W-what is?!” “Patient charts.” “Isn’t that normal? I mean… he IS a doctor, after all.” Arc frowns. “True. But this isn’t a normal hospital email account. It’s some kind of private server. You guys seeing this?” There is no response “Max? Rose? Anyone?” He taps his earring a few times. Cherry gasps. “Could it be due to our size?!” “I don’t think so. After all, communication was normal until I Blinked us in here. That and this things range is such that it somehow crosses the transdimensional barrier. Somehow I doubt the walls of this thing would be enough to hinder the signal. ” Arc looks around the confines of the cabinet. The illumination from the laptop spilling over the walls. “This is strange.” “What is?” Arc kneels down and puts a hand on the floor of the cabinet. “This doesn’t feel right.” “I know what you mean. Can we get out of here please?!” Arc turns back to the laptop. “In a bit. I need to check Rieper’s contact list.” “His what?” “Who he’s been sending messages to. Maybe he knows someone I do.” Looking over the screen Arc suddenly frowns. “What the…?!” “Arc?” Arc clenches a fist. “Okay, we ARE taking this thing!” “But you said…!” Arc interrupts her as he casts the Matter Compacting Spell on the laptop. “We have to look this thing over properly.” He carefully closes the miniature laptop and stashes it in his ring. “Now then, let’s get out of here.” “Good idea.” Arc attempts to Blink outside the confines of the cabinet but finds himself thrown across the space. He lands unceremoniously against the back wall. “What the…?” “Are you okay?” Arc nods as he gets up. “Yeah. But this was certainly not what I was expecting.” “What happened?” “This cabinet is warded.” Cherry gasps. “Like the door in that mine?!” Arc nods as he looks around. “Yeah.” “How are we getting out then?!” “Um… I’m working on it.” “We need to get away, Arc! That doctor could come back any time now!” “Well, I’m not seeing any way out other than getting that door open.” “Can’t you just go back to normal size and break through?” “Yes. But that would certainly give us away.” “What about shrinking further?” Arc points to the seal around the door. “I’d have to shrink so much it’d be a journey walking under the gasket. I suppose I could cut through it with my Magic Blades. But that’d certainly make a rather strong odor from the fumes.” He looks up at the back of the locking mechanism. “That might do the trick.” “You thinking about cutting through the lock?” “It could work. But then he’d have evidence of a break-in.” Cherry calls out excitedly. “I got it! Your knife!” “Huh?” “The one you got from Lord Gestal!” “I don’t think it would be enough to…” “Don’t you remember what Sunburst said?! It can channel magic through its blade greatly increasing its edge!” Arc grins. “And it wouldn’t burn the gasket! Let’s try it!” Reaching for his ring Arc pulls out the knife. He begins channeling as he deftly slices through the door’s gasket. “Like butter!” Cherry cheers. “We’ll be out in less than a minute!” “Easily.” With a final slice Arc punches through, letting in the illumination from the lights overhead. “How do we get down?” Arc chuckles. “Like this.” He jumps off the cabinet and plummets to the floor. Casting a Telekinesis Spell on himself Arc slows his descent considerably. “That’s better. But how did you know you’d be able to cast magic out here, Arc?” “A calculated risk. After all, I was able to Blink earlier, so it stood to reason that just the cabinet was warded. Not the whole room.” Touching down on the floor Arc hurries toward the door. Viktor’s voice comes over his earring. “Commander! Can you hear me?!” “Loud and clear.” Rose breathes a sigh of relief. “We suddenly lost your signal. What happened?” “I Blinked inside a cabinet that appears to have been warded. We can talk about it later.” Meanwhile, Doctor Rieper looks down at Minerva as she puts her shoe back on. “The injury to your ankle must be minor. I couldn’t feel anything out of place. If you’d like I can order an x-ray of it.” Minerva shakes her head. “No, thank you. It’s feeling better already.” Rosa turns to Rieper. “We appreciate you lending your expertise, doctor.” “It was no problem. However, I need to get back to work now. Reports won’t file themselves, after all.” Cherry calls out as she and Arc peek out from behind the door. “Uh oh! He’s going to notice the absence of that machine!” “Right! We need to get out of here!” Channeling his magic, Arc Blinks the pair back into Minerva’s pocket. He quickly pulls the radio out and hisses into it. “We need to go! Make up an excuse and get back to the van with Dave!” Minerva nods as Rosa helps her up. “Are you certain you wouldn’t like some pictures of that ankle, Miss Smith? It wouldn’t take long.” “That’s alright. I believe I’ll feel better with a bit of rest. Well, we should be getting back to the studio now.” She waves at Dave. He lowers his camera and walks over to her. “Is that a wrap?” Minerva nods. “Yes. I believe so.” She turns back to Rosa. “Thank you again for the story, Miss Morales.” Rosa smiles at her. “No trouble at all. Anything to help the public understand our jobs a bit better.” The pair shake hands and part ways. Dave turns to Minerva as they walk down the corridor. “Something up?” Minerva lowers her voice. “Maybe. Not sure yet. Just keep walking.” Meanwhile, Doctor Rieper walks over to the cabinet. He swipes his badge and opens the door to find nothing but an empty space where his laptop was. “What the…?!” Frowning, he walks quickly out of the office and looks down the corridor. Seeing no one he returns to his desk and picks up the phone. “Security, this is Doctor Rieper. I just had a reporter in my office, and now my laptop is missing.” He describes Minerva and Dave before hanging up and sitting down in his chair. Staring at the empty cabinet he shakes his head. “How on Earth did someone crack my security, much less get by me. I’m sure that woman didn’t enter my office, nor did her partner.” The doctor frowns as he continues to mutter under his breath. “One thing’s for certain. That was either no mere reporter, or she had some VERY talented help. Either way, she’ll need to be dealt with.”