Hidden Passages

Chapter 8-1

Brian was sitting in the same seat at the coffee shop as the day before. I sat across from him. “Good morning.”

He smiled, and my heart did a flip. What was happening? I hadn’t let any man get close to me since Craig Clark in college. The memory still stung and warned me that I wasn’t suited for relationships.

He passed my phone across the table. “Sorry. That call was from a burner phone. Whoever placed it made sure it couldn’t be tracked. Has anything else happened?”

I shook my head. “No. Hopefully, you’re wrong, and it was just a prank. I’m curious, though, is part of your training at the FDA tracking phones?”

His smile widened. “Not exactly. I used to be a detective.”

“Really? Why did you quit?”

He paused as the waitress brought over two cups of coffee. When she went to the next table, he said, “It’s a long story, but you never told me what you do for a living.”

“I guess we know one another enough for me to confide in you about that, too. We also have something in common with our occupations.”

His eyes twinkled. “I gathered that from the call that came in last night from a guy named Rick.”

I should’ve known Rick would’ve called with an update about Corey’s case. “Did you speak with him?”

“Of course not. I heard the message, though. They haven’t found the boy.”

My heart dropped. “I guess you figured I’m working on a kidnap case. Rick is my partner.”

He nodded. “Yes, I figured that, too. Are you two seeing one another personally?”

I hadn’t expected that question. “No. We’re just colleagues.” I took the phone and placed it in my purse. “Thanks for trying to trace the call. Do you think I should notify the police?”

“Not at this point. Like you said, it could be a prank, but it sure is odd that they know your history. If you contact the police, that would jeopardize your association with Memory Makers. Unless something else happens, I’d keep this between us.”

He was right. After all these years of wondering what I’d witnessed and if the monster who had changed my life was still around, I had to see this through to the end. I couldn’t do anything to risk being thrown off the trail.

At Memory Makers, Dr. Murray was impressed with the record I’d kept of my imaginary flashbacks. The other members of our group described a few minor flashbacks except Maureen and Virginia. I knew it would be difficult for Virginia to report anything, but I wondered why Dr. Murray didn’t question Maureen the way he had me when I had little to relate. I found out why during our afternoon snack break. Maureen sat next to me and caught my attention.

“Lauren, the doc seems impressed with you. You might get an A in this course.” She winked. “Too bad I’m just a member of the control group.”

“What do you mean?”

She brushed back a strand of her short, straight hair that had just a few tips of gray and leaned closer to me and whispered, “There are always controls in clinical trials. I think Virginia and I are the controls in this group. We’re not being given the same injections as you, Jake, Brian, and Bill.”

That made sense. I knew drugs were tested that way with placebos being given to some while others had the real dosages but usually the patients receiving them weren’t aware of that.

“How do you know?”

She smiled. “I have a strong suspicion. I haven’t had any flashbacks at all and neither has Virginia, but she wouldn’t know if she had one even if she did which makes her a poor choice for a control subject.”

“Do you mind being one of the control subjects?”

She smiled. “Of course not, if it helps market this product. I get the benefit of the stipend without the side effects, so to say.”

“Side effects?” I hadn’t considered that there would be any. “What type of side effects do you think we would experience?”

“That’s not for me to say. You could ask Nurse Hanover, but I doubt she’ll tell you. There’s got to be some side effects. All drugs have them.”

I knew she had a good point, and it also seemed she, like Brian, was being paid for her time. I wondered if she was receiving the same amount as he was and if I was the only one who was truly volunteering for the trial.

It was at that moment that Jake let out a yell and threw back his chair. Our heads all turned to watch him. Brian jumped up from his place and went to assist Jake who was rolling on the floor, shaking.

“He’s seizing. Someone get the doctor now.”

Murray had just stepped out of the room for a moment. Bill ran out to get him. When the two returned, Dr. Murray ordered everyone back. Brian left Jake’s side but stood watch as the doctor lifted the man’s head. “He’ll be okay,” he told the group. Speaking to the shaking man, he said, “Just relax, Jake. Your seizure will be over soon.”

When Jake came around, Dr. Murray helped him up. “Just take it easy. I know you have a record of these episodes. Have you taken your anti-seizure medication?”

Jake nodded. His breath was still coming in short gasps. “Yes.”

“And nothing else?” The doctor asked him firmly. I knew he was referring to the drugs that Jake used to be addicted to.

“I haven’t been off the wagon. I don’t even smoke or drink now.”

“I’ll make a note of this for the nurse. We may have to adjust your next dosage. There could be a contradiction.” Dr. Murray jotted something in a small notebook he produced from his lab coat pocket.

Maureen turned to me. “See what I mean,” she said. I knew she was thinking of the side effects we’d just discussed. I wondered if I would have any.

Later that morning as I was walking down the hall, I overheard Dr. Murray and Dr. Grayson talking with one another through an open door in one of the offices. It wasn’t usual for them to be together at this hour. Murray usually worked the mornings, while Grayson took the afternoon shift. Today, however, they seemed to be discussing the progress of the patients. I heard them mention Jake’s incident.

“I think he’s lying,” Murray said. “I asked Helen to reduce his dosage, but I’m keeping an eye on him. If he’s on narcotics again, this will influence the results of the study.”

“That can easily be determined, Randolph. We can ask him to take a blood test.”

“Yes, we need to do that. I’ll schedule it with Helen. Also, I need to talk to you about Lauren Phelps.”

Their voices dropped, so I walked closer to the door to hear better.

“She’s progressing quicker than I expected. I think we need to administer her second dose today. Do you agree?”

I heard the rustling of some papers and figured Grayson was reviewing my chart. I held my breath, so they wouldn’t hear me pressing against the wall outside the office.

“I’m not so sure, Randolph. Some of her reports seem odd. I think they could be false.”

“Why would she lie?”

“I don’t know, but I would hold off. We’re not administering the second dose to any of the others. We should wait.”

“I trust your judgment, Gerry, but it’s not necessary that we give them injections at the same time. In fact, it’s better to stagger the injections. I think she’s ready.”

Grayson didn’t seem happy with this comment. “Very well,” he said in a voice that dripped sarcasm. “You’re the head of this trial, but I won’t be responsible if the results are inaccurate.”

I turned to tiptoe back down the hall just as I heard someone approach behind me. I jumped, but it was Brian. He placed a hand on my arm and a finger to his lips. “Sorry to scare you,” he whispered. “I see you’re getting an earful of the doctors this morning. Come with me to the break room. No one’s there yet. We can talk privately a minute. I picked you up a cup of coffee and brought it in there. I missed you at the coffee shop.” A light burned in his eyes, but I couldn’t look at it. I followed him down the hall.

We didn’t have much time to talk. Maureen and Jake entered separately shortly after we’d discussed what I’d heard the doctors say. Bill and Virginia arrived a few minutes later. I noticed Virginia had less of a vague look in her eyes, but Jake seemed jittery. I wondered if he was still shaken up over his episode the day before or if Dr. Grayson was right that he was taking drugs again.

At lunchtime, Nurse Hanover came as usual to observe us and read our record books. She brought a vial and a needle in with her. “I have good news,” she smiled. Her voice didn’t match her expression. Like the doctors, it always seemed neutral. “I’m administering your second shot, Lauren.” She approached me. “Keep in mind that if all goes well, you’ll be having flashbacks further back in time. They could be up to a decade or more.”

She helped me roll up my sleeve. I winced briefly as the needle pierced my skin.

Rubbing it with an alcohol-soaked cotton ball, she covered it with a band-aid. “There you go.” She looked at the others. “Don’t worry, a few of you will be getting your second shots soon.” I wondered who would be next and what type of flashbacks I’d receive. I’d made up most of my short-term flashbacks, so I worried that I was getting the shot too soon. Maureen, next to me, whispered, “You go, girl. At this rate, you’ll be out of this place sooner than all of us.”

Two other things happened of note before the end of the day. Nurse Hanover brought her granddaughter, Jacqueline, to meet us. The girl was tall with a model’s figure. It was hard to believe that the short, dark nurse was related to her, but I assumed one of the girl’s parents must be fair.

“This is my granddaughter, Jacqueline,” the nurse introduced her. “You won’t see her often because she attends nursing school during the day. She helps in the lab at night.”

The girl smiled, showing perfect teeth. I imagined she was a few years younger than me. “You can call me Jackie,” she said. “It’s nice to meet all of you, and I wish you the best of luck.”

I noticed Jackie didn’t wear a white lab coat as her grandmother and the doctors did, but I figured she’d just come by from school. She was dressed in jeans and a plain, rust-colored sweater that, while a bit bulky, showed her curves. I noticed Brian, Bill, and Jake’s gaze target in on her ample breasts between which hung a lovely cameo necklace on a gold chain and featured a rose against a white background. For some reason, it looked familiar. Maybe I’d seen it in a*****e or at one of the craft festivals I liked to attend.