Chapter 194

word count 989

Buzz walked back through the doors of New Albany General musing to himself how the hospital had become like a second home to him lately. Only hours before he had checked himself out AMA, and now he was back again, this time though intending only to visit.

His first stop was to see Stephanie. Hank was there, somber and aloof as always. Buzz had no idea why the guy was so negative lately, and he wasn't inclined to ask. Stephanie, however, appeared in good spirits and was on her way to feeling better, despite having her leg in a cast.

His next intended stop was the bizarre Dr. Bigelow. Buzz nodded to the uniforms guarding Dr. B., flashing his badge before going in. He found the doctor sitting up in bed sipping on a drink through a bent straw. He survived the ER, it seemed, only to be placed in a private room. As far as Buzz was concerned, the sooner the animal was behind bars, the better.

The huge man filled the tiny space beyond capacity, taking up all the air and real estate with his immense size. His rounded belly flooded the bed, rolling from side to side, covering every inch of clean white sheet with layers of flab. The metal sides of the bed were up, seeming almost  a necessity to keep his rounded form from overflowing like a giant bowl of loosely formed Jello in a container too small.

“Bigelow,” Buzz said, pulling up a chair like he owned the place.

Even in his groggy state, Dr. Bigelow's face registered the fact he knew Buzz and wasn't happy to see him. “Buzz Miller, what the fuck are you doing here?” he asked. His voice was raspy and weak.

“A better question, what are you doing here?”

Bigelow glared back, his lips sealed tight.

“Come on, Bigelow. I know you're up to something. Why were those thugs chasing you through the airport?”

Bigelow stared him down and next, without warning, rolled his tongue to gather saliva and then spit, splashing Buzz on the cheek with a colossal glob.

Without flinching, the cop wiped it away, got up, walked to the door and locked it. He returned to Bigelow's bed and grabbed the guy's hospital gown by the neck, pulling Bigelow's face up close to his.

“Now what the hell did you do that for?” he growled.

“I was just watering the pig,” Bigelow murmured. His eyes were hot coals.

The rage in Buzz was a wildfire spreading, burning in a straight shot from his mind to his restless hands which still clutched Bigelow. If he didn't control himself now, he soon wouldn't be able to. Pangs of guilt over his lack of anger management paraded through his mind like a sick parade. It was getting him into more and more trouble every day. Through the drum beats of anger in his head, he reasoned with himself, pleaded, to find a better solution. His pulse slowed as he calculated maybe he could find out something from the other two thugs. He released Bigelow and let him drop.

He turned and made his way out of the room, still seething, wanting to kill the guy but now thinking better of it. It was the hardest thing he'd ever done, walking out of there.

* * *
“You are certainly right,” Enos said, shooting Algie a big smile and next extending his hand in friendship. “It seems like no one listens around here. I've been waiting even longer than you. And I'm really worried about my friend...” He said the last part in a quiet voice as though musing only to himself.

Algie jumped on it. “Is your friend in trouble?”

“Sort of. Why are you here, if you don't mind my asking?”

“Oh, my business is nothing compared to the seriousness of yours. A friend in trouble is a true torment. Can I help perhaps? What kind of trouble?”

Enos's face flushed. He felt embarrassed to admit he and Jacob had stolen something. But he was aching to talk to someone about it. And the man was only a stranger whom he'd probably never see again.

“Well, you see, Jacob and I took something. Well, we didn't take it so much as found it. It is very valuable, and we had decided to come here and turn it in when Jacob got greedy, scrapped our plans, stole it and took off. We were taking a cab across town to come here when he stopped the vehicle and got out and ran away with it all while I was sleeping. Being so close to my friend, it feels like I'm part of his crime even though he hoodwinked me.”

Algie's pulse was racing, his instincts blazing a trail off the charts, but he pushed himself to remain patient and work his way through without arousing the wrong reaction in the young man. “How can I help you, my friend?” he asked. “Surely you don't want to go to jail or see your friend go there either.”

“NO, I do not. While I've had all this time to think, I've come to the conclusion that telling the police is not the best action. I fear they will arrest us first and ask questions later.”

“Why don't we get out of here and join forces to find your friend? We need to get to him first. I would like to help.”

Enos wasn't positive he could trust this man, but he saw no other option. He nodded in the affirmative.

“First things first,” Algie said. “Let's talk strategy.”

Later, when they settled in a coffee shop nearby, Algie finally asked what was bothering him. “So, my friend, just what is this precious item your buddy, Jacob, has absconded with? Just what are we looking for?”

“The biggest, most beautiful diamond ring I've ever seen,” Enos replied.