The Sinking Vole

Outrage and confusion erupted from the gathered witnesses. Tepic shouted, “WHAT!?”  while Lisa trembled with fury. “You horrible, horrible man!”

Seeing Lisa move forward, Tepic slipped a hand around her arm and whispered, “Least we tried….”

The adults were more confused, Dr. Solsen going so far as to ask, “Are you daft?”

Canergak seemed to let it all slide off of him as he started to unbolt the cell, “No, doctor.  It would be a relatively simple thing to do.”

“No!”  Lisa tore herself from Tepic’s grasp, bounding for the door, ready to grab the old man.  Dr. Solsen grabbed Lisa as Cortman moved forward to push them all back, advising them,  “Let it go.”

Lisa struggled against the grip of the older man, pulling on her arm and trying to put weight into it. She slipped through and regained her feet; blood and tears fought across her face as she shouted, “I won’t let you do this!”

Tepic bent down next to her and whispered quietly, knowingly, “If Tenderpaws ain’t cured, e’ can’t kill ‘im, an if he is, then he’s killed a real person!”

The doctor moved forward, past the children, and spoke with authority, “That is my patient!”

Canergak paused for a moment and looked back at the doctor, and then finally shrugged.  “I was not going to kill the specimen.  You can treat these as you wish.  But this ends now.”  

He took out a green stone, almost emerald like and then he went inside and placed it in the room.  Lisa froze, staring at the rock, confused and concerned, trying to clean her eyes so she could see. “What is that?”

“Who knows? Or cares?”  Cortman replied, and then slammed the door shut and bolted it again after his employer had left the room.  The owner then proceeded to ignore them as he made his way past the gate.

After Canergak was gone, Tepic started again, “Yer gotta let ‘im out, mister, he ain’t no werewolf no more……”

“Take it up with the doctor there.  It’s not my decision,”  Cortman said as he finished his cigar rapidly and then exhaled.  “I don’t care.  I just do my job.”

“Ha, yeah, hittin girls an people as can’t hit back…..”  Tepic muttered.  Lisa ignored the blood and tears over her face as she glared at the tall man defiantly. “There are many ways to do such a job. Yours is completely wrong.”

Cortman watched them looking rather bored as he was reaching into his pocket for another cigar, until he began to cough roughly.  He hadn’t even lit the cigar yet which was what caught their attention, and when the man had to grip the side of the wall to hold himself up, the three took a step back, as it became apparent the man was coughing something up.

“Mr. Cortman…are you…”  

“Dying?” He took a moment to light his cigar. The illumination from the lighter was enough for them to see the blood on his hand and cigar.  “Yes.”   

The orderly puffed smoke at all of them.  Lisa backed away, waving the smoke from her face, while Dr. Solsen grimaced. “We shall speak about your health and your methods later!” He took out his key and made his way to the gate, motioning for them to follow. “Come, I wouldn’t want you to catch whatever he has!”

Lisa shot one last glare at the man, and then turned to follow them out.  Tepic asked quietly, “If Tenderpaws is cured, ye’ll let him go, won’t you, Doc?”

He didn’t get his answer, however, as they found Canergak had been waiting for them, both hands on his cane as he watched them intently.  Tepic and Lisa stayed behind Dr. Solsen as Canergak began to examine them once again.  Finally, he said, “I have considered pressing charges on the children.”

Dr. Solsen breathed in slightly, and then exhaled before he continued. “Please, can you not just overlook this relatively…minor…indiscretion?”

“Breaking into a facility to free a dangerous inmate is hardly what I would call minor,”  Canergak countered.  “However I will settle for simply knowing how they got into the facility.”

Lisa stayed silent, locking her jaw, but Tepic answered rather quickly, “Stowed away on the coal barge, yer blokes couldn’t spot a brass band!”  He poked Lisa with his elbow.  “Come on Lisa, ain’t a secret now, is it?”

“Well then,” Canergak replied, “I shall have to personally inspect them myself in the future.”

He turned to leave, but Lisa pressed forward, “What is that stone you put in the room?”

“It is unimportant,” he replied, without turning back to them.  Lisa said, “No, it is important.”

Dr. Solsen frowned. “Then you won’t mind when I remove it from his room.”

“I would suspect not, especially by now.”  With that parting shot, Canergak disappeared down that staircase.

Lisa hissed, her bloodshot eyes widening as she turned back to the barred doorway.  “We need to go back. We need to look!” She turned back to Dr. Solsen desperately. “Open the door, sir!  Please!”

“Not with you here,” Dr. Solsen told her firmly.  “I do promise to take care of it.”

Tepic’s ears fell as he heard the very faint smashing of glass below them, and then whispered to his friend, “Lisa, he’s found me boat…”  

Lisa stood trembling, filled with dread, as her friend turned to Solsen. “Errrr….. can yer let us out, mister……before that bloke comes back?”

Dr. Solsen nodded, and Tepic pulled on Lisa’s arm shouting for her to come along.  She took one last look through the barred door with anguish on her bloody face, and then followed them down the stairs.