Dead or Alive: Makes No Difference-Ch. 5

She found him in the exact same room they’d been in earlier when they had been working on paperwork. He was sitting at the table, looking over a file.1

“Vermodi.” She said firmly as she walked into the room and up to the table, which was still covered with papers. He jumped slightly, having not expected her to be there. Quickly closing the file and putting a firm hand on top of it, he looked up at her, his face resigned and composed.2

“What?” he asked her. She noticed the grip he held on the file, as if he were afraid to let it go.3

“Yeah, what were you looking at?” 4

“Oh this, nothing, just a patient file.” He said as if it were nothing. She gave him a look before she sat down.5

“So, you just come here to harass me or what?” he questioned when she didn’t say anything. She looked at him.6

“Remember, you partnered us together back there, me with you, Jess with Luke.” She said, slightly annoyed that he asked her that.7

“Right and the last time you seriously listened to me was…” he said, looking at her.8

“Listen, we’re all in this together. Just figured the idea of splitting up was a good one, alright, ease up.” She shot back. With his jaw clenched shut he stood up.9

“I’ll be back.” He said through his teeth before leaving the room. She watched as he left and then her eyes fell upon the file he’d been looking at. It had been obvious that it hadn’t just been a patient file, but something more. She’d picked that much up by the way he held it tight. Her curiosity got the better of her as she reached over and grabbed it. The name on the file said David Vermodi, which only piqued her interest more. Something told her that this David was of some relation to Milo, she assumed possibly a brother; some part of her also told her that she should just leave the file alone. She didn’t listen to that part.10

Opening up the file she was shocked to find this David had died only twelve years earlier. He’d been twenty years old and had died of an unknown disease. Looking over the file she saw that David had been a healthy kid growing up, no serious illness or anything of the sort. From the looks of it he disease had hit him suddenly, taking him in four months. She continued to look over the file until she heard someone clear their throat. Looking up she saw Milo standing there, looking at her.11

“Shouldn’t leave things lying around.” She said, but started to regret it when she saw his stare turn cold.12

“Give me the file.” He said, although it was more of an order. Reluctantly she gave it to him.13

“Didn’t know you had a brother, Vermodi.” She said as he turned his back to her to put away the file.14

“Didn’t realize I had to share everything with you, Walsh.” He shot back in a cold tone as he turned back to face her.15

“How’d he die?” she asked, then realized how stupid a question it was.16

“You read the file, you tell me.” He started to walk out of the room.17

“Milo.” She called to him before he was fully out the door. He didn’t respond, other than pausing in step for a second and then taking off. She let out a sigh; her big mouth really could get her in trouble sometimes.18

Milo made his way towards the blood lab, where he knew Luke to be. He needed to calm down and he knew talking to Luke would calm him down. Upon reaching the lab, he walked in and sat down on a stool that was next to where Luke was working, the stool facing Luke.19

“Hey, hope you didn’t come to find something out, ‘cause I’ve got nothin’. This thing’s been actin’ up.” Luke said, without looking up from the microscope. His face was set into a concentrated look. Milo glanced over at the microscope and the settings it was on and looked at his friend.20

“Try adjusting the magnifying settings.” He said. Luke looked up at this and took a look at his friend. He didn’t say anything before looking at the current settings and changing them.21

“Right, as usual.” Luke said in good humor after looking at the sample.22

“So, what brings you to my neck of the woods, I doubt it was just to help me fix a simple problem on the microscope.” He said as he continued to look at the sample for a second before looking up and writing something down. His attention was then turned fully to Milo.23

“Caitlyn knows.” Was all he said.24

“What, that your not really as hard as you look and that you care about all?” Luke questioned with a smirk. Milo shot him a look.25

“Right, this isn’t a joking matter, but a serious matter. What is it then, it’s not something bad is it?” he asked, his face turning serious.26

“I don’t know if it’s something bad or not. She found out about David.”27

“Your brother?” one look from his friend told him he was correct.28

“Dude, it was probably bound to come out sooner or later. Think about it, you’ve got doctors and residents shifting through files on a daily basis, they see your last name on a file, they know who you are, and they get curious.”29

“I don’t want the whole world knowing though, he’s my brother, my life.” Milo said, an edge to his voice.30

“It’s Caitlyn, she’s not the world.” Luke pointed out.31

“Exactly, it’s Caitlyn, you know how we are.”32

“Don’t worry about it, ok? Just don’t bring it up next time you see her, maybe she won’t either and you two can let it go, ignore she ever found out.”33

“I don’t know.”34

“Do you want more trouble?” Milo clasped his lips together and arched his eyebrows for way of an answer; Luke knew what he meant.35

“Didn’t think so.” Milo stood up from the stool and started towards the door. Before exiting though he turned and looked at his friend, who’s head was back on top of the microscope.36

“Thanks, Luke.” His head shot up and he took a long, hard look at what his friend had just said, a smirk then played across his features.37

“Don’t mention it, not like you talk to anyone else ‘round here.” With an unusual grin on his face and a shaking of the head, Milo left the lab. The grin didn’t last long however, when a boy, about six years in age, came running up to him.38

“You Doctor Vermodi?” he asked, slightly breathless as he looked up at Milo with green eyes, his blond hair falling a bit over them. He was dressed in a hospital gown, telling Milo he was a patient there.39

“Yeah, are you supposed to be up here?” he replied, knowing that this definitely wasn’t the pediatric level.40

“Mhm, Doctor Jessie was taking me on a tour of the place. She had to go do something and told me to wait by the desk, then a man came up and told me to give this to you.” That was when Milo noticed the piece of paper in the boy’s hand, which was no outstretched to him. Taking it he read what it said.41

KEEP YOUR FRIENDS CLOSE, BUT YOUR ENEMIES EVEN CLOSER.
ALWAYS REMEMBER THAT, YOU NEVER KNOW WHO YOUR ENEMIES MIGHT BE, DO YOU NOW, BROOD DUDE?42

Milo stared at the note. Who would write such a thing and who the heck would be calling him Brood Dude? The one who had ever called him that was his brother and his brother was dead.43

“Who gave you this?” he asked the boy firmly.44

“Him.” The boy replied, pointing to a man with a dark jacket and baseball cap on. The man was looking their way, when he saw Milo looking at him though he took off. Without saying another word to the boy, he took off after man, desperate to find out who he was. By the time he reached the elevator where he’d seen him go, the man was gone and Milo couldn’t see what floor he was going to. 45

Putting the note in his pocket he made his way back to the room, where he assumed Caitlyn still was. The note was going to remain private, it didn’t reveal much and it seemed more personal, there was no need to share it with everyone, so he wasn’t going to. He was just going to go back to the room and wait till something came up, that wasn’t the note.46