Dead or Alive: Makes No Difference-Ch. 6

Tired of sitting in the room going through files and waiting for Milo to return, Caitlyn decided to go in search of Jess. She wanted to talk to her; it didn’t help much that Milo’s brother’s file was still at the forefront of her mind.1

She soon found Jess holding the hand of a child as they walked down the hall. The little boy seemed to be enjoying himself while Jess talked to him about something. Caitlyn smiled at the sight of her friend. Jess cared for everyone in the hospital, but her heart had been given over to the children her first day there.2

“Hey, Jess.” She said, catching up with her. Her brown ponytail moved slightly as she turned her head towards Caitlyn.3

“Hey, what are you doing here?” she asked a smile on her face.4

“Was getting bored doing paperwork, plus Milo’s in a really nasty mood and he’s taken off to who knows where.” She said with a sigh. Movement below her caught her eye. When she looked down she saw the little boy, who had been holding Jess’s hand, looking up at her with wide eyes. With a smile she bent down.5

“And who might you be, fine sir?” she asked him. He looked at her and gave her a look when she called him ‘sir’.6

“I’m not a sir, my name’s Brian. I was just on a mission, wasn’t I Doctor Jessie?” he said, his face turning to Jess.7

“Yes, you were, I don’t want you to do that again though, ok?” she told him gently.8

“Everything ok?” Caitlyn asked, looking at her friend.9

“Yeah, just some man told him to give something to Milo while I was taking care of something.” Caitlyn understood what she saying. Jess was worried that Brian might’ve been taken, her thought then went to the other part she’d said, about giving something to Milo.10

“He gave something to Milo, what?” she asked curiously. Jess only shrugged in response. She then looked down at Brian, who was trying hard to suppress a yawn and was being horribly defeated by it.11

“I should take him back. He’s alright been up more than he should.” Jess said as she bent down to pick the boy up. He didn’t fight much, too tired to fight.12

“What’s wrong with him?” Caitlyn asked with curiosity.13

“He has a failing heart.” Jess said simple as she looked at the boy who was now fighting sleep in her arms. Her brown eyes held a deep compassion, telling Caitlyn that she would be a great doctor who truly cared about her patients.14

“So young.” Caitlyn said softly as she looked at the boy. Clearing her throat of any emotion that may have decided to settle itself there, she turned her gaze towards her friend.15

“You should get him back and I should go find the guys.” She said and after nodding to her, Jess started to walk away, but not before Caitlyn thought of something.16

“Jess, Milo sort of wants us paired up. He’s put you with Luke.” She told her. Jess gently shifted the now sleeping Brian in her arms, while looking at her.17

“Thanks, I’ll go find him.” She said before taking off to take Brian back to the pediatric wing.18

Milo was walking in some direction, where to he wasn’t quite sure; he was just walking. The note had set him off ease. His first inclination had been to hide it, to tell no one, but now he wasn’t so sure. A thought then occurred to him. Luke knew mostly everything about him and Milo wasn’t entirely sure of what all he had told him. Part of him wondered if he had told Luke the name David had bestowed on him before his illness and if Luke had accidentally let it slip to someone. Milo knew full well that Luke would never give that sort of information out to anybody on purpose, but also knew his friend liked to talk and he wasn’t always conscious of all that he was saying.19

Stopping for a second, he reached into his pocket and pulled out the note. It held so little words, but brought such great unease. He had no idea where it was from and what they really wanted. Letting out a frustrated sigh he repocketed the note and started to walk, however he didn’t make it very far when he accidentally ran into someone. When he looked up he saw the very man he was going to talk to.20

“Milo, I’m glad I found you, are you hurt at all?” Luke asked before Milo could get any word out. The panic and worry in Luke’s voice startled him though, because never had he ever really heard him talk like that. The thoughts of the note were pushed aside.21

“I’m fine, why?” he asked, searching his friend for answers.22

“The blood, I tested it, it came up on the hospital’s database, it’s yours. Your blood was on that wall.” Luke told him with all seriousness.23

“But how’s that possible? Like I said I’m not hurt and if that was from an injury I’d had, I’d be lying in one of these beds or worse.” He said, trying to figure it out.24

“It doesn’t make sense. Where could they have gotten your blood if they didn’t hurt you?” a thought then struck Milo.25

“Check the banks. About every three months I give blood. There should at least be two bags in there of my blood.” Milo told him. Luke started to turn to go to the hospital’s blood blank, when Milo thought of something else and told him to hold up for a second. 26

“Where’s Jess?”27

“Dangit, I completely forgot about her. I mean with the blood on the wall and getting it tested and then finding out that it belonged to you, I completely forgot about her, Mi. I’m sorry. I’ll go find her.” He said, his voice filled with the stress he was feeling. The events of the day were starting to catch up with him and his usual jovial nature was getting lost.28

“Go check the blood and then find her. At the moment I’m sure she’s fine.” He told him. Letting out a sigh, Luke turned once again towards the blood bank and after a couple seconds Milo called to him again.29

“Ease up, or you may end up like Mr. Parson.” Milo said with a slight grin on his face.30

“Dude, was that supposed to be a joke?” Luke questioned staring at him as he tried not to laugh.31

“What do you think?”32

“Me, I think you should keep your day job. Thanks anyways. Better go check on that blood.” He said chuckling as he walked away.33

Milo walked in the direction of the abandoned section. He wanted to see if he could spot anything that would tell them what was going on and who was doing what. He stuck his hands into the pockets of his jacket, his right hand grazing the note. The note was still a mystery and something he knew he had to find out.34