Damnable Bureaucracy

[Keeley Saunders]

January 25-26, 2019

11 p.m.

 

[npc]“This area is under quarantine.”[/npc]

 

That was what they’d told her when she’d gone to the hospital half an hour ago.

 

The news had cut through some movie that was a couple years old, and worse than most B movies of the time before Resonance, with an Emergency Alert. A glaring change from the Werewolf romance movie playing on the morgue television set. When the broadcast interrupted the program to announce that New York Hospital was under quarantine; displaying the hospital sealed with metal doors over windows and doorways, and flashing lights outside as officials set up all the restrictions that came with a lockdown. Hand dropped the recording device she’d been holding, the object clattering loudly onto the metal tray to send instruments scattering to the floor.  Keeley hadn’t even hesitated to call-in the other coroner working with her to take over the autopsy. Within minutes she was out the door, only stopping at home long enough to shower and change — people didn’t often talk to you when you smelled like the dead — then headed straight for the hospital.

 

Only to be turned away.

 

They wouldn’t tell her anything either. She flashed her credentials, tried explaining that her son was in there, and even attempted to push through the cops blocking her path as if she could get into the hospital with the doors blocked. Nothing worked.

 

[keeley]My son is in there![/keeley]

 

[npc]Ma’am, a lot of people’s loved ones are in there. We can’t let them in either. Now, we need you to move behind the barricade or we’ll have to arrest you. Please don’t make me have to do that. . .[/npc]

 

The officer was polite, but Keeley didn’t care how polite the young man was. . . she wanted answers. Finally she headed for one place she knew she’d be likely to get some: the OFL headquarters.

 

------

11:30 p.m.

 

A half-hour later, Keeley stepped inside The Citadel. Looking as distraught as she felt, she stood frozen. She’d only been in here a few times, and the interior was as intimidating as the exterior to her. Getting clearance from security to go inside was easy since they knew her face and why she came here. When she explained that she was here in hopes of talking with Geoff, it’d been a simple process to get her squared away.

 

Of course, not everything could go easy.

 

A few minutes later she was gripping the back of her long black hair, making it even more disheveled from her fretting, as the receptionist explained that Geoff wasn’t here.

 

[keeley]What do you mean he’s not here? Where is he?[/keeley]

 

[npc]We aren’t at liberty to say, ma’am.[/npc]

 

Her other hand slammed down hard enough on the counter top that it made the skin on her palm tingle sharply.

 

[keeley]What do you mean you’re not at liberty to say? This is an emergency. Have you heard the news? I need to speak to Geoff now.[/keeley]

 

Keeley figured that if anyone would know what was going on at the hospital it’d be the healing magus who’d taken on caring for her son. Geoff was the only one she’d come to fully trust for the care of Micah. OFL or not the elder man was ideal in his way of managing her son’s care and being open with her about matters. She’d never ran into an issue where he lied to her — a mother would know. And now, he was not here and they wouldn’t tell her where he was while her son was trapped inside a hospital under a mysterious quarantine that she knew not the first thing about. . .

 

[npc]Ma’am w-[/npc]

 

[keeley]Don’t ma’am me! Get Geoff down here or. . . If he’s at home just call him there. He'll come.[/keeley]

 

The control on her emotions slipped; voice raising to a screech that quieted the receptionist while the other looked toward waiting security near the doors. Keeley didn’t miss that look either. The tears were gathering at the corner of her eyes and stinging as they did, and her hands had moved now to tug at the hem of her wrinkled shirt then rub both palms anxiously over the thighs of her blue jeans. As one of the security officers stepped forward, she turned to raise a shaking hand palm out in a beseeching manner.

 

[keeley]Look, I’m not going to cause any trouble. I just. . . I just need to talk to Geoff. I need to know what is going on at the hospital. Please. . .[/keeley]

 

She’d done her best to protect Micah. Everything she possibly could. Murdering her husband, getting in bed with criminals, putting herself between the OFL and ARMA to see that he got the best care possible. . .  and here she was in a situation where she couldn’t do anything. Knowing nothing, and not being able to get to him, meant that it was out of her hands.

 

And she didn’t like that one bit.

 

For the first time in her life, Keeley felt herself start to hyperventilate.

 

[npc]Ms. Saunders, why don’t you have a seat. . .[/npc]

 

The security guard looked in concern to the receptionist who was at a loss. He stepped forward again to offer Keeley a hand only to have her shake her head.

 

In-between panicked breaths, she managed to get out, [keeley]Get someone for me to talk to. . . now.[/keeley]

 

Nobody would coddle her when she could not be with her son.

[Sebastian Ardal]

Ardal was nursing a headache and on number who knew of cups of coffee when he started hearing the commotion. He had been thinking to go home and maybe sleep it off, after all he had been up closing a case the night before and catching up on paperwork during the day not to mention a few meetings where he had to be present...even though he did better at night.

 

One of the down sides to necromancy it seemed.

 

On his way though he saw a most curious sight. As security seemed at a loss of how to handle the situation between the receptionist and...

 

"Doctor Saunders?"

 

The two guards and the secretary looked at him with surprise before one of the guards piped up.

 

[npc]"You know her Sir?"[/npc]

 

Ardal gave a nod and waved the lot away before extending a gentlemanly arm to Saunders. He rather thought it foolish of the guard to ask but not everyone was bright enough to realize that when Ardal took a case to investigate he usually started at the Coroner's Office with a body. As such he knew most of the individuals that worked there on a first name basis. Not to mention that Saunders visited the Citadel as well to speak with one of the other magus about her son.

 

"A bit late for one of your visits to the Citadel isn't it Doctor Saunders?" he asked as he tried to lead Keely to some comfortable chairs. He would not sit before a lady did and he was hopeful she would because his leg was aching. He was not about to complain though as he leaned heavily on his cane.

 

He would have to put that hope of sleep on hold for now. Obviously there was more important matters requiring a guiding hand.

[Keeley Saunders]

Doctor Saunders.

 

Hardly anyone called her Doctor Saunders unless she was working. To hear it outside a case, and here of all places, gave her something to focus on in the middle of her panic attack. That’s what she was having; she recognized them from the occasional days she’d had them when Micah first started having issues, and had since calmed enough to stop having them ever since they reached New York and the Order got everything under control with her son. And yet here she stood feeling just as vulnerable as she had before and under the grip of another one. It was only the familiar voice speaking to her that helped her slowly begin to calm down. The arm was blindly accepted as feet instinctively moved along.

 

"A bit late for one of your visits to the Citadel isn't it Doctor Saunders?"

 

A breath was drawn as she felt herself sinking into a comfortable chair. Another as she closed her eyes and fought to gather herself. Finally, she opened her eyes and looked at the man talking to her. The connection was instant.

 

[keeley]Inspector Ardal. . .[/keeley] She trailed off, another second longer taken for her mind to process his question before she continued quietly, [keeley]The hospital. . . it’s been quarantined and nobody will tell me anything. And they won’t tell me where Geoff is so I can see if he knows anything.[/keeley]

 

The words were a little rushed at first, but slowed to a reasonable speed and gained some strength the more she spoke. One hand raised to rub the bottom of the palm against her forehead in a massaging motion. The motion was paused as she took notice of the way he leaned on his cane. She knew that the man had an injury; it wasn’t one she’d asked about in the course of their work-related interactions. Yet with her background it was easy enough to pick up that the mean must be hurting with the way he’d shifted his weight to be supported more by the cane.

 

[keeley]Please, sit.[/keeley]

 

Hand lowered to motion to the chair across from where she sat. The lobby was quiet now as security guards and receptionist went back to their duties with her in the hands of someone else. Keeley was still frustrated though some of that energy had dissipated into a slight sense of fatigue that mingled with worry. It left her feeling more agitated than anything else. Hands wrung together in her lap now as she leaned forward, elbows resting on knees, and shook her head. Black hair shifting where it lay loose about her shoulders.

 

[keeley]I saw the news. Nobody knows why it’s locked down, and when I went to the hospital the police wouldn’t let me through or even tell me what might be happening.[/keeley]

 

Keeley gave a half-smile as she sighed and met his gaze.

 

[keeley]I didn’t know where else to go. . .[/keeley]

 

There wasn’t anyone else. She’d thought perhaps that Geoff might be here, or that he might have answers. But it was more than that: if she went home, she’d be alone and sitting there with only her thoughts. A good way to go mad.

 

[ooc note: wasn't sure how to have her address him. I hope Inspector is correct. Don't know how OFL does addressing in terms of rank stuff. If it's not, let me know and I'll change it.]

[Sebastian Ardal]

Ardal was grateful when Keeley sat down.  She looked far to shaken to his liking which was distinctly different from his usual meetings with her over an autopsy table.  He knew her well enough from that to know that if something had caused this kind of reaction it was bad.  It pinged against Ardal's upbringing to do what he could to help a distressed lady.

 

He put more weight onto his cane and used his bad leg to hook a chair and pull it over, making sure to keep a grip on Keeley in an effort to help ground her some.  Panic attacks were not something unknown to him and he recognized them well enough.  Breathing and grounding were the best tools for dealing with them in his experience.

 

 

He had a sympathetic air around him as Keeley told him about the hospital being quarantined.  At first he had been puzzled why she would be upset over that before he remembered about her son, who had come up randomly during idle conversation.  She had mentioned he was at the hospital then and he remembered her coming in to see Geoff often.  He did not know the whole story but if Keeley was wanting to see Geoff because of fear for her child he had to guess that her son was needing magical treatments at the hospital for something.

 

Keeley reclaimed her hand then, taking up a position Ardal knew far to well from visits to hospitals.  It was almost a universal one when people were afraid for loved ones and had no idea to their fates.

 

Ardal could not help but mentally cringe some at the situation.  The media liked to run with things when they only had half the story and induce panic.  There were few things Ardal disliked more than media and new casters.  Though to be fair he might have been biased since he was the child of a politician of the old world.  Such individuals had always been shoving a camera in his face growing up.

 

For now he did his best to ignore that part of things though for it would not help Keeley.  "I'm sure things will calm down and we'll have more information soon.  The hospital would not be closed down in such a manner if it was not important and the health of their patients is a top priority," he stated, not able to offer any information but trying to calm anyway.  "What wing of the hospital does your son reside in?"

 

The question was both to attempt to jar Keeley into thinking more logically and out of curiosity.  He doubted the boy would be near anywhere that might require quarantine.  Longer standing patients were kept away from the contagion center and ER which were more likely to require the safeguards.  Off the top of his head Ardal was sure it was just a situation like a Were or Vampire being brought in and going mad or perhaps someone with abilities.  It was hardly unheard of and would have resulted in lock down procedures he was certain.

 

"Come to think of it, I don't think I've ever known what your son has been in the hospital for.  He's been there a long time has he not?"