Preview of untitled Red Harvey project, coming soon

The glass hospital doors dissipated to allow the paramedics to enter the hospital. Once they had crossed over the threshold with their burden, red lasers brought the faux glass back into place.A young doctor on call approached the team of paramedics, gesturing to the man they had wheeled inside. “What’s his story?”One of the paramedics answered. “He suffered cardiac arrest, and I defibrillated him on the way over. Got a heartbeat on him, but he’s still out.”From her front pocket, the doctor removed a long white object about the size of a pen. She bent over the unconscious form of her new patient to peer into his face. With one hand, the doctor opened the man’s eyelid, and with the other hand, she waved the pen across his unseeing eye. A green laser scanned his exposed pupil. The doctor stepped back, holding up the pen. Along the side of it, a red holographic panel appeared. On the panel was John Doe’s photo and background information (his religious affiliations, occupation, address, credit report, and net worth, in that order).Both his credit and net worth were below average, which would have been fine, but not in combination with an “N/A” under religious affiliation. The doctor weighed all of the factors in combination, and sighed.“Sir, by law, I am required to offer you the option of Amnesty in lieu of payment. Should you wish to decline this offer, then you will be taken to an alternative hospital.”Amazingly, the offer did little to rouse the unconscious man. The doctor sighed again.“Alright. Take him to Tranquility Hospital.”This time, the second paramedic spoke. “Ah, c’mon ma’am. That’s over twenty minutes away, and we’ve got more people to pick up. This guy isn’t even awake, just take him.”“Sorry, I can’t do that. You saw his report.”“Yeah, I’m sure you’re real sorry.” The first paramedic replied under his breath.“What was that?” The doctor asked with narrowed eyes.“Nothin’. We’re goin’.”Both men wheeled the gurney towards the dissipating glass doors; now ya see ‘em, now ya don’t.“Wouldn’t wanna report you boys for Un-Christian-like conduct.” The doctor called after them.In response, the paramedics rolled their eyes. They were suddenly glad to drive away from the State hospital.Inside, the doctor nudged the attendant nearest her. “You hear all that noise?”The nurse nodded. “Everyone expects a free ride these days.”****

Tranquility Hospital did not live up to its name. Unlike the waiting room at the State hospital, it was filled with patients in dire need. Another difference between the two hospitals was the decorum.Staff at Tranquility mirrored the dismal surroundings: peeling paint, dingy floors, and entry doors to the e.r. that slid open on a mechanical belt instead of the standard dissipating doors. There were no pristine counters or smiling nurses. What Tranquility did have was a steady influx of sick people.When paramedics wheeled in the man the State hospital had refused, they were not received with prompt service. They were used to as much at Tranquility, and so, they felt little shame in parking their burden by the nearest dirty wall. After that, they left the way they’d come in without saying a word to anyone about their arrival, subsequent departure, or their patient’s condition.Seemingly stabilized, John Doe was not a primary concern at Tranquility. Cutbacks in trained staff had forced Tranquility to reassess its definition of ‘patients in need upon arrival’. From a Tranquility point of view, John was not currently in need.He lay by the wall, unattended for ten minutes, twenty minutes, thirty minutes. Finally, a woman came over and wheeled him away. No one had paid attention to John’s presence thus far, and his departure went unnoticed as well.The woman took him down an empty hallway that was not meant for patients. She stopped at a door marked ‘Staff Only’. Where a doorknob should have been, there was an acrylic keypad. The woman touched her finger to the pad, but not to enter in a combination. It was obvious from her jeans and hooded sweatshirt that she was not a member of the Tranquility Hospital staff. Jeans or no, the door opened at her touch and she wheeled the man in.Inside the room, there were storage boxes, utility supplies, and space to spare for a private conversation. After closing the door behind her, the woman perched on a stack of boxes. She assessed the sleeping man in front of her. She appeared to be making a decision. The room was silent until John Doe’s unconscious fart escaped his ass. A smell not unlike raw sewage filled the small room and the woman coughed. When her lungs cleared, she touched a finger to the man’s chest, her fingers emitting a blue spark.John Doe was suddenly awake as he’d never been before in his entire life.He looked around the room, and then at the woman. He didn’t ask “Where am I?” He didn’t ask “Who are you?” What he asked was:“What’d you do to me?”“What I promised. Now that you know I’m serious, I hope you’ll tell me what I want to know.”“I don’t remember, Cleary.”From the look of the man, remembering was the last thing on his mind. He was clutching his chest and breathing shallowly. Every few seconds, his eyes kept scanning the room, looking for a way to escape. The man’s well-being could mean less to Cleary. These days, she was as narrow-minded in her pursuit of information as a Prominent.“You remember.” Cleary said.The man lay back on his cot. He seemed defeated. “Well, I know he moved, but that’s it.”“Where?”“I don’t know.”“Where?” Cleary repeated.A blue spark fired from her fingertips and she held it above John Doe’s heart. Small whimpers issued from his slack mouth. With the little bit of strength that remained within him, John crawled backwards, away from the menacing heat of Cleary’s hand.“Okay! He moved to Atlanta. That’s all I know!”Cleary withdrew her hand. “Why was it so hard to tell me that the first time?”“You’ll know when you meet the bastard.” John panted.Cleary laughed. Everyone she had questioned had referred to her father by that name at some point in the conversation. When she finally met Matheson, Cleary thought she might just refer to him as ‘bastard’ indefinitely. Calling him ‘papa’ was certainly out of the question.Bitch, John thought as Cleary left the storage room. The hospital bill he would incur was bound to cost him at least a year’s pay.****