S1W47: “Total Recall”

© 2012 Phylicia Joannis

Within the safe, white walls of the hospital, the technician stirred the Jello mold the nurse left him a half hour ago. He glanced at the door. The police were still there; he could see a strip of blue uniform through the skinny window on the door.

“I hate Jello,” the technician muttered.

He glanced around his bed for the remote and clicked the TV on. A reporter was speaking about yet another sighting of a sinkhole. This one made the third in just a few short hours. The technician watched with mild interest as the reporter paused, then announced even more breaking news. The feed was switched to a reporter at the Mayor’s office, visibly excited and rambling on and on about yet another political scandal.

The technician squinted as he recognized the face of his coworker in the back drop. He was standing at the podium inside the press hall, making some sort of announcement.

“Chuck?” the technician whispered his name and suddenly his memory grew crystal clear.

The technician pressed the call button by his bed several times and a nurse entered the room.

“Yes, what’s wrong?” the nurse asked as she checked his monitors.

“I need an officer in here right away,” the technician replied. He took another long look at the television and watched as Chuck was escorted off of the platform by security guards.

***

Mac scratched his head and stared at the local news channel on his television. He grabbed the telephone and dialed a number quickly, his eyes glued to the TV.

“Hey Bradley, it’s Mac,” he spoke into the phone. “How are the wife and kids? Everyone’s good on my end. Listen, I got a few legal hypotheticals for you?”

Mac waited a beat as the sound of children laughing and playing grew softer and softer until it was completely gone.

“Yeah, that’s much better,” Mac grunted into the phone. “Yeah, so my question is this. Let’s say you see something that you’re not supposed to see, and some big shot with a lot of pull comes to you and tells you to sign a paper swearing that you saw something different. If a fella were to sign that sort of thing, what kind of legal trouble would he be in?”

Mac listened as Bradley asked him a series of questions.

“Was he threatened? Well yeah, let’s say, if he didn’t sign the paper, he could lose his job?”

Mac continued to listen and stared at the television at the same time. “Did money change hands? Well, what if he were cut a check, but never cashed it? Is it accepting a bribe if you don’t cash the check?”

The crinkles on Mac’s brow deepened and he wiped his mouth in anxiety. “Okay Bradley, I appreciate the information. Hey, do you still do pro bono work? I think I might be in trouble, and I’ve got a feeling that some stuff’s about to hit the fan real quick. Turn on the news and take a look at the mayor’s press conference, and that should give you an idea.”

Mac hung up the phone and wiped the sweat from his brow as he began a desperate prayer.

“Lord, if you get me out of this…”