Second on the Right (15 page)

James had purchased a home in Westport,
Connecticut. He thought that the stone-work on the outside alone
would win her over. On entry, one saw a staircase led to the second
floor, the family room on the left, the kitchen on the right. The
family room boasted an ornate fireplace and a bay window that
overlooked the porch in the front. Despite these opulent features,
the room was sparsely furnished, with only a sofa facing the
fireplace and a writing desk and chair in the corner by the window.
Behind the family room was a French-door entry to the living room
that had a sizable entertainment center and sectional sofa. The
best feature was the near-floor-to-ceiling windows showing the
beautiful view from behind the house. Adjoining the living room was
the dining room, which was decorated with only a simple
chandelier.

The second floor held three bedrooms on the
left and one that took up the entire right side of the upper floor.
The master suite was the only room in the house completely
furnished, with elegantly carved cherry-wood furniture. At one end
of the room, a sitting area had been arranged, allowing for
enjoyment of the sunlight and the view through the bay window that
faced out towards the sound. The other end held the large bed,
encased by matching wood carved head and foot boards.

James was proud of this home. He could easily
picture his life with Eileen. He dreamt of reading by the fire as
his children listened at his feet. His wife, sitting close, would
be cuddled up by his side. Perhaps a ridiculous dream, but it was
one he kept close to his heart. Now if he could only convince her
to spend more time in Westport, she might develop the same yearning
for a home and a family as he had.

Body tense, Dr. Perkins crept around the end
of the stretch of metal shelves which housed multiple cadavers.
Once around the corner, he froze again, listening for any sound.
After what seemed to be an eternity, he heard the rustling again.
It was coming from one of the body bags. He scanned each bag,
trying to detect any movement. He cringed to think a rat might have
snuck its way in.

Pulling out a tray with a bagged body on it,
he called out to his intern to bring the file. She popped her head
in asking for the case number, and then disappeared. A few minutes
later, she returned with the green card file and handed it to Dr.
Perkins. As quickly as she had come, she turned on her heels and
left.

Dr. Perkins looked over the chart. Homeless
man found on the street, pronounced dead at the scene. Matching
identification and description, he confirmed the chart was correct
for the body.

Gender: Male

Ethnicity: Caucasian

Height: 5' 11.5" (181.6 cm)

Weight: 196 lbs

Eyes: Blue

Hair: Red, some gray

He pulled the table out farther. Dr. Perkins
grabbed a body-tray frame and rolled it back around to be side by
side with the body. He was not entirely sure this was where the
noise had come from, but he wanted to make certain. He slid the
body and tray onto the frame. He stopped. Was that movement again?
His eyes darted over the body and then across the room. While
thinking he might need to go into a new profession, he grabbed the
edge of the frame and wheeled the male figure into the next room
for pictures, examination, and preparation.

The exam room, unlike the hallway, was dark
and chilly. Wheeling the body in, Dr. Perkins left it in the center
of the room. He placed the chart on a nearby table. Again, he
stopped.

Was that wheezing?

No one was in the room except for him and the
cadaver. As his eyes rested on the body, he blinked. The light
overhead flickered momentarily. He was not sure if it was a trick
of the eye, but he swore he saw
something
. Carefully,
quietly stepping towards the body, he looked over it to see if he
could detect any movement. Nothing. Cursing himself for being such
a coward, he opened the bag.

The body was that of a man, in his forties.
His face, covered in facial hair, was gaunt with a pale, grayish
hue, and a light scar over the right eye. The clothes were ripped
and worn. A dingy shirt, most likely white at one point, looked
gray and was covered with a worn brown vest. The pants were so dark
from dirt, they looked black. The body had come in with a large
pair of boots and some jewelry: one ring and one pendant.

Moving the wide-angled camera over the body,
Dr. Perkins documented the conditions of the cadaver. As the flash
from the camera hit the body, he again thought he saw movement.
Flicking of the light from above made it difficult to distinguish
any displacement from a trick of the eye.

Reaching up, he smacked the side of the
overhead light in the hopes of solving the flickering. The light
temporarily went out, as if in protest at being struck. Dr. Perkins
heard wheezing. Panic set in as he stood in complete darkness. A
few seconds later, the light turned back on. Breathing a sigh of
relief, he cursed at the light.

The cadaver lying on the table took in a
large, loud breath. At the sudden and unexpected evidence of life
in the once-still body, Dr. Perkins promptly fainted.

Running a hand through his hair, James leaned
against the door to his bedroom. He had taken some time off to help
his parents. His mother was ill with the flu, and his father was
not helping her recovery. Having relied on her for fifty years, the
man didn’t know what to do, hardly remembering to eat most of the
time. His mother had called and, near tears on the phone, pleaded
with James to stay with them for a short while. Hating to hear her
upset, he relented, packed, and headed home. His mother, though
severely sick, ensured his room was ready for him. Fresh towels
were stacked on the chair by the door. Clean sheets lay on the bed.
His room looked just as it had when he was in high school. Old
trophies and ribbons from fencing matches at the university were
displayed on shelves. Various metals and pictures of James at swim
meets were pinned to the walls.

He rolled his eyes at the sight, but was
warmed in his heart. It was a good feeling, to be so loved and to
make his parents proud. Tossing his bag to the side, he headed
downstairs. His dad was reading in the study. James knocked on the
door frame.

“Come,” his dad said. His father was a man of
few words.

“Hi, Dad,” he said.

Robert looked up. His brown eyes twinkled,
further accentuated by his broadening smile and ever-creasing
crow’s feet. “James!” He stood and ushered his son to sit, but not
before giving him a firm hug. When he sat back down, he looked at
James with a smirk. “Your mother is worried about me.”

James shrugged and gave a quick nod. “You
know mum.”

His father chuckled and shook his head.
“After over fifty years, I should hope so, but you know what? I
still find myself amazed by that woman.”

James grinned. It was nice to see even though
so much time had passed, his parents were still very much in love.
“Lunch?”

His father’s eyes gleamed. “If my son is
buying, absolutely!” he replied jokingly.

Standing, James waited for his father, and
then followed him out of the room. The two Benedict men sat in the
kitchen, sandwiches before them. While his father devoured the
food, James merely picked at his. His mind began to drift towards
New York and the woman he loved.

Robert sat back in his chair. James glanced
up at his father and noticed the thoughtful look on his face. He
realized his mother was sick with the flu, but asking him to help
was merely a ploy. She had done this before, manipulating both
father and son in the hopes the two men would talk. He returned his
attention to his food.

“James…” Robert faltered.

James’ eyes darted over to his father, only
to return to the untouched food in front of him. “Dad, don’t,” he
warned.

Robert sighed. “James, your mother and I are
worried. Even your brother—”

James snorted, “Martin?” He shot a look of
disbelief. “Come on, dad. He couldn’t care less. As long as I keep
this career, he’ll have the financial support he so desires.”

“Now, son. That isn’t fair. Martin does care
for you. He…he just has a different way of showing it,” his father
said defensively.

James stared until unexpectedly Robert broke
out in a fit of laughter. His eyes widened, surprised by the
outburst. He had never seen such a reaction from his father. All he
could do was blink.

When Robert finally recovered, he wiped a
tear from his eye and said, “You’re right. Martin is frugal like
that, but he does care. We all do, and we just want what’s best for
you.”

“I don’t want to talk about it,” James
replied, pushing his plate away.

“James, I—” His father opened his arms in
surrender.

“No.” James stood suddenly.

“Son, sit back down,” his father pleaded.

James would not dare glare at his father, but
his temper was growing. “I’m going for a jog,” he grumbled,
slamming the door behind him.

A layer of fog lifted as the sun rose in the
sky. He heard the ocean, not too far off, but couldn’t see it.
James wiped sweat from his brow as he ran along the path that
followed the coast near his parents' residence.

The area of the West Country held wonderful
childhood memories for James. He loved his secluded moments
outdoors. Dismal as the weather usually was, he still preferred a
run along the coast. If only he could convince Eileen to visit,
then perhaps she would see the beauty. He knew she was fond of
cloudy, even stormy, weather. Away from the chaos of New York, she
might grow to like the easy life of the West Country and its
people. He had connections that would make her work transition
easy. With James’ help, Eileen could start a private practice in
the area. Then, maybe she would be willing to commit herself wholly
to the relationship.

He slowed down to a walk. His heart ached. He
had been gone for only a week and yet, to him, it seemed like
years. James had felt like the luckiest man in the world when he
met her on the cruise. He still did.

He smiled. What an amazing time they had had.
The spark in her eyes, the passion she had shown was intoxicating.
Never would he have dreamt he would meet someone like her. But now,
the spark had faded a bit. She had accomplished her goal of
becoming a physician, something she had yearned for. But what about
them? Had she not also dreamt of a solid marriage, a wonderful
family?

He sighed.
Perhaps I'm projecting.

Making his way back home, James walked in and
headed upstairs to take a shower. His father asked how his run was,
but James ignored him. His mind was deep in thought about Eileen,
about his own dreams, and what their future might hold.

Morgue Staff Found Dead Man Very Much
Alive

The Times. A homeless man, pronounced dead on
the scene by medics, was found to be very much alive by staff at
the New York City morgue.

The patient, in his 40s, had been in the New
York City Morgue. A spokesman for the morgue confirmed that medics
had declared the man dead and contacted the coroner’s office to
collect the body. The error was discovered a few hours later when
the body began to move, and breathe, and the staff discovered that
the patient was, in fact, alive. The patient, in his mid-forties,
is now being treated at a local hospital and is expected to
recover. So far, hospital staff have been unable to locate any
relatives of the man, and anyone with information about his
identity is urged to call the hospital. City management has set up
an inquiry to establish how medics made such a mistake.