The Surgeon

The Surgeon 21

……

We’re now cruising at a steady pace and the city gives way to the suburbs, “But, why would my mom say Kelly’s hunger is about to destroy her?” asks Kade. I ponder, “Hmm, yeah, she said that for sure,” I say. The truth is, I’m stumped and for the next few minutes we drive in silence – except I can almost hear the sound of our brains whirring.

……

It’s as we make the outskirts of the city that I’m hit by a sudden thought and a word flies into my head and out of my mouth, “Language.” Kade’s head swivels in my direction, “What?”

“Language, words, phrases – meaning,” I say.

“What are you talking about, Tan?” asks Kade.

My head is still trying to understand the thoughts spinning through it, so I decide to think out loud, “Your mom said she can’t use certain words, as they’re trigger words that could alert The Surgeon’s people to the fact that she’s communicating with us.”  

“Yes, she said that, keep going, Tan,” says Kade, his ears pricked.

I continue, “Well, what if she’s speaking in some kinda code-speak,” I suggest.

Kade’s enthusiasm rises, “Keep it rolling, Tan, open your mind, let the thoughts flow,” he encourages.

I explain, “Hunger – it doesn’t always mean hungry.”

“You’ve lost me,” says Kade, as we hit the decaying suburbs.

“Hunger, it doesn’t always mean a desire for food; it can mean a passion for something, as in: ‘she’s consumed by a hunger for reading, music or sport,’ that kind of thing,” I say.

We hit the beginning of derelict land – almost home.

Kade glances at me, questions flooding his face.

I point ahead, “Kade, keep your eyes on the road and think hard; does Kelly have a passion, a hunger for something that could lead to your mom’s destruction?” I ask.

Suddenly I’m thrust backwards by the force of the g’s as Kade hits the accelerator. Whoa, I grab the dash and the door as I’m thrown round the cabin while he navigates the obstacle-laden terrain at speed.

“What is it, Kade, why the sudden urgency?” I manage to ask while trying to remain in my seat.

“The car shredder,” he says.

“That means nothing to me, explain?” I ask.

Shit! We almost hit a huge hunk of metal, “OK  – Steady, slow Kade. This is stupid, we’ll end up like mince meat if you continue like this!” I shout.

It does the trick; he pulls back on the speed.

“OK, so share it, what’s the realization you’ve had that’s caused this urgency?” I ask.

He continues to drive fast, but at a more controlled pace, “Kelly has three passions: gaming, working out and shredding old junk for recycling. She’s always saying, ‘I’m off to feed the car shredder’,” he says.

“What’s a car shredder?” I ask.

“What its name suggests, a machine that shreds up old cars and other industrial junk,” answers Kade.

“But why do you think Kelly would be putting your mom in a car shredder?”

Kade slows down and brakes. He looks at me, “I think I know where mom is.”

“Where?”

“On the hospital trolley I wheeled your father into our home on. I know for certain Kelly will be taking – if she hasn’t done so already – that trolley to the shredder – she doesn’t like having junk like that around the house, she’ll have fed it to the shredder. That’s what mom meant,” he says, his eyes watery with sadness.