[EDITING] wanderlust | detroit: become human

thirty five - take my hands

the hospital was crowded with family and friends alike. some had flowers in their hands, and others had tears flowing down, possibly from the overwhelming image of their family or friend hurt and in pain. i didn't learn that image until a few days ago.

hank held up his badge, and showing the nurse at the front desk, "we'd like to speak with mrs. rocky, who was recently brought in the night before last."

"i'll show you to her room." the nurse stood from the desk and walked us to the room, calmly welcoming us in.

a man sat at her side, helping her sit up from the bed. his eyes immediately darted between her and us.

she looked to us. her eyes was swollen, and blue. with a few cuts on her face, it was obvious there was a struggle between her and the suspect. the corners of her lips lifted and she nodded to the man i assumed was her husband, "i'll be okay," she whispered to him, "lieutenant anderson. it's nice to meet you."

"it's my pleasure." hank smiled, "we were here to ask you a few questions, if that's okay with you?"

"no, it's not-" the man behind her said angrily.

"leo." she said sternly, "i would love to answer some questions. i will do anything to help your investigation." her hands met with some crutches beside her bed, boosting them underneath her arms, "let us go to the common room. follow me." she looked back at leo, who sat in a chair, angry at her choice. as she walked ahead of us, she peeked her head over her shoulder slightly, "who is that with you?"

"oh, this is connor. he's my partner."

"it's very nice to meet you, connor. my name is  melina rocky."

i nodded, "it's nice to meet you, as well."

all three of us sat on a couch in a white room where visitors sat with family and friends, playing games such as checkers or chess.

placing her crutches beside her, melina's eyes turned to the checkers on the table top, "would you like to play?" she asked me.

i agreed, setting the black chips onto the designated spots.

"mrs. rocky, we would like to ask you questions about anything you remember from that day." hank spoke, "anything, even the smallest detail."

melina smiled, "of course. i remember that i was going grocery shopping, and..." she moved her chip to a square, "and i remember as i walked around the store, someone followed behind me for a while. i asked a young teenager if he could act as if he was my child, and then suddenly, the person left. vanished."

i moved my own chip, watching as each one moved square to square, and soaking in all the information.

"do you remember what happened next?"

"well, after the person disappeared, i assumed that it was just my imagination hitting me. it was always extremely active. so, i continued on with my shopping. nothing too exciting." her eyes darted up, "then, as i was leaving, i saw them again, standing just outside the exit door. he pulled a knife on me."

the game we were playing that we took so seriously for a moment disappeared from our thoughts, and i focused on her confession.

"i was in the military, so i wasn't going down so easy. as he tackled me, his eyes not looking anywhere but the back of his head, he aimed for my heart, trying to kill me. but each time, i was able to advert his attention to my face, which explains the cuts. as he was trying to stab me, he turned my face away, banging my head against the floor, black eye, and scratching me. as soon as the security and police rolled up, he seemed to come to, and broke my leg, crutches, and ran off."

"the blood on the crime scene was from both you and him. did you see any wounds on him?" i asked.

melina shook her head, "no, not that i know of. i did see bleeding, i just thought he was one of those kids, you know?" melina's attention turned back to the board, moving a checker chip, "but, if he was hurt, i wonder if that caused him to act out. i understand some wounds can make you go berserk in fear."

hank tilted his head, "we think that the men involved with this crime may be involved with a cult, or drug ring. do you think that may be the case?"

"no, cults are much more organized." she chuckled, "they don't have fifty men going around attacking people at once. a drug ring, however, that is a possibility. red ice, or, something stronger."

i moved a checker, "it's crazy how some events like this can all lead up to a big consequence." i chuckled, "mrs. rockey, thank you so much for speaking with us." i stood up from the checker game and shook her hand, "please, get well soon, and if you remember anything at all, call either hank's cell or his house phone."

she smiled, "of course. thank you both for listening to me ramble on, and on." she giggled, "well, i best get to leo. he gets worried when i'm gone too long." she stood up from the couch, placing the crutches under her shoulders.

hank and i silently walked her back to her room, thanking her for a final time, before finding our way back to the main entrance.

for a moment, we sat there in the car, the windows down as the wind blew through.

"isn't it strange that she said cults are more organized?" i asked.

"it's probably nothing." he leaned on his hand, "if she was in a cult, i'm sure her husband would appose."

"maybe you're right." i set the car into reverse, and pulled out of the hospital car park.

hank and i sat there, the music silently playing over the radio, with hank of course singing along obnoxiously, as we headed home. we had a lot more work to do, and we weren't expecting it to continue to pile up.