Eliza yawns as she sits in the lobby of the Cancer wing at the hospital. 5:00 a.m. was too early for Isaac to be awake, since he has been so tired lately, but it didn't make sense to leave him at home when he had to be there for the program, anyway. Thankfully he only had another week of it left, then he could go see his grandparents, that is, if they agreed to watch him. She had forgotten to ask Arthur about that.
Isaac rests his head in his mothers lap and she takes a sip of her coffee. The receptionist looks over at Eliza to see if Mr. Morgan has shown up. He hasn't, but Eliza was normally the late one.
Just then, the door swings open, and Arthur comes in with his own cup of coffee. He sees Eliza and walks over to her. The receptionist notices and then goes to contact the doctor.
"G'morning," Arthur greets.
"Hey..." Eliza yawns again and looks down at their sleeping son. Arthur squats down in front of her and rubs his son's back.
"Hey, buddy," he coaxes. "It's time to get up."
Isaac stirs for a moment, and while his head is remaining on Eliza's lap, he opens his eyes.
"Daddy...!" He slowly comes up and reaches to hug his father. Arthur wraps his arms around him and kisses the top of his head.
"How have you been feeling, partner?"
"I'm tired."
Arthur sighs and smiles empathetically at his son. "I know. It is early."
The receptionist enters the lobby.
"Mr. Morgan? Ms. Bloom? Dr. Dorkins is ready to see you now."
Arthur rises to his feet and steps back as Eliza gets out of her seat. Isaac stretches and slowly stands. Eliza supports him with one arm.
"Let's go, honey," she coaxes. Isaac comes to her left side and takes her hand, then as Arthur walks beside them, Isaac takes his hand. Arthur looks at Eliza and she glances bashfully away. The receptionist beams at them, unaware of the situation between them.
They follow the receptionist to Dr. Dorkins' office, though they already knew the way.
The receptionist opens the office door and she steps aside to let the family enter. Dr. Dorkins greets them with a smile.
"Good morning, Mr. Morgan, Ms. Bloom."
"Good morning," Arthur responds.
Dr. Dorkins looks at Isaac and beams.
"Good morning, Dr. D," Isaac says, sheepishly.
"And a good morning to you, Isaac! How're you feeling today?"
"Tired. Are you going to take my blood?"
"No, not today, buddy. We're just going to make sure you get your treatments prescribed today."
"Isaac nods. Dr. Dorkings gestures toward the chairs in front of him.
"Please, have a seat."
Arthur and Eliza go to the chairs and each take a seat. Instead of sitting in the third chair, ISaac goes to sit in Eliza's lap. He leans back into her and tucks his head in the crook of her neck.
"So," Dr. Dorkins begins. "Today we're signing some paperwork to authorize the implementation of this new treatment. But before you sign, do either of you have any questions?"
"Why didn't the chemo work?" Arthur immediately asks. Eliza can detect the intensity of his voice, but Dr. Dorkings doesn't seem to pick up on it.
"To put it simply, his body wasn't responding to the chemotherapy in a positive way. Yes, it did help shrink the tumor to where we could safely remove it, but it didn't prevent it from returning, which is what unfortunately happened. Isaac was improving because the tumor was removed. Had we not caught the tumor's return, his symptoms would have told us. However, by then, it would have been too late."
Eliza only looks at Arthur. Arthur looks back to Dr. Dorkins.
"So, you're saying that this new treatment will give him that chance?"
"We...we're hopeful, yes. It has proven to work in other cancers, including brain cancers. Isaac's cancer is aggressive, but it can be fought."
"He's...he's a strong boy," Arthur says, almost reassuring himself. Eliza holds their son tighter as Isaac starts to fall asleep.
"Yes, Isaac is," the doctor agrees.
"Doctor, he's been very tired lately. SHould we be concerned?"
He looks at the sleeping boy for a minute.
"I do not believe so. His body has been through a lot lately–the chemo especially. Now that the tumor is returning, his body is trying to fight it. This new treatment is still not in his system fully yet, so we will still need to check on his to see how he is doing. Have you both had any difficulty with the treatment?"
"The only trouble we have had is the shots. Arthur, what about you?"
"Yeah, Isaac doesn't like the needles, but I didn't have to give him those shots when I had him."
Eliza turns to Dr. Dorkins.
"Arthur had him for the weekend. We started the treatments on Friday and he had the shots at the hospital that day."
"Of course," Dr. Dorkins validates. "Depending on his tests in a couple of weeks, we will adjust the vitamin shots accordingly to need."
"When will we know if this is working or not?" Arthur asks, leaning forward in his seat.
"Unofficially, when he begins to act and feel normal. His body won't be exhausting itself like it did with the chemotherapy. Officially, we will be able to determine it with more tests. We will check his progress every few weeks or so."
Arthur and Eliza nod comprehensively.
"Are you both ready to sign, then?"
Eliza turns to Arthur and he nods his head.
"Alright," Dr. Dorkins sighs as he pushes two documents in front of them. "As you have seen before, this is the detailed description of the treatment and this here is the waiver. The description will be your copy, and I will make you a copy of the waiver once you have signed it."
Arthur reaches over to pick up a pen and signs his full name.
Then without saying a word, Arthur turns to Eliza as she carefully transfers their sleeping son to him. Isaac barely stirs and sinks into Arthur's arms easily. Isaac sighs and Eliza smiles before turning to the desk and signing her full name also.
Dr. Dorkins takes the documents and turns to a small copier machine. Quickly making two copies of the waiver, he passes them to Eliza.
"And that's it. You'll need to come to the hospital once every two weeks to collect his treatment kits. Reuse the cases and we can just simply refill them. This treatment is not at a regular pharmacy, as it is related to cancer treatment, so just come directly to the oncology ward.
"Alright, Doctor."
"I'll go with you to the front as you collect your kits for this first period and we can schedule our next appointment. Only one of you needs to be present, but if you both want to be there...?"
Eliza turns to Arthur.
"Do you know what your schedule is going to look like?"
Arthur looks at Dr. Dorkins.
"My schedule is tight. We're helping with controlled burns," Arthur states.
"I thought it was getting to be too dry," Dr. Dorkins thinks out loud.
"I am more flexible," Eliza pitches in.
"Alright, let's go, shall we?" Dr. Dorkins rises from his chair and gestures toward the door. Arthur stands, holding Isaac securely, and both he and Eliza follow Dr. Dorkins out.
"Is it just me, or is Isaac heavier?" Arthur says quietly to Eliza.
"It isn't just you, but I am not as strong as you are."
Arthur kisses the top of Isaac's head. Eliza has always loved how affectionate he is to their son. It's always a gentle reminder of how big Arthur's heart is.
"Did you talk to your folks?" Eliza asks him.
"Yes. They'd love to have him."
"Okay, that's kind of them."
"Kind? Believe me, you're doing them a favor."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes, Eliza. Now, stop worrying about this. They love their grandson."
"Okay."
"But you will have to school me on the vitamin shot part of his treatment. How much does he get?"
"Every three days, you use the premeasured vials included in the kit. You just fill the needles and then stick them in the more muscular parts of his body, like thighs and glutes."
"Okay. I won't look forward to that."
"Neither will he. We had to do it two days ago, and it was a challenge for him. But he took it like a champ."
"I know."
They finally reach the front and set up the next appointment a couple of weeks ahead. They are then given the two weeks' worth of kits and head for the parking lot. Arthur, still carrying Isaac, follows Eliza to where her car is parked. She unlocks it and he opens the back passenger door and sets Isaac down in the back seat. He buckles in the seatbelt and adjusts Isaac's head so he lays comfortably without hurting his neck. Arthur steps back and closes the door quietly. He goes to the back and sees Eliza loading the kits.
"Do you want one?" she asks him.
"I won't be able to have Isaac over for a bit; not until we're done with the controlled fires."
"Well, in the event of an emergency, you might need to have one. If anything, give it to your parents. Isaac will be finished with the program soon, and will be spending the majority of his days with them."
"Okay."
She hands him a kit and closes the hatchback.
They stand there awkwardly.
"Well, I should go." Eliza takes a step back.
"Okay." Arthur nods.
Eliza turns and then Arthur remembers the box.
"Oh, wait."
She turns around and he walks closer to her and from his jacket pocket, he brings out the tin box that he found earlier.
"I found this the other day." He hands it to her.
"What is it?"
"I was thinking you might know. It is charred a little from the fire, but it looks like an antique to me. Maybe an old geocache?"
She looks it over.
"It is an older box. This rotary lock is incredibly small. Combination locks first appeared in the mid to late 1800s, so this could be from around that time. But it looks like it has been taken care of, aside from the charring. Where did you find it?"
"Under a stump."
"It would have rusted over by now if it was placed there over a hundred years ago. It could be a geocache and someone just wanted to use an old box, but geocaches usually don't have a combination lock on it."
"Good point."
"What do you think could be in it?" Her curiosity is peaked. Arthur eyes the way her face lifts and how the energy in her brown, doe-lie eyes lights up. It was one of the things he liked about her.
"I don't know. I was thinking of giving it to Isaac."
"Isaac? Why?"
"Well, it could be a fun puzzle for him. He could try to open it by using different combinations or something."
"He does like puzzles. I will give it to him."
"Thanks, Eliza."
"Sure...Well, I need to take Isaac home. I don't think he's going to make it to the program today."
"What about work?"
"I am going to call in. I am feeling tired, too."
"You alright?"
"Yeah, I just haven't been sleeping well lately. I've got a lot on my mind."
"I understand, so do I."
"Okay. Well, bye."
"Bye."
"I'll call you if anything comes up."
"Sounds good."
Eliza stops by the driver's side door.
"And Arthur?"
"Yeah?"
"You...you be careful out there."
"I will."
Eliza nods, smiling gently and she gets in the car. Arthur turns around and goes to his car, intent on making it to Redwood Falls on time.
***
Arthur Morgan arrived at the designated area of land, where Charles Smith and the rest of the crew awaited him. The two men exchanged friendly nods, the weight of their recent discoveries still heavy on their minds.
"I guess the dogs are getting along, huh?" Arthur remarked, his voice tinged with a touch of relief.
Charles chuckled. "Yeah, they're getting used to each other. It's good to have an extra set of eyes and sniffers out there."
As they were about to join the rest of the crew, Sadie Adler, their fiery and no-nonsense leader, called their attention. "Alright, everyone! Gather 'round," she commanded, her voice cutting through the crisp morning air.
Arthur and Charles joined their comrades, eager to hear the plan for the day's controlled burns. Sadie took charge, describing the area they were about to burn and assigning tasks accordingly.
Once Sadie's instructions were clear, Charles leaned in closer to Arthur and lowers his voice. "Arthur, we need to talk. I need to tell you about the debriefing in the conference room, earlier."
Arthur raised an eyebrow, curiosity piqued. "Debriefing? What was it about?"
Charles hesitated, contemplating how much to divulge. "The second victim, Leigh Gray, was an ex-cop. Seems he lost his job for tampering with evidence. Could be connected to what we found at the first campsite."
Arthur's mind raced, connecting the dots.
"Tampering? Could it have been Gray covering his tracks? What would he kill for?"
Charles nods, keeping his voice hushed. "Exactly. But get this... Gray had money problems. Makes you wonder if there was a motive there. And if Gray had money troubles, did the first victim, Mr. Downes, have them, too?"
"It's worth digging into. We need to find out what these two had in common."
Just as Charles was about to respond, Sadie called their attention once more, redirecting their focus to the task at hand. The urgency of the situation weighed heavily on Arthur's mind, but they couldn't afford to lose themselves in speculation just yet.
"We'll have to think on it later, Charles," Arthur says, his voice laced with determination. "Right now, we've got dead trees to burn."
Charles nods in agreement. "You're right, Arthur. Let's get to work. We'll figure it out."
The two men left their conversation hanging in the air, knowing they'd circle back to it as soon as they had a moment alone. With purposeful strides, they joined their fellow game wardens, smelling the earthy scent of fallen leaves and feeling the warmth of the morning sun on their faces.
As they ignited the controlled burns, the crackling flames burned away the dry foliage, transforming the landscape. But deep within Arthur's heart, the flickering fires couldn't extinguish the burning questions that threatened to consume him. They needed answers, not just for the victims, but for the safety and sanity of their community.
Arthur and Charles worked side by side, their bond as strong as ever, shoulder to shoulder in the fight against the encroaching darkness that was slowly unraveling around them.
***
Eliza stared at the house, feeling a mix of trepidation and determination. After her conversation with Arthur, she felt inspired to take matters into her own hands. She had to talk to Edith Downes, the widow of the first victim. They have been friends for a short while and so Edith might not be willing to talk to her about a deep subject cush as this, but Eliza knew that she had to find out the truth.
With Isaac, now awake with sudden energy, by her side, Eliza approaches the front door of the Downes' house. She takes a deep breath, mentally preparing herself for the conversation. It isn't going to be easy, but she had to try.
Edith opens the door, a mixture of surprise and sadness crossing her face.
"Eliza," she murmured, her voice filled with resignation.
"Edith," Eliza replied softly, matching the woman's tone. "May we come in?"
Edith hesitated for a moment before stepping aside, allowing Eliza and Isaac to enter. They found themselves in a living room adorned with faded family photos and worn furniture. Eliza and Isaac settled onto a couch, while Edith watched them warily.
Isaac, oblivious to the tension in the room, happily made his way to the backyard, where Edith's teenage son was building a treehouse. Eliza offered a small smile, grateful for the distraction.
"I appreciate you speaking with me, Edith," Eliza began cautiously. "I know it must be difficult for you."
Edith nodded, her gaze distant. "Thank you for coming, Eliza."
They engage in small talk, the weight of unspoken words hanging heavy in the air. Finally, unable to hold back any longer, Eliza broached the subject that was weighing on her heart.
"Edith, I have to ask... Do you think... do you think Thomas' death was an accident?"
Edith's eyes met Eliza's, filled with a mixture of fear and sorrow. She hesitates before finally speaking. "No, Eliza. I don't believe it was an accident."
Eliza's breath caught in her throat. She had suspected as much, but to hear it confirmed by a grieving widow was another matter entirely. She reached out, gently grasping Edith's hand, offering what little comfort she could.
"Can you tell me why? What made you come to that conclusion?" Eliza asked softly, trying to keep her voice steady.
Edith's gaze dropped, her voice barely above a whisper. "Thomas... We owed money to a man named Leopold Straus. We were behind on the payments, but he... he was understanding. Gave us some time. But Thomas... he said he was going to hunt a prized wild boar. He thought it would be a quick and easy way to make some extra money."
Edith's voice trembled, and Eliza could see the guilt etched on her face. "He wanted to help so many people, but the city council refused to give him more funds. If only I had stopped him from going hunting that day, told him it wasn't worth the risk... Maybe he would still be alive."
Eliza shook her head gently, her heart breaking at Edith's pain. "You can't blame yourself, Edith. You didn't know what would happen."
Edith's eyes searched Eliza's face, her voice filled with desperation. "But how do I prove it, Eliza? How do I find justice for Thomas?"
Eliza feels a surge of determination wash over her. She knew that she had to find a way to help Edith, to uncover the truth and bring justice to the victims. She reached into her pocket, pulling out a folded piece of paper.
"I think we might have some help. I...know someone... and I think he might be onto something." She handed the paper to Edith. "I believe this information might be helpful. If you want to take it to the authorities, it might give them something to go on."
Edith's hands trembled as she unfolded the paper, her eyes scanning the contents. A spark of hope flickered in her gaze, and for the first time since her husband's death, there was a glimmer of justice in her eyes.
"I am afraid to, Eliza. Leopold Strauss is a powerful man. I cannot help but think that though he didn't kill my husband, he might know who did."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes. Just...do what you can to get justice for my husband."
Eliza feels resolve course through her body. She wants nothing more than to help this poor woman.
"I will."
"Thank you, Eliza," Edith whispered, tears streaming down her face. "Thank you for giving me hope."
Eliza squeezed Edith's hand, her voice filled with determination. "We will find the truth, Edith. I promise."
As they sat there, united in their quest for justice, Eliza couldn't help but think of the impact this would have on Arthur and their future.
With a heavy heart, Eliza left Edith's home, clutching a valuable piece of information. As Isaac ran towards her, his laughter filling the air, she couldn't help but feel a renewed sense of purpose. It was time to share what she'd learned with Arthur, to set the wheels of justice in motion.