Chapter 7

Five months flew by in a flash. Well, at least it did for some people. Logan struggled immensely. Turns out it’s pretty hard to quit smoking and alcohol at the same time. Well, at least this pregnancy thing turned out to be good for his health.

Logan's belly began to swell. The first two months it simply looked like he needed to take a giant shit. But as the months ticked by, it became evident that it was something more, not just Logan, but all the men in town.

If it were only the swelling of the parasitic creature growing within, the men probably wouldn’t care. Half of them were already slab-pregnant. Such was the alcohol problem within the town. But with such a sudden change to their bodies, strange lines appeared on their bellies and calves.

Stretch marks.

Logan was shocked when he witnessed burly men burst into tears at the sight of such scarring.

Maybe growing up with Madam Esmeralda gave him thicker skin. What was the deal with an extra few scars? He didn’t see how they were any different from snakebite scars.

Seeing how insecure they all were, Logan decided he would walk around town bare-chested. Only when he went out into town shirtless for the first time did he begin to feel the judging gazes of the townsfolk. In some ways, they were worse than those bastard government agents who were still monitoring their every action.

But the ticking of time also meant the townsfolk needed to start getting ready for wild munchkins to roam the streets. Logan bent down to pick up a large cardboard box.

“What the fuck do you think you are doing, brat?” Madam Esmeralda shouted, waving her cane about like the mad woman she was.

“What does it look like I’m doing?”

“Something stupid.”

“I’m moving this crap out of the spare bedroom.”

“I can see that!” she shouted, stamping her cane on the hardwood flooring.

“If you can see, then why are you asking?”

“Because you shouldn’t be lifting boxes while you are pregnant. Here, let me do it.”

“I can do it myself!” Logan snapped dismissively. “You have a cane for Christ's sake.”

“So what if I do? You’re clearly not looking after yourself.”

“I’ve been doing just fine. All my medical checks have been stellar.”

“I’m talking about down there.” She pointed to his crutch with her cane. “You know what they say, you don’t use it, you lose it. Like, when was the last time you burped the worm?”

“Why would I tell you that?” Before Madam Esmeralda could utter another embarrassing line, there was a loud knock on the door.

“You expecting visitors?” she asked, raising an eyebrow.

Logan shook his head. Honestly, he didn’t even want Madam Esmeralda here; he just couldn't tell the old bat to leave, or she’d lose her shit. That was way too much of a pain in the arse for him to deal with.

Logan made his way to the front door. He had fully mentally prepared himself to see one of the agents standing in their mechanical manner. Which is why he was somewhat surprised when he saw Rebecca hunched over, trying to catch her breath.

“G’day, what are you doing here?” Logan stepped out of the way, inviting her in.

Rebecca glanced up at Logan. He could instantly tell by the look in her eyes that something was seriously wrong.

“Come in, I’ll fetch some Lemonade while you catch your breath.”

“Now is not the time!” she screamed.

“What’s up, deary?” Madam Esmeralda asked, appearing behind Logan like some sort of horror movie villain.

Rebecca’s mouth trembled.

“It’s Ben. He has been rushed to the hospital.”

After the night at the community centre, Logan had gotten to know Ben a little better. He was still young, only just out of high school. He’d moved out of foster care to come to this shithole just a few weeks before ‘Disco Night.’

The poor bastard had no family and barely any friends in town. In some ways, Logan had taken on an older-brother role for the kid.

“Is he okay?” Logan asked, unable to mask the nervousness in his own voice.

“I don’t know. He looked like he was in a lot of pain when the agents came and collected him.”

Logan felt a twinge in his chest.

Fear.

“Alright, I’ll go over and see how he is doing,” he replied, already heading out the door.

“Don’t forget to bring him flowers,” Madam Esmeralda instructed Logan.

Logan quickly stopped by the store to pick up some. Say what you will about Madam Esmeralda, she was usually right about these sorts of things. If this would help Ben feel even a little better, it would be worth it. Besides, now that the government was picking up the tab on these things, Logan could splurge as much as he wanted. There was no better feeling than a five-finger discount item from the government.

As he made his way to the hospital, he noticed the higher-than-usual presence of the wanker cars that agents drove. Although a few SUVs weren’t a rare occurrence, seeing so many in one place was strange. Still, it didn’t matter to him; the only thing that mattered was Ben.

“Halt!” One of the agents shouted, holding out his hand to prevent Logan from entering the hospital.

“What the hell do you think you are doing?” Logan snapped back.

“I’m sorry, but no one is permitted to enter at the moment.”

“Why the hell not?”

“I’m sorry. That’s classified.”

Logan was about to protest, but a hand appeared out of the shadows and rested on the agent's shoulder.

“That’s alright, Agent Keeyton. Mr Russell may enter now,” commented the female receptionist with a cold smile. The agent immediately followed her instructions and stepped aside.

“Thank you,” Logan forced himself to say. He despised this woman. Although he couldn’t prove it, he knew for a fact that she was the bigwig calling the shots at this medical clinic. He followed her inside, and she motioned to the waiting room.

“May I request that you take a seat for a moment? The doctor will be here shortly.”

“I’m not here for myself today.”

“Indeed, you are here for Mr Benjamin Durkle, are you not?”

Logan’s heart rate began to pick up.

Had the surveillance also included his own home?

Was someone within the town working with the agents?

He wanted to confront her.

But he had to show restraint.

He was here for Ben.

“That’s right. So I just take a seat and wait?”

“Yes. The doctor will be able to update you shortly,” she turned and took a step.

“Can you tell me if he is alright?” he called after her.

She froze momentarily before turning her head mechanically.

“The doctor will be able to update you shortly,” she repeated as if she were a doll.

Logan took a seat and waited.

Waited.

There was near silence.

Nothing but the ticking of the analogue clock.

A maddening noise that somehow blurred time more than it aided. Logan wanted to remove the battery. So badly did he want the ticking to end. But most of all, he just wanted the doctor to come and take him to Ben.

Finally, he couldn’t take it anymore. He needed the ticking to end.

He stood up.

Before he could even take a step, a voice called out.

“I believe you were told to sit and wait until the doctor came, Mr Russell.”

Logan turned to see Agent Johnson walking silently down the dimly lit corridor.

“This is a medical clinic, what’s an agent who can’t remember to call me Logan doing here?”

“That’s classified, Mr Russell.”

“Of course it fucking is. So I assume it has something to do with Ben?”

“That’s classified.”

Logan opened his mouth to call Agent Johnson a fuckwit, but the words wouldn’t form.

Something was wrong.

It felt like he was being watched.

The hair on the back of Logan's neck stood up.

He opted to remain silent.

“How curious,” Agent Johnson commented. Logan caught the faintest twitch of his lips. A smile. “Well, Mr Russell, my work here is done. As always, it was a pleasure seeing you.”

Agent Johnson pushed past Logan. Before Logan could reply, footsteps echoed down the dim hallway, and Doctor Holloway appeared.

“Mr Russell, if you could please follow me now.”

Logan turned back towards Agent Johnson, but he had seemingly already vanished.

“Alright, take me to Ben.”

The doctor led Logan down the corridor and up a flight of stairs. He’d never been to the upper floors of the hospital. It seemed to be individualised rooms, much like any other recovery ward. Doctor Holloway slid open a door and ushered Logan to enter.

Logan took a step into the cold room, and Doctor Holloway slid the door closed behind him, leaving just Logan and the man propped up on the bed staring out the window.

“G’day Ben, heard you got admitted. How are you doing, mate?”

He turned his head, which was as pale as a ghost. He had the listless gaze of a broken man.

“How do I look?”

“Well, like horseshit.”

“Yeah,” he replied without a hint of emotion. He turned his head to gaze back out.

“Well, I brought you some flowers to cheer you up.”

“Why? They are just going to die anyway.”

“Gee, you sound like some kind of emo band.”

Logan expected Ben to laugh or crack a joke, but instead, he simply asked with his monotone voice, “Why did you buy them?”

“I dunno, as a symbol of wishing you well or something… Fuck! Madam Esmeralda said to give them to you.” Logan wandered over to the bedside table, where there was an empty vase, and placed the flowers inside.

“I see, so they are for me,” Ben murmured.

“Well, who else would they be for?”

There was a moment of silence before Ben broke down into tears.

“My child!”

It was only then that Logan realised he had just said something incredibly insensitive.

“I’m so sorry.”

“It’s not fair! Why?! Why only me?”

“I can’t answer that.”

Logan didn’t know how to react. This wasn’t something he ever thought he’d have to deal with.

“Why did it have to be my child?”

“I thought you’d be happy about it,” Logan tried to comfort by offering what he thought was a reasonable response. Ben gripped the blankets, tears falling from his eyes.

“Happy? I spent months caring for this child that remained unborn. How’d you feel?”

Logan didn’t know how to respond.

Seeing the distant look on Ben's face.

“I’m sorry.”

“Thanks,” he responded, turning his head to look out the window. His eyes were glazed over. Eyes that Logan would never forget. The two men sat in silence until Logan was forced to leave by the doctors.

Logan wished he had hugged him at that time.

Told him that it would be okay.

Even if he knew it wouldn’t be.

A few days later, Ben was discharged. And not long after that, he was found hanging from his ceiling.

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End of Chapter 7