Mike was a different story. The killer’s blade had punctured the right side of his abdomen and gone in several inches. The flesh there had required fifty-two stitches and ten staples to stay closed. The blade had missed the major organs, although the attending physician still was not sure how. It had ruptured one organ however, nearly slicing it half and resulting in its immediate removal from Mike’s body.
“Your appendix?” Sara repeated, fighting to control her laughter. “Some people have to pay to get that useless ball of flesh removed, and you’re all whiny cause some creep did it for free?”
Mike laughed weakly at that, feeling his stitches stretch. He knew she was joking. “Ha. Yeah, guess it is kinda funny when you look at it like that. If you’re a twisted freak like you are.”
Cathy did one of her famous fake laughs, then gave Mike a kiss on the cheek.
“The doctors even say if I rest up, I’ll be out of here in time for Grendel’s party,” Mike added happily, squeezing his girlfriend’s hand tightly and giving her a happy smile.
“Great. Perfect,” Xander joked cheerfully. “But I think Cathy’s going to be disappointed. She was looking forward to some alone time with ol’ Gren.”
Both Sara and Cathy laughed at that. Mike did not.
Xander coughed awkwardly. “Well, if you feel up to it later, I think I spotted an arcade down near the waiting room. Maybe they’ve got --”
“Nope,” Mike cut him off. “Sorry buddy, our game isn’t there.”
“Dammit,” he whined, stomping his foot dramatically.
“They’ve got Marble Mutant Super Heroes though.”
“Cool enough, I guess,” he shrugged, scuffing his feet along the tile floor in disappointment.
There was a knock at the door and a tall, important looking man stepped into the room. He wore a cheap black suit and a leather tie. He had a dulled toothpick between teeth that looked jaundice, which he took out when he entered the room and flicked into the medical waste bin on the wall. His eyes were small and beady. They glared down Xander before even meeting with anyone else. He had a bad comb-over and cheeks that were just a little chubby, but not overly so. He reached into his suit and produced a badge, let it gleam brightly in the light from the window, then shoved it back.
“I’m Detective Carl Dent. Is this...” he looked at his papers, quickly finding the name he was looking for, “Mike Harris’ room?”
“Yeah, that’s me.” Mike paused after speaking, breath catching as his side ached at him.
“He’s the one in the bed,” Sara smirked. “I think that should have been obvious.”
“That’s Sara, and this is my girlfriend Cathy. Can we... help you?” Mike continued, as though Sara hadn’t spoken.
“Yes. I need to ask you a few questions regarding your attacker. Do you mind, or would you like me to come back later?” he smiled politely, again shooting a look at Xander.
Xander raised his eyebrows in response, not knowing what he had done to upset the man.
“No, now’s fine,” Mike smiled, then added quickly, “Oh! As long as you don’t mind my friends being here.”
Dent looked down on Xander again, this time making long eye contact.
“Not at all,” he smiled. “Now I’ve worked on cases like this before, and I know you may have trouble spelling out the details over and over... so, all I want for the moment is a description on your attacker.”
“I wouldn’t be able to tell you. We never really saw him,” Cathy replied solemnly.
“And you, sir?” He pointed with his pen to Mike.
“Same story.”
“So, you’re telling me you saw nothing, even though my report says you were stabbed under a street light?”
“Yes, sir,” Mike said through barred teeth.
“And then the killer had to go past your girlfriend’s oncoming father and get into her room, plant the sword in her floor (which would have been loud), all without making a sound and then get out again?”
“If that’s what he said happened,” Sara interrupted, “then that’s what happened.”
“I didn’t ask you,” he snapped curtly.
“Hey!” Xander jumped from his seat and glared into the detective’s eyes. “What do you think happened?”
Dent took a deep breath and closed his folder. “I think that these last two attacks were gang related. The same stupid town pride crap that’s been happening between here and Coral Cove for years. And that you made up these stories, maybe even stabbed each other, to protect a friend in the gang that you know did it.”
Mike tried not to laugh. And failed.
Xander got up in Dent’s face again and gave him a little shove. Not enough to get him in any kind a trouble, just a rude nudge, finding a backbone that he never even knew he had as the hairs on the back of his neck stood on end.
“Get out,” he said simply, cocking his head toward the door.
“Okay,” Dent said as he raised his hands up in defeat calmly. “But I think I’ve got my gang banger right here.” He motioned toward Xander and walked away.
There was a long silence even after he left the room.
“What a jerk,” Cathy said after what felt like forever. She sat down on the bed next to Mike and kissed him.
Still the others were quiet.
“Come on!” she said in a more cheerful voice, getting out a wheelchair for Mike. “Let’s go down to that game room like Xander said.”
At Coral Beach High School, everyone was scared out of their minds. People were going crazy. There were wild rumors spreading all over the hallways now, with each student putting their own spin on what had happened and who had done it. Everyone had been blamed -- every student, every teacher, everyone that was
