The Good Doctor

Meaghan and Shane danced quietly that night...It would appear that my job was over...All I was paid to do was to find Meaghan and set up a meet....I had done that! Job over....Or was it???... Shane collapsed in Meaghan's arms!!!....She let out a scream that turned heads!!... A crowd gathered!! Gus rushed over to where he was lying..So did Eddie, Andrew and Honey Brown...his staff...I joined them and kneeled down.....

"Kevin...Is he dead?" she asked.

"No...No...He's alive." I said...but just barely....

Shane grabbed my arm...His eyes were glassy...he managed a weak smile...

"Th-Th-Thank you Kevin....At least I'll die happy....All I wanted was for Meaghan to forgive me...and she did...She'll be happy now with her new love...and I can die peacefully.Thank you....I've instructed an associate to locate you next week and pay you the balance for your services.." he said.

"Kid..What's the matter with him? He got Cancer or something? " asked Gus...

"No Gus...He's been poisoned?"  I answered.

"Poisoned?? He only drank bottled beer...How?" asked Gus.

"No...not by anything in here...Some bad guys got to him before he came here." I said.

"Bad guys?? What kind of bad guys?" asked Meaghan....

"It's better if you don't know kid."I said.  "You got a way to get home?" I asked.

"Yes..My car is in the parking lot." she said.

"Go home Meaghan...I know where you live...I'll be in touch with you...Go on home..there is nothing you can do here now....Gus!! Call an ambulance!!" I said.

Gus did and an ambulance arrived...I rode in the ambulance with Shane to the hospital...I called Peeping Tom....He told me what to tell the Doctors and said that he would meet me at the hospital.

II-

Once at the hospital, I gave the doctor's Peeping Tom's instructions to the latter and Shane, who was barely conscious was put in isolation in the ICU unit...The room was extremly cold...

Shane looked up at me....I motioned for him to stay still and to rest, but he insisted on talking...

"Thank you Kevin, but it's no use...This hospital isn't capable of dealing with this kind of biological poisoning....but thanks anyway....They're just delaying the inevitable..." he said.

"Don't lose hope Shane...There may still be another hand to play." I said...and hated myself almost immediately for sounding so cliche'...

An hour went by and I heard a commotion in the hallway...Lots of shouting and lots of people talking...I went to the door and there was Peeping Tom and another white man I had never seen before..He was talking to several doctors...

"We've never seen anything like this before in our lives....What is going on, what is this...and who are you?" said one man walking rapidly behind the man..

"Who am I?   ..Who am I ?  Whoooo am I you ask?   I'm a Doctor Damnit!.. Jack Kildare...Check out my credentials." he said as he continued walking briskly..

"Dr. Kildare!! You can't be...You can't be that ..." said one doctor..

"The one you're talking about was my grandfather...I'm Dr. Jack Kildare the third...I'm bonified, qualified and solidyfied to handle this case...Check my credentials Doctor and in the meanwhile...Get the following chemicals on this list...I'm a Doctor Damnit..and I don't have time for your foolishness...Now get to work." he said.

He didn't look like much..but he certainly had a commanding presence!

And in no time, the hospital staff capitulated to his wishes and had three intravenious chemicals flowing through Shane's body....

I pulled Peeping Tom to the side...

"Just who is this guy?" I asked.

"I told you that I still have friends in the shadowy world of the agency...I called in a few markers Kev....I gave him Shane's symptoms and he knew exactly what it was...He knew what was needed to combat it...and he has a government clearence." said Tom.

"Is he really a Doctor?" I asked.

"Do you really want me to answer that?" he asked me and winked...

I just smiled...

"He's saving Shane's life Kevin...Isn't that what matters?" he asked.

"Yeah ,I suppose so...."

"You earned your money Kev..let's go home.Nothing more we can do here." said Peeping Tom.

"You're right." I said.

We headed towards the parking lot....it was after midnight...It was empty! Or was it?

Two men in trenchcoats were sitting in a dark sedan across from where Tom's car was parked.

"You got enough money for the lot ticket ?" I asked.

"Of course Kev?" said Tom...

I noticed the two men getting out of their car and heading towards us...I inched my .38 smokeless out of it's holster...I nudged Tom....He spun around...

One of the men pulled out a gun..It had a silencer....

I aimed my .38 at the man with the gun....The other one pulled out his gun....

"Where is he?" barked the man..

''What are you talking about?" I asked...

''Hey, this aint a multiple choice question. You both know who and what I'm talking about. "he snapped.

"And if we don't tell you?" I asked..

"I don't have time for this..." he snapped and aimed his gun at my head...I pushed Tom down behind my car and came up with my .38 blazing... both men ducked behind their sedan and returned my fire... The one guy with the gun who was doing the talking , ran out, dropped and rolled and fired at us.. I returned his fire and he ran some more...There was few cars in the lot he could use for cover...The same was true for us.. and the cars weren't parked together either...but Tom and I ran and ducked behind another car!!! I fired at both of them and just missed the second man...He fired back and just missed me..

Tom and I ran around the other side of the only other car left in the lot , but were forced to duck...The second man was shooting at us again.....I sure wished that Kool Kat or Clerow was here!!! I took aim and fired at the first man...I hit him in the chest...

"Ughhhhhhhhhh...I don't believe this...I've been shottt!" he said as he stumbled...I fired again, hitting him in the buttocks and the shoulder...

"OHHHHHHHHHHH lawd....I've been hit...ouuuuuuuuuuuu.." he groaned.

He dropped his gun and fell to the ground....The second man fired at us some more.. I returned his fire, but missed....Then I heard two shots from another direction....The second man tossed his gun up in the air and fell to the ground....Dead!...

The man I had wounded, managed to crawl to the side of his car and prop himself up...Only to be hit by two shots in his head!!! He fell to the ground, also dead!!!!

Tom and I looked up and  to my surprise...Dr. Kildare was holding a .45 with a silencer...Smoke was still coming out of the nozzle!!!!!!

"You guys okay?" he asked.

"Yeah Jack...Good thing you followed us." said Tom...

"I figured that whoever poisoned this guy has had guys holed up at all of the major hospitals looking for him...These guys aren't playing." he said.

"Well, now..I'm not playing...." said Tom.

"I have three guys on their way who will clean this mess up...Everything will be alright. Check your car, make sure there are no GPS devices on it." he said.

I looked at Tom....

"This guy isn't a Doctor is he?" I asked.

Tom looked at me and smirked- "Do you really want me to answer that?"

(Conclusion Next)