Warning (3)

Emily went with Anna to fill in some final forms. Typically, the senior of the pastors would sign the forms, but something deep in Jordan's core kept nagging at him to go back to Joshua's hospital room. He stood by the entrance of the room and watched Joshua as the comatose man breathed in and out calmly. Unless you knew the man was in a coma, it looked like he was just having a nap.

While he stood by the entrance, the compelling feeling that he felt that brought him back to Joshua never let up. Jordan knew that God wanted to show him or tell him something about Joshua, but he was struggling to understand it still.

That was why his Vision of his own death that the demon mentioned was such a big deal (and not only for him). A Vision was so rare nowadays that some people even in the Church don't believe they happen anymore. Not like they did in Biblical times.

Something was off with the whole investigation, Jordan thought. He had heard stories of demons possessing someone at a hospital before, but they were always on the spot, in the middle of groups of people to make a spectacle. What did anybody know about John Doe, and how he got to the hospital?

Practically nothing.

According to what Emily had told him, the unidentifiable man came to the hospital with visible harm done to him. When the police arrived to take the man to the police station, he started acting uncontrollably. It was all seemingly to keep the man there at the hospital.

Why?

Footsteps approached behind him that snapped him out of his train of thought. He turned around to see Emily and Anna standing behind him right outside Joshua's hospital room.

"Knew we could find you here," Emily said.

"Is everything okay in here?" Anna asked.

Jordan shook his head to clear it, "Uh, yeah. How's the patient?"

"Good, good," Anna nodded, "He's getting transferred out of the abandoned Asylum wing as we speak. The doctor tells me that his arm wound where his IV was ripped out — as you warned us — was thankfully only superficial and all bandaged up, and he's sleeping now."

"Apparently he's been awake since he was brought in two nights ago," Emily added, "He's been sleeping since we finished."

"Catching up on his sleep is very good," Jordan said as he nodded. He looked up at Anna, "I assume we're all done now?"

"Yeah!" Anna sighed, "Luckily it seems like there's no further complications. The Corps' payment will be sent after the bank approves the transfer. Thank you for all your help."

Jordan clapped his hands together softly and sighed contentedly, "Well, we only allow God to do His work through us, we're glad it was of help."

"Oh yes, of course," Anna said, a little bit awkwardly.

The compelling feeling pulled at the bottom of Jordan's stomach again as he took a step out of the room. It caused him to turn once more, which got the attention of Anna and Emily again.

"Jordan?" Emily asked quietly.

"Hey Ms Porter," Jordan mumbled without turning around.

"Yes?"

"Can you tell me a bit more of Mr Gilbert's story?"

He was standing right in the doorway to Joshua's room now. Anna stepped forward to stand next to him and looked at Joshua resting on his bed.

"Uh, like I said before," Anna started, "Mr Gilbert was brought in by a good Samaritan who found him lying on the side of the road."

"Who's paying for his treatment here? It seems like he's got better health care than even I can afford." Jordan asked as he glanced at Anna.

"Mr Gilbert is a new hire at Madison and Madison. They give a very generous health insurance policy to all their lawyers."

Jordan whistled, "Madison and Madison's a pretty prestigious law firm, isn't it?"

"Yeah," Anna nodded, "But weirdly, nobody from the firm has visited him since he was admitted. He's only had one visitor since, and she's got nothing to do with Madison and Madison."

Jordan turned to Anna and cocked his eyebrow, "Oh?"

"She said that she was his client," Anna explained, "I can't remember her name exactly, but she came to the hospital, tears in her eyes, and insisted on staying by his bed whenever opening hours are on."

Anna looked at her phone and added, "In fact, I'm surprised she's not here today. She's visited Mr Gilbert every day since he was admitted."

"Something must've come up," Jordan mumbled.

"Is that all?" Emily said quietly as she stepped closer. The lingering glares from the other staff members started to affect her.

Jordan turned to look at her and managed to catch a janitor who was a little bit too late to avert his glare away. He cleared his throat and excused himself past Anna.

Anna followed Jordan and Emily through the hospital, past where she had met them nearly an hour ago in the welcome room and up to the main visitor entrance of Hope General.

The sun shone down on them and Anna covered her eyes from the glare with her hand as she awkwardly thanked them for their help once again.

A couple of passersby walked past the trio. Some of them were annoyed at the fact that the three had stood right in the way of the entrance. After stepping to the side, Jordan cleared his throat and turned to Anna right as she was about to say her goodbyes.

"Ms Porter, does the hospital have any policies against someone like me visiting the hospital when not on an official Corps job?"

Both Emily and Anna studied him, confused.

Anna had to think for a moment before answering him, "No, it doesn't, but why are you asking me that?"

"Something about today's investigation, and Mr Gilbert is not sitting right with me," Jordan said, "But I can't put my finger on it. It's like that feeling when you go into a room to do something, but you can't remember what it was."

"Are you sure you don't have a Vision about the man?" Emily asked him.

"No, it's something different than that —" he swirled around on the spot to look at Emily, "—didn't the demon say something about Mr Gilbert though?"

"I'm sorry, the demon mentioned Mr Gilbert?" Anna asked, shocked.

"It was just a passing comment," Jordan said as he clicked his fingers quickly as if the fast clicking would help him remember the words the demon said.

Emily nodded as she thought back as well, "I think it was something about how they were asked to 'take care of him'…"

"Yeah, that was it!" exclaimed Jordan.

"Are you guys suggesting that the hit-and-run that Mr Gilbert was involved in had something to do with…demons?"

Jordan's face dropped as he thought seriously about the day's events.

"I'm not quite sure," he started as he faced Anna again, "I was kinda thinking about all this before you guys came to Joshua's room to get me. I have the feeling that today's investigation was too easy."

"Easy?" Anna asked, "I saw the damage that was left in John Doe's room, it didn't look like it was 'easy'. Whatever it was."

Anna's phone buzzed and she quickly checked it, "Look, I have other things I need to go back to. So, I must go, but once again, thank you for what you did today. I've already received word that staff members have been able to approach John Doe and care for him properly already. At the very least, thank you for whatever you did in the room."

"Oh, of course, do whatever you have to do," Jordan smiled, then added, "I'll come by tomorrow and visit Mr Gilbert and his client…visitor?"

Anna froze.

She sighed in defeat, "The board won't like it, but I'm guessing you've made up your mind on coming back here tomorrow?"

Jordan smiled at her kindly, "I'll just have a talk with Mr Gilbert's frequent visitor and get the gist of what's happened."

Anna groaned softly and conceded, "Just make sure you don't do any evangelising or any of that."

Jordan drew a cross across his chest.

Anna rolled her eyes and excused herself from the two exorcists.

As Emily and Jordan made their way back to Emily's car, she glanced at him and asked, "Seriously though, was it a Vision?"

Jordan gave a half-hearted chuckle, "What do you think I am? Some sort of Vision-magnet?"

Emily stopped in her tracks and Jordan turned around to look at her with a questioning look in his eyes.

"Why didn't you tell me about the Vision of your death?" Emily asked solemnly.

"Ah," Jordan mumbled as he placed his arms on his hips and looked down at the ground.

"We're supposed to be partners Jordan!" Emily scolded him. The sudden, loud outburst caused a couple of strangers who were walking up to and from the hospital nearby to look at the pair.

"I know…" Jordan mumbled.

"You're right about today, it was kinda easier than usual," Emily continued, "But that's why we have to trust each other so much during the jobs otherwise things can go wrong so easily!"

"I know," Jordan said, "I just struggled with finding the right time to tell you."

"That's just a bull crap excuse and you know it." Emily chided before she took a shaky breath to calm herself down.

"Anybody else know about it?" She asked when she finally calmed down.

"Only the Board," Jordan said solemnly.

"Good. At least some other people know," Emily said. She sighed and started to walk past him.

He turned and followed her to the car. She unlocked it silently and got into the driver's seat while he made his way around to the passenger side. He silently got in and she started the car as he put on his seatbelt.

"This is a massive deal," she said quietly as they approached the car park's exit.

"I know," Jordan said.

"Do you know when?"

"No. I just saw that it will happen."

The drive was silent for a long time after that. Emily didn't even turn on her radio to give them some background noise to distract from the heavy silence, and Jordan didn't want to risk anything by reaching to turn it on, so he just sat there, waiting for a response from her.

It was a solid thirty minutes before she finally spoke up.

"All we can do is pray that it won't be anytime soon."

He nodded.

"I know."

"WARNING" — END