Chapter 7: Revelations (Dr Benson)

I had just dealt with the last patient of the morning, and was tidying up ready for heading home for some lunch, when I noticed a change of status notification on my computer for one of my patient's files.

I took a quick look and found that it was Mortimer Wilson's file. I was quite pleased to see that young Mortimer had been to a specialist centre for a checkup. Though I had done what I could, the local climate was unfavourable to those who had suffered MORFS, so no local specialised care was available.

I looked through the centres findings with interest. I noticed the report mentioned a hand injury, but all details were blocked. That had to mean some sort of special circumstances, since normally all details would be recorded so as to keep a full medical history.

Concerned I decided to give Gwen Wilson, Mort's sister, a ring to see what had happened. For some reason, the wording of what little information there was, disquieted me.

I dug out her number from the files, and rang her up.

"Hello" she answered.

At first I wasn't sure I had the right number. Gwen was usually a very bright and cheerful person, This voice sounded very depressed, so out of character I didn't recognise it.

"Hello, I'm trying to reach Gwen Wilson."

"Speaking," she replied.

"Ah, hello, Gwen. This is Doctor Benson. I was wondering if I could speak to you about Mort."

"I ... I can't speak about that. My parents might hear me." she sounded very frightened.

I hesitated, not sure how to proceed. "I see" I finally said. "Well the thing of it is, I was just wondering about the hand injury..."

Gwen cut me off "What! How did you know about that?"

"Well, it's mentioned in the file. I know Mort had no hand injuries when I examined her a few weeks back, so when I saw the updated report, I wondered what had happened"

Gwen was stammering, seemingly unable to get out the words, and I began to put two and two together.

"You didn't take her to the post-MORFS centre, did you," I said.

Gwen exploded in a torrent of questions.

"She's alive! Oh I've been so worried ... How is she? Is she healthy? Where is she?"

"Well, I'm not sure how much of that I can answer, due to patient confidentiality. But I think I can safely say she is in reasonably good health. Perhaps you had better tell me what happened," I said.

"The evening after we came to see you, mother and father came home early. I tried to reason with them, but they were very angry about how Mort had changed. They started in on that demonic possession nonsense. I thought they might kick Mort out, but it was worse. Father decided he would free Mort's soul from the demon inhabiting his body. Worse still, both my mother and brother agreed with him. I tried to warn Mort so she could get away, but Grant Junior held me back. Father cornered Mort, and tried to shot her. He blew her hand to shreds. I managed to get free, and knock him down before he finished the job, and Mort ran. I haven't heard from her since, and mother and father are keeping me a virtual prisoner."

I was shocked beyond belief. "He shot her!? I knew your family were anti-MORFS. but that's, ... That's madness!"

"I didn't know what to do afterwards. I thought about going to the police, but the locals are owned by my father, and uncle. With Mort gone, I didn't know what I could do to help, since I had no idea where she was or if she was even still alive," Gwen sobbed.