The Tyrant's Trophy

Chad

My heart fluttered as I opened my eyes. I was in a room I didn’t recognize but it felt familiar. The walls were a cool gray with off-white trimming and there were pictures lining the walls but I couldn’t make out the faces on the frames.

Oddly enough, it didn’t alarm me: and neither did the warmth of another’s body by me. I turned to it, spooning the woman in my bed. Her hair held the scent of peaches and oranges. She didn’t stir at my movement, if anything, she leaned closer to me.

I chuckled at her and took her left hand in mine. It was tiny compared to mine. I didn’t bother hiding my smile as my gaze landed on the ring on her finger: a fine silver band with three jade leaves on each side of a teal Montana sapphire. Mine was the same colors, but in a simple band with jewels lining the center.

Gray and teal: They fit perfectly.

On my wife’s shoulder, there was a bite mark: A memory of her past, I wish I could wash away. I leaned down and kissed it, then I woke up.

Maybell got the job and she did her best, remembering the tips I gave. She looked Aaron straight in the eyes and answered all his questions briskly and clearly. I already knew she would get the job - I’m the one who told Aaron to give it to her. Adam was another person I had to deal with on that (he hated not being involved with the hiring process) but came around when I stated my reasons.

This is further opening Maybell up to us. Now she’s trusting me.

Plus, the lady needs to join society again. Her husband stunted her growth, emotionally and socially. The knowledge of that ticked me off.

Shaking my head, I decided to let it go, and deal with the next assignment for today: getting Maybell a full checkup. I have been wanting to get this done for some time and I know the person whose qualifications far exceed Adam’s physicians.

I knocked on the door and waited for Maybell to answer it. What I got was unexpected. Basil Beau opened the door and welcomed me in. “Hey, Chad, right? Come in, May’s finishing getting ready and then we can go.”

May? We?

As in, us three?

Somehow, that made me tense.

“May, Chad’s here.” The man bellowed. He led me to the couch and offered me a drink. I declined.

“You said ‘we’ can leave.” I pointed out. “You’re going to tag along?”

“Yeah.” The man opened up a pop and sipped. “I figured I should take the day off and go with. May’s still not comfortable with people so I figured I could help make the experience bearable. Also, there’s something I want to ask her.”

I felt insulted by that. I’ve been working on Maybell trusting me and it’s working. She doesn’t run from me anymore and she’s getting comfortable with speaking to me. Also, what kind of questions does this man have for her? He could’ve asked her last night or even this morning before leaving for work.

I was too preoccupied with these thoughts, I didn’t hear Maybell come out of her room. Basil did though and he quickly got up and approached her. “You look radiant as ever, May.” The man looked her up and down. “Green is definitely your color but what’s with the boonie?” He touched the hat that she wore.

She wore an army green T-shirt dress with white gym shoes and my hat. Seeing the hat, weirdly lightened my mood. “I like this hat.” Hearing her say that brought a smug smile to my face.

Hear that, Basil? She prefers my hat over the clothes you bought her.

My smile dropped the moment that man grabbed her hand. “Shall we then?” She didn’t fight the hold as the guy led her outside.

I clenched my fists until we made it to the driveway. I was relieved when Basil let her hand go and insisted she takes the passenger seat. Basil sat in the back and I had to drive us to the clinic. It would have felt normal if the man knew how to keep his hands to himself and his mouth closed.

He kept talking and patting Maybell on the shoulder. I couldn’t help but clench the steering wheel as this continued. Maybell sat quietly, glancing over at him to nod or shake her head. She even glanced at me before asking, “Are you ok, Chad?”

I breathed before replying.

“I’m alright.” ’Just dandy being with you and some third-wheeler that doesn’t understand the meaning of personal space. Not to mention this weird annoyance I’m feeling every time you let him touch you.’ How do I explain that without scaring her? “I didn’t sleep well, that’s all.” I lied.

By the time we got to the clinic, my hands felt as if they fused with the steering wheel. Where was this anger coming from?

If it were possible, things just went down from there.

I love my sister, I do, and I haven’t had the proper time to visit her as often as I like. Working for Adam tends to push out family, friends, and any personal ties really. Quinn understands that and loves to poke fun at me for it.

It didn’t take long for us to find her. Despite acting like some four-year-old at times, Quinn took her job very seriously. She enjoys meeting as many of her clients as she could - and checking on her staff’s well-being also. Sure enough, she was standing at the front desk, talking animatedly to a seven-year-old with his leg in a cast and praising him for being ‘such a big boy.’

The boy in return grinned up at my sister. I bet he hated every minute of his trip to the doctor’s office but it was clear he loved the lollipops Quinn gives.

“Quinn.” I waved when she turned towards us.

She never ages: She still preferred her auburn hair in a ponytail and wide-rimmed glasses that were a size bigger than her face. Don’t get me started on all those pens in her hair, either. That’s my older sister.

Her eyes mirrored mine but they leaned more on the blue side. “Brother!” I braced myself as she gave me her famous ‘bear hug’. She was a head shorter than me and couldn’t hurt me. However, years taught me that my sister would aim for my neck and put me in a chokehold to give me a nuggy.

She did just that.

“It’s been ages! How have you been?” She snickered at my discomfort. Letting me go, she pinched my cheeks. “My, my, dear brother; you’re rigid as always.”

“Quinn,” I bit out, annoyed. It’s been only a second and already, she was grating on my nerves. “Stop it. I need a favor.”

Quinn’s smile turned wicked, sending a chill down my spine. “‘A favor’. Is that it? So you come to see me when you need something but you can’t ever pick up your dear sister’s PHONE CALL?!” Her grip on my cheek tightened painfully, causing me to gasp. “Don’t even think about saying sorry! Three years and nothing. Even mom and dad’s been asking ‘where’s Chad? How’s your brother, we haven’t heard from him.’ What do you have to say for yourself, hmm?”

My cheeks felt red by the time she let me go. Older sisters…why did they have to exist?

“You’re as brutal as always, Quinn. I am sorry for not returning your calls or checking up on our parents. My boss has been keeping me busy.”

She rolled her eyes: her disdain for Adam evident.

“I’m not going to make excuses for it, promise, but I really do need your help. This is a friend of mine.” Reaching behind, I grabbed Maybell’s hand and pulled her forward.

Quin raised her eyebrow at us but didn’t comment. However, she did stop me from explaining the situation. “Not here.” Beckoning us, she led us down some hallways and to her office. We stopped briefly as she greeted both her patients and staff alike. In front of her office, she gestured for me to go in and asked Maybell and Basil to remain outside. Taking a seat at her desk, she insisted I sit as well.

“You never ask me for any help, brother.” She began, taking her glasses off to clean them. “And I know your boss would prefer to burn rather than come to me for ANY sort of help. So who’s the chick?”

“You’re right,” I nodded, remembering the one time Adam called my sister a quack. I never went to Quinn because she’s my sister and loves embarrassing me. “But this case is special.”

“Oh?”

I explained the situation: how I’m in charge of protecting Maybell and gathering evidence against her husband. “That’s why we’re here. Quinn, you dealt in forensics - your skills surpass others and you’re a private practice.”

“Which means what I find won’t be disclosed to other practices.” She summarized, leaning forward in her seat. “Maybell Sweetheart, hmm? As in…Phil Sweetheart’s wife?” She sighed at my confirmation. “Now that’s a tough nut to crack, Chad. Phil Sweetheart is the ‘king’ of the medical world.”

“But you can do it, right?”

It perplexed me to see my sister give such a somber expression. “Course I can - if she’s telling the truth that is. The problem is the rumors and lack of medical evidence. It’s common knowledge that she’s ‘unstable’.” She made quotation marks with her hands. “She was on death row just a year ago until her husband got her acquitted. There have been stories since then; one being that while in the psych ward, she attacked the nurses when they tried bandaging her up.”

My hands clenched, angry that my sister was believing those lies about Maybell and I felt ashamed of myself as well. I was ashamed because I, too, first saw Maybell as a psycho capable of killing her baby. That’s not like her though…I can’t picture it.

“What will you think the courts will say if you show up there without evidence of domestic abuse and those nasty rumors going around, hmm?”

“She has bruises and scars all over.” I countered.

“Which the defense team can claim ‘self-inflicted.’” Shoot, she’s right. Taking a pen out of her hair, Quinn twirled it in her fingers. “Look, I believe you, alright. I know how accurate rumors really are.” Thank God! “But I need her medical records to compare to this examination. I need to see everything her husband put in her file so I can decipher what’s true and what’s false. With that, maybe we can slice down those rumors of her being mentally deranged. Plus, I don’t like Dr. Sweetheart.”

I raised a brow at her. “So that’s why you’re going to help me?”

She chuckled. “Please, that’s petty if that’s my only reason. The man’s arrogant and he clearly does not care for his patients. Before I opened my practice, I worked in his clinic. It was just starting but the business was growing fast. Chad, you would not believe how abrasive he was with his female staff: would chase them around as if they were hearty steak. He even tried that with me but I stopped that the second I caught on.”

“How come you never told me?!” My blood boiled, imagining that creep advancing on my sister.

“Because you had your own things to worry about and I know how to handle myself.” She stuck the pen back in her bun. “That’s not the only thing that made me scat from that place. Have you heard of ‘CRISPR embryos?’”

“As in, those tube babies that are being genetically tested on?”

“Sure,” She rolled her eyes at me. I guess I didn’t say it delicately. “CRISPR gene editing: the topic fascinated Phil Sweetheart to no end. He would print articles on advanced bioscience like they were his bible. It was an odd fascination, one that many doctors harbor, but the chilling thing was - he wanted those researches to become reality.” Standing up from her seat, Quinn came closer to whisper in my ear. “And I heard him say one time that if it were him, his work would take CRISPR to the next level.”