Missing Scene: Rebirth

I'm sorry Detective, but you're going to have to wait in the corridor.

Yes, of course...but does it look bad?

The doctor will be out as soon as he can...

George reluctantly went out to the waiting area. Suddenly he felt all alone and very afraid. He looked around the waiting area and saw a payphone in the corner. "I should call Susan and tell her about Matt...after all she also considers Matthew to be a great friend as well." He then walked over to the phone, put some money in and dialed the house. George heard two rings, then the sound of the receiver on the other end being picked up.

"Hello?"

George began speaking in Tenctonese to Susan. "Susan…Matt's been hurt badly. Susan…I...I…" George sniffled.

"Neemu, I'll be there in a few minutes...Buck took the car to take Emily to the store for some lizard tails, but as soon as they return, I'll be there."

George hung up the payphone and sat down in a chair.

A few minutes passed, and Susan arrived at the hospital to find George sitting in a chair looking extremely worried. She walked up to him and gave him the touch.

"Neemu?"

George looked up at her. "I...haven't heard anything. He wanted breakfast, but I made him practice baseball. I don't know…Susan?"

Susan sat in the chair next to George. "What happened, Neemu?"

"We had gotten a call about a robbery. The perpetrator, who had been robbing convenience stores, had struck the one on the corner of Tyrone Avenue and Magnolia Boulevard. We left the baseball field and headed to the location. When we got there, we found out that the perpetrator had gassed the store, and the only police presence was the officer who radioed in the call. Matt decided to cover the back entrance while I went in the front. So he took his gas mask and went around the building. I went inside, and didn't see the perpetrator, so I headed out the back door to help Matthew because I thought Matt had caught him."

Recalling the events of the last hour caused George to shiver. "I opened the door, looked around, and didn't see or hear anything. I started to reach for the radio to call Matt when..." George stopped, and inhaled deeply.

"Susan…he was lying on the ground. Unconscious. Susan, when I knelt down next to him, he-he-didn't have a pulse. I started CPR on him, and I yelled at the officer to call an ambulance. After a few minutes, I felt a weak pulse and he was still breathing weakly, but he was still unconscious. The ambulance and the paramedics came not long after that, and loaded him into the ambulance. They let me ride with them after I told them that I was his partner and that I would stay out of their way."

George shivered again.

"He stopped breathing as the ambulance pulled into the hospital parking lot. I wanted to stay in the examination room with him, but the nurse pulled me out as the heart monitor alarm went off."

"Susan...what...what if he dies?"

"Neemu...you mustn't think like that!" Susan reached over and took her husband's hand in hers. "Remember...Matthew is in good health-for a human." Susan tightened her grip on George's hand. "But, we can pray to Celene and Andarko."

"George…maybe you should give Cathy a call. Just to let her know what happened." George nodded, briefly touched his wife's temple, and went over to the phones. He dialed Cathy's phone number. After a brief ring, the other end of the line was picked up.

"Dr. Frankel."

"Cathy…it's George."

"Oh, hi George…what can I do for you?"

"Cathy…it's Matt. He's over here at Valley Hospital. Cathy, I think he may have been seriously injured."

There was an audible gasp on the other end of the line. "George…I'll be over there as soon as possible." George replaced the receiver, and went to sit next to his wife.

He noticed that Susan was holding a white cloth in her lap.

"Neemu...I brought this along. I thought it wouldn't be a bad idea to say a prayer." Susan offered her husband a small smile. George responded by giving his wife the touch, then pulling the prayer cloth so that it covered his and Susan's laps.

George exhaled, closed his eyes, and began to pray to Celine and Andarko. He was so deep in prayer, that he almost didn't notice when Cathy arrived. He opened his eyes only to look up into the face of one very worried Cathy. He told Cathy, "Hello. We've heard nothing."

Cathy looked down at the floor and asked softly, "May I pray with you?"

Susan reached out for Cathy and gave a small, but sweet smile. "I think Matthew would like that." She gently pulled Cathy into the chair next to her and gave her a bit of the prayer cloth. The three of them then began to pray for their friend.

George looked up from his prayers when he heard the sound of the doctor's voice approaching. He then pushed the prayer blanket aside when he saw Captain Grazier walking alongside the doctor, and walked out into the hallway. Susan and Cathy followed him, but stopped a few feet away from the three men.

George approached the doctor and Captain Grazier.

"How is Matthew?"

The doctor turned towards George. "I'm sorry detective...we did all we could, but we were unable to revive Mr. Sikes."

George heard a sharp gasp behind him, as he suddenly felt his world crumble around him. He felt the doctor's hand on his shoulder and Grazier's grip on his arm. He barely heard the doctor when he said that Matthew hadn't felt any pain.

George turned away from the doctor and slowly began walking towards Susan and Cathy. He said to them in their native Tenctonese, "We've lost him."