The Man in the Iron Mask
Chapter Five
Nothing could be worse in this world than seeing something you thought perhaps that you weren’t supposed to have seen. I hadn’t exactly witnessed a murder or anything of the sort but still, I couldn’t stop worrying about the consequences.
I’d been taking Loki to room 408 where he had a session on Monday mornings at 10am, when I’d seen something I hadn’t meant to see. It had been entirely Loki’s fault. As we stood at the door, Loki elbowed me in the side for my attention. He looked over towards the elevator where 3 men in black suits were standing purposely just out of view. I quickly looked away as they peeked around the corner. Chris opened the door only moments later and Loki was escorted inside, before Chris locked the door behind him. We walked back up the hall together.
“Chris, who does he see on Mondays?” I asked. I knew that room 408 was the doctor’s surgery and was used to treat wounds and general sickness, but there was nothing physically wrong with Loki.
“I’m not sure. My instruction is simply to get him inside the room and to come back in about half an hour to perform a general check-up. I guess they just want to be careful, you know? He’s always pretty tired on Mondays, but I guess it affects us all,” he finished, yawning to add effect. I nodded and stopped to tie my shoe, which hadn’t needed tying, just so I could catch a glimpse of who his morning visitor was. The three men in suits arrived at his door a moment later, and were quick to sneak inside.
I knew I shouldn’t have, but I walked back in that direction. I heard struggling followed by a muffled scream and then nothing as something heavy hit the floor. A few tears left my eye as I thought that might have been Loki, and I wasn’t sure why. Sure, he was a nice enough patient. He hadn’t caused me much trouble at all recently, and he was never too rude. If he was being treated wrongly, I knew my complaints had to be directed towards SHIELD, and so that’s exactly where I planned to head the following afternoon.
“Miss Young…” So, I’d contacted SHIELD after all, my concerns for Loki growing much greater than those for myself. “Madeline, if I may?” I nodded, having always hated the way my last name sounded. “I can assure you that Loki Laufeyson is receiving only the best in medical and mental health treatment.
“I’ve never seen those men before, that’s all. It all feels a little… seedy.”
“Those are our men.” Oh. “We know what we’re doing. Trust me, Madeline.” I smiled, and I nodded, and I thanked the agent for his time. But I hadn’t trusted a word he’d said. There was something sinister at work. I knew that Loki deserved it, in part, but two wrongs never made a right. I wanted to know exactly why he couldn’t speak. I wanted to know what it was that he wasn’t allowed to say. Was he being intimidated? Controlled? I tried to think of all the possible outcomes before I was to do something stupid. This wasn’t like me at all.
I returned to the facility and sat down in the staff room for a while, waiting for Sarah to pass. I had questions, and I wanted them answered. It was either this, or I was out. I knew no one wanted that. They didn’t want to involve any more people than they already had.
“Sarah!” She jumped at the sound of my slightly over-excited tone. “Can I speak with you for a moment?”
“Actually, there was something I needed to discuss with you, as soon as possible. You’re in a bit of a mess, I’m afraid…”
“What are you talking about?”
“We can’t talk here,” she whispered, coming closer towards me. “Meet me in the basement in five minutes, the room across from the cleaner’s.” I nodded, and then watched as she walked off in a hurry. The day’s events played out before me once more, and I felt so suddenly sick. I’d seen things I hadn’t meant to see. I’d ruffled some SHIELD feathers. I tried to remain positive and hope that whatever Sarah was so worried about was completely unrelated.
I’d been taking Loki to room 408 where he had a session on Monday mornings at 10am, when I’d seen something I hadn’t meant to see. It had been entirely Loki’s fault. As we stood at the door, Loki elbowed me in the side for my attention. He looked over towards the elevator where 3 men in black suits were standing purposely just out of view. I quickly looked away as they peeked around the corner. Chris opened the door only moments later and Loki was escorted inside, before Chris locked the door behind him. We walked back up the hall together.
“Chris, who does he see on Mondays?” I asked. I knew that room 408 was the doctor’s surgery and was used to treat wounds and general sickness, but there was nothing physically wrong with Loki.
“I’m not sure. My instruction is simply to get him inside the room and to come back in about half an hour to perform a general check-up. I guess they just want to be careful, you know? He’s always pretty tired on Mondays, but I guess it affects us all,” he finished, yawning to add effect. I nodded and stopped to tie my shoe, which hadn’t needed tying, just so I could catch a glimpse of who his morning visitor was. The three men in suits arrived at his door a moment later, and were quick to sneak inside.
I knew I shouldn’t have, but I walked back in that direction. I heard struggling followed by a muffled scream and then nothing as something heavy hit the floor. A few tears left my eye as I thought that might have been Loki, and I wasn’t sure why. Sure, he was a nice enough patient. He hadn’t caused me much trouble at all recently, and he was never too rude. If he was being treated wrongly, I knew my complaints had to be directed towards SHIELD, and so that’s exactly where I planned to head the following afternoon.
“Miss Young…” So, I’d contacted SHIELD after all, my concerns for Loki growing much greater than those for myself. “Madeline, if I may?” I nodded, having always hated the way my last name sounded. “I can assure you that Loki Laufeyson is receiving only the best in medical and mental health treatment.
“I’ve never seen those men before, that’s all. It all feels a little… seedy.”
“Those are our men.” Oh. “We know what we’re doing. Trust me, Madeline.” I smiled, and I nodded, and I thanked the agent for his time. But I hadn’t trusted a word he’d said. There was something sinister at work. I knew that Loki deserved it, in part, but two wrongs never made a right. I wanted to know exactly why he couldn’t speak. I wanted to know what it was that he wasn’t allowed to say. Was he being intimidated? Controlled? I tried to think of all the possible outcomes before I was to do something stupid. This wasn’t like me at all.
I returned to the facility and sat down in the staff room for a while, waiting for Sarah to pass. I had questions, and I wanted them answered. It was either this, or I was out. I knew no one wanted that. They didn’t want to involve any more people than they already had.
“Sarah!” She jumped at the sound of my slightly over-excited tone. “Can I speak with you for a moment?”
“Actually, there was something I needed to discuss with you, as soon as possible. You’re in a bit of a mess, I’m afraid…”
“What are you talking about?”
“We can’t talk here,” she whispered, coming closer towards me. “Meet me in the basement in five minutes, the room across from the cleaner’s.” I nodded, and then watched as she walked off in a hurry. The day’s events played out before me once more, and I felt so suddenly sick. I’d seen things I hadn’t meant to see. I’d ruffled some SHIELD feathers. I tried to remain positive and hope that whatever Sarah was so worried about was completely unrelated.