Blood in the Vessel

[Doctor Jack]

Soon, the good doctor would get answers. There would be no turning back until he got what he came for. He wanted it. He needed it. The rumbling in his gut was always the surest sign that trouble was on the way. Lately, the butterflies in his stomach had been turning into dogfighting biplanes every time he tried to get some shuteye. This old Soldier just knew that a war was coming. Walking down yet another unfamiliar street, Doctor Jack watches the shadowy doorways for movement. For some reason, he can't shake the feeling that he's being watched.

[GB82]

There is a simple truth that every person who lives in an urban area understands: no matter how well they might know their home city, there is always an area, maybe a specific neighborhood or maybe a whole part of the metropolis, they have never been to. There are a thousand valid reasons for this but none of them can change the foreign feeling one gets when they stumble upon that place.

The good Doctor would understand this concept completely as his troubled wanderings have taken him to an area of the City of Sacramento that is rather unfamiliar to the Spring Courtier. As he walks down the street he can see people going about their business all around him. A couple of teenagers in Kings' jerseys dribble a basketball on the driveway of a house, while across the street a man in his mid 40's, wearing a Sac State t-shirt and a pair of old green shorts waters his lawn.

On the fence line between two houses a pair of women who look to be in their middle to late 30's are having a conversation, pieces of which drift on the air. Mentions of bake sales and next week's car pool. Up ahead an awkward looking teenage boy tries a move on his skateboard to impress the pretty teenage girl walking by. He stumbles and barely avoids falling, the girl laughing at the attempt but with a smile on her face.

Yes it seems that Doctor Jack's little walk to clear his head has led him away from the Sacramento he knows.

[Doctor Jack]

The comforting normalcy of this unfamiliar neighborhood does little to alleviate Jack's mood. However, he does feel just a twinge of envy for these simple people... and their simple lives. Many of them will live out their lives on this same street, with the same neighbors, doing the same thing day after day. Jack sees patients just like these people every day. It's only a matter of time before they snap. Many of them are just one more evening of Hamburger Helper and Dancing with the Stars away from a total breakdown. And they don't even know it. The Spring Courtier's envy evaporates as he turns around and tries to figure out exactly how he managed to wander onto this particular block, anyway.

[GB82]

Doctor Jack turns and sees more of the same street occupied by more of the same type of people as the other part of the street. A woman in her 50's is doing a bit of gardening while two houses down a car pulls into a driveway and a attractive young couple get out, carrying bags from the local supermarket into their house. Across the small street comes the smell of meat grilling and of children laughing.

In the distance the Doctor can see a few other streets connecting to this one and even, several blocks away, a set of stop lights and a good deal of traffic going by.

[Doctor Jack]

The woman busy at her gardening reminds Jack just a bit of his mother. He approaches her, but keeps both feet on the sidewalk and off of her well-manicured lawn.

"Excuse me. Hi. Is that P Street at the next intersection?"

[GB82]

The woman turns away from her roses and regards the Doctor for a few seconds. Satisfied that he does not appear to be a violent criminal or a different type of "other" she smiles politely at the lost Lost.

"I am afraid that the street at the next intersection is Folsom Boulevard. You are a long way from P Street young man, that is all the way downtown."

After answering the question the older woman offers Doctor Jack another polite smile before turning her attention back to her garden.

[Doctor Jack]

Folsom? I lived near Folsom back in San Francisco. Odd coincidence.

Jack thanks the woman and starts walking toward the intersection, hoping that the old girl must be mistaken. After all, she is getting up there. He had walked here from his condo, so he can't be too far from downtown. As he gets closer to the stop light, the single, glaring red light reminds him of his Keeper's staring eye. The good doctor can't seem to shake the feeling that he's being watched by unseen eyes. It's a feeling he had grown accustomed to in One Eye's Arcadian realm, but still found distinctly disturbing in the real world.

[GB82]

Doctor Jack covers about a third of the distance towards the intersection, passing more of the almost suburban houses. To his right a young man parks his car on the street and after exiting the vehicle walks towards one of the houses holding a collection of flowers in his right hand. He rings the doorbell and a few seconds later is met by a smiling young woman, and a rather large frowning older man behind her.

To his left a father and son play catch on their front lawn, tossing a baseball back and forth. One of the father's throws glances off the boy's mitt and the ball lands near the Spring Courtier. Quickly the boy runs over and grabs the ball, almost slamming into the Doctor. Just as quickly he picks up the ball and returns to his spot on the front lawn and the game of catch.

At the next side street the Lost can see a small boy, no more than five years old, who smiles as only children that age can. The child runs down the small side street laughing happily and jumping over the cracks in the paved street, careful to avoid breaking his mother's back ... if the old rhyme was true. The boy skips off to the edge of the good Doctor's vision, leaving the Wizened to his own thoughts again.

Thoughts that are soon broken by a woman's voice. "Jeremy. Where did you run off to Jeremy?" She sounds concerned.

[Doctor Jack]

Jack approaches the concerned-sounding woman.

"Is everything all right? Is there anything I can do to help?

I help people, you see. It keeps me from becoming like one of Them."

Jack pulls up short. He isn't quite sure if he said that last part aloud or not.

[GB82]

The distraught woman seems to focus on the word "help", offering no confirmation to the Doctor since he used the word in both sentences.

"My son, it is my son Jeremy. He has wandered off and I cannot seem to find him."

The expression on the face of the thin woman in her mid 30's seems to plead with the Doctor to assist her in recovering her little boy.