The Cool Room by Clifford Beck - HTML preview

Chapter 28

With the generator humming loudly in the cellar, Jonathan and Emily sat waiting in the viewing room. They needed to get back to work, but the cool room’s temperature was not yet at its optimum, and Frank had still not returned. For Jonathan and Emily, waiting turned to impatience, and impatience soon turned to tension. It didn’t take long for Emily to get up and begin pacing the length of the viewing room as Jonathan sat clutching his cell phone. But only moments later, he felt the phone vibrate between his palms. With his hands fumbling, he opened it with an anxious expression and brought it to his ear.

“Frank?” he asked.

Emily rushed over and, sitting on the couch, sat nervously waiting for good news.

Listening intently, Jonathan attended to every word. But there was something in Frank’s voice that put him on edge – something that Frank wasn’t saying. “You want what?” he asked. “I don’t understand. Don’t we just get a phone call about new clients?” Another pause replaced Jonathan’s voice as Frank became insistent about his instructions. “Alright, Frank,” he said. “We’ll be right there.” Ending the call, he slipped his phone into the inside pocket of his suit jacket as Emily prompted him for an explanation.

“So,” she began. “What is it?”

Getting to his feet, Jonathan walked to the office and, grabbing a set of keys, started for the front door.

“C’mon,” he said. “We’ve got to go to the hospital.” Emily was both stunned and dismayed. She knew that when a patient passed in any hospital, the funeral home would be called and the client would be picked up. Being led to the hospital by local authorities was rare, and there was usually no reason for such an escort. And why did both of them have to go? It only took one person to pick up a client, and each of them had performed this task alone many times. What was it that was so important that everyone seemed to be involved?

The town’s hospital was not far from the funeral home. With Emily at the wheel of the hearse, she pulled out of the driveway and, bearing left, turned right onto North Main Street. From there, she drove to the intersection with State Street and turned right. Five minutes later, she looked to her left as the hospital came into view.

“Well,” she said. “Here we are.”

On their way, they struggled to determine why Frank had summoned them under such unusual circumstances. As they approached Easterly Street, Emily was struck by a thought that terrified her and finding the need to have it struck down turned to Jonathan.

“Um, I just had a terrible thought,” she began. “What if something happened to Dorothy? She’s been gone for hours, and I don’t think Frank’s heard anything from her.”

Jonathan had been thinking the same thing, but unlike Emily, he didn’t dare bring it up. “Let’s just get to the hospital,” he replied. “There’s got to be an explanation. We’ll just ask Frank when we get there.”

Turning left onto Easterly Street, they drove around to the back of the hospital. Normally, this was done when picking up a client so that others didn’t have to see the shape of the body beneath the velveteen cover of the stretcher. They knew they were making a pick-up. However, they were still confused about the details. But their confusion would soon be remedied as they drove up to the loading dock. On the concrete steps sat Frank, his hands over his forehead and his flushed a deep red.

Anxiety turned to deep concern as Jonathan and Emily got out of the hearse and quickly approached Frank, who was at the edge of tears.

“Frank,” Jonathan said. “What’s going on?” Frank quickly interrupted and, in an agitated state, ordered him to do only one thing. “Just get the stretcher and go inside.” Seeing Frank in such a state, Emily thought it best to help Jonathan while keeping any thoughts of support or empathy to herself. In dealing with people, she knew there was a proper time and place to offer support. She also realized there were people who, for one reason or another, refused any attempts of emotional support. They seemed to prefer to ‘tough it out’ on their own. And while this seemed to be an unhealthy way to cope with the severity life can sometimes throw one's way, there isn’t much that can be done about it. Some walls simply are not meant to be breached.