37.

Mayhem, unorganized chaos has hit The Pathfinder. Many are hurt, for there are injuries though as it would soon be discovered there are no life-threatening injuries, only bumps and bruises, twists and sprains and the odd cut or three and perhaps one or two slight concussions, all following a sudden and for the most part unexpected jump to light speed.

One injury not of a physical nature is being felt by a certain George Jones. His first serious task as a member of the security crew had been a simple one. All he had to do is stand guard, alongside another member of the security team, by the holding cell that houses a criminal, a murdering criminal.

A brief power outage unlocked all the holding cells and that jump to light speed seeing a less than one hundred percent protective bubble in operation leading to a slip that saw George Jones lose his balance and fall. Yeah, the fall did not cause George injury though it did leave only one guard for Philippe Bateman to move on to complete an escape. The escape indeed would be completed, and George couldn't help but take this personally.

If George hadn't have fallen then there would have been two guards to tackle The Pathfinder's first and only prisoner and he feels that two taking on two men would ensure that the prisoner does not escape. This is how George feels and he now feels the need to put things right. If anyone is to put things right, then he wants to be the one to do just that. If anything goes wrong ... well that doesn't even bare thinking about.

Doctor Stanley Holmes may have the run of the medical facility though he is not the only doctor aboard the ship. With most all medical staff being out searching for potential injury a Doctor Aaron Gray has come to the holding cells area. There are two men down though only one is hurt, indeed having been attacked by Philippe Bateman. Well both floored men are hurt, for George as it is, indeed only his pride has taken a blow and it doesn't take long for him to get back to his feet.

'Is everything alright?' asks Doctor Aaron Gray as he moves towards the guard on the ground.

'I'm alright Doctor, how is my colleague?'

That other guard comes to from briefly having been unconscious ...

'He has a slight gash on his cheek ...', the doctor shines a small light into each of his patient's eyes. '... and he may have a concussion, but he'll live. How are you feeling?'

'I am fine Doc, excuse me please. I am needed elsewhere.'

With that George Jones is gone. Neither George Jones nor Aaron Gray know anything of the other. They had yet to come together prior to this moment and it is only when George has gone that Aaron notices that the holding cell closest to him is empty. He knows, as does everyone else, of a certain Philippe Bateman. A quick search shows that all of the holding cells are empty.

Yeah, an escape has been made and there is only one place that escapee wants to get to. In fact, there is one person he wants to get to. The destination has been reached and the intended visitation has been connected. Philippe Bateman is alone with Doctor Stanley Holmes in the medical facility and whatever may occur here, things certainly do not look good for the doctor.

Philippe begins to approach the doctor and Stanley backs away. They almost begin to move in a circular motion with the Doctor concentrating on the exit but there would be no way that Philippe would allow the doctor to get anywhere near to the door. Stanley is trapped with a man who sees himself as being more animal than human. Now that he is somewhat free, will he request what he has already requested of the doc?

'See Doctor, I have come to you for one thing and we both know that one thing is best for everyone. I have been a bad man and I know that I have been a bad man, I cannot help that. This is just who I am. I have desires, I have impulses and unfortunately these impulses and desires do so often get the better of me.'

'You don't need a doctor; you need a psychiatrist.'

'That, my dear doctor is where you are wrong. I want you, in fact I need you. I need you to kill me. You have to put me to sleep so I will never be able to do anything bad ever again.'

'You are insane; you do know that, right?'

Stanley spoke with a fear that is very evident in his voice, his voice wavers, verbally shakes even. He continues moving backwards, keeping his distance but not getting anyway closer to the door, knocking anything and everything near him over as he moves in an attempt to keep the mad man in front of him away.

'I would like to kill you, believe me ...' continues Stanley, 'but I am just not that kind of guy at all. The ability to kill is just not in me. I am a doctor, not a mad man. I save people, I do not kill them, and so there is nothing I can do for you. I am sorry and that is just the way it is.'

'Look Doctor, you don't have to stab me or beat me to death, I am sure there is something that you could give me to put me asleep? Some kind of injection, huh? Come on doc, what do you say?'

Stanley is now at this point cornered and backed up against a wall. Philippe stands a couple of inches in front of him. Stanley has to do something now for he fears the worst is about to come his way, so he throws a punch which lands where he had intended it to land but in the thrust of the moment Stanley loses his balance and falls forward such is the nature of what he has physically become.

The punch has little to no effect on Philippe; it does nothing other than to further anger him. Reason to have feared the worst shows itself for there would be only one thing that Philippe would do now in this moment and that would be to grab one of the doctor's operating knives and get to the doctor before Doc could possibly get up off of his hands and knees.

Philippe moves right up behind a still floored Stanley and grabs a fist full of thinning hair. Not wasting any time, not taking time to take in the moment, a horrible man brings the man before him up onto his knees then slashes the doctor's throat from the left side to the right side. Before he could even release the grip he has on the doctor, Philippe would meet the end to which he has so desired. The path to that end was just not what he would have expected or hoped for.

Security was soon to storm the medical bay but not before George Jones had managed to arrive first. He had only recently made himself a makeshift gun and indeed had it with him. He, like Philippe only a moment or so ago, in no way hesitated. The gun had been lifted and aim had been taken. One shot fired and the projectile hit Philippe right in the middle of the forehead. His head snapped back and came back forward and to a halt. A second or two pass in what feels like an eternal moment, a moment when blood begins to flow from where the bullet hit before Philippe eventually falls over onto one side.

This moment feels eternal as if it occurs in a kind of slow motion though it all also happens so quickly that the doctor has still yet to fall. Stanley, on his knees, manages to grab his own neck with both his hands. It has been horribly slit before he who had cut had been taken out. As it is there is nothing Stanley or anyone else could do.

The sound of Stanley attempting to breathe seems for a moment to be the only sound in the immediate vicinity. His panic is clear to see. Like with Philippe, seconds passed slowly. Stanley falls forward and connects to the floor with such a thud that it makes those present flinch. The doctor ... Stanley Holmes ... is gone.