| Canon Story | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Suffer | ||||||||
| ||||||||
| ||||||||
| Artist | Writer | |||||||
| David Hopkins | David Hopkins | |||||||
| Previous | Next | |||||||
| Short XV: Why? | Two For Skoodge | |||||||
Dr. Riger Thalmus is conducting job interviews for an assistant at his cancer research clinic, Mason Research in Seattle. After turning down several seemingly unqualified as well as qualified candidates, he settles on Aurthor Sullivan, a young man with no formal med school training who has a personal stake in the research due to his wife suffering from cancer.
The research center has a patient ward of small children whom Aurthor bonds with, reading them stories such as "Redwall" and "Watership Down." During this time he shares his experiences with his wife, Sue, who's happy to see him applying himself with his work. Despite being confined to a hospital, she remains upbeat and encourages Aurthor in his job.
Time passes and Aurthor continues to settle into his job. One evening while working late, Aurthor stumbles on a horrific scene: Dr. Thalmus is sexually abusing one of his young patients, telling the lizard boy it's part of his treatment. Aghast at the sight of this, Aurthor immediately runs to call the police. Thalmus catches up to him, trying to downplay his actions by Aurthor won't hear it. Thalmus changes tactics and uses Aurthor's wife as leverage, promising he doesn't keep notes and it's in Sue's best interest that Artie keep quiet and allow Thalmus to continue his research. Knowing that despite being a pedophile, Thalmus actually is close to a major breakthrough in cancer research, Aurthor reluctantly goes along with the cover up on the condition that Thalmus does not abuse any more kids and talk to a psychiatrist.
Aurthor keeps Sue in the dark about the Faustian bargain he entered into with Thalmus, and she continues to encourage his career. He continues with his work, including delivering a presentation to investors, but remains leary of Thalmus and asks Scotty, the head of security, to keep tabs on the children. Despite his warning to Thalmus, the lizard boy Aurthor saw Thalmus abusing earlier tells him another of the young patients has been raped by Thalmus. Aurthor immediately goes to his boss' office and proceeds to beat Thalmus severely for his actions.
Thalmus gets Aurthor to stop by again threatening his wife, this time pointing out that if he gets caught, he'll rat Aurthor out for his part in the cover-up, which will cause Sue to die with a brokenhearted. At that moment, Scotty appears and tells Artie his wife needs him urgently. He's forced to flee the research center to be with his wife, with Thalmus takes the opportunity to falsely implicate Aurthor as being the abuser to Scotty.
Sue has taken a turn for the worse, going into a coma after speaking with Author, causing Aurthor to become despondent. He's visited by Jack in the waiting room, incognito as a mortal rabbit also visiting a sick one. Despite how seemingly close she is to death, Aurthor has to keep a promise to her and rushes back to his work to help the children. He is evasive to Scotty about why he needs to move the children and won't give details, which seems to confirm to Scotty the story that Thalmus told him. Aurthor barges into the office and finds Thalmus has murdered several of the children. Thalmus brags about it, and threatens Aurthor's wife one last time by telling him that he's very close to his breakthrough and he'll only continue if Aurthor turns himself in, taking the blame for Thalmus' crimes.
He drives Artie back to Sue's hospital with the expectation that after seeing her, he'll turn himself in. Despondent and guilty, Aurthor confesses his actions to his wife. She is deeply saddened by this information and loses her last will to live, telling Artie he sold himself cheaply. Artie watching helplessly as she expires, Aurthor in guilt-ridden daze goes back outside to meet Thalmus, who is unaware that Sue has died and still tries to hold her health over him. Angry at betraying Sue and no longer with anything to lose, Aurthor calls the police as Thalmus instructs, but implicates the doctor as well as himself in the phone call.
Sometime later, Thalmus has been convicted of his crimes and Aurthor has been welcomed back by the medical community, though the families of Thalmus' victims still blame him for his part in the cover-up and he does as well. Mason Research continues with their research while Thalmus, unrepentant for his actions, brags about his behavior in his final interview before his execution. During his execution however, he breaks down, begging for mercy as he dies.
Aurthor has an encounter with the lizard boy, whom he named "Fiver," now grown and in college. The boy admits his name is Artie too, and they both depart. It's then revealed that Jack has come for Artie, who has suffered his third and final heart attack. Artie has had life-long guilt for his part in Thalmus' crimes and having his wife die with doubts about his character, and hasn't taken of himself. Jack laments that since Artie has died without being at peace with himself, he can't get into Heaven. Skye Bluedeer, a former angel assigned to Purgatory, promises to take him there instead of Hell. He'll be reunited with his wife who willingly forgoed her entry to Heaven to be with him, having forgiven him. Artie is chipper about this, and accompanies Skye to his afterlife.
Characters[]
Locations[]
- Earth
- Seattle