90

Dhatri was untied.  She again was prepared, for the procedure... with the electrodes cap stuck to her scalp...! But this time she was not strapped.  

“Conducting Electroencephalography twice in twenty four hours might prove harmful..!” one of the team of four said.  The person behind the table shook his head.  “I don’t care..!” he said.  “We need to accelerate ...” He was in a hurry.  The man gaped.  “It could be dangerous...” he thought gravely.  “What is he up to?” The man behind the table stood up.

“I am monitoring, this time...” he said to others’ shock.  “Get her ready...!” he said moving out of his cabin.  Others ensued.

.............  ......

“D’amama...” the Doctor stood before and she got up struggling.  “Where is your son?” he asked.  The Dean of the hospital asked about her ailing son.  She looked up with tearful eyes.

“Block II, 23” she spoke.  He moved away.  

He was at the bed.  The boy was watching TV with IV dripping.  “Boy, get ready...!” he said checking his heart beats and pulse rate.  The boy looked scared.  “You will be alright...” the man assured him patting on his head.  The nurse helped him get up and placed that skinny ten year old on the stretcher.  D’mama... a Afro American single parent, wiped her eyes holding her son’s hand.  She was grateful to the hospital authorities for providing free medical help for people who couldn’t afford medical treatment.  The doctors provided free consulting as a part of social service.  It was a well equipped hundred bed hospital running on donations and grants from Government Health Departments. 

...................  ...........

“Call Dr. Ghosh...!” Vinit almost ordered.  “We need him...” 

Ravi dialled Indroneel’s number.  “Yeah.. ! He will reach in half an hour..” Ravi said disconnecting the phone.  “Ok. We take a break of half an hour!” said Vinit looking at Maria.

“Right!” She said getting up to order food.  It was almost twenty hours of scrutiny with minimum breaks.  They were completely exhausted.  His eyes burning, Dr. Koite just slumped on the bed.  “Wake me up!” he said and Ravi smiled.  

“Have you read about project MKUltra?” asked Vinit and everyone looked at him blankly.  “What is that?” Jim asked.  Vinit got up.  

“This is only a possibility...!” he said mysteriously.  Maria sat up.  “It was a part of CIA’s scientific Intelligence Division..., halted finally in 1973 for misconduct and illegal use of human in tests and clinical trials...!” Vinit informed.  Koite looked aghast.

“But it is said, Project MKUltra is still carried out... for unethical drug trials on humans..by many Pharma companies...! Using illegal emigrants.. Africans, Asians... Afro Americans..” Vinit added.

“...You mean...!” Dr. Koite blurted in shock.  “No! I am just informing you... That she could be used ...” Vinit chocked.  His Dhaa could be used as a Laboratory Rat...! “No! That can’t be true!” Vinit brushed away his thought.  She must be kidnapped by someone for healing ... ! She would be back soon...! 

“She will be back...! Nothing can happen to her...!” Ravi again lost himself, thinking about Dhatri..!”

.............   ...........

“Mari mai... Mari mai...” She prayed.  Ravi’s thoughts couldn't vanish from her mind.  “He will know soon... He will find me out... to tease me, to taunt me...! Ravi... Let it be.  Let him tease me.. trouble me... please... please... find me... Ravi!” Her Mari mai had vanished from her chanting.   “Find me... find me... someone....!” she closed her eyes.

“sh..huff... !” she looked down, startled.  A small African boy was hiding under her stretcher.  She looked around in fright.  The boy had vanished under her stretcher.  “What is this? From where did the boy come?” she looked at the open door.

“Escape... escape...!” Grumpy was pleading... She got down from the stretcher.  Her electrodes cap, still on her head.  She took a step ahead and a huge figure appeared at the door.  She turned in fright.  

“Relax...!” the nurse ordered her hurrying into the room and pressing her back on the stretcher.  Dhatri waited with bated breath.  The boy still hid under the stretcher.

....  ........

“All set...!” the nurse walked into his cabin.  He got up clutching his writing pad.  The nurse followed.

“Dr. Murrey Trepka online ...!” his secretary followed hurriedly.  He stopped dead. Dr. Murrey was Chairman, Institutional Review Board established under Federal Regulations for the protection of human subjects in research (45 CFR 46). Its purpose is to help protect the rights and welfare of human participants in research.      

  “Yes..!” He took a U turn gesturing the Nurse.  “Send her back...!” he ordered entering his cabin to take the call. 

Dhatri was pushed on the stretcher and was brought back into her room.  She took a sigh of relief when her electrodes cap was removed.  The nurse washed her hair and gave  her a bowl of cereals and milk and went away.  She kept the bowl on the bed and bent down.  The boy had shifted himself from under the stretcher to under her bed.  She smiled beckoning him.  She held out the bowl for him.  He smiled and she poured the milk into the bowl of cereals.  He looked at her hungrily.  She beckoned him to eat.  He shook his head.  She kept the bowl aside.  The boy settled himself on her bed.  She moved her hands on his head.  “No... !” her hands slid down his fragile body...

“Winfree..!” his mother pushed the door of her room in search of the boy.  The search was on for the escaped boy, everywhere...!

“What?” she stopped dead...! The boy had hugged Dhatri .  

 “No...!” he screamed hoarsely.  Dhatri had passed out with high fever....!! His mother stopped shocked.  

“What?” she looked at Dhatri’s motionless body on the bed and the boy had spread himself on her, embracing her tightly. 

“No...!” he screamed again looking back.  She came in running closing the door shut behind her.

“You can talk...!” she blurted aghast.  “No... I am not coming...!” he said hoarsely again straining himself.  “Shuu... stop.. don’t strain ..!” she touched him to lift him.

“No..! She... is not well!” The boy said pointing at Dhatri.  The woman touched her burning body and took her hand back reflexively.  Dhatri was running high fever...! 

“Oh God!” the woman looked around and then rushed out to get help.  The boy held on to her...!

The nurse came running and took away the boy, ignoring Dhatri’s condition completely. 

***  *****

“Hello...!” Vinit got up seeing Dr. Indroneel rushing in with another man.  

“Sorry to call you back!” Vinit apologized.  “My cousin...!” Dr. Ghosh introduced the other man.  After the initial pleasantries, Vinit came to the point glancing awkwardly at the new man.

“Umm.. Dr. Ghosh... I mean it was urgent..!” Koite took over.  “We need to talk to you...!” Maria said at once and the other person shifted on his feet.  

“Āmi bā'irē apēkṣā karabē!:” he said turning to move out.  “He knows...!” Indroneel blurted... and Vinit looked at his back.  

“He is a professor too..! Psychology...! Santa Clara University..!” Indroneel provided the information.  The person had moved out.  Vinit looked serious.  “He knows? About Dhatri...” he asked looking suspicious.

“Yeah.. he has met her when he was in India...When she was small...!” Indroneel gave an awkward smile.  Vinit looked at others.  

“Yeah, you can call him inside..!” Vinit permitted and Indroneel felt relieved. 

“Nondon..!” he called out.  The man came in.  “He knows about her, kidnapping...!” Indroneel said in a small voice.  He had discussed it with his cousin...! 

“You know about.... her....” Dr. Koite didn’t know how to ask him.  “Yes. I know and I believe in such abilities... Dalai Lama had visited our University... He talked about power of our mind and about such abilities..... “ he said looking at them in turn.  And then suddenly taking a step ahead... “I want to help.. if I can...” Vinit looked at him in surprise and then nodded.  

“Of course...! Please join us...!” he said to others’ surprise.  The Videos were replayed.  Nondon kept on providing information on the persons he knew in the crowd.  Most of them were professors from different universities.  

Vinit played the segments of videos while others relaxed a bit.  Vinit was working relentlessly noting every minute detail.  Hours passed by.  Koite had dozzed off.  

“Wait a Minute....! This man... what is he doing here?” Nondon pointed at the screen.  Vinit grabbed the frame.  

“Who?” he asked sounding curious...! “He... Dr. Scott Humphrey... Big Man.. Big Man... Philanthropist...  “ Everyone gathered including Dr. Koite.  

 Vinit scanned the delegates list again.  Dr. Scott’s name was nowhere.  “He must have been invited as guest...!” he concluded.  Ravi and Jim had taken out their laptops to search his entry into the conference hall.  

Nondon added.... “He was twice nominated for Nobel ... Medicine... Runs a charitable big hospital in Nebraska... Receives huge grants....!” Vinit looked at Nondon intently.  

“But what is he doing here... ? This was on plant science, right?” Nondon asked getting confused.