บท 4: Prison
The officer observed the man across from him growing redder and redder. With a sigh, he said, "Jared, please wait here. I'll be back shortly." He left the room, leaving Jared alone with his blistered thoughts. Jared tapped his foot, anxiety creeping in. "Oh God, oh God, he knows, doesn't he? He left to get handcuffs. Why did I lie? It's all over for me now, isn't it?"
After an excruciating half-hour, a knock finally came at the door. Makoa walked in, followed by a woman in her fifties with a no-nonsense posture. "Hello, Jared," she said, extending her hand for a shake. "I'm the Chief of Police, Ailani, and this is Dr. Noa. We're here to make sure you're okay. Do you mind if Dr. Noa checks you over?" Jared shook Ailani's hand and nodded in agreement. Dr. Noa began his examination, carefully checking Jared's vital signs and asking him a series of questions about his health and medical history. He listened to Jared's heart and lungs, checked his reflexes, and peered into his eyes and ears.
Dr. Noa finished his examination and then turned to Ailani to explain. "Besides the nasty sunburn and a bit of dehydration, he seems to be in good health. I can't find any sign of a concussion, such as external bruising or slurred speech either, but he does seem to have some general confusion, so if there is an injury, it's probably not serious," he said. "I also don't think there will be much need for blood tests, so if there is nothing else, I'll be off."
Ailani smiled with a stiff expression, Dr Noa wasn't supposed to say all that in front of her charge!
Acting like everything was as planned, she replied, "Alright... Dr. Noa, thank you for stopping by on such short notice." As the doctor left the room, Ailani took a seat across from Jared. Folding her fingers over the table, the stern woman gave a rare smile. "It looks like you've had quite a day, haven't you?"
"Yes, I have."
"I have already read over your file and spoken with Mr. Makoa, so I think I grasp your situation for the most part. There won't be any more official questions."
Jared asked without thinking, "You're done with the questions, so you're not suspicious of me? What if I was a criminal?"
The stern woman chuckled.
After hearing the laugh, Jared instantly regretted his question. 'Damnit, what are you doing, Jared? You're just about in the clear, and then you start asking retarded questions again, as if you had a nervous tick. I know you're afraid of the police, and maybe you nearly died, and maybe you're an alien to this planet... wait, maybe I'm actually doing pretty good! Still, I need to shut up!'
Ailani noticed Jared's face growing redder, but chose to ignore it as she asked, "Are you not very good with authority?"
Jared's eyes widened, "How could you tell? Can you read my mind?"
Ailani chuckled. "No, I can't read your mind, but I believe what we have been told about you. You have nothing to worry about now. Our only goal currently is to help you."
Suddenly Ailani turned to Makoa, who had been standing behind her like a guard. "Makoa, could you please bring us some tea?"
"Of course, I'll be right back," he replied.
"Excellent, take your time," Ailani said before turning back to Jared. "Just relax, this tea is worth the wait. It's a specialty of Alola, actually."
After some small talk, Jared began to feel more at ease. That's when Makoa returned, handing them each a cup of tea before returning to his position behind Ailani.
Ailani craned her head to face Makoa. "I'd like to speak with Jared in private."
"Sure thing, Chief," Makoa said as he left the room.
As the door clicked shut, the two were alone once more.
Ailani smiled, after taking a sip of tea, "good tea right?"
"Yes, thank you."
"That's great that you like it, Jared, but there's something I need to tell you, and I want to make sure you don't misunderstand," Ailani said, noticing Jared nodding slowly.
She continued, "I may not look it, but I have served this community for over eighty years, and I'm skilled in getting to the truth of most matters. I want to help you, so I hope you can be honest with me. I also want to emphasize that you're not in trouble, but... did you make up the story about where you're from and who you are?"
Jared's eyes widened as he realized something so he decided to come clean, "I... I'm sorry."
Ailani nodded, "It's good that you're sorry, lying is never a good idea, especially to the police. But I can understand that you were scared. With that said, can you tell me the truth now? I would like to know who you are and where you're from."
Jared inwardly cursed at how easy it was to read him. 'Of course, they figured it out with how bad I am at lying, but I can't exactly tell people I'm an alien from Earth. What if they try to dissect me or something?' That's when Jared decided he would need to tell the truth without revealing the real truth. He reasoned that only by muddying the waters would he be able to get out of this situation.
As Ailani carefully observed Jared's expressions and voice fluctuations, she sought clarification, "So, you're saying you don't remember much except sitting on your couch, and then finding yourself in the water?"
Jared nodded, "Yes, that's all I remember."
Trying to narrow down his origins, Ailani asked, "Where do you think you're from? Are you not from Alola?"
Jared hesitated, "I don't think I am from here."
Perplexed, Ailani probed further, "Do you remember any specific landmarks or street names from where you are from?"
Jared pretended to struggle in thought, "I only know a few general places and things, but I don't believe I live there."
As Jared shared the little information he had, Ailani asked clarifying questions, trying to piece together his origins. She deduced, "Based on what you've told me, it seems like you might be from Kanto or Johto. Do you think you have amnesia?"
Jared contemplated her question, "It's possible."
'It's not a lie, anything is possible after all,' Jared thought.
Ailani approached the situation from different angles, asking questions and trying to uncover the full truth. However, Jared remained calm and continued to tell misleading truths. He surprised himself at how well he was able to pull it off.
Much to Jared delight, Ailani had begun to draw her own conclusions. Seeing that she seemed done with questioning him, Jared asked on reflex, "Am I free to go now?"
Ailani's response was firm, "No. Letting you go now would not be in either of our best interests. I will need you to stay here for a few days in the hopes that your memory improves, which will allow us to properly identify you."
Jared was slightly aghast, "So you're just going to lock me in a prison cell? And what happens if nothing changes?"
"We will cross that bridge when we come to it, but be rest assured that this will all be figured out by then," Ailani reassured Jared with a confident smile.
Ailani stood up promptly, her black uniform crisp and neat. She lightly fixed a small crease in her shirt before gesturing for Jared to follow her. As they exited the interview room, they walked past a flurry of officers rushing by, their faces serious and focused.
Some howling can be heard from the reception room. Jared wondered if it was the Arcanine.
"Is there anything serious going on?" Jared asked.
"Nothing for you to be concerned about," Ailani replied.
As they turned down a corridor, they approached a row of blue doors. Ailani paused for a moment before selecting one and leading Jared inside. The room was small and sparsely furnished, with only a narrow cot and a small desk in the corner, but at least there was a private bathroom.
After letting Jared into the room, Ailani introduced him to the amenities before attempting to excuse herself, but Jared stopped her. "Mrs. Ailani, I don't mean to be a bother, but could I perhaps have something to read? I don't really have anything to do in here."
"Uh, right," Ailani paused and said, "We don't usually have guests like you, so it completely slipped my mind." She massaged the bridge of her nose, before adding, "I'll come by later and bring you a few comforts. And I'm sorry, but I'll have to lock you in for now. It's standard procedure."
"Okay..."
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