[April 28th] [Perry Mason] Shadows and Demons

[insaneladybug.livejournal.com]

Title: Shadows and Demons
Day/Theme: April 28th - New altercations, the old silences
Series: Perry Mason
Character/Pairing: Hamilton Burger, Perry Mason, Leon, Paul Drake, Mignon Germaine, Della Street, Lieutenant Tragg
Rating: K+/PG

This was based off of part of a dream I had a week ago. I like it so much I might expand it later, but I'm not sure. I'm dedicating it to Tarlonniel, who inadvertently helped inspire it with her intriguing ideas.


By Lucky_Ladybug

Hamilton gripped the edge of the desk, massaging the bridge of his nose with the fingers of his other hand. He had not felt well all that past week. It had been worse today, starting with how he had awakened to a slight round of vertigo. It had passed, and he had tried to go about his normal activities, but it had become increasingly difficult.

Leon had noticed that something was not right when he had brought several files and Hamilton had looked through them and proceeded to mix up the contents instead of being careful. And several times in court Hamilton had trailed off, forgetting whatever he had been asking the current witness. Once he had grown faint, but he had steadied himself with the table until the sensation had passed.

Now, during the lunch break, Paul had shown up at his office. His cool demeanor had not been lost on Hamilton, who had demanded to know what was wrong. Paul had resisted at first but then had admitted what he was annoyed about—the way Hamilton had handled the situation when Della had been on the witness stand that morning. Hamilton could not even clearly recall what Paul was talking about, but Paul had not believed him when Hamilton had said so.

Paul had just stalked out after they had both exploded at each other. Hamilton had tried to call him back, and then to follow, but a fresh round of dizziness had prevented it. He was about to stumble to his chair when Perry appeared in the doorway. “Hamilton?”

Hamilton looked up with a start. Perry sounded concerned, which was a relief after the altercation with Paul. “Oh . . . hello, Perry,” he said, trying not to show his unsteadiness. “What brings you here?”

“Hamilton, I noticed you didn’t seem to be up to par in court today.” Perry walked farther into the room. “Are you alright?”

“I . . .” Hamilton debated his response. He could say he was fine, but he knew by now that he was not. And if he had really made such terrible mistakes in court, it would be better for the truth to be known. “It’s probably just some kind of bug going around.”

“You should see a doctor,” Perry frowned.

“I know,” Hamilton sighed. “I’ll have Leon make an appointment.”

“Nevermind appointments; I’ll take you right now,” Perry insisted. “Hamilton, have you seen yourself? Your skin is chalk-white!”

Hamilton moved towards his chair. “I guess that’s not a surprise,” he said wryly. “Everything else is going wrong. Paul was just in here, mad at me . . .”

“What?” Perry stared at him. “Hamilton, Paul is running an errand for me. He hasn’t been anywhere near your office!”

Hamilton froze. “That’s impossible!” he countered. “He was here; I know he was!”

Leon, who had been coming to the doorway, stopped short in concern at these words. “Mr. Burger, no one has been in to see you before Mr. Mason just now,” he gasped.

“Oh, are we going to play this game again?” Hamilton snapped in frustration. “Everyone thinking I’m completely off my rocker?” He stepped away from the desk. “I thought we were done with that when Vivalene’s spell broke!”

“Hamilton, no one thinks you’re insane,” Perry said. He took a step closer. “You’re not well. You need to sit down.”

“I don’t need to do anything!” Hamilton shot back. “I know Paul was in here. He was angry because of how I acted with Della when she was on the witness stand. That’s what he told me.”

“You didn’t do anything wrong when you questioned Della,” Perry said. “Paul wouldn’t have a reason to be angry with you, even if he had come.”

“He didn’t believe me,” Hamilton growled. “He insisted there’d been misconduct and that I’d done it on purpose. Well, I’m fed up with it. I’m tired of everyone thinking I’m the bad guy! I’m fighting for justice, just as you are. And if Paul can’t see that, I don’t know why I ever thought we could be friends! You can go ahead and tell him that for me!” He stepped forward.

That was a mistake. His legs suddenly folded under him and he collapsed to the floor.

Leon cried out in alarm. “Mr. Burger!” He dropped to his knees next to his boss and grabbed the limp wrist, checking for a pulse. It was racing.

Perry hastened to the desk. “I’m calling an ambulance,” he declared.

Leon was frantic, although he tried to push his feelings aside as he worked to position Hamilton to breathe easier. “Mr. Burger, can you hear me?” he pleaded. He received nothing in response. “Mr. Burger, please answer me!” But his attempts were in vain. Hamilton was deeply unconscious.

Perry’s eyes narrowed. “Leon, has he been overworking himself lately?” He grabbed for the phone and lifted the receiver.

Leon considered the question. “Yes, Mr. Mason, he has,” he said at last. “He’s had some very difficult cases lately and has been trying and trying to get a conviction against a crooked politician.”

“I know,” Perry said. He tapped out 911 on the number pad.

“And someone’s been threatening him too,” Leon added. “Oh, he didn’t tell me, but I answered the phone to one of those threats.” He shook his head. “But there has to be more. Mr. Burger is not a delusional person. Just overworking himself couldn’t cause him to think Mr. Drake came in when he didn’t. And he was upset about the threats, but they wouldn’t make him act like this either.”

“He may be right about picking up some kind of bug,” Perry said. “We can pray it’s not more serious than that.

“Hello?”

Leon only half-heard as Perry talked with the 911 dispatcher. Hamilton looked so pale and weak as he lay in a swoon on the floor. For lack of anything else, Leon took off his suit coat and draped it over his employer in a desperate attempt to ward off the onset of shock.

“Mr. Burger, please,” he said quietly. “Be alright.”
****
Being district attorney as long as he had, and having been an assistant D.A. for some time before that, Hamilton had seen many people, both good and bad. He had heard every kind of murder confession imaginable and every reason conceivable. There had been so many killings for revenge, for scorned love, for money, and for simply knowing too much.

But no matter how many he heard, they never failed to sicken and appall him. He abhorred crime in all its ugly forms. He had wanted to become an attorney to fight it and protect the innocent. And there was always more. No matter how he tried, there were always people being hurt. He could not save them all. He had accepted that, but hated it.

The people he had met were haunting him now, their words swirling through his mind and echoing off the dark walls. It had been going on for what must be hours. He tried to block them out, to cover his ears and run from it, but there was no escape.

“I killed him, to get the money.”

“He said he loved me. Don’t you understand?! He said he loved me . . . but he was lying. He was lying all the time!”

“He knew what I was doing. He knew about the embezzlement, the blackmail, everything! I had to kill him! What other choice did I have?”

“Used one way, morphine sulfate is for exterminating vermin. That is what I did.”

“I could either give in or kill him. That was his ultimatum. That didn’t leave me much choice; it would have been impossible for me to give in. But it was easy, oh so easy, to kill him.”

Hamilton fell to his knees, alone in this place with only the voices of murderers and other criminals to keep him company. They were all he could hear, all he could think about, for he did not know how long.

Was this true hopelessness? Could it even be . . . Hell?

No, it couldn’t be. But it surely could not be far from it. There was nothing positive here at all, only a black emptiness that continued to grow the longer the voices continued.

Some of those murderers were dead now, executed for their crimes. Others were alive, serving lifetime sentences in prison. They were all tormenting him now. He, the one who had ensured their futures for the evils they had committed.

But gradually, other voices began to emerge. Caring voices, friendly voices, voices of people he knew and loved.

“Hamilton? Hamilton, come back to us.”

“Mr. Burger, please. We couldn’t bear it if anything happened to you.”

“Hey. If there’s one thing I know you’re not, it’s a quitter. You always get back up and keep going, no matter how many times you’re knocked down. Get back up now.”

“We’re all worried about you, Hamilton. Andy and Steve and I have been checking in every chance we can. I know you won’t disappoint us.”

“Mr. Burger, can you hear me? Mr. Germaine and the other assistants are trying to keep your office in order while you’re not there. I’m doing what I can to help, but I’m sorry I haven’t been able to do more. We all miss you, Sir. We want to see you well again.”

“Hamilton, please follow the light. Follow it and return to us.”

It was strange, how when Mignon mentioned a light, Hamilton looked up and saw a faint glow. He reached out, grasping for it, clinging to her and the others’ words. And slowly, the despair fell away and he began to rise.
****
“Hamilton?”

“Hamilton, are you awake?!”

His eyes slipped open. He was lying on a bed—in a hospital, no doubt—and he was not alone. Perry, Paul, Leon, and Mignon were gathered around him. A blue candle was burning on a nearby table.

Leon perked up. “Mr. Burger, you’re awake!” he exclaimed.

“Hamilton, how are you feeling?” Perry asked. “We’ve all been so worried.”

Hamilton was unsure how well he would even be able to speak. His throat felt so dry. “I . . .” He looked up at Perry and the others. “Well, to tell you the truth, I feel weak.”

“That’s not a surprise,” said Paul.

“You were being poisoned, Hamilton,” Mignon told him.

“Poisoned?!” Hamilton stared. “How? Why?”

“The police are still investigating,” Perry said. “It looks like it was probably done by someone connected with the politician you’ve been trying to convict.”

“That’s why you thought I was in your office,” Paul spoke up. “The poison was getting a strong hold on you and you hallucinated the whole thing.”

Hamilton blinked. “Then you really weren’t there,” he said slowly and with care.

“Nope. Not that time.” Paul rested a hand on the railing. “Perry told me what you were saying after he called the ambulance. I didn’t have any idea what he was talking about.” His grasp tightened all the same. “I’m sorry you thought it anyway.”

Hamilton raised a hand to his forehead. His left temple was bothering him. “I’m sorry too,” he said. “I wasn’t thinking clearly.”

“I know,” Paul said. “It’s okay.” He shook his head. “Heaven knows I’ve thought all kinds of crazy things about you, when I haven’t even been irrational.”

“Hamilton, you don’t have anything to apologize for,” Perry said. “Not for that or for anything else you said in that condition.”

Hamilton frowned. “I barely remember anything that happened after that. I think I started yelling at you and Leon.”

“You did,” Perry acknowledged. “You were so upset over the perceived visit from Paul, as well as my and Leon’s denial that Paul was there at all.”

“And you worked yourself into such an overwrought state that you collapsed, Sir,” Leon said. He looked down. “We weren’t even sure that . . .”

“That what, Leon?” Hamilton prompted, gently.

“That you would make it, Sir.” Leon raised his eyes to meet Hamilton’s.

“It was touch-and-go for a while,” Perry said. “Della and Tragg have been by too. They’re waiting in the hall right now, along with Andy and Steve.” He half-smiled. “The doctor was rather disgruntled that so many people were crowding in here.”

“I heard your voices,” Hamilton remembered. “I heard you calling to me and talking to me.”

“And you came back to us,” Mignon said in relief.

Hamilton looked to her. “Yes,” he agreed. “Yes, I came back.

“Thank you,” he added, glancing to everyone in turn. “For not giving up on me.”

“We never will,” Perry said with a firm and sincere smile.