The man was silent for a very brief moment, before clearing his throat.

"Ah, yes, Mrs. Kiczys, I presume." he said.

"This is Dr. Remmington calling, a substitute history teacher at your daughter's school." he introduced himself.

"Your daughter hasn't been in school for the past couple of days, it seems... and our records show no explanation has been given for this truancy." he explained.

"Can you potentially shed some light on this?" he asked.

"Ah, thank you." he replied.

With that, the call was ended, but he felt himself feeling... uneasy, still.

"...that felt... like it didn't help..." he muttered.

'She did not sound like the sort of person that cares... but maybe I called at a bad time.' he thought.

"Well, at any rate, she said Madison would be here tomorrow..." he mumbled.

'Did I do the right thing, though...?' he then questioned himself.

'What the hell...?' he thought, seeing the condition that she was in.

'What is going on?' he wondered.

The class proceeded as normal, but he noticed that Madison was still looking bad. At the end of the class, the other students left, but before Madison could, he motioned for her to come to his desk.

When she did, he sighed.

"Miss Kiczys, you look awful." he commented.

"Are you all right?" he asked.

He was surprised by her candour, but he appreciated it.

"I see." he said.

"What is wrong?" he asked.

"What's happening to you?" he asked further.

He had his suspicions, he had his fears.

But he hoped against everything he was wrong.

He shook his head.

"No." he said.

"I don't care what he has to say, you are in NO condition to go to his class." he told her.

"I will write you a note, personally, excusing you from the rest of your classes today, and I will allow you to rest in the faculty lounge." he went on.

"And if anyone tries to contest my note, I will confront them." he then assured her.

"Why didn't your parents notify us you were sick, anyway?" he asked her, wondering if something he was suspecting was happening to her.

The man just sighed. Madison's story wasn't adding up. If her parents would have corroborated when called... why didn't her mother when he made the call? All she had to do was say that Madison was ill, and that would have ended it.

But she hadn't. It seemed she'd forced Madison to come to school while seriously ill.

"I see." he replied.

"Come." he told her, standing up.

"I'll take you to the staff lounge, and then tell the Principal you're there, and why." he said.

"And... I would like to speak with you after school. About something potentially very serious." he then added.

He almost froze and stumbled forward when he heard that.

"Excuse me?" he asked.

"A job? You have a job?" he asked her.

'...the warning signs keep popping up...' he thought.

"Then let us speak at lunch." he suggested.

"If that is all right with you."

"The lounge has a couch in it." Vincent told her.

"We'll have the school nurse look you over." he went on.

"See if it's anything serious." he said further, as they entered the room.

"Would you like something to drink?" he asked.

"Hot cocoa, perhaps? Or some tea?"

"..........." he was silent for a moment, before looking at the clock.

"I'll take her." he said.

"An ambulance would cause a bit of a scene, and I don't think Madison wants that." he told her.

"The poor girl attracts enough unwanted attention as is, we don't need an ambulance adding more fuel to the fire." he reasoned with another sigh.

"...she really doesn't need to be going through all this..." he then mumbled quietly.

He nodded in response.

"Of course." he replied.

"I shall do so immediately." he told her.

With that, they parted ways, and he made his way to the couch Madison was on.

"Madison?" he addressed her as he approached.

"Come on, you need to head to the hospital." he told her.