A Grave Introduction

Byron struggled to retain consciousness, putting all his effort into hearing what Sinew had to say.  He claimed he was a doctor.  A doctor now?  So a gravedigger, a scientist and now a doctor?  Either this guy has quite the strange resume or he's lying about something.  Byron couldn't vocalize his thoughts, merely listening as Sinew continued to speak.  He mentioned something about the 'East Diamond Ripper'.  Byron recalled hearing something about a string of serial murders going on in East Diamond on the news, but he didn't know much beyond that.  

"Even if that's true," Byron struggled to speak, his throat sore, "why are you, the doctor, and not the police or investigators here, all alone, digging up the body."  Byron coughed and felt a fainting spell but caught and recomposed himself.  "Also, if your intentions were innocent, why did did you pull out that scalpel on us?  And earlier you mentioned something about this person being buried in the wrong hole.  Was that just a lie then?" Byron paused for a moment to catch his breath. "A grave digger with a doctorate?  Why should we trust you?"

Jeremy looked at Sinew with a blank expression from all this talking and said, "What? You can't be all those things you've said at the once, you'd have no time to sleep, or anything." He narrowed his gaze on Sinew, "And you still haven't answered my questions!" He then heat the water up a little more to make the point that he wanted all three questions answered, not just two of them.

"S-STOP BURNING ME, dammit!" Sinew screamed at the children. "I'm digging the grave because we need it for the investigation! Of course I lied to you at first because it's not information we want the public to know yet! A-as I said, we're not technically allowed to be doing it! Th-the police told us th-they didn't want to get th-their hands dirty f-for legal reasons. I-if the police dug up th-the body, the evidence would be thrown out..." The Rancid Noises were clawing in his mind, clouding his thoughts. "I am a doctor, and a doctor is a type of scientist. I-I research diseases in the lab, and a-also research th-the DNA that a-allows some people to have their powers..." This was all true what Sinew was saying; he did work in the lab at the hospital, conducting research on DNA and various diseases. "A-and... For you... I-I talk to m-myself..."
"Because you're unnatural. Because you're a freak." The world said. Because you're insane. The Rancid Noises whispered. "B-because I'm schizophrenic." Sinew answered.
"You can check my b-bag if you don't believe me. I have l-loxapine. F-front pouch." Sinew elaborated. "J-just... Stop hurting me! I-I don't care if you believe me anymore! I-I'll leave... Just... S-stop torturing me... I'm not fighting you... I just want to leave... I just want to leave..." Sobs took him as he continued to repeat the phrase.

Byron listened carefully to what Sinew had to say. Schizophrenic? Well that explains a good amount of why he was acting that way.  Something still didn't seem quite right to Byron, but he was much to tired too dwell on it.  "Jeremy," Byron reached up with his hand that wasn't resting on the ground to grab the bottom of Jeremy's shirt.  "It's okay, that's enough," Byron said, signalling Jeremy to stop boiling the strange doctor.  

He looked upon the pathetic state of the man, unsure of what to make of it.  "I just can't deal with people like you," Byron stated, feeling drained.  Byron took a deep breath, "If you leave right now, I won't follow.  I still don't completely trust you, but I'm in no condition to take you anywhere right now."  His fatigue continued to creep over him. "Deal?" Byron looked up at Jeremy, waiting for his approval or rejection, then over to Sinew to hear his answer.

Jeremy was still clearly angry, saying, "I don'the trust you at all, but seeing as the guy you pulled the knife on doesn'the want to bother anymore, I'll stop." Sinew would feel a great relief as the heat would was gone, he would likely be burnt all over and still in great pain.

Jeremy would say, rather harshly, "Now scram, before I change my mind!" He wasn't actually going to do anything else, but keeping the appearance of a threat was a good idea.

Sinew let out a loud sound of relief as the water dropped off of his skin. He made his way over to the supplies he dropped and frantically collected his tools: a shovel, a hand, dirty yet empty; a crowbar, a key that remained idle; his bag, carrying nothing, hiding less. "I-I'll leave... A-and I won't come back... Th-thank you..." Sinew stuttered, wincing through the pain.
"You're welcome." The kids did not say. Failure. The Rancid Noises whispered. "I-I... I-I'm sorry..." Sinew answered.
He made his way home slowly, pain coarsing through his entire body, the Rancid Noises pressing against his skin and bones. I must find another way... I must...