The hand on his shoulder seemed to break the professor from his trance. He glanced at it, cleared his throat, and chose to first address his fellow professor. "As a witness to the man's last actions-" Something that would be burned forever in Professor Dupree's mind. "-I will confirm there was only one person up there." And apparently his name was Dr. Atkins. The name was familiar but Professor Dupree had little time to spare for social interactions, and it took quite a bit to incline him to do so. "If it's all the same, Arthur, I do not wish to give details of his last moments with these students present." Their words had little to add to the account - he would later confirm that, as far as he was able to tell, the man had jumped and willingly. He would also give what few phrases he had been able to pick out from the chilly morning sky of what Dr. Atkins had been screaming about before his abrupt suicide. They were not many, and what he did pick out suggested the man had been on his way to candidacy for a more personal visit to the asylum.
The brain seemed to be losing its shape on the sidewalk, and the parietal lobe (was that it? Professor Dupree could never quite recall) slumped to the sidewalk with a wet noise Professor Dupree could never quite imitate. He shifted. Time to recompose.
"As for you two," he began, looking to the two students - Sean O'Reiley, he did not recognize, and the other student did not attend any of his lectures. "I must advise you to go to any classes you may have. Dr. Steiner can call the hospital and police. Your assistance has been appreciated." Not particularly. Perhaps it was still the shock, but he was still trying to keep the crowd from gawking at the victim - at the man splattered on the sidewalk before them, and the two students crossing into the mess of gore and blood had less helped than gaped at the sight of the dead man. Not even died right away, the muscles of the body still twitching and moving and only ceasing when these two had arrived.
He raised his voice. "If you do not have any particular business with this building, I must advise you leave before the police and ambulance arrive." That was addressed to the rest of the crowd. "They will need the space." And the man would need his dignity. The eventual report of this incident would join the wall, for sure. The details were simply too strange to go ignored.
But, for now, Professor Dupree would try to remain a shield from the horrors of death, and a shield from the prying curiosity of people.
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