A Long Wait

I was returning to my dorm room from class late that overcast Friday afternoon looking forward to a somewhat relaxing weekend after having just finished midterm exams. The eerie silence of the deserted hallway was suddenly broken by the harsh command; "Stand fast, place your hands against the wall and spread your feet!" As I glanced to my left, I noticed a man dressed in a suit cautiously approaching me. His right hand was concealed under his sport coat and he seemed to be looking past me. I slowly turned my head to the right and saw another man standing at the opposite end of the hallway holding something in his hand. The man to my left asked if I was Sam Felter. I said that Sam was my roommate and had left earlier in the day for Houston. This man then patted me down and asked to see my school ID. Although it was somewhat cool in the hallway, small beads of perspiration were standing out on my face and neck. I told him that my ID was in my wallet and asked if he could tell me what this was all about. He identified himself as Agent Patterson with the FBI and that his partner was at the other end of the hall. I removed my ID and showed it to him, while he produced the infamous FBI badge. Agent Patterson's partner began slowly walking in our direction and that is when I noticed that he had a handgun. Now instead of small beads of perspiration I was "sweating profusely." My mind was racing. "What's going on? Who are these guys? Are they really FBI agents?" Agent Patterson told his partner to holster his gun. I asked if I could sit down as I wasn't feeling well. One of the agents helped me down into a sitting position on the floor of the hallway.

Agent Patterson asked me for the key and, cautiously opening the door, peered into the room. I asked him what was going on. He didn't answer. I told him again that Sam had gone home for the weekend as he usually does every weekend. His partner followed him into the room and made a cursory search with his eyes. I slowly stood up and began to enter my room when I noticed that the two agents had stepped over to the window and were discussing something in an almost inaudible tone. I strained to listen but couldn't make out what was being said. Without saying a word, Agent Patterson's partner suddenly left the room closing the door behind him. Agent Patterson asked me how well I knew Sam Felter. I told him that I had met him only a few weeks ago when we became roommates and that he was from Houston. He then asked me if Sam had many visitors. I told him that Sam apparently knew quite a few students on campus because every time I returned from class he was talking to a new face. He asked if I found this sort of strange. At the time I just passed it off, but now as I reflected on the question it did raise some interesting possibilities.

Before I could answer, there was a knock at the door. Agent Patterson asked me to open the door as he quickly moved behind it. As I opened the door a voice from the other side identified himself as Officer Kane from Campus Security. Patterson motioned for me to open the door all the way and step back. Officer Kane entered and was about to speak to me when Agent Patterson came out from behind the door and identified himself. Kane and Patterson began to talk to each other, and it was apparent from their conversation that they had spoken previously. Officer Kane told me that Campus Security had been contacted by the FBI and he was there to assure me the College was aware of the situation with my roommate. At this point I wasn't sure what anyone was talking about. Agent Patterson explained that my roommate had been under surveillance at first by Campus Security and recently by the FBI. They went on to explain that Sam had a history of drug dealing which started in high school and was now being conducted out of our dorm room. The FBI was also keeping Sam's house in Houston under surveillance. At this point, Agent Patterson informed me that until Sam was in custody he would be keeping me under surveillance as well.

After a few minutes, Officer Kane left and Agent Patterson used my telephone to make a call. He than told me that he would stay in my room until either Sam returned or was picked-up. I again told him that Sam had left for Houston earlier in the day and would not be back until Monday morning. To that, Patterson said, "Well, than we have a long wait!" I asked him if he thought I was involved, and he replied that I had also been under surveillance for several weeks and was not under any suspicion. I thought to myself that this was kind of scary to think that I had been watched and was not even aware of it.

It proved to be a long weekend of storytelling and card playing with Agent Patterson never leaving my side. Throughout the time he kept in touch with agents in Houston but apparently Sam did not show up at home.

Finally, Monday morning arrived and I had to go to class. Agent Patterson was replaced by an Agent Gillmore who followed me to Sturman Hall for my first class of the day. He stayed in the hallway while I attended class. However, after class as I entered the hallway I noticed that Agent Gillmore was gone. Hurriedly I went back to my dorm room and telephoned Campus Security and asked to speak to Officer Kane. The dispatcher told me that they had no officer by that name. I explained who I was and what had happened over the weekend. She connected me with the officer on duty. I again related the story and he said that Campus Security had no officer by that name and no record of contacting or being contacted by the FBI. The officer put me on hold for a few minutes and when he returned he told me that according to the Registrar's Office there was no student registered by the name of Sam Felter and that I had not been assigned a roommate.

"Reflections" is a collection of essays by the health professionals of the Medical College of Wisconsin.