Tears of Crimson

Her body forms goose bumps as the hot steam touches her cold skin. She steps into the stream of warm water. Her goose bumps diminish at the comforting warmth. She searches the shower somesome type of loofa and soap. She finds nothing but body wash and shampoo/conditioner. Shrugging it off, she squirts the body wash into her hand and lathers it onto her body. Her skin is red from the hotness of the water. She rinses off the suds and washes her hair. Five minutes and a hair ball later she turns off the water and steps into the colr. r. She wraps the biggest towel around her shivering form and drags her feet to her suitcases. Finding her warmest pair of pajamas, she puts them on and crawls into bed.

“Mmmm,” it has been too long and too stressful a day not to enjoy the softness and warmth of the king sized bed. She flicks on the T.V. and searches for something good to watch. Her search ends when she comes about ‘Whose Line is it Anyway?’. She finds her eyes growing heavy. She tries to ward off sleep because her favorite stunt is being performed: scenes from a hat. She is powerless to stop the much needed slumber. Her eyes finally fall shut for the next eleven hours.

*

“Goodnight Sandra,” Dr. Ghent says.

“It’s one a.m. already, Doctor?” Sandra Bard, the third shift nurse for the second floor, asks him.

“Fortunately yes, my love.”

“Oh dear,” She sighs. “That means that I’ve only been here for two hours. I’ve got one long night ahead of me.”

“I’m afraid so, Mrs. Bard.”

“Well, you enjoy the rest of your night. Get a good nights rest, Dr. Ghent. Hopefully tomorrow Mr. Rainey will wake.”

“Let us prayon’ton’t work too hard. And do not fall asleep!”

Sandra laughs at his comment. “Don’t you worry; I’ve had my twelve cups today!” He laughs while stepping onto the elevator. He gives one last wave as the doors shut.

Sandra grabs her clipboard and heads over to room 109. She pulls the cart sitting outside the room in behind her. “Okay, Mr. Rainey, time for your checkup.” She says to the comatose man lying in the hospital bed.

“He don’ need no checkup, Missus.” A deep, southern accent speaks. Sandra jumps. She turns on the light and finds a man dressed much like an Amish person sittin a c a chair placed in a corner.

“My lord! I didn’t see you there!” She pauses. “I’m sorry Sir, but visiting hours are over. In fact, they’ve been over since eight o’clock. You have to leave.”

“Oh no, I don’ think so, Missus. See, Mort here and I are like one in the same. I’m not goin’ no wheres.”

“I’m sorry but it is well past visiting hours. Please respect hospital policy and leave.”

“I already told you, Missus, I’m not goin’ no wheres. Please respect me and Mr. Rainey and leaves us be.”

“I will call security if you do not exit the building,” she threatens while heading over to the phone placed beside the bed.

“Now why do you have to get all fussy ‘bout this? Hang up the phone, Missus. I don’ wanna have to hurt you.”

“I am not hanging up this phone until you leave.”

“Well then, I guess I’m gonna have to hurt you.” He stands up, revealing his tall, lanky form.

“You are not hurting anyone. If you come any closer,, I , I will dial security. If I do, within two minutes they will be in this room.”

“Two minutes is all it takes, Missus. Either way, you’re goin’ to die.”

With fearful eyes and shaky hands Sandra places the phone on the receiver. She backs up in direction of the door. The dark man pulls out a screwdriver. He lunges at her she she screams. She runs into the brightly lit hallway and dashes towards the staircase. He is hot on her heels. The staircase door is locked. Sandra bangs on it and screams.

“Seems to me that you be cornered, Missus. Ain’t no wheres to go now.”

“Get away from me!” She throws her clipboard at him and he dodges. It misses him by two inches.

“Now, that wasn’t very nice.”

Sandra looks for somewhere to run. She has a small gap between her and this man at her right. If she does not make the dart than she has no where else to run. She will be in the arms of her killer.

The man sees her eyes gazing at the gap between them. Unexpectedly, she runs in direction of her only escape. She is almost out of harm’s way when he trips her with one of his long legs. Sandra plummets to the floor. Her chin hits the linoleum with a hard crack. She moans at the pain.

“I told you that you be cornered, Missus. But you didn’t wanna listen. Now, there ain’t no stoppin’ it.” He flips her onto her back.

‘Why is no one calling security?’ She questions herself.

The man sees the question in her eyes. He leans down. “I killed them just like I’m goin’ to kill you, Missus,” He whispers. Fear envelopes her eyes as he drives the screwdriver down fast and hard. She screams.

*

Faith wakes with a start. She is sweating. She had a nightmare. It was of Frank. He was trying to kill her. Just before he drove his knife into her heart she awoke.

Faith wipes the beads of sweat from her forehead with her blanket. She glances at her clock. It is eleven-thirty. She remembers about her complimentary breakfast and hops out of bed. She drags her feet to the door and looks through the peephole. She opens the door and finds a large tray of food sitting atop a silver cart.

“Yum,” she smiles. She rolls the cart into her room and over by her bed. “I love breakfast in bed!” She exclaims. She chows down on blueberry pancakes and flicks on the T.V. She puts on the news.

“We have breaking news. At approximately one a.m. this morning three people were brutally murdered here at Rhode Island Hospital. Two were security guards and one was a third shift nurse. The perpetrator is unknown. The entire second floor of the hospital is blocked off and the patients were either transported to other floors or other hospitals. We are not releasing any names at this moment. We’ll have more on this story at twelve,” The anchorwoman informs.

Faith’s jaw drops. She jumps off of the bed and grabs clothes from her suitcase.

Five minutes later she is speeding down the highway in direction of RIH. She reaches her destination ten minutes later. She hops out of her car and runs to the entrance. She attempts to run right through the crowd of police and press but is stopped. “You cannot go in there without authorization, Miss,” one of the many policemen says.

“I have to. Someone I know was on the first floor. I need to know where he is.”

“Alright. What is your name?” Faith gives him a puzzling look. “If what you claim is true than your name will be on this list,” he informs while showing Faith a clipboard with a butt load of names.

“Faith Walsh.”

He searches the many pages of names and nods. “Alright, you are all set to go in. You have to check with the receptionist. You cannot go anywhere in the building without an escort, understand?” Faith nods. She rushes into the building and up to the receptionist.

“Can you please tell me where Morton Rainey is located?” She asks, breathless.

The receptionist scans her computer for the information Faith requests. “He is in room 223 on the third floor. Would you like to visit him?” Faith nods. “Alright, please wait while I find you an escort.”

Faith waits patiently while she calls for an escort on a walkie-talkie. Two minutes later a policeman walks up to the desk. The receptionist points at Faith and he gestures for her to follow him. She follows him to the stairs. “Why aren’t we taking the elevator?” She questions.

“We shut it down. There are no cameras inside the shafts.” Faith nods her understanding.

Faith and her escort walk up the many flights of stairs. Not soon enough and out of breath, Faith reaches the third floor. She stops. “This way,” the cop commands. Willingly but with disinclination she abides.

He brings her to Mort’s room. “Call the front desk if you need to go elsewhere.”

“Okay. Thank you.”

“Your welcome.” He departs towards the stairs.
ith ith enters the room. A curtain separates the two areas. The first area is unoccupied so Faith knows that it is Mort in the second. She pushes the curtain away for her entrance.

She gasps. She is startled to see Mort sitting up looking at a magazine. He looks up at the cause of noise. He gives Faith a questioning gaze. Faith smiles at him.

“You’re awake. Thank God!” Faith cannot help but smile. But surprisingly as well as disappointingly he is not returning the smile.

Innocently he asks, “Do I know you?”

A/N: Not one of my favorite chapters but I hope you like it nonetheless! Thank you to all who reed! ed! You guys really made my Easter! Please, review again? Thanks! Chow for now!