A Murder in Mayberry

Part 10/10 Singing William and the Baby

Singing William was not so happy. He was worried about the baby. The captives had seen no one outside their cells in four days. He knew it was four days, because Willa and Jane kept track of the days and nights. William was on his last bottle of water. He had some extra powdered baby formula, but only the one bottle of water left. Where was Rose Marie and the kid? Charles was not due back for days and, according to the girls, he did not always follow his schedule. What was William gonna do? He had a baby to feed, and he was thirsty, so thirsty. He had not drunk anything in a day. He knew he was dehydrated already because he had not peed all day.

Down the hall and around the corner the girls were faring somewhat better. They had been rationing water since the day after they saw Rose Marie run out the door.

"Something spooked her bad," said Willa the day they saw her run past.

"No, something scared the shit out of her," said Jane. And, on the second day of not seeing her or anyone else, "I don't think she's coming back."

"Time to ration," said Willa.

They still had a gallon of water each left and some crackers and two little Debbie oatmeal cakes left over from their last request. Willa knew they could survive three weeks without food, but only three days without water. They cut back and went into what Willa called hibernation mode - no exercise, no extra movement at all. They were conserving energy that required feeding. They stayed bundled up together in a ball in the bed with all their clothes on and all their blankets wrapped around them for warmth.

"We must conserve body heat," said Willa.

They talked. They decided Booker showing up would be better than nothing. They worried about William and the baby. After all this, they decided they couldn't go out this way. On the third day, they decided to take turns screaming for help.

"We got nothing to lose," said Willa. "If we don't do something, William and the baby might not make it until Charles returns."

They had tried this desperate ploy before and knew Charles frowned on it, but felt they had to try something. It was useless. If Beatrice had not shut the basement door Damien left open on his way out, there might have been a chance, but with that door shut, there was no way they would be heard. They screamed so long, and so loud, they could only whisper now.

"We got to tell him," said Jane.

And so, Willa yelled one last time to tell William that he had to ration that last bottle of water and drink some of it himself. "William, if you die, the baby won't make it either."

William looked down at the baby. He gave Shania Twain an inch of the water with some formula. He took a sip of what was left. He wanted to cry, but he didn't have any tears.