The Center

Chapter 27 - running to evil

I started to give Nicole the Oxy in small doses when her face convulsed and eyes watered. It was the least I could do. The doctors obviously weren't giving her enough. I couldn't do it forever. We both knew that.

That wasn't the plan. After I picked up the scripts from the Mailbox Etc., I hoped to get one bottle into Daniel's locker, hidden so that it would only be found in a search. He'd probably pass a drug test, but with so much in his possession, they might think he was a dealer. The second one would have been planted in his bedroom. I'd been there a couple of times before the sex. I would have found a way into his room, as well as made sure the final bottle was discovered. I hadn't figured that out and now I wouldn't need to.

This whole thing had become about more than payback. Daniel came to represent every Y-chromosome jerk I'd dealt with since the day I was born. Balance finally came into my life. Not only could I relieve Nicole of the small bit of the pain I'd caused, I could destroy the boy who'd used us both.

We had a pact, I'd help with her pain and she wouldn't tell. She didn't know that I put Daniel's name on the bottle, but she didn't need to. As soon as the opportunity presented itself, I would plant the evidence somewhere the Vaughns would find it. The only thing I needed now was patience.

My time would come.

And it did, sooner than I thought. Thanksgiving day. Nanny Bella served the traditional turkey and Dad sat to watch endless football games. I called the Vaughns and made sure they were okay with me coming over the next day. The bottle in my purse had only two pills left.

At about 10:00 a.m., I settled in the orange padded chair next to Nicole's bed. Her head was back against the pillow and her eyes were closed. In a soft voice I told her about my research of the Spartans on the Internet.

"Did you know that these creeps killed their babies? First they would wash the baby in wine after it was born and if it lived, the baby's father took it to this group call the Gerousia. I'm probably pronouncing that wrong. Anyway, this group decided if the kid should live or die. How messed up is that? But that's not the worst part. According to Wikipedia, 'If they considered it "puny and deformed", the baby was thrown into a chasm on Mount Tavgetos also called the Apothetae,' In Greek that means deposits. Gross."

Nicole groaned.

"They actually dropped their babies off cliffs like dirty diapers in the trash. Or worse, another book said the Spartan's actually would leave weak and defenseless children on top of mountains to be eaten by wild animals. It's so disgusting."

"Aww." Nicole's face twisted. It took me a minute to realize she didn't plead for innocent infants. Her pain had returned. A thick drop formed in her eye. I closed my notebook and sneaked over to pull Nicole's bedroom door closed.

"Don't cry, I'm here." I hated this part of the day. I hated having to watch her in pain and I was grateful I could actually help relieve it. "Here, drink some water."

"It hurts." A stream leaked down the edge of Nicole's face. I wiped the tears before they could fall on the pillow. "Help me."

"I will."

The first few times I'd slipped the girl a pill, my fingertips tingled. The exhilaration had subsided after about the sixth day. I reached into my purse and pulled out the clean white prescription bottle. The last two pink pills fell out of the childproof container and into my hand. I leaned over the bed and lifted Nicole into a slight sitting position.

"Open up." I slipped one pastel pill into the patient's mouth and provided her with a quick sip of water. "You'll feel better in a sec." Nicole nodded her head and I eased her body back to the bed. "Here's one for later tonight." I tucked it into the folds of the top sheet. "Don't let anyone find it."