Death Bed Chats

Chapter 7 - Distract the humans

"It's not the load that breaks you down, it's the way you carry it" C.S. Lewis ~ The Screwtape Letters

Jeannie was trying her best to wake up and it was proving to be a difficult task. It felt as if her body was trying to protect her still. She felt she had two allies trying to help her, but hadn't heard from them in what seemed like a very long time.

Then she heard his voice again, what had happened, she wondered. He wasn't supposed to be in her room much less touching her. He had his hand on her arm pressing it hard. Jeannie could picture it in her mind, he was probably doing it right in front of her parents. Dear God, was this ever going to stop?

Nurse Margo was summoned to the hospital administrator's office without a clue as to why she had been called there. Dr. Müeller was already there and immediately Margo figured out this must have had to do with Jeannie.

Neil Catalino sat behind his desk looking angry and as soon as Margo sat down he let loose with a tirade of accusations. He told them both that they did not have the right to bar someone from a patient if the family wanted that person there, especially if it was their spiritual adviser.

Both Margo and the doctor tried to argue their reasoning, but Catalino would not allow them to speak. He went off on how he had heard from the Diocesan office and how disgusted they were at the events that had transpired.

He told them they were both off Jeannie's care and if they continued to meddle further their employment would be terminated. Then he dismissed them without letting them say a word.

Margo tried to hold back the tears as they left his office. Dr. Müeller took Margo aside and whispered to her to contact her union representative in order to get ahead of this. Margo nodded in agreement and then she said, "How did he know what we were doing"?

"He may not have known the reason why we banned him, but his ego wasn't going to allow anyone to dictate where he could and couldn't go. I'm not telling you what to do Margo, but if Miss Craig doesn't wake up soon, you may have to".

Margo nodded, but she simply didn't know if she could speak up. Then she met Father Tom at the elevators and he suggested that perhaps she needed to be stripped naked and be punished again.

Margo knew he was baiting her and she wouldn't be his victim anymore. She simply turned away and took the stairs. She had to figure a way get back into Jeannie's room at least one more time.

Finally, the opportunity presented itself, one of the other nurses had a family emergency and needed someone to cover her shift and Margo volunteered. It was the evening shift so she would have the chance to talk to Jeannie.

The floor was quite that night giving Margo the chance to sneak into Jeannie's room. This was the one time she was grateful for red tape, Catalino's orders for her to stay away hadn't come down to the floor.

Margo sat next to Jeannie's bed and told her about what he had done to her four years. Margo also told her about her being banned from her room. She told Jeannie that she was going to the police, but didn't think her accusation would be enough.

Margo was nervous that the other nurses on the shift might question why she was in Jeannie's room for so long. As she got up, a tear rolled down Jeannie's cheek and Jeannie grabbed onto her hand and her eyes fluttered open.

Margo was thrilled and she hugged Jeannie tight. Jeannie's throat was parched, but she wanted to talk. Together they plotted out a plan and part of that involved not telling anyone she was out of the coma. Margo would call the police in the morning to tell them Jeannie was awake and she would tell them Jeannie wanted to talk to them.

If this all fell into place, Father Tom would be in jail before nightfall tomorrow.