The Dysfunction Of Evan: Books 1-3 Collection

61. Hell Water

I was transferred to a hospital closer to home later that day, and as Tom settled me into my new room, I heard the familiar babbles of my children coming down the hall. I got up from the bed in excitement, nearly pulling out my IV which had gotten snagged on the railing.

"Careful, Astrid." Tom said, slightly annoyed. I darted a look of warning at him and he raised his eyebrows and leaned back slightly, eyes wide in uneasy apology. I brushed him off and pulled my IV pole with me to the doorway.

"MAMA!" Lucy shrieked, reaching her arms out to me, nearly flinging herself from Emma's arms. Boyd turned from Jack's neck, saw me, and followed his sisters lead. My heart swelled and tears stung at my eyes. I walked into the hallway and helped close the distance.

I held my arms out and Emma handed Lucy to me. My baby girl wrapped her tiny little arms around my neck and buried her face into me. I held her tightly, pressing my nose to the top of her head and inhaling deeply before kissing it. Boyd was fighting against Jack, chanting my name in a demanding tone. I shifted Lucy and took Boyd into my arms.

"Hello, my sweet babies." I said, emotion welling inside me. I smiled and thanked my in-laws. They smiled and Emma grabbed my IV pole. We walked into my room, where Tom got the same reception as I did.

After being passed between Tom and I several times, and after plenty of snuggles and kisses, both twins settled down with me and Tom on the bed. Jack and Emma sat in the chairs near the windows.

"We've been so worried about you, Astrid." Emma said. "When Tom called us yesterday and told us what was going on, it made me sick."

"What has the media said?" Tom asked.

"Just that there was an uncovering of patient abuse and that several nurses had been arrested. I'll pull up an article the BBC posted last night." Jack said, pulling out his phone. A few moments later, he started reading.

" 'A shocking revelation at Malik Mental Health and Drug Rehabilitation Hospital has uncovered abuse of some of it's most vulnerable patients at the hands of heartless nurses and caregivers. Malik Hospital has been the forefront in offering services for nearly one hundred years, having been funded in early 1920's by Doctor Richard G. Corvik as Corvik Asylum, a new addition to Oxford University. The research done at the hospital was responsible for groundbreaking changes in how mental health patients were diagnosed and treated world-wide. In the nineteen-sixties, the hospital separated from Oxford University at the passing of its founder, and was taken over by his son, Doctor Richard H. Corvik. The hospital closed for several months, and reopened as The Corvik Center of Mental Health Research. In the nineteen-eighties, a new wing was built to serve as a drug and alcohol rehabilitation ward. In the year two thousand, the Corvik's legacy was passed on to R.H. Corvik's son-in-law, Doctor Alastair Malik, who renamed the hospital in two-thousand-six with the start of his new one hundred and twenty day extensive inpatient mental health rehab program. Today, the hospital houses six units in its mental health ward, and four in the drug and alcohol ward, along with a two unit medical ward.

"'The abuse was brought to the attention of Doctor Malik by a nurse who was filling in for another nurse in the isolation ward, and noticed the dire condition of one of his assigned patients. The patient had been accused of starting a physical conflict with another patient, and had been inhumanly restrained, starved, neglected, and physically harmed by nurses. The patient, a thirty-one year old female, was suffering from severe malnutrition, had open sores on her buttocks and upper thighs that were infected, had bruises covering her body, and a kidney infection from a neglected catheter. The name of the patient has not yet been released.

"'Several nurses have already been arrested with charges filed. Nancy Havangrot, fifty-two, was the unit nurse in charge of the patients care. Upon her arrest, Havangrot stated that she does 'not regret anything. This is how they need to be treated, just like the old days, otherwise they will never learn how to function in the world.' Three other nurses were arrested on scene, and six more will be arrested. Charges range from medical malpractice to gross negligence, once all nurses are in custody, a full list of charges will be released.