Death's Captive: Will she escape eternal confinement?

CHAPTER 9

After re-dressing I step out of the bathroom into the mess. The news is playing in the background and on the television screen I see a familiar face! It's the man from room 736 had his blood taken by Margie. I turn to listen to the woman relaying the story:

...Harold Barden is to stand trial today over the accusation of the molestation and death of local boy, Ben Thompson, whose body was found under the Samford overpass last November. Judgement proceedings have been adjourned on several occasions due to Barden's ill health, though a ruling should be made now that Mr Barden has been released from St Lucia's Memorial Hospital in a stable condition. On a lighter note a dedication has been made...

"Un-fucking-believable!"

The expletive comes from the direction of Justin; a gawky-looking young man who assists Dr Drac in the pathology lab. That's not his real name, of course, but it's what everybody calls him behind his back. Justin has limited contact with patients and staff apart from Dr Drac, but he speaks candidly with the few co-workers he knows. He's sitting on a suede navy couch in a white lab coat next to Dr Reeves, both of whom are watching the news with their feet up on the coffee table. I swear to God I just saw Reeves leave with Nicole an hour ago but now he's back. Time must have slipped away from me again.

"What?" Reeves looks at Justin.

Justin draws a breath to begin a spiel. "Well, we fix the pedo up, just so he can live out his now healthy long life in a cell as a burden on us tax payers! It's a waste of fucking money and medication, we shudda let him die. Oi, weren't you the attending on his case?"

Reeves nods. "Trust me there was no opportunity for sabotage or negligence on Barden's case, not with the whole world watching." Reeves stretches his arms above his head and places his hands behind his head.

Justin raises his index finger. "Firstly that's not what I heard. Secondly, I doubt anyone would disapprove – even Barden's family isn't standing by him. Probably realised he was a funny uncle long ago, but nobody said nuffin."

"Even though Barden is a criminal of the worst kind, he still has rights and that includes access to healthcare." There's a moment of silence, then Reeves sighs and turns his head to Justin. "What did you hear?"

Justin pops his head over the couch and looks around the mess, then relaxes back into the chair and continues. "Well I didn't hear nuffin, but, when the blood specimens came in for testing they were severely haemolysed. Procedure states we still have to run the bloods, but the results were all over the place. The Drac said that it looked like someone had done it on purpose..."

I remembered the moment when I watched Margie dropping the plastic vials over and over again on the floor.

Reeves straightens and hisses at Justin. "Why wasn't I told my results were inaccurate? With the wrong results I could have ended up killing a patient!"

Justin's eyes shot up in surprise. "You didn't notice that you received two sets of results for the same patient with the preliminary levels being ridiculous?"

Reeves looked embarrassed.

"Besides, the Drac thought you might have had something to do with it, ya see?" Reeves eyebrows shot up in shock at such an accusation, admittedly so did mine; it was ludicrous. Justin continued. "He sent me up from the lab immediately to do a recollect from the patient after he saw the results."

"That over-educated vamp thinks I endangered my patient's life intentionally?!" Reeves couldn't hide the insult from his voice.

"Well... only limited staff members were allowed into Barden's room due to security. Only you, hospital admin and Margie where allowed in. I had to get a note from Drac to get past the cop at the door"