High Priestess

4.1

June 19, 2020

Stevie was roused from a deep sleep by a hand caressing her head. She opened her eyes and looked up at Christine and she could see Joe Walsh as well, but he wasn't wearing his doctor's attire he was wearing an Everly Brother's tee and a pair of dirty jeans. 

"What's going on?" Stevie questions.

"Stevie I have to tell you something." Joe looks at her.

"What?" She sits up abruptly one hand falling to her stomach.

"I had a daughter...her name was Emma-Kristen. She was four on her way to nursery school my wife was driving and they were struck by a drunk driver, he had run a red light and he nailed the side of the car right where Emma was. She didn't make it. Mick came to me last night after he left your room and said that he wanted me to shock you three times a day...it would've killed you in a matter of weeks, but on top of that he wanted me to do a second-trimester abortion. We inject a saline solution right into your uterus where the baby's heart is based on an ultrasound, it kills the baby over a span of 48 hours and you'd go into labor delivering a dead fetus. I'm not going to do that to you. I can't. I physically can't get myself to aid in the loss of a child because I lost my own and it hurts like hell. To tell you the truth. I didn't want to shock you, to begin with, but Mick um, he's my drug dealer. He told me that if I shocked you I'd get free cocaine for the rest of my life. I took the offer. Right now, I'm going to the police and I'm going to give Mick up. Then I'm checking myself into Betty Ford. I'm going to do what we made you do and get sober. I'm going to lose my medical license but my wife and I talked about it, and frankly, it's saving me from Divorce so I'm sorry. I'm so sorry for everything I did to you. But we've gotta get you out of here. This dress was my wife Jody's dress when she was pregnant with Emma. Your dress isn't going to fit you anymore so you can have this one." Joe hands it to her.

Stevie just takes his hands and places them on her stomach. "Emlyn Rosabella." 

"Emlyn...it's unique. It's pretty. Call her Emmy for me?" Joe winks.

"And for what it's worth. I don't blame you. I was a drug addict I know the pull. I'm sorry about your daughter. But thank you for letting me go and helping me get away from Mick." Stevie smiles at him.

Joe just nods and he helps her out of the bed. Christine helps her dress and then Joe and Christine lead her out of the back entrance to the hospital. 

"Stevie this is my husband John McVie he's going to be representing you in court." Christine introduces them.

"Thank you." Stevie hugs him.

"My pleasure. Joe...when you go to the police make sure you have a lawyer present because if you don't they're going to railroad you." John warns.

"I know." Joe nods opening the backdoor for Stevie who climbs into the car. 

John takes the wheel and Christine sits on the passenger side and Joe goes to his own car and the two cars pull out together both going separate ways at the stop sign. 

***

Walking into the office Joe was nervously but at the same time, he felt good because he knew what he had been doing to Stevie was wrong and he needed to make it right. 

"How can I help you, sir?" The cop at the desk asks.

"I have information about a drug dealer that I felt the need to bring to the table." Joe states.

"Well alright, we'll have someone come meet you why don't you go right in there." He points to an interrogation room. Joe gulps but he goes in anyway and sits down on one of the metal chairs. 

He waits for a good five minutes before someone walks in and Joe stands up to shake his hand. 

"I'm officer Martinez." 

"Dr. Joseph Walsh." 

"So you're here to bring about concerns of a drug dealer?" 

"I am...Michael Fleetwood, the head of Fleetwood Recordings sells me my cocaine. After I leave here I'm checking myself into Betty Ford because he tried to get me to do something I wasn't too thrilled about." 

"And what was that?" 

"Mick Fleetwood was giving me free cocaine in exchange for the imprisonment of his wife Stephanie Fleetwood. He promised me free cocaine if I kept her at Crossley medical center and administered Electric Shock Therapy once daily to wipe away the memory of his drug paraphernalia. However, today I let her go because I want to get clean and I didn't feel right doing that to someone who has no general medical need for that. Not to mention she's eighteen weeks pregnant and we didn't know about it, I don't even think she knew about it until recently and when we informed Mick Fleetwood, he declared that I was too abort the fetus and I was to up the number of times I shocked her from once a day to three times a day because it's obvious that the shocks haven't taken her memories from her. The abortion never would've been done because it has to be the mother's consent, and I knew that she wasn't going to consent because when we did an ultrasound she was so happy. And I'm not comfortable shocking a pregnant woman." Joe explains.

"And if we look into this, and we find out what you're saying is true...then are you willing to testify this in court?" The prison guard inquires.

"If I'm medically able I will be. As I said, I'm planning on going into Rehab and if the court dates fall while I'm in treatment then I won't be able to go." Joe shakes his head.

"Alright, that's understandable and I'm assuming this is your attorney so we and he will keep that note. Alright tell me about him, tell me about the drugs." The policeman sits across from him to listen intently and Joe lets out a breath ready to explain everything.