by Corby, Linda
It was six am when the hospital staff changed shift and the trolleys could be heard around the hospital delivering breakfast.
Rim stopped the nurse from entering Zaneen’s room knowing she would blow a fuse if Tarbra was to be disturbed by anyone at all. He took the tray from her and she left in a huff at not being able to order him about, stating that she was going to fetch the matron to sort him out. Rim opened the door quietly knowing a knock on the door would more than likely start Tarbra off, Reemo took the tray from him and told him that they were all much better, when he said that there could be a minor problem with the matron she stated she’d be back out to explain things to her in case she hadn’t been passed on the correct instructions about the situation.
Reemo didn’t have long to wait outside Zaneen’s door for the matron and nurse to return. Reemo felt they were above their station by the way the matron spoke to her, as the circumstances stood she didn’t think Ray was going to be happy about their attitudes.
“Who might I ask might are you to be stopping this nurse from carrying out her duties, I think you should understand that I’m in charge here and I would be obliged if you would move out the way of the doorway as we are going to check out Mrs Dray’s room right now!”
With that she attempted to shove Rim to one side in a rather domineering fashion in order to enter the room. This of course had no effect on Rim at all and their faces were visibly annoyed at being overruled by Rim as Reemo spoke quietly with authority back to the pair of them.
“I’m afraid you have got your facts wrong matron obviously there’s some kind of breakdown in your communications as Dr. Elorang left strict instructions that Mrs Dray was not to be disturbed under any circumstances. I suggest that you toddle off and get yourself something better to do than antagonise us here, don’t you?”
The matron’s face had now reddened considerably, she was obviously hopping mad at what Reemo said, the young nurse appeared to be enjoying the stout matron’s discomfort as the matron spoke the smile could be seen all over her face behind the matrons back.
“Look here young lady, I don’t know who you think you are to be giving me orders of any description, of course I shall have you removed from this hospital at the soonest possible time, along with this man that is. Just because I can’t physically overpower this man here and now don’t expect to get away with your kind of nonsense; I shall be back with one of the Doctors, who will enlighten you as to the rules of this hospital.”
With that she about turned and left with the nurse following closely behind her.
Once they were out of the way Reemo went back into Zaneen’s room and explained what had happened, as it happened she didn’t need to as Zaneen had listened to every word though the door. Zaneen laughed as Reemo described the matron as a stout little woman to full of her own self-importance, judging by the nurse with her must enjoy being rather overpowering to say the least, she definitely wouldn’t want to work under her instruction, as she seemed a very spoilt kind of person, probably very bitter about something in her past, more to be pitied than anything else.
Just over half an hour later the matron returned with a male orderly at her side, leaving several more at the lift door trying to look official. A large grin spread over Rim’s face as he watched them and she spoke.
“Right, off this ward and out of the hospital Mr whatever your name might be. Any trouble and these orderlies will be told to remove you forcibly.”
Rim showed the amusement he felt as he replied to her demands.
“You’ve got no chance Madam. If I were you I wouldn’t order your orderlies to do such a silly thing either, especially as you haven’t checked with the doctor yet, otherwise you might discover yourself in trouble rather than myself.”
With that the matron asked the orderlies to remove Rim from the premises post haste. As the nearest to him stepped forwards Rim picked him up with one hand and held him at arm’s length while suggesting that the others stayed put and checked with the doctor themselves before any of them got hurt. His well-built frame and height along with the determined look of his obviously part Indian heritage, with his straight black hair was enough to put them off, without anything else. Together with the ease with which he held the other orderly in the air made them back off and agree to talk with the doctor first. Rim openly laughed as they carried the matron off the ward insisting it was for her own good as she screeched mouthfuls of abuse at them, along with heated words of how she’d have them dismissed from their jobs.
Rim could tell by their faces that none of her words bothered them as much as facing his bulk had done, in fact they seemed to enjoy the excuse to annoy her.
When Dr. Elorang arrived at the hospital to the onslaught of Maud Winter’s the Matron, his unusual sense of humour took over as he explained they were in the right and the hospital board had made agreements with the patients father in law and that she should have spoken to him before upsetting his patients any way. It gave him great pleasure to tell her she should have minded to some other business rather than have caused a scene of any sort on the Rose Ward, by the time he had finished speaking to her she was most upset without words to express herself she went home saying she didn’t feel well. The news went around the hospital staff like wildfire as few of the staff could stick her anyway they all considered it was going to make a good standard joke for some time to come. The story eventually got back to the family even though Dr. Elorang said the bare minimum about the incident, his facial expression told a considerable amount more.
It was several days later that Zaneen returned home to Brialdigc. Tarbra was well on the way to recovery although the pins would have to stay in her leg for some time, she seemed to be well enough in herself. Reemo and Ricky came to stay in Zaneen’s flat as Reemo was determined to do all she could to help Tarbra fully recover.
Paul had organised a mass cleanup of Ray’s property and when Ray and Lora had returned there you wouldn’t have had any idea as to what a mess it had been in beforehand.
18 DEEP CUT.
Trevor Sutton had returned home and told his father a pack of fabricated lies as to what had happened in Satra to save face, plus put his father on the wrong track, thinking that his father would believe anything he cared to tell him and couldn’t possibly think any ill of him. Alex Sutton had listened to his son’s story with interest, he knew Trevor expected him to believe his every word without question, he made a point of not showing his doubts of the truth in what Trevor told him. Alex Sutton had suspected Trevor for some time but hadn’t been able to put his finger on what Trevor was up to, he had felt Trevor might sort himself out and had not wanted to jump too quickly, as that would turn his son against him unnecessarily.
Alex made several phone calls when Trevor had left him including one to Ray Colt, he was very hurt by his findings and mentally couldn’t accept that his son could be so loving to his face and be planning to overthrow him behind his back. He knew it would break his wife Wendy’s heart if anything happened to Trevor; she worshipped the ground he walked on as he was their only child. She had spoilt him and would never be able to accept anything bad said about him. If she knew what he had been up to Alex knew she would divorce him before accepting it. He found himself in a dilemma as to what action he could take without losing his wife as well as his son.
Stephanie sat at Antony’s bedside watching the life support machine keeping him with her with, his heart beat weakly going across the monitor. The doctor’s had told her that if by fluke he ever came round he would be a cabbage for the rest of his life, as he had server brain damage, she knew deep down that there was really no hope for him.
She still spoke to him in the hope that somewhere in his subconscious he would understand her words and know she had stayed with him until the end.
“God only knows my love, it should have been me and not you, I only wish it was. If you’d never met me you’d have had a normal life span and none this would have happened to you. I could dream to think that I’m carrying
you baby and I’ll never know if you can hear me tell you and even if somewhere in your mind you can understand what I’m saying that you’ll never be able to see your baby let alone anything else.”
Stephanie felt Antony’s hand fractionally squeeze hers. She looked at him speechless, suddenly the windows blew open and a freezing gust of air blew into the room. Stephanie felt the burning sensation upon her shoulder with her body being pulled round to face the red eyes of an indescribable creature; she let out a terrified scream as the lights went out in the room!
As Zaneen walked down the corridor she heard Stephanie’s scream and rushed into the room close on the heels of the nurse who had been outside Antony’s door. The nurse stopped dead in front of her as the creature moved towards them yanking out the plug for the life support machine as it did so. Stephanie had fainted and fallen on the floor in a heap, the nurse seemed riveted to the spot as the fiery red eyes transferred its gaze to Zaneen. For the first time in her life Zaneen felt herself dripping with the cold sweat of fear, she forced herself to move forwards avoiding the gaze of the fiery eyes and chanting the Lord’s Prayer while holding out the cross from around her neck.
The creature reeled back making an atrocious noise as it went out of the window leaving behind an indescribable odour as it went into a whirlpool of red mist that fell to the floor of the room forming a small pile of dust on the floor. Zaneen turned from closing the windows to see Paul, who had entered the room to see the creature go out of the window with the cross Zaneen had placed round his neck, in his hand and he pressed it against the forehead of the nurse, with smoke coming from it as it burnt its impression into her skin. Doctor Elorang was standing in the doorway with his mouth open, with a look of horror on his face; matron winter’s was alongside him and several other hospital staff who obviously couldn’t believe their eyes. The matron turned hysterical as Zaneen placed her cross on Stephanie’s forehead and Dr. Elorang had to slap her face to bring her back to her senses although the smell of burning flesh didn’t appeal to him either, he knew they were doing the right thing or the crosses wouldn’t have been burning. Some of the nurses ran off down the corridor screaming unable to cope with the situation as Dr. Elorang spoke. Zaneen realized that she was actually soaked with perspiration and her clothes were soaked though and she could feel herself trembling from head to toe.
“Fetch the priest Matron! Now!”
The Matron still stood rigid to the spot as the doctor slapped her round the face and shouted at her.
“Fetch the bloody priest I want him here now not tomorrow or are you totally stupid?”
With that she took off down the corridor as though a cat had got her by the tail. Dr Elorang felt the cross he had in his pocket and took it out placing it round his neck, it made him feel more secure than it had ever done before. He didn’t go near Antony until the Priest arrived especially as he saw the flames that shot out from the plug as Paul tried to reconnect it without success.
Zaneen asked Paul to warn the rest of the family about the danger they were in while she stayed to help the Dr. and the priest, if they should need her. She cradled Stephanie in her arms as the Doctor examined Antony’s body and declared him to be no longer with them. As Antony’s body appeared to go into a form of epileptic fits as the priest gave him the last rights. No one seemed to notice the small pile of dust below the window taking the shape of the revolting creature in a miniature version heading towards Stephanie and Zaneen across the floor.
Antony’s body ceased to jerk and the odour returned to the room as the thick snot like vomit filed through his teeth and over the priest fingers as he held his rosary onto half of Antony’s face. Paul felt himself heave from the smell but was snapped out of it by Zaneen’s screech for help, as he looked to see what else had happened and said “What the fuck” Stephanie’s dress was covered with blood across her stomach and she appeared to be in a hypnotic state. He went to aid Zaneen and the Priest throwing up as the priest ripped the material away to reveal the miniature creature gnawing into Stephanie’s soft belly button with relish. It scratched Zaneen’s cross as she tried to touch it and returned to dust only when the Priest tipped holy water over it, he continued tipping the holy water until Stephanie’s belly was clear, none of them could understand why the blood and wound disappeared without a trace. They all waited in apprehension until Rim arrived with the canisters of holy water that Paul had sent him to fetch.
Dr. Elorang had asked the Matron to fetch a portable bath and insisted that all the occupants of the hospital should be made to wear a cross blessed by the priest. They all bathed fully dressed in the holy water and then placed Antony’s body in it. The body went every revolting shade known to mankind as well as some never seen, before going back to normal. The expression on Antony’s face changed completely and the burn mark of the cross disappeared as it submerged leaving only a peaceful expression.
They all knelt with the Priest as he prayed for Antony’s soul. Zaneen collapsed with shock as the body sat up and began to speak turning to face the Priest.
“Father, for Christ sake look after the baby, don’t let Satan take him, PLEASE I BEG YOU MAKE SURE ……”
At this point the body of Antony Williams had collapsed and submerged back into the bath of holly water.
They all looked at each other wondering what he had meant and stared at Stephanie as she spoke.
“God help me and our baby, what do I have to do, please tell me someone I’m carrying his child.”
The pleading expression on Stephanie’s face stood out a mile but they were all at a quandary as to what was to be done.
They all listened quietly as the Priest spoke thinking that if anything was to happen to him they would have to know how to cope without him and not wanting to miss any little point he might make as it could make all the difference for Stephanie or her unborn child.
“My child I shall have to contact Father Neil, you see he is the only one I can think of who might be able to tell us what we have to do in order to save your babies soul!”
Rim was given the directions to fetch Father Neil and the Priest blessed his cross and the holy water he took with him to be on the safe side, telling him to let Father Neil know exactly what had happened before leaving the church grounds as he might need some things from there to bring along with him to the hospital. They all waited feeling as though they were on a razors edge.
Sergeant Edwards bumped into Rim as he was leaving the hospital and asked him what the hell was going on. He had been called by one of the nurses with a garbled message and thought she must have been dreaming until another nurse had called him then he considered it best to come over and find out for himself. Rim noted that Edwards already told him, he knew the rest of them had enough problems and he felt like taking someone else along with him in his hired car, the creepy lanes of Satra that he normally wouldn’t have considered creepy made even Rim feel insecure under the circumstances of what had gone on that night. He told the Sergeant he would explain everything to him if he would care to join him while he went to fetch Father Neil. Edwards’s curiosity was wetted by the fact that big Rim was going for yet another Priest and he went with him willingly, after all what could happen to him with such a powerful man at his side.
The Wind got up as they approached the church and Rim’s foot went steadily down on the accelerator, he could see something unpleasant behind him and wasn’t sure if it was his imagination or not. He had given Sergeant Edward’s the information he could by the time they got to the church yard and Edwards didn’t feel to secure even next to Rim.
Rims footsteps gradually quickened as they crossed the graveyard Sergeant Edwards was virtually hanging onto his arm by the time they reached the door and Rim started banging on it ferociously, after what he’d heard and experienced along with the fact that Rim considered it worthwhile to run away from whatever might be behind them, then he certainly wasn’t brave enough to stop and take a look or even consider facing whatever it was they
had all been frightened out of their minds by. Some things he might be but foolhardy enough to risk something like that he was definitely not. In actual fact he wished he’d never ventured out of his bed to get involved with this lot in the first place.
Rim was more than relieved when Father Neil opened the door he virtually darted over the threshold, sergeant Bill Edwards lost all his dignity practically landing on top of Rim in his panic not to be left behind. Father Neil knew exactly why as he spotted the red mist around the hired car they had arrived in. He shut the doors and put a bar across them at the greatest of speed. Rim was more than glad to help him placing a blessed cross and holy water in every entrance and exit humanly possible. Bill Edwards had completely lost his nerve and was like a shadow to the Priest but then who in their right mind could blame him for that as far as Rim was concerned, he felt like doing the same thing himself, the only thing stopping him being his pride in his hard man reputation.
The wind howled and the doors and windows rattled and shook whilst Rim informed Father Neil of the events that had taken him there. The Priest didn’t wonder at the fear in their faces only a fool would not have been half frightened to death in his opinion, and these two didn’t have any idea what they had in store to come in the next few hours or even days. No-one knew how long it would take to put things to rights.
Madam Helena led Sergeant Edwards into the kitchen at the back of the church; they were both trembling violently and holding onto each other. He sat at the kitchen table while she put the kettle on; chewing his thumb nail he took a bottle of Brandy out of the cupboard above her head, leaning in close to her. He could not help but notice what a tiny waist she had, finding himself wanting to get even closer, but because of Helena being a novice nun he knew he really should not be having any feelings towards her, looking at her he could see that she’s still a beautiful woman under that habit and he was not an overly religious man. He watched as she took her wimple off, her long braided raven hair reached her tail bone, upbraiding it she ran her hands though her roots and gave it a shake. Sergeant Bill moved forwards hoping shed make the first move so he could reciprocate.
