The Taking of Eden

by Robin Alexander

  Her thoughts turned to Ellen Edmonds, as she remembered their encounter earlier in the day. The image of Ellen standing in the hall looking at her with such a hollow expression was so unlike their meeting earlier that morning. Something about the woman haunted her.

  Before the end of her shift that same day, she made one more trip down the hall where Ellen's room was located and peeked through the glass. The mysterious patient stood with her back to the observation window, slowly swaying back and forth. Jamie watched her for a while, and as she made a move to leave, Ellen turned slowly and looked at her as though she could see through the one-way glass. Jamie's heart broke as she noticed the tears that streamed down Ellen's face.

  The patient approached the glass and pressed her fingertips to it near where Jamie was standing. Overcome with sadness for a woman she did not know, Jamie pressed hers to the glass, as well, feeling as though they shared some sort of connection.

  Ellen drew back slowly, lay down in her bed, and curled into a ball.

  Jamie dabbed at her own moist eyes, surprised that the incident evoked such emotion within her.

  "It's about time you got here!" Susan growled as Laura casually strolled through the door.

  She smiled as she set her purse down. "You know, Susan, you have at your fingertips medications that will help you cope with anxiety. You should really try something." Her voice dripped with sarcasm.

  "You are my greatest source of stress, my dear," Susan quipped.

  "For your information, I've spent the day going over the dummy accounts to assure that the transfers won't raise suspicion, so chill out. I've gone to great lengths to make everyone believe she's on vacation, which is no easy feat when the woman has not missed a day of work in three years. Do you have any idea how many fake emails I have to write each day on her behalf?"

  "Dinner is ready. Come sit down." Susan gestured toward the table angrily after being made to wait.

  Laura waited as Susan pulled the chair out for her. She smiled, thinking that she had the doctor wrapped around her little finger. "So how is Eden doing? Are you keeping your end of the deal?"

  "She is so screwed up that she doesn't even know what day it is. Carmen is taking good care of her."

  "In another couple of weeks, we'll put all this behind us and slip away to parts unknown. We'll have enough to live the way we want to in obscurity. Work will become a thing of the past, and debt will no longer haunt you," Laura said smugly, as Susan gently clanked her wine glass with hers.

  Laura sipped the wine and grimaced. Susan had no taste for fine wine. Laura already had her replacement waiting in the wings. There would be no place in her life for the doctor; she would make sure Susan would never see a cent of the money she had worked so hard for. Susan wouldn't care; she figured the dead had no concerns anyway, and that's exactly what she would be when the debt collector came calling.

  Carmen was startled by the phone ringing, waking her from a deep sleep. She fumbled for the phone and growled when she noticed the time. "Yes?" she answered curtly.

  "I'm sorry to wake you, Carmen, but you said to report anything that concerned Ellen Edmonds," the night charge nurse said, feigning sympathy.

  Carmen switched on the lamp and squinted as her eyes adjusted to the light. "What has she done now?"

  "She requested a glass of water, and when Tom took it to her, she snatched his penlight from his chest pocket and rammed it so far up his nose that he may have to have surgery." The night nurse tried her best not to chuckle as the image of the big man with a light hanging out of his left nostril ran across her mind. "Do you want us to sedate her?"

  Carmen felt anger run from the tips of her toes to every strand of hair on her head. "No, don't give her anything. I want you to get some help, and I want her restrained to that bed, and I don't give a rat's ass if her ranting and raving keeps everyone awake until morning!"

  The nurse sighed and looked at the others as she hung up the phone. "She wants us to form a posse and tie the little filly down."

  "Shit!" was the resounding response from the staff standing around the nurse's station. No one wanted to wrestle with Ellen Edmonds.

  Jamie grinned as she pulled into the long driveway of the palatial home of Donald Briggs. In his day, he was considered one of the most gifted surgeons in the country. The aging process had not been kind, and he had been forced to retire when his hands were no longer steady. Nowadays, he spent his leisure time teaching, instead of giving into the lull of retirement.

  He greeted Jamie at the door with a warm hug. Just being around the lively young woman who held a special place in his heart made him feel young again. He realized how much he missed the days at the hospital with her.

  Jamie watched saddened, as he made his way slowly to the hall closet to collect his coat. She remembered a time when his gait was sure and strong. Even though he was well up in age when she worked with him, he didn't seem old to her. But watching him now, she realized the ravages of time were taking a toll on his body.

  She turned teary eyes to the pictures that adorned his foyer, most of which were of his cherished wife, Beth, who had passed away just before he retired. Jamie remembered how Donald seemed to age as he sat at her bedside while cancer claimed her body. He was never the same after her death. And now he spent most of his time alone in the house they used to share, with only memories.

  The beautiful autumn day was the perfect complement to lunch at their favorite bistro. Jamie sat back after the meal and breathed in the crisp air as Donald brought her up to date on his life. "I've missed our lunches together." He tenderly placed his hand over Jamie's. "How's your family?"

  Jamie smiled at the mention of her loved ones. "Mom and Dad are great and really love living in Seattle. I owe them a visit soon. Ann still lives in Jacksonville with her husband, and my little niece is two years old now and full of mischief like her favorite aunt."

  Donald carefully filled his pipe with cherry tobacco, and Jamie closed her eyes for a moment, allowing the aroma to churn up memories of the days they used to spend hours talking. As she looked over at Donald, the smoke swirled around his head before being carried off on the breeze. For a split second, it was just like old times.

  "You need to bring her by sometime; I would love to spoil her rotten. It's been so long since I've had a little one around," Donald said with a hint of sadness in his voice.

  Jamie's heart sank when she looked into the soft blue eyes peering back at her under white brows. The once-strong hand shook slightly as it clutched the pipe. She fought the lump that rose in her throat as she thought that they might not have many more days like this.

  "Well then, it's a date. When I have a weekend off, I'll have Ann bring her up, and we can make a complete brat out of her, then send her back home," Jamie responded shakily, fighting the emotion that coiled up in her throat.

  Donald was silent for a moment as he studied the face across from him. "What's troubling you, Jamie? I can tell when something's wrong. It shows in your eyes."

  So lost in the moment, Jamie had nearly forgotten the reason she'd come. "Donald, I think I've stumbled onto something, and I'm not sure how to handle it. There's a patient at the center who I think you may have operated on before you retired. I was hoping to dig up a little background information on her."

  "Why not have a look at her chart?"

  "That's the problem. Her chart is locked in the nursing supervisor's office. It's strictly off-limits. The attending physician will only trust my supervisor with her care."

  Donald's brow furrowed. "Why all the secrecy? Is she someone special?"

  "I'm afraid I don't know much about her. All our patients are high-profile people, so I'm sure she's someone important."

  "And what's this woman's name?" Donald asked as he sipped his tea.

  "Ellen Edmonds is what we've been told, but the patient says her name is Eden Carlton."

  Donald's eyebrows shot up in mid-sip. He pulled the glass from his mouth quickly and stared
at Jamie. "Eden Carlton was one of the last patients I operated on. I remember her well. She drove herself to the hospital with a ruptured appendix. She was in excruciating pain." He set his glass down on the table. "Describe this woman to me."

  "She's tall and has brown hair that hangs just past her shoulders, big expressive slate-colored eyes, and very delicate features. She's a beautiful woman."

  "Sounds just like Eden," Donald said with a look of concern. "But I don't recall her having any history of mental illness."

  Jamie's heart skipped a beat, hoping she was on the right track. "What do you remember about her?"

  Donald sat back in his chair and lit his pipe. "I had stopped taking patients and was simply assisting on most surgeries. When she came in, the hospital was extremely busy, so I was forced to perform her surgery.

  "I checked on her myself the following day. I thought it odd that no one came to see her; there were no flowers in her room. I questioned her about this as gently as I could, and she explained that she had no family, only an elderly friend who was ill at that time, as well. My heart went out to her, and since I didn't have many patients to tend, I spent a little time with her." He smiled and dipped his white head. "We all need someone when we're sick, you know."

  Jamie smiled at her companion. He had been the one to teach her that the patient was a whole person and not to overlook that when tending to his or her illness or injuries. It came as no surprise that the elderly doctor would make time to be of comfort to one of his patients.

  "I hated to release her because I knew she had no one at home to help her and she was still weak from the surgery, but she was so determined that arguing was futile. Later that year, the hospital received a healthy donation from Carlton Industries. Eden sent with it a glowing letter singing my praises. I sent her a card thanking her for her kindness, but I never felt like it was enough."

  "Donald, I'm afraid that this woman is in trouble, but I can't prove it. I sneaked into her room a couple of days ago and had a short conversation with her. I'm relatively convinced that she would be better off without all the medication they're pumping into her, but I have no way of proving it. Any advice you could give me might make a difference."

  "Are you leaving something out here?" Donald asked with his brow arched. "It's not like you to question a doctor's method of treatment."

  "I believe they're doing this to her on purpose, rather than negligence. They use the excuse that the meds they're giving her are new and the attending physician will only trust the nursing supervisor with the dosing, but why lock her chart away? We aren't allowed to have any contact with her at all. I know I sound paranoid, but my gut instinct tells me there's more to this, and it's not on the up and up."

  "I'll tell you what, write down her doctor's name for me and I'll see what I can come up with. It would be very helpful also if you could find out what they're giving her." Donald smiled and patted Jamie's shoulder.

  "If Carmen finds out that I've been snooping, I'll be unemployed."

  Donald smiled again. "I'll be very discreet, but if I do uncover something unethical, you may come under fire before this is over."

  "I realize that, and I'll cross that bridge when I come to it. I just want to make sure I do the right thing." Jamie paused for a moment, gathering her composure. "Donald...when all of this is over, can we get together like this again? I've missed you."

  The following day, Jamie met Holly at what was becoming their second home. Holly had already eaten half of the fried cheese and was enjoying a beer when Jamie arrived. She watched as Jamie dropped into the chair and released a sigh of frustration.

  "Why do I get the impression you're going to tell me something I don't want to hear?" Holly said as she set down a half-eaten cheese stick.

  "Donald confirmed that he performed the appendectomy on Eden Carlton, and the woman at the facility meets the description of the patient he operated on. How would Ellen know that Eden had that surgery if she was not Eden Carlton herself?"

  Holly grinned. "She does have an appendectomy scar. She showed it to me the morning I talked to her, but she didn't say anything about her name being Eden. I think she has so many drugs in her system that she's still under the influence when it's time for her next dose."

  "Donald is going to covertly check out Dr. Lappin, but I feel useless sitting around waiting. Holly, I'm considering doing something very unethical. As a matter of fact, downright illegal. I'm not going to ask you to participate, just look the other way for me." Jamie nervously ran her fingers through her hair.

  "What are you plotting?" Holly asked, already knowing the answer.

  "I'm going to break into Carmen's office and have a look around when I go in for the night shift tomorrow. If that doesn't yield anything, I'm going to draw blood from Eden and have it analyzed."

  Holly stared at Jamie in shock for a moment before a grin broke across her face. "Okay, how do we do it?"

  "There's no need to risk both of our careers. Let me do this alone, and if I'm arrested, you can bail me out and let me sleep on your sofa till the trial is over and I can move back in with my parents." Jamie grimaced. "I'm not really looking forward to a career as a supermarket checkout girl."

  Holly chuckled. "I'm in this just as deep. I hope your parents will take me in, too." She raised her bottle in toast and tapped it against Jamie's. "Tonight we'll consume liquid courage, and tomorrow night, we do the deed."

  Al Pittman puffed his cigar as he stared out the window at his prized rose bed and watched the gardener tend his beautiful babies. Soon a heavy frost would come and take them away until the following spring. He wondered if he would live to see them bud again. Truth be known, he was old and tired of being the one to outlive his friends. The only thing that kept him hanging on was his little rose, whom he had not heard from for a while. And he was deeply troubled.

  He had grown up with Richard Carlton, and his granddaughter Eden was as precious to him as his own flesh and blood. He solemnly promised the day Richard died that he would watch over the last of the Carltons. He had done an excellent job until recently.

  Richard Carlton was not as trusting as his granddaughter, and Al had always been his safeguard. Al worked out of his home and kept a vigilant watch by computer over the day-today operations of each company owned by the Carltons. No one knew of his involvement but Richard. Eden was made aware of Al's position within the company just before her grandfather passed away.

  Al thought it odd when he read a company email from Eden explaining that she had finally decided to take some time off and venture down to the Caribbean. At first, he was thrilled that the young woman was taking some time for herself, but after nearly three months of silence, he had gone past the point of worry. She had always been a phone call away, and their private email account remained silent.

  Before sounding the alarm and calling attention to his presence, he hired an investigator to do some research. When the investigator reported that Eden's credit cards showed no activity, his worry increased considerably. He waited impatiently for news that did not come with every passing day. His precious little rose was missing, and he refused to fear the worst, though it invaded his dreams at night.

  Jamie held Holly's hair as she groaned into the toilet bowl. "Why did you let me drink vodka?" She winced in pain as her voice echoed off the inside of the bowl, causing her pounding head to ache more.

  "I told you not to drink it, but you forged ahead. Challenging half the bar to a drinking game and picking up the tab was your idea, too."

  Holly sat straight up, clutching her spinning head. "You let me do that? How much damage was done to my credit card?"

  "Not to worry. The other patrons took pity on you and settled up for their own drinks."

  Holly wiped her face with the damp cloth Jamie handed her. "Where's my car?"

  "It's still at Newman's. I'll run you by there tomorrow and you can pick it up. Right now you need to get into bed, if you don't think you're going to be sick anymore."
>
  "There's nothing left in my stomach. I think I saw my liver and two ribs in there." Holly pointed at the toilet.

  Jamie helped Holly up and guided the staggering woman to her bedroom. She turned her back and gave her inebriated friend privacy while she changed into her sleepwear. "Why don't you stay with me tonight?" Holly asked, as she climbed slowly into bed. "I don't want you out on the road with all the drunks like me at this hour." She groaned as she lay down. "There are some T-shirts in my dresser, help yourself. But you're gonna have to sleep with me. That sofa is not fit to sleep on."

  Exhausted, Jamie agreed and grabbed a shirt and slipped into the bathroom, quickly changing her clothes. She gingerly climbed into bed, hoping not to disturb her sick friend, who she presumed was asleep. Lying on her back, she felt her eyelids growing heavy when Holly's voice sliced through the darkness. "What's it like, doing it with a woman?"

  Jamie's eyes snapped wide open. "Umm...well, it's different," she stammered nervously.

  Holly grinned, hearing the quiver in her friend's voice. "Stop being all timid. Unless you have a dick and a hairy chest, you don't have to worry about me coming on to you."

  Jamie released a chuckle mixed with relief. "Thanks, I feel better already."

  They both lay in silence, and Jamie's eyes drifted shut once more. She felt sleep begin to wash over her when Holly muttered sleepily, "Although if I were ever going to jump the fence, it would be with you." Jamie's eyes snapped open again in the darkened room. This was going to be a long, sleepless night.

  Chapter Three

  "Kill that damn cat!" Holly groaned loudly.

  Jamie sat straight up in bed and looked around groggily for the offending animal. "What cat?"

  Holly smacked her lips for a moment. "The cat that shit in my mouth."

  Morning came too soon for the both of them. Jamie fixed Holly breakfast to quell the incessant whining and groaning, after which they picked up Holly's car, and both went back to their own apartments to catch up on some much-needed sleep.