The Taking of Eden

by Robin Alexander

  Happy to be outside of the confines of the small cabin and alone, Holly walked along the gravel road that circled the lake.

  She breathed in the fresh night air, feeling it clear her head. She felt a little guilty for leaving Jamie alone to tend their patient, but she knew if she didn't get away, she would explode and say things she didn't mean. She wondered if life would ever be normal again as she made her way slowly back to the cabin. She smiled to herself ruefully. No, it wouldn't.

  Jamie's hand shook as she pushed away from the table. "I can't take this, Holly! Can't we just do it thirty minutes early?" she asked as she ran her fingers shakily through her hair.

  Eden shrieked again at the top of her lungs, "You evil bitches!"

  "No, we can't give it to her now. We have to stick to the dosing schedule. We can't make exceptions if we want her to get better," Holly stated resolutely.

  Eden lay across the couch kicking and pulling at her clothes with all the energy she could muster. Jamie tried to soothe her by rubbing her cramping legs and found herself nearly kicked across the room.

  "I know it's for her own good, but she's hurting. I can't take it," Jamie said as she paced back and forth.

  "Go outside and get some fresh air. When it's time to give her the injection, I'll call you back in. Take a break." Holly rubbed Jamie's shoulders.

  Jamie headed for the door, and the last of her resolve nearly crumbled when Eden pleaded for her not to leave. Holly gave a little nudge toward the door and approached Eden warily.

  "Eden, don't even think about trying to hit or kick me. I'm trying to help you. You've got to try and focus on something else besides the pain," Holly said as she sat on the recliner.

  Eden's hair clung to her face in a mixture of sweat and tears. Her breath came in pants as she dug her nails into the sofa cushion. "Focus? Focus on what? You hateful whore! You're doing this on purpose!" Eden spat as she doubled over when the spasms in her stomach intensified. "I hate you." She broke into tears again as she buried her face into her pillow.

  Holly watched the clock, willing the hands to move faster, as Eden continued to thrash around and curse her, her family, and even her pets. She watched helplessly as Eden's body contorted in pain.

  When the time came, she jumped up and called for Jamie, who occupied Eden while Holly retrieved the medications from their hiding place. Her hand shook as she drew the liquid into the syringe. She had wanted to give it to Eden early just as badly as Jamie but knew one of them had to stay in control.

  Eden lay as still as she could, though her body trembled, as Holly gave her the injection. Jamie held her and rocked her like a child until she cried herself to sleep. Finding herself even more exhausted from the ordeal, Jamie gave into sleep, as well, and let her head fall back onto the couch in slumber, still clutching Eden to her tightly.

  Holly watched them both as they rested. She had so much invested in this, she wondered if she had made the right decision. Would Eden ever be normal again? Was she ever normal in the first place?

  Al Pittman paced back and forth, clutching his favorite pipe to his chest. He'd called earlier in the day posing as a family friend and was told by Eden's assistant that she had checked in frequently and had been enjoying herself in the Bahamas. He prayed that it was the truth, but he knew in his heart that something was indeed very wrong.

  He knew the assistant was lying; there was no way Eden would stay away for so long without contacting him. He snatched up the phone and made a call. It was time to pull some strings.

  "Jamie." Holly shook her friend gently. "Honey, wake up." Jamie opened her eyes slowly and looked up at Holly. "You go upstairs and sleep in the bed. I'll stay down here with Eden."

  Jamie looked around disoriented. Holly had already cleaned the kitchen and dressed for bed. "No, you take the bed tonight. I had it last night, that's only fair. Besides, I'd just feel better being close to her."

  Holly looked at her friend strangely. "Are you getting a little attached?" she asked with a grin.

  Jamie scowled. "No, I would just feel better being down here in case she needs anything. I had a good night's sleep last night, you deserve one tonight."

  "Just yell if you need me," Holly said as she headed for the loft, looking forward to sleeping in a real bed after spending the night before in the recliner.

  Jamie scooted from underneath Eden and laid her head gently on her pillow. She stood and stretched her screaming muscles. Finding a blanket and pillow, she burrowed into the old chair and lay facing the woman who was still such a mystery to her. She listened to the slow steady breathing and studied the soft features that were not obscured by hair that clung to her beautiful face.

  She wondered what kind of clothes Eden usually wore. Did she wear makeup? She certainly didn't need it. Even in her current unkempt state, she was beautiful. "Who are you, Eden Carlton?" she asked quietly in the darkness.

  Eden was clad only in one of Donald's old T-shirts and a pair of the new underwear that Paul picked up with the supplies. Jamie smirked, feeling certain that Eden would have never chosen granny panties for herself. Eden stretched and put one of her arms behind her head, causing the shirt to rise a little and reveal her stomach.

  Jamie tried to pull her eyes away from the silky-looking skin but was captivated by the sight. Her eyes slowly drifted up the long slender body to her breasts where her nipples strained against the worn cloth. Jamie forced herself to look away, feeling guilty for the thoughts she was having.

  She burrowed farther into the chair and found herself staring at a pair of long legs that looked golden in the firelight. She remembered the feelings it conjured when she held them as she ran the razor over Eden's skin.

  Jamie's eyes closed, and those same legs were waiting for her in her dreams, only this time, they felt different as she trailed her fingertips up silky thighs.

  Jamie was summoned from the land of dreams by the smell of bacon frying. She grinned before she ever opened her eyes, thankful for Holly's consideration. She stretched and groaned, surprised at how good she felt after sleeping in the recliner. She glanced over at Eden who was still sound asleep, one arm hanging off the side of the couch and the blankets on the floor.

  After a quick trip to the bathroom, Jamie followed her nose to the coffeepot and poured herself a cup, nearly purring as she took her first sip. Holly glanced over and greeted her with a smile. "Biscuits will be ready soon," she said as she took the scrambled eggs from the heat. "How'd you sleep?"

  "Good," Jamie responded cheerfully. "Looks like Eden had a restless night, though."

  "That couch can't be very comfortable, and she has been on it since we arrived. I'm not even going to try and get her up into that loft, though." Holly pulled the biscuits from the oven and set them on the table. "I'll fix our plates if you'll see if you can get Sleeping Beauty to join us."

  After a tug of war with the sheet, Eden reluctantly got up from the couch with Jamie's assistance. She sat at the table and gulped the glass of water Jamie set in front of her. "Easy there, Spike," Holly said teasingly. "Don't drink so fast. It might make you sick."

  "What did you call me?" Eden asked hoarsely.

  "Spike, because most of your hair is standing straight up," Holly kidded as she took her seat at the table.

  Jamie chuckled.

  "What are you laughing at?" Eden asked as she reached again for the water.

  "You know what a cowlick is, right? Well, it looks like a whole herd of cows got a hold of your head last night."

  Holly and Jamie burst into a fit of laughter, as Eden looked at them with a small grin tugging at the corners of her mouth. "Go ahead, you two, make fun of me while I'm down, some bedside manner you have," she said as she began to chuckle, as well.

  "You seem to be feeling much better this morning," Jamie said as she patted Eden on the hand.

  "I still feel like I have a terrible hangover, but I'm not aching as bad..." Eden paused for a moment. "I'm sorry about the things I said last night." />
  Holly smiled. "Don't be. If I were in your shoes, I would've probably said much worse. And it's not over yet, you still have a while to go. The doses will come further apart now, and you'll hurt for a little while, but we'll do what we can to ease your suffering."

  Jamie sat quietly, watching the interaction between the two. They both were trying their best to be cordial, but she could plainly see neither seemed to like the other very much. She wondered if Holly was regretting ever getting involved with Eden, who seemed to try her best to be difficult when it came to her.

  Chapter Six

  "How long is it going to take?" Jamie asked as she paced back and forth through the kitchen.

  Paul scrubbed his face with his hands. Still tired from the drive, he was not ready for the onslaught of questions that greeted him when he arrived. "You both know how complicated this is, you've got to be patient."

  Holly held up her hand to silence the tirade that she knew Jamie was about to embark on. "Paul, we feel cut off out here. We have so much time on our hands that we do nothing but mull over our predicament."

  "Donald has been discreetly digging up the dirt on Dr. Lappin. We still don't have all the pieces of the puzzle, but we're getting close," Paul stated emphatically. "Neither of us want to take any chances with your safety, but we feel this is the best course of action for now."

  "What have you found out so far?" Jamie asked before Holly could.

  "Dr. Lappin is in major financial trouble, and apparently, the people she owes are not your typical savings and loan organization. She's involved with some very dangerous people. She's also in the hot seat right now because there are no admission records on Ellen Edmonds, there's nothing in the system. Of course, Susan is blaming that on the head nurse Carmen."

  Jamie glanced at Holly nervously. "Maybe we should reconsider and just go to the police and take our chances."

  "That's not a good idea at this point. Dr. Lappin is one cool customer. They've played the interview with her on the news repeatedly. She has knitted together a very convincing story against you two," Paul said as he sipped his coffee.

  "What is she saying about us now, aside from us being drug addicts and molesting our patients?" Jamie asked.

  Paul looked up from his cup of coffee. "So you've been watching the news?"

  "The satellite isn't hooked up. We've been watching spaghetti westerns all week," Holly growled. "Donald told us about the accusations the morning we left the clinic. Smug bitch, they didn't even write Eden's name on the dosing schedule. We have no way of proving that it was Lappin that ordered the meds."

  Jamie felt rage tingling at her scalp.

  Paul sighed. "That head nurse would've been the key. If she could've been pressured to tell the truth, you two wouldn't be in this situation."

  Holly's dark brows knitted together in confusion. "What do you mean, 'would've been the key'?"

  Paul set his cup down and looked at them for a second in surprise. "She's dead," he blurted out.

  Holly's face blanched as she cupped her hands over her nose and mouth. "I checked her pulse, she was alive...! didn't kill her."

  Jamie jumped up from her seat and reached out to Holly. Tears poured from her eyes as Holly slapped her hands away and ran out the door. "I have to go to her, Paul, please stay with Eden," she said as she went after Holly.

  She found her friend sitting on the small pier extending slightly into the lake. Holly had her arms wrapped around herself, rocking back and forth. Jamie could hear her mournful cries long before she got near her. She approached slowly and gently wrapped Holly into her arms.

  "I didn't kill her," Holly sobbed, shaking uncontrollably. "She was alive when we left that room. She was bleeding so much when I looked at her, but the head bleeds so profusely, I thought to myself, when I felt for a pulse. I couldn't have hit her that hard, Jamie!" Holly wailed into Jamie's chest.

  "Listen to me, Holly," Jamie said as she rubbed her back. "Carmen aimed a gun at us. Had you not taken action, she may have killed one of us, if not both. It was self-defense."

  Holly pulled away from Jamie and looked into her eyes. "I know she was threatening us, but I never meant to kill her," Holly said as her sobs took control of her again.

  Paul watched helplessly as Holly rushed past him and climbed straight into the loft. "I'm so sorry. I thought you knew already," he said, as he sat back down at the kitchen table where Jamie joined him.

  Paul reached across the table and took Jamie's smaller hands into his.

  "What happened the morning you were confronted by your supervisor?" Paul asked gently.

  Jamie fought back a sob as the horror of the situation settled in on her. She relayed the story as the memory of that morning washed over her, making her tremble.

  "According to the news, your supervisor was found beaten to death in her office."

  Jamie's eyes grew wide as her mouth fell agape. "Holly only hit her once. That hardly constitutes a beating."

  "She was 'brutally' beaten to death, there were many broken bones. Whoever she called may have come in and finished the job." Paul blew out an exasperated breath. "Who knows what kind of connections they have? I think it's best that we don't involve the police just yet. You've got to stay here for a while until we can make sense of this. I don't like the idea of leaving you here alone, but someone may put two and two together and follow me here."

  Paul sat quietly for a moment. "I'll still bring supplies when I can, but I'll have to be very careful and come at night from now on. You have the gun in a safe place, right?"

  "I have it tucked away," Jamie said as she dried her face. "I have no doubt that I'll be able to use it if the need arises. If you would've told me that I would be in this situation two weeks ago, I would've said you were crazy. We could've handled this so much better had I only been patient and waited on Donald."

  "Most people would've turned a blind eye to what was happening to that woman." He nodded in the direction of where Eden lay. "You and Holly saved her life. Had they been allowed to continue drugging her the way they were, she would've suffered some very serious neurological effects. You both risked everything to save the life of a patient. That, in my opinion, is very honorable and commands respect."

  Jamie looked over at Eden who slept, oblivious to the conversation, and wondered for a moment if the woman would ever be coherent enough to understand the price they had paid.

  "Donald and I are committed to doing everything in our power to help you through this. You will make it through, Jamie. Just be patient and don't do anything rash until we can figure out a way to have the people involved implicated."

  Paul waited until dusk to begin his journey home. He hugged both women, silently praying that they would be safe until his return.

  "Warn Donald about these people and tell him to be very careful," Jamie sobbed into his shoulder.

  "Don't worry about me and Donald. You two need to help Eden recover quickly. She's the only key we have now," he admonished as he climbed into the cab of the pickup.

  Holly dropped her cards onto the kitchen table. "I hate card games; why did I let you talk me into playing?"

  "It was your idea, jackass," Jamie replied with a wicked grin.

  "Let's keep the thing about Carmen to ourselves," Holly blurted out suddenly. "She may not understand right now."

  Jamie blew out a breath. "You're probably right. She's still a little out of it."

  "She deserved what she got." Holly's expression grew dark as her eyes narrowed.

  Jamie looked up at her in surprise. "You don't mean that, Holly."

  "She was just as guilty as the people who killed her. Carmen would be home safe and sound right now had she not gotten herself involved," Holly snapped.

  Jamie opened her mouth to speak as Holly rose from the table.

  "Don't say anything, Jamie, you know I'm right." Holly disappeared into the bathroom.

  Jamie sat dumbstruck as she heard the water in the shower being turned on. She decided
to allow Holly her privacy, knowing she was still grappling with her guilt over Carmen's death.

  A flash of lightning split the night sky with a loud roar of thunder chasing right behind it. Jamie's eyes snapped open, and she realized that she had fallen asleep in the chair. She glanced over at the couch and could see Eden's face illuminated by the orange glow of the fireplace. She rose quietly and ran her hand over the face of the sleeping woman. Eden was covered in sweat and moaned at Jamie's touch to her fevered brow.

  Jamie dampened a cloth in the bathroom and returned to Eden's side. She wiped her face and neck and listened to Eden whimper in her sleep. The next round of medications was not for four hours, and Jamie wondered how bad it would get before then.

  Jamie listened as she heard the wind blow hard through the pines above the silent cabin. Lightning flashed like a strobe light through the windows, and she heard the rain splatter against the glass as the storm moved fully upon them. She worried for Paul, hoping that he had made it safely to his destination. She knew that Paul did not live in Wilmington but neglected to ask exactly where he did reside.

  "Who is Paul?" Eden asked, making Jamie jump in surprise.

  "He's Donald's brother. You probably don't remember, but Donald was the doctor who performed your appendectomy a few years ago," she said as she wiped Eden's brow and watched as her eyes closed again. Eden was obviously in a sleep stupor.

  "Is Laura here?" Eden asked, startling Jamie for a second time.

  "Who's Laura?" Jamie asked as she switched positions and pulled Eden's head into her lap.

  The dark-haired woman lay silent for a moment. "I hurt her feelings," Eden mumbled groggily.

  Jamie sat for a moment, wondering if Eden was talking in her sleep or simply talking out of her head. Either way, it made no sense.

  "I'm not in love with her, she needed to know the truth."

  Jamie's eyes flew open as she stared down at Eden, who looked back up with unfocused eyes. "Sometimes the truth is best, even if it hurts," she said as she stroked Eden's hair.

  "She was so angry," Eden whispered as her eyes fluttered shut.