Edge of the Heat 3

by Lisa Ladew

  Black despair rolled over Norman like a wave. All he wanted at this point was to die. The thought of being paralyzed and incarcerated forever settled a doom over his heart that left no room for light, no room for hope, nothing to look forward to. If he couldn’t take Emma with him, so be it. As long as he didn’t have to be here anymore.

  Footsteps fell in the hall outside his room. Sometimes he could tell who it was by the sound of their walk, but not this time.

  “Norman, Norman, Norman, had a little accident did ya?”

  It was Jensen, one of the easier nurses to deal with.

  Norman shut his eyes, out of energy. He could hear Jensen behind him, gathering items. Jensen ripped off Norman’s diaper from behind and roughly sprayed something on him. Norman could hear the splash of the liquid hitting his skin, but he couldn’t feel it.

  “Gotta get you cleaned up. You’re getting a visitor.”

  Norman opened his eyes. A visitor. A doctor? A cop? He used to have a few friends, but none he would want to come and see him like this. So far no one had visited him except a few doctors and that FBI agent. The one whose sister he had killed.

  Maybe if it was him, he could tell him. He could say hey asshole, I killed your sister, and then I fucked her corpse. He hadn’t, well not the second part anyway, but maybe if he got the FBI agent to believe it, the agent would kill him. Just pull out his gun and put Norman out of his considerable misery.

  “Who?” he croaked at Jensen.

  “Don’t you worry your skinny little ass about it none. You’ll see soon.”

  A slap rang through the room and Norman rocked a little bit in the bed. Had Jensen just slapped him on the ass?

  “You should really do something about these bedsores Norman. They get any bigger and they gonna swallow you.”

  Norman gritted his teeth, willing himself not to say anything. He knew better. Sassing the nurses was a bad idea. He couldn’t feel the bedsores, so he really didn’t care. But he knew they must be getting bad. The bastards should be turning him every few hours, not once a damn day.

  Jensen finished whatever he was doing and pulled something across the floor. A chair?

  “Gonna turn you over here so you can talk. You gonna talk today Norman?”

  Jensen walked around to the side of the bed Norman was facing, undid Norman’s restraints, and pushed Norman over so he was laying on his other side. He grabbed the pillows and propped him up. Norman’s neck sighed in relief at the change in position.

  Jensen refastened Norman’s restraints, then grabbed his garbage and disappeared out the door.

  Norman had once asked why he had restraints. He was paralyzed for fuck’s sake. It’s not like he could walk out or even hit anybody. The nurse had answered that all paralyzed prisoners had restraints, in case they were faking, or in case they regained movement in their limbs. That had given Norman hope at the time. But the hope had died over the last month. He wasn’t regaining anything.

  Norman looked around, eying the layout of the room for the millionth time. Nothing was different, except the gray chair that usually rested against the wall was now in the middle of the room. He closed his eyes and waited. His left foot itched intensely, but Norman ignored it. It wasn’t the first time he’d felt it, and it wasn’t like he could scratch it or anything.

  ***

  Hawk walked down the plain gray corridor, listening to the screams and catcalls of the miserable prisoners housed within. He quickened his pace, wanting to get this over and done with as soon as possible. How anyone could stand to work here boggled his mind. This place sucked the life out of him as soon as he pulled in the parking lot. By the time he made it into the lobby he felt 90 years old.

  It was good, though, he told himself. It had to be doing the same to Norman, so maybe a new tactic would convince Norman to talk. The last time he had come to see Norman, mostly just to find out if being shot had caused Norman to want to confess to anything, Norman had refused to look at him or talk to him.

  This time, Hawk hoped things were different. Norman had had several weeks to wallow in his own helplessness and hopelessness. Maybe now he’d be willing to spill.

  Hawk approached the door to Norman’s room and stopped for a second, going over his plan in his mind. Then he entered swiftly, taking in the room in one glance.

  The room was stark, devoid of even a window, the walls that same horrible gray. There was no TV, no artwork, nothing that might be pleasant. There were a few medical supply cabinets, and the one, small, medical bed.

  Norman lay in the middle, eyes closed, looking supremely uncomfortable. A tiny pillow propped his head at an unnatural angle. A threadbare hospital gown covered his body. His legs and feet were bare. Hawk could tell Norman had lost weight since he had last visited. Norman’s color was bad. His face had lost that healthy glow and the padding of good nutrition. Now his cheekbones looked sharp as razors, and his eyes were sunken to new depths.

  Hawk almost felt sorry for him. He was sure this fate was worse than death for a man like Norman. All of a sudden, he doubted his plan. If Norman were hoping to die, a little pain wouldn’t scare him. He might enjoy being told what Hawk was about to tell him.

  Hawk sat down in the flimsy chair and reevaluated. Well, the plan was the plan, and he wouldn’t know until he tried it. If it didn’t work, he would wait another few weeks and come back with something different.

  “Norman, are you ready for your transfer?” Hawk put all the hard strength he had into his voice.

  Norman opened his eyes.

  Yes! thought Hawk.

  Norman watched him silently, sizing him up. Trying to drink the knowledge from his soul.

  Hawk waited. This part was crucial. Norman had to initiate the contact or this visit would go nowhere fast. Hawk forced himself to relax. This would only work if Norman thought that Hawk didn’t need anything from him, and if Norman decided that he needed something from Hawk. The room though - the gray room with no window pressed in on Hawk and tried to steal his breath. If only there were a window in the far wall! A glimpse of sunlight would have made this much easier.

  Hawk stared into Norman’s eyes, but turned his mind’s eye to lighter things, happier things, prettier things. Imagining sunlight streaming through the tree branches, warming his skin. A soft spring breeze stirring the faint scent of jasmine. His old dog Bear, as a fluffy, black puppy, licking his face. The smell of puppy breath. The delicious curve of a woman’s hips and breasts. The way Vivian’s eyes crinkled when she laughed. The feel of a -

  “What transfer?” Norman croaked, sounding weak and done to Hawk’s ears.

  Norman heard it to. He lifted his head and cleared his throat.

  “Last week your doctor told me he was thinking about clearing you for general population soon.”

  “General population? But I’m a cop!”

  Hawk nodded. “You were a cop, but this is a prison hospital, not a prison. The rule that keeps former cops out of general population in prisons has never been instated here. They aren’t sure what to do with you.”

  Norman dropped his head and closed his eyes again. Hawk waited. Hawk and Norman both knew what happens to former cops when they are put in the general population in a prison. Most don’t last 24 hours. None survive. The malice for former cops is strong in prison. That’s why the rule was put into place, that former cops were kept separate from the rest of the prisoners. Without it, a prison sentence is a death sentence for cops.

  Norman spoke with his eyes closed. “But I’m paralyzed. Where would I go?”

  “You would have a bed in an open ward with other prisoners with varying degrees of non-medical problems. Some paralyzed like you, most not.”

  Hawk let that sink in and then went on. “That’s a hard row to hoe for a former cop, I know. I wouldn’t want to be there myself. So I thought I would see if something could be done for you. I called the Governor. His office said he was deferring all decisions of that matter to the Senator. So I called the Sen
ator.”

  Hawk waited a beat, then pushed forward with the lie. “The Senator said he didn’t care what happened to you and he supported whatever your doctor decided.”

  Hawk sat, studying Norman. This was where it all fell apart or came together. Either Norman decided he wanted to die, and general population was the way to do that, or Norman decided he was ready to live, and he needed to find a way to get out of it.

  Norman’s jaw clenched. Hawk imagined he could hear the teeth grinding together.

  “Which Senator?” Norman finally spat out, his voice hateful and tight.

  “Oberlin.”

  Norman’s teeth appeared and bit down onto his lower lip. Hawk watched a trickle of blood flow slowly to the pillow. Norman wasn’t acting defeated. He didn’t look dead yet.

  “I could talk to your doctor maybe. See if there was anything else he could do for you. Maybe a semi-private room with another paralyzed inmate. No danger to you.”

  Norman kept working his lip.

  “I’d be happy to do it for you if you would cooperate with me, just a little bit.”

  Norman’s teeth bit deeper. Hawk half stood, alarmed. He didn’t want to watch Norman bite off his own lip.

  “Norman, stop that!”

  Norman opened his eyes and let go of his lip, looking alarmed. His tongue snaked out and tasted the blood.

  “I’m going to go get you a nurse. Will you think about what I said?”

  Norman nodded, once.

  Hawk left the room, hoping he’d just gotten his big break.

  Chapter 3

  Vivian sat in the patio swing on Emma and Craig’s back porch, enjoying the fading summer sunlight, and watched her sister work the party. Emma was a true social butterfly. She loved people and people loved her back. Men, especially, softened around her. Craig stood at the grill, flipping the burgers, and Emma stood near him so she could sometimes put a hand on his arm or kiss him on the cheek. Craig listened intently to every word she said, laughed at all of her jokes, and frequently looked at her with all the love in the world in his eyes.

  Vivian sighed. They were such an adorable and sweet couple. So obviously in love, and so obviously right for each other. It was hard not to be jealous. Her own track record with men made her sad. She was 31 years old and her longest relationship had been in college, but it had fallen flat like all of the rest of her relationships. The problem with her was she liked her men big and brawny and smart and sweet and that combination was hard to find. She liked the feeling of a solid wall of man pressing up against her. A man she knew could protect her against anything. But a man who would never, ever hurt her. She watched Craig nibble on her sister’s ear. Craig was that type of man. Big, strong, smart, protective, kind, gentle. He was too fair-haired for her taste though. She liked darker hair and smoldering eyes. Like Hawk. Where was he anyway?

  She looked around but didn’t see him. Maybe he wasn’t coming. She didn’t know whether to be glad or sad at the thought. On the one hand if he came she could enjoy watching his muscles move under his shirt. But on the other hand if he didn’t, she didn’t have to be worried about his constant rejection. It hurt.

  The patio door opened and Jerry came out with a blond woman Vivian hadn’t seen before. Vivian smiled. She got the idea that Jerry was something of a playboy. If he was, he was certainly sweet about it. Not in a nasty, misogynistic way. He just liked women. A lot.

  Jerry kissed Emma and shook Craig’s hand, then saw Vivian and waved. He made introductions to the woman all around and Vivian thought she overheard ‘sister’. Jerry’s sister?

  She got up and walked over, wanting to meet this sister.

  As she got closer, she could tell that Jerry’s sister’s hair was pink, not blond. It was a light pink on the top and to her ears, but the last 4 or 5 inches were a fluorescent, in-your-face pink. Emma was already picking up a curl and exclaiming over it.

  “Wow, your hair is gorgeous,” Vivian told her.

  “Thanks!” the bouncy, gorgeous, surfer-girl said. She stuck out her hand and grabbed Vivian’s, pumping it a few times. “I’m Jen, just Jen not Jennifer. Jerry’s my big brother.” She snuggled into Jerry’s chest at this and he smiled down at her.

  “Nice to meet you, I’m Vivian.”

  Jerry interrupted. “Ooooh Emma, you’ll never guess who I saw working with the rest of the peasants down in the E.R. yesterday after work.”

  “Who?” Emma asked.

  “Reece! Apparently he got a DUI and lost his head of department status and may even lose his job altogether!”

  Vivian saw her sister exclaim in surprise but she quickly swiveled to watch Craig’s face. His jaw tightened and clenched, like he was trying to chew nails. He didn’t like Reece one bit.

  Jerry turned to his sister. “Reece is a doctor who is a big fat jerk. He took Emma on a couple of dates and decided that meant he could help himself to her body. She had to set him straight with a head-butt to the nose.”

  Jen’s eyes grew big as saucers and she put her hand on Emma’s arm. “Ohmigod that must have been so scary!”

  “Serves him right,” Craig said. “I keep meaning to go and visit him. Maybe on Monday.”

  The group was interrupted by the patio door opening again. Three men came out to the porch at once. Vivian didn’t recognize any of them, but guessed immediately they were the leaving FBI agents. Everything about them said FBI. She was introduced to all of them but forgot their names as quickly as they were spoken. Her mind just wanted to know where Hawk was and it wouldn’t focus on anything else. She didn’t dare ask, not wanting to tip anyone off to her desperation.

  The night wore on and although Vivian kept watch for Hawk, she stopped expecting him to show. It’s just as well, she sighed inside her own head. With my luck I’d see him steal off with young, lovely Jen and make out with her in the corner. The thought made her want to cry.

  Dinner was burgers, hot dogs, steaks, brats, and chicken, with some watermelon and cake for dessert. Vivian tried not to eat till she was stuffed but she couldn’t help it. Between courses she caught Emma alone at the dessert table.

  “Oh Emma, I got the results back from my DNA test. There were no matches,” Vivian told her, disappointment leaking out in her voice.

  “Oh no! I thought for sure you would find something.”

  Craig came up beside them for seconds on cake. “What DNA test?”

  “Vivian is looking for our family and she sent some DNA in to an online database to look for matches.”

  Craig smiled at Emma and pushed a stray lock of hair behind her ear. “Oh, what database did it search?”

  Vivian shook her head. “I’m not sure. Just their own database I guess.”

  Craig frowned. “You should let me test you. I can send it in to CODIS. It’s a nationwide database and it’s huge. Anyone who has ever been arrested in the last 30 years or so is in it.”

  Emma and Vivian exchanged a look. If criminals came back as their family, did they really want to know about it?

  Emma nodded slightly. “That’s a good idea Viv, I mean you need to know for your tumor right?”

  “Yeah,” Vivian said. “It would be best if I could find an entire family line and my doctor could examine it for illnesses like mine and see what their treatment and prognosis was.”

  Vivian rubbed her stomach directly over where she knew the tumor was sitting, slowly winding itself around her intestines. The tumor didn’t scare her. Her doctor had given her a 95% chance of completely eliminating it from her body within the next 5 years, but he’d said her best treatment would be found only by studying her family history. That’s what had led her here to Westwood Harbor, and partly how she had found Emma.

  “Ok Craig, what do you need from me?”

  “Let me ask Hawk. He’s the expert. We can go in tomorrow and get started on it. I’m sure he won’t mind.”

  Vivian startled at Hawk’s name. She looked around, but she still didn’t see him. “Where is he?” she w
hispered to Craig.

  “Oh he’ll be here. He got some information from Norman and he’s trying to figure out if it’s valid or not.”

  “What? Norman’s talking?”

  “A little bit. Hawk went out to see him yesterday and Norman seems to be willing to give up a little bit at a time in exchange for better accommodations. It sucks, but right now it’s all we can do. Hawk is bent over his computer trying to see if the information is really true, before he gives Norman what he wants.”

  Vivian shivered at the thought of Norman, still out there, still affecting their lives.

  Chapter 4

  Emma sat on Craig’s lap and watched the fire send sparks into the night air. She snuggled into Craig’s chest and listened contentedly to the crackle of the fire. The party was winding down. Jerry and Jen had already left, and so had two of Craig’s friends. The only people left were Vivian and Dennis, the handsome, dark-skinned FBI agent that Emma had once mistaken for the man in her vision. They were across the fire talking. Emma wasn’t sure what about, but it seemed Dennis was sharing funny stories from when he was on patrol.

  “Too bad Hawk never came,” Emma told Craig. “I think Vivian was looking forward to seeing him.”

  “Yeah, what’s up with that?” Craig asked, running his hand idly through her hair. “She was all jumpy when I mentioned him before.”

  “Well, you know, she likes him, but he doesn’t like her back.”

  “She likes him?” Craig whispered, sitting up and looking interested all of a sudden.