Voices in the Darkness

Liz was just about finished dressing. She was in a hurry and asked: "Do you want to stay here tonight Chris? I want you to know your welcome to stay if you don't want a confrontation with Rick."

I knew I had to see Rick right away and determine if he was sorry for what he said earlier or if he was about to give me the boot. For now maybe I had a choice. It was a risky choice but never the less it was a choice. I told Liz I was going to go confront my boyfriend.

Liz was scribbling something on a piece of paper and then said: "Good for you Chris. I'm proud of you for standing up for yourself. Here is my cell number. If you need me or just want to talk call me." Then she kissed me on my cheek.

"Thanks Liz, you are a true friend."

*

Chapter 8

The aroma of freshly brewed coffee filled my senses. It was early and Liz had brought my coffee mug back to me while I was still in bed. That was one of the many thoughtful things that she did which brought me so much happiness. I had come to depend on her for so much and she was always there for me.

"Are you getting out of bed this morning Ms. Sleepyhead? We are to meet with Mr. O'Conner at eight."

I stretched my arms and accepted the coffee from her: "What time is it?"

"It's a little past six. I have some croissants in the oven and they should be ready in a few minutes. So let's get going lover."

My dream was still fresh in my memory and I wanted to tell Liz about it: "I had another flashback dream last night."

"Was it a good or bad memory Chris?"

"This was a good one. I dreamed about you."

Liz sat down next to me and kissed me. We have a favorite way of kissing when we are alone. It isn't even a true kiss, but more a soft and sensuous touching of our lips. "What did you remember?"

"I remembered the night I came here and you told me about Michelle's plan while you changed into your nurse's uniform. You were so beautiful and sexy."

She laughed: "Hey I still am." She opened her robe and flashed me for a second.

I looked at her sexy tan body and asked: "Do we have time to fool around?"

"Nope, not now lover. Wait until tonight and then I will rock your world."

She closed her robe and headed back to the kitchen. I dragged my naked body out of bed and put on my short silk robe. I followed her lead and headed for the kitchen. I could smell the freshly baked croissants and looked forward to a nice breakfast with my guardian angel.

Liz had my favorite blackberry jam out and she prepared a croissant just the way I liked it. We sat and talked briefly about what we had to do. After making a mental schedule Liz changed the subject: "That was so odd that you dreamed about our first encounter last night."

"Why do you think that was odd Liz?"

"Because I dreamed about the same thing. It must have been ESP."

"Were you excited when you let me watch you change your clothes?"

"I didn't want to scare you off Chris because I knew you were still confused about your sexual identity back then, but I was so excited that evening seeing you look at my body. My pussy was tingling and I'm sure I was very wet."

"I wanted you too Liz but I was very confused that night. After I left your place I went home and Rick was mad at me. He didn't apologize for saying that I wasn't doing enough to please him. He got right back in my face and told me I should do whatever he wanted me to do. He said it was his money that paid for everything."

"He was such a jerk Chris. How could you stand to be around him?"

"It was while he was yelling at me that night that I decided to participate in Michelle's plan."

"I remember you called me the next morning and wanted us to meet with Michelle."

I softly sighed as I reflected on what I did: "You know Liz, it was just one of those spur of the moment type decisions. If I would have thought about it logically I wouldn't have done it, so now I'm glad that Rick was such a jerk that night."

"What did you tell Rick?"

"I told him a lie. I said I would do what he wanted. But I had no intentions of having those D cup implants placed in my body. But I told him I would schedule another appointment with Dr. Lyons for the next morning and arrange for the larger implants. But instead I called you and we kick started Michelle's plan into action."

Liz stood up and said: "I was so surprised when you told me you actually wanted to do it. But now I have to hurry and take a quick five minute shower. Chris, I need you to be finished with your breakfast by the time I'm out of the shower so you can take yours. Now don't trip out on me this morning. We need to stay on schedule."

It was impossible for me not to trip out. I was still sleepy and Liz had set old memories back into motion. I started reliving my past almost as soon as Liz left the kitchen.

We were at Michelle's apartment which was located near where three of the girls worked. I had already called my employer and took another sick day so I was free. Liz worked nights so time was not an issue for her either. But Michelle, Jill, and Nancy could only stay during their lunch break from noon until one.

Liz explained to everyone that I was interested in pursuing Michelle's plan. I acknowledged that I wanted to do it because my life was a mess and that the money would solve many of the problems I was trying to deal with.

Michelle laid out the plan in detail. She said that she had complete access to the experimental drug and there was a sufficient supply to keep a single patient in paralysis for up to six months. She also explained that she would arrange for Dr. Lyons and his wife to join her and her boyfriend, the anesthesiologist, in a sex party the night before the surgery. Michelle said it would be easy to get Dr. White drunk and very tired. She would make sure he was late arriving at the hospital the next morning so that he wouldn't have time to properly review my chart.

Nancy spoke up for the first time and said: "Chris I'm going to need to take some of your blood. At the time of your surgery I will treat some of the blood I'm taking now with the normal anesthetic used in a breast augmentation procedure. I'm also going to treat it with a drug they will use to protect your brain once your vitals fall. If the post operative blood tests don't show the presence of those compounds the Doctors will know something is wrong. I will also need your blood to use as substitutes for any blood work sent to my lab after you are comatose. We don't want any of the tests showing the paralysis compound."

She had a blood kit with her and I agreed to let her take what she needed. She said she wanted some now and then some more in a week.

Michelle instructed Jill that she would have to make a complete copy of everything in my patient file at Dr. Lyons' office. They would review the copies in detail over the weekend.

Nancy was still drawing my blood when Michelle turned to me and asked: "Are you sure you want to do this Chris?"

"I think so, but I have some questions?"

"Ok Chris, fire away. I want you to be certain before we go any further so ask me all of your questions."

"Will I be asleep or will I know what's happening?"

"Based on what I know you will have periods of deep sleep but also periods of consciousness. I think you will be able to hear while you are awake. But it will be like there is a time delay. So, something that is said to you might not register in your thoughts for minutes or even hours."

"Will I feel any pain?"

"I don't think you will feel anything. Your brain waves will be monitored and if we see any signs of distress from pain you would be given pain killers. But other paralysis patients have reported feeling no pain."

"How long will I be under?"

"We think the hospital will transfer you into long term care after your body heals from your breast surgery and they see no improvement in your brain activity. I have calculated that you will be at Southland for about five weeks. Southland has a referral agreement with Irvine Care Center where Liz will make sure that a space becomes available just as they need to transfer you."

"How would she do that? I don't want her to have to kill anyone."

Liz looked at me and smiled: "Do I look like a killer?"

"Of course not, but how can you be sure a space is available?"

"I just need to keep moving patients on a rotation and turn in reports that make it appear that we are full when in fact we are one down."

Michelle then added: "Chris, once you're in Irvine with Liz looking after you it will be a piece of cake. Think of it as a well earned vacation. We will start to bring you back before any serious muscle atrophy or other complications set in. It will be three months at Irvine Care with your guardian angel looking after you."

"I like knowing that Liz will be there."

Jill spoke up: "Look at the two lovers." She giggled as she pointed at me and Liz.

Liz moved over next to me and kissed me on my cheek. "I will take good care of you Chris."

"How are you going to administer this experimental drug without any of the doctors noticing?"

Michelle looked at the other girls and said: "Wow she asks good questions." Then she looked back at me: "The drug works slowly. I will inject you 30 minutes prior to the start of your procedure. That way it should really kick in right about when they are nearing completion."

"Why don't you inject me even earlier, so I go into coma faster and they don't even start cutting on me? I don't even really want the fake boobs anyway."

"There are several potential problems with that Chris. First I'm the one who will be injecting you. None of the other girls here would have access to you before your procedure. The plan is based on me making Dr. White late that morning. That also means I will be late arriving."

I nodded my head and said: "I understand."

"Also your boyfriend will be allowed to stay with you until thirty minutes prior to the operation. We don't want him watching me inject you. And finally, the amount of time which the drug takes to kick in varies. It might take 45 to 50 minutes or it could take as long as 90 minutes. If I inject you too early and there is any unforeseen delay in getting you under Dr. White's anesthesia then they would know it was not his fault. So by waiting we can guaranty that your procedure will be underway and your condition can be blamed on Dr. White and the hospital. Timing is very important here Chris."

"It sounds almost impossible for everything to happen just right."

"Chris, I have been working out the details for months. I know it sounds complicated but it really won't be. I will be there before and during the operation. Once your boyfriend has to leave your bedside I will tell you if everything is ready. That will give you a final chance to change your mind. But I would prefer if you could tell us now if you still have serious reservations."

Nancy had finished pretending to be a vampire and had placed a piece of cotton and a band-aide over the spot where she had drawn my blood. I stood and said: "I'm going to do it girls. We are all going to be rich." I was light headed from standing right after giving so much blood so I promptly sat right back down and said: "Wow, I'm a little dizzy."

Liz responded first: "Don't try and stand up yet Chris. Just relax and know that we are going to be with you during this. I promise we will take care of you while you sleep. Listen for us because we will be your voices in the darkness."

I jumped when Liz tapped me on my shoulder. "Didn't you like the croissant?"

I looked down and realized that I hadn't eaten my breakfast. I didn't want to tell her that I had been tripping out again so I said: "I'm just to nervous to eat today because I might have to testify this afternoon."

"Well go take your shower lover."

*

Chapter 9

We met with my attorney in the Courthouse Annex precisely at 8AM. I wore one of my nicest dresses knowing that I might be on the witness stand before the day was over. My dress was light blue and it had a tapered waist and a scooped neckline. The hem was about five or six inches above my knees which showed off my long legs without looking trashy. The top of the dress was a sleeveless design and it accented my newly enhanced figure and made me look very feminine. I had accessorized my look with my silver hoop earrings and my sterling silver diamond heart pendant which was suspended above my heart by a thin silver 20 inch necklace. I finished my look by wearing classic leather pumps with two and a half inch heels.

Mr. O'Connor told me how pleased he was with the proceedings the previous day. He was increasingly confident that the hospital would offer a settlement before the jury returned a verdict. He also indicated that they might attempt to settle today before I testified.

His confidence made me feel good and I reveled in the thought of avoiding a cross examination. My attorney didn't have any idea that five women had pulled off an enormous scam. We had fooled everyone and were getting closer to that big pot of gold. But I was still nervous.

I was very curious and asked: "Who is going to testify first today?"

"We have our expert witness Dr. Allen Stevenson scheduled this morning. I will meet with him in a few minutes and review the key points we want him to hit today."

"Do you think I will testify this afternoon?"

"That will depend on how long the cross takes with Dr. Stevenson. I have no way of knowing that in advance but there is a chance you might need to take the stand. Are you ready?"

"I'm nervous but I want justice."

"Well Christine we are going to get you lots of money. I hope you can accept that as justice."

"I just want them to pay for the hell they put me through."

"By the way, I think you look lovely in your dress today. The jury will love you and I will help you tell them how those doctors hurt you. Each and every one of the 12 jurors is going to side with you Christine." He paused for a moment and then spoke again: "Now then; do you remember everything we rehearsed last week concerning your testimony?"

"Yes, I think I remember it Mr. O'Connor."

"That's good Christine. Just stay calm while you are on the witness stand and everything will turn out fine. Do you have any other questions for me this morning?"

I knew that I needed to appear not overly interested in the money with my attorney but my greed started running out of control and I asked: "Oh, I almost forgot; has a court date been set for our lawsuit against Dr. Lyons?"

"Not yet Christine, but we should get it set soon. And after we win this case I think his insurer will push for an out of court settlement along the lines of the deal we had with Dr. White's insurer. And I have more good news for you this morning. Your ex-boyfriend, Rick Winters, has instructed his attorney to actively negotiate a settlement with you for having selected Dr. Lyons to perform your surgery. He wants the negative press to end because it's hurting his business. As part of the settlement his attorney has asked for a standard confidentiality clause. But in addition he is demanding that he not be named in anything you might have published in the future or in any interviews you might grant to the media."

I was delighted with the news. I was closing in on my big payday. I just wished it was over. Mr. O'Connor excused himself and went to another room to prepare our expert witness. We had shopped around for a doctor with excellent credentials but who for a price would say exactly what we wanted. Parts of his testimony were crucial in deriving the maximum award for pain and suffering.

Unfortunately for me, Michelle had been wrong about me feeling no pain during my coma. I felt intense searing pain when I woke up after surgery as a result of my breast augmentation procedure. My throat also hurt during those early days from the tube placed down my trachea to aid in my ventilation. Later on I also experienced unbearable pain when the doctors surgically implanted a permanent feeding tube into my stomach through my belly button. No pain killers were ever given to me because initially my brain wave activity didn't change when the neurologist tested me for reactions to pain. He used a standard test which involved a heat stimulus. What he failed to know was at that time it took over an hour for me to react to stimulation. In fact I felt everything and I couldn't tell anyone. I was a tortured prisoner in my own body.

After my wounds healed and the searing pain faded it was replaced by dull pains which continuously cropped up anywhere on my body as muscles were not used and atrophy started to set in. The dull pain was most severe in my legs. It was so bad that many times I wished that a doctor would amputate my useless limbs. I would have never become involved with Michelle's plan had I known that I would suffer in agony for over four months.

Liz pulled me through my ordeal. She seemed to know just where my body needed to be touched. During my time in Irvine Care I often wanted to scream out for relief from my leg pain and then as if by magic I would hear her sweet voice. I knew when I heard her voice that I would soon feel her comforting touch. I'm certain I would have gone completely insane without Liz.

*

Chapter 10

Liz and I relaxed in our private room. There was no need to hurry over to the courtroom since it would be at least 45 minutes before the judge made his appearance. Liz looked at me and asked: "How are you holding up lover?"

I smiled and said: "I'm okay as long as you're with me Liz. But I'm nervous about testifying this afternoon."

My girlfriend, without saying a word, stood up and walked over to me. She stood directly behind the chair in which I was seated, and I felt her comforting hands begin to gently massage my shoulders.

"That feels so good Liz. Please don't stop."

"Just relax; I won't stop."

I don't know how long it took for me to drift off from reality, but it couldn't have taken long. I was once again reliving my past in another of my frequent flashbacks.

I was seated in Michelle Liu's apartment with Liz. It was right after I had agreed to participate in Michelle's wild and dangerous scheme. Nancy, Jill, and Michelle had all returned to work because it was mid afternoon on a week day. Liz had volunteered to stay with me because I had been a little light headed after having had so much blood taken earlier.

Liz handed me a glass with some fruit juice and she sat next to me on the sofa. I drank some of the juice and I leaned over and rested against her. Her body was soft and warm and she smelled so nice. My head was still spinning which made the whole scene rather surreal. Liz and I had previously shared a romantic kiss that first night we met and I wanted to feel her lips on mine again. "Liz, would you kiss me again?"

She took the half filled glass from my hand and set it on the coffee table in front of us. Then we did what we both so urgently wanted to do. Our lips touched in a tender embrace. We had known each other for only a few hours spread out over a few days but I was in love with her. And I was sure that she loved me. Our kiss was not rushed as we were now alone and we both wanted to savor the moment. My lips glided across hers and her mouth opened allowing me access to her tongue. Her tongue found mine and we pressed together. Liz had her right hand at the back of my head. Her fingers gently combed through my short brown hair. I pulled her closer to me with my hand on her back.

It was a wonderfully long and sensuous kiss. But we both wanted to take our relationship to the next level. I wanted to touch her beautiful body and I wanted her to touch mine.

Liz was wearing a two toned cycling top. It was as if it was molded to her torso because it was so tight. The shirt had a zipper which ran vertically up the entire length of the front. She had the zipper partially pulled down so that the neckline formed a perfect "V" from her neck to the top of her cleavage. I worked my left hand between our bodies and found the zipper. I slowly pulled it down until it reached her shorts where it disappeared beneath the elastic waist band. I tugged on the shirt freeing it from its confinement and finished unzipping it until it fell open.