"I'll be ready. Where are you taking me?"
"Well, Doctor, you will just have to wait and see, you know you cant rush things like this. Hey, I gotta go, they just brought in a perp they want interrogated."
Lori smiled as she hung up. She really had enjoyed her evening with Darius. But back to work mode now, she admonished herself.
***
Nikki leaned back and rubbed her eyes. She had been working for almost ten hours and was exhausted. Nikki was the head pathologist for the hospital and had her own little lab in the basement. Fully equipped, well-funded, and glass enclosed so she could see what other lab technicians were working on. Her area in the basement was only used for detecting diseases and cancers in body fluids and tissues. Blood typing and screening was done upstairs in another department.
There were usually five lab technicians working in her department but she was the last one working this night. A movement by the elevator caught her eye and she saw Doctor McCandless walking to her door.
"Hey, Nikki, hows it going tonight?" Lori said after using her card to enter the secure area.
"Are you still working too, girl? We should be out chasing men instead of working here all night. What do you say, you and me go find us some young ones and help them live out their fantasies?"
"I'm so tired the only fantasies I have is ten hours of sleep." Lori laughed.
"Yeah, I hear you, girl. What are you doing down here with us lowlifes, is there something you need a rush on?"
"No, I just want to look at my mystery specimen again under the scope. Can I borrow one for a while?"
"You can have anything you want, I'm going home. You lock up when you leave."
"Thanks, Nikki, see you tomorrow. Give that son of yours a hug for me."
Nikki put up her slide and said good night before leaving. On the elevator ride she thought how much she enjoyed having Lori McCandless as a friend. She had sent gifts for every one of her sons birthdays and had always been someone she could talk to when the stress got to her. As she walked out of the hospital she saw the Starbucks across the street. She knew how much Lori enjoyed a great cup if of coffee. Its the least I can do for a friend, she thought, and waited for the traffic to clear so she could cross the street.
Lori had just gotten her specimen form the freezer and loaded it up to view when she heard the elevator open. She saw a good looking gentleman with a smile walking toward her. She didn't know why but something about this guy sent off alarm bells. "Can I help you?" she yelled so he could hear her through the glass.
Kalid looked around. No one else was there. He smiled knowing how easy this was going to be. He went to the door and found it locked. "Unlock the door, Lori," he ordered.
Lori could hardly hear his words but knew he didn't belong here, even if he knew her name. "I think you have the wrong floor, you need to go back up to the welcoming center and they will help you there."
"I said open this door," Kalid yelled, pulling the knife from behind his back.
Lori could see the hatred in his eyes, and when she saw the knife she almost screamed. She then remembered how safe this area was, there was no way he could get through the reinforced glass surrounding this lab. She reached for the phone and started to dial security when she looked at his face again. His eyes locked with hers and she felt time slow down. Without thinking she put the phone back down and just looked into his eyes. She felt a warmness start in her stomach that quickly spread to her groin.
Kalid didn't even hide the knife, he knew she was his for the taking, and he would take. "Come open the door, Lori," he said again, just loud enough for her to hear.
Lori knew if she opened the door he would take her life but the yearning for his caress was more than she could ignore. "No, I cant let you in," she replied in a weak voice. Then a voice went off in her head. "Take your top off." She didn't know why, but that seemed like a good idea. She didn't want to disappoint this gentleman. She pulled her shirt off but still had on a t-shirt she wore to keep warm in the operating rooms. "Take off the shirt" went through her head and she pulled that off and dropped it on the floor with the other one.
Kalid was getting tired of a step by step disrobing but knew once he got her naked she wouldn't be able to refuse to unlock the door. "Take off the bra and pants," he said, this time out loud.
Lori thought she should refuse his order but now only wished to please him. She reached behind her to unclasp her bra and pulled her pants down without taking her eyes from his. She didn't hesitate when he ordered her to play with her nipples. Her fingers felt so good massaging her hard nipples she couldn't help herself and slid one hand down into her panties. A groan came from her as her excitement began to rise.
"Open the door, Lori, and let me help you," Kalid said with a smile and stepped back as she complied with his wishes.
Lori opened the door and went into his embrace. She tilted her head up to keep their eyes locked and felt him move her hand aside to cover her small breast with his. Her knees got weak when she felt him roll her nipple between his thumb and forefinger. She heard the door behind her as it closed but could only think of the pleasure he was giving. He walked her back until her back was to the glass wall , and he pulled her hand from her panties. She felt the cold steel of the handcuffs slip around one wrist, and willingly let him pull her arms behind her, feeling the cuff close on her other hand.
Kalid read her mind and knew no one would be coming down here to bother them, so he had a little time to punish this bitch. First he reached down and ripped her her panties off. He could feel her excitement, she was very wet. He wasn't interested in fucking this bitch, instead he put a forearm across her chest and pushed her back hard against the wall. Still looking into her eyes he commanded her to repeat after him, "I'm a whore, I'm nothing but a slut for hard cock." He had her repeat this out loud over and over in a loud voice. He quit the mental stimulation and waited for her to regain her senses. He watched her eyes and saw her slowly come out from under his spell. She was still repeating the words when he felt her begin to struggle. He brought the knife up to her face. "Now I'm going to show you a little bit of what Hell is like."
Lori couldn't comprehend what had happened. Why was she saying terrible things about herself? '' She stopped repeating the words and wondered how she could say such things.
Kalid reached down between her legs and pulled his fingers through her wetness. "See, you are nothing but a whore," and wiped his fingers across her face, smearing her cream on her cheeks.
"No, I'm not a whore," Lori said an a small voice. "I'm not a whore!"
"Then why are you standing here naked with me?" snarled the demon. "You want what I have in my pants, don't you, bitch." Putting the knife in front of her face again she started to panic. She couldn't help but breakdown sobbing, begging him not to do this. "Please, you don't have to do this, what ever I've done, I'm sorry," she said, crying. He pushed her wet panties into her mouth, almost choking her.
"You killed my son, now you have to pay." Kalid spit out the words. "You bring pieces of him down here to examine, now I going to leave you in pieces for the cops to examine." He brought the knife down to her chest and pressed on the blade just enough to leave a small cut and drew it down between her breasts.
Lori couldn't help but follow the blade as it left a fire of pain and trickle of blood in its wake. She had figured out he was the one who put the thing inside Sara's womb. She knew she would die at the hands of this monster.
"Lets see, what shall I remove first? Maybe I should just go straight for the heart." Kalid put his knife point into her left breast and pushed until he felt her rib. He could hear the helpless woman trying to scream but the panties in her mouth choked off her cries. "Is this the right place, Doctor, to make sure I pierce your heart? No, that would be too easy, you have to feel the pain I felt losing my son." Pulling his knife from her breast he put the blade on the side of her nipple and his thumb on the other side. "Lets start with your nipples, then maybe your eyes and ears."
Lori looked down and saw blood running from her breast and felt the blade press into her nipple. She wished she would blackout, she knew how painful he was going to make this. "Fuck you," she tried to yell, hoping he would know that while he was going to take her life, she didn't give up.
***
Nikki waited at the elevator with two coffees she had got from Starbucks. She had fifteen minutes to spare for a friend, they could set and get caught up with each others lives. There were several people waiting at the elevator so she decided to take the stairs. Just as she got ready to push the door open to her basement lab she heard a short scream and stopped. She carefully opened the door and looked to her right. The scene almost made her drop her coffee and scream. Her first impulse was to turn and run, but this was her friend. All she could see was the back of the man in front of Lori but she could see enough of Lori to see she had no clothes. When she heard the man say he was going to cut off her nipple she knew she had to do something. She had nothing with her for defense...but she had ordered their coffee extra hot and her hands had started to ache from the warmth. She moved in behind the man and tossed the coffee on his back.
Just as Kalid started to press the knife into Lori's nipple he had an unbelievable burning all over his back. Screaming, he dropped his knife and pulled his shirt over his head out of instinct.
Nikki didn't hesitate. She grabbed her friend by the arm and pulled her toward the glass encased office door. Using her ID card she disabled the lock and pulled Lori in after her. Making sure the door was once again locked, she watched Loris attacker through the door, gyrating on the floor. Just as suddenly he stopped and grabbed his knife from the floor. He slammed the hilt of the knife into the glass repeatedly but 'stopped, seeming to realize it was reinforced.
"Fucking bitch, open this door, or I'm going to make sure your death is the most painful I've ever delivered." He locked eyes with his new adversary. It didn't take but a few seconds before he had her. He wasn't going to take long, being as mad as he was, and really turned up the stimulation. Within seconds Nikki moved to the door and reached for the handle. Lori knew what was happening and lowered her head to avoid their attackers eyes and ran into Nikki as hard as she could.
Nikki slowly became aware she was sitting on the ground. She saw Lori beside her with tears running down her cheeks. Without thinking she reached out and pulled the gag from her friends mouth. "Don't look at him," they said almost together.
"You've been stabbed," Nikki said and went into rescue mode. She pulled off her shirt and pressed it against Lori's breast. "How bad is it?" she asked, "are you cut anywhere else?"
"No, I'm OK, they're not too deep. Oh, God, I cant believe you came back. Call security and lets get this asshole locked up."
Nikki got up from the floor, making sure she didn't look toward the madman trying to get inside her lab. She grabbed the phone and called security, only then did she realize that Loris hands were cuffed behind her back. "Is this guy supposed to be a cop or something? How did he get the cuffs on you? I was only gone for a few minutes. Now we have to get you covered up before security gets here." Sitting back down beside her friend she put her arm around her and gave her a hug. "We will be fine, just as soon as this nutcase is locked up."
Lori couldn't stop shaking and crying as she leaned against her friend. "Thank you," was all she said, over and over.
***
Doctor Taylor had begun to look forward to his chats with Kassie. She was smart as a tack and even made him laugh. As smart as she was, though, she didn't know much about interacting with people. She would say something that made you understand how bright and inquisitive she was, then say the dumbest thing in the next breath. He had taken to kidding her and she had laughed at herself several times when she said something inappropriate or naive. She always just said what was on her mind in that instant, but he found it refreshing.
"Good morning, how is my favorite patient this morning? I hear you've been driving the nurses crazy around here with questions."
"Morning, Doc," Kassie said with a big smile. "Yes, I've been a real troublemaker. They won't let me run in the hall, can you do something about that?" Kassie had been walking up and down the halls and was thankful she was sitting in the chair by her bed. She hated the gown the hospital provided. She felt like her butt was always exposed when she stood. She would surely die of embarrassment if the doctor had shown up a few minutes earlier and seen her walking in the hall pulling her IV cart with her. "I would really like to get rid of this IV when you think its OK."
"Yes, I see how that could slow down your running. The hospital likes to have the IV in case you need some medication. Hows your pain level?"
"Not much pain, unless I try to do the chicken dance. Otherwise I'm feeling good, considering what happened."
"The nurses tell me you are having nightmares. Would you like to talk to someone about what happened? Sometimes just talking it out helps, we have some good listeners here at the hospital."
Kassie once again said what was on her mind at that moment. "I've enjoyed talking to you, does that count?"
"Well, I meant one of the trained doctors we have on staff. Doctor Marsh Keller is very highly recommended, and I am scheduled for a weeks vacation starting tomorrow, so she would probably be your best option."
"What, now? I've been such an awful patient that you need a vacation? I'll tell you what, Doc, you come back here tonight before you leave for vacation, and maybe you can convince me."
"Tell you what," he repeated, "Ill come by on my way home and bring Doctor Keller with me. Together maybe we can get you to sleeping again."
Kassie reached out and laced her fingers through his. "Thanks, Doc, I cant tell you how much I appreciate all you've done foe me." She couldn't help but notice how pale her fingers looked compared to his black skin.
Doctor Taylor could see she was getting teary-eyed and wanted to take her in his arms to comfort her. "I better get going, I have other patients that aren't nearly as much trouble as you. I'll be back this
afternoon and we will talk again."
Doctor Taylor walked to the elevator and couldn't stop thinking about Kassie. If she was any older, he thought, things might be different, but she was his patient and there was a line he couldn't cross, even if she was willing.
***
Deputy Shelly Burke walked into the hospital like she was on a mission, which she was. Stopping at the front desk she got the room number for the child killer who had escaped justice. Kassie would take her final breaths today, she thought to herself smugly. She had never taken the law into her own hands before, but this woman needed to be put down. She was nothing more than a rabid dog that had to be destroyed. The thought crossed her mind that it was strange she hadn't heard anything before last night about this woman, but now that she knew the whole story she wouldn't hesitate to act.
Walking into room 312 she found her target blissfully sleeping and no one else in the room. This will be so easy, she thought to herself as she pulled the syringe from her pocket. She had to reach across the sleeping woman to get her IV line and pulled the safety cap from the syringe. This was a large syringe that was full of nearly pure black tar heroin. She didn't even bother to get the air out of the syringe before inserting it into the IV line and depressing the plunger. Her work here was done. She walked into the hallway with a smile on her face, she felt good about what she had just done. She was startled when she heard someone greet her.
"Good afternoon, officer, visiting our patient again? I hope you're not to rough on her, shes been through a lot." Doctor Taylor smiled at the officer until he noticed her holding a syringe in her hand.
"Yes, I was just checking to see if she could identify the syringe found at the scene. We think it was dropped by the assailant but we have to check on everything. I need to get back to the station and give my report to the detectives," she said, smiling.
"Well, have a good day, officer," he replied before entering Kassie's room. That's odd, he thought when he entered, shes asleep already after just being questioned by the officer. Shaking her shoulder lightly she quickly woke.
"Hi, Doc, I was just napping to get my strength so I can argue with the new doctor about my needing to talk it out." She used hand quotation marks when she said "talk it out. I really don't think I..."
Doctor Taylor watched in horror as her eyes rolled back and her arms and legs began to shake. Pushing the call button he yelled "Room 312, stat." When three nurses rushed into the room, he yelled, "I need some Warfarin, now!"
The first nurse went to the IV to turn up the flow for the anticoagulant that would be injected.
"Doctor, look at the IV," she said, holding up the patients hand where the IV entered.
Doctor Taylor didn't know what the dark liquid was that was entering her veins but it wasn't anything the hospital prescribed. He quickly pulled the IV from the back of her hand and had the nurse hold pressure on the vein. He only had to think for a few seconds before he realized the officer had just tried to kill his patient with heroin. "I need some Narcan from the pharmacy, stat." The second nurse left and ran to the pharmacy. She hoped the meds the doctor had ordered would be ready when she got there.
The third nurse had a new IV started about the same time the breathless nurse came back with the Narcan. She injected the medicine directly into Kassie's arm as Doctor Taylor opened her eyes to check pupil response. Kassie's breathing and heart rate had slowed to almost a stop but started to pick up as the Narcan.
"A total hospital lock-down is now in effect," blared over the hospital speakers.
"What the hell is going on?" asked the doctor. "They cant know about this already?"
"Pharmacy said there was an attack on a doctor in the lab, they didn't know anything more," said the nurse who had gone for the medicine.
Doctor Taylor watched as Kassie's eyes started to flutter and finally opened about halfway. Letting out a sigh of relief the doctor stepped back and addressed the staff in the room. "I want to commend everyone here, you saved the life of this woman today. You should all be proud of the way everyone worked together, now lets go and make sure all our other patients are alright."
***
It was another thirty minutes or so before Detective Darius made it to the hospital. He couldn't believe what was going on. Three separate attacks with two of them being done by police officers. A state trooper murdered the night before. Now he didn't know who he could trust. Were there more officers involved in this? How could he protect three different people by himself?
Doctor Lori McCandless, Doctor Taylor and Detective Darius had just entered the conference room when Darius got the message that Sara and Dave had just arrived at the hospital. Darius listened to each of their stories and it was obvious to everyone there that anyone associated with the two sisters was in danger. But in danger from whom? Darius was at a loss. With a tilt of his head, Dave motioned for a private conversation with the detective.