Chapter 10


    Jackson had tried tomit suicide, but thankfully we’d reached on time to save his life. Hey in the


    hospital bed breathing through an oxygen mask, an IV connected to him. As his nurse, I felt


    responsible for what happened to him. If I hadn’t let him out of my sight, maybe this wouldn’t have


    happened at all.


    I watched Jackson as he slept peacefully, despite how chaotic his life had be. His chest moved in


    a constant slow rise and fall. Any normal person would easily peg him as Hollywood worthy. He should


    have been at one of the movie sets; sitting in his private room, reading the lines he was supposed to


    recite and sipping on fresh juice that the errand boy brought him, instead, he was. Bat-shit insane and


    convicted of murders. Besides that, he was so damn unpredictable and that’s what made him even


    more mysterious.


    I doodled in my diary; Mysterious, Unpredictable and Drop-dead gorgeous.


    Instinctively, I brushed the dark locks of hair away from his face. It was almost past lunch time when


    Jackson opened his eyes. His breathing was normal so the venttor was removed. He stared straight


    ahead; any signs of amusement were non-existent.


    I checked his vitals and told him about the extra medication doses that he was supposed to start from


    the next day. He just nodded once, his face masking nonchnce. He was then transferred from the


    ER to a normal hospital room on a stretcher where he was going to be under observation. This room in


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    particr had a t screen mounted against the wall.


    The silence in the room was getting awkward so I decided to break it. “Would you like to rest some


    more? I think it’s best if you slept through the night. You will feel better by tomorrow.” I suggested.


    Jackson regarded me with his dark stare. “All I’ve been doing for the past six months is fucking rest.


    What I really wanna do is get outta this goddamn institution.”


    I didn’t say anything to that, instead I asked him. “Did you really kill Dave?”


    “Nurse Riley, not you too!” He said. “Someone’s obviously framing me.”


    “But all the evidence is against you, Jackson.” I said. “The murder. It is simr to your previous ones.”


    “I. Did. Not. Kill. Mad- Dave.” He said with a raised voice. “If there’s anyone I’d like to kill, it would be


    Paul-Fucking- Be.”


    “Shhh.” I said. “Lower down your voice.”


    “If I told you something Riley, would you believe me?” He asked, his voice mellowed just a tad bit.


    He’d called me straight as Riley instead of mocking me with his usual ‘Nurse Riley’ which spoke


    volumes that whatever that he had in store, wasn’t joking business.


    “What is it?”


    He sat up straight, and looked me in the eye. “The murders before. I...I didn’t kill any of them.”


    I think it took a long while for his words to sink in and the shock to actually register on my face. “I don’t


    believe you.”


    “And I can’t me you, no one did until now but you can’t change the truth.” He said with so much


    sincerity that even the Pope would believe him but I knew better than to trust Jackson.


    He was known to y his cards well, toss down all the barriers and leave a person unguarded enough


    to make them think he was being serious until the joke was on them.


    “I don’t care if it’s the truth. I believe what I see.” I said. “I saw the murders and the Polygraph also


    proved that you were lying.”


    He smiled ruefully, like a switch had gone off. “A Polygraph is known to be only about Seventy percent


    urate while the examiner would disagree. Those morons had nothing better to do, but I thought you


    were smarter, Riley.”


    “Don’t try to mock me.” I said.


    “I’ve been framed.” He confessed


    I sighed. “And what do you want from me?”


    “A favor.” He said simply.


    I raised my eyebrows as he began reciting the favor he wanted from me. When he was done, I took a


    step back instantly. To say I was furious would be an understatement. “I will not do it and that’s final!” I


    said.


    “You won’t?”


    “Do you think I am as insane as you? I could lose my job!” I was trying to keep my voice down.


    “Keh Frazer. Sweet and helpful. Future veterinary surgeon.”


    “Don’t you darey a finger on my brother or I’ll..”


    “I don’t want to, Riley. I swear to you. You’re good to me aspared to all the other nurses I’ve


    managed to chase away, and that’s why I like you. If the circumstances were different, who knows we’d


    have something different than a mere Nurse and Patient rtionship.” He said, and I had no doubt he


    meant every word he’d said. “I seriously do not want to hurt you or someone you love. All I ask is for


    your co-operation.”


    I had no other choice. I closed my eyes and opened them; taking a deep breath. “Okay. I’ll do it.”


    A week passed and I’d been growing even more anxious. What if I couldn’t do as Jackson told me? Will


    I be dead? Or worse, would he really hurt Ken? So far I’d done everything for him that he’d asked of


    me. Sometimes I spaced out and got an earful from the head nurse because it was hard to concentrate


    on my work. I sneaked into the operation theatre, pulled on sometex gloves and pushed one scalpel


    knife into my pocket. All I had to do was get out of this ce without being noticed.


    I didn’t wait to speak to anyone and walked straight towards the elevator. When I reached the fourth


    floor, I stepped out. Dr. Paul was in the hallway as usual. I suspected if he rarely sat in his office and


    preferred to be hanging around in the hallways just to keep an eye on anyone. I also suspected he was


    ying spy for Dr. Aaron Shaw.


    Whenever I passed him, Paul usually gave me the cold shoulder which I really appreciated since I was


    avoiding drama. asionally I caught him staring at me, just the way he was staring at me right now,


    but I knew that had to be out of pure hatred for me. I could feel his green eyes bore into my back as I


    walked further.


    “Nurse Riley!” He called out to me.


    I stopped short, hoping like hell he didn’t suspect anything. I passed him my most fake smile. “What


    can I do for you, Doctor?”


    His gaze was dubious. “You seem to be in a hurry. What’s the emergency?”


    “This is a hospital.” Iughed. “There’s always an emergency.”


    “But seems like you’re up to something.” He said simply.


    “You need coffee. You’re hallucinating.” I said in a rush as I turned on my heel when he caught my


    hand.


    I threw him a look and nced down at his hand holding mine. Suddenly, he let go. He cleared his


    throat. “I was wondering if you’re free to grab lunch today.”


    I stared at him incredulously, “What?!”


    I had a dozen questions racing through my mind. Had I walked into another dimension? Was it another


    one of Paul’s strategy to get some information from me? What the hell did he want?


    He sighed. “Nevermind.”


    I swear I saw disappointment register his face.


    Maybe he was running low on friends because of his trash attitude? I suddenly overcame with pity for


    my colleague.


    “I’m kind of busy today, but I’ll go with you tomorrow.”


    He raised his hand to stop me. “Save it. I don’t want you to take this the wrong way and think I’m


    asking you out because I like you or something which is out of question.”


    My mouth was arge ‘O’ I couldn’t believe this man!


    “You’ve got to be kidding me! I never said anything about your liking me. You obviously seem to have


    problems reading situations Dr. Paul.”


    He sounded as crazy as Jackson, maybe even worse. At least Jackson wasn’t acting borderline like


    him. Maybe Paul Be needed to lie down in one of the hospital beds too.


    “Oh I know what’s keeping you busy these days.” He said coyly.


    “And what’s that?” I asked irritated.


    “You enjoy entertaining that psycho Jackson Wolfe.” He pointed out. “I know what’s been going on


    between the two of you.”


    “Sure.” I agreed. My fists balled into tight fists. “I’ll give you the benefit of the doubt. Think what you


    want to.”


    Suddenly he leaned in, and I had never been intimidated by his height because I never noticed


    anything about him other than the line of hate that kept stretching between us. His minty breath fanned


    over my face. “Be careful with that one. You don’t wanna be chopped up like Mama Wolfe.”


    That said he passed me. Tears spiked my eyes and I felt emotionally drained.


    I walked casually into Jackson’s room. He was propped up in his hospital bed, watching a movie. When


    he saw me, he switched off the tv and turned his full attention towards me.


    “Did you find it?”


    I shut the door behind me and slipped the scalpel near his cushion. The corners of his mouth twitched


    up in a smile. “That’s a good girl.”


    “I did what you asked of me, but you’ll have to promise me, you won’t hurt anyone.” I said.


    “You have my word.” Jackson said.