Half Life (15 page)

 
“
Crash,
”
yelled one of the nurses on the nightshift when the alarm rang in Alex Carter
’
s room.

  They all raced to his bedside and the student nurse stopped in her tracks, her hand flying to her mouth.

 
“
Oh God.
”

  The patient was flat on his back, mouth wide open in a silent scream, dead eyes fixed on some invisible horror.

  A sound outside the room caught her attention and glancing into the corridor she saw nothing.  However she swore she could hear the click clack of high heels and a soft feminine laugh.

THE END

  Rosie is furious.  JD has been gone for over an hour now.  He said he wouldn
’
t be long, he was only nipping to the corner shop.  She stands sentinel by the window, waiting to see her husband push open the garden gate and stroll up the path, however her anger is fuelled by fear.  She shouldn
’
t have let him go out alone, it isn
’
t safe yet.

 
“
Oh thank God,
”
she breathes when she sees him appear at the gate. 

He
’
s whistling happily as though he hasn
‘
t a care in the world, light brown hair dishevelled as usual.  It never looks tidy or combed but that only adds to his considerable charm.

  Rosie races to the front door to greet him, ready to unleash a torrent of relieved abuse.

“
Where the hell have you been?
”
she demands the moment he comes through the door.

 
“
To the shop, like I said.
”

 
“
You
’
ve been ages and you told me you wouldn
’
t be long.
”

  His soft hazel eyes widen with realisation. 
“
Oh Sweetheart I
’
m sorry,
”
he sighs, wrapping an arm around her and kissing the top of her head. 
“
I didn
’
t realise I
’
d been gone so long.
”

 
“
What are you hiding behind your back?
”

  He produces a bunch of long stemmed red roses. 
“
I stopped by the florist.  I wanted to get something to cheer you up.
”

  She looks up at him and smiles, feeling a little guilty for her overreaction. 
“
Thank you, they
’
re beautiful.  My favourites.
”

  He cups her face and kisses her. 
“
You
’
ve been so down lately, I wanted to do something nice for you.
”

 
“
I
’
m sorry I
’
ve been so on edge but I can
’
t stop worrying.
”

  His expression turns sombre. 
“
You know I wont let those men hurt you.  You
’
re safe with me.
”

 
“
I know,
”
she replies, forcing a smile she doesn
’
t feel.

 
“
Why don
’
t you sit down and I
’
ll make us a brew?
”

 
“
Okay.  I
’
ll just put these in water first.
”

  While she busies herself arranging the flowers in a vase, JD watches her from the corner of his eye, so intent is he on observing her that he almost pours the boiling water all over the worktop rather than into the mug.  She
’
s still a little agitated and he kicks himself inwardly for worrying her unnecessarily.  This last week has been so difficult for them both.

  By the time she
’
s arranged the flowers to her satisfaction and found them a nice spot on the mantelpiece, Rosie is significantly calmer.  She perches on the couch to admire her handiwork and JD sits beside her.  He wraps an arm around her shoulders, his fingers playing through her short dark hair.  Rosie nuzzles into him and he sighs with contentment.

 
“
I have an idea,
”
he says softly. 
“
Why don
’
t I run you a nice hot bath full of bubbles and you can relax?
”

 
“
Sounds good,
”
she smiles.

  He gives her a long deep kiss before heading upstairs.  As he sets the taps running and drips in her favourite Jasmine scented bath foam he hums happily to himself, frowning when he hears the slam of the front door.  Turning off the taps he strains to listen.

 
“
Rosie?
”

  Silence.

  Fear grips his heart and he races downstairs, taking the steps two at a time.  He dashes into the living room where he
’
d left her and freezes.  She
’
s gone and the roses are strewn all over the floor, the petals torn from their heads. 

 
“
No,
”
he cries, panic-stricken.

  Snatching up the car keys he races out the front door, just as one of the neighbours who lives across the street comes through the garden gate.

 
“
JD I
’
ve just seen Rosie.  She looked terribly upset.
”

 
“
Which way did she go?
”

 
“
Down there,
”
she says, pointing left. 

 
“
Shit,
”
he mutters, wrenching open his car door.

  He gets in and slams the door shut, plugging in the hands free kit for his mobile phone while starting the engine.

 
“
Harry it
’
s me.  She got away.
”

  JD winces at the loud exclamation in his ear. 

 
“
Dammit I knew this would happen.
”

 
“
She must have realised the truth,
”
says JD, trying to stem the rising tide of panic.

 
“
How?  What did you do?
”

 
“
Nothing.  I just bought her some flowers.
”

 
“
What sort of flowers?
”
 

 
“
Roses.
”

 
“
You prat.
”

 
“
I thought I was doing a good thing.
”

 
“
I warned you didn
’
t I?  You find her.  You find her now,
”
bellows Harry.

 
“
I will I swear.
”

 
“
You
’
d better.  We
’
re on our way,
”
he growls before hanging up.

  With a sigh JD throws the phone onto the passenger seat and pulls out onto the road, going in the direction the neighbour indicated but Rosie isn
’
t anywhere to be seen.  She could be anywhere by now in this maze of streets.  He kicks himself inwardly for being so stupid as to have left the front door unlocked but he
’
d forgotten all about it when she
’
d confronted him on his return home, all spitting rage.

  JD spies a woman with short dark hair wearing a red t-shirt and blue jeans and yanks the steering wheel hard to the left, pulling the car over with a screech of tyres.

 
“
Rosie,
”
he yells, leaping out of the car and grabbing the woman
’
s arm.

 
“
Get off me,
”
exclaims the stranger, alarmed by the frantic look in his eye.

 
“
Sorry.  I thought you were someone else.
”

  He releases her and she hurries away, looking anxiously over her shoulder at him.  JD returns to the car dejectedly to continue with his search.

 
“
Where would you go Rosie?
”
he murmurs to himself.  Then it strikes him and he puts his foot down, sending the car lurching forward.

  Linden Falls is a local beauty spot, a cascading waterfall set in acres of flowering parkland and one of Rosie
‘
s favourite places.  The quickest way up there is through the local cemetery and he accelerates through the gates and up the hill.  When the track gets too narrow for the car to pass through he abandons it and races through the maze of graves, pausing beside one on which has been placed a bunch of red roses, the petals torn and scattered all over the grass.  He notices the same has been done to another grave a few plots away.  Pulling out his phone he calls Harry to let him know where he is.

  Following the trail of flower petals he continues his ascent up the hill, the sound of rushing water growing louder.  As he reaches the summit he sees the solitary figure stood on the cliff top, gazing down into the torrid waters of the falls below.

 
“
Stay back,
”
Rosie screams when she sees him approach.

  She takes a step closer to the edge and JD
’
s heart leaps into his mouth.

 
“
Please Rosie, just stay still.
”

 
“
I remembered,
”
she croaks, tears streaming down her face. 
“
The last time you bought me roses I was cutting the stems to put in the vase and I
…
I attacked you with the scissors.  Then I did this to myself,
”
she cries, indicating her short jagged locks which were once long and luxurious.  

 
“
It
’
s okay.  Just come away from the edge and we can discuss it.
”

 
“
What is there to discuss?  I
’
ve been keeping you a prisoner.
”

 
“
No you haven
’
t.
”

 
“
This past week I
’
ve been living in a delusion.  There aren
’
t any bad guys wanting to hurt us.  The danger
’
s in my own head.  What if I
’
d hurt you again?  You should have left me in the hospital.
”

 
“
You don
’
t belong there.  You belong here, with me,
”
he says, voice cracking.

 
“
Not anymore,
”
she replies so softly her voice is almost lost in the air. 
“
With me around you have no life.  Even our kids are afraid of me.
”

 
“
They
’
re young, they don
’
t understand.
”

 
“
You
’
re better off without me,
”
she says, taking another step backwards.

 
“
No Rosie please I
’
m begging you, don
’
t.
”

 
“
I
’
m doing this for all of you.  You
’
ve been lumbered with me long enough.
”