Sweet Menace (13 page)

“They are going to make blood samples. Nobody knows anything about him, so they don’t know what he has.” -He informed.

“He has a sugar condition.” -I hastened to say.

Officer Evo guided me inside to the receptionist, who was also a nurse attending Sam. I told her what I knew and they treated him faster, managing to stabilize him on time.

Officer Evo and I stood on the waiting room until the doctor came to talk to us. As he was on duty with Sam when the situation occurred, Officer Evo could receive the medical report.

“Morgan?” -The doctor called my name. I introduced myself as Sam’s closest friend in the town. -“The patient is resting but he calls for you. Try to calm him, he’s very irritated. And make arrangements with his family to come for the discharge and medical follow ups tomorrow.”

A nurse guided me to where Sam was resting. I didn’t know how to feel. If scared and relieved that he was in the hospital, but was getting better; or angry at him for having ruined my plans to kill them all, he included.

I stood by his bedside looking at him. Instantly I felt relieved. That’s why I hate myself. My heart is becoming soft and I hate myself for that.

“Hey.” -Sam said trying to laugh. -“You’re here!”

“Of course I am.” -I assured him. He extended his hand at me and I doubted to take it but I surrendered at last. I couldn’t forget how mad I was with him. All this time I was just a silly bet between macho-men. I was just a gamble to who gets the defective baker to bed first.

“I’m sorry.” -He said.

“Don’t say anything, please. You need to rest.” -I tried to shut him.

“I need to tell you, Morgan.” -Sam forced himself to sit in the stretcher and I helped him when the difficulty was obvious. -“I care about you.”

“I don’t need this, Sam. I just need to know you’re fine to call your family. The doctor needs to talk to them.”

“Don’t tell them anything. They don’t know about this.” -He said, his lips shaking.

“I’m sorry, Sam. They’re your family. They deserve to know.” -I protested.

“You can pass for family. Just say you’re my wife and we’ll fix all the medical papers and I’ll go home as if nothing has happened.” -He begged.

“Things don’t work this way, Sam. I’m not your wife and never will. We both know that. I can help you while you leave the hospital but I’m calling Mamma.” -At the mention of Sam’s mother my heart gave a flip. She gave me so much love in just one afternoon than what I received in my whole life. She deserved to know her son was ill and needing her care. I walked away from him, preparing myself to call Mamma and Elizabeth.

“Morgan, I haven’t finished.” -He told me with tantrum.

“For the moment I’m done, Sam Whilhey. I’ll be back after a few phone calls.”

The phone rang several times but nobody picked it up. I was getting impatient with the wait. Maybe they weren’t home. I dialed again and, this time, someone answered at last.

“Hallo?” -Lilly’s sweet voice traveled fast, taking me to the warmth of their home.

“Lilly, hi! Is Morgan. Is mommy home?” -I asked, deep inside I wanted to hug her.

“Mom. Is Aunty Morgan!” -Lilly informed in loud voice. -“Aunty! Today I ate my pony cake. I found the candy surprise inside. It was awesome.”

Impressed by Lilly’s rich vocabulary, I was about to praise her when Elizabeth took the phone.

“Hello, Morgan. How are you? Is everything okay?”

“I’m fine, but Sam’s sick.” -I said trying to keep it cool. -“Don’t get scared. He’s stable but he’s having problems with his sugar levels. He’s in the hospital for observation during the following 24 to 48 hours.”

“Oh my God.” -She managed to say. -“And how is he dealing with all this?”

“He’s doing fine.” - I tried to calm her. -“The doctor needs a family member for the discharge.”

“Mamma is asleep. She had a fall yesterday and is under meds. I can drive there tomorrow night after taking Mamma to some X-Rays. Maybe my husband can take a few days off to take care of Lilly. Can you watch over Sam until then?”

“Of course I will. I’ll stay there with him.” -Suddenly I had compromised myself with taking care of Sam, be with him all the time, for more than twenty four hours. What a bad wicked witch I am! Yeah, right. Bad in the weakest sense of the word.

I informed the doctor about the time Elizabeth would be there. Officer Evo offered to watch over Sam while I went home. I drove back, confused and scared. Quickly I disposed the killer cookies, another great opportunity has been lost and this wasn’t my fault. After a quick shower, I hurried to grab some snacks to go and coats to sleep in the coldness of the hospital.

Back in the Emergency Room, Officer Evo awaited for my return. I gave him a coffee from the vending machine and he sipped it despite its hotness.

“Looks like you have a faithful admirer, Baker. Whilhey can’t stop talking about you.” -Officer Evo complained. -“Luckily, the doctor gave him some medication and he fell asleep.”

“Thanks for watching him, Evo. Go home and have some rest.”

Night in hospital passes by slowly and tortuous. I knew I dozed off in the uncomfortable chair beside Sam’s stretcher, my head resting close to his lap.

“You should help me go home.” -Sam whispered during the night. His fingers tangled in my hair, tickling my head with soft caresses. I couldn’t decide if he was conscious or the medications were the ones to blame. -“Nobody needs to know.”

“Sorry. I can’t let anything bad happen to Uncle Sam the Jam. Your family will never forgive me. We’ll stay right here until the doctor says otherwise.”

When the lights finally went out it was beyond one in the morning. Sam was peacefully asleep and I was so tired that I leaned my head in the bed close to Sam. Minutes might have passed, but it could also be hours. I opened my eyes. My eyelids were tired and sore but through my lashes I saw a nurse putting some medication in the IV. I straightened in the chair and jumped fast. The nurse’s eyes were red, just like Edora’s when I saw her in the woods behind my house.

“Too late, Morgan.” -The nurse said. -“Why couldn’t you stay away from him?”

A laugh accompanied her through the short corridor. Sam started writhing in pain and I grabbed the IV, noticing a purple haze dancing in the previously transparent medicine. Pulling it hard I managed to take it off before the toxin could make contact with his veins. Blood splattered all over, including my face but I couldn’t care less.

“Oh, shit.” -Grunted Sam. -“What have you done?”

Then I understood it all. What would I say? How to explain what I have done? I remained silent for long minutes hoping that he would fall asleep but he didn’t. He stood still, waiting for an answer that I couldn’t give. I couldn’t tell him about the poison or the nurse with fire eyes. I couldn’t tell him about witches or even my Maghik.

The IV sprayed some drops to the floor and the sterile white tiles turned black and smoky. I threw the rest of the liquid to a biomedical garbage close by. Maybe I should go after the nurse, maybe she was momentarily possessed. Maybe she was the witch and I was letting her escape.

“Don’t.” -Sam protested when I turned to leave. -“I know why you’re doing this.”

I stood still, giving him time to continue talking.

“You’re mad at me. And you have all right to be angry. But I apologized to you already. I’m so sorry, Morgan. It wasn’t my intention to hurt you.”

He extended his hand at me and, although I was dying to take it, I held my ground. Maybe if I stayed with Sam there, he could be safe. It was better to stay with him and left the witch-nurse go away.

“How much did he pay you?” I demanded to know.

“Why does it matter? More or less money would have made no difference. And for your information, I gave the money back.” -Sam confessed.

“How much?” -I asked again, this time showing my aversion.

“You’re so stubborn, Morgan, so stubborn that’s irritating.” -Sam said, almost defeated.

“Then stop looking for me. Now that we know the truth behind your interest, you can stop acting.” -I grunted sadly. He denied with the head, as if I was speaking in a foreign language and he couldn’t understand a single word. -“How much he gave you? I won’t ask again, Sam Whilhey. You owe it to me.”

“I owe you nothing.” -He answered defensively.

“Okay. Then bye.” -I told him, grabbing my coat and a blanket I had taken with me. Not looking back again, I walked straight to the exit. Not straight, straight, but I imagined I was walking away in stilettos and lace tights to make my exit more dramatic. A heavy noise ruined my escape plan, forcing me to look back. Sam was falling from the stretcher to the floor while he yelled words I didn’t hear.

Dumb of me, but I ran back to help him up. The noise still echoed in my mind and while he spoke I couldn’t distinguish the words.

“Five hundred dollars. That’s the money Jerome offered me. The day after the wedding I went to his house and left the money with Lavender. I told him I was not that kind of man and you were not his kind of woman. Maybe we were made to be together. He never spoke to me again, nor went looking for me to make me change my mind.” -He repeated after he was settled back in the hospital bed. -“I’m very sorry. I wouldn’t have done that to you.”

Thinking about all this, I stood silent and covering my face for a few hours. Something was broken between us. Something that never came to be anyway. But just the same it was broken. I was broken. My pride. My soul. My heart.

At some time around midday, the doctor returned and scolded us for Sam not having the IV. Sam said nothing and I didn’t mention a word.

“I have a question for you.” -Sam’s voice broke the silence spell in the emergency room. I looked back at him. I was certain the shadows under my eyes were darker than a burnt bottom of a cauldron. -“Why you feel so offended for this?”

“There’s a reason why I shouldn’t feel this way? Because if there is one, I need to know it.” -I riposted softly.

“
It'
s
curious! A man cannot bet to get a woman’s love but, on the other hand, this woman bets for his love.” -I looked at him extra ashamed. My ears buzzed like a train taken away by a tornado. -“Well, that’s what I’ve heard. How much would I cost you or Connie?”

My tongue had been pulled backwards and in its place I could just feel the taste of sour lemon and salt. How did he knew about that? Did Connie told him everything?

“Oh, I see. You have nothing to say either. I know exactly how this feels. And you? How much or what, if money wasn’t the price, I would cost any one of you?”

My lower lip should be bleeding thanks to my sharp teeth and the strong bite I gave. I could recall Sam calling my attention and scolding me for the action. He even dismissed the conversation but I wasn’t over it yet. Maybe my embarrassment was overgrowing the humiliation.

“Connie stood in my shop the other day after you left. She noticed something going on between us and she took me by surprise. She said you’ll be marrying her before the end of the year otherwise she’ll pay my full service food for the activity of my choice.” -I confessed.

“I’ll cost her a catering?” -Sam asked with funny repudiation. -“And what would I cost you?”

“Connie wanted my services of catering, cake, decoration and host for her new year eve party.” -I confessed covering my numb face. The only thing I wanted was to cry. -“This is so wrong. I’m sorry.”

“Wh
y
d
o
you have to pay more than her?” -Sam asked with humble curiosity.

“Because I’m the limp baker. The defective woman in town. She was more than certain to win so she made sure of aiming for a bigger prize.” -Humiliated and angry, I allowed those things abandon my insides. It was time already to let this feelings go. -“Don’t you see? Women like me, people like me, never get to live the happy ending. Love never appears. Fairies don’t twinkle in our windows at the edge or the morning. Sparkles of happiness, the perfect first kiss, romantic dates, pretenders. Those things are forbidden by this antiquated society.”

Perhaps not all those things were true. Maybe it was just this town living in the prehistoric era. But I was so tired of the limits, the repudiation, and what I was allowed to do by others who thought to be perfect.

“Wasn’t our first date romantic and special?” -Sam asked in nervous expectance. I looked at his eyes, gleaming with a tear born barely a second ago. Remembering that night I recognized it had been the happiest day of my life.

“Yes. It was.”

“And what about with the guy flirting with you at the wedding? The architect.”

“What about him?”

“He asked you on a date, didn’t he? I saw it in your eyes. You felt fascinated with the idea. But you refused.” -The words didn’t sound like a jealous claim but somehow he was waiting for a statement.

“I’m not interested. This town is full o
f
antiquat
e
men. But city guys had their heads on space. For them, city women tend to be easy prey. Village woman equals easier preys. Do I look desperate to flee to the city? I know what guys like him want.” -I answered confided.

“And wha
t
d
o
you think about me.” -Sam pushed the questions farther. To give an answer to his question I had to expose my feelings for him and I wouldn’t.