Drops of Blood 8
She woke up in a hospital bed. She vaguely remembered being in an ambulance, her hands handcuffed to the gurney but she wasn’t sure if what she remember was true. She looked down at her hand s. they were not restrained. There was IV line in the back of her hand. He followed the line to see several bags hanging on the pole. She knew that one was saline. How she knew that, she was not sure. Maybe because even in the movies they always give you saline. The dull ache in her temples flared to a roar as she stretched her neck to see the IV pole located slight behind her. She looked forward again and the pain in her head went back down to an ache.
A group of doctors walked into her room. The oldest of them walked to the end of the bed and grabbed the chart. He flipped through before saying anything to her.
“Good morning Meg, glad o see you awake and with us. How are you feeling?”
Without waiting for an answer, he pulled his stethoscope form his neck and listened to her heartbeat.
“Well it seems that you have been quite the handful since you bene here. That might be because of the tumor. “
Tumor? What tumor? What was going on? Last thing she remembered was sitting in her kitchen talking to the officer when her nose started to bleed. Now she was here. Was she still a murder suspect? Did she murder anyone?
“What tumor?” she asked the doctor.
“Oh yes I guess you wouldn’t know being out of it for a while now. You have a tumor on your brain. It is the reason for your headaches and the nose bleeds. We have relieved some of the pressure in your skull so you should only have a little headache. The Oncologist will be coming in to talk to you about treatment options later this afternoon. She should be able to help you.”
Tumor? On her brain. Meg was at first just a little shocked at the news, then she got a little scared. She had so many questions. The biggest was if she would live. In addition, there were the other questions. Like DID she kill anyone? Was she still a suspect. She did not have handcuffs or restraints of any kind on. The doctor said she was a problem before. Oh too many questions. She was having hard time thinking. Maybe she should stop she didn’t need to hurt her brain more. She gave a little laugh.
“What is so funny?”
The voice startled Meg. She looked to the side and there was Officer Signs sitting in one of those chairs that turn into a bed.
“What are you doing here?” she asked him.
Well I had to come see my favorite former suspect. You sure scared the hell out of me when you had that seizure. Weirdest thing I ever saw. There we were talking then you got a nosebleed. Not two seconds later your eyes rolled and you went straight into a seizure. Then when the EMTs showed up you let go with a stream of profanities that would make a sailor blush. How they got you onto the gurney and into the ambulance without knocking you out is beyond me.”
“Former suspect? I am not a suspect anymore?”
“No” he replied. “We found out who was responsible not only for the murders but for the destruction of your lving room. When your nose bled, I grab a little DNA there. For comparison it turns out that the DNA on the knife in your living room, the one that was used to slice up your couch was not yours.”
“Not mine” Meg realized she sounded like she was feeble minded but she was having a hard time concentrating. They were not mine. I am not a murderer?”
“No, not that we know of.”
“Who”
“Well not supposed to talk to you about an ongoing investigation but well , it was Milton’s prints. Now that don’t mean he killed the others it just means he destroyed your living room. “
“why would he do that?” Meg asked.” Milton cant do that he is not that kind. Wouldn’t ahrm a fly. Not Milton.”
Well maybe not but it was his DNA on that knife.”
“What happens now?”
“Nothing” Chris replied. “Right now you are going to concentrate on getting well you understand? We might need you to testify or something”
Meg gave a little laugh. “I can’t even remember, how could I testify. “
Theofficer sat there with Meg until the Oncologist came. She said he could stay but he told her he needed to check into the precinct.
Her consultation with the oncologist took a while. He took her through the pathology of her tumor. It was on the frontal lobe and was a type of tumor that would require chemo and possible radiation if the chemo alone didn’t help. The picture he showed her of the typical tumor looked like a spider or stars to Meg. She decided it was spider tumor. She agreed to the treatment and her first chemo would be tomorrow. Mostly, Meg was relieved that her nose bleeds and her passing out was the fault of the tumor and she wasn’t going completely crazy
She was tired after the consultation. She closed her eyes and was almost asleep when she hear a little “Hello Meg”. Her eyes flew pen and standing at the end of her bed was Milton.
“Hello” she squesked out. What was she going to do? Here was the guy who attacked her couch and maybe killed Stacy
“What are you doing here?”
“I came to see how you are doing. People do that they come see people they love in the hospital.”
“People they love” Meg was parroting again, but this time it was because of shock. Milton loved her?
“Yes” Milton said He moved around the bed to her side. “I have loved you along time.Since the first day I saw you at work”
Meg couldn’t help it, she blurted out. “Then why did you kill my couch?”
Milton smile at her, a sweet smile that was somehow sinister. Meg felt a bit like a mouse looking into the eyes of a smiling cat.
“I am sorry about that. It was an ugly couch and I was a bit upset that day. You were not letting me come in and when I finally do get in you arepassed out like some drunken whore. When we get married, you will not drink and you will learn how to behave like the lady, no, like the princess you are. “
Megs eye flew open wide . “M M married?”
Megan hoped it was her tumor playing tricks on her. That Milton was not here telling her he loved her. and married? Never.
Milton pulled a small velvet box from his pocket and got down on one knee. He opened the box to reveal a huge diamond. “Megan would you marry me?” He asked.
She looked into his eyes. Those eyes were hopeful and wide and she could almost believe his was just like any other NORMAL guy, but the image of her couch kept coming back to her.
I don’t know. I have tumor I might not live . she told him.
“All the more reason to get married now. I can have a preacher here tomorrow. I promise to be by your side the entire time through all your treatments. I love you”
She sighed. “Milton I can’t marry you.”
She looked away from him and in her doorway stood Officer Signs in his street clothes holding a cup of coffee. He raised one eyebrow . She wondered how long he had been standing there. It gave her an idea and the courage to act on it
“I can’t marry you if we cannot be totally honest with each other. That is the most important thing in a marriage. I away feel like you are holding back something.”
Milton got up and sat in the chair. He looked at her for quite a while before he replied,
“I told you about the couch.”
“Well what about Stacy?. You said I killed them but the police said I did not. We have to be honest. About everything.” Meg did not dare to glance at the officer. She looked at Milton with what she hoped was sincerity. Her head hurt and she was so tired. Just a few more minutes she told herself and then she could sleep.
Milton didn’t say anything. He sat staring at the ring. Finally he looked at Meg.
“This is a real diamond. He said. It took me three years to save up the money to buy this ring for you. You are right. Honesty is important we should always be the truth to each other. Ok, Ok I will tell you. You did kill Stacy , Del and Brenda.”
Meg started to protest but Milton held his hand up and continued.
“Because they were making you so miserable, I had to do something. I could not stand to see my Princess sad. So, yes it is your fault. You were sad so I took care of it. That is what iw ant to do take care of you and make sure you are always happy. I will not let anything keep you from being happy. Ever. So that’s the honest truth and we shall keep it a secret. Because married people in love have their secrets”
Officer John Signs stepped into the room.
Then perhaps before you tell your secret you make sure you are alone. Milton Samuel Retons you are under arrest for the murder of Stacy Miller, Delicious Jones and Brenda Caster.
John grabbed Milton up out of the chair and shoved him up against the wall. He grabbed his hands and cuffed them rather tightly before he patted down Milton, pulling out car keys and a small knife.The Nurse walked in and saw Milton up against and walked out. Soon the hospital guards came in and assisted John with removing Milton. Milton was screaming I love you Meg all the way down the hall.
Meg sat in the bed quite in shock. Milton killed those people because he thought they made her sad . She sat without moving when her head beginning to really hurt, still not the sharp pain the medicine they gave kept that sharpness at bay, but still it hurt. It hurt and her heart hurt to think she had anything to do with the death of anyone.
John came back in and saw her sitting , her face looked horrified. He walked over and sat on the edge bed.
You were very brave thank you. Without you it would have been difficult for us to get a confession.”
She slowly turned her head to look at him. “I t was my fault he said it was my fault.”
John grabbed her hand. No. No Meg. Milton is a psychopath. He killed those people and we suspect there are more deaths he for which he may be responsible. You were convenient to blame. That is all; it is not your fault.
When he finished talking, Meg burst into tears. He grabbed her and held her while she cried. He continued to hold her until Meg fell asleep then he laid her down and sat in the chair watching her sleep. It was while watching her that he finally noticed that even during the stressful time no drops of blood appeared under nose. Perhaps the nosebleeds were gone forever and there would be no more drops of blood.