Chapter Thirty-Eight

Dr. Winters is approaching the nurse’s station where she sees Claire Hudson sitting behind the desk and filing some patient’s forms. Without any kind of warning, the doctor walks around the desk and yanks the forms out of the nurse’s hands before scooping up the folder off of the desk.
“You, my dear, will not be touching any patient material in this place ever again,” Dr. Winters huffs.
Claire practically is pushed out of the way as her chair spins a bit to the left, “Excuse me?” The woman flips her hair back.
“You heard me,” Dr. Winters calmly places the papers into the folder then turns behind her to file them in the cabinet. “You will be out of here before you can say conspiracy.”
“Oh Debra, don’t be jealous,” Claire smiles. “You’ve been wanting me out of here for a while just because you are threatened by my looks. Not the prettiest one around anymore are you?”
“What are you talking about?” Dr. Winters closes the filing cabinet drawer and turns back around to face Claire.
“You’ve hated me ever since I got here and the other doctors paid attention to me,” Claire winks at Debra, “more than you.”
“Wow. What has happened to you?” Debra shakes her head. “I think you should check yourself in. First, you get involved in some terrible situation that involves stealing body parts and now you think I’m actually jealous of you.” Dr. Winters lets out a laugh. “You pretty much are certifiable.”
The doctor starts to walk away when she turns back to Claire, “Remember, I do have pull with the board to this institute. You’ll be out.” The doctor takes a few steps closer to the phone and picks it up.
Claire smirks, “Poor Debra, what are you gonna do? Call the police to remove me? Dr. Ramsey already tried that and found out there is no proof I did anything wrong regarding my job.” Claire slides her chair back up closer to the desk to resume working. “They aren’t going to do anything.”
“Maybe not for that,” Debra says as she begins calling, “But, I can always file a restraining order to keep you away from me.” Now it is Dr. Winters that is smiling.

“Mom,” Stephanie walks over to the bed and kneels down next to it to look at her mom underneath it. “What in the world are you doing underneath the bed?”
Violet points at the window with the bright day’s sunshine filtering through, “Shh. He’s out there.”
“Mom, what are you talking about?” Stephanie reaches under the bed to take her mother’s hand. “Who is out there? Outside?”
“Yes,” her mother still says, whispering, “He was outside the window. He is coming for me.”
Violet tries to slide back further underneath the bed as if not to be in view of the window.
Tugging on her mother’s hand to get her to stop, “Mom, this is not right. You are perfectly safe here.”
“No. He’s outside,” Violet still says in a whisper.
“Who mom?”
“Your father.”