Episode 7: State of Guilt

Episode 7: State of Guilt
by Toni Walker

Sydney Green was scared and worried. She never thought she'd see one of her friends wheeled in through the double doors of the ER. She took the blood pressure of the woman lying on the gurney. Syd took a cleansing breath. She had to remain calm. Charlie was brought in by two men, Wayne McKenna and another man she didn't recognize.


Something had happened to Charlie and someone was responsible. She had to find the guilty party and make them pay. After all, that was what friends did. They watched out for each other.
Sydney dropped her friend's hand. She'd been clutching it rather tightly. She exited the room and ran into a familiar face. It seemed she recognized him but he didn't remember her.


"Nurse? How is our patient doing?" Wayne's tone was even and reassuring.


"She has a few bumps and bruises but I'm sure she'll wake up any minute." The nurse ran very quickly down the hallway when a doctor called her name leaving Wayne still wondering about Charlotte's condition.

***

Marcey Chamberlain was as nervous as a scared rabbit. The doctor's weren't telling her anything. She was scared that Muse had not only overdosed on drugs, consumed enough alcohol to kill a cow, but had nearly killed Charlie Cooper in her deluded, irrational state.


"What's wrong with her?" Marcey asked the doctor of their elite clinic in Manchester Hills.


"We're not exactly sure yet. We've pumped her stomach just to be safe." An overhead page announced the doctor's name and called him away. She stepped into the cubicle where Muse was lying down.


Muse opened her eyes and whispered hoarsely, "You didn't tell them anything?"
"Of course not, but Muse, you nearly killed not only Charlie Cooper but yourself as well. What were you thinking?"


A wicked smile crossed Muse's pained face. "That was the point, wasn't it?" She attempted to sit up straighter. "Not only did I nearly succeed, but I have a perfect alibi." Muse mimicked a helpless woman's voice. "I'm sorry officer, I was in the hospital at that time. You can check with my personal physician."


"You are crazy. You know that, don't you?"


"Crazy like a fox." Muse leaned back and closed her eyes. It was turning out to be a very productive day."

***

Muse didn't know it, but someone was onto her game. the mystery person rewound the security tape they had made from cameras mounted around Charlie Cooper's cabin. The stranger played the tape back and smiled.


"Gotcha."

***

"How is she?" Jaxx Sinclair and Wayne McKenna both stood up. Neither were used to waiting for doctor's results. They were used to receiving those immediately.


"Besides your basic bumps and bruises and quite a big knock on her head, she's perfectly fine," Dr. Sutherland said. "I was initially concerned about her unconscious state when she arrived, but the tests we've run assure us she's in perfect health."


Jaxx visibly relaxed, but Wayne did not.


"When can we see her?" Wayne asked immediately.


"She's awake now."


When the two men stepped into the room, they found Sheriff Cole Dalton had arrived ahead of them. Wayne was not happy by this sudden development.


"What can you tell me about the accident?" Cole asked Charlie before noticing Jaxx and Wayne standing behind him in the doorway.


"Nothing really. The alarm on my car went off and I came out to investigate. It wouldn't shut off." She winced when she moved her hand to gesture. Her entire body ached with muscle spasms. "So, I went outside to turn it off from the inside of the car. When I got to the shoulder, I waited because a car was coming. That was when I felt someone shove me from behind."


"Did you see who it was?" The way Cole asked the questions made it clear he was all business.


"No, I'm sorry. I didn't. Charlie laid back on her stack of pillows in order to ease the pain in her back.


Wayne stepped out from behind Cole and make his presence known. He was the type of man who was used to getting what he wanted when he spoke his mind. From Cole Dalton's stance, it didn't appear he was going to be successful today.


"Is the questioning over?" Wayne asked, menace tinting his voice. "If it is, I'd like to take Ms. Cooper home."


"That's not really necessary,"Charlie started to say.


Wayne interrupted her. "Yes, it is. Someone tried to kill you tonight. And I don't think the hospital will be safe enough."


"You think you can keep her safe?" Cole asked in mock shock. "Safer than the sheriff's department?"


"Yes, sir. I do. I have a state-of-the-art security system and round the clock guards." Wayne directed his next comment to the doctor. "Dale, if you can get her paperwork ready, I want her to be released as soon as possible."


Dale Sutherland's response floored him. "I'm sorry, Wayne, but I can't do that."

***

Karen Chamberlain had heard about Charlie's near fatal accident the same time the sheriff did. But she also heard whispers of another accident she thought could be related. She snuck into the patient area of the private hospital in Manchester Hills that the Williams and the Chamberlains preferred.


From the shadows of a closet, Karen found exactly what she was searching for -- Muse Williams and her own sister, Marcey, all nice and cozy behind the hospital's protective veneer.
"So, what have we here?" Karen mouthed silently as she snapped a few candid photographs of the two women.


She listened as the two women greatly incriminated themselves.


"You have to be reasonable about this, Muse," Marcey said.


"Reasonable? I'm tired of being reasonable and understanding. Charlie Cooper continues to stand in the way of what I want. If she doesn't get the message and stay away from Wayne, the next time her accident will be fatal."


Karen couldn't believe what she was hearing. Muse had just practically admitted to the attempted murder of Charlie. She clicked the mini tape recorder off and backed out of the closet which opened up into the next cubicle. Neither her sister nor Muse would ever know she'd been there.


The evidence against the Williams family was stacking up. She wouldn't have much trouble winning the mayoral race of she could blackmail Palmer Williams into dropping out. This little golden tidbit might have just put her over the top.


She always knew it never hurt to pay attention.

***

Dr. Sutherland ushered everyone out of Charlie's room and shut the door behind him.


"I can't let you take her out of the hospital, Wayne. She has a bruised rib and a concussion, not to mention the fact that she's dehydrated and exhausted. I don't think that little miss has been taking very good care of herself." Dale rubbed a hand through his thinning silver hair and snuck a bite from a nutrition bar in his coat pocket.


Wayne didn't appreciate being second guessed. "I need to talk to her, Dale. It's extremely important."


"You've been dancing around saying you've been meaning to talk to her for two years. One more day isn't going to kill you."


His jaw seemed set in stone, but all Wayne McKenna would do was agree. He wasn't the primary physician on this case.


"One day. I'll be back tomorrow." Wayne turned to Cole Dalton. "And you better make sure she's protected and still alive when I get back."


As he stalked away, Jaxx made his presence known to the sheriff. "What was all that about?"


"That, my friend, was guilt. Pure unadulterated guilt. Wayne still hasn't been about to let it go even after all these years."


"Let what go?" Jaxx felt himself being pulled into the tapestry that comprised the personalities of Park Ridge.


"Joy's death."


Jaxx seemed surprised by Cole's revelation.


"Didn't you know? Your sister had agreed to marry McKenna the same day she was killed in that accident."