The Taking of Eden

by Robin Alexander

  "Bitch, you can call me bull corn if you want, but stop calling me Miss Edmonds, that's not my name!" the patient screeched as Carmen and the other woman grabbed her at the same time. They wrestled her to the floor but not before she managed to clock Carmen in the forehead with her bowl, covering her face and shirt with oatmeal.

  Jamie watched in dismay as they sedated her. She was really enjoying seeing Carmen, who acted as though she were royalty, get knocked down a few notches. She watched as Ellen's head lolled to the side after a few minutes and the battle was over. Carmen stomped from the room, as the cut along her right eyebrow bled profusely.

  Jamie straightened up and looked at her supervisor with mock concern. "Carmen, let me take a look at that for you."

  "I'm fine, you need to be tending your patients," she said brusquely as she stormed off.

  Jamie watched in amusement as the petite nurse disappeared down the hallway. When Jamie first met Carmen, she considered her attractive, with her long dark hair and brilliant green eyes. Hair and makeup were always flawless, but when she opened her mouth, her condescending air became obvious. Jamie quickly reconsidered her first assessment.

  "Hello," the sultry voice purred into the phone.

  "Laura, are you still in bed?" Susan asked grumpily, exhausted after only three hours of sleep after the marathon sex they indulged in the night before.

  "I was just about to get up, but your bed is very comfortable. You should've slept in," Laura said.

  "I have patients to see, and people I owe money to are threatening to break my legs. Sleeping is not an option for me."

  Growing impatient with the attitude being projected at her, Laura got to the point. "What is it that you want, Susan?"

  "I want to know that you're busy securing my future. I have a lot at stake here, and I want to know that you're handling things!" Susan hissed into the phone. "I've already gotten two calls this morning about my outstanding debts. I don't have to remind you that these people would be just as happy killing me as they would be collecting their money."

  "Relax. I'm taking care of things. I can't just transfer the funds in one lump sum. This has to be done carefully. Although, I'm the only one she has given full access to her files. I don't want anything to look too obvious until we're ready to go. You need to learn to trust me, Susan, like you did last night when I tied you to this bed."

  Irritable and not in the mood to be toyed with, Susan went for the jugular. "She trusted you, Laura. How do I know you won't turn the tables on me, too?" Susan pushed a little too far, and the dial tone was the response Laura chose to give.

  The doctor's attitude reminded Laura of her mother as she rolled over in Susan's bed and cursed them both under her breath. Nothing she ever did satisfied either woman. Her mother continually harped on her to pursue a career or marriage. Her family was filthy rich, why would she need to do either, she thought bitterly. At her mother's behest, her father had stopped the constant money that graced her bank account each month until Laura learned to be responsible.

  At first, she blew off the threats of her parents and continued to travel and spend exuberant amounts of her family's fortune on whatever she desired. The day she received the amendment to her father's will leaving her virtually nothing, she got the picture. Like a spoiled child, she began to plot against her own flesh and blood. And with the money she was soon to have in her cold hands, she could simply disappear while her family suffered the consequences of her actions.

  Burrowing deeper into the blankets, she thought back on the night she met the doctor. After meeting Susan at a dinner party thrown by her father to celebrate the opening of his fourth mental health facility, Laura did her homework and found that Dr. Lappin was in a world of financial difficulty. Laura was a beautiful woman, and she used her looks and talents to get exactly what she wanted. It wasn't that hard to convince the doctor to take part in the scheme. Money and sex were always persuasive, and the good doctor's drug habit put her at a serious disadvantage.

  Had her lover not been such an ass and refused to attend the party, things might not have gone so smoothly. Eden Carlton had no desire to mingle with the social elite who flocked to such functions. This infuriated Laura, which is why, she surmised, she entertained the flirtations of the repugnant doctor. She was nothing like Eden.

  At five-foot-nine-inches tall, Laura was the same height as Eden. Their stark contrast made them one of the sexiest couples amongst the people they knew and socialized with. Eden's hair was dark brown and hung just past her shoulders. Laura's was long and blonde. Eden's blue-gray eyes possessed warmth and sincerity, while Laura's nearly black eyes were mysterious and dangerous.

  The minute she learned about the elusive Eden Carlton, Laura was obsessed with getting close to the woman. She gained employment at one of the many companies owned by Carlton Industries, much to the delight of her parents. Through manipulation and deceit, she wormed her way into the inner sanctum of Eden's world.

  Eden's grandfather built her a healthy and stable empire. She had no need to be involved with the day-to-day operations of the companies she owned. Instead she kept a small staff of highly trusted people to mind her business, most of whom were well beyond retirement age. It came as a great surprise to all who knew her when she allowed Laura into this group as her personal assistant.

  Acquiring the position was easy for Laura, considering what she had to do to get Eden into her bed. She had never met anyone like Eden Carlton. The beautiful brunette could easily have anyone she wanted but chose to be alone. When the relationship intensified in Laura's opinion, she felt sure that Eden would ask her to share her home, but the offer never came. Her lover seemed content to indulge in an occasional dinner or sexual romp, but there was a part of her that no one could touch, not even Laura.

  Eden was one of the wealthiest women in the South and a recluse who lived in a modest house just outside of Wilmington, North Carolina. Her only extravagances were her clothes and the SLK30 Mercedes Roadster she loved to drive. The only people she associated with were a handful of friends she had made over the years who were content with occasional contact when Eden felt like initiating it. Every so often, Eden would throw a dinner party, but for the most part, she preferred to be alone. This was her undoing, and Laura took full advantage.

  Chapter Two

  Jamie was relieved when she pulled into her parking space and spotted Holly's green Camry already in its spot. She instantly regretted not bringing her jacket when she stepped out into the crisp autumn morning. By the time she met up with her co-conspirator, her teeth were chattering, not so much from the cold, but from the nervousness she fought to suppress.

  Holly had already convinced the night nurses to knock off early, leaving her to contend with a couple of aides who were busy preparing for shift change. She and Jamie were alone in the nurse's station, and she whispered into Jamie's ear, "I'll page you if she arrives early, but I'm certain she won't get here till six on the nose. You need to be mindful of the time and be out of there at five till. Remember what we agreed. We don't discuss anything unless we're outside or away from the center." Holly gently pushed Jamie toward Ellen's room.

  Jamie was surprised to find the mysterious patient awake and sitting up in bed. She walked timidly into the room, unnerved by the eyes that bored into her. "Good morning, Miss Edmonds. I'm Jamie. I just dropped in to see if there was anything you needed." She winced when she remembered that the woman had adamantly denied that was her name when she bounced a bowl off Carmen's head. Jamie took a quick glance around, making sure there was nothing that could be used as a weapon within the patient's reach.

  "You have me confused with someone else, my name is Carlton," the patient responded, obviously annoyed. Jamie wondered for a second if she was going to see the side of Ellen Edmonds that caused Carmen to have five stitches put into her forehead.

  "Carlton is an interesting name for a woman," Jamie replied politely.

  "My name is Eden; Carlton is my last name,
you twit. How the hell do you people keep up with who you give medications to?"

  Jamie ignored the jab. "I'm sorry, Miss...Carlton, I'm still getting used to the early shift. I occasionally forget my own name before I've met my coffee quota for the day. The bright side of all this is that I'm not dispensing meds this morning."

  "How long are you people planning to keep me here?"

  "To be honest, I'm not sure when the doctor plans to release you."

  Eden pawed clumsily at her gown. "I don't see anything wrong and I feel okay. What's the holdup?"

  "When your regular nurse gets here, I'm sure she'll be able to answer your questions. Do you mind if I ask you a few? Maybe we can expedite things."

  "If it'll get me out of here sooner, I'll answer anything."

  "Can you tell me anything about your medical history? Are you on any medications?"

  "I had my appendix removed a few years ago," Eden responded groggily as her eyes rolled up into her head momentarily.

  "Do you have a regular physician?"

  "I was healthy before I got here," Eden snapped.

  Jamie bit her bottom lip; this was not going as easily as she hoped it would. "Do you remember the doctor's name who performed your surgery?"

  "Something that starts with a B...Biggs, maybe."

  "Could it have been Dr. Briggs?"

  "Maybe," Eden responded sleepily.

  "Do you have any family you would like me to call for you?"

  Eden stared off into space for a moment. "I really don't have any family to speak of. Do you have any idea when I'm going to get out of here?"

  Jamie ignored the question. "How old are you, Miss Carlton?"

  "I'm.. .I can't remember right now."

  "Are you married?"

  "Are you about to ask me out?" Eden replied sarcastically.

  "No, ma'am, it's just general information for the chart." Jamie smirked back.

  "I'm not married, and I'm 33." Eden smiled triumphantly as the tidbit of information returned to her clouded memory. "I'm getting very sleepy again, the medicine you have me taking makes me just want to sleep," she said as her head lolled to the side.

  Jamie glanced at her watch. "Miss Carlton, what's the last thing you remember before coming here?"

  Eden raised her head from the pillow and blinked at Jamie as she thought. "I remember being at work...having dinner. I'll have to think about that for a while," she said as she fought to keep her eyes open.

  "Miss Carlton?" Eden opened one eye and looked at Jamie. "Let's keep this conversation between us; I don't want the other nurse thinking I'm checking up on her work." Eden nodded slightly and was asleep before Jamie made it out of her room.

  Jamie arrived back at the nurse's station with time to spare. She and Holly exchanged knowing glances. "Hey, Jamie, do you wanna go have a few beers with me tonight?" Holly called out loudly. "I'm craving that fried cheese they serve at Newman's."

  "That sounds wonderful; now I'll spend the whole day craving that damn cheese! We're leaving the minute our shift ends," Jamie called over her shoulder as she began to make her rounds.

  Jamie surmised that since she wanted the day to pass quickly, it would drag along one agonizing minute at a time. She had made her rounds and been over her paperwork a dozen times. When her last break came around, she chose to simply wander the halls instead of going outside for a breath of fresh air.

  She shuffled along the hallways toward Ellen's room; trying to appear nonchalant, she paused in front of the observation glass. The room was empty, and as she turned to walk away, she ran straight into the woman who dominated her thoughts.

  "Oh, excuse me," Jamie said, taking a step back.

  Ellen said nothing but simply stared at the blonde nurse who stood in her way. Two nursing assistants stood on either side of her, both with a tight grip on her arms; they looked at Jamie with a peculiar expression.

  "I was just taking a walk," Jamie offered by way of explanation.

  "Unless there was a schedule change I'm unaware of, you're not at your assigned station," Carmen said brusquely as she approached.

  Aggravated with Carmen's tone, Jamie shot back in challenge, "I'm on break and just wanted to stretch my legs." She glanced back at Ellen, who was staring at her with unfocused eyes. Jamie's stomach tightened into knots as she feared that Ellen would say something about their talk earlier that morning.

  "Take her back into her room," Carmen ordered the nursing assistants. "I'd like a word with you alone," she said to Jamie as she pulled the door closed behind them.

  Sensing a reprimand, Jamie went on the offensive. "When I worked in the hospital, it was not uncommon to walk the halls for a little exercise. Why do I get the impression that's not accepted here?"

  "I have no problem with you walking the halls when you're on break. But this is the second time I've found you in front of this particular patient's room. I think I've made it clear that this patient is not like the others and is strictly under my care."

  Jamie stepped back as Carmen drew closer. "I have no intention of getting in the way of you treating your patient. I was trying to be of help earlier."

  Carmen smiled sardonically. "I think your break is about over now. You need to get back to your work station."

  Jamie bit her tongue, and without a word, she turned and made her way down the hall, feeling Carmen's glare at her back.

  When their shift ended, Holly and Jamie were in a race to get to the bar. Holly gunned the engine of her Toyota as she spun out of the driveway with Jamie right behind her. As they pulled into the parking lot, Holly was the first to leap from her car. "Last one in buys the first round," she taunted. Jamie was closer, but Holly's long legs gave her the advantage, and she grinned mischievously as she pulled the door open just in front of her friend.

  They chose a quiet table in the corner where they felt comfortable enough to talk. The pub was already crowded with locals taking their turns at darts. The smell of cigarette smoke filled the air, making Jamie crave her old habit. Patsy Cline played on the jukebox, nearly causing her to forget the stress of the day and the reason they were there.

  Jamie watched Holly drum her fingers on the table impatiently. She would not discuss anything serious until the order for the cheese sticks she craved had been placed. Holly's appetite for junk food rivaled her own.

  Jamie silently surveyed her co-worker as she told of Mrs. Hammond's attack on Kelly earlier that morning. She admired her big brown eyes with perfect lashes that were naturally beautiful without the aid of mascara. A light spattering of freckles covered Holly's nose and cheeks; coupled with her impish grin, they made her look innocent and in some ways childlike.

  Jamie bit back a chuckle when that same sweet face twisted into a scowl as the waitress, who spent way too much time entertaining male customers at another table, casually strolled over to take their order. After the order for beer and cheese sticks was placed, Holly turned and looked at Jamie with a serious expression. "What do you think about Ellen?"

  "She says her name isn't Ellen but Eden Carlton. How do we know who she truly is? She may very well be delusional and thinks she's someone else." Jamie took a sip of her beer and sighed as the cool liquid bubbled down her throat.

  "Eden Carlton?" Holly's brow furrowed. "Maybe they have her in under a different name for privacy, and that's why they're being so secretive. Maybe she's someone special, although I've never heard of her."

  "Do you want my gut reaction?"

  Holly nodded, staring at Jamie intently.

  "Either she is completely sane or she's on the most mind-bending drugs I've ever seen. Even if she had some sort of meltdown, it doesn't make sense that they keep her locked up the way they do."

  "See what I mean? I've never seen them keep anyone so heavily under guard. The only time I see her combative is after Carmen medicates her," Holly said, wincing when she grabbed one of the hot cheese sticks. "And did you notice she wasn't playing around with imaginary things before they doped
her up?"

  Jamie nodded. "I don't know, Holly, my gut tells me there's something going on here that's not right, but the only way to know for sure is to see her chart."

  Holly nibbled a cheese stick deep in thought. "I couldn't live with myself if something happened to that woman and I could've done something about it. We may be off on a wild goose chase, but I truly believe something is going on, if not illegal, then at the very least unethical."

  Jamie sipped her beer, enjoying the calming effect it was having on her. "I think I may have a place to start. She told me she had her appendix removed a few years ago. I think I may know the doctor who performed the surgery."

  Holly gulped the swallow of beer she had just taken. "Wait a minute. I'm not so sure it's a good idea to tell anyone else about this right now. How well do you know this guy?"

  "If it's the man I think it is, I know him very well. He was one of the top surgeons at the hospital where I worked. I looked up to him as a father, as well as a teacher. I can assure you he'll keep this in his strictest confidence."

  "You better hope he does because if Carmen finds out we're snooping around, we can look forward to unemployment."

  Jamie waved off Holly's attempts to have her consume another round and returned exhausted to her small apartment. It wasn't much, but until she paid off her student loans, it would have to suffice. She stripped out of her scrubs, leaving a trail of clothes on her way to the shower.

  She emerged feeling refreshed and ready for bed. She tried to read for a while to help her relax, but the events of the last few days played through her mind like a movie. What would this cost her?

  She lay there thinking about her friendship with Holly and how comfortable she felt around her. She'd always been attracted to dark-eyed brunettes. Her friend and co-worker was attractive enough, and she often stole glances at the statuesque woman when she wasn't aware. Still she knew that getting involved with a co-worker was a bad idea, and that was enough to keep her content with just looking. Not to mention the fact that Holly made it blatantly obvious that she was attracted to men.