Chapter Five
"Hello, Jaime," her early-afternoon visitor said brightly. "I'm Andrew Corrigan -"
"The shrink?" In faded jeans and a navy-and-white striped polo, he was hardly what she'd expected.
"I'm an OSI Staff Psychiatrist, yes. Do you know why I'm here?"
"They think the cheese has slipped off my cracker."
"Excuse me?" Andrew said, cracking a smile smile in spite of himself.
"They think I'm either hallucinating or making up stories."
"And what do you think?"
"I know what i saw; I didn't imagine it! Someone's trying to gaslight me!"
"Why would someone do that?" Andrew probed.
"I don't know why! That's why I need to get outta here, so I can find out!"
"I can understand that," he concurred. "Why don't you tell me what you saw, and we'll go from there?"
Jaime sighed and related the events of the last 24 hours in all of their vivid, gory details. When she was done, she met the doctor's eyes with a firm, steady gaze. "I wasn't dreaming!"
- - - - - -
"Well?" Steve asked nervously, beating Rudy and Oscar to the question when Andrew re-joined them in Rudy's office.
"I'm not basing this on anything scientific or concrete, but I believe her. Someone is apparently out to get her." He looked at Steve. "Or to get both of you." His eyes scanned the room. "On the other hand, threats of this nature, if they continue, could push anyone over the edge, and this young lady is perilously close."
- - - - - -
"I'd rest better at home," Jaime insisted.
"You collapsed today, Honey," Rudy said gently. "Michael and I just want to make sure you're ok."
"Well, I'm fine. A little tired, though. Maybe a nap would be good, just until dinnertime..."
"I think that sounds like a great plan," Steve agreed. "I've got a few things I need to check out, and I'll be back before you wake up."
Jaime nodded, her eyes already half-closed. The two men left quietly, thankful she felt relaxed enough to sleep.
- - - - - -
The cat was nearly salivating at the way things were shaping up. A mouse in a hospital bed would be easy pickings. It was time to start batting her about, let her begin to taste real fear. They may have had an inkling before, but both mice would soon know that they truly were helpless prey.
- - - - - -
Oscar had been unwilling to leave the hospital while the well-being of his operative was still in question, and since Chris and Russ had found him still there, he met with them in a small conference room just down the hall and around the corner from Jaime's room.
"Russ, I want you to arrange 24-hour, around-the-clock surveillance at Steve's house, and Chris, you'll do the same at Jaime's," Oscar directed. "Anyone so much as breathes in the direction of either property, I expect to hear about it."
While Oscar was arranging for Jaime's safe release from the hospital, Jaime rolled over in bed and was abruptly awakened by a sharp, painful stab in her side.
"Ow!" she muttered, before she was fully awake. Once she rolled over and looked for the source of the pain, she was out of bed faster than a heartbeat and running down the hallway, calling out for Steve.
Oscar, Russ and Chris met her as she rounded the corner. "What is it?" Oscar asked.
"My room...in my bed...!" Jaime gasped, growing paler by the second. Chris and Russ each caught her by one arm before she could hit the ground, while Oscar – his gun drawn – raced down the hall. Rudy and Michael, alerted by Jaime's cries, came out of the office and Steve – having walked into the middle of mayhem – rushed to Jaime's side.
"What happened?" Steve demanded. She should've at least been safe in the hospital, he thought to himself. "Are you alright, Sweetheart?" he asked softly, kneeling next to the chair she'd been placed in.
"There was a poker – a skewer – with two dolls stuck on it...like...shish-kabob!" She leaned into Steve's arms and closed her eyes to try and shut out the memory.
Oscar returned, looking bewildered. The men all looked up, while Jaime continued clinging to Steve. Oscar shook his head.
"Nothing in there," he stated flatly. "I'm sorry, Jaime," he added carefully.
Jaime, who'd kept her composure up to this point, broke down in sobs of confusion and defeat. "It was there – I swear it was!" She looked accusingly at Oscar. "What'd you do with it?"
"Sweetheart," Steve chided softly, "He's trying to help. If he didn't see anything, maybe there really was nothing there."
"Now you don't believe me, either?" Jaime cried. She pulled herself out of Steve's embrace and started to rise to her feet, promptly landing in a heap on the floor. "Don't touch me!" she told Steve and Oscar as they both reached down to help her. "Just leave me alone."
Alarmed and frightened, Steve looked up at Rudy. "Let's get her back in bed," the doctor instructed.
"NO!" Jaime screamed, backing away from them while still on the ground. "I can't go back in there! Please...!"
With sad eyes, Rudy removed a syringe from his coat pocket and injected the contents into Jaime's arm. Within seconds, she grew silent and her eyes closed, the last of her tears still pearled on her cheeks. A heartbroken Steve picked her up from the floor and carried her back to her room. As he placed her in the bed, her gown rode up on the right and he, Rudy and Michael all noticed the deep, angry gouge where 'nothing' had sliced into Jaime's side.
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