Chapter 62: Breakfast, banter and buttons
…
When her alarm went off for the second time in two days, Danielle was less inclined to get out of her bed so quickly. "What's time?" She asked groggily, as Nigel rolled over in the other bed. "Clearly time to get up," he quipped before coming over and pulling her covers off. "Nigel Manning!" She squealed in surprise but was unable to stop herself laughing. "You cheeky thing!" She couldn't believe it was 08:15 already where the hell had the night gone? But then she reasoned she had spent a good hour and a bit of it talking with Nigel, which she didn't regret in the slightest. Heading out of bed and into the ensuite bathroom, she closed the door and started getting ready for the day.
"You look gorgeous as always," Nigel said when she came out wearing her suit pants and Chris Leach's shirt.
"Bugger off," she pulled a face. "I look just as I did yesterday except I've just had a shower and washed my hair!"
"Which is why you look gorgeous," Nigel said affectionately, pulling her into a hug. Nigel went in to the bathroom and when he came out she smelt his aftershave. When she hugged him she gasped, he was wearing a suit and tie. "What the?"
"Like it?" He kissed her cheek. "Little surprise for you I know what you're like about men in suits and by the way you can touch me as much as you want!" Tears filled her eyes at this, because she knew they were both remembering Adam refusing to let her touch him in his, his cruel jokes that he was wearing it when he in fact wasn't before moving so she couldn't find him. "Don't," Nigel warned, immediately detecting where her mind was going. "Let it go, don't go there, That's over. Does Michael know you like men in suits?"
"Um," she blushed. "I don't think so."
"Hmm. I may have to change that then. Come on you, it's 25 minutes past 8."
She nodded, packed up her few belongings and they exited their sweet to the sound of whistling. She couldn't stop touching Nigel's arm and his tie. The whistling made her smile grow broader if that was possible. Rick, of course. "Morning Rick," she and Nigel said together.
"Morning, thought I'd act as the birds for you to come out!"
She laughed and moved forward to hug him. "Notice Nigel's in a suit and tie?" She whispered in his ear. "I um… love men in suits and ties and of course he knows it."
"Yes as do I after yesterday," he raised his voice. "She couldn't keep her hands off me!"
"Oh shut up," she went bright red and the two men roared with laughter. Now, Rick was wearing his Smith's Grove uniform of black dress pants and a white shirt. No tie, as they were of course considered a safety risk for strangulation. "Right," Nigel said. "We ready?"
"You know Dr Loomis would let you park in the staff bay outside the block, right?" Rick asked as they started walking. "He'd have a right go at me if I didn't at least remind you of this!"
Nigel chuckled. "He's a good man Dr Loomis," he said. "But honestly it's fine. I need to come back here to collect my stuff before I leave for the airport later anyway." The thought of this made her sad. Nigel ruffled her short hair. "Don't you worry kid, I ain't going yet!"
They reached the shuttle station and she jabbed the button to call one. Within a minute, it rolled up almost silently and the doors hissed open electronically. They climbed aboard. "Welcome to the Smith's Grove shuttle system, please select your desired destination."
"What do you think happens if you don't get aboard quick enough?" She asked. "Do you think it just drives off? Or do you think it stays there like this talking to itself?"
Rick laughed. "You have a minute to board then the doors close but it just remains there until it's needed somewhere else. If you need it you just press the call button and the doors reopen. It knows if there's already a vehicle at your station and sends a signal to it."
"That's pretty cool technology," Nigel said and she nodded. They sat down in the comfortable leather seats. "How many seats are in here?"
"Let's see…" there was a pause as Nigel counted. "Twenty."
"What if it's full and everyone wants to go somewhere different?"
"It's kind of like an elevator," Rick said. "But instead of floors it's alphabetical order. That's why it talks, not just for people like yourself but people at the back can't see the screen very well.
"Who controls the screen then?"
"Whoever's at the front." Nigel took her hand and they stood up, he showed her the vehicle from front to back, then the one touch screen at the front. "It's surprisingly comfortable for such short journey's," she remarked.
"Yeah, I've always wondered why that was? Maybe because our former CEO Andrews used them so wanted only the best?"
She chuckled. "Rick Evans!"
"Well?" He raised his hands up in defence. "You met him, that should tell you everything!"
This time she snorted. "Yeah, he loves his patients chained and wants everything on a schedule and in a report for his morning or evening coffee!"
"That about sums it up," Rick said.
"Wow he sounds lovely," Nigel muttered. "Can't believe he tried to have you chained, when you told me that I was fucking furious! Didn't Michael grab him round the neck?"
"Yup," Rick confirmed.
"Good!" Now Nigel took her finger and directed it onto the touchscreen as they tapped in the instructions for HCU. Once they were done and had been told they'd be there in approximately four minutes, she took a seat and fastened her seatbelt. The doors had already hissed closed as the one minute had passed.
"That's weird," she said as they waited the fifteen seconds to pull away. "How come four minutes? Last time it was three?"
"Sometimes when there's a lot of traffic it takes longer, the shuttle tracks must be busy this morning, that's all."
"Yeah I guess that makes sense. What about the fifteen second wait?"
"So people have time to get seated and in case someone picks the wrong station, they have time to change it." There was a soft 'ding' as the shuttle pulled smoothly away. She'd not noticed it before. "What was that?"
"It's just an audible signal we're leaving, you can turn it off in the menu that might be why you haven't heard it before, in the vehicle you were in it may have been turned off."
"Don't suppose there's tea in that magic menu is there?"
"Oh dear, someone not had their caffeine this morning?"
"I was… up a bit late," she admitted sheepishly. Nigel grinned. "Although we did have tea and white chocolate cookies at 3 this morning did we not?"
She blushed but nodded. "Yeah, only because I couldn't sleep! If I go back to sleep and wake up I need my tea before I feel human!" Both men chuckled. A minute or so later, the shuttle came to a gentle stop. "See?" Rick said. "We're stuck in shuttle traffic, we're not there yet."
"We are sorry for the temporary delay in your journey," said the automated voice. "We are currently experiencing a high amount of vehicle traffic. Please remain seated and we will resume as quickly as possible."
"There you go," Rick and Nigel smiled. "She said it better than I did!"
"What is in the menu?"
"Just to turn the bell on and off, the voice on and off and also a light if traveling when it's dark. I use it a lot after nights so it's really helpful when leaving at 7 or coming in for 11. Sometimes I don't want the damn thing talking in my 'normal-sized ears!'
She gave him the finger and laughed. "Makes sense. Is there a horn in the menu so we can tell the shuttles to hurry the fuck up and move out of our way? We have a place to be this morning!"
Rick and Nigel burst out laughing. "So the others don't? Oh of course!" Nigel poked her in the shoulder. "We have royalty on this particular shuttle thank you very much! Move your asses for the queen of Smith's Grove!"
"Fuck off!" All three of them started laughing then and it felt so good to her. After the years of hell she'd gone through, even laughing was something she would never take for granted again!" The bell rang and they started moving. "Thank you for your patience, you will reach your destination in approximately two minutes."
Finally they reached HCU. The doors opened and Nigel guided her towards the block doors, Rick behind them. He pulled out his pass and allowed them access so they didn't have to press the buzzer. They walked in and Dr Loomis was walking towards them. "Good morning," he greeted warmly. "How are we doing this morning? Very dapper suit Nigel."
"I think a certain Madam needs her tea," Nigel poked her in the side. "Asked if there was tea service on the shuttles!"
Dr Loomis laughed. "Sadly they're not that advanced I'm afraid. But your wish is our command, Madam. Follow me and your tea will be waiting for you. Um providing you press the button for it of course!" She couldn't help the swell of happiness and love in her chest at that moment for every one of them, plus the others who would be waiting in that room. As if reading her thoughts, this time both Nigel and Rick whistled in unison making her beam with delight, which only made them do it again. Dr Loomis chuckled. "Sorry I can't whistle," he said apologetically.
"I did wonder," she admitted as they started walking.
"Would have of course done it for you by now if I could," Dr Loomis said. "What about this instead?" He moved forward and lowered his head so she felt his ears. "A certain someone said I have 'nice ears!'"
Nigel and Rick burst out laughing. "Uh oh," Nigel gasped. "That means your ears will never be left alone Doc! Watch out!" As if to prove it, she gently pulled them and he laughed. "Um, ow?" All four of them were snickering as they reached the conference room. "Oh dear," Dr Loomis said good naturedly. "It would appear the doors are closed, it looks like a certain someone will have to let us in, please?"
"I love you Dr Loomis," she said and meant it. "Thank you so much for this, they're such simple things but you know they cheer me up so you're letting me do them!"
The psychiatrist squeezed her hand. "You're more than welcome, but please can you hurry up so you can get in and press the second button? We're hungry!" At this they all laughed. "Damn right!" Rick agreed. She pressed the door open button on the outside and they hissed open immediately. Her heart flipped in her chest at the thought she would see the love of her life any second now. Clearly it'd shown on her face too because Rick and Nigel whistled for a third time, just before she felt herself being lovingly pulled close, into the embrace she knew so well.
"Morning Michael," she leant into his shoulder. "Christ I missed you so bad! I mean like really bad!" She expected him to chuckle, to make fun of her even in an affectionate way, but he didn't. He simply leant down and took her lips in a long, lingering kiss.
Nigel took advantage of her being wonderfully distracted and spoke very softly to Dr Loomis. "Danielle told me last night she desperately wants something from Michael, but is afraid to ask him for obvious reasons. I think she wants to instigate it too which she said would be a huge step for her and of course we all know and understand why! It certainly would. I don't know what it is though I honestly don't, nor did I push her for details, that's between her and Michael. I just wondered if there was some way you could make it so she… I don't know, asks him?"
The doctor smiled at him. "Leave it with me," he said simply. "We've already made a slight… tweak for them in here this morning!" Nigel raised his eyebrows and the doctor pointed to a double leather seat at the head of the table, which would enable them to sit side by side on the same seat. "Aww," he blinked back tears. "Thank you, Dr Loomis."
"Nothing to thank me for, I'm as pleased and happy as you are to be able to help them." Nigel looked towards the back of the huge conference room and saw Jack and Joanne sitting at the very back talking adamantly. "Is that so she has to use the microphones to call them over?" He whispered. Dr Loomis nodded. "Yup, of course! If she wants her breakfast and beloved tea she'll need to ring the call bell too!"
"I'm not sorry but I have to say it again! Thank you so much Dr Loomis, it means the world to me and you are really helping with her treatment, even by these simple gestures."
"You're more than welcome Nigel, now shall we take our seats?" Michael led her to the double seat a few seconds later, confirming to Nigel he'd been told it was there. Was he imagining it, or had Michael just smiled at his doctor? "Oh wow," she said as they sat down close together and Michael slid his arm around her pulling her to him. She rested her head on his shoulder and they all saw Michael stroking her hair. Nigel felt himself blink back tears which did fall a second later, when they heard Michael Myers himself whistling softly and saw Danielle hugging him as tightly as she could. "I fucking love you Michael Myers," she just managed to say.
"Good morning," came Dr Stark's soft voice beside them. Sorry but do you mind?" There was the snap of a camera. "That's so sweet!" Michael held her tighter. Leaning in for another kiss, he moved his head so her hands were on his ears. Dr Stark laughed and she sounded very close to if not in tears herself.
"Dr Stark, can I ask you a very small favour? Would it be possible for you to bring my file in here? I trust everyone in this room with my life, including Joanne and Jack when they get here and I need to talk to you all about something. Would you be willing to do that?"
"Of course," Dr Stark said instantly. "Give me two minutes, please open the doors?" At her touch of the button she was gone, walking fast out of the room.
"Dr Loomis," she called. "Where are Jack and Joanne? Are they not here yet?" Michael kissed her and she heard his soft chuckle. "What?" Dr Loomis looked at Michael and they smiled at each other, before it was Michael who answered her question in a text.
Oh they're here alright, they're right at the back. You'll just have to use the microphones to get their attention won't you? M.
She kissed him, hugging him as tightly as she could. Dr Loomis squeezed her shoulder. She knew he'd done this on purpose. Michael had probably been in on it too. God she loved these people to the death! She made to reach forward for the button panel then stopped, taking Michael's hand. Together they pressed the call bell, then the microphone button. The chime sounded. "Attention please Ms. Turner, Mr. Grant." Her voice echoed through the massive room. "Please can you come to the front now and stop talking during school time you naughty children? The lesson is about to start! Thank you!"
Everyone laughed as Jack and Joanne appeared. "Sorry Ms. Avery," they said together in the tones of naughty children. She couldn't help laughing too. "I should think so!" She heard Dr Stark laughing as the consultant returned and retook her seat.
They sat down just as they heard the whistling she knew immediately. Dr Loomis or Dr Stark must've arranged it to be Jerry and he of course knew to whistle for her. Damn she liked him a lot. The doorbell rang even though the doors had been left open. It still made her smile.
"Good morning ladies and gents," Jerry said cheerfully and warmly as they immediately smelt the delicious smell of cooked breakfast. Anne, Tony and I here with breakfast, tea and coffee! Sausage, scrambled eggs, bacon, mushrooms, hash browns and fried bread. Accompanied by strawberry and vanilla yogurts and…" he paused dramatically. "A plate of my white chocolate muffins!"
"Wo! Thanks!"
"Sounds delicious," Nigel said. "Thanks loads you guys." The others nodded.
The three kitchen staff entered, two of them wheeling carts. Anne and Tony past around the plates, cutlery and cups, while Jerry parked the breakfast trolley against the wall just inside the door. "Enjoy guys," he said and started to whistle making everyone including his two colleagues smile, as the three of them left.
"Can I ask a quick question I thought of last night? How do you… sort of alert others there's a meeting going on so they don't just open the doors from the outside like I did?"
"Ah, yes!" Joanne said. "That little gem! Well, if you press the door close button, you know how the button is divided into two parts open and close? If you press the close button once the doors are closed a sign comes up on the outside, which says 'meeting in progress, please ring doorbell.' It also means the outside door open button won't work."
"That's cool," she said and pressed it. Did it work?"
"Yup," Dr Stark said. "There's a little red light on now on the control panel which notifies us the sign is active. Right, we ready to eat?"
"Hell yes!" Nigel, Danielle, Rick, Jack and Joanne all said together. Dr Stark chuckled. "Ok then, tuck in! Not that you need my permission!"
"Danielle, shall I grab yours?" Nigel asked. "Or would you like Joanne or someone else too? Any of us will you know that of course!"
"Go for it Nige, thank you. I'll have everything please?"
"Of course you will," Nigel chuckled and was the first to approach the food cart. To her happy shock, it was Michael who poured out and past her her tea. "Thank you babe," she kissed him. She then smelt it as he got his coffee. "Here you are babe," Nigel said as he passed her a full plate. "Enjoy!"
"Nice suit Nigel," Jack and Joanne said together. "Bet she's all over you," Joanne finished. They heard Michael chuckle quietly. Nigel whispered conspiratorially to the killer. "She loves men in suits, make a mental note my man! She won't be able to stop touching you and that's not just your ears!" The others now moved to get their breakfast.
For a while there was silence as everyone ate and drank. After a few moments Rick spoke. "So Nigel, tell us a bit about you?"
"Um," Nigel blushed. "Not really a lot to say. I was born just outside of Haddonfield, went to school nearby and then took a job as a taxi driver for a while, until Sophie became ill at which point I quit to care for her. Shame on me I've never gone back to work since! I made a lot of money while doing that and there's also pension and so on."
"Hey no shame in that," Jack said as he sliced his sausage. "Why work if you don't have to?"
"Why are you working then?" Nigel quipped, cutting his hash brown. "You guys are probably rolling in it doing this job!"
All three guards laughed. "You are so wrong," Jack grinned. "Sure the pay's better than most jobs because of the risk allowance, we get a bit extra because we put ourselves at risk every day as we unfortunately saw with this good man here," Danielle heard him thump Rick's shoulder or back. "But that aside, we still have to pay bills you know! Sadly they don't pay themselves!"
She laughed a little sadly. "Yeah, I used all my benefits money to pay bills, my disability payments. I couldn't go to work so I was skint very quickly!"
"Well," Dr Loomis said. "In which case you'll be pleased to know that I have pulled some strings so all of the late Mr. Dawson's finances have now gone entirely to you. You are now significantly better off than you would've ever been before and you also own his house."
She gaped at him. "Wo. Seriously? Well I'll tell you all now the first thing I want to do after giving Charlotte half of it is sell that house! I never want to set foot in it again and I can tell you right now and for a fact that she won't want to either! I'll tell her she's now rich when she wakes up!"
"Perfectly understandable. Would you like me to arrange and sort that for you?"
"Would you, Dr Loomis? Thank you I really appreciate that and so does Charlotte!"
"No problem, you're more than welcome. Ok leave that with me!"
"Your bank card is back in the safe where you asked me to put it when you came back," Dr Stark said. "Do you want it back?"
"Nah it's ok thanks Dr Stark," she smiled affectionately at her doctor. "We might as well leave it there until I leave or need it." She whistled softly. "Holy fuck! Adam is probably turning in his grave. Women have all his money and possessions? That's just not allowed!" Everyone laughed. "Stupid evil prick," Jack muttered.
"Well said," she grinned then turned to Nigel. "I never knew you used to be a taxi driver?"
"Oh did I never mention it? Sorry kid! Wasn't much, but I did get some fairly rich customers sometimes and they were rather generous with their tips! I know, I had royalty in my hire car last night, but I don't dare charge you your Majesty!"
"Will you shut up?" She couldn't help laughing and heard everyone else doing the same even Michael was laughing out loud now.
"Hmm, I might have seen you," Dr Loomis said thoughtfully. "Did you used to drive a black station waggon with NMT on the side?"
"Wow," Nigel looked surprised. Yes I did. Did I ever take you anywhere?"
"I think you might have done," Dr Loomis said slowly. "I think to a work party or something like that."
"Dr Loomis!" She exclaimed. "Are you telling me you were out drinking?"
"Most certainly not!" Dr Loomis leaned forward and poked her arm. "How could you think such a thing?" Everyone snickered. "Do you like a drink?" Nigel asked.
"Um, not really. Sometimes I might have a beer, but not often. I've never been one for being out of control however slightly, which of course in a job like this you can't be."
How true is that, she thought. Drunk with Michael Myers just a few feet away? Prepare to die! "Your guards like a drink though," she said and smirked at Joanne.
"Oh stop! It was a small wine! Ug you Danielle Avery are unbelievable. I'll never hear the end of that now will I?" Dr Loomis laughed. "You reap what you sow, Joanne."
"What about you Rick, Jack?" She and Nigel asked together and grinned.
"I don't mind a beer when I'm not working," Jack said. "I used to go out and get absolutely pissed out of my head when I was younger, but then I met Gill and it all stopped."
"Why?" She couldn't help asking.
"I just felt I had to be more responsible. I was a husband now, part of a family if you like. Don't get me wrong Gill was always up for a drink with me, but I never repeated going out to get totally smashed! Apart from anything else when she was with me I wanted to look out for her."
"Not even on your stag do?" Nigel smirked. "I was hammered to all hell on mine!"
Jack laughed. "We went to another state for a couple of days so ok, maybe I did get a little um… inebriated then!"
"As for looking out for her of course you did," she said affectionately. "Just like you want to protect me." The guard stood, approached her and Michael's chair and hugged her. "No that's purely because you're a sweetheart too," he said. "Oh and by the way I've got a promise I need to keep! I haven't forgotten." She raised her eyebrows, confused until a few seconds later she felt him sliding his equipment vest onto her.
"Uh oh," Joanne said. "Guard Avery's on duty best behaviour everyone, she takes no bullshit as she told us over the public address system!"
"Noted," everyone said together.
"Thanks Jack, I… I can't tell you how much this means to me, I'd honestly forgotten, but now I remember you saying you'd do it again soon."
"Indeed I did," Jack squeezed her shoulder and returned to his seat. "I'm just sorry it was this long."
"I detect a story?" Nigel asked. "Don't tell me if it's private between you two of course!" He saw them smiling fondly at each other.
"Derek Chancer was being interrogated in one of the interrogation suites which are underground and the doctors didn't want me worrying about it. So they asked Jack to… entertain me while they did it. We watched a movie in the cinema and were in one of the offices where he let me wear this and feel all the equipment, that was when I got my first go at firing his gun! Talk about third time's the charm! The second time I threatened Chancer with it and the third? Ah, Adam Dawson's right leg! Almost orgasmic!" Everyone smiled.
"She also sounded the panic alarm before pulling my 'small ears,'" Jack said making everyone including Michael laugh out loud. "Rick was told he had 'normal-sized ears,' Joanne's were 'cute,' Dr Loomis had 'nice ears!" Everyone was still laughing. "Oh and Michael had 'sexy as all hell,'" Joanne finished to renewed laughter.
"Hey!" She raised her hands in mock self-defence. "They are sexy! What? Am I supposed to lie?"
"Yeah and I think she just called mine 'normal,'" Dr Stark added. "I had the least popular ears in this room I think!"
She hit the microphone button. "Oh be quiet, shut up you lot! You all have amazing ears!" As she'd hoped it would, the laughter only intensified at this and she could only join in. Hearing Michael Myers himself laughing out loud was music to her 'huge' ears. Self-professed huge of course! She grinned to herself.
"She even felt Chris Leach's ears last night," Rick said to more laughter. "I mean shit! A top crime Lord and she's touching his damn ears?"
"Bugger off! He let me do it! If you remember Mr. Evans he also whistled as well then lent me his shirt when you nearly gassed me!"
Rick could hardly speak for laughing. "Yeah, I'm sorry about that! This is true, she said he had 'nice ears' too! Sorry Dr Loomis you would appear to have ear competition!"
"Oh!" Dr Loomis sounded wounded. "Oh, my poor ears! It's ok, I can take it!" This time she almost spat out her tea for laughing.
"NMT?" She asked Nigel when she could speak. "What? Nigel Manning Taxis?"
"Bang on kiddo," Nigel chuckled. "Yes I know, very original… or not." She turned to Dr Loomis. "So when you said 'your taxi is here last night…'"
Dr Loomis smiled. "Yes, that was not an accidental choice of words."
"That's what you said?" Nigel blushed but grinned. "Wow did I make that much of an impression when I picked you up? Actually, probably best not to answer that!" Everyone laughed. "You were very nice to me of course," Dr Loomis confirmed.
"So what about you Rick? On the drink front?" Nigel asked.
"No," the guard shook his head. "Not for me, I've never really enjoyed it. I'd much rather just have a coke. Why drink something if you don't like it just to be sociable?"
"I love you even more Rick Evans," she grinned. "Another who doesn't like alcohol, oh at last! Even a certain Mr. Myers tried beer two nights ago!"
"Indeed?" Dr Loomis' tone was amused. "And?" Nigel handed Michael a piece of paper from the huge box in the corner and a pen. Michael wrote and Dr Stark read it aloud.
I believe my reaction was 'not bad.' Especially if you consider that was my first ever taste of alcohol.
"Fair enough," Dr Loomis smiled at his patient then before he could hold it back said what he'd been thinking out loud. "Who are you and what have you done with Michael Myers?" Everyone smiled affectionately at both Michael and Dr Loomis. "There was a time I'd never have let you near alcohol with a barge pole! You were dangerous enough sober but drunk? No thank you!" Michael chuckled before holding up another message.
I am still Michael Myers; I just fell in love.
"Aww," everyone said together as Michael kissed her and put her hands on his ears. There were a few further moments of casual conversation as everyone cleared the breakfast plates easily. She felt relaxed now and full of delicious food. They moved onto the yogurts and muffins and she groaned out loud when she tried a muffin for the first time. "These are better than the cookies!" She proclaimed. After they'd finished, she smirked and not asking anyone's permission this time pressed the call bell. Dr Loomis smiled. Anne and Tony entered, beginning to clear the table. "Thank you so much," she said sincerely. "That was absolutely gorgeous!" Everyone murmured in agreement.
"You're welcome," Anne said warmly.
"What did you think of the muffins?" Tony asked. He was a member of staff she hadn't spoken to much, but he was always friendly to her when serving her food when they had met.
"They're absolutely fucking amazing," she admitted and he laughed. "I'll be sure to tell him word for word, expletives included! You guys need anything else?"
"Can we have some more tea and coffee please?" She asked.
"Yep, give us five minutes." The two staff wheeled the carts back out of the room.
"Wow," she leant back in her chair. "That was the best breakfast I've ever had!"
"It was indeed lovely," Nigel agreed.
Once Tony had delivered their hot drinks and left, she reactivated the 'meeting in progress' sign. "You can go first if you want Rick," she offered.
"Madam is so kind," he teased. "Nah go on, ladies first and all that."
She took a moment gathering her thoughts before she spoke. "Well it was intense, I'll say that. Not to the point I regret seeing it," she took Michael's hand and they squeezed. She didn't however release it afterwards. "But damn. I knew a man was about to die and I was sitting there watching it! Did Rick tell you all he'd arranged for me to touch the electric chair? I was even allowed to sit in it! This was before the execution of course! There was a lovely guard named Joel and you know what? One of the first things I said to him was 'now I'll have people saying what and you let her out alive afterwards? Thanks Rick!' To clarify 'thanks Rick' was included in my sentence to Joel too!"
"Hey don't you go blaming me," Rick snickered. "But didn't I ask you that very question myself last night? 'I take it the reason they didn't pull the switch was because they hadn't charged the battery?'"
"Yeah and I told him to fuck off," she retaliated. "He also said we picked up Haddonfield radio in the car because of the size of my ears!" At this Joanne nearly fell off her chair laughing, Jack had tears rolling down his cheeks. Michael was laughing aloud and Dr Stark and Dr Loomis were also laughing the hardest she'd ever heard them do so. She and Rick were too. "So she called me a cheeky bastard and slapped me," Rick gasped. "Guilty is charged!"
"As for letting you out well…" Joanne said before Danielle reached over and playfully slapped her where she was sitting opposite. "Oh shit," Joanne said in mock fear. "She's the only one in here wearing an equipment vest she's the boss I'd better be careful!" Everyone snickered.
"Joel sent me the pictures I meant to tell you," Rick said and produced his phone.
"Wow," Dr Stark said. "There's you strapped into 'old sparky.' She passed the phone to Michael.
"What was it like?" Jack asked. "Knowing you knew where you were sitting so to speak and what it meant?"
"It was… surreal I guess, like wo. Someone's about to die where I'm sitting right now in just a few minutes. I'm not a believer in the supernatural or anything like that, but you know inside that room was the first time I fully understood the meaning of 'haunted.' It just felt… strange. Like the ghosts of all the people who had died before were still in there."
"I think I can understand that," Jack said. "Did you hear anything while sitting there?"
"Yeah," she shivered a little remembering it. Michael's arm came around her and pulled her against him. "There was a hum, the hum of the electricity you guys mentioned to me yesterday before we left. As Joel guided me out, it suddenly got louder and higher and he told me that was because they'd just turned the generators on to charge the chair for Chancer's death it's done twenty minutes before execution."
"There's you holding the skull cap," Dr Stark said, browsing through the pictures. "Wow Joel went the whole hog and even put the chest strap on you."
"Yeah he was really nice," she nodded. "I asked him if he was 'going to pull the switch on me now' and he just sighed and said 'nah, I'll let you out I suppose, you won't both fit!'" Everyone chuckled. "So once I was back in the witness room, did I tell you we met Sarah Goodall and Samantha Lever?"
"No?" Everyone except Rick said together.
"Yeah, we met them while we were waiting for the transport vans up there. Really nice ladies, insisted on sitting next to me in the witness room, told me what was happening and even squeezed my hands when the execution started."
"Oh so you were out of a job Rick?" Jack laughed. "I thought that was your job!"
They both chuckled. "Oh he still squeezed my shoulder," she assured them. "So he still did his part. Have you guys heard Chancer's last words yet?"
"Nope," everyone said. She shivered a little and Michael's arm tightened. Pulling out her phone, she reached to the other buttons she'd been shown before. One was to turn on a light, the other two the screen and ceiling speakers. Turning on the speakers, she connected her phone to them via Bluetooth and brought up Derek Chancer's last words. Checking the volume was up she hit play and within seconds, the man's last terrified words from the very chair she'd sat in were broadcasting through the huge meeting room.
"I hope someone else can continue what I started. Women deserve to die and be raped; I do not regret a single thing I did my only regret was being captured, and that you bastards now have what you doubtlessly see as a victory in executing me. I may have murdered bitches, but you are now murdering me. You think that by killing me you've won but I can assure you you haven't. There will be more men who think like me, more men who want to kill women so executing me solves nothing! All I can hope for now is that the next man to follow in my footsteps doesn't end up where I'm sitting now! Fuck you bastards, die every single one of you!"
There was a short silence. "Wow," Joanne said eventually, contempt in her tone. "Mind you are we really surprised?"
"I'm not," Dr Stark agreed. "He hated women, that's why he raped and killed forty-two of us!"
"Yeah, he almost and I mean almost makes Adam's misogyny look kind and tame. I hated being too close to him, he was one scary motherfucker! Um, perhaps I should rephrase, he probably did fuck as in rape mothers! Well either way he was an evil fucking son of a bitch and I was glad to hear him fry!"
"Well said!" Rick whistled a little tune and she smiled at him. "He got what he deserved that's for sure."
"I wish we could've executed him forty-two times though, one for each of his poor victims!"
"I don't think you're alone in that wish D," Nigel put his arm around her as he was sitting on her other side, so he and Michael were both holding her. "I think a lot of people would love that to be an option."
"I mean…" she hesitated. "I'm a firm believer in the death penalty and it's hopefully a big enough deterrent to serious crimes, but then you need a jury to agree it and they very often don't, then it takes fucking ages for the switch to be thrown or needle inserted! Then at the end of the day what does it really do? I mean does it really work? The evil bad person's gone sure, but it doesn't bring the victim's back does it?"
"But sadly nothing can," it was Dr Stark who spoke now, her voice gentle. "But it gives the victim's families some form of closure I really believe that. Have you heard the number of people who've said how relieved they are when their son's, father's, mother's and so on murderer is dead? It gives them at least hope of moving forward and they often describe it as the 'closure of a nightmare chapter.' They're glad it's done. So I think in that way yes, it does do good to those left behind."
"Yeah I know, it just… doesn't seem like enough you know? But then, what else can the police, courts and judges do? It's not like they can bring the victim's back very sadly." As she spoke, it occurred to her that the man currently sitting on her left with his arm around her whom she loved was a serial killer. He had plenty of victim's blood on his hands. Would people be glad to see him executed? She felt as though her heart was being ripped out of her chest just at the thought, so had to take a minute to think of a killer's family and what they must also go through. Even if they had committed terrible crimes, they were still someone's loved one. However, she chose not to share this particular line of thought with the rest of the room. Although judging by Nigel's and Michael's squeezes in unison, they at least had probably worked it out anyway. If she was honest it wouldn't surprise her if they all had without her needing to say a word.