Chapter 18

Saturday, November 6, 1976

Dr. Albright came into the room, “Hello Michael, I just stopped in to say hello. I’m sorry to see you here under these circumstances. I just wanted to wish you a speedy recovery. I can’t spend a lot of time, however, as I am on call this weekend, so I’ve got to get started on rounds. If you need anything, don’t hesitate to ask.”

“Thanks for stopping in doc, I am starting to feel much better. I glad that you’re here. I know I’m in good hands.” I said with a smile.

Nurse Maxwell came in to take my vitals, a morning ritual I was never fond of. She pronounced me healthy. After recording the results in my chart, she announced I had a visitor. It was early on a Saturday, so I figured it would be the James’s.

No sooner than Nurse Maxwell made this announcement did Eve come through the door. She was dressed in her candy striper uniform, with my breakfast. Her smile lit up the room. She pushed the tray over the bed, then repositioned the angle of the bed, so I was sitting up and able to reach the table. Before I could reach for the food, she grabbed me and pulled me into a very tight hug.

“Michael I’ve missed you so much, I was so afraid ... They kept telling us you were getting better, only to backtrack and say you had relapsed ... I am still not convinced you’re really better. But you look well, and you are here and not in that horrible place, they wouldn’t let any of us girls visit you. It was just unbearable not knowing what was going on.” Tears started to appear, I just held her and let her know I was here and okay. I won’t tell who the tears belonged to, because I am unsure of whose they were myself.

“I am okay now, and I am going to live, I’ll be alright, the worst is over.”

Nurse Maxwell made a big deal of clearing her throat, and eve stood up.

“You scared me, Michael, scared me terribly, you better live ... Because I think I love you, now you better eat your breakfast.”

Nurse Maxwell asked Eve, “Don’t you have other patients’ breakfasts’ to deliver?” with a slight tone of irritation.

“Not anymore, I purposely left Michael for last, so I could spend a little extra time with him,” Eve answered with a smile and a triumphant look on her face.

I was starving, so I started to eat the oatmeal and wheat toast and downed the glass of orange juice.

I didn’t get a chance to finish it before a doctor walked into the room. He introduced himself as my toxicologist. He informed me that to determine if there were any lasting effects from the multiple poisonings I had endured. That they are going to do a full regimen of tests and bloodwork. to determine if there were any lasting effects from the multiple poisonings. He had assigned a team of internists and general practitioners to evaluate me for any long term effects from the many diseases I’d been exposed to. I was afraid of becoming a human pin cushion before this was over. He also told me he would be getting all of my medical records from the prison hospital to get a better idea of what happened to me. Just as he finished this introduction, two other medical people came into the room. Then they, along with nurse Maxwell, began taking blood, and the rest of the day was a blur of nurses and orderlies coming and doing tests and leaving with vials of my blood. I started to call them all vampires in my head. It reminded me of why I hated doctors and hospitals so much.

Eve came by after her shift was over for the day. “How are you feeling? I heard that they were here nearly all morning and into the afternoon, taking blood samples?”

“Yeah, the bunch of vampires were all too happy to suck me dry, it’s a miracle I have any blood left,” I replied rather grumpily. I sounded like an old man, even to my ears. I realized I had allowed my old self to retake control. I had to keep him in check.

“Michael, it’s important that they find out what happened to you. You nearly died way too many times for it to be natural somehow. I think you were targeted in that terrible prison hospital. Micheal, will you tell me what really happened? There are so many conflicting stories of your arrest, how you ended up in that hospital, that I am not sure what is true and what isn’t.”

“What’s to tell, I was stopped, I thought originally for speeding, but as it turned out, it was for driving a stolen car, my own car. Someone reported it as stolen. They claimed they found drugs in the car. So, I was busted for drugs also. They claim they found drugs in the car. They arrested me and took me downtown to jail. I was processed and incarcerated with the adult population. After finally being able to make a phone call, I called Mr. Sawyer, my lawyer, and told him my problem. I told him I would go with whoever he sent to help me. Just as I was about to meet with the lawyer, I was attacked and stabbed by another prisoner. I woke up yesterday in the prison hospital to find I had been poisoned multiple times while in there. And to answer your next question, I am feeling much better, thank you.”