Where the Sun Sets
Chapter 14
The walk back to the hospital had refreshed him. He stopped for a moment
outside the hospital and looked up into the sky, closing his eyes to fully enjoy the
sun upon his face. A cloud cast a shadow on his closed eyes and he opened them
abruptly. There was a chill to the air all of a sudden. He inhaled deeply as he
entered the building through the "Staff only Doors' and helped himself to a white
jacket, carelessly lying on the top of a basket of dirty uniforms. He entered the
staircase and headed to the kitchen for a bite to eat. It was just before lunch
time. Not a soul stopped him. No one even seemed to notice he was there. Perhaps
it was the jacket. He smiled to himself. He was feeling daring. He walked through
the kitchen and out to the cafeteria. Grabbing a newspaper and an apple, he sat
himself down in the center of the room. To be honest, there really weren't that many
people in the cafeteria. But those that were there hardly noticed his presence. He
enjoyed his invisibility as he read the paper.
Twenty minutes later he felt he should get on with his business. He stood to
leave, returning the newspaper to where he had found it. He exited the cafeteria
through the main doors and headed for the elevators. Passing the receptionists desk
he noticed a bouquet of flowers awaiting delivery.
"Where are these heading?"
"Second floor, Frankel, room 223."
"I'll run them up for you, I have to go that way anyhow."
"Whatever." He grabbed up the flowers and once again headed for the elevators.
The card from the bouquet fell to the floor unnoticed.
Antonia was barely awake. She felt awkward and stiff. She did not have the
strength to open her eyes, so she didn't try. She felt far away, separated from
herself due to the medication. But she had pain, so the medication must have missed
its target. Instinctually she knew the baby was gone. Not just dead, but removed.
Her shoulder burned inside, near the center and her thigh ached with a pulsating
throb. The only wound that did not hurt was the one she was lying on, the shot to
her back. She tried to locate it in her mind. Her back did not seem to exist at the
moment. "Perhaps an epidermal', she thought to herself. She was pretty certain there
were four shots, four bullets that had entered her body.
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