The Five Horsemen Book 1: Death Warmed Over

Chapter 1

"Excuse you? What the f**k did you just say to me?" I ask angrily. I look back towards the other 2 nurses as they stared wide-eyed at the 2 of us. Nurse Ratchet looks like she is in her 60's and has not updated her makeup routine since the 1970s. Light blue eyeshadow over hazel eyes and under barely-there thin eyebrows and a bad dye job of red hair. Face powder 2 different shades, lighter on her face, darker on her neck, making her look sickly and orange at the same time. And bright pink lipstick on her thin lips that has pooled in the corners of her mouth and smudged on her front teeth. The other 2 nurses are younger. Most likely not even 30 years old yet. The one taking my blood pressure, and squeezing my arm to death in the process, is tall. Probably around 5'11" or so, pale skin and blonde. Blue eyes framed in eyelashes with mascara on them. No makeup other than that. The other one is short, around 5'1" and has light brown skin with dark brown, almost black hair. It's curly, with loose curls and waves. All 3 nurses are in dark navy colored scrubs and the orderly who left was wearing light blue scrubs. I observed all of this in seconds as I turn back to nurse ratchet. "I don't believe I heard you right. Did you-a nurse in the medical field, just tell me-a patient with a voice and a choice, that I do not in fact have a choice? About my body? About what happens to my body? About who touches my body? Is that what just came out of your cigarette-stained teeth, smelling like a rotting corpse breathe, ugly as f**k lipstick color, mouth? Is that what I heard?" I say with venom in my tone. Her jaw dropped open and I heard the other 2 nurses gasp.

"I sure hope not because that would make strike 3 for you Nurse Andrews. And that would mean that you would be fired immediately per the contract you signed." says the new doctor that just walked in the door followed by the orderly from earlier. He's handsome, in the conventional way. Tall at 6' even, short blonde hair, brown eyes and what looks like natural tan skin. "With the amount of complaints and write ups about you in the last few years I would think that you would become more amicable and friendly towards the rest of the staff and the patients. Which you were hired to care for in the first place. And yet, you can not seem to be able to do that very well here at this hospital. Why is that, hmm?" The doctor continues on while standing next to her, staring down at her, since he is about half a head taller than her.

"She told me no to a blood test, that's not allowed when a patient wakes up from a coma. I was just telling her that. I guess I could have phrased it differently so she would't get 'offended', but I was taken aback by her refusal. That's all Doctor Stephens." Nurse Ratchet says, in a more subdued tone compared to how she talked to me.

"Well? Is that what happened ladies?" the doctor asked the other 2 nurses just standing there with wide eyes and shallow breaths. The shorter nurse starts to breathe faster and shallower, her face pales and her eyes glaze over. I know that look. She's having a panic attack and having a flashback at the same time. I grab her hand and pull her towards the side of my bed. I turn back to the doctor when something catches my eye. Nurse Ratchet has a sinister smirk on her face. Like a villain in a bad lifetime movie. Then, it all made sense when blondie nurse, who's name I still didn't know, spoke up.

"No sir. Andrea and I have been bullied and verbally abused by Nurse Andrews for a while now. She has threatened, manipulated and blackmailed us into doing what she wants. Inside work and out. She threatened Andrea here, to have her husband who works as a janitor here, deported on fake charges she said she'd make up if she had to. She told me that she would have her husband r**e and beat me, apparently he has a record of doing that before, into compliance. I have witnessed her telling patients they don't have a choice in any of their medical care and that if they want to live they will do what she says. I also overheard her on the phone with her husband talking about how she gave a patient who was giving her a hard time and threatening to go above her, an air embolism. We have kept documents and recordings of her for the last 3 weeks sir. And we can hand them over to whoever you need. Right Andrea? Andrea?" Blondie starts to look very worried when her friend won't respond. Andrea is hyperventilating at this point and shaking. Her face is pale and sweaty, her eyes, still vacant.

"She is currently having a panic attack. Take her into another room and get her calmed down and have her husband come and comfort her please Haley." Doctor Stephens tells blondie. Ah, so that's her name. They leave quickly. I turn back to the doctor and note that the orderly is walking back in the door with 2 security officers and 3 cops, 2 in blue uniform and 1 in a suit. A detective most likely. Nurse Ratchet, I know her name, I just don't feel like she deserves one other that ratchet, especially after I heard all that she had done to these 2, is looking equal parts furious and scared of the cops. Who knows who else she has f****d up. Or killed like that patient Nurse Haley mentioned. Damn, talk about psycho nurse. How did she pass a psych eval? She looks like she is about to bolt, so I do what I probably shouldn't have. I grab her wrist and bring it down on the railing of my bedside, effectively breaking it. She cries out in pain and grabs her hand with the opposite one. Everyone looks at me like I'm the crazy one.

"Did y'all not see she was still touching me? Because she was. Even after I told her no." I say as innocently as possible. The police are looking skeptical, the doctor is trying not to smile, and the orderly is laughing silently behind the polices' back.

"Well if that's the case then it was justified now wasn't it." Doctor Stephens says with as much innocence as he can muster himself. The orderly excuses himself, I think it's because he can't control his laughter anymore at this point. The uniformed officers step forward and read Ratchet her rights. All the while she is fuming. And I mean she is so livid right now being arrested and probably in pain, she looks right at me and starts making the hacking sounds with her mouth. "She's trying to spit! Get a spit guard on her now!" The suit man says. The doctor grabs her jaw and squeezes. Tightly. Holding her jaw and mouth closed as best he can with her resisting and all that.

"If you spit on anyone here, I will have security tase you until you comply is that understood?" The doctor says menacingly. He got right up in her face too. He looks so pissed I think he could break her jaw if he really wanted to. He waits until she nods her head as best she can and swallows her spit. He lets her go and shoves her head away with the force of release. His face is one of disgust and anger. I don't say anything as they take her away in cuffs telling her of the charges she will be facing, and letting her know that after the full investigation is over, more will probably be added. The suit man leaves with them with a glance back at me, for what I don't know and don't care. I look around my room and see exactly what I want to do next. I smile and squeal in surprise and happiness and reach for a gift basket I overlooked earlier.