The Wrath

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Nadine opens her eyes only to find herself in a brightly lit room, an officer was standing over her. As she tried to move, she realised she was tucked into a bed, dressed in a hospital gown. The male officer smiled down at her warmly,
"Welcome back. You made it."

Nadine just turns her head away without replying. The officer tries to question her,
"I know this is fast, but do you feel ready to tell me what happened?"

Nadine shifts in the bed and winces as pain shot through her leg,
"The evidence is all pinned up. Why don't you go and see for yourself?" she grumbled wanting to get back to sleep, she wasn't ready for this. Didn't want to have to revisit it all, talk about it, go into the details.

The officer walked towards the window then picked up a shoebox from the sill.
"We did, but there's some evidence missing. Drawing pins holding up nothing."

The officer turned around, and casually sauntered back towards her. Nadine frowned when she saw the box in his hands.
"Hey that's mine," she insisted, her hand reaching out towards it.

He stands beside her again,
"We've already gone through this. All it shows was that he had been watching you, selecting his victims." He handed the box back to her with a sympathetic smile,
"You can keep this."

Nadine finally faces him directly,
"Did you find them all?" she asked tears filling her eyes again.

The officer nodded his face stern,
"We found twelve bodies, that's including the young couple in the house next to yours."

Nadine lowered her eyes sadly,
"Have the families been informed?"

Again, the officer nodded,
"There's a lot of questions."

Nadine shrugged a helpless expression on her face,
"I don't have the answers."

"You're the only survivor. Our only link to what happened, the truth," the officer reminded her.

Leaning her head back into the pillows Nadine let out a sigh.
"I can't. I don't know. Alan was always a few steps ahead of us," she said exasperated.

"Alan Slamson. That was Katrina Harris's brother?" The officer asked.

"Step brother," Nadine hurriedly corrected him.

The officer takes his hat off and runs a hand back through his short black quiffed up hair.
"Nadine, I know you've been through a lot."

Nadine interrupted him with a small humourless snigger,
"A lot. Losing your job or your home is a lot. I saw the corpses of everyone I love staged like a fucking twisted waxwork museum. I had to become a killer myself. How many dead bodies have you had to clean up to spare anyone else seeing them the way I saw them and having those images branded into their brains. Every single time I close my eyes I see them, all of them."
There was a hint of irritation in Nadines tone and her voice kept quivering. like she was about to burst into tears again.

The officer fidgeted nervously then cleared his throat,
"I'm not going to stand here and pretend to understand what you've been through, however we need to gather the facts while they are still fresh in your mind."

Nadine glanced out the window.
"My family and friends aren't facts," she replied moodily.

Before the officer can say anything more a Nurse enters the room and gestures urgently to the officer. He gave Nadine one more glance then seeing she was in no mood to talk he walked too the nurse who was beckoning him over. When he reached her Nadine saw her whispering into his ear. He looked back at Nadine then he ushered the Nurse to the door which led to Nadines room. He turned back to her, "We'll have an officer stationed outside your door and we will wait until you're ready to talk."

The officer pulls open her door and lets the Nurse go ahead of him, through the doorway. As soon as she leaves the room Nadine can see a group of people with cameras, microphones and notepads surround the officer trying to push past him. She could hear the click of cameras, people shouting questions at Nadine and voices trying to persuade the officer to let them through.
Nadine shields her face as bright flashes go off through the gap in the doorway. Eventually the officer manages to force the crowd back then he shuts the door firmly behind himself.
Nadine raises herself in the bed slightly, then lifts the shoebox onto her lap. She lifts the lid and stares inside, reaching in she picks up the pictures and studies each one, observing every single photo for a long time, reliving the happiness, laughs, love and fun times that they had all shared together. She put the photos back in the box then threw the bed covers off her and swung her legs off the bed.
The first thing she noticed was that the hospital had put proper padding over her stab wound. She lowered her feet to the floor and then limping slightly, made her way to the window. In her reflection Nadine noticed prickly stitches sticking out from the gash under her eye, there was also gauze strips on her cheek closing up a deep cut, there was a plaster covering her graze and the bruise on her head was a deep, angry, purple colour. Raising her eyes, she looked at the blue sky, the clouds moving slightly in the breeze and the sunshine forcing her to squint slightly. It immediately sunk into Nadines mind that her life would never be the same, but life goes on like nothing had changed. The sun will still rise and set, nights will come and go, days will pass by. Life won't stop and give Nadine a chance to grieve or try to adjust.
Nadine tapped her fingers on the window sill as she stared into the clouds, she whispered aloud.
"You guys are all together, right?"

She hesitated, thinking of what she would say to her brother, boyfriend and mates if she had one more chance.

"I could sure use your guidance now," she continued as her mind drifted to her Mother, the parents and family members of all those that Alan had murdered.

"I don't know what the hell I'm supposed to say to your families."

Pausing again thoughts filled her mind of having to explain to Amber and Lilys parents why both of their young daughters were dead. Facing Kats Mum who had lost every child. Karens family. Doms, Seans, Deans. What Alan had done had a far bigger impact that what she had initially thought. This was going to affect so many more people that Nadine had ever imagined. Knowing she was in way over her head, and wishing she had someone, anyone to tell her what to do. Not even sure why she was talking or if she felt anyone could or was listening to her she spoke out loud again.

"I guess in time, I'll see you again and you'll give me that answer, but I kinda need it now."
A sob caught in her throat forcing her to fall silent, she blinked back tears, then limping returned to her bed. She climbed back under the covers then holding the box securely close to her chest she turned on her side, closed her eyes and fell into a troubled sleep.