Jacqueline Druga - Omnicide

“Well,” Art said. “You never know. What happens—”

A loud thump rang out from the ceiling and everyone looked up.

After the pause caused by the loud noise, everyone gave their attention back to Art. Everyone except Cass.

“If something similar happens…” Art continued.

“Will you excuse me?” Cass said softly and walked out of the kitchen seemingly entranced.

No one gave it a second thought. Especially Eb—he was used to Cass just suddenly leaving a room when the most minuscule thing set her off.

While everyone else seemed to just dismiss the sound as something that had fallen, Cass felt differently.

She didn’t quite know why, but something didn’t sit right with her the instant she heard it. Once out of everyone’s view, she picked up the pace to investigate.

It could have been nothing, but something inside of Cass screamed it wasn’t. Whatever it was, it caused her stomach to twist and a wave of unfounded nervousness and fear swept over her as she made her way up the stairs.

The doors of the rooms that lined the upstairs hallway were open. All but one.

Position wise, that was the room above the kitchen. Or so Cass thought.

“Lena,” Cass called out, knocking on the door. “Lena.”

There was no answer and Cass, slightly out of breath, her heart beating out of control, turned the unlocked knob and pushed the door open.

As soon as she stepped inside the room, she knew her instincts were correct.

A fallen chair was the reason for the noise, the ‘thump’ against the floor.

It had fallen when Lena’s feet kicked it over in her attempt to hang herself from the beam on the ceiling of the rustic bedroom.

One end of the bathrobe belt looped around her neck, the other over the beam. Her legs did mini kicks as her body twisted and turned left to right.

Every ounce of nervousness, fear, that Cass felt was gone the moment she saw.

“Lena!” Cass raced to her, shouting out, “Someone!” as she lunged for Lena’s legs. “Someone help!”

Cass clutched both her legs as best as she could and, using every bit of strength she could muster, tried with diligence to hoist Lena’s body up to relieve the pressure on her neck.

Lena fought. Whether it was on purpose or just her body’s reaction to what was happening, she fought against Cass but not for long. Cass held on. Her fingers digging into the thighs of Lena’s now limp body. Her shoulders and neck bearing the brunt of the weight, pushing her upward as she cried out again loud and desperately, “Someone!”

May 8

Ada stayed in the hall. She snatched a peek into the room when Dr. Craig walked out. Lena was asleep in the bed while Niles tended to her intravenously.

Her mind kept going back to the night before.

They were in the kitchen, listening to Art and his ‘high and mighty’ explanations. Cass has just walked out. Ada dismissed her leaving as part of Cass’ personality. Whenever anything remotely reminded her of the tragedy of eight years earlier, Cass just walked out.

Ada was used to it.

She didn’t think twice about the loud noise.

Even when she heard the desperation in Cass’ call, still Ada didn’t think it was Lena attempting suicide. In her years, Ada had seen a lot of people deal with loss. Cass was one of them. Ada knew people. She kept saying that Cass was on a one-way trip to taking her own life, either on purpose or by accident. But Lena didn’t strike Ada as that person.

Eb rushed out. In fact they all did.

But Eb was fast, probably recognizing something in Cass’ voice.

Cass was still hollering for help when Ada arrived at the stairs. When she walked into the room, Ada gasped in shock.

Cass fought diligently to hold up Lena’s limp body. Eb reached to cut down the belt, doing so without causing any more harm. But it was only when Niles and Art entered and lifted Lena higher, that Eb was able to do so.

Once they placed Lena on the floor, Ada watched Cass feel for a pulse, then without hesitation deliver breaths.

Cass beckoned her, pleaded.

It didn’t take long. Lena choked weakly with a whimper and that was when Ada summoned Dr. Craig.

Dr. Craig.

He made eye contact with Ada, now back in the present, as he pulled the door closed.

“How is she?” Ada asked.

“She made it through the night. That’s a good thing.”

“I knew she would.”

“Right now, she’s still under sedation and will be for a few more hours. She needs rest and to not move. I don’t think anything is broken. We’ll know when she wakes if there is a problem with the larynx. Doesn’t feel it though. The ligation isn’t too deep.”

“What about a pulmonary edema?”

“We have to watch for a delayed one, clots, and other repercussions. She should be in a hospital, but we know that’s not possible. We just have to keep monitoring her closely,” Craig said.

“I did that all last night?”

“Maybe you should get some rest. Niles is a physician. He can handle it for a while. I also appreciate you getting the monitor from the veterinarian. I didn’t have one.”

“There’s nothing really we can’t do for her here,” Ada said.

“I agree. I’ll tell you, your fast reaction saved her life. And more so from any permanent damage. She could have suffered hypoxia, lack of oxygen to the brain. I mean, it really could have been worse. Do you know how long she was hanging?”

“It wasn’t long,” Ada said. “We heard the thump. I didn’t think anything about it, no one did but Cass, so no more than a minute or two. She had a feeling.”

“Where is she now?”

“Cass? She left. She said for me to call her and keep her updated. She’s not one to hang around bad situations. But you know her.”

“No, actually, I don’t. I know her to see her. When she drives Mr. Algerman in for his tests. That’s it. She seems to be the only person in town that doesn’t come to me for treatment.”

“I didn’t know that.”

“What about Lena’s friend?” he asked.

“Yes, I uh… I spoke to her. She’ll be here this afternoon.”

“Good. That woman is alone and needs all the support she can get.”

“Well, Doctor, she’s part of Griffin now. She’s family,” Ada said, looking at the closed door. “And like any family member, we will do what we can to keep her going.”

Cass did that ‘speak softly to yourself’ thing as she sat behind the computer in the police station. “Stir… crazy.” She typed and hit enter. She cast her eyes over the screen and shook her head. Grabbing a pencil, she scratched out the word, one of many on a list.

The police station bell dinged and she looked up to see Eb walk in.

“Morning, Officer McDaniels,” he said.

“Hey, Eb.”

“Have you been here all night?” Eb asked.

“Pretty much. I just don’t want to miss a second of connectivity while we have it.”

“I get that. We just had an arrival.” Eb walked toward Cass. “A young man from Texas.”

“Another Texan.” Cass shook her head. “What did he do drive a hundred miles an hour?”

“Man, you are a state boundary bigot. I think he said he was in New Mexico.”

“Did Lena’s friend show up?” Cass asked.

“Not yet.”

Cass sat back in the chair and tossed the pencil. “Do we know where we are putting people in this town? Did Mark say at the meeting? I mean, after everything calmed down.”

“He did. Mark handled it with his usual style. People calmed and then got kind of excited that we were spared. I mean those who were worried about family out there. He took volunteers for committees.” Eb grabbed a chair and pulled it toward her. “A committee for housing, searching, food.”