“Please don’t hit me again. Please!” Jon lay sprawled on the floor with his head cocked sideways against his desk, and one leg bent beneath his body. Blood splatters covered his white cassock. He extended his arms to block the blows to his face.

“Say your prayers, Father, because you are about to meet your maker unless you do as I said.” The man’s distorted face hovered above Jon. His left hand applied pressure around Jon's neck, making his eyes bulge. the intruder's eyes were menacing as he waved the steel blade only inches from John’s throat. “Do you understand?”

Jon’s uncertain nod failed to satisfy his sadistic attacker. A steel-toed boot slammed into his bruised ribs, summoning an agonizing scream from deep inside Jon’s chest.  He choked on the blood in his mouth and managed a mere, “Yes.”

“Good. It’s simple. Offer a prayer. Make the candy exchange and get out of there.” Jon’s attacker flicked the tip of his knife across Jon’s cheek, drawing blood. His manic laugh was high-pitched and evil. “Sleep with a light on, Father. I might be back.” 

He laughed again as he turned to leave. Instead, spotting a porcelain vase of red and white carnations, his hand snaked around the vase’s neck as he picked it up, enjoying the squeeze. His exaggerated smile was pure evil as he watched the flowers tumble from the receptacle and the water splatter across the priest’s crumpled robe. 

“Bless you, Father, for I have sinned.” His bone-chilling satanic laugh echoed against the walls as he disappeared out the back door.

************

Tango checked and rechecked the delivery person’s ID, phoned the florist for order verification, and searched the gift basket. It held an arrangement of flowers, a small heart box of candy, and a stuffed butterfly. The card was from Liz McKinley. Once he was satisfied, he allowed the nurse to put them in Cassidy’s room.

**********

“What a beautiful gift basket, Cassidy. The assortment of flowers are stunning, and they smell so good” The nurse inhaled the flowers. “Would you like me to set them on the window sill?”

“Yes, please. The flowers are beautiful. Is there a card?”

“Oh sure, would you like to see it?” The young nurse plucked the card from the vase and started to hand it to Cassidy.

“It hurts to move. Would you mind reading it to me?” Cassidy offered a half-smile.

“Let’s see; it says, “Praying for a speedy recovery from all your friends at Sweet Haven. Liz McKinley.”

"Liz is Allie’s best friend. That was nice of her to think of me as well. If you wouldn’t mind, we can open the candy so you and others can share it with me.”

"Are you sure? Everyone will eat it. Fannie May is my favorite. I love the ones with cream inside.” She quickly unwrapped the box and lifted the lid. “Mmmm, they smell scrumptious.”

“Go ahead. Take one or two. I can’t eat all of those.”

“Thank you.” She popped one in her mouth and the other in her hand and left the room. 

Cassidy was tired from the flurry of doctors and nurses, so she drifted off to sleep.

**********

Howard, Tango’s replacement, leaned against the wall and watched the nurses and doctors go in and out of the rooms. Some had carts with medicine; others had computers or blood pressure equipment. Now and then, a technician with a basket of vials and needles would hurry past. A priest exited a room and then walked down the hallway toward the desk. Seeing no one was there, he stepped toward Cassidy’s room.

“Sorry, Father, no one is allowed in this room without authorization.”  Howard was shocked when he looked at the priest. “Forgive for asking, but what happened to your face?”

“Oh, it’s nothing.” Jon smiled. “Silly me! I fell off a ladder while trimming a tree branch. I hit a cement bench on my way down.”

“It looks bad to me, Father. Did you have it looked at?”

“Oh no, I just applied some of my sister’s makeup so it wouldn’t be so noticeable.” He laughed. “Guess I didn’t do too good of a job.”

“You did! I just noticed when you got close, that’s all.”

“This is my last stop. Could I say a prayer for the young lady? I promise only to be a moment.” 

Howard gazed up and down the hallway, looking to see if Tango or Poppa were around. 

“You can stand by the door and listen to me if that would make you feel any better. Just one prayer, I promise.” Jon could feel beads of sweat running down his back. He touched the pocket hidden within the folds of his cossack. “It’ll only take a moment.”

“Oh, I guess, if you only say one prayer. After all, you are a priest, right?” Howard opened the door and allowed Jon to enter. “I’ll stand right here in the doorway.”

“Bless you, son.” Jon moved to stand beside Cassidy’s bed. He laid his Bible on the table and began to pray, “Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name…”

**********

“Howard.” 

Howard turned his head toward the direction he’d heard her voice. He smiled as a lab technician exited the elevator and headed directly toward him. “Stacy.”

“I brought you a black coffee with three packages of sugar, right?” She giggled and handed the styrofoam cup to Howard. “I knew I had to draw blood from Room 520, so I thought I’d bring you a gift.”

“That’s mighty sweet of you. Thank you.” Howard turned and looked into the room. The priest was making the sign of the cross.

“You almost done, Father? This young lady needs to draw some blood from our patient.” His attention returned to the flirtatious lab technician. His thoughts were not on Cassidy.

At least a visit with Stacy makes this detail a little less monotonous.

“Yes, I’ll be right there.” Jon pulled the candies from his pocket, quickly exchanging them with the ones in the small heart box, and picked up his Bible. He raised his eyes and looked at his sister, “I’m sorry, Cassidy. I tried to warn you.”

Jon left the room, murmured, “thank you” to the guard whose thoughts were elsewhere, and hurried away. As he neared the elevators, the doors opened, and he entered, not knowing if it was going up or down. He only cared that it was away from where he was right now. 

Jon exited one elevator and Tango waited for the doors to close on the one going up. He watched the priest bustle away. A strange gnawing twisted in his gut. His fingers jammed the elevator button over and over, knowing it wouldn't make it move any faster. As the elevator ground to a stop, the doors opened on the fifth floor. Tango rushed toward Room 520, but he knew he was too late.

Howard knelt beside Stacy, holding her head. Her petite frame was jerking violently. White foam bubbled from the corner of her mouth. Her pupils were dilated. An RN took her vitals. Two orderlies lifted her to the gurney. 

Tango surveyed the room as he reached the door. “What the hell happened in here?” His mind was racing, taking in everything at once.

Howard released Stacy’s hand and let the men push the gurney into the hallway. He watched as they rushed down the hallway and disappeared behind another set of doors. He couldn’t force his eyes to meet Tango’s furious look. 

Tango pushed him aside and stepped further into the room. Addressing the RN, he snarled, “Don’t touch anything in this room. Do you understand me?" He paused to rein in his anger, "Is the girl alive?"

"Yes, at the moment, every second counts."

Silently, Tango berated himself for allowing the basket into the room. He'd checked and rechecked, but it hadn't been enough. "Clear the room of people."

“But the patient…” She glanced at Cassidy and then back to the furious man addressing her.

“Cassidy, are you okay?” She looked okay, but he wanted to know directly from her. “Do you need anything?”

“No, I’m fine. I was asleep. What’s happening?” She looked confused.

“I’m not sure myself, but I am about to find out.” He turned toward his fellow agent and growled, “Howard, get the crime lab up here, stat. I’ve got to call Garth.” He turned back to the RN. “You okay with all this? Sorry, I didn't catch your name."

“That's because I didn't toss it out there. It's Brittany." She grimaced. "I’m not the fainting type, and I’ve seen just about everything there is to see.” She stared at Tango. “My specialty is devouring screaming men who like to order me around. I eat them for lunch.”

Tango clamped his mouth closed, refusing to laugh, but his eyes betrayed him. “You’ll do just fine then, Brittany. Stay with Cassidy. No one enters this room. Keep the door shut. If you need anything, push the buzzer, and either Howard or I will answer. No one comes into this room, understood?

“Understood!” She allowed a fleeting smile to cross her lips. “Can I have a piece of candy?”

“Are you nu…” Tango couldn’t suppress the smile this time. He just shook his head and left the room. It was time to call his boss.