“Hey, man. What’re you doing here so late?” the CNA asked.
“I was in the neighborhood and thought I’d check up on my grandma. How’s she been?”
“Good, I guess. I’m upstairs tonight.” He pulled out a joint from his pocket. “Want one?”
Goldie shook his head. “I need for you to let me in. Something’s wrong with the bell in front.”
“Sure. Don’t tell anyone you saw me smoking,” Hendricks said as he pulled open the employees’ entrance.
“No worries. Thanks, dude.” Goldie went in, then quietly walked through the darkened kitchen and dining room. He cut through the lobby and looked down the hallways on either side. Nothing seemed amiss. Pressing his lips together, he went to his grandmother’s room, stopping short in the doorway. Ice ran through his veins as the dark outline of a person looming over his grandmother came into focus. Goldie switched on the light and white brightness momentarily blinded him as fluorescent lights flooded the room.
The person, dressed in scrubs, turned around quickly, shock covering his face. In his right hand, he had a syringe.
“What the fuck are you giving my grandma?” Goldie demanded.
“Something to help her sleep better. Dr. Rudman ordered it,” Dan said.
“You fuckin’ liar! You’re trying to inject some shit in her. You’re fuckin’ trying to kill her.” Goldie rushed over to the nurse and slammed his fist into his stomach. Dan groaned and bent over, the syringe falling from his gloved hand. Goldie brought his knee up and slammed it against Dan’s face. The crunch of bone and ping of teeth falling on linoleum gave Goldie a surge of satisfaction as he crashed his steel-toed boot into the nurse’s groin.
A rush of footsteps sounded behind him and then hands clasped his shoulders, pulling him away from the crumpled man on the floor, enraging him. “Leave me alone. I’m gonna kill his fuckin’ ass!”
“Goldie! Stop!” Shelly’s voice broke through his fury-filled haze.
When he relaxed, Kingsley and Kevin pulled him farther away from Dan.
“What’s going on here?” Shelly asked, her voice unnaturally high.
“I came in and this fucker was standing over my grandma, ready to inject some shit into her arm.” He rushed over to Dan, who still lay on the floor, and kicked him hard in the ribs. A low grunt came from the battered man’s parted lips.
“Goldie. Please, calm down.” Shelly placed a hand on his shoulder and tugged him back. “I don’t even know why Dan’s here. He wasn’t on the calendar for tonight.”
Hendricks came in, redness rimming his off-focused eyes. “You came here to beat Dan, dude?”
Shelly sighed loudly. “Kevin, call the police. I’ll call corporate.”
Kevin rushed out of the room, his voice echoing in the hallway.
In less than ten minutes, blue and red flashing lights blinked through the curtains. Kingsley and Shelly left the room and spoke to Wexler, who stood in the hallway. Inaudible voices filled Goldie’s ears, but the thought of his grandma almost dying at the hands of someone who was supposed to care for her stuffed his mind.
Wexler and Barnard walked into the small room. One of the deputies came in and helped Dan to his feet and gave him a handful of tissues; he put them to his nose.
“What the hell happened here, Goldie?” Wexler asked.
“This fucker tried to kill my grandma, and he would’ve succeeded if I hadn’t caught him.” He pointed to the syringe under the bed. “He was trying to put that shit in her arm.”
Barnard went down on his knees, picked up the syringe, and bagged it. “Do you want to tell me what’s in it?” he asked Dan.
“Medicine. I’m a nurse, and my job is to make sure the patients are comfortable. Dr. Rudman told me to give her some if she’s restless. She was. Then this crazed biker attacked me. I want to press charges.”
Goldie lunged at him, his arm pulled back, ready to punch him again. “You lying sack of shit. You’re lucky the badges showed up.”
The deputy and Wexler held him back. “We’ve got this, Goldie,” the sheriff said.
Barnard turned to Shelly, who was standing in the doorway. “Do you know anything about the doctor ordering anything for this patient?”
She shook her head. “Dr. Rudman’s never ordered any sleeping aid for Mrs. Humphries. I don’t even know why Dan’s here. We only have one night nurse on the first and second floors. I’m the first-floor nurse tonight, and Janet is working the second floor. He’s supposed to be home with his wife and kids.”
“Mr. Krutcher, you’re under arrest for attempted murder,” Barnard said as he placed the handcuffs on the nurse’s wrists. “Anything you say may be used against you in a….”
