Love For Hire

Nichols could hear the steady beat of the heart monitor in the room with him. He knew he was in a hospital. “Motherfucker,” he growled. He recalled the moment he knew he was finally dying, and now he finds himself in a hospital hooked up to monitors and, from the feel of his hand and IV of some sort. He had specifically signed an order forbidding this. He was furious, and someone was going to pay dearly for this.

Nicholas felt around until he found the call button. When he finally had the button in his hand, he pressed the end. A few moments later, he heard footsteps enter the room. “So nice to find you awake,” he heard a familiar voice.

“Dr. Horton, you answer call bells now?” He asked with annoyance.

“Only for my special patients. Actually, I was filling out some paperwork when I heard your call bell go off. I thought I would come to see how you are doing. I must say, though, your vital signs are very good. It is very promising.”

“What am I doing here?” He demanded. “I specifically stated, do not resuscitate. You signed it. You went against a legally binding document. I could have your medical licence revoked,” Nicholas growled.

“Nicholas,” he heard his mother’s voice as more footsteps entered the room. It was more than one person. It sounded like a group. “You are awake. How wonderful.”

“Why am I here!” He yelled, pissed off that he was still in this world.

“Nicholas, give us a moment to explain,” he heard Samuel say. “It was my decision to revive you. Dr. Horton called at the last minute to say he has had a breakthrough in his research.”

Nicholas did not know what to say. Was it true, and if so, just what kind of progress had he made. “What exactly do you mean by progress?”

Horton said, right off. “However, we have found a

“In check?”

one injection a day, you will live a long and normal life,” he

will still be

the arsenic poisoning and build up a reserve of the

to recover from the arsenic

a long time. “So I know we went against your wishes,

about

thus far

“And the side effects?”

safe. Will you give your

some reason, no one cared about his wishes. “Fine, but this is the last treatment I will do. If it fails, you leave me

“Fair enough,” Samuel said.

again, it is the team in Chicago,” Dr. Horton said. “You would, of course,

make the arraignments,” Naya said. “We will find you a

to go, I will call ahead and set up