Incineration (Heart of Stone) (22 page)

To be honest I was so physically and mentally exhausted I
just wanted to climb into bed and sleep for a week so I decided to let him
blow-off and sit back and watch.

Climbing back on the stool I faced him and placed my hands
in my lap “Okay, I’m ready” I sighed, rubbing my eyes. He still stood silently
watching me and I rolled my eyes “If you’re not gonna have a go I could really
do with some sleep Mason”.

I shivered as he stalked over to me and placed a finger
under my chin, tilting my head back and searched my eyes “Why Ava?” he asked
quietly and I frowned “Why what?” I replied and he shook his head at me “Not
good enough, why?” he cocked his head “Mason, I’m not into games. Just say what
needs saying, I’m tired” I bit back and his nostrils flared slightly and I saw
a flash behind his eyes but refused to back down.

He bit his bottom lip and nearly snarled at me “You know
what this is about Ava. Tony” he hissed and I closed my eyes, suddenly feeling
really ill but I swallowed it back and huffed “Mason, I didn’t tell you about
Tony because I knew you would react like this and to be honest It’s not even
important. I work with the guy, that’s it” I snapped as the room started to
spin and I grabbed hold of the worktop and took a deep breath. Mason didn’t
seem to notice my discomfort and grabbed my chin harshly and I reared back. He
took a deep breath and let go “That’s a load of shit Ava. You didn’t tell me
because you wanted to hide it from me” he growled and my temper started to raise
“What the hell Mason, why would I want to hide it from you?” I asked as a cold
sweat started to break out all over me. Oh god, I felt weird and closed my eyes,
taking deep breaths through my mouth.

“You tell me Ava?” Masons voice had taken on a higher level
but my ears had started pounding and my head was spinning “I…I…” I tried to
speak but my mouth had gone dry and I squinted against the brightness of the
kitchen lights. Were they always this intense?

“You what Ava?” he had started to shout “You can’t tell me a
truthful answer can you?” He was starting to blur and I scrutinized him as his
face swan before me “Oh don’t fucking look at me like that. There’s something
you are hiding, you can’t even defend your fucking self can you?” he demanded
and I tried to stand, holding onto the worktop “Mason I…I” I tried to suck in a
breath but I was struggling, my lungs were screaming at me and my legs had gone
tingly and numb “Just tell me this Ava” he roared “Is this baby mine or
Tony’s?” My mouth dropped open and I started to pant, sweat dripping off my
forehead as an intense pain ripped through my stomach and I doubled up as my
legs gave way and darkness surrounded me.

I opened my eyes and felt sick, my head was pounding and I
could feel something stabbing me in the arm. Groaning I tried to sit up “Ava?”
Mason breathed “Baby, lie still and I’ll fetch a nurse” he said, his voice full
of concern “Mason?” I blinked at the lights and he flicked them off as he
leaned over the bed and pressed a red button “Where am I?”

“You’re in hospital Baby” he said softly and smoothed my
hair back “What? Why?” I asked, highly confused “Shush” he whispered and I
retched “Mason, I’m gonna be sick” I cried and he lifted me up and held out a
grey paper kidney bowl as the nurse rushed in.

“Ava, how are you feeling?” she asked as I vomited, stunned
that it seemed black in colour. Was she stupid, how did she think I felt?  I
was throwing up.  I glared at her and she laughed “I know Sweetie but I meant
have you got any pain?” I did a quick inspection and nodded “My stomach hurts,
like cramps” I told her and puked again. She smiled sympathetically “Oh my God,
the baby?” I cried to Mason but he smiled “It’s fine Ava. It’s okay” he smiled
and stroked my cheek “What happened?”

I asked, I couldn’t remember a thing apart from Mason shouting
at me. I reared back from him as I remembered his last words. He frowned at me
“Baby?” he asked and I shook my head in confusion “You…you said…you don’t think
it’s your baby” I breathed, my heart clenching as I recalled his words. He
sighed and nodded “I do! I’m sorry baby, I was just mad” he whispered and the
nurse glanced at us “I’ll just go and get you some water Ava” she said and slid
from the room.

“How could you even question it Mason?” he had hurt me
really bad this time, his lack of trust had me seriously thinking about our
relationship. He brushed my cheek with his knuckles “I’m sorry Ava, it’s just
that you hid the fact that you worked with Tony so my imagination went
overboard” I stared at him “Your imagination went overboard?” I scoffed,
gobsmacked “And what do you think now?” I asked, cocking my head. He hesitated
“Get out” I growled and he stepped back, stunned “Baby?”

 “I SAID GET OUT” I yelled and the nurse came back in with a
doctor “Ava please. I believe you” he tried again and I turned my back to him
“Just go Mason” I bit my lip harshly to halt the tears that wanted to flow and
I heard him stomp out and slam the door.

“You okay Love?” the nurse asked as the tears finally won
and flowed down my face “Yeah” I sobbed and she rubbed my arm “Why am I here
anyway?” I asked, looking at the doctor for the first time “Did your partner
not tell you?” I shook my head “I didn’t really give him a chance” I snorted
but the doctor sat on the edge of my bed “Miss Stone, we have ran some tests
and we have found traces of toxins in your blood stream” I frowned “What?” I
asked “I don’t understand what toxins?” he sighed heavily “Miss Stone, we think
you have been poisoned”.
WHAT THE FUCK?

“Wh…what?” I stammered and my stomach heaved again and he
paused while I vomited again “There was only a trace luckily; any increase on
the amount you ingested could have been fatal”
“Jesus!!”
 I breathed “We
have given you a charcoal rinse and you’ll feel ill for a couple of days but
I’m pleased to say your baby is fine and shouldn’t suffer any adverse effects
to the poison” he smiled but I glared at him “Shouldn’t suffer? Is that a guess
or a guarantee?” I asked harshly “Miss Stone, there are no guarantees I can
give you but I’d say it should be okay” I rolled my eyes “Aren’t there any
tests you can do just to make sure?”

I was starting to panic, I needed Mason but at the same time
I couldn’t bear to look at him. I needed to make sure my baby was safe
“Please?” I practically begged him and he shook his head “Any invasive tests we
do now, while the foetus is in its early stages would be counter-productive” he
said and I frowned “What?” he was beginning to piss me off with all his cloak
and dagger answers “What I’m saying is, the tests we can do have more chance of
harming your baby than the poison in your system. The placenta is a wonderful
filter Miss Stone” he smiled and patted my hand

“We need to ascertain how the toxins got in your system. Can
you tell me all you have had to eat or drink all day?” he asked and flipped a
page on my patient chart “Erm, I didn’t eat this morning but had a homemade
tuna sandwich what I took into work myself” he nodded and looked at me to
encourage me to carry on “Erm that’s it really, I had a couple of coffees and a
vodka and cranberry at the pub, oh and then a cranberry and soda” I pursed my
lips and grabbed his arm when he was writing the information down “Would
this…this toxin taste bitter?” I asked, a sudden thought occurred and he
scowled “Possibly, like I said you only had a trace so you may not have tasted
anything peculiar” I gasped “Oh my God, the barman in the pub bought me a drink
but I only had a sip of it because my friend said I shouldn’t be drinking while
pregnant” I explained and then another thought crashed its way into my brain “COURTNEY”
I panicked “Oh my God, my friend had a drink from him as well” I tried to climb
out of bed but the doctor held me back “Miss Stone, I don’t recommend you
leave. We need to keep you in for observation and to do another flush of your
system in four hours” I shook my head rapidly “NO! NO! NO! I NEED TO GET TO MY
FRIEND” I screamed at him and he held me firm “Miss Stone please calm down” he
soothed “YOU STUPID MAN, LET ME GO!” I was crying now, the thought of how much Courtney
had drunk was filling me with terror.

Mason appeared in the doorway from the corridor and I
quickly thought how pleased I was that he hadn’t left me “Ava, what’s wrong?”
he rushed over to me and glared at the doctor who was holding me down. He held
up his hands to placate Mason and moved back “Mason” I exhaled “You have got to
check on Courtney” I begged and he frowned “Why?” I tried to get up again, nobody
was bloody listening to me but Mason held me tight “Ava?” he urged harshly to
get my attention “Mason, the drinks in the pub were spiked and Courtney drank
more than me. I only had a sip but she had a full glass” I sobbed and he shot
up “I’m going” he kissed me briefly and charged out of the room.

“Now please lie still Miss Stone. I’m sure your partner will
check on your friend shortly” he said sternly and I curled my lip at him.
Dickhead!
“
I need to know if you would like me to call the police for you?” he asked
and I hesitated “Erm, I’ll have to talk to my boyfriend first” I told him and
he looked at me curiously but nodded and left the room.

I was tapping my fingers impatiently waiting for Mason to
get back. The time seemed to stop and I was constantly checking the wall clock
in the room and huffing when I realized it was only 10 minutes since I last
checked. I couldn’t settle and was terrified that Courtney was lying dead
somewhere or doubled up in agony.

My sickness had died away and the stomach cramps were
getting easier to cope with but my head pounded and I turned down the overhead
lights again. I was getting anxious about all the things that were happening to
me, why and who was doing this to me? Why would the barman try and poison me
but then the other man’s face swam before me and I had a fleeting thought that
he might have bought the drinks and spiked them.

I checked the clock again as Sam walked in to my room “Sam!
Have you heard from Mason” I interrogated him as soon as he entered. He walked
over to me and sat on the bed, grasping my hand “Ava, Courtney is fine. Mason
rang me and asked me to get over here to let you know” I exhaled deeply “Oh
thank god” I sobbed and the tears flowed freely, the pent up fear rushing out
in one gush.

Sam wrapped me in his arms and pulled me tight “Shush Ava,
it’s okay” he soothed as I let it out and wept into his shoulder, I felt him
stiffen as I heard someone enter the room but he shook his head slightly and
still held on to me.

I cried for a long time, my body refusing to stop as the
fact that someone was trying to kill me and that Courtney was okay sank in.

I felt the bed dip and Masons arms envelope me as Sam passed
me over to him “Shush Baby” he whispered as he stroked my hair “I love you Ava,
I love you so much” he breathed in my ear and I nodded and squeezed him
tighter, unable to make my mouth move to repeat the words to him. He pulled me
onto his lap so I could snuggle into him and I felt myself drift off as the
tears exhausted me and Mason stroked my back comfortingly.

I woke sometime later when someone was changing the saline
drip in my arm. I was still snuggled on Masons lap as he leant against the
headboard and Sam was sat in the corner chair. The nurse smiled at me when she
saw my eyes open “Hi Ava, how are you feeling?” she asked gently and I nodded
and stretched “Okay, I think” I said to her and Mason rubbed my back and kissed
the top of my head.

 “Hey baby” he said softly and I smiled up at him. He leaned
into my ear “Baby, I’m so sorry” he whispered and I nodded but didn’t say
anything else.

The nurse left the room and Sam came over and sat on the bed
again “Ava, I need to know what happened Sweetheart” he said gently and I
nodded “I need a drink first” my throat and mouth were still dry and I thought
I may have trouble explaining. Sam nodded and poured me a drink from the
scratched plastic hospital jug and handed it to me as Mason continued to stroke
my hair as I took small sips “How is Courtney?” I asked Mason as I passed the
cup back to Sam “She’s fine, no symptoms at all Ava, I promise” he turned me
round on his knee to face me and stroked my cheek with his thumb and leant in
for a kiss but I kissed him briefly and moved back. He narrowed his eyes on me
but didn’t say anything.

“Ava, what happened at the pub?” Sam urged. I rubbed my eyes
“The barman was coming onto Courtney so she baited him” I told him the
half-truth because I knew Mason would get grouchy if he found out we had both
baited the barman “and he brought us another round of drinks. I took a sip from
mine and thought it tasted funny and just put it down to my pregnancy hormones”
I said and Sam’s eyes widened and I cringed at my slip up “You’re pregnant
Ava?” he exhaled and his eyes shot from mine to Masons but Masons lips lifted
into a huge grin and he nodded. Sam broke out into a huge smile and hugged his
friend “Well done mate” he laughed and I realized how important it was to Mason
that he was starting a family.

The obvious pleasure that his friend was showing, just
proved how much Mason wanted a child. I grinned back at the pair of them and
they chuckled and shrugged.  

Sam sat back down “Congratulations Ava” he smiled and leant
forward and kissed me on the cheek “Thank you Sam but could I ask you to keep
it to yourself for the moment. We wanna wait a bit, you know” I explained and
he smiled “Of course” Mason turned to me “Carry on Baby” he motivated and I
nodded “Anyway the drink tasted funny and Courtney told me I shouldn’t be
drinking while I was pregnant” I shifted my glance to Mason to see his reaction
to me telling Courtney but he smiled and nodded to encourage me to go on “so I
didn’t drink anymore luckily, that girl saved my life” I shuddered and Mason
huddled me tighter and sighed “However…” I paused not looking forward to
Masons’ reaction to the next part of my story and he frowned and turned me
further so he could see my face “when we were leaving I noticed the bloke that
approached me in the NSC car park, sat in the corner of the pub” I felt Mason
stiffen and he looked at Sam “He shifted his eyes from me when I glanced at him
but I left with Courtney and he didn’t get up” I looked at Sam “Did you manage
to get a visual on him from the surveillance?” I asked hopeful but he shook his
head “We could see him but when we closed in the frame it got too grainy that
we couldn’t make him out” he sighed and I bit my lip “There is something familiar
about him but I can’t think where I know him from” I sighed frustrated and
angry with myself that I couldn’t recall him. “Don’t worry Ava, we’ll find him”
Sam reassured and I smiled but couldn’t seem to find his confidence within
myself “In the meantime I don’t want you to go anywhere on your own Ava” he
cringed as the disappointment showed on my face “Ava” Mason warned and I nodded
“I know, I know”