Deadly Medicine by Jaime Maddox

opportunity like no other. Edward had been nervous before the phone call about the job in Factoryville. Like a heroin addict, all he’d been able to think about was his next fix. When would he be able to kill again? Hourly, his agitation grew so intense that he was beginning to plot the abduction of an undesirable tourist to fulfill his cravings. That was risky, though. Even undesirable tourists had friends and family members to report them missing, and if questions were asked, the answers might point back to Edward. Killing in the hospital was much safer. How could he get caught when no one even suspected a crime had been committed?
    For a man with his agenda, Factoryville, Pennsylvania was a dream come true. Doctors came here because they couldn’t cut it in the big cities, he was sure. They’d be too stupid to know protocols, too out of touch with modern medicine to understand his clever methods. Nurses, too. Not only were they inbred at the local schools, but they were trained to respect the doctors. They’d never question him. He smiled, knowing he’d be able to do whatever he wanted, and no one would even notice. He followed Abby Rosen to the administrative suite for his hospital orientation. It was indeed good to be here.

Chapter Eight
    Extubation

    A soft knock roused Ward from her sleep, and she opened her eyes to a dark world interrupted only by the sliver of light permitted by the crack in the bedroom door. Sitting up, she wiped the sleep from her eyes and cleared her throat. “Come in,” she said softly.
    The swath of light grew wider as the door opened and Rosa Perez popped her head into the room. “I wanted to say good-bye,” she said, then “I thought you’d be awake.”
    Indeed, Ward hadn’t been sleeping well and had been up to enjoy coffee with her old medical-school friend every morning before Rosa left for work. Rosa practiced anesthesiology and was busy doing pre-op evals at the hospital while most people were still snug in their beds.
    Sliding her legs to the floor, Ward crossed the wooden planks of the guest bedroom in a few strides and pulled the door fully open. “I must be feeling better if I’m sleeping past five,” she said dryly.
    “Beach therapy is quite effective,” Rosa said as they walked toward the kitchen. The house was modern and huge, with an open plan suited for entertaining, and for the past two months, Rosa and her partner, Cindy, had had their hands full with Ward. She’d arrived a few days after Jess threw her out, needing a place to crash that didn’t remind her of Jess. Ward had spent a miserable two days at their house in Philly before calling on her friends in Rehoboth Beach, and they’d tended her wounds and guided her through the chaos her life had become. Ward was by no means over Jess, but she was functional once again, and it was time for her to go.
    She had a job!
    “Can I make you one last coffee before I set out?” Ward asked.
    “Of course. I’ll miss you waiting on me. Can you possibly train Cindy to be a good wife like you before you leave us?”
    Ward shook her head and frowned. Rosa and her partner Cindy were so similar it was scary. They both had long, dark hair, dark eyes, and dark skin. They were both intelligent and tended to take things a bit too seriously. They shared a love of the arts and food and fashion, and were both physicians. Both were pathetically lacking in home-repair and cooking skills. Any remorse Ward might have had about crashing at their house was alleviated by the payment she’d made in home improvements and food preparation.
    “I’m sorry, my friend. She’s a lost cause.” Then she smiled. “But I promise to come back in the summer, and I’ll cook for you.”
    Sipping the hot coffee, Rosa looked up over the cup and met Ward’s eyes. They held for a moment, and then Ward closed the gap between them and wrapped herself around Rosa. “I don’t know how to thank you,” she said.
    Rosa whispered into Ward’s