Light at the End of the Tunnel

Kaitlyn held Tim’s hand tightly as they exited the elevator on Carrie’s floor. The hospital was cold and reeked of disinfectant and the odd smell of pure oxygen as opposed to the not-so-pure air outside. They went down the hallway, glancing into each open room as they passed them. There were old people who looked tired and half dead. There were younger people, so drugged up that they could hardly move. And finally they reached Carrie’s room. She was lying still, looking up at the ceiling. Her mother was sitting in the corner, praying with her rosary.

“Hush little baby, don’t say a word,
Momma’s gonna buy you a mockingbird.
And if that mocking bird don’t sing,
Momma’s gonna buy you a diamond ring.
And if that diamond ring is glass,
Momma’s gonna buy you a looking glass.”
Carrie’s eerie singing gave Kaitlyn an uneasy feeling in the pit of her stomach. She locked eyes with Carrie and Carrie sat up in the bed, stopping in the middle of her lullaby.

“This is all of your fault. AJ will be so upset when he finds out you killed our baby… his baby.” She looked away briefly, then returned her scornful gaze to Kaitlyn. “God only knows what he might do when he finds out. Now we will have to have another baby. But it will never be the same as the first. You ruined it. You ruined it! You ruined it, you ruined it, YOU RUINED IT!!!” The nurse rushed in the room when she heard Carrie’s screams. She took a needle from her pocket, took the cap off of it, and injected its contents into Carrie’s IV. It was then that Kaitlyn and Tim noticed that she was strapped to the bed. Both her wrists and her ankles were bound with leather straps.

The nurse saw that Kaitlyn was looking at the straps, and she offered to explain.

“When she woke up and found out she lost the baby, she went crazy. She started tearing at her own skin, beating herself in the head, hollering, crying, and grabbing at the staff. We had to tie her down. The drugs soothe her temporarily, but we can’t trust her with her hands free when it wears off. It’s dangerous.” They all looked at Carrie then, and she was staring at the ceiling again. Singing her song. Rubbing her belly as if there was still life growing within it.

Carrie’s mother was still praying, ignorant to what was going on around her. She was crying now, and still reciting her prayers to herself. Holding her rosary so tightly that her fingers looked red. Kaitlyn knew that Carrie’s mom was well aware of Carrie’s true intentions, and what evil Carrie was capable of.

As Tim and Kaitlyn went back to his car in the visitor parking lot, she started thinking about AJ. It had been almost a month. And he was still in prison. The media was starting to take his time there as an indication of his guiltiness. She had to do something to clear his good name.

“She’s gone completely crazy.” Tim stated as he unlocked both of their doors and they both sat down into the car. He looked over at Kaitlyn and she seemed deep in her thoughts. He touched her hand to gain her attention.

“I have to do something, Tim. It’s been nearly a month that AJ’s been in jail. And she’s not even having the baby now. I mean, if I don’t say something, he’ll be locked away for a very long time. And God only knows how she’ll act once she’s off those drugs their giving her. I have to tell the police.” Tim nodded at her decision, then a thought came to him.

“But will that work? I mean, you have no proof. It’s your word against hers. And the baby was his, Katie.” Kaitlyn nodded back, then looked up at Tim with hopeful eyes.

“I’ll get the proof.”

~*~*~*~*~*~


AJ woke up to yet another day in what he called “hell”. He rubbed his sore stomach. It itched a little, mainly because he was a quick healer. He could see a slight bit of blood peaking through the bandage and he knew he’d have to get the dressing changed. He stood up and went over to the metal toilet inside of the cell. He hated going to the bathroom that way, but there was no other way, so he didn’t complain. He looked out of the cell as he lowered his pants slightly to go. Some inmates were making their way to get breakfast. Others were still dressing. Some were casually talking.

This common scene that AJ witnessed every morning had become routine to him now. And he hated it. He hated that he looked forward to seeing the guys. He hated that he was used to working out in the gym because he had nothing more to do. He hated that the lines for the pay phones were so long that he could only communicate with his family and friends over the internet. Yet it was all routine to him. His daily activities. His lifestyle for the next 30 years.

Hours passed, and nothing was the same. That was until a CO came up to AJ while he was bench pressing and told him that he had a visitor. AJ knew who it had to be. He wiped his the sweat from face and arms with his towel, then he followed the officer to the visiting area.

There she was. Seeing her was like taking a breath of fresh air. She smiled when she saw AJ enter the room. He sat down and immediately pressed his hand against the glass. She did the same and they just gazed at each other in silence. Finally AJ picked up the phone and Reneé did the same.

“I liked it better when we were in the private conference room. I could touch you then. And kiss you. I miss you so much.” She said, fighting back tears.

“I know, baby. I miss you too. You know that you’re on my mind constantly. I’m always thinking about where you are and what you’re doing. And if you’re thinking about me too.” He replied. Reneé did begin to cry at that time. She just wasn’t used to not being able to call him whenever she missed him or hold his hand. She hated it, and it was tearing them both apart inside.

“AJ, before you say anything else, I have some news for you. I can it can be good news, but it’s really however you choose to receive it.” Reneé said, and AJ nodded. “Carrie was in a car accident. She lost the baby. She’s in the hospital now for other minor injuries. And I’m sorry she got hurt. But I can’t help but feel relief at the idea that you’re only children will be mine.” AJ lowered his head. Mixed emotions ran through his head.

“Yeah, well, I’m sorry she got in the accident also. But that baby would have just lived a lie. He’d never have a father. And what’s worse, he’d have that sick girl for a mother. I don’t want to talk about her anymore though. How are you? How are you holding up?” He asked her. Reneé simple shrugged and tapped her nails on the counter.

“Pretty good I suppose. But you know how it can be. Those late nights… I’m alone. I think of you, my mind flies. It can be seriously frustrating sometimes. But it only urges me to keep looking for a way out for you. I mean, that’s all I can do, right? Push this until they bring you back home to me.” She replied sweetly. AJ just smiled at her answer.

“Thanks you, baby. Not only for supporting me, but also for loving me and keeping my head up. I don’t know if I’d be able to stand this place if I didn’t have you to think about and look forward to. I love you so much.” Reneé’s eyes began to water again. So she dried them with her fingers and swallowed hard.

“I love you too, sweetie.” A CO came up behind AJ and tapped his shoulder. The couple new that they had to wrap things up.

“Ok, well, I’ll be writing to you, sending you a book of stamps. So you better write to me every chance you get. I know how hard it can be to call and everything. And believe me, seeing your handwriting and smelling your scent on the paper is far better than receiving an email. So, don’t forget to write. Ok?” AJ nodded. “I love you baby. Stay safe.” She wanted to keep going, but the CO pulled AJ away and they lost eye contact.

As AJ walked away, the realization of Carrie’s loss was setting in. Though he was relieved, he thought of how she might be taking it. She was already insane. There was no telling what she might do now. Any woman who loses a baby that way will go through a period where they’re just not in their right state of mind. For Carrie, whose state of mind was considered being a psychopath, would worsen, more than likely. He got worried. Not for himself, for she felt like she loved him and there wasn’t much she could do to him because he was already behind bars. He was more worried for Reneé. She was vulnerable and Carrie knew where his and Reneé’s house was. It worried him so much now that he felt nauseated.

~*~*~*~*~*~


Tim escorted Kaitlyn into the busy building and they both sat down. After almost 15 minutes of waiting silently, a woman in uniform waved them over to her desk. Both stood up and went to her, sitting down again in the two chairs in front of her desk.

“What can I help you with, kids?” She asked, chewing softly on some gum, and tapping a pen in her right hand against several papers scattered around on her desk.

“Well, I have some information about a case that I think could help a man in prison.” Kaitlyn said in her tender voice. The woman behind the desk, an officer, shrugged.

“Ok, well, what’s the case at hand here. You’re gonna have to be more specific. If you haven’t noticed, we’re kind of tied up around here.” The officer responded.

“Well, it has to do with the rape charges against Alexander McLean…” Once the officer heard AJ’s name, she rolled her eyes. They had been getting complaints from fans ever since news of his arrest got out. She was very tired of hearing his fans support his innocence.

“Look, sweetie, we really don’t have time for this fan thing all you girls are going through…” Kaitlyn stood up and cut the officer off mid-sentence.

“No! I have something that the others don’t have! I know something they don’t know! I know Carrie Newton! And she’s a liar. I know exactly how she got pregnant and I know how she framed him! So get off of your high horse and listen to me, dammit! This has gone on long enough and I can’t hold it in anymore!” Kaitlyn screamed. The officer was taken aback. And so was the rest of the room. A detective stepped out of his office after hearing all that Kaitlyn had to say.

“Young lady, come here. I’m the one you should be talking to.” She said. Kaitlyn nodded and she went into her office, Tim following close behind.

Once they were inside, the female detective closed the door. This was the same detective who had to arrest AJ when the DNA tests first revealed that he was the father of Carrie’s child. She sat down at her desk and leaned toward the young couple before her.

“Alright, now, let me introduce myself. My name is Detective Morgan Stevens. The Newton-McLean case was belonged to my partner and myself. But somehow I had a feeling Carrie Newton set this up. So, tell me everything you know. And we’ll work from there.” Morgan picked up a pen and a legal pad, preparing herself to take notes. She also started a tape recorder, just so that she had Kaitlyn’s story on record, verbatim.

Kaitlyn told her story. From the day she and Carrie were sitting on the steps outside talking to the day they fought and she ran to Tim’s house, telling him about what had happened.

“Is Tim the only person you told before today?” Morgan asked, looking up from her pad.

“Well, no. I told my mother earlier today. But my mom’s sick with the flu. She wasn’t really receiving it because she’s tired and all achy.” Morgan wrote this down also. Then she closed her eyes, obviously thinking about something.

“Alright, we have something here. But their problem is, we need solid evidence. The baby was AJ’s. And that’s all the court’s going to see. Unless… we get something that proves Carrie set this up as some hair-brained groupie scheme. And if I’m deciphering Carrie correctly, she’d do just about anything… and say just about anything for AJ. So, we’ve got to figure out a way to get Carrie to trust you again, trust AJ, and get her to say or write what she did. This is just a general plan… details come later. But, are you following me here?” Both of the teenagers nodded. “So Kaitlyn, do you think you can get Carrie back on your good side?” Kaitlyn held Tim’s hand tightly and they looked at each other. Then she looked at Morgan again.

“I think so.” Kaitlyn replied with a faint smile.


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