The Psychiatrist: Trilogy to The Doll Collector

Chapter 15: The Psychiatrist

The suspicion was landing on Nurse Drucker. She would be useful as my scapegoat, but that would mean that after her fall, I would no longer be able to kill. That frankly was not going to be very suitable for me. However, I did have a new patsy in mind. She would be perfect to take the fall for me, and the best part was that she wouldn't even know it'd be for me.

This hospital was teeming with criminals that all needed to die. I couldn't stop. I should just burn down this god forsaken place. That would be my last stand, burning this place to the ground.

The idea warmed me. No pun intended.

But first, Nurse Drucker. I wasn't sure what she had said to Sheriff Honeycomb, but I imagine that she cleared her name, given that she was back at the hospital and allowed to work. Obviously, she wasn't the one, but discovering me would not be ideal. Too many people would be affected, and I didn't want to hurt anyone that didn't deserve suffer.

I was waiting in Nurse Drucker's closet. She was making her last rounds before calling it a night. While I waited for her, I thought about my new target. Trent Marner. He'd done so much, hurt so many people. I'd heard the stories. I'd read his file. I knew all about him. He was the reason for Kristopher Marner. His monologue in the cafeteria confirmed that he had been borne of his father's actions.

The Doll Collector was the big fish around here. To get to him, I needed to work up to him. Don't get me wrong, I would have loved to kill him on the first run and be done with this, but practice made perfect! If I could kill the one who created him, then I could kill him, and finally rid this world of him. He brought nothing but devastation to anyone that came into contact with him.

I heard the bedroom door click as it separated from the sill. Nurse Drucker walked in with a heavy, tired sigh. She had just finished her last round of checks. I leaned forward on the balls of my feet, balancing my weight on my toes.

She stepped into the bathroom shutting the door. I carefully set a steady foot on the floor and snuck out of the closet. While she readied herself for bed, I was hiding under the bed, flat on my back.

Adrenaline was beginning to pulse under my skin, making the floor grow hot. I mentally followed her routine, or at least what I imagined to be her routine. She washed her face first, then she brushed her teeth. Next she flossed then applied her creams. She was a woman of a particular age and needed her creams.

Not for long.

The toilet flushed then the door reopened. A beam of light shown on the floor for a split second before she turned off the light and walked towards the bed. Her white nightgown hung around her ankles as she hung up her robe.

I quietly rolled onto my stomach, with my palms pressed against the floor. My eyes were directed to the wall, but I felt her climb onto the bed. The mattress sunk above me, lightly touching the top of my head.

With precise movements, I slid my whole body out from under the bed. I could feel sweat beginning to form on my forehead. The pressure was immense. She could fix everything. She'd be the patron saint of serial killers, dying for my sins. She was my protector.

I brought my knees to my chest, keeping my body below the top of the mattress. I listened for Nurse Drucker's breathing, trying to determine what side she was sleeping on. I was on the left side; her breathing was coming from the right.

The adrenaline was rushing faster as I began to rise. Her back was to me. I watched as her body rose up and down. Poor thing, so innocent. I held the rope loop tightly in my hand. There was only one shot at this. I separated the loop and jumped the bed, pulling it around her neck. Her hand flew up to mine as I dragged her out of her bed. She kicked the sheets off, struggling against my strengths. I yanked the rope higher, crossing the ropes to make the loop tighter.