Our time

After shopping, Malcoln took Candace back to her apartment. There, they bump into Karen, who greeted them. Karen didn't like Malcoln very much. Something about him seemed a bit false. She was hardly wrong when she had these hunches, and that's why she was worried about Candace.

Back at the apartment, Candace looked around herself, scanning everything she could find there to see if there was anything odd. But apparently, everything was in its place. She took the bag with the new phone and went to plug it in. As soon as she was done, she went to the bathroom. On her way out, while drying her hair, she heard the phone ringing. She took a deep breath and took the phone off the hook.

"Hello?" She said, with some trepidation.

"Candace? Thank God! We've been calling you for at least two hours!" Mildred Summers. The reception and administration nurse.

"Oh, it's just that I didn't have a phone. I got a little sick and ended up just going out to buy another one in the afternoon." Candace explained.

"Oh, right. Are you feeling better? We need you to come here. Scott hasn't shown up yet, and the older seniors' ward is alone. Kristen is not going to handle it by herself."

Candace knew that the seniors' wing housed Mr. Staton. She didn't know if she would be ready to deal with him today, but what could she do? It was her job. She couldn't just tell Mildred that the old man had said some weird words and supernatural happenings took place in her house. That would make her the new patient at that place.

"All right. I'm going to put on some clothes and get there as soon as possible. And sorry for taking so long to be reached." She said, to which Mildred replied that it was ok, after all, unforeseen events happen.

While Candace got ready, Malcoln watched her from the building two blocks away, but which gave access to her bedroom window. He had bought a telescope just to observe her. He swallowed hard as she started to change. He hadn't come after her to have any romance, but to be able to break the damn curse he'd helped to occur years ago.

He found himself remembering when he was a boy playing with Harry in the Statons' backyard. He had been the first boy who had played with him in kindergarten, as white people didn't like to mix. Harry had always defended him tooth and nail. And because of him, his greed, Harry was gone, never to return. Malcolm couldn't bring him back, but he could keep more people from getting hurt.

Candace was on the list as the next to suffer the consequences of his actions, and so he was doing his duty, in helping her. He wasn't going to get involved with her, because that was wrong. That was taking advantage of her. He looked away. It was wrong to spy while she changed clothes as well, no matter how beautiful and sexy she was.

He looked once more at her room and only saw her on her back, leaving the room, and probably, the house. He went downstairs quickly to see where she was going. He saw her going to the bus stop and he wrote down the number of the bus. He'd look at the map on his pocket, but since she didn't usually go out, this one would probably lead to her work. He checked and yes, she went to the Asylum.

Approaching the street, he waited for a taxi, or even a bus. The taxi passed first. Now he would know where Joseph was being held. He would pay him a visit.

The hospital was crazy. Some new patients were admitted, others died, and Mr. Staton kept going back and forth in consciousness.

"Oh, thank God!" Mildred dropped the phone and threw up her hands, as if thanking the heavens. "Go change, clock in and go to your ward. Kristen has come here to whine a few times."

Candace didn't even speak. She just nodded and went to the locker room as quickly as possible. Making the sign of the cross, she asked God for help and went to her shift.

Kristen was coming out of one of the bedrooms, and when she saw Candace, her defeated face lit up. She ran to her friend.

"Oh, Cady, finally! I thought I would die alone, here." She whimpered. Candace rolled her eyes. Such a drama queen!

"Stop the drama. Now, tell me what you've already done, which rooms you need to give medication and go to your ward and I'll take care of it here from now on." Kristen more than quickly explained everything and ran to her designated ward. She hated dealing with older people. They were mostly deranged and difficult, in her opinion.

Candace started going to the rooms and performing the necessary procedures. Some elderly people were dirty, others didn't want to eat at all. A lady had died, which weighed heavily on Candace. She suffered to see one of them passing away, because she clung to them. The last room was Joseph Staton's.

Seeing the number 647 stamped on the door, she felt a chill. 'God, please don't have any problems today', she repeated this mentally as she entered the room.

The old man was sitting on the bed, his feet dangling and dangling. He was looking out the window, a smile on his face. Candace became calmer. Apparently, he was normal. As soon as she closed the door, he spoke.

"I thought you wouldn't come again." He kept looking out the window. His tone indicated she was late.

"Why, Mister Staton, but I shouldn't even be here right now. I came because one of my colleagues couldn't and I'm covering his shift. I should be in my house, snuggled under my covers." She said, approaching him with the medicine tray.

"You should have been here over an hour ago. If you hadn't broken your phone, of course." He kept looking out the window, and Candace nearly dropped the tray in her hands. How did he know about the phone?

"What are you talking about, sir?" she asked, almost stuttering.

"I just know it. It's just getting started for you, but I'm almost out of it. My son is waiting for me, do you know that?" Candace took a few seconds to understand. She knew his son was dead.

"You will not die, Mr Staton!" She assured him of that.

"I am going, yes. It's my time." He paused and turned to look at her. At this point, Candace couldn't be calmer. His right side, which she couldn't see as he was showing only his left one by looking straight and sitting on the bed, was bleeding. In the place of the right eye, there was an empty, bloody socket hole. "And yours, too."