Eternity - 7. Chapter Seven

"Do you understand these rights as they have been read to you?"

"Huh?" Kyle managed to choke out past the lump in his throat.

"Do you understand these rights as they have been read to you," the officer repeated.

Though Kyle hadn't heard a word that the officer had said he knew the Miranda rights and just nodded his head. When the officer looked at him as if waiting he managed to squeak out, "Yes, I understand."

As the officer's led him slowly out of the hospital, Kyle glanced up and met the eyes of the doctor. He still didn't know why the doctor thought he was responsible for Jared getting the drugs but he was sure that he would find out soon enough. Kyle had been hoping it had all been a bad dream, but when he was ushered into the police car and heard the police radio he knew that this was no dream that he was going to wake up from anytime soon. Kyle didn't even pay attention to what passed by the window on the way to the police station. He was thinking of Jared and if he was going to be okay. They were about two blocks away from the police station when Kyle couldn't stand the silence of the car anymore.

"Is Jared going to be okay?"

"They've got him stabilized," the younger officer, who Kyle assumed to be in his early twenties, said shooting a look of disgust at Kyle.

"You've got the wrong man," Kyle said, now starting to feel the anger flowing through his veins. This was just completely preposterous. There is no way that they could really believe that he had tried to kill Jared.

"We'll just have to see about that," the young officer stated.

Kyle knew that he wouldn't get any further and remained quiet for the rest of the trip to the station. After he was led in he went through processing. Even though he knew he wasn't guilty he couldn't help the shame that spread through his body and he was fingerprinted and his mug shot taken. After a very thorough strip search Kyle found himself in a small room with only a table. There was a mirror in the room which Kyle assumed was a two way mirror. Whoever was on the other side could see him but he couldn't see them. Five minutes after he was placed in the room he saw the door open and the two arresting officers walked in, taking the two seats across from him.

"I'm Officer Andrews and this is Officer Hendersen, would you like to have an attorney present during your questioning?" the older of the two officers asked.

"No Officer Andrews, you've got the wrong guy, I keep telling you. I don't think I need an attorney, because I didn't do anything!" Kyle exclaimed.

"Why don't you let me decide if you did anything or not," Officer Andrews said, throwing a small clear baggy on the table the officer started his questioning. "Do you know what this is?"

Looking at the small bag in front of him Kyle shook his head as he said, "No, am I supposed to?"

"What about the white powder inside of it? Do you know what that is?"

Kyle again shook his head, not knowing exactly what was going on. He watched as Officer Andrews stood up and began pacing around the room, stopping in front of the mirror. Kyle didn't know where all of this was leading until the officer started his dialogue again.

"What that little baggy contains is Heroin," the officer continued, glaring at Kyle. "It's not pure heroin but it's pretty close."

"Where did it come from?" Kyle asked, knowing that this was somehow connected to him.

"Well, see, that's where it gets interesting," Officer Hendersen began, speaking for the first time since coming into the room. Setting the clear plastic bag that contained Kyle's coat on the table the officer continued, "Do you know who's coat that is?"

"Yeah, it's mine, so?" Kyle stated, not realizing what his coat had to do with anything.

"Well you see," Officer Andrews began. "This little baggy," he said, picking up the small clear bag, "was found in that coat. Apparently during the mad rush at the hospital to stabilize Mr. Maloney a chair was tipped over. On the back of that chair was the coat that you say is yours. When the chair tipped open the contents of the pockets of that coat spilled over the floor. Now, Mr. Blackner, would you like to explain why you had almost pure heroin in your coat pocket on the same day in which Mr. Maloney was given a high overdose of Heroin?"

"You've got to be kidding me," Kyle yelled, forgetting about keeping his cool as what they said sunk into his mind. "You can't seriously believe that I would use Heroin to drug Jared!"

"Mr. Blacker, please calm down and sit back down. If you didn't know about the Heroin, as you'd lead us to believe, then why are your fingerprints all over the bag?"

"They aren't! They couldn't be because I never laid eyes on that damn bag!"

"Mr. Blackner," Officer Hendersen spoke up, "what was your reason for attempting to kill Mr. Maloney? Was it because you were a jilted lover? Did he throw you over for someone else? Here's what I think happened, correct me if I'm wrong. Jared Maloney came back into your life two years after walking out without any explanation. He wants you to take him back but you refuse. Mr. Maloney is persistent and you decide to get him back for abandoning you two years prior, am I correct?"

"No, you most certainly are not correct, I would never hurt Jared! Damn it! I still love the man for cripes sake!"

"So here's what I think happened," Officer Hendersen continued, as though Kyle had never spoken. "The night that Mr. Maloney was found unconscious at the bottom of the stairs, who found him?"

"I did," Kyle whispered, not looking up at the officers.

"You did, that's right. Here's what I think happened. You met Mr. Maloney in the bar that night, he again wanted to get back together but you still felt jilted. When Mr. Maloney left the bar you followed him. As you reached the apartment complex you got into an argument with Mr. Maloney. You followed him up the stairs and you got into a fight where you pushed Jared Maloney down the stairs. Not satisfied with the results you then proceeded to stab Mr. Maloney, am I correct?"

"No! I did not hurt Jared! I went to his apartment that night to make sure he was okay. I didn't like the neighborhood that he was living in and wanted to try to convince him to move back in with me. As I got closer to the stairs I seen something lying at the bottom of them. As I got closer I realized that it was a person and as I got closer I realized it was Jared."

"That's a very likely story Mr. Blackner, but how do you explain that no one saw anyone but you that night?"

"I don't know, maybe it was because it was the early hours of the morning? How the hell should I know!" Kyle yelled, jumping to his feet again.

"Mr. Blackner, sit back down!" Officer Andrews said harshly before looking towards Officer Hendersen and motioning him to continue.

"So, not satisfied with the results of your nights work you worm your way into the hospital. What better way than to have another chance at Mr. Maloney if you are allowed into his room without supervision. You have Ms. Blackner come sit with Mr. Maloney as you go shower."

"What the hell does Chelsea have to do with this!" Kyle yelled.

"Mr. Blackner, are you denying that Ms. Chelsea Blackner is your blood sister?" Officer Andrews asked.

"No, I am not denying that she is my sister, but she has nothing to do with this."

"As I was saying," Officer Hendersen continued, "when you came back from your shower you pushed a large amount of Heroin into Mr. Maloney's bloodstream through his IV, am I correct Mr. Blackner?"

"No, you are not correct! Nothing could be further from the truth, why won't you listen to me?"

"You see Mr. Blackner, the reason we cannot believe you is we also found this in the scattered belongings from your coat," Officer Andrew said, tossing a ziplock bag on the table. Inside the small bag was a syringe. "Would you care to explain how not only the heroin, but how a syringe found its way into your coat?"

"How can I explain something that I had no idea existed?" Kyle asked, feeling his hopes of being released go down the drain. Shit, he knew he hadn't done it, but the evidence was quickly mounting against him.

"I think it's more a case of you don't want to explain it," Officer Andrews said, motioning towards a phone sitting on the end of the table. "You have one call, no more than five minutes, I'd suggest you call an attorney," he said, before turning and walking out the door, Officer Hendersen following close behind.

Kyle stared at the phone for a minute trying to figure out who to call when it occurred to him that the only person that he could call was Chelsea. He prayed that she had gone straight home when she left the hospital a couple hours before. Reaching out a shaking hand, Kyle picked up the phone and misdialed twice before finally getting the number entered. The voice he heard on the other end of the phone made his blood boil, as Kyle knew that it was the person responsible for what was happening.

"Hello?" Matt's voice came through the line.

"Hey asshole, where's my sister?"

"Kyle? Kyle what's up man?"

"Damn it Matt, I only have a few minutes, put my damn sister on the phone."

"Uh, yeah, sure man, hold on a sec," Kyle heard before he heard Matt calling for Chelsea. Within moments Kyle's sister was on the phone.

"Kyle? Hon? What's up?"

"Chels? I need you to hire me an attorney?"

"Why Kyle? Where are you?"

"I'm at the police station... You can thank that asshole Matt for me, I've been arrested."

"For what?"

"For the attempted murder of Jared."

"Oh god Kyle, you have got to be kidding me, you didn't try to kill Jared!"

"Yeah, I know that and you know that, but the police think they have enough evidence! Damn it Chels, are you going to get me an attorney or not?"

"Yeah, yeah Kyle, I'll get on the phone right now, but how could they think," Chelsea began only to be interrupted by Kyle as the two officers came back into the room.

"Listen Chelsea, I can't talk anymore, just get me a damned attorney and make sure it's a good one. Then get down here PRONTO!!"

"Yeah, hang in there Kyle, I'll be there as soon as I can."

"K, and Chels?"

"Yeah?"

"Hurry," Kyle said before hanging up the phone and facing the two officers again. "So what now?" He asked of the two officers standing in the room.

"Well now you get to go see where you're going to be living," Officer Andrews said, walking over and putting the cuffs back on his wrists.

Kyle felt his freedom slipping further and further away from him as he felt the cold metal close around his wrists. Kyle couldn't stop the shaking of his hands as he was led out of the room and led to a door. After being buzzed in and then buzzed through yet another door, Kyle's fears became a reality. As he was led down the long row of cells, Kyle tried to ignore the catcalls and the calls of "Fresh Meat". The further along he walked the more graphic the calls got, until finally Officer Hendersen put a stop to it.

"Okay boys, that's enough!" Officer Hendersen said loudly before continuing to lead Kyle past one cell after another.

Kyle figured they had passed at least three dozen cells when Officer Andrews stopped in front of one about three quarters of the way down. Looking into the cell where the officer had stopped, Kyle couldn't help the whimper that came from his lips as he looked at his cell mate. The guy looking back at him had to be at least two hundred and seventy five pounds and looked to be all muscle. Kyle tried to avoid the mans gaze but eventually their eyes clashed and Kyle winced at the predatory look in the mans eyes. The man that Kyle was looking at was what Kyle had always pictured a prison's Bubba to look like. Kyle was quickly pushed into the cell and couldn't help jumping when he heard the loud clanging of the metal doors shutting.

"Put your hands through the hole," Officer Andrews said, pointing to a space just big enough for Kyle's handcuffed hand's to fit through.

Quickly doing as he was told, Kyle soon felt the handcuffs falling off of his wrists. Kyle watched as the two officers walked away, everything in him begging him to call out to them. He didn't belong there, he hadn't done anything wrong! Apprehensively Kyle turned and found himself face to face with the big man that he had to share his cell with.

"Looks like I got myself a new toy," the big man said, resting a big beefy hand on Kyle's shoulder.

Kyle tried to jerk away but found his arm held in a firm grip. He knew that things could get bad in jail but even he hadn't believed everything that he heard. Now he was beginning to wonder exactly what was going to happen to him while he was behind bars. Kyle tried his best to make himself stand tall and to pretend that he wasn't scared, but nothing that he could do could stop his body from quaking in fear. He just knew that once the lights were turned out he was going to be raped.

~~~~~~
"What wrong babe?" Matt asked as he came out of the bedroom to find Chelsea staring at the phone as though it was about to bite her.

"Kyle just called," Chelsea said glancing up at him before turning her attention back to the phone.

"Oh? What did he call about? Is Jared ok?"

"He's been arrested Matt."

"Arrested?? C'mon Chels, try something else. What the hell would he have gotten arrested for?"

"They arrested him for the attacks on Jared," Chelsea said, her voice quivering as she tried to digest the information.

"WHAT?" Matt yelled. "Are they out of their god damned minds? Why the hell would they arrest Kyle for that attacks? He didn't do it!"

"You know that and I know that Matt, but apparently the police don't know that."

"So what are we going to do?

"He asked me to get him an attorney and that's where we're going to start."

"Chels, it's after seven o'clock at night, how the hell are we going to find him an attorney at this time of night?!"

"I don't know, but we're going to try," Chelsea said, grabbing the phone book and opening it up to the yellow pages.

~~~~~~
Kyle had been dreading when the lights would dim, when night would come upon him. He knew what was going to happen and wished that he was anyplace but where he was. As the lights dimmed out, leaving only a slight glow outside the cell, Kyle curled up in a ball on his cot. He heard the man that he had nicknamed Bubba get off his cot and make his way towards him. It was almost as if Kyle could feel the air around him turn colder as Bubba approached where he was laying on his cot. Kyle couldn't make anything out in the darkness of the cell but he heard the footsteps stop at the side of the cot. Sucking in a ragged breath he waited for what was to come.

"Time for a little fun," Bubba said in a whisper.