Baby

instant that Robert Doyle concocted a tidy fairy tale for the sheriff after he planted the coins in his pocket. Sadly, no one wanted to hear anything about Maggie’s murder. They just ignored him. He still cried whenever he thought about her. In his heart, he knew he bore the responsibility. He tormented himself with the knowledge that his poor judgment and immaturity led to her death and this cell, leaving Netty and Baby vulnerable. Stupid, stupid, stupid . Twenty one years old and sitting in jail with his life still waiting to be lived. His mama would be ashamed.
    Underestimating Robert Doyle, the twisted and pernicious bastard, might cost them their lives. But how could they keep him in here forever? Sooner or later, he would figure out how to get a message to Netty. Maybe he could work something out with his bunkmate when he finished his sixty day sentence.
    It was almost time for their dinner. Meals were the only time Wil felt close to Netty and Baby in this cheerless, oppressive lockup. He was reminded of Netty’s laughter, her lovely face, her worshiping trust as she stood in the kitchen cooking for him. And boy, everyone knew Netty could sure cook. It became the nicest part of his day as he reminisced about how they loved to linger over their tea, dreaming big about their plans for the farm, watching Baby wobble around, laughing at his antics before they retired to the bedroom to lie in each other’s arms, marveling about their chance meeting in the woods that led them to such complete contentment, even as they fumbled with the problems associated with their body’s changes. Fate is a wonderful thing.
    Wil heard noise in the corridor, presumably the trays for dinner. The bailiff appeared at the door to his cell, opening it up with his noisy ring of keys. Surprisingly, he shouted for Wil’s bootlegging cellmate, ordering him to accompany him, refusing to disclose further information. Wil casually wondered at the significance of the unusual time chosen to remove his cellmate. The guards knew better than to come between a prisoner and his chow.
    Wil’s cellmate never returned, nor did they get their dinner. Wondering what was up, Wil turned over in his bunk, lying flat to alleviate the constant ache in his lower back, his tail announcing its growth. Staring up at the drab grungy ceiling, he lost himself in his memories of Netty and Baby.
    ###
    Wil was so deep in thought that he failed to notice the bailiff quietly returning to silently slip something lethal and shiny to his remaining new cellmate. He also failed to notice his cellmate creep slowly over to his bunk, raising the arm that held a glittering butcher’s knife, bringing it down solidly on Wil’s arm, severing his hand below the wrist, quickly exiting through the cell door and clicking it shut behind him.
    ###
    As Wil fell out of his bunk, incomprehension overriding shock, he discovered his severed hand lying on the dirty cement floor. Stumbling to the cell door, he watched the blood stream out of his arm. Sliding down to the cold floor, he held his arm up, hoping to slow the gushing blood.
    “Help, I need help . Bailiff … g uard , please help, I need a doctor. It’s urgent . I’m bleeding . Help me.” Wil screamed for help for twenty minutes. No one came. As he slipped further down to the floor, he felt the darkness intrude into the edges of his vision. His thought process slowed, blood loss causing him to forget where he was, his arm, now down in his lap, cold and painless from shock.
    He thought he could smell the warm organic odor of Netty’s barn. It must be time to saddle Maggie and turn out the Jerseys. Where was Baby? He couldn’t leave without his little buddy in the saddle.
    He called for his mama, feeling the urgent need of her soothing hands and loving voice. Slipping into darkness, the last thing reflected in Wil’s dimming eyes was the unusual iridescent color of his blood as it finished spilling his life onto the cruddy concrete floor of his cell.
    ###
    Netty hurried home after leaving the Baptist Church. Relief and hope coursed through her body as she rejoiced over the fabulous solution Reverend Penny easily suggested. Now, all she had to do was find the money. Rushing home with the wagon she found Baby in the barn with his kittens.
    “Baby, I thought I told you to not open the cabin door. It’s for your own safety.” Scooping Baby up under her arm, kitten and all, she ran to the front door of the cabin, finding it