Creatures of Habit

Two hours after his original arrest, Neal had been released into the custody of the State Police and had arrived at the Holding Facility at the Four Counties State Court Center.

Back at the County Jail Infirmary and again at the Medical Ward at the Holding Facility. Morrison refused to cooperate with the male nurses attempting to treat the hundreds of thorn pricks he had suffered.

Unfortunately, his tantrums managed to prevent even rudimentary medical treatment.

Long enough for his body to suffer an allergic reaction to pyracantha poisoning.

Resulting in Neal's death of anaphylactic shock, within an hour after his arrival at the Facility.

Sheriff West Warsaw, with his sister Bonnie and her husband Craig Ericsson confronted Ronald Waterway over the assault on Lois. And the resulting death of Neal Morrisson.

When it finally dawned on Craig that his wife and brother-in-law were outright accusing me of setting up the attack on my wife Lois. His face turned bright red and he yelled at me.

"You son of a bitch! You put my wife in danger!?! You fucking bastard! I oughta punch you out!"

I just hung my head in shame. Hell, I deserved the beating, not Lois.

What am I going to say to these three people? My closest friends who had trusted me to treat them with respect and honesty.

What apology would make up for causing this disaster? I feel no remorse for Neal's death or the ridiculous way he died. But how do I apologize to Bonny?

How do I beg her forgiveness for maneuvering her into a situation where she inadvertently causes the death of a man?

My fucking ego! Oh yeah, I'm so fucking smarter than everybody else.

Just move the chess pieces around into a favorable position. Without any consideration of how it would effect them. Or how it would destroy our lifelong friendship.

Big Winner me!

A whole new low in using people. I'm so fucking stupid!

How am I any better than Morrisson?

Practically in tears, Ronald looked at his injured wife and choked out a confession of how he had deliberately maneuvered the confrontation between Lois and Morrison.

Expressing his guilt that his foolish plotting got Lois so seriously injured.

Stupidly, he had expected Neal to do nothing more than rant and rave at Lois while Bonny would protect her from him getting physical and actually harming his wife. Until the Deputies could get there.

He apologized for using her as bait like that.

"I should of manned up and settled my score with Neal himself instead of hiding behind a pair of women."

Obviously fretting, exerting herself to speak legibly through the pain and the swelling across her face. Slowly she told her husband.

"Ronnie, dearest...Please...

Yes...Neal was...more unpredictable...

Than any of us realized...

He...he just couldn't handle being... mocked...about his lack...of...sexual competency...

And being revealed....as sterile."

Ronald sat slumped in a chair, barely listening to his wife struggle to talk, as he continued to silently berate himself.

"Listen Ron...none of this...was your fault...

You were trying...trying to deal with a lousy situation!

Cleaning up after the fact.

I was the one...Me!

Who let herself be seduced...

By someone, whom I all too well knew...was a...loathsome creature."

Jumping to his feet from his chair, Ron practically shouted "No! I failed to put the miserable cur down."

Hands shaking, knees wobbling, Ronald grabbed the chair-back to hold himself up. Forcing himself to stop and do his breathing exercises.

If he didn't rein in his temper, his Cardiologist would have him in the next hospital bed, over.

Taking a deep breath and letting it out. He continued to try and explain why he had set up this stupid plot.

"It's, it's just, that we've been apart for so any years! And you have already suffered so much alone on my behalf and caring for our family.

Now the kids have left home, are building lives of their own.

I couldn't, I just couldn't! Face being behind bars. Leaving you once more alone, once more without a husband. You deserve better!"

A momentary pause. He blurted out "Too fucking smart for my own damn good!"

"Well...Ronnie....I can't...argue... With that."

They both shared a brief pained smile.

" However...I want you to consider... this.

I have always loved you...Ronald.

No matter how far apart...we were."

The troubled, self-doubting man approached the bed where his wife laid and shyly reached out to touch her.

Showing her exhaustion, still she forced out.

"I would rather suffer...a dozen beatings...then ever be separated... from you...again."

His face paled at the image and he vehemently shook his head.

Clutching his hand, she revealed her fear.

"Having to visit you...in prison? Would break my heart....into a million pieces...

The guilt I would suffer...

For being the cause...

Of your...incarceration...

Would be....unendurable!"

Ronald took Lois's right hand into both of his and silently prayed for the strength to be a better husband to this marvelous woman.

"I...gladly...accept this pain...

And public censure...

If that is the price...

I must pay...for the two of us...

To have...the rest of our lives... Together."

The two of them mutually agreed that they each and both needed help rebuilding their floundering relationship, to save their marriage.

After the second miscarriage Lois had suffered and when Ronald finally returned from his last overseas assignment.

Together they had gone to Dr. Smithers, a clinical psychologist, for counseling to help them with their personal crisis trying to come to terms with the loss of another baby.

Since professional counseling had been so successful before. Lois and Ronald agreed to return to Dr. Smithers for therapy to help them both learn to deal with the emotional trauma they have inflicted upon themselves.

There were several attempts by the Morrison clan to sue both the State and the County for failure to prevent Neal's death.

However, video recordings of Neal pugnaciously struggling against any medical attention would get their several attempts at action, dismissed.

Ronald and Lois would carefully tend that pyracantha bush for the rest of their lives.

Having their attorney insert a Deed Restriction to the Property Deed. Requiring that all future property owners must protect and nurture this specific pyracantha bush at the specified GPS coordinates.