Chapter 5

Nurse Della Swanson." The young man whispered to himself and smiled, leafing through her file, his thin fingers caressing the ten year old photograph attached to her data sheet. "What on Earth would make you stay here for ten long years, especially since you're such a looker?"

William Rochester wasn't particularly interested, but slightly curious maybe. His meeting with the two inmates confirmed that she was sleeping with them, but he couldn't fathom why she needed to do this. He picked up all the clues right, she preferred her men strong and dangerous. Melchestore 'Mel' Malone was in for life, on charges of manslaughter. And Schillizergenmaier 'Schnitzel' Reinhold was a mercenary for hire with a record of killing more than a hundred people.

It was Reinhold who almost spilled the beans, in his excitement to show his appreciation for the night nurse. The European giant of a man expressed his gratitude for her care with a lot more enthusiasm than the New York gangster. And Rochester was sure now that she had a few more men there under her special care, in the night shift. Her duty record showed her taking on the night shift ever since she had joined and almost never had a day off, not even for Christmas.

He glanced at his watch. She would soon be there for her shift. Scott was too old to catch her in the act, and maybe a few of the guards were either paid off of under her special care too to let all this happen. He would be a fool to pass up on this slice of pie that was being dished out here. A click on the door heralded her approach and he turned to face her with a wolfish grin on his youthful face.

"Evening, Doc." Della smiled as she walked in, her starched uniform spotless and extra tight. "How was your day?"

"Good eve to you too, Nurse." His grin widened. "I had the most pleasant day... and I hope it continues that way."

"Glad to know you're settling in well, Liam." She exhaled deeply, tossing her purse on the desk. "So what did you do today... anything I should know of?"

"Well, I had a good time... checking up on a couple of inmates." He rubbed his hands together. "I was terrified at first to be so close to such hardened killers, but I realized as I spoke to them, they're as normal as anyone, just caught up in the wrong side of the net."

"I'm glad you see it that way, it's the first step to rehabilitating them to society." Della smiled. "Most people would just prefer to let them rot in here for eternity."

"Eternity is a long time." The young man nodded. "But I'm curious...how does one rehabilitate mass murderers?"

"Who did you check up on?" She eyed the computer monitor before him.

"Couple of guys... Malone and... Bagel or something... ah yes, Schnitzel."

"Oh!" Her voice faltered a bit. "...those two are serving multiple life sentences."

"How do you rehabilitate men like them?" He asked, looking right at her. "Do you have some kind of special method that works on them?"

"Are you asking in rhetoric or me in particular?" The night nurse looked at him quizzically.

"Either... each of them said that they highly appreciated your care for them." He shrugged his narrow shoulders. "And they seemed like nice, cheerful men, despite their criminal records, so whatever you're doing for them... must be beneficial."

"Oh... well, I hope so." She shuffled her feet and looked out the little window.

"But realistically, even if they do wish to reform, pardoning their crimes would be next to insanity." Rochester kept his gaze on her. "No court of law would advocate it."

"That's true." She sighed, smiling slightly. "But everyone deserves a second chance."

"Is that what you've been doing for them, Nurse... giving them a second chance?"

"Where are you going with this, Doctor?" The redhead stood before him, hands on her flaring hips.

"I walked in on you and Malone last night... " He replied, in a matter-of-fact manner. "Got the shock of my life, I did."

"Oh, fuck!" She looked away, her hands balling into tight fists.

"Well, yes." He smiled at her. "And he sure enjoys the second chances you've been giving him."

"I... you have no..." She glared at the young doctor, her hands clutching at the edge of his desk.

"Him... and Reinhold." Rochester went on. "And a whole lot of others I'm sure whom I am yet to check up on."

"You little snoop." She cried in exasperation.

"Hey, it was too obvious, and I didn't snoop... I went back down to collect my bags."

"What did those two idiots tell you?" She demanded, leaning back on the wall.

"Nothing much." The slender man shrugged. "But I picked up on the clues, being smarter than I look helps."

"So now you know." Della laughed sardonically. "What do you want from me?"

"Am I supposed to want something?" He raised his eyebrows.

"Why else would you be doing this then?" She slapped her palm on the desk.

"Does any of the guards know, and how about O'Reilly?"

"The warden?" She gasped. "He'd kick me out so fast... no, none of the guards know."

"How do they not?" He was surprised for real.

"No one really cares for these prisoners." The redhead sighed, sitting down on the chair before him.

"Not as much as you have been... for the last ten years."

"And now I have you to care as much too, Liam." She smiled at him wanly.

"Why do you do it?" He leaned closer, staring at her hard. "What makes you want to do it?"

"I don't know." She looked away, flustered.

"Is it a kind of fetish, or a compulsion?" He pressed on. "Does fucking a dangerous criminal give you a kind of heightened sexual gratification?"

"I... well, kind of... and giving these guys something they crave for makes me feel... well, blessed."

"And you've been doing this for the whole time you're here?" Rochester withheld an urge to laugh. "How the hell did you start doing this?"

"Not the whole ten years." She gave him a look of indignation. "I took my time, picked out the right guys, gave them a little more attention than the others... made them and myself feel comfortable with one another..."

"Hmm." He smirked. "Wow! I mean... that's quite a wild adventure you've been on."

"And now you're going to destroy it all." She said, suppressing her anger.

"Well, I have no love lost for the warden." He grinned at her lecherously. "And I like you the most here... hell, you're the only one I like here."

"So you're not going to tell the warden anything." She eyed him with suspicion.

"Not yet..." Rochester rubbed his temples and leaned back on his chair.

"Damn you, Rochester, you want a piece of the action too... fuck, you're a little blackmailer, aren't you?"

"I didn't make any demands." The young doctor had a smirk on his smug face.

"You didn't say it, but your leering eyes have been all along." She replied hotly, running her fingers through her lustrous red hair.

"So what do you say?" He held out his hands.

"When do you want me?"