8 - blood

Then we go to draw my blood. As the nurse is inserting the needle into my arm a woman from the US Embassy says

¨They´re saying you killed two people¨.

she says this almost casually, as if by her tone of voice she can moderate my reaction.



Instead her words push me outside of my body, so that I’m watching this horrifying scene,
which couldn’t possibly be happening to me,
it’s someone else´s drama,
it’s in the newspaper,
it’s on tv,
right?
That's not me sitting in the wheelchair,
THAT's me, watching from the upper corner of the room, hiding in a light fixture.

I see Jessica’s body stiffen in rejection of this insane suggestion,
I see her legs explode outward from the chair and her
arms, needles dangling and blood spurting,
fly toward the ceiling.



WHAT DID YOU JUST SAY?

¨Well, I thought you should know¨

The two nurses are grabbing my limbs, trying to hold me still and force the syringe onto the needle hanging out of my arm.
¨Maám, you have to calm down. Tranquila, tranquila¨



ËXCUSE ME? IF SOMEONE HAD JUST TOLD YOU YOU MIGHT HAVE KILLED TWO PEOPLE WOULD YOU BE CALM?
DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA WHAT YOU'RE ASKING OF ME?


“I don’t think we can get her sample right now.”


I think they sedated me after that.


Not until the next day did I notice the blood spattered on my jeans and tshirt.