65. The Night Shift

"Camila!" Louis yelled as he saw his wife unconscious on the floor. "Camila, you alright?" He shook his wife a couple of times. Camila slowly opened her eyes and closed them quickly as the sudden exposure to lights blinded her. She groaned as he helped her get up.

"What happened?" Louis asked. "Wait," he got up from the floor and brought a glass of water. "Here,"

Camila took the glass and took a sip. "The body," She said pointing at the table. But the corpse was lying in its usual position. Camila took a breath and shook her head. "I must have been hallucinating,"

"What are you talking about?" He asked looking in the direction where Petunia's body was laying on its back.

"I turned around and saw the body sitting up. I swear it was laying. It's not possible." With her palm on the floor, she slowly got up. "I must be imagining things. Anyway, I called for you so many times, "

"I was outside fixing the fuse. I didn't hear anything though."

"Weird," Camila said. "I yelled your name so many times and the fuse isn't that far,"

Louis shrugged. "But you know the strange thing was that fuse was alright."

Camila made a face of disbelief. If everything was alright, why did the power go out?

"The important thing is that the lights are back on," Camila said picking up her phone with its screen cracked due to the fall. "Did you ask the Jacksons when they want the viewing?"

"They said as soon as possible but if possible tomorrow itself."

She nodded her head. "Means I have to work the night shift. It's alright. If they want it tomorrow, we'll give them that way. Besides I'm not feeling so sleepy or tired. " She said as she walked towards the table.

"But I'm telling you, Camila," Louis said in a low voice, "there's something off about the Jacksons,"

Camila looked at his husband with a scissor in her hand.

"They want the viewing as soon as possible, they didn't want to invite any of their family members and look at Mrs. Petunia. Do you think that her death was a normal accident? I'm telling you, Camila, it's like they are hiding something. It feels like they want to get rid of the body fast with nothing to do with it or any sentiments attached. "

Camila took out a deep breath and said," I'm very well aware of what you are trying to say, Louis. Now don't go on telling me again that it must link towards the ghosts, curse, or her death has anything to do with the supernatural. You know I don't believe in those things."

"I know, Camila, but I don't want to get involved in any police case. Petunia's death feels so strange to me."

"I can understand, Louis, but try looking from another lens - maybe she slipped and fell over something sharp that penetrated inside and destroyed her eyes and head altogether. You know even the simple household decorative items and other stuff can also act as a weapon. Anything could happen. And, if a criminal or any police case was involved, you could've seen at least one cop there or do you think the family won't contact the cops if they think that she was murdered? Besides, it is natural for a family to want the viewing and funeral soon. It varies from tradition to tradition or religion between 2 or 3 days to even 24 hours as it is seen disrespectful to delay the funeral in some tradition. We must respect their religion, Louis. And maybe they must be acting a bit cold to hide their tears and sadness. You are overthinking things."

"You're right, I'm making it more complex I guess. Anyway, I'll be in the office if you need anything." Saying this, he left Camila in the embalming room.

After the arterial embalming, she went on towards the cavity embalming. She made an incision in the lower part of the abdomen and inserted a trocar. She punctured the rest of the organs to drain any gas or fluid content.

"Camila," Came the sound of Louis from the office. "Have you seen the files of Mr. Jonas? I'm not finding it anywhere."

"Have you checked third right from the top shelf? It must be near Mrs. Miller's." Camila yelled back.

She then injected the embalming fluid in the cavities and then she filled the organs with the embalming chemicals.

"Camila!"

"Now what?"

"Can you please come here? I'm not finding them."

Camila grumped a bit. She hated it when anyone disturbs her in the middle of her work. "You must have kept it carelessly and now how will you find it? I've told you a thousand times to keep everything in its proper place. But no, you won't listen and then you always ask me for help! When will you start to listen?" She got up and went towards the office.

"Louis, you dropped some water here. Can you clean up the water spill?" She asked dodging the pool of water near the office door. "Anyone can slip you know,"

"I will after you help me find the file."

She entered the room and went near the shelf. She gave it a quick look and after a few minutes, she took out a file and handed it to Louis. "Here, third right from the top shelf near Mrs. Miller's like I told you. Have you even checked?"

Louis bit his tongue and giggled a bit as Camila shook her head and smiled at the childishness of her mid-40-year-old husband. "The process is not done yet, Louis. I'm going back. Now don't disturb me unless it's urgent." She said and left the office dodging the pool.

While going back, she felt wet under her feet and looked down. To her surprise, she saw wet footprints on the floor. She checked her feet- they were dry. She looked back towards the office and saw a trail of footprints from the office where the pool of water was accumulated all the way towards the embalming room. No one was in the house except the husband and the wife. So who's prints were those? Was someone following her when she went into the office?

She followed the wet footprints which led her to the embalming table where Petunia's body laid. She looked around the table but no prints were to be seen. She then noticed water dripping from Petunia's wet feet.

What the hell is all this?

She walked outside the room to check the trail once again but they disappeared.

She took a deep breath and shook her head. "Camila, focus," She walked back towards the table and continued her work ignoring everything she saw.

After ensuring that the body is filled with the fluid and that no hypodermal embalming is needed, she then sutured all the incisions and closed all the orifices with cotton to ensure that the seepage won't occur. She then bathed the body to remove any residual chemicals or blood. She turned around towards the trolley.

Sometimes I wish I had an assistant though who would give me tools when I ask - just like the doctors in O. T., It'd be so cool like - scalpel!

She lifted her empty hands on her shoulder level with fingers facing in the opposite direction - pretending that her assistant was giving whatever she asked for.

And then they'll hand me that. Cotton! Scissors!

And then, she felt a hand placing a scissor on her palm. She turned around thinking it was Louis but she was stunned as no one else was there except her, the body, and a scissor in her hand. She gasped and dropped the scissors.

After a while when she controlled her breaths, she picked up the scissors and placed it in the tray.

She picked up the embalming cosmetic kit from the trolley and turned around.

She dropped the kit and stumbled back knocking the trolley over, seeing an upside-down body of Petunia hanging from the ceiling in front of her as all the tools and everything in the trolley fell on the floor with a loud noise.

Camila couldn't believe her eyes. With her eyes popped out, she slowly started to back away towards the door with her breathing elevated.

When she was about to place her second foot, the corpse's hand grabbed her hand. She struggled to free herself but the dead's grip was way too tight. The body started to come close to her. Camila's heart was pounding so fast that her heartbeats could almost be heard like a drum.

The stitches and the wires she had used to keep the mouth shut began to become loose and then Petunia's body screamed in her face, "I DID NOT DESERVE TO DIE THIS WAY!"

Camila screamed at the top of her lungs as the room slowly began to fade away.