Valeria was in her jail cell when suddenly she screamed out while holding her head.Delacroix and Wharton went to the bars of their cells and looked on as she flopped down onto the floor in agony.She was on her knees and screamed loudly.Coffey just sat on his bunk,with his head down as though he were concentrating.
"Boss Edgecomb,Boss Howell,there’s something wrong with McKenzie" Delacroix hollered.
Edgecomb and Brutal came running to her cell.They saw her on her knees screaming and Edgecomb grabbed his keys and opened the door to her cell.
"What in the…?" Edgecomb exclaimed.
"Hey,what’s happening to McKenzie?.What are you doing to her?" Wild Bill cried.
Edgecomb rushed into her cell and to McKenzie’s side.Brutal had grabbed his nightstick.
"Paul,be careful" Brutal warned.
She had stopped screaming for a moment and she seemed deathly afraid and her eyes scanned the cell frantically. He grabbed her hands and called out her name.
"McKenzie,McKenzie can you hear me?"
"This could be some kind of trick" Brutal said.
"Normally I’d agree with you but turning deathly pale and bleeding from the ears is one hell of a trick" Edgecomb said.
McKenzie had indeed begun to bleed from the ear.Suddenly she started screaming again.Stanton joined them at McKenzie’s cell,took one look at her and said:
"Oh jesus,I’ll call a doctor"
Stanton left to call a doctor.
"Valeria McKenzie,can you hear me?" Edgecomb tried again.
McKenzie didn’t respond to anything,she seemed to be in her own little world and she suddenly started struggling. Edgecomb put his arms around her and tryed to keep her still but she kept struggling hard.
"She’s alot stronger than she looks.Brutal,help"
Brutal put his nightstick away and walked into the cell,he took McKenzie in his arms and held her still.
"Let go of me,they’re gonna get me" McKenzie screamed.
McKenzie proceeded to repeat those words over and over until she suddenly stopped and passed out.Paul checked her pulse and when it was there,he checked her pupils.
"Out like a light" Edgecomb said.
Brutal carried the small girl from her cell and to another cell away from the others and almost felt sorry for her as he held her in his arms.Than he felt a wave of disgust come over him as he remembered the report he had read about her.The doctor gave some medications but said he had no idea what had caused it.Edgecomb had expected as much,he knew what had caused it and he was gonna find out why.Edgecomb walked to John Coffey’s cell and saw him sitting there.
"I saw you sitting here when this happened to McKenzie"
Coffey didn’t say anything.He looked tired and sweaty.
"John,did you have something to do with it?" Edgecomb asked.
Coffey nodded but still said nothing.
"Why did you do it?"
"She’s is one evil lady Boss,I made her pay.I made her pay for her crimes" Coffey replied.
"She has been was sentenced to death for her crimes,she is to be executed on the electric chair,she was set to pay for her crimes" Edgecomb argued.
"She’s done more than they say Boss,lots more" Coffey said.
"What do you mean more?"
"When she was 10,she had a little babysister,only 2 months old.They say she died of natural causes but she didn’t. McKenzie did it and she did it in cold blood" Coffey said shaking.
Edgecomb shivered and said:
"I read about that,they didn’t find any marks"
"There wasn’t any,she suffocated the baby" Coffey said.
Edgecomb took an involuntary step back and his blood ran cold.
"She’s not on death row for that murder and she hasn’t paid for it either,until now"
"As much as it chills me to think that this young lady killed a baby,it wasn’t your place to do this.She’ll pay when she is put to death" Edgecomb said.
"For days I’ve been listening to her talk,like she aint done nothing wrong.I guess I just couldn’t take it anymore"
Edgecomb nodded,he could understand his point of view but he was sticking to his.
"Don’t let it happen again"
"Yes Boss" Coffey said nodding.
Edgecomb walked away thinking:"So miss McKenzie is a child murderer as well".
"I should have let Brutal at her" Edgecomb muttered.
Edgecomb walked to his office.