Chapter 15

by Ernest Hemingway 19:52,Jun 02,2023


However, before Vivian could eat it, the police came and took her to the police station for questioning.In the interrogation room of the police station, the bright white light was dazzling.Vivian felt bitter at the thought that she would never see Mrs. Moorsum again.Mrs. Moorsum is dead, and I will also die soon. The story of my life is full of tragedy. Why is God so cruel to me?The fire of hope that had just been ignited in her heart was extinguished."Miss. Walker, the testimony of the witness and physical evidence showed that you are the murderer. Do you have anything else to say about it?" a policeman asked.Vivian raised her head and asked, "Who's the witness? Florence?"The policeman nodded. "Yes, Miss White said that she saw you push Mrs. Moorsum off the roof."Hearing this, Vivian nodded. She was not surprised at all."What about the physical evidence? What did you find?" she asked."We only collected the footprints of you, Mrs. Moorsum, and Miss White on the roof. Miss White doesn't know Mrs. Moorsum. Nor do they have any conflict with each other. And there is no reason for Miss White to kill Mrs. Moorsum. Therefore, the only suspect is you."Vivian lowered her head and said, "Sir, if I admit that I’m guilty, what will be my sentence?""You will be convicted for intentional homicide and face the death penalty.""Will I be shot dead?""You'll be executed by lethal injection,""Will it hurt?""No. The execution is more humane nowadays. Your life will end in your sleep and you won't feel any pain."Vivian seemed to be very satisfied with such a way of execution. "That's good," she nodded and said. "So you will plead guilty, right? Then please sign your name here," the policeman said."Could you please give me another three days before I am officially arrested?" Vivian asked. The policeman was confused. "Why? What do you want to do?""I... I may be pregnant. I've made an appointment with the doctor for a pregnancy test in three days," Vivian said.Hearing that, the policeman agreed to her request.The prison system nowadays is indeed very humane, Vivian thought and breathed a sigh of relief.In the following three days, Vivian stayed in the police station. And on the third day, accompanied by two policewomen, she went to the hospital for the pregnancy test.When the doctor saw her coming with two policewomen, he asked with his eyes full of confusion, "Miss. Walker, what... what happened to you?"Vivian smiled and said, "Nothing. I'm okay. Nothing matters to me except my pregnancy test now."The doctor frowned and looked at her with doubt. Then he asked her to do the test.When Vivian was waiting for the result of the test, her hands shook violently.Seeing her like this, a policewoman felt pity for her and got her a glass of hot water. "Drink some water. You almost haven't eaten anything in the past three days," the policewoman said.Vivian replied to her with a smile and expressed her thanks. "Thank you. But I can't drink it now.""Why?""... Because it hurts," Vivian said as she pointed at her chest and said, "It hurts very much. Every time I drink hot water, I will feel a sharp pain in my chest. Sometimes the pain was unbearable and made me feel that to live is no better than to die. When I felt painful, I almost wanted to kill myself but I couldn't.""You have stomach trouble?" the policewoman asked with a frown. "She's at the advanced stage of lung cancer." At this moment, the doctor said as he came over and handed Vivian the test report, "Miss. Walker, I don't know if I should congratulate you. But... You're pregnant."Vivian suddenly raised her head and asked in surprise and disbelief, "Am I really... pregnant?""Yes," the doctor said. "You are indeed pregnant. But it also means that if you insist on giving birth to this child, the countdown to the end of your life will begin from today. You will have nine months to live at most and you can't undergo chemotherapy during pregnancy."However, Vivian seemed to be immersed in the joy as if she didn't hear the last sentence of the doctor. And her face gradually became less pale than before. She took the report from the doctor and read it carefully. When she saw the word "pregnant" on the report, she smiled gently and looked very happy.Then she said to the policewomen next to her, "Look, I'm pregnant. After I give birth to the baby, I will die. You don't have to execute me by lethal injection."Listening to her words, the two policewomen looked at her with mixed feelings. Then one of them said, "Miss. Walker, according to the rules, pregnant suspects can apply for medical parole. Besides, if you want to prove your innocence, you can try to collect some new evidence before trial..." "No need," Vivian said as she put away the report. "My innocence doesn't matter to me now."All she wanted was to give birth to her child before she died......."Auntie, are you here to see a doctor again?"In the hospital, Vivian saw the little boy that she had met before again. The boy seemed to be very happy to see her and said, "Auntie, Mom said that you were so kind to give us so much money and I should say thank you to you. Then I waited for you at the gate of the hospital every day but you didn't come."Vivian squatted down and looked at the boy with a smile. Then she gently caressed his hair and said in a soft voice, "This is the last time I come to see a doctor. I won't come here again in the future.""Auntie, have you recovered?" the boy asked.Children are always innocent and optimistic, Vivian thought. She didn't have the heart to let him down. Therefore, after a pause, she answered, "... Well, you can say that."The little boy was happy for her and held her hand tightly, saying, "Auntie, let me sing a song for you again to celebrate your recovery.""Okay."The boy then stood upright and sang seriously like an adult. "Twinkle twinkle little star. How I wonder what you are..."After finishing the song, the little boy was not as happy as before when seeing Vivian's expression. "Auntie, didn't I sing well? Why are you crying?" he asked.Vivian immediately wiped the tears on her face, showed a big smile, and said, "You sang very well. I just feel sorry that I can't see you again in the future.""I will remember you forever, Auntie. You are a very, very good person."At this moment, Vivian's phone rang.Seeing the unknown number on the screen, she answered the phone in confusion. "Hello?""Hi, Miss. Walker. This is Peter Jones. I'm Mr. Williams' attorney. Mr. Williams has received the divorce agreement sent by you. Please come to the court to go through the divorce procedure now."

However, before Vivian could eat it, the police came and took her to the police station for questioning.

In the interrogation room of the police station, the bright white light was dazzling.

Vivian felt bitter at the thought that she would never see Mrs. Moorsum again.

Mrs. Moorsum is dead, and I will also die soon. The story of my life is full of tragedy. Why is God so cruel to me?

The fire of hope that had just been ignited in her heart was extinguished.

"Miss. Walker, the testimony of the witness and physical evidence showed that you are the murderer. Do you have anything else to say about it?" a policeman asked.

Vivian raised her head and asked, "Who's the witness? Florence?"

The policeman nodded. "Yes, Miss White said that she saw you push Mrs. Moorsum off the roof."

Hearing this, Vivian nodded. She was not surprised at all.

"What about the physical evidence? What did you find?" she asked.

"We only collected the footprints of you, Mrs. Moorsum, and Miss White on the roof. Miss White doesn't know Mrs. Moorsum. Nor do they have any conflict with each other. And there is no reason for Miss White to kill Mrs. Moorsum. Therefore, the only suspect is you."

Vivian lowered her head and said, "Sir, if I admit that I’m guilty, what will be my sentence?"

"You will be convicted for intentional homicide and face the death penalty."

"Will I be shot dead?"

"You'll be executed by lethal injection,"

"Will it hurt?"

"No. The execution is more humane nowadays. Your life will end in your sleep and you won't feel any pain."

Vivian seemed to be very satisfied with such a way of execution.

"That's good," she nodded and said. 

"So you will plead guilty, right? Then please sign your name here," the policeman said.

"Could you please give me another three days before I am officially arrested?" Vivian asked. 

The policeman was confused. "Why? What do you want to do?"

"I... I may be pregnant. I've made an appointment with the doctor for a pregnancy test in three days," Vivian said.

Hearing that, the policeman agreed to her request.

The prison system nowadays is indeed very humane, Vivian thought and breathed a sigh of relief.

In the following three days, Vivian stayed in the police station. And on the third day, accompanied by two policewomen, she went to the hospital for the pregnancy test.

When the doctor saw her coming with two policewomen, he asked with his eyes full of confusion, "Miss. Walker, what... what happened to you?"

Vivian smiled and said, "Nothing. I'm okay. Nothing matters to me except my pregnancy test now."

The doctor frowned and looked at her with doubt. Then he asked her to do the test.

When Vivian was waiting for the result of the test, her hands shook violently.

Seeing her like this, a policewoman felt pity for her and got her a glass of hot water. 

"Drink some water. You almost haven't eaten anything in the past three days," the policewoman said.

Vivian replied to her with a smile and expressed her thanks. "Thank you. But I can't drink it now."

"Why?"

"... Because it hurts," Vivian said as she pointed at her chest and said, "It hurts very much. Every time I drink hot water, I will feel a sharp pain in my chest. Sometimes the pain was unbearable and made me feel that to live is no better than to die. When I felt painful, I almost wanted to kill myself but I couldn't."

"You have stomach trouble?" the policewoman asked with a frown. 

"She's at the advanced stage of lung cancer." At this moment, the doctor said as he came over and handed Vivian the test report, "Miss. Walker, I don't know if I should congratulate you. But... You're pregnant."

Vivian suddenly raised her head and asked in surprise and disbelief, "Am I really... pregnant?"

"Yes," the doctor said. "You are indeed pregnant. But it also means that if you insist on giving birth to this child, the countdown to the end of your life will begin from today. You will have nine months to live at most and you can't undergo chemotherapy during pregnancy."

However, Vivian seemed to be immersed in the joy as if she didn't hear the last sentence of the doctor. And her face gradually became less pale than before. 

She took the report from the doctor and read it carefully. When she saw the word "pregnant" on the report, she smiled gently and looked very happy.

Then she said to the policewomen next to her, "Look, I'm pregnant. After I give birth to the baby, I will die. You don't have to execute me by lethal injection."

Listening to her words, the two policewomen looked at her with mixed feelings. 

Then one of them said, "Miss. Walker, according to the rules, pregnant suspects can apply for medical parole. Besides, if you want to prove your innocence, you can try to collect some new evidence before trial..." 

"No need," Vivian said as she put away the report. "My innocence doesn't matter to me now."

All she wanted was to give birth to her child before she died.

......

"Auntie, are you here to see a doctor again?"

In the hospital, Vivian saw the little boy that she had met before again. 

The boy seemed to be very happy to see her and said, "Auntie, Mom said that you were so kind to give us so much money and I should say thank you to you. Then I waited for you at the gate of the hospital every day but you didn't come."

Vivian squatted down and looked at the boy with a smile. Then she gently caressed his hair and said in a soft voice, "This is the last time I come to see a doctor. I won't come here again in the future."

"Auntie, have you recovered?" the boy asked.

Children are always innocent and optimistic, Vivian thought. 

She didn't have the heart to let him down. Therefore, after a pause, she answered, "... Well, you can say that."

The little boy was happy for her and held her hand tightly, saying, "Auntie, let me sing a song for you again to celebrate your recovery."

"Okay."

The boy then stood upright and sang seriously like an adult. "Twinkle twinkle little star. How I wonder what you are..."

After finishing the song, the little boy was not as happy as before when seeing Vivian's expression. 

"Auntie, didn't I sing well? Why are you crying?" he asked.

Vivian immediately wiped the tears on her face, showed a big smile, and said, "You sang very well. I just feel sorry that I can't see you again in the future."

"I will remember you forever, Auntie. You are a very, very good person."

At this moment, Vivian's phone rang.

Seeing the unknown number on the screen, she answered the phone in confusion. "Hello?"

"Hi, Miss. Walker. This is Peter Jones. I'm Mr. Williams' attorney. Mr. Williams has received the divorce agreement sent by you. Please come to the court to go through the divorce procedure now."


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