Heart Attack

By Randy Whittaker

Ron Jameson was the picture of health until his heart attack killed him. After being defibrillated back to life, he was told to expect things to change. He never thought he would now rip people’s hearts out and eat them.
Cory Root is a cop who has been shot. His wife has been killed and he is being rushed to the hospital. After his heart stops, the doctors massage it back to life.
These two seemingly unconnected events bring these two together in a macabre dance of death. As James eats people’s hearts, Cory watches the crime in his dreams.
Cory wants to stop the crimes but his screams go unheard. Only through his connections at the police department is he able to try and track down the killer. The only problem being the cops think Cory might be crazy.
After helplessly watching several murders, Cory discovers where the next victim lives and goes there alone to confront the killer.
Will he be able to stop the killer in time? Or are his dreams just that, dreams?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Randy Whittaker
• Release date: Jan 23, 2015
• ISBN: 9781311025524

Book preview

HEART ATTACK

By Randy Whittaker

Copyright © Randy Whittaker

Smashwords Edition

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Table of Contents

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Sixteen

Chapter Seventeen

Chapter Eighteen

Chapter Nineteen

Chapter Twenty

Chapter Twenty-One

Chapter Twenty-Two

Chapter Twenty-Three

Chapter Twenty-Four

Chapter Twenty-Five

For Kelli Jo

Always my biggest fan

Chapter 1

Ron Jameson was the picture of health until his heart attack killed him. He had been doing something as mundane as cleaning out his gutters when his heart stopped. His wife of thirty years found him and immediately called 911. As her panicked mind raced, she dropped to her knees and started CPR. With every frenzied pump of his chest, she helped to push the life sustaining blood through his veins. She kept repeating his name over and over again, hoping that it would help to revive him.

Ron…,Ron…, please…,don’t leave me know, she said as the tears stained his shirt. Her arms continued to push down on his chest as her mind raced. She couldn’t imagine her life without Ron. They had been through so much together and to have it end like this was too much for her to think about. She continued to push and give him breaths as the ambulance siren could be heard in the distance.

Please, Ron, please, don’t leave me now, I need you, she said as the ambulance attendants rounded the corner and saw her performing CPR on the prone man. During the trip to the hospital, one of the paramedics continued the CPR until the rear doors opened into the hospital emergency room. The nurses grabbed the gurney and rushed him into operating room number one. The entire time, the paramedics compressed the man’s chest and squeezed the air bag into his lungs in a rhythmic, life-sustaining concert. Once on the table, one of the nurses continued the CPR dance while the paramedic almost collapsed from exhaustion. A myriad of nurses, machines and doctors swarmed the dead man to try to revive him.

The nurses attached the pads to the man’s chest to initiate the defibrillator process. Once the machine was on, the flat line indicated they needed to continue CPR. Ron Jameson was dead. His heart stopped working, and if not for the continuous CPR, his brain would have died minutes ago. The nurses continued the compressions while another squeezed the bag, raising his chest. Without warning, the machine beeped. All eyes turned and saw the slightest flutter on the electronic line.

Everyone, clear, the doctor yelled. Everyone stopped what they were doing as the machine analyzed the murmur that was Ron’s beating heart. Unlike television, most shocks on heart attack victims were done by machines. The machine analyzed the murmur and determined a shock may bring the heart back to its normal rhythm. The calm, mechanical female voice announced, shock recommended.

Everyone clear, the doctor yelled, looking around. Everyone in the room knew that if they were touching the body during the shock, their hearts would probably stop. Everyone raised their hands, indicating that no one was touching Ron as the doctor pressed the shock button. Ron’s body contorted and raised up off the gurney. After a few seconds, the shock stopped and Ron fell back down. The calm, mechanical female voice announced, Analyzing, but the doctor knew it was unnecessary. He looked up and saw a normal pattern on Ron’s EKG.

Good work people, he announced. The nurses in the room started the process of making Ron as comfortable as possible. They knew he wasn’t out of the woods yet, but his chances of survival had just increased. The doctor went over to the paramedic in the office doing paperwork.

Good work back there. I think you may have saved his life. The paramedic looked up and smiled.

Actually, we were just continuing what his wife had started. She’s the one who saved his life. We just were lucky we got there quickly, is all.

The doctor smiled at the modesty of the life saving paramedic.

Well either way, good work.

Thanks doc. The wife is in the waiting room if you want to see her. The doctor went into the waiting room and immediately recognized Ron’s wife. He had seen the look of fear and hope spread across enough faces in his early career to know she was the one waiting for the news.

Mrs. Jameson?

Yes.

I have good news. The doctor began to explain what had transpired and was about to tell her she could see Ron when a nurse came up to him.

Doctor, we have a gunshot victim coming in. It’s a cop, she said. The doctor left Mrs. Jameson and headed straight for the emergency room.

We’ll put him in number two. Man, this is a crazy day, isn’t it? he said. The nurse laughed nervously as she headed toward room number two to make sure it was prepped for the incoming trauma. The sirens could be heard from miles away

Nurse, any updates?

Yes, doctor. There was a robbery in progress and this off duty cop and his wife were shot. No one was really sure why they were there or what happened but we do know both of them were shot. It appears as if she may be DOA but he is clinging on. He’s an off duty cop, she said, like that would make a difference to the doctor.

Alright, make sure the room is ready. If he’s been shot, we’ll have to go in. We’ll put him in two and get her in number three. I’ll do a quick assessment on both when they get here and we’ll take it from there.

Yes sir, the nurse said, running down the hallway. As he stood in the bay doors awaiting the arrival of the ambulance, the young doctor wondered what kind of trauma awaited him. He hoped he could get lucky a second time on the same day but he knew the odds were against it.

Chapter 2

Well, Mr. Jameson, everything is looking good on paper. How are you feeling?

Ron Jameson had never expected to have a heart attack. At fifty five years old, he was the picture of health. His exercise regime had been a lifelong endeavor and his clean diet ensured he hadn’t put on too much weight since his high school wrestling days. Rosy, his wife of thirty years, was always proud to show him off whenever they went to a pool party or social function. Ron could still take his shirt off without being embarrassed about the way he looked.

I feel great, doc. Are you the physician who treated me in emerg? he asked.

No, that was Doctor Phillips. One of our young up and comers. He did a bang up job on you, that's for sure.

Yes, I know. I would like to thank him and all of the nurses personally at some point, he said. I know my life was in the balance when I came in here and they, quite literally saved me, he said getting choked up on the emotion. Rosy smiled at him and gripped his hand harder.

All in a day’s work, the doctor said, smiling. Actually, it says here that had it not been for your wife, you probably wouldn’t even have made it as far as the emergency room. She’s the real hero in all of this. Ron looked at Rosy as she wiped away the tears from her face.

Now, it says here you exercise regularly and I don’t see anything out of the ordinary when it comes to your diet…

…I know. That’s what makes this so weird. I’m not really a candidate for a heart attack.

This is true, Mr. Jameson, but probably fifty percent of the people I see in here really don’t fit the mold for a typical heart attack. That’s what makes life interesting. You just never know. But you do have some major blockage and we need to remove that. I’ll schedule you for a consult for surgery in a few days when you’re feeling a little better, but until then, you need to take it easy. I’ll prescribe some blood thinners and we’ll send in a nutritionist to talk to you. Maybe she can make some suggestions for a slight change in your diet, but other than that, you should be good to go in a few days. Just enjoy the rest. The doctor flipped the chart closed and left the room.

This is bullshit, he said.

Now Ron. Maybe that’s why you had a heart attack. You heard the doctor. Try and enjoy some well deserved rest.

Rest? I can’t rest, hon. I have a construction company to run. Those fucking nitwits…

Ron!She said, raising her eyebrow. He had seen that look too many times before to know he may be in trouble.

Sorry dear. Those freaking nitwits down there are lost without me telling them what to do. I have to get out of here sooner than later, he said. Ron went to throw the blankets off him and a sharp pain shot across his chest. He grabbed himself and flopped back down on the bed.

Ron, are you alright?

Yeah, just a bit of a pain. I’ll be fine. Cripes, I guess I will have to relax here for a few days. Can you do me a favor, though? Can you drop by the office and pick up the latest work orders? If I’m going to be sitting here, I might as well try and get some of the paperwork done. Rosy looked at him with that look that he had come to know after thirty years of marriage.

What?

"Ron, I will