COMPASSION
Chapter 6
THE MORTICIAN’S OATH
The black hearse pulls to the rear of Manion's Funeral Home and Ed and Mr. Spiceman move Catherine out of the hearse and down to the lower level Embalming Room entrance in the basement of the home.
"Ed I will take it from here. I know you have you have to get the cars washed.
"Thanks, Bob. I will get started on them." Ed tips his hat and heads for the garage.
“Ed!”
“Yes, Bob?”
“Do you have any beer in the garage?”
“Why do you ask?” Ed scratches his head and looks confused.
“For some reason, I am a little nervous today. I thought it would calm me down.”
“I have never seen you take a drink in your life, Bob...Are you having problems at home?”
“No nothing like that. Forget I asked.”
“Well you know Mr. Manion keeps a bottle of whiskey in the right cabinet in the embalming room.”
“All right Ed I will catch up with you later.” Mr.Spiceman turns toward the doors of the embalming room and he looks up at the plaque over the double doors. He reads it silently.
MORTICIAN’S OATH
I do solemnly affirm by that which I hold most sacred
That I shall be loyal to the funeral profession and
Just and generous to its members;
That I shall lead my life, and practice my art
In uprightness and honor;
That into whatever house I enter, it shall be for the benefit
of those bereaved;
That I shall obey the civil laws;
That I shall hold inviolate all professional confidences; and
That I shall be faithful to those who place their trust in me
While I continue to keep this oath, may it be granted unto me to enjoy honor,
my life and in my profession, and may I be respected by all men for all times.
Mr. Spiceman pushes the gurney through the preparation doors and into the embalming room.
“Well, Catherine it’s time for your embalming. I haven’t done this in quite some time but with your help, we will get through this together... But first I need a smoke.”
Tom looks around the room and finds a pack of Pall Mall cigarettes in the desk drawer. He lights up and takes a deep breath and looks at his wife, “I am going to move you to the preparation table now and take your clothes off. I will keep you informed every step of the way so there are no surprises.”
Tom inside his host removes Catherine’s clothes and takes germicidal soap and washes her body from head to toe still smoking his cigarette.
“Would you like some music? I will turn the radio on.” The music plays in the background as Tom wipes the body dry. He walks toward the cabinet and takes out the bottle of whiskey and pours himself a drink to steady his nerves. Tom finishes his small drink and now pours half the bottle into a 16-ounce glass. He lifts the glass and downs its contents. He turns off the radio and picks up a music tape and looks at it.
Tom reads the label,” Trance music by Nadia Ali. He inserts the tape in the player and the Trance Music fills the room.
Tom opens the Morticians Book to refresh his memory on the next step in the embalmment process.
Tom pours himself another drink and stumbles as he approaches his wife.
“I need to aspirate your body. I have to remove all the blood and gases from your entire body before I can put embalming fluid in you.” He holds up an eight-inch long stainless steel tube attaches it to the aspiration hose.
“This is called a Trocar...it is used to pull blood out of the body
and once removed the Trocar injects the embalming fluid into you. It will not hurt.”
Tom makes an incision into Catherine’s neck to remove the arterial fluid. Then he moves to her chest and finally to her abdomen carefully removing the blood from her body by allowing the Hydro Aspirator to do its job.
Tom steps back and pours another drink. “Catherine...Catherine,” Tom slurs his words, “We are going to put the cavity fluid in you now...It's thirty per cent formaldehyde.
Nothing but the best for my wife.” He starts the embalming machine and the pink liquid flows into Catherine’s gray ashen body. Minutes pass and the fluid pours in giving the body a more pinkish lifelike appearance. Tom shuts the machine and seals the incisions so no fluid leaks out. Tom stands back and starts to admire his work.
“My lovely wife...I must say you look much better. I think you are the best job I have ever done. Do you mind if I do your make up now?” Tom starts to apply lipstick and cosmetics to Catherine. He covers her body with a sheet and goes to change the radio to a different station when Ed walks into the preparation room.
“Bob, how is everything going?” Ed asks. “Now you are smoking?”
“I feel like a different person today.” Mr. Spiceman shakes his head to clear his thoughts and speech.
Ed totally surprised at his friend's new habits says, “I have never seen you smoke. You are a totally different person today. If you need to talk to someone I am here for you. I will be in the garage if you want to talk.”
Bob puts his hand on Ed’ s shoulder and thanks him, “Ed I really appreciate your concern. I am just having a strange day. I will be okay.
Ed looks at Mrs. Havard, “Well Bob you have done a great job with her. She looks twenty years younger.” Ed smells whiskey on Bob’s breadth. He doesn’t say anything.
“Thanks, Ed...I just hope the Family appreciates the job we are doing.”
Both men turn from the body and you can see Catherine move under the sheet.
Ed leaves and Mr. Spiceman opens the cabinet door and takes out a bag of funeral wax. He opens the bag and places it in a bowl. He reaches into the cabinet again and removes a box of white powder and pours it in the wax. He mixes the wax with the powder and turns to his wife.
Catherine, I will make a Death Mask of your face so I can hang it on my wall. When I look at it I will always remember this day.” Tom approaches his wife and spreads the mixture on her face.
“This won’t take long to harden and conform to your face.” Tom turns away and is moved by the Trance Music’s relentless Beat. He hears a noise behind him and turns to see Catherine sitting up on the prep table. The sheet covering Catherine’s naked body has fallen exposing her breasts. She pulls the sheet up covering her body and stands up from the table.
Tom looks at his wife and feels a tremendous erotic feeling coming on. He hasn’t felt desire and passion since he died. He stares at her movement and is mesmerized by her dark beautiful appearance. The mask has turned porcelain white.
Catherine’s corpse speaks to her husband, “Tom I know you are inside Mr. Spiceman. I need you now more than ever. I have waited for you for thirty-three years. Please come to me now. Make me feel like a woman one last time...make love to me!”
Tom still possessing Mr. Spiceman’s body stands frozen not sure if he is dreaming or hallucinating. He is drawn by an irresistible force toward Catherine. She is starting to look younger and younger the closer he moves toward her.
Catherine is slowly changing into a much younger version of herself when she first met Tom. Her hair loses its gray and brown appearance into Soft Auburn Hair down to her shoulders. Her beautiful face is flush and pink and her lips are Ruby Red and inviting.
“God wants us to make love one final time so we can remember this for all eternity. Please, Tom hold me.” Catherine gets off the table and lets go of the sheet covering her naked body.
Tom cannot resist her powers of seduction and removes Mr. Spiceman’s clothes and approaches his wife. He gently embraces her and whispers into her ear. He slowly lays her on the table and lies next to her.
Tom starts to remove her mask but Catherine pushes his hands away.
Tom protests, "Let me remove your mask so I can kiss you!"
Catherine screams, “Your going to do more the just kiss me! PLEASE...YES...YES...I need your tongue and lips on me one last time LOVER! Taste me, smell me devour me! I don't want you to make Love to Me I want you to suck my Piss Hole! Then I want you to eat my shit!”
“God, you smell great...I can’t wait to be inside you...your body is beautiful and I have waited so long to feel every inch of you.”
Catherine grabs her Lovers penis and guides it deep into her and screams again, “Oh God finally the only man to give me pleasure and pain all at once...Tom make me scream so the Devil himself can hear me!”
The two lovers become one as Tom thrusts deep inside the woman he loves. The Trance Beat is louder and louder in the room and increases with every thrust. Tom cries out in ecstasy then falls into his wife's arms.
Suddenly the lights go out in the prep room and Tom looks into Catherine’s face.
When they come back on Catherine removes the Death Mask. Lilith comes out of Catherine’s corpse and looks at Tom.
“Mr. Havard please forgive me for not introducing myself. I met you at your Wife's kitchen table. My name is Lilith and I am the Mother of the Man you met at Walter Reed Hospital after you died. Well, I see you are not above Necrophilia Mr. Havard. You know sexual penetration of a corpse is a felony in this state. I should report you to the police. You are also exposing this poor man to the unhealthy bacteria in your wife’s pussy. I hope he does not catch an STD from her. I have to go now...have fun Fucking your wife...I know I did!”
Lilith slides out of the corpse totally naked and bends over to pick up her Burgundy Robe. She puts her robe on and mocks Ton one more time, "I think you just broke your Oath!"
She vanishes leaving a naked and drunk Mr. Spiceman looking confused and bewildered sitting on the floor.
Tom Havard steps out of his host and can’t believe what he has just done and witnessed.
"My God...what have I done? I have to get out of here and sober up.
I have to find Catherine. I am sorry Mr. Spiceman but I have to go.”
Tom exists Mr. Spiceman's body leaves a dazed and confused Mr. Spiceman sprawled on the floor. He walks over to Catherine and covers her body with a white sheet. He picks up the Death Mask from the table and leaves the embalming room.
Mr. Spiceman visibly drunk struggles to stand up rushes over to his clothes piled on the floor and quickly dresses before anyone enters the Embalming Room.
