WITHOUT TELLING ANYONE they’d gone together to look up lethal injection online at the public library.
Soon after the verdict and the sentencing of their father to death by lethal injection they’d gone—together—(a rarity in recent years for Luke had little time for his sister)—to the Mad River Junction library where there were computers available to the public; and Luke typed in the terrible words lethal injection that acquired a kind of matter-of-fact calm by being so typed into the library computer in a brightly lit space patronized by numerous others.
Dawn had difficulty reading the entry for her eyes filled with moisture. She had to read leaning over her brother’s shoulder which was awkward.
Luke read slowly, squinting and grimacing. He brought his eyes near the computer screen as if he had trouble seeing the letters. Luke had never been a good reader in school and was challenged to keep his gaze moving along a line of print and not careening off in other directions as you might do with a picture, a video game, something seen out a window.
Lethal injection was a lengthy entry in Wikipedia. They skimmed the names of the drugs of which only one—“barbiturate”—was familiar to them. Others were “potassium chloride”—“sodium thiopental”—“pancuronium bromide”—which they could not have pronounced. Dawn began to tremble reading that the execution protocol “ideally” resulted in the death of the condemned prisoner within seven to eleven minutes after the procedure was started; but sometimes there was considerable difficulty finding a vein into which to inject the chemicals and sometimes there were mistakes in the dosage since it was a set dosage for all subjects no matter their size, age, or physical condition. No doctor or medical worker would participate in an execution for “humanitarian” and “professional” reasons and so the individuals who administered the lethal drugs were prison personnel with no training.
With mounting horror Dawn read that only anesthesiologists –with an MD—were trained to administer anesthesia. It was not like putting somebody to sleep which everybody supposed.
One of the drugs injected into the bloodstream was a “paralytic” which rendered speech impossible but did not counteract pain. The anesthesia could not be guaranteed not to wear off before the heart ceased beating.
Sometimes the condemned prisoner suffered a good deal since he did not lose consciousness as planned, or regained consciousness in the midst of the protocol, which was very painful.
The longest recorded “botched” lethal injection took place over several hours during which time the condemned prisoner was frequently conscious and screaming in agony. Afterward it was revealed that the lethal drugs had been injected not into a vein but into soft tissue surrounding the vein.
The scientist who’d developed lethal injection as a “more merciful” means of execution than gas, hanging, or electrocution was quoted: “It never occurred to me that we’d have complete idiots administering the drugs.”
There was more to read but Luke deleted the website abruptly.
In an undertone he said, “Fuck.”
Dawn protested faintly, “But—the governor will commute Daddy’s sentence. Everybody thinks so.”
Luke shoved back the chair he was sitting in. His face was covered in an oily sweat.
“What ‘everybody thinks’? Bullshit.”
“What do you mean?”
“What I said, ‘D.D.’—bullshit.”
Luke uttered the name “D.D.” as if he didn’t think much of it. He was heading for the rear exit door of the library as Dawn followed after him staring at his back in disbelief.
“But—the execution was just ‘stayed.’ The lawyers have an ‘appeal.’ The governor—”
“Fuck the governor. And—just—shut up.”
Breathless and dazed Dawn followed after her brother. Before they reached the exit he turned to her glaring with wet furious eyes and shoved her, hard.
Dawn cried in surprise and hurt. “What—what’s wrong? Why—”
“I said—shut up.”
Dawn slapped at Luke’s arm, which was a mistake for Luke did more than slap her in return, punching her hard on the shoulder.
When Dawn tried to pummel him about the head with flailing fists Luke shoved her with the palms of both hands so hard she was thrown against a library table, and onto the floor.
Everyone was staring. In an instant Dawn was on the floor spread-legged, wincing at pain at the base of her spine.
One of the librarians approached them — “S-Stop! What are you doing! That isn’t allowed here . . .”
A second librarian approached. Both women were clearly frightened.
“Are you all right? Did he hurt you?”—the younger librarian asked Dawn,
Luke had already pushed out the exit door. Dawn muttered she was all right and managed to get to her feet before either of the librarians could help her.