Page 73 of Better Run

“Fuck!” He pats her down aggressively, looking for hidden weapons. There’s nothing.

“Did she take something?”

“There’s nothing to take. All the meds are locked up.”

We strip her of her clothes, and it’s then we discover the blood is coming from her pelvis. She fights us, then her body locks up in pain again and again.

“Some women get terrible periods. How are hers?” I hold her hair back as she dry heaves.

Jayden runs a hand through his hair. “I don’t know.”

“What do you mean you don’t know?” I snap.

“She hasn’t had one. Not a real one, anyway.”

I lock my gaze with his. We are still for a second. “How long has she been here, Jay?”

He calculates. “Fuck.” He runs his hand through his hair again and starts pacing.

We stay in silence for a little until her pained moan comes again. I grab her up and walk her to the shower, where I turn it on as hot as I can get it. I carry her in. My clothes get soaked under the spray and she curls into me. The shaking doesn’t stop. Every few minutes, she grabs at me, groaning. There’s a steady stream of red down the shower drain.

Instead of getting better, her moans start turning to screams. Jayden followed us into the bathroom.

“Something is wrong, Jay.” I can’t help the slight fear in my voice. “I don’t know what to do for this.”

He throws this phone down on the sink. “I know. It’s too much blood.”

We don’t say anything for a bit.

“I think we need to get her to the hospital.”

Jayden grimaces. He looks conflicted. I also feel torn. I don’t want to lose her. She tenses and screams again.

Finally, he nods.

CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE

Mary Jo

I’m not sure what’s going on. Pain like I’ve never felt before rips through my stomach. There are voices around me. They sound familiar, but I’m not sure why.

The fog clears for a second. I’m in a car, lying on my side. My head is on someone’s legs.

“Hurry.” The voice is familiar. Cole?

The motion of the car makes me sick. I dry heave onto the floor. I close my eyes again as another wave of pain rips into me. I let the fog take over again.

***

When I open my eyes again, I don’t recognize where I am. There’s a white wall with some kind of diagram on it. There’s a curtain hanging from the ceiling. I look around. Jayden is slumped over in a chair. I have an I.V. in my hand. My heart races, and I start to gasp for breath.

Jayden starts awake. He immediately stands and grabs my hand. “Kitten. How are you?”

My voice is hoarse. “Where am I?”

“Hospital.” He brushes some hair off my forehead. His eyes are...pained.

I remember the agonizing pain. I still feel it, but it’s muted. “What happened?”