Page 15

Jessikah

Tina and I stand quietly, listening to the sounds and wondering what the hell is taking place below as a bald head appears, then the face of a man with the bluest eyes I have ever seen shows up at the window.

I point my wood at him, shaking my head.

The words aren’t forming, but I know I will no longer allow for Tina and me to be brutalized.

He holds up a phone and points at it, before he places it against the window.

My name is Rough. I am here with the Royal Bastards. Brownie is holding the ladder. We are going to get you out the window and to safety.

I nod and look at Tina who seems skeptical, but relieved. The window opens as wide as the man Rough can force it.

“Who’s hurt? Which one of you is Jessikah?” he asks, looking us both up and down. We both have bruises and cuts all over our faces. Tina’s left eye is swollen shut, my right eye is swollen and that is just what they can see without taking off our clothing.

“Take Tina first,” I say, pushing her toward the window and turning my back to make sure we are protected from anyone who comes in the room.

“I was supposed to grab a Jessikah first,” he mumbles, as I back up so my back hits Tina’s.

“Jess, maybe you should go first,” she whispers.

“I don’t give a flying fuck who he was supposed to take first. You take Tina and you make sure she gets to a hospital,” I demand, watching Rough nod, and then instructs Tina to slowly climb out the window.

No sooner than I lose sight of them, the door to the room busts open.

***

Lynx

We rush in from the front and back, taking out anything that moves. Liquid points to a man up the stairs.

“Run little rat,” I shout, following him up the stairs.

He enters a room where he starts shouting.

Then things slow. Entering the room I see Jessikah and the slime ball fighting.

She is fighting with determination. I look down and see something between her and the man.

She is shouting and pushing forward. If I shoot, I will hit her.

She falls backwards, the man landing on top of her, screaming until suddenly the room goes quiet.

***

Jessikah

I watch my ex-husband storm in. “Bitch, you don’t get to fucking leave.” He points a gun at me, stomping closer.

“I should have had you killed a long time ago,” he states, dropping the gun to his side and smirking at me.

“Now, I am going to take you one last time, before I put a bullet between your eyes.” He steps closer, grabs my hair and begins to pull me closer.

Just as he steps into me, I raise the broken piece of wood and aim for his pecker.

“You don’t get to abuse me anymore,” I state, pushing the object into him. He stops for a brief second, lets go of my hair and reaches for the wood, while bringing his other hand up and aiming the gun at me.

“I will haunt every aspect of your psyche. Making you pray for death,” he says, an evil smile touching his lips.

I lean into him, pushing the pointed end in deeper.

His mouth hangs open as the wood starts to push through the material and into his skin.

I make sure to place all my weight on the wood.

He was always a stubborn man. His motto was I don’t back down from anyone.

He goes to step back, and I reach my injured arm out. Pain be damned, I want this man dead.

He falls to the floor, me following him. The wood impales both of us, but I don’t scream. I avenged my friend and the death of her husband.

“Rot in hell, motherfucker,” are the last words I get out. As the dark begins to takes over, I notice another man in the room, before I make out who it is, I pass out.

***

Lynx

Throwing my gun to the ground, I make my way to move the man off Jessikah. She has to be okay.

Leaning over her, I feel a faint breath against my cheek. Using my fingers I locate her pulse, faintly in her neck.

“Call nine-one-one, “ I shout at Rough standing just inside the window. I lean down to pick her up and stop when Liquid walks in and tells me to stop. Making me aware that we don't fully know the extent of her injuries.

It doesn't take long before the police and emergency services have the neighborhood it up.

“Lynx, what happened here?” the chief asks.

“I'll answer any questions you have, after I figure out if my old lady is going to make it.” I grumble, walking toward to old man who is waiting in his car.

The police showed up, but not before Liquid had the bodies of the men responsible moved from this death trap.

When I climb into the front seat Liquid states, “They will be Trillium food. Slick and Brownie moved the bodies to the flower garden and the prospects are digging six feet and planting plenty of Trilliums—the official flower of Ontario. Nothing like pieces of shit to grow a beautiful garden.”

I nod, closing my eyes and praying Jessikah makes it. Will she be okay, probably not for a very long time, but I am a patient man. I'll show her love, protection and support.

***

Jessikah

So cold, so fucking cold. Why is it so cold in heaven?

“We have her in an induced coma. We need to allow her brain to heal on its own,” a voice says, as a wave of coldness takes over my body.

Tired, so tired. Must sleep.

***

The next time I come into a semiconscious state, the beeping of the machine sounds like nails on the chalkboard making my head hurt more. I need to sleep but it’s so hot in here.

It’s getting hard to breathe, but the lights are so pretty. I want to follow where they go, but it’s so hard to move my legs and arms.

The beeping speeds up as I try to move. But then it feels like the entire room is shaking. We are having an earthquake.

The beeping is speeding up and the sound needs to stop.

God, I am so tired. Shouldn’t death be quieter?

***

“She had a second seizure about thirty minutes ago. Her brain needs to heal in order for her to get better,” the voice says.

“Is there anything we can do?” a more feminine voice asks.

“If you pray, then pray. If you light candles, light candles. The only thing that will help Miss. Gorman is time and patience,” the first voice answers.

“How is the other lady we brought in?” the feminine voice asks.

“Mrs. Wellman is in stable condition. Her bones have all been set, and the cuts have all been cleaned and the ones that needed to be stitched have been. She has been slowly removed from the sedation. Mr. Black hasn’t left her side and has maintained a regiment of reading books to her and talking to her.

She should be coming to within the next few days. ”

“Why hasn’t Jessikah healed enough to be brought out of sedation?” a deep male voice asks.

“That, Mr. Gallant, I couldn’t tell you. It could be that she has more trauma to overcome. It could be her brain suffered more mental trauma, or she just needs more time to heal—mentally and physically.”

“Okay, Dr. Peterman.”

“Talking to her will help. Patients who have woken after being in comas, tell us though while unable to respond from what they call ‘a void’, they were aware of things happening around them.”

The swish of the door opening, followed by a moment of silence.

“Why aren’t you talking to her?”

“Crowne, shut it.”

“Paul, come on. Brownie has been speaking to Tina, he has been reading to her, and he describes the TV show he is watching. You sit here like you are in a library.”

“I don’t know what to fucking say, okay. I don’t know how to talk to someone who isn’t going to talk back.”

“Bullshit, you talk to the table after a drunken night fest, when no one is paying attention like a teacher in a grade twelve classroom.”

“How do I apologize for what happened? It’s my fault she is in here. I failed keeping her safe.”

“No, you dumbass. The only person’s fault for her being in here is the one she killed.

Or at least had a hand in killing. Rough was the one who jumped through the window and put a bullet in his head for good measure.

Which I’ll just say was too humane for the asshole.

If it had been me, I’d have made him suffer a little before taking him out. ”

“Crowne, you’re scary sometimes.”

“Guess I’ll have to do better if it is only sometimes.” A soft female chuckle follows.

The room falls silent before the swish of the door sounds, and then quietness follows once again. I can finally get some much-needed sleep.