Page 4

Smoke

Wrapping my fingers around the neck of the deadbeat mother in front of me did nothing to ease the waves of anger rising inside of me. Choking her would be too quick of a death. I wanted her to fucking suffer. She’d hurt my baby—my fucking baby—and that wasn’t acceptable.

“Smoke, let her go. Ashley needs you,” Bash said from beside me.

“She’ll never hurt her again,” I said through my clenched teeth.

Diamond, Ash’s mother, clawed at my fingers. I got far too much satisfaction in seeing the panic in her eyes. Panic like she’d caused my baby to feel.

“Smoke, if you kill her like this, you can’t help Ashley. Think about it, man. You’re the only constant she has in her life,” Bash reasoned.

Fuck, he was right. No matter how badly I wanted to be the last thing Diamond saw when she took her last undeserving breath, I couldn’t do it like this.

“Go get your girl. I’ll take over,” Bash said.

I released her neck but not before slamming her head into the wall. “This isn’t over,” I spat.

Letting Bash take over, I turned and dropped to my knees by Ash.

“Hey, baby. I’m here. I’m here. Everything is okay,” I soothed.

“I came in on the tail end of her being hit with one of those metal chairs,” Kay said. I’d asked Bash to call her, hoping she’d be able to beat us to Rolling in Dough since she lived on the same side of town.

“I’m going to fucking kill her,” I promised Kay, before turning my attention back to Ashley. “Baby, can you hear me?”

Her eyes lifted to mine before she rested her head back on the floor.

“Fuck, she just passed out!” I yelled. “Someone call 911!” Checking her for injuries was almost impossible due to her position.

“The police are coming and so are the medics!” another employee yelled as they rushed forward with a first-aid kit. They tossed the kit on the floor, opened a small packet, and stuck it under her nose.

Ashley groaned as she came to. Thank fuck.

“Smelling salts,” the woman said before sitting on her ass on the other side of Ashley.

“I want to get up,” Ashley said, moving a bit.

“Hey, baby, stay still for us, okay?”

“Yeah, you don’t want to move too much, okay? We need to see how hurt you are first. Let’s think about something happy,” the woman said.

“Happy?” Ashley echoed, trying to rub one of her ears. “Loud,” she said.

“Yeah, like what you’re going to do when you get back home. Do you have any hobbies you like?”

“I-I like to make things. I just got a new bracelet kit.”

“Oh! What color bracelet are you going to make first?”

“P-pink. It’s for my friend, Eloise.”

“Oh, I love Eloise. Her Daddy does my tattoos and we play together sometimes at The Thirsty Turtle.”

Ah, that explained a lot. Thinking about it, I remembered the woman’s name was Lennon.

“I want to visit. Eloise says they have play parties,” Ash said, closing her eyes again.

“Hey, baby, keep those pretty hazel eyes open for me, okay?” I encouraged, trying to keep her awake.

“Head hurts,” she said, “and my ears are ringing.”

“I know you hurt, baby. I’m so sorry.”

“If you go to sleep, I’m going to have to get the yucky smelling salt again, and you don’t want that, do you?”

“Nooo,” Ashley moaned.

“Kay, can you call Elliot and ask if he can meet us at the hospital?” I whispered, not wanting to disrupt the distraction.

“On it,” she replied, rushing off to do as I asked.

“Dawson?”

“Hey, baby, I’m right here.” I put my hand on her upper arm gently.

“I’m so sorry,” she said. Tears made tracks through the blood streaked across her face.

“Hey, you didn’t cause any of this. None of this is your fault, baby.”

“She came looking for me. I should have just given her the money.”

More rage built inside of me.

“No, baby, you shouldn’t have. It’s your money. Your granna wanted you to have it. Diamond is just a greedy bitch. Nobody thinks this is your fault.”

“Fuck you, you—” Diamond was silenced by Bash; I didn’t bother looking back to see how.

“She’s still here?” Ashley cried in disbelief.

“Shhhh, it’s okay, baby. She is still here, but so am I, and Bash, and Kay, and even Lennon. So many people are here who care about you. You’re safe.”

“Yeah, we’re not going to let that old hag do anything else to you,” Lennon promised.

“The police are here!” someone yelled from the back.

“Hear that, baby? Soon we can get you out of here,” I promised.

Sirens filled the silence of the lobby. “That’s your ride, kiddo,” Lennon said, trying to lighten the situation. I made a mental note to call Blade and make sure she got free sessions for the rest of her life. Gratitude filled my heart at her kindness.

“Have you ever ridden in an ambulance before?” Lennon asked.

“Elliot is going to meet you there,” Kay whispered, coming back to kneel beside me. “The medics are coming in the back now.”

“One time, but I don’t remember much of it,” Ashley answered. I shuddered at the mention of her first ambulance ride after the explosion. I’d always been worried she’d been terrified and that it haunted her. I was glad to know she didn’t remember it.

“Well, let’s make sure you remember this one,” Lennon said, reaching into her pocket. “This is my favorite stuffie. He’s a miniature koala named Larry. You can hold him to help you on the ride. He’s a good doctor. He has alla the right koalafications.”

Ashley smiled at her silly joke and closed her fingers around the tiny bear. “Thank you.”

The medics followed another employee in and knelt down beside Ashley.

“Thank you, Lennon,” I told her. “You really helped us today.” I turned to look at Kay.

“Can you help her get home?” I asked, not expressing my concerns over what she’d seen.

Shock could hit her once she got home. I knew Kay would understand.

“You got it,” she whispered, taking Lennon’s hand and helping her stand.

***

Ashley

“No,” I said, shaking my head despite the pain it brought.

“Honey, we really need to get a better IV started. I promise it will make you feel so much better,” the older nurse said. I understood, but I wasn’t letting them do anything to me until I could see Dawson. The paramedics let him ride in the ambulance with me, but I hadn’t seen him since then.

“No. I want my brother.”

“He’s not allowed back here, sweetie. I’m sorry, but it’s the rules.”

“Then I want to go home. Please bring me paperwork to sign so I can be discharged.”

“That is absolutely not happening, Little one. Smoke would beat us both,” an older doctor said as he walked into the room.

He had dark hair, skin that looked freshly tanned, and enormous muscles.

He wore a silver wedding band on his left hand and his right hand.

How odd. “I’m Dr. Elliot and I’m going to be checking you over tonight,” he said.

“I want Smoke,” I told him, my voice breaking.

“I know, Little one. I’ve sent my nurse to go get him, okay?”

“You did?”

“I did. It’s not going to do any good to treat you when you’re so scared. If having him here will help you feel calm, then I’m all for bringing him back,” he said, sitting on my bed and looking over the IV site the paramedics had placed.

“She said it wasn’t allowed.” I nodded my head toward the other nurse.

They both chuckled. “He owns part of the hospital, darling. He has a lot more pull than I do.”

“Hey, sweet girl,” Dawson said, walking into the room and sitting on the opposite side of me. He placed his hand on my foot since one arm was wrapped in a loose brace and Elliot was holding the other.

I already felt myself calming as I breathed in his comforting scent—cedarwood and smoke.

“That’s a good girl, just relax for us,” Dr. Elliot said, standing. “Let’s try and get that new IV now.”

***

Ouchie!”

“Dammit, Elliot,” Dawson growled.

“Don’t yell at him, he’s doing his best,” I scolded even though it felt like a blow torch was being held to my face.

Dr. Elliot was trying to use glue to secure a gash in my face, close to my eye.

So far I had a concussion, a deep laceration, a broken radius, and we were waiting for a machine to be free to check for any brain bleeds.

It had not been a super fun night. Thankfully some pain meds had at least made it where I didn’t think I was dying anymore.

“And she just showed up at the shop, with no warning?” the police officer asked, still writing things down. He’d been talking with us for a long time.

“Yeah, Smoke. I’m doing my best,” Dr. Elliot mocked, ignoring the officer.

A loud smack filled the room. “Did you just hit him?” I asked Dawson incredulously.

“I did,” Dawson admitted.

“He did,” Dr. Elliot grumbled.

“Be nice to him!” I scolded. I couldn't take Dawson getting in trouble tonight too.

“Please be nice to him,” the police officer agreed, looking up from his clipboard. “I have enough paperwork as it is.”

“Is she going to jail?” I asked, referring to my mom. I’d been too scared to ask at first, but the more my mind cleared, I realized how much better it would be for everyone if she was there.

“She is, for a long while,” he answered. “Not only did she attack you, she destroyed private property, was under the influence, and assaulted an officer. You’re safe now, honey.”

I nodded.

“She’s not ever going to bother you again, baby,” Dawson promised.

He met my eye and his gaze was so intense, I felt chillbumps.

Between the way he was looking at me and the power of his words, I knew he was one hundred percent confident in his ability to keep his promise and I believed him when he sworeI’d be safe.

***

“It’s really loud,” I said into the microphone Dr. Elliot had given me.

I had been placed in a tube-like machine and I hated it.

It was small and loud and I’d had to take off my clothes to go inside.

I was nakey, cold, and ouchie. Okay, I wasn’t really naked.

I had on a thin hospital gown, but I still felt very bothered by the whole situation.

“I know, Little one, but we’re almost done and you’re being so brave,” Dawson told me through the speaker.

“I’m not a Little,” I argued for some unknown reason, maybe just to have something to say. Chuckles echoed through the speakers and I knew they weren’t just Dawson’s.

“Okay, baby. Are you holding onto Larry super tight? The noise might scare him.”

“Yes, I have him. He’s not scared. He’s a brave koala.” My heart hammered in my chest. I was not a brave koala.

A loud beeping sound startled me and the machine started to move me backward.

“All done, baby. You were so brave,” Dawson said into the speaker.

Dr. Elliot and another doctor helped me sit up and then helped me move into a wheelchair. Dr. Elliot covered my bare legs with a sheet, but not before I saw the bruises on them. Mom didn’t even hit my legs and they were bruised, probably from falling forward. I wondered how bad my face looked.

Dawson met me outside the MRI room and knelt in front of me. “You did it, I’m so proud of you. I know that was scary.”

Smiling at him, I took his hand as Dr. Elliot wheeled me back to my room. I didn’t feel brave, but I allowed his praise to wrap around me like a hug from a friend I hadn’t seen in a while.

***

Big sobs shook my sore body, only serving to make me cry more.

“Shhh, you’re going to hurt yourself, baby,” Dawson soothed, rubbing my back.

“I wanna go hom… to your house,” I cried, clearly not taking the news of being admitted for observation very well. I didn’t want to stay overnight at the hospital.

“Let the rail down,” Dawson ordered.

“You need to say p-please,” I sobbed.

“Please let the fucking rail down, Elliot.”

Elliot did as he asked and Dawson’s warmth surrounded me as he picked me up from the bed.

One of his large arms scooped up my legs while the other supported my back.

He took a few steps backward and settled into a big chair before adjusting me in his lap.

I was too tired to protest. It felt like we’d been at the hospital for hours.

I just wanted to go home, cuddle my babydoll, and suck my thumb in peace.

“I know you didn’t want to stay here, baby, but it’s what’s best for you right now. Just one night and we can go back home, ” he said, emphasizing the word home, letting me know it was mine too.

“I w-want to g-g home!” I cried.

Elliot gave me more medication though my IV and before I could even ask what it was, I felt much calmer.

“That’s just a little bit more medicine to help you relax, honey,” he explained.

My body shook with big sobs and I felt guilty for being so emotional.

Dawson didn’t sign up for this when he’d asked me to come live with him but before I could even get myself together and apologize, Dawson started to hum.

His chest vibrated with each note and slowly I started to relax against him.