Diamond in the Rough

Chapter 5

“Your dad’s ambulance is going to be here in two minutes.” Ella told Patrick after ending the call to the clinic. She then surveyed his form, grimacing after assessing the damage. She wondered if this guy was going to make it in school for Monday seeing how he would probably need to recover.

“Thanks…” He whispered weakly. “I’m lucky that you found me.”

Ella sighed, her grimace still intact on her face. “Dude, you know what? If you keep getting into fights like that, you might get injured so badly, you won’t be able to play anymore. Girls won’t like you anymore!”

Patrick surprised her when he suddenly chuckled, all in his smashed-face glory. “If I could just avoid fights, I’d be willing to, but fights seem to love me.” He then turned his head, with a little effort. “So how did you find me?”

Ella scoffed in response. “You’ll never believe me.”

“Try me,” He replied. “At this point, nothing would be so weird to me anymore.”

She shrugged her shoulders. “Okay.” She then looked him in the eyes and told him, “A cat actually led me into you… into this street.”

Patrick’s swollen eyes widened. “A cat?”

“Told you, you won’t believe it. A cat and his four dogs if you want me to be exact.” 

Now, even Patrick’s broken jaw had gone slack. “You’ve got to be kidding me,” was all he could say.

Ella opened her mouth to answer back when she heard some steps coming near to them. She turned her head to the direction of the alley, expecting it to be the help they were waiting for, but she was wrong. It was a tall guy she didn’t know, and he was carrying a baseball bat that he was swinging on his right hand.

“Jake,” Patrick uttered beside her, his voice suddenly hardening. Ella looked back in forth of the two men, thoroughly confused.

The ‘Jake’ guy smirked widely, baring his teeth like a hungry shark would. “Ya see, I’ve come to finish my job. If it weren’t for those police sirens earlier, I’d have maimed ya for life ya wouldn’t be able to play anymore.”

Ella’s eyes widened in alarm. This must be the guy who did this to Patrick. She cautiously inched in front of Patrick’s body on the pavement to shield him from this wannabe gangster. Unfortunately, this Jake guy saw what she was doing and his menacing eyes landed on her crouched form.

“This your girlfriend?” He asked, his eyes narrowing on her form, and then his smirk widened even more. “Isn’t it pathetic of you to be hiding behind your girlfriend, Patrick Rosales?”

Ella spoke up, her eyes trained defiantly on the guy with the bat. “Excuse me, but you’re making a mistake. I’m not his girlfriend.”

Jake shrugged his shoulders. “Whatever. I don’t care. I’m still gonna break this guy’s limbs for humiliating me last time. Ya might want to move aside if ya don’t wanna get hit too.”

It was then that Patrick piped up, telling this Jake, “Don’t include her here. Your beef is with me.” Patrick then raised his weak arm weakly, trying to push Ella aside while saying to her:

“Lemme handle this one, Ella. This isn’t your fight.”

Ella swatted his arm. “Bullshit,” she hissed down at him. “I’m already involved. We’re gonna face this together.” She refused to bulge from her place and continued to stare up at the guy.

“Hey, if you want to hit Patrick, you’ll have to hit me first,” she told him. All the while, Patrick was protesting and trying to get up, though his efforts were in vain.

The Jake guy snorted in disgust while looking down at them. “Damn. This is some gay romance bullshit.” He then bared his teeth, this time, his evil intent more obvious. “I’d love to c***k your skulls both.”

He then got his baseball bat and posed in a striking stance. Ella sat ready, never blinking her eyes, thinking of a way to dodge the bat once it came near to her and possibly take it from this guy. It sounded impossible as she was obviously weaker, but she would have to try. Behind her, Patrick was yelling while trying to push her aside.

Then Jake swung the bat.

Ella, for all her plan to not blink, couldn’t help flinching and closing her eyes, readying for the strike.

But the strike never came. 

Ella’s eyes suddenly opened because she heard Jake yelping loudly. The bat was on the pavement near Patrick’s feet. Meanwhile, on Jake’s arm up on the air, there was a dog hanging by its mouth. It was Skipper.

For a few moments, Ella sat there while Jake was dancing nervously as more dogs came up to bit his ass, literally. It was Rico doing that. Kowalski was doing the same thing on his legs, tearing up the slacks and baring Jake’s bleeding legs. Ella looked back at Patrick who was silently transfixed at the scene too.

She turned her eyes back to the yelling Jake, just in time he was able to kick Kowalski away and throw Skipper away from his arm. But Rico, the one with the Dalmatian-like pattern, turned to chase him, and Jake tried to run to the exit of the alley, but suddenly stopped when an angrily growling dog appeared. It was Private, the smallest but fiercest one. As Private advanced, Jake took a step back, regretting it when Rico reattached his teeth into his butt, earning another girly scream from the “tough” guy.

Ella, who forgot her fear, laughed out loud, thoroughly amused at her amazing dog pack. They lived up to their names. Jake turned to look at her with so much hatred on his face.

“f**k it! I ain’t afraid of some mangy dogs!” Jake yelled and then tried to pull Rico away from him, even though he was already bleeding. Private by then had already attached his teeth on his torn leg.

“f**k you, Jake! They’re cleaner than you are! I’d know ‘coz I took care of them!” She screamed. Ella then remembered the baseball bat and crawled to get it. She then stood up and held it defensively. 

Jake stopped what he was doing even while he was being bitten and looked at her. “Ya think that just because ya had some help, ya’ll gonna defeat me?”

“I know how to use a baseball bat, fucker. I won’t hesitate to use it against you,” she replied.

Jake then suddenly seemed to have gotten some recharge because he kicked the dogs away from him like they were nothing and advanced into her, his expression so grim that it honestly frightened Ella. It seemed like this guy was now fully consumed by anger and he was going to kill if he wanted to.

Ella unconsciously took a step back, as she tightened her grip on the bat. She really didn’t want to hurt someone because it could cause trouble  to her records or even might get her suspended for being in a fight, but this was a life and death situation. She could hear Patrick screaming on the background, seemingly cheering her on.

Jake continued to walked towards her slowly, while Ella was also readying her strike if needed be. He was so near to her when suddenly, something fell on top of his head.

It was a blur of gray as Ella stood stumped for the nth time today as she saw The Dude shredding Jake’s face with his sharp claws. Gray fur and human hair flew up in the air as The Dude relentlessly hang on by Jake’s head, even as he was trying to get the big tom cat off him. With much effort, he was able to throw The Dude away, which caused him to stumble down to the ground, his face bleeding with all cuts caused by claws and teeth.

On the ground, unscathed, was The Dude, growling and hissing the way cats did. Ella wanted to feel sorry for the guy. However, with the pack’s leader in sight, the dogs all got up to surround Jake’s prone form. Now, the tough guy finally looked frightened as four dogs that were growling and baring their fangs and a big tom looked ready to feast into him.

That was the moment that Ella decided that this was enough. People could actually die by a mauling of dogs, and she didn’t want things to go that far. She lowered the bat, but continued to hold it tight, and called on to the dogs. The dogs heard her whistle and looked into her direction.

Ella crouched down to the ground and called the dogs to her side, trying to divert their attention to her and away from Jake. Patrick was also looking at her with wide eyes. He was now lying on his side. 

“Come on, doggies. That guy’s not worth it.” With her one hand, she fished out the doggy treat that she always carried on pockets and dangled it in front. Dogs went crazy even from just hearing the sound of the wrapper. 

“Come on.” She continued to whistle until finally, the dogs went to her. Ella put down the bat while keeping her eyes trained on Jake to open the wrapper and drop the food on the ground. The Dude also went to join the pack. When the dogs were finally eating, she grabbed the bat and stood up to go to Jake, who was lying on the ground, panting and bleeding.

She looked down at him and had to shake her head. He was mauled, but not quite badly. He’d live. “Jake, if you could stand up, it would be better if you go away now, probably go to the hospital to get rabies shots. Those dogs are occupied for now, but I swear, if you tried something funny, I could get them to chase you again.”

Hearing that, Jake’s eyes widened, this time in fear, and he suddenly got up shakily. “f**k it. I ain’t dying of some dog bites. I’m outta here!” He tried to walk, but fell on the ground.

Ella sighed. “Fine, let’s just wait for Patrick’s dad. He’d probably patch you up even though you tried to kill his son.”

Now, there were two injured guys on this smelly alley. Ella leaned on the bat, physically and emotionally drained. There was nothing to do but wait.

The rescue ambulance arrived not long after. Ella had to explain briefly what happened to the now two badly-injured people on the pavement. Strangely, the older man who was in scrubs (whom she assumed as Patrick’s dad) did not even express surprise. He must have been so used to picking up after his son’s mess that it was nothing new to him.

With the help of two other guys in scrubs that Ella surmised as the nursing assistants. They loaded the two men inside the ambulance. There was only one ambulance, but somehow, they have managed to squeeze the two patients inside the best way they could. By then, both guys were unconscious.

Ella stood silently watching as they finished loading up the patients when she saw Patrick’s dad approaching her.

“Hello, young lady? The doctor greeted her as he came up to her. “Were you the good Samaritan who called to help my son?”

Ella nodded. “Yes, Sir. I found him here because my cat ran into this street and accidentally led me here.” She decided to change some details to make her story simpler as anyone would find it hard to believe the real story anyway.

“Is that so?” The doctor grinned. “My son’s a lucky bastard then.”

“I guess so, Sir, considering that I found him before Jake did. If I didn’t, I fear he would be in worse shape.” Ella grimaced as she imagined that Jake could have seriously hurt Patrick. No one deserved that, even if he was an arrogant jerk.

Patrick’s dad then suddenly had a curious glint in his eyes. “Do you know my son personally?”

Ella blinked her eyes at the doctor and then nodded slowly. “Yes, Sir. We’re classmates actually.”

The doctor then clapped his hands suddenly, as if pleased at what he had heard. “Oh, that’s why you're so nice to my son. I’m pleased to meet you.” 

He held his hand out to her which she hesitantly shook. He shook her hand vigorously. Patrick's dad then asked, “Is it okay if we take your time for a bit to accompany us to the clinic? We might need your statement if ever we call the police.”

Ella agreed right away. It wasn’t as if anyone would look for her anyway.

Instead of going back to the clinic, they went straight to the hospital once Patrick’s dad was informed by one of the nursing assistants there with the patients behind them that they would need a CT scan for Patrick, and it turned out that they didn’t have that in their clinic. At the hospital, they had called Jake’s parents and the police too. Ella sat quietly through the chaos, trying to make herself invisible so as not to bother anyone. However, when the police arrived, she had to give her statements.

Patrick’s dad and the two men who assisted them earlier who she found out were Patrick’s brothers there listened to her story, wide-eyed the whole time. After the interview with the police, she stayed around for news about Patrick’s situation. They were informed that Patrick’s concussion was just mild, but he had to stay in the hospital for observation. 

On the other hand, Jake’s parents arrived. It turned out that his parents were related to the mayor of their city. That was why Jake was so arrogant and didn’t seem afraid of any consequences, Ella realized. They immediately took out Jake from the public hospital and transferred him to a private one in another city. She saw Patrick’s dad talking to them, probably making agreements regarding the incident that both boys were involved with.

When everything was finished, it was already 10 in the evening. Ella texted her aunt earlier, during dinner time, that she would come home late because there was an emergency in the animal rescue center where she volunteered. That happened a lot of times before so her aunt merely replied “Okay” and didn’t question her anymore.

She stood up from the visitor’s lounge and went inside Patrick’s hospital room to tell his dad that she was going home. Inside, Patrick was sleeping on the patient’s bed while his family seemed to be in a serious mood. When they noticed her, they gestured for her to come close.

Ella managed a small smile before she told them of her problem. “Uhmm, Doc Rosales, I have to go home now. I have a job early tomorrow. I hope Patrick makes a fast recovery.”

Patrick’s dad’s eyes widened. “Oh. Is that so? I’m sorry for taking up your time. You’ve been a big help. Let me or one of my sons take you home.”

Ella shook her head. “Oh, there’s no need, Doc Rosales. I’d be fine on my own.” She was not used to people doing her favors.

Patrick’s dad shook his head. “No. That I won’t allow, especially for a young lady like you at this time of the night.” He then turned towards the tallest guy, Patrick’s brother, who was sitting quietly with a bored look on his face, listening to music on his phone and gestured for him. The brother took off his earphones and went towards them.

“Please take Ms. Ella home. That’s the least we could do for her troubles.” The doctor told his son.

The tall guy looked down at her and a lazy smile appeared on his face. “Alright, dad.” He then nodded at Ella, saying, “Let’s go,” before walking towards the door. 

Ella had no choice but to follow.