19. Explanation
1870 Words
Cold… heat… burning fever, ice cold water… images too confused to make sense… cold, so cold… someone was shouting, but I couldn’t understand… I wanted to die, I was so cold. I didn’t want to feel anymore, with feelings came pain… I didn’t want to suffer anymore, I didn’t want to feel any more pain… not now not ever. I pleaded to whatever gods in whatever pantheon were listening to drag me back into the nothingness. At least in there, there was no sorrow, no pain, no nothing.
Sleep. Dense black clouds were engulfing me, dragging me down. There was so much pain, so much suffering... the emptiness, the void... they were blessings that I joyfully embraced.
From the dark void into the pristine white. I opened my eyes to face a world of white. White walls, white bedding, white machines that bipped at regular times... I tried to open my eyes, but they seemed to have lead. I moaned softly and felt someone picking up my hand. Gentle lips touched my forehead
"Alex...?"
"Here, princess. Gramps is here too. Outside, in the waiting room."
"Where...?"
"Hospital."
"How...?"
"There will be time, princess... You're safe... Sleep..."
The black pool of exhaustion was pulling me down and I embraced it.
When I woke up again, I was still tired but I felt no pain. I was... detached. No pain, no feelings, no nothing. I saw Herbie briefly, but Alexander was the only one with me every time I woke up. I tried to speak, but my throat was sore and I had no voice. It appeared I had suffered some lesions in my throat that would take some time to repair.
They all come to see me. Mary, Mac... even Bernice and her husband, although I didn't retain much of their conversation. The townies of Paradise Mountain, those that dealt with me on a regular basis, they all came to see me. They brought flowers, baloons, cards... when Thomas had put me in the hospital, he was my only visit, and only to threaten me with Hell's fire if I thought in opening my mouth to spread lies about him. The people of Paradise Mountains considered me one of them and that alone brought tears to my eyes. I had never felt so loved. For once, I had someone who truly cared about me.
Alexandre brought me home when I was released from the hospital. We had yet to speak about what had happened. He was always with me, caring, attentive. It was a bit overwhelming, truth be told. But he seemed to have the need to be sure that I was still there, that I was okay, so I let him... for a while, at least. I had to put my foot down when he insisted I should go to bed. I had enough of that while at the hospital, I refused to spend another day lying down.
We finally compromised to settling down at the sofa, in the living room.
And what a crowded living room. Everyone was there, Sam, Liam, Jared, Herbie, Mary, Mack... They took turns in embracing me. Mary's eyes were full of tears and for once she seemed out of words.
I wanted to know. Last thing I remembered I was saying goodbye to Alexander. After that, all was a big question mark until I woke up tied to the chair.
"That night, I heard a noise." said Mary. Her voice was rough and I realized she had been crying. I felt much better, apart from a headache that was border lining the unbearable, but she gave me a pill and a glass of warm milk. "I'm a light sleeper, always have been. I knew you had not returned, but something seemed off. You're usually very quiet and you always stop at the third step..."
"It creeks..."
"Exactly. But whomever it was, didn't know that. He cursed under his breath and that was when I knew something was truly wrong..."
"She woke me up, called the police and I went to check, but no one was there..."
"I saw a shadow through the window, and he seemed to be carrying something... and I realized I had seen those wheels before, parked outside the inn, all day..."
"I called Alexander..."
"And at first I didn't pick it up... because I went to Gramp's and found him in a pool of blood...!"
Herbie had a patch on his head. I frowned and then I remembered Thomas saying he “had done a number on him”.
"Herbie... You..."
"Never better… okay, that’s a lie, I’ve been much better thank you very much. But I’ll live. We have some thick skulls in the family."
"So, what happened afterwards?"
Mary opened her mouth but the sound of a phone interrupted her. Alexander looked at us and took it outside. Liam muttered a curse
"The police has been on his back ever since they arrested Withehall..."
"He is the police..."
"Here. Unfortunately, that jackass of a husband of yours had his clutches in some high ranks up there at home. They’re trying to pin this on Alex."
"But they can’t… I can testify…"
"So can I. And all of them. And whose word do you think it would prevail, of a bastard of a lawyer caught on tape assaulting his wife, threatening her life, or of those that went to her rescue? A former soldier that shed his blood for his country, who still serves, or a r****t assaulting bastard?"
"How… When…?"
The door opened and Alexander entered. He came immediately to me and engulfed me in a bear hug. I was so happy to see him I could have cried if I hadn’t enough of a headache as it was.
Jared, Liam and Sam took a look at his face and his faces opened in huge grins. They all cheered me on, and I felt my eyes tearing up. I couldn’t face them so I buried my face in Alex’s shirt.
"He didn’t break me…"
I had muttered the words in my head, over and over again, but I must have said them aloud because Alex kissed the top of my head and said proudly:
"I know princess… you are a very strong woman."
"He was going to…"
"Yes, but he didn’t … we got there on time."
"I think we should start in the beginning."
Those words were Liam’s and he moved to make way to a tray full of a hot chicken soup and a loaf of bread with peanut butter. Someone’s favorite, I thought distractedly. I hated peanut butter.
Alex fed me a spoonful of soup and I smiled at him in gratitude. But I was perfectly capable of feeding myself so I took the spoon and put it down. I was more interested in hearing the story.
"What happened then?"
"Well, as you may have understood by now, that jerk knew you had faked your death."
"But was letting you get a false sense of security, all the while keeping tabs of your whereabouts.
And showing the world the perfect sad widow face."
"When he understood that you were here longer than in any other city, he decided to move on.
And realized you had Alex here to keep you company."
"Liam…"
"You may growl all you want, buddy, but the truth is he only made a move when you two got together. See, princess, he had you watched and saw you dance with our own Fred Astaire version."
"Liam, she is my princess!"
"Who said otherwise? But a princess nevertheless."
Where they enjoying this bantering? Alex took my hand and kissed my fingers, as if to prove to the room I was his.
Then I remembered something.
"But Sam said Thomas was still at the state."
"Yeah, and you forgot to mention that the guy had a helipad on his backyard."
"I didn't..."
"You didn't know? You lived there with the guy!"
"He didn't have one as far as I could tell. I wasn't allowed to go anywhere without him, not even the backyard. I had to do what he wanted when he wanted. It was easier for me to..."
I felt a knot in my stomach and I went silent when I realised I was nearly in tears. It had been easier... and it had led to more suffering... and my cowardice was harder to admit out loud to four soldiers who had given up everything for the sake of others.
"Nobody is judging you..." said Mary in a low voice.
"And when you have money, everything is accomplishable..."
"Anyway, our retriever here lost track of the jackass, but figured he would come here. He warned me, and I went to Herbie’s to warn him. I thought he would use him as leverage against Alex. I found him with his head all bloody, warned Alex, called the paramedics and we all rushed to the inn. Only, you weren’t there."
"These two scare the s**t out of me when they stormed in. You guys own me a new door, by the way."
"Sorry ‘bout that… so, anyway, we may or may not have trashed the inn searching for this fine princess when Mary went to your room and come back empty handed. He had already taken you out."
"We think he knocked you out unconscious, carried you through the back door and left on a rental truck."
"But that doesn’t explain how you did know where I was."
"You saw me searching for his dirt’s, didn’t you? How do you think I got my hands on your medical records? Those things are sealed, baby."
"You hacked into…"
"Hack? No, I let myself in through a back door. Huge difference. And his files at the office weren’t that hard to c***k, the guy uses the same password for everything. Kingoftheworld666. The guy’s pathetic."
I was feeling tired and drowsy, though I had slept a lot. Alexander noticed and took the tray away; despite the fact it was still two thirds full. I sank a bit lower in the sofa and when he sat again, I used his chest as a pillow. The purr I felt told me I had done the right thing.
"To cut short a long story, we discovered he had rented a warehouse near the mountains that was used in the old days for storing furs and such. We surrounded the warehouse, called for an ambulance, and basically stormed in there like the cavalry."
"I’m sorry I couldn’t be there sooner to prevent him from hurting you, princess."
Alex’s voice was barely a whisper but I managed to smile, even though I was feeling drowsier by the second.
"I’m just glad you were there, Alex. I truly am."
"I love you."
It was the last thing I heard before sleep come over me.
- Writer
