Distorted Links

Chapter Four

"She's stable for now, but we'll have to keep her under for the remaining water in her lungs to drain off. You're really lucky she wasn't that determined to end her life." The doctor assured her.

"Nurse, call security to bundle this guys off the premises. Make sure they don't come back in the next two weeks." He added facing to a nurse and looked on to make sure they were escorted off.

"Wait, wait. I'm here to check on my sister." Tray protested while being dragged out. "Rubik, tell them. Explain!" He shouted before the security holding him clamped his mouth shut and his shouts turned to mumbles.

Derrick maintained some dignity at least and only smirked at Tray the whole time which further infuriated him. He world have moved close to tackle him again but the onlooking security glared at him and threatened to have him arrested. He still spat at Derrick before locating his car and driving off crazily.

"That crazy flirt, touching my girl. I should've broken his arms, b***tard." He fumed around on getting to the house.

He woke up the next morning feeling pains all over his body as he had slept off on the couch. His body pains wasn't helped by the fact that Derrick managed to land a few solid blows the night before. He trudged up to his bathroom and was shocked at his bloody bruised face, Halloween came early as he looked exactly like a zombie. He proceeded to take a hot shower to reduce the pains and swelling.

The sound of the door opening jerked him from the kitchen table where he was trying to apply ointment on his bruises. Rubik came in and went upstairs without saying a word to him even though she saw the raw bruises on his back as he was shirtless. She didn't know he was that hurt as she hadn't paid more attention to the scuffle, she was busy crying then.

"I'm sorry about yesterday. Hows Jessie?" he said while following her up.

"She tried to kill herself but she's stable now." She said while staring at his bruised and battered face coldly and promptly shut the door in his face.

"What?" He shouted, "Impossible! Open this door and tell me that's a lie."

She refused to open the door despite his banging and he grew tired and leaned on the door breathing weakly. "Damn! I'm sorry Rubik, please."

Rubik opened the door almost making him kiss the floor for a moment and spared him just a glance before brushing past him. "Apologize to her yourself when we get home tonight." She eventually said after seeing his sorry state.

"Yes I'll. Thanks." He said almost joyfully.

*****

When Rubik supported Jessie into the house that evening, their nose were assaulted with the aroma of delicious food and the dining lights were dimmed down lending an ambience to the room. Jessie was pushed into a chair by her sister who then left to drop the bag they brought along.

When she came back, she met Tray bending down and apologizing to the kid for scaring and neglecting her. She stood where she was not wanting to disturb the atmosphere and was touched at his gesture. He even bought her favourite Pandora bracelet and charm. They sat down to eat the dinner he prepared while he also apologized profusely to Rubik for causing a scene at the hospital the day before.

Everything was forgiven and forgotten over the delicious meal and they both helped Jessie upstairs while she took her drugs.

"So how's her mental health now?" He asked the moment they got back downstairs.

Rubik hesitated a bit and pretended to be occupied with clearing the dishes to the kitchen but Tray followed her silently without saying a word. She knew there and then she needed to say something to break the tension.

"The doctor said she wasn't that desperate to end her life, she was only seeking a little bit of attention. She has to start seeing a shrink starting next two days though. That's just to give her enough time to get well. We also need to constantly monitor her for the next few weeks." She supplied hesitantly.

"l know a reputable shrink who can fly down to see her." He offered earnestly.

"Don't bother. They have a very good one here in the town too. Stop showing off your money also." She teased lightly.

"I'm sorry but can I at least pay for the shrink in town." He insisted. "As an apology," he added before she can refuse again.

"When you put it that way, okay fine. But the dinner and gift was enough apology."

"Thanks for accepting. But someone has to keep an eye on her through the night."

"No need about that, she's already on pain meds. She should be able to sleep through the night. But no harm in checking on her." Rubik added.

"Okay then, I'll do that so you can sleep well." Tray said helpfully.

"Goodnight and thanks. I really appreciate your help."

As Rubik prepared for bed, her phone lighted up with a message from Tray and she wondered why he was texting her when they were in the same house.

"Lunch tomorrow to apologize properly to you? Say yes please?" The text read.

She laughed out loud and left him hanging before sleeping with a smile on her face.

*****

Events of the past day had scared Tray so much he could hardly sleep and kept checking on Jessie every now and then. If not for the fact that he didn't want to startle her in case she woke up, he would have slept on the rug in her room. He was so worried about her.

Next morning when Rubik ran into him on her way to Jessie's room, she almost screamed before she discovered it was Tray. He looked like a raccoon with dark circles and bags under his eyes.

"Oh my God! Tray! What happened to you?" She asked urgently. His face wasn't helped by the stark bruises littering his face from the hospital fight as he had dubbed it in his mind.

"Quit being so dramatic," he muttered drily. "It's nothing serious, your boyfriend packed a mean punch and I didn't get any sleep." He blurted out irritatingly.

"Ha ha ha," she laughed mockingly. "You look like a panda that got caught in a boxing ring." She laughed long and hard before disappearing into her sister's room.

"What? How's a panda supposed to look?" He asked her stupidly but got no response.

"Ah! I ache all over?" He complained to no one in particular then went to the kitchen to start preparing breakfast.

The scent of blueberry muffins permeated the house and had Rubik dragging down her sister for breakfast. For now though she can't eat a lot of solid foods. So Rubik seated her at the dining table and plated a few muffins for her before disappearing into the kitchen to make oatmeal porridge for her.

She came back to find Tray having a heart to heart with her sister.

"Hey kid," he said softly. "Don't scare us like that again, you can talk to us about anything. Your sister cares a lot about you and was scared to her bone marrow when you pulled that stunt.

"You are her only remaining family, and we don't want to lose you." He finished while standing up to drop a soft kiss on her head.

Jessie promptly burst into tears. "I'm sorry but I made my sister kill him. It was my fault all along, I kept putting on my pajamas in the house. I tempted him." Sob sob.

Tray was surprised at this piece of news. "The bastard said that to you?" He exploded, "Look up Jessie, if he wasn't already dead, I would have made sure to give him a slow death. He had no business ogling a teenager."

He whirled back to her on coming to a realization, "Wait Jessie, is that why you're always fully dressed inside the house? Even though your clothes are always revealing, you're never in your pajamas? I would never look at you that way or touch you that way baby sis."

Jessie colored brightly at being called 'baby sis'.

"And anyway you like my sister," Jessie fun she'd with a smile.

Tray couldn't refute her statement once her saw the shy smile and let her be. Rubik was already in tears seeing the sweet way Tray interacted with her sister. The only problem now was his obsession with investigating the assault on Jessie, hopefully he has shelved that for now following Jessie's attempt.

She came in and plopped the oatmeal in front of Jessie which had the teenager wrinkling her nose in disgust.

"I don't like oats," she complained.

"Doctor's orders," Rubik answered shortly her voice still hoarse from crying.

"Let's talk about something good for now, eh?" Tray queried.

"Uhm," Rubik said thoughtfully, "Like your birthday?"

"No no." Tray shouted embarrassed already.

"Yes, it's only two days away." Jessie said with a full mouth.

"Exactly, not enough time to plan and you have your first therapist's appointment then."

"Well I'm planning it and invite whoever you want but let me know how many people to expect." Rubik said firmly.

"Make sure to invite your girlfriend." Jessie said pointing her spoon at Tray.

Rubik's countenance changed at this moment and she quickly fled the room with Tray calling after her.

"So much for lunch," she mumbled to herself scrubbing the toilet furiously. She had been anticipating the lunch date she was supposed to go with Tray later in the day she totally forgot he had a girlfriend. It's been a while he talked about the girl Lolita, making Rubik totally forget he was taken.

"So stupid," she berated herself as she let out the tears she had been holding back. She put on some heavy metal to drown out Tray's insistent banging on her door and to muffle her sobs.

The strong hand lifting her up and holding her close shocked her as the door was locked and she wasn't expecting anybody at her pity party. The familiar cologne cloaking her made her look up into the eyes of the last person she wanted to see her in the state.