Distorted Links

Chapter Three

Rubik started shocked speechless for a moment and was almost crippled by the strong sense of loss that engulfed her at that moment. The drowning girl looked like a ghost with her blond hair floating around her pale drawn face. She rushed to her sister and struggled to lift her out of the water before dragging her to the bedroom and swaddling her cold body in blankets. She ran for her phone and called the ambulance all the while praying. She then tried calling Tray repeatedly all to no avail. She was surprisingly calm all through the waiting for the ambulance and kept on praying. The knock from one of the paramedics jarred her, she was lost in thoughts she didn't even hear the ambulance arrive.

"Hello, who's in?" One of the paramedics hollered from the door while pressing the bell continuously.

She rushed down to open the door and showed them into Jessie's room with the stretcher. They lifted Jessie out on the stretcher and she tried calling Tray one last time before leaving the house all to no avail. She remained dry eyed throughout the trip and didn't break down until they wheeled her sister into the operating theater.

The moment the doors to the operating theater closed, she crumbled there in the middle of the waiting room and let out great racking sobs.

"God please, don't punish my sister for my sins. I'm sorry, I am... I am. Oh God!" She continued sobbing uncontrollably with the whole waiting room looking on without offering comfort, each person with his or her own problems.

A warm body enveloped her and lifted her up and she clutched on to the person like a lifeline, sobbing out to her heart's content while the person patted her and whispered assurances. Few minutes later, she managed to pull herself away when she felt a wet fabric clinging to her cheeks. In horror, she realised it was her tears that had soaked through the person's clothes and she lifted up her head to apologize. She was relieved to see that the person was none other than Derrick, the owner of the local delivery service. She met him once when he took the trouble to deliver a package to her instead of his worker, the worker had to attend to an emergency or so. She was so grateful to see a familiar face she almost started blubbering again.

"Oh Derrick. Thank God, I thought I was alone. But what are you doing here?"

A sly smile spread over Derrick's face, even under the circumstances he was glad she turned to him for comfort. He had been coming from one of his trysts that early morning when he came across the flashing lights of the ambulance leaving their house and he decided to drop in after changing and taking a shower. But he wasn't about telling her that.

"Well, I decided to go to the office early and pick some files to work on at home later when I saw the ambulance pulling out of your driveway. Where's Tray anyway?" He asked quickly before she can probe further.

An unknown emotion crosses Rubik's face for a moment before she wipes it off.

"I haven't been able to reach him, can I use your phone?" She pleaded.

He did not appreciate her using his phone to call the trust fund baby as he always referred to Tray bitterly but he had no choice.

"Sure sweet." he replied not passing on the chance to flirt.

A small smile came to her lips as she collected the phone to dial Tray's number but today wasn't her lucky day as he still refused to pick up.

She eventually called the house phone and left a message on the answering machine for him.

*****

Tray kicked the stone furiously and almost hurt his toes in the process. Rubik's words about him being suspended stung more than he cared to admit based on the injustice of his suspension. He had been suspended because he was digging too much into the case concerning a corrupt Senator who was accused of drunk driving and hitting an innocent person. The young man who was his victim ended up losing one arm and one leg without proper justice. The Sanator had obviously bribed his superior officer as that one suspended him when he refused to close the case. He had tried so hard to prove himself to show he wasn't just living off his parents' money by trying to show his dedication to the job. But alas! Rubik bringing it up only drove the wedge in his heart deeper and he had to avoid her to nurse his hurt alone. Her persistent calls were annoying him to a large extent and he refused to pick up. Then Derrick's name, his arch nemesis, flashing up on his screen further heightened his annoyance and he turned off his phone.

The cold later drove him home that evening and the house was silent all through. His heart rate dropped when he thought about the fact that they could have left the house with their belongings. He ran upstairs to check both rooms and was relieved to see nothing missing. Especially when he saw Jessie's priced guitar leaning on the wall, she wouldn't have gone anywhere without that. Where cold they have gone though? He wondered as he came back downstairs. The blinking light of the answering machine beckoned to him and he pressed the play button as he proceeded to sit and wait for them.

"Hi Tray, been trying to reach you since early morning. I'm at the hospital with Jessie and um... I'm sorry about earlier." Rubik soft voice came out sounding stressed.

What!" he exclaimed out loud and rushed to pick his keys. He didn't even bother changing out of his clothes, the cold forgotten.

He thought about a hundred possible things that could have landed them in the hospital and couldn't place his fingers on one. They were okay when he left them earlier, though a bit shaken and scared. 'What then happened after he left?' He asked himself silently.

He screeched into the parking lot of the hospital and came out without properly parking his car despite the security hollering after him.

He went through the emergency unit and came upon Derrick hugging Rubik so close that she was literally plastered to him. The nerve of the stupid playboy taking advantage of his angel, he fumed angrily. He marched furiously to them and jerked Derrick up and threw a fist at him before the other man had a chance to react.

"I warned you to never think of talking to her not to talk of putting your grubby hands on her. She's too decent for you! She's mine!" He shouted while punching the other guy.

In a few minutes they were tangled up in arms and limbs on the floor with a few onlookers and Rubik silently crying on her seat. The doctor came out of the operating theater at this exact moment and signalled for Rubik.

"Doctor, how's my sister?" She ran up to the doctor almost slipping in the process, the two men momentarily forgotten.