“Come on, let’s get you dried off and over there. It’s safer than being here alone. I know someone there you can talk to. He’s really sweet.”
CHAPTER33
ALL APOLOGIES
SINÉAD O’CONNOR
You bought her a ring?Ain’t that sweet? Too bad you’ll never see her again.
We’re gonna end you, then we’re going to break her. When we’re done, she won’t even whisper your name. She’ll be our whore, and you’ll be six feet under.
The voices in my head pull me out of one nightmare and into another. Fists and pain. Blood fills my mouth. I’m trying to yell and fight back, but I can’t. I can’t get any air, no matter how loud my lungs scream. The voices won’t stop. It feels like a gorilla has used my body as a punching bag.
My mouth is dry and everything feels strange. I can’t open my eyes yet, but I catch noises in those brief moments when I’m conscious. I recognize Coop talking to someone, but I can’t make out words, only the sound. More sounds follow, lights going by, and more voices. I can’t actually see the lights, only the change from bright to dark as we pass under them. I must be in a hallway.
We stop and there’s more commotion. I want to get someone’s attention; I want to know what’s going on, but it’s like I’m stuck in the dark. Fuck, I can’t think or move. I’m cold.
Alexis.
“See, JimJamJabber, I told you I’d get you a better room.” I can tell Coop is pacing from the sound of his shoes on the tile. Click clack click sniffle clack. It’s like a metronome and it keeps putting me to sleep over and over. My throat hurts so much, but I feel a cough building. When it finally comes, it’s like I’m being hit by a train. I can’t fight it, but I can’t take the pain much longer. Coop yells, bringing more commotion, and far too many hands.
I wake up and I’m breathing normally again and Coop is back to pacing. I can see him now, or at least some of him. Everything is still hazy.
“Hey! JimJab! Welcome back, buddy. You gonna actually wake up?”
There’s a moan, and I think it’s me because it hurts.
“Works for me, but dude, seriously, don’t talk.” He turns and pulls a chair over. My brain can’t process what’s going on, so it looks like he’s moving at double speed. Sometimes, there’s three of him. I wish he’d stop before I throw up. “You had us scared out of our heads, man. We thought you were dead.”
He’s freaking out, but I’m still not sure what’s going on. He’s having trouble looking at me, which is fine since I still can’t make him out clearly. Eventually, his rambling turns into what I want. Information.
“You were with Stevie, picking up his car at some crazy ass junkyard impound lot. Steve went with a guy to pull his car up from the back and when he got back, you were knocked the fuck out.” He smooths his hair back and takes a long breath. “Asshole at the junkyard says he’s got no cameras and everyone’s claiming they didn’t witness anything.”
“Steve’s downstairs giving a statement.” He winces. “Do, uhm, should I tell you the damage?”
It’s barely a nod, but the pain shoots through me and my head erupts. I must black out because when I open my eyes again, Coop’s on the other side of the room and I’m pretty sure Steve is with him.
I’m forgetting something. Something I can’t remember, but I’m sure it’s important. The words I recalled when I woke up have slipped back into my mind and I can’t pull them out, but they were important, too.
“Hey, you’re up again,” Coop bounces back over to my bedside. He needs to stop moving like that.
I remember a name and mouth it to him when he stops me from trying to talk.
“Dani has her. She’s bringing her here when they’re…when they’re done.” His answer is too blunt, too unsure.
“Shit, Jamie, I’m…” Steve’s face has no color as he looks at me. In all the years I’ve known him and all the pain I’ve seen him go through, not once have I seen him cry. Until now. “I’m sorry. I’m so fucking sorry. I didn’t know.”
I try to talk again, but Coop is in my face. “Stop! Seriously!” He’s more worried than angry. “You’re not supposed to talk because they… fuck, man. They really tried to kill you. They tried to crush your damn windpipe, Jaim. They had a fucking noose around your neck!”
Coop slumps into the chair behind him and starts listing off injuries. Broken orbital bone, broken ribs, skull fracture, collapsed lung…he keeps going, but I can’t concentrate on what he’s saying until he leans back in and waits for me to look at him again after Steve rushes out of the room. “He’s blaming himself for what happened to you and…shit. Jamie, you were supposed to meet Lexi after you were done getting Steve’s car. Do you remember that?”
I nod.
“Jamie, they, uhm, Dani’s got her in the ER to get checked out. She, uhm.” When one of the five billion monitors I’m hooked up to starts screaming, Chase tries to keep me calm. “Breathe, buddy.”
Coop’s crying and having trouble finding the words.
“I can’t—I don’t know how to—” He wipes his eyes and then closes them. “They tried to rape her, Jamie. Her fucking stepfather and some other guy named Noah.”
