Past Forward- A Serial Novel: Episode 16 (21 page)

Sadness
wove through
her voice
, choking her
.
“
Those pictures.
Once I found them, I put them away and quit looking.
If that was the kind of thing I was going to find, I didn
’
t want to know.
I understood why she
’
d chosen our life
,
and I think that was the day I fully embraced it for myself
.”
She took a deep breath exhaling slowly.
“
I
’
d always loved
living here,
but seeing that made me reject the outside world much as Mother already had
.”

“
But you didn
’
t
.
You asked us to come back and on that very first day.
How
—”

Her hand crept up by her neck where he toyed with her braid and curled it around his fingers.
“
I don
’
t really know.
I just saw you three going out the door and felt so terribly alone.
You were all so nice to me.
It seemed like maybe the police were safe
.”
A sob caught in her throat.
“
In just
those
brief few seconds, I imagined day after day without hearing another person
’
s voice, without ever getting a hug or laughing with someone, and I panicked
.”

“
A
w
,
lass.
Make a guy feel guilty why don
’
t you.
When I think how I resented you…
”

The pain of those days threatened to strangle her further.
Desperate to avoid it, she changed the subject.
“
Well, to be a deliberate pest then, what happened to
you?
I
’
m trying to be patient
,
but if you could see yourself
—”

“
I have.
I look like Frankenstein
.”
He tried to remember the days that blurred together in his mind.
“
Wednesday at around two o
’
clock they let me out.
You rang just as I left the building.
When I got away from reporters, I pulled out my phone
,
and just at that instant, a bullet came from across the street, went through the phone, and then through me
.”

“
So you fell and scraped yourself up?
”
Her face was turned to Chad
’
s looking at the scratches and stitches that made him look like he
’
d been attacked by a weed-whacker.

“
No, the phone
did that
.
It shattered on impact sending melting pieces of plastic flying into my hand, my face, my
neck…
”

She glanced at his hand concern etched in her features.
“
How bad is your hand?
”

“
I
’
ll be learning to shoot with
my left hand
,
most likely.
I
’
ve got at least one or two more surgeries on it coming
.”

“
Why did they let you come home if they have to do more
work
?
”

Chad had the grace to blush.
“
Actually, they didn
’
t.
I checked myself out AMA
.”

“
AMA?
”

“
Against medical advice.
I needed to get home
.”
He felt her stiffen.

“
Wait
—
they didn
’
t want you to leave?
”

“
No.
I
’
ve got instructions for getting to a hospital and when.
I
’
ll be fine
,
but I just really needed to see you and make sure you knew I was ok
.”

She struggled from his grasp and climbed the stairs without any kind of response.
In the bathroom, she washed and dried her face, all the while praying for a balance between her desire to blast him and respect for his right to make his own decisions.
She needed to hurry back down and have the right thing to say… she looked at herself
i
n the mirror and groaned.
She
’
d go back down
after
she found something to cover herself with.

Chad laughed as she came back down th
e stairs wearing a summer robe,
trying not to look as thoroughly embarrassed as she was.
“
I wondered how long it
’
d take you to figure it out
.”

She started to take a seat on the other couch so he could stretch out but he motioned her back to him.
“
Come on, I
’
ve been gone forever
.”
Once she curled against him again
,
he whispered,
“
And you didn
’
t need to put that on.
You looked just fine
—”

“
I bet I did.
I
’
ll put it back on next time I walk to town
.”

“
Over my dead body
.”

The conversation switched subjects with that line.
“
That
’
s what I
’
m afraid of
.”

“
I had to get back to you
,
lass.
I didn
’
t want you to worry
.”

“
And you think I
’
m not going to worry about you as you lay here when you need medical attention that I can
’
t give you?
What happens if something goes wrong?
I don
’
t know how to drive.
It
’
s a fifteen minute round trip
—
minimum, if I call an ambulance, and who knows if the clinic can help you
,
or if you
’
ll need a rush trip to Rockland.
I can
’
t believe you did this to me!
”

A weak but definite edge of anger entered Chad
’
s tone.
“
To you? I did this
for
you.
I imagined you here
—”

Frustrated, she jumped up and spun to face him.
“
You want to do something for me?
Fine.
Get back to the hospital until they think it
’
s safe for you to leave
.”
Tears filled her eyes.
“
I cannot lose you.
I
’
m not ready for that.
I can
’
t believe you
’
d do that to me
.”

“
Willow
—”

“
This is horrible.
You came home and I was so excited to see you.
My stomach got all floppy on me
,
and I felt so happy and now I
’
m just sick.
You
’
re going to get yourself killed.
You
’
re going to let
her
win!
”

“
Willow,
”
Chad began again.
“
If I went back, you
’
d have to stay here.
You can
’
t go near Rockland until the trial is over
.”

This was it.
She needed to make her point and then drop it but her natural desire for her own way made her fight for the exact words that would make him listen to her and return to the hospital.
“
Chad, you said you wanted me to tell you what I think so here
’
s what I think.
I think that for someone who has harped on how selfish I am about stuff, you
’
ve topped it all.
I stayed in that hospital, against my own preference, I went to those stupid physical therapy sessions because you insisted they were best for me.
I think it
’
s time you listen to your own advice and get back where you kept me and for a much less serious injury
.”