Nadia
And that's how I found myself back in the same hospital I dropped the rich boy off. Gingerly, I raised my borrowed sweatshirt so the doctor could look over my badly bruised ribs. My right side was coloured in an unhealthy shade of purple. I heard a loud gasp as I brought up the shirt only to turn and find out it came from pops. My mother held his hand like she was passing him strength through the connection. I shook my head slowly, wondering the planet father came from.
"From what we've seen it's nothing serious. Whoever did this is a monster." The female doctor threw a pitiful glance my way. "Don't worry about it though. In no time, with enough rest and care, you'll be new again." She assured us, her eyes now on my parents.
"Thank you, doctor. We appreciate it." Father said, relief colouring his face pale face. "You don't have to thank me for doing my job. She's really lucky. Any harder and she could have broken her ribs. Have you reported the assault to the police?"
I opened my mouth to speak but mother beat me to it.
"That's our next stop after the hospital." She answered, ignoring all the signs I tried to give her so she wouldn't say anything.
"You don't have to do any of that. I can get the precinct to send a detective so you can file a report. It would even be better as they can get evidence that would be used against whoever did this."
I was so worried about the involvement of the police that I zoned out. Working for Gideon in the little time I had revealed some things to me. Gideon was a monster. He had his hand in every shady business you could think of. But his major was drugs, even though he didn't take the stuff himself. It wasn't surprising that he had many influential people in his dirty pocket, tied to him because of the fun he supplied. My heart worried for my saviour in suit as I feared Gideon taking revenge for what was done to him.
"Nadia! Are you okay?" Father said, drawing me away from my worry. He and mother looked so concerned it was like they aged ten years. I felt terrible for causing them to worry this much, father especially since his weak heart did not need this kind of excitement.
"I am fine...." I trailed off, thinking of the best way to tell them to perish the idea of filing a report. "I don't think we need to report this. It was a minor incident that a little rest and care, would fix. Don't let us waste precious time." They both looked at me like I had lost my mind.
"We are doing it now." Mother said, stomping her booted foot to the ground.
"Today!" Father said immediately, doing his version of a stomp.
They didn't get it. I couldn't blame them because I never told them the truth about my night work. Their version of where I worked was a bar where people came and drank Budweiser and watched football. If only they knew that I served the rich and important in nothing but thongs, bras and high heels. Shame caused bile to rise in my throat, but I pushed it down, telling myself that it was honest work.
The lies we tell ourselves to feel better about a job we wouldn't take if there was an alternative option.
"I know you are eager to report. But I need to rest and sleep this nightmare off." They stared at me, unblinking as they thought of what I said. Knowing they would still want to argue the sense of reporting now, I shifted my focus to the weaker of the two.
"Father." I began in a pleading tone, giving him my best I'm in serious pain face. Mother wasn't buying it.
"Bob, don't fall for it. She knows you're weak." She warned.
Ignoring her, I marched on. "Dad, please. Just give me time to rest and I promise we would go to the precinct and file a report." Not.
"Bob, she is only trying to buy time. Don't fall it."
I noticed father was visibly struggling to make a decision. He looked between mother and me, bringing his teeth down hard on his lower lip.
Time to go for the kill.
"Pops, all I need right now is rest. After I have had enough of it, I would do whatever you want. Check it, if I go to the precinct now, I'll have to start the long process and answer questions that would only distress me. Let's do this at a better time, you get me right?"
Mother and I waited with bated breath as we watched him make his decision. Even though it seemed like mother was the one wearing the pants, it was far from that. Every word father said was law.
"We would go to the police after you get better." Mother gave a loud grunt in disapproval, her eyes throwing glares his way. But she had no choice but to do as the love of her life had decided.
"I just hope we won't regret not reporting now."
I wondered the same thing too...
~
Lyra
"Help me! I need her! Please, bring her to me!!!" The little prince shouted the walls of the hospital room down as they restrained him so they could inject the sedative. The name he refused to stop calling brought memories I had long burnt and buried. Rolling my eyes, I wondered what the fuss was about. It wasn't like Justin was the first person in the world to have an accident. It was something many went through every day.
At least he had his life.
Bile rose in my throat as I watched my husband tear up because his favourite son was acting like a madman. I knew I was about to reach my limit of pretending to care, so I left the loud, eardrum-threatening room. As I came out, I found Eric standing with his back faced to me. His stance appeared pensive and moody as he stared into the garden outside the window.
A slow smile emerged on my face as I moved to stand behind him. He was so lost in thought that he didn't notice I was standing there. My need to feel him drove me to touch his arm so I could offer him some form of comfort. He turned his head, only to frown when he saw it was me.
His eyes immediately turned dark and he moved away from me like I disgusted him. It hurt, but I didn't let it stop me from offering comfort, even though I didn't care about the person in pain. Justin dying would have been much more preferable to me.
"You must feel so sad right now," I said, my eyes fixed greedily on him like I had seen a new fashion item I wanted to own.
"Lyra, yes I do feel sad. But you wouldn't understand that emotion now, would you? I heard cold snakes don't feel any emotions." He attacked, breaking my heart with his assumption.
"You don't have to get defensive every time you see me. I am here because I didn't want you suffering alone. I came to..." I moved close to touch him again but he grabbed my hand and squeezed it.
"Eric! You're hurting me." I cried out in pain, trying to twist my fingers free.
"I am tired of your games, Lyra. Stay away from me. You made your choice when you chose my father. Now accept your fate and let me be. I warn you, Lyra, if you don't stay away from me, I would expose you for the viper you are."
I was still trying but failing to free my fingers when he suddenly pushed me forcefully, causing me to take a step back. I opened my mouth to protest when Adam appeared from the room with Amelia and Jake. Jake raised a brow when he saw the two of us together, while Amelia threw a frown my way. As usual, Adam saw nothing wrong with the two of us being alone together.
"He keeps asking of this girl. Who is she?" My husband asked, running a hand through his hair worriedly?
I moved close to him, running my hand down his arm to comfort him. "Which girl is that? Who is she to him?"
"We don't know, Lyra. If we knew who we wouldn't be here trying to guess who it might be." Amelia responded like I was the dumbest person in the room for asking the question. I saw her husband, the leech, draw her back.
"Okay! Calm down, princess." I said doing the universal peace pose with my hands raised in the air. Her eyes narrowed at my mock use of 'princess'.
The resident, who had been with the doctor, chose that moment to call us back in. I told Adam to go on without me, using my need for fresh air as an excuse. He placed a kiss on my cheek before heading inside. All alone and unwatched, I slammed my fist into my open palm.
I hated it whenever Amelia made me look stupid.
"I'll get you, little girl. Just wait as I make you lose everything you love and care about." I sneered towards the closed door separating me from the object of my disdain. After expelling a breath to calm my frayed nerves, I turned towards the open double doors so I could go sit in the garden I spotted from the window. It was then I saw her.
"Excuse me please, but I think I am lost. Do you have any idea where the pharmacy...." She trailed off, her eyes widening as she set her eyes on me.
My mouth fell open as I stood in shock, standing face to face with the woman I brutally severed ties with in my need for a better life. She still had the same laugh lines around her eyes, and her hair was no longer the black she said it would always be. The smile on her face dropped as our eyes met and a whisper of her title in my life, once upon a time, escaped my slack lips.
"Godmother."