Final Hours

Chapter Twenty Three

      "Good morning Sunshine." A familiar mocking voice let out as I rubbed my eyes. I looked over at the bright window that he was leaning against, my arm was throbbing with pain.
      "Good morning." I mumbled under my breath standing up and walking to the kitchen, he pushed off the window trailing behind me.
      "How's your arm doing?" He asked as I looked down at my arm. It was red and inflamed, with what looked like minor bruising but it didn't look infected.
      "Hopefully okay...if I break out in hives at least we'll know we messed up." I responded sarcastically as I leaned forward to grab the bottle of alcohol. I struggled to get the cap off and Eric noticed.
      
      "I'll get it." He said taking the bottle from my hand and twisting it open effortlessly, handing it back to me.
      "Thank you." I muttered, grabbing a kitchen towel and tipping the alcohol into it. I lifted it up to my wound and covered the stitches. Wincing in pain I pulled the towel away, I looked back down at the stitching. It was easier to see the bruising now, and it sure wasn't pretty.
     "I'm sorry, it looks awful." He said looking over the stitching. I tried to pull my shirt sleeve over it but it poked out through the bottom.
      "No no it's fine, it could be worse." I said, trying to smile as I rang the towel in the sink. Hanging the towel over the faucet I turned and walked back into the sitting area. In the time we'd been in there Hudson had moved himself into the sitting area and was playing with two plastic cars on the coffee table.
    
      "H-Hello." He whispered quietly looking up but keeping his gaze away from me, I didn't want to make him uncomfortable so I sat in the chair furthest from the couch.
      "Hey Hudson, let's let her rest on the couch." Eric said crouching down beside Hudson. He looked down at his toys and was about to stand up.
      "No, no he's ok. I'm fine, You can play with your cars there if you want to." I smiled, Hudson looked over at me with an innocent smile and continued playing with his cars. He crashed them into each other while he made car noises with his mouth.
   
       It was nice to just sit back and watch him have fun, to still enjoy being a child in a world like this. Eric sat on the floor next to him and occasionally controlled one of the cars for Hudson. They were sweet, and Hudson seemed to have an immense trust for Eric.
       "Eric, we could use an extra hand out here." Henry said closing the door behind him and walking through the room into the kitchen. He was covered in sweat and was obviously physically drained. He reappeared with two glasses of water and walked back to the door.
        "Ya, ya I'll come help." Eric said standing up, Hudson was obviously hurt that Eric was leaving him but he didn't say anything.
        "Eric don't exert yourself, you're not fully healed." I quickly added before he could make it to the door.
        "Don't exert yourself either, you might burst a stitch sitting in that chair." He smirked, laughing at his joke as he walked out the door. I rolled my eyes and watched as him and Henry rejoined Chris who was emerging from the woods.

       "Does Eric play with you a lot?" I asked sitting forward watching him quietly move one of the cars back and forth. Hudson shook his head quietly, still not looking at me. "Do you like when people play with you?" I added, he nodded, picking up his other car and swerving it back and forth.
     
      "Can I play with you?" I asked, he looked up at me confused, setting his cars down. He pulled them off the table and sat them in his lap.
      "Mama told me not to talk to you." He responded quietly, lowering his head. I rolled my eyes and leaned back into the chair.
      "I never did anything to your mom, I don't know what she doesn't like about me." I mumbled under my breath.
       "She said that you're a name I'm not allowed to say." He whispered, picking his car up again and sliding it back and forth. I wasn't surprised Georgia had a grudge against me that I would never understand.

       "But we don't have to talk to play cars." He looked up at me with an innocent little smile. I couldn't say no to him so I slid down from the chair and sat across from him on the other side of the table. He slid a car to me and I followed anything he did. It seemed to make him happy and anything I could do to make him have even one good day in this messed up world, I'd do it.

       "Hudson!" A familiar shrill voice came from behind me. I dropped the car and turned slowly to see Georgia standing in the doorway.
       "Momma, I-I'm not talking to her." Hudson tried to plead, taking the car from my side of the table.
        "I told you to stay away from him, you need to respect adults' decisions." Georgia snapped at me turning her gaze at me. I rolled my eyes trying my hardest not to blow up on her.

       "But, but momma-." He tried to start but Georgia wasn't having it.
       "Young man get over here right now!" She yelled, loud enough to ring in my ears. I'd had enough of it, Hudson didn't deserve to be yelled at like this. It wasn't good for a young boy like him.
        "You need to stop." I said using my good arm to push myself off the ground. "He's a child, he's the only child here. Let him enjoy a little bit of his life in this messed up world!" I added throwing my hands up timidly so I didn't hurt my arm.

      "You do not get to tell me how to parent my child." She said, stepping closer to me. I placed my good hand on my hip sarcastically mocking her.
      "Look...I don't know why you hate me, I don't ever expect you to tell me because I know there isn't a reason." I started pausing to turn back and see Hudson, I calmed myself a little to avoid scaring him. "But you do not destroy my name, I put up with a lot of stuff and I will continue to put up with a lot of stuff." I said stepping closer to her, she took a timid half step back to counteract me.

       "What did I do to you Georgia, I've been nothing but nice to you," I started getting heated again. "I've watched over your damn child more than you have since I've arrived here." I finished, her eyes widened as she straightened herself.
       "Do not curse in front of my child." She responded angrily but quietly speaking between clenched teeth.
       "Oh really cause a little birdy told me you've called me a couple not so nice names Georgia." I smirked sarcastically.

       She was nearly the color of a fire truck now and anything could cause her to go off the deep end and snap. Hudson stood up and dashed out of the room, he sounded distressed but I was too busy trying to get answers from Georgia.
  
      "Get out of my way." Georgia mumbled trying to get around me. I was too far to give up now, I needed to know why she hated me so much. Walking in front of her again I knew I'd messed up, just as Eric had walked back into the house I felt Georgia slam her hand against my bad arm sending a searing shockwave through my arm.
       Stumbling I did what I could to avoid the coffee table as I fell over it and onto the couch.
       "Georgia!...Jen!" Eric yelled looking between us as he rushed into the room. I bit down on my lip trying not to scream in pain as my arm throbbed. Eric slid onto the seat next to me and pulled my hand away from my arm.
    
       "I didn't even push her that hard, you're so dramatic." Georgia rolled her eyes trying to leave the room. Eric lifted the sleeve of my shirt revealing the inflamed and bruised stitching. He felt around the stitching to make sure it wasn't bleeding, I could feel that area of my arm heating up as blood rushed to it but nothing broke through.
      "Are you sure this isn't infected Jennifer." Eric said, examining my arm closer. I finally opened my eyes and turned to look at it. I caught a glimpse of Georgia who was once again dumbfounded, something that was t new for her.
  
      "No, no it's fine I promise." I said taking a couple of breaths and leaning my head back. He looked up wiping a stray tear and back at my arm.
       "I don't know Jen, I think we need to get a first aid kit. This doesn't look healthy." He responded
        "No, I don't need you risking your lives for something that's not a problem." I responded pulling my arm away.
        "If not for you then for someone else...what if Hudson breaks a bone and we don't have anything to fix it." He said looking at me intently. I rolled my eyes and looked back at him.
        "Fine...don't get hurt, or worse killed." I responded finally giving in.
        "Let's get you up into your bed, Georgia I'm gonna need to talk to you." He said turning his attention to Georgia as he lifted me slowly off the couch, helping me stabilize myself as he walked me up the stairs and into my room. It didn't take me long to sink into the bed and fall asleep, my arm was killing me. But I couldn't do much to fight it anymore. I felt tired Mentally and emotionally.