Seeing Blind (Rough Draft)

Chapter Ten

 "Who, Avery? Who did this to you?"

"I don't know their names."

"You said that you saw them beating me up the other day? Then it was Ben Goodwin, Ric Holloway, and LeBron Hitch. God damn." Ambrose got up, running his hands nervously through his short hair. "I thought by going after me then they wouldn't go after anyone I care about."

"You care about me?"

"What? No, no. Of course not. That's not the point."

"Of course not." Avery rolled her eyes. It hurt to even do that. What did her body look like? She flexed her toes, which hurt, and tried moving her arms and legs. Everything hurt, doing anything hurt. How badly did those guys beat her?

"I'm going to fix this, don't you worry."

She was worried. "Where's my dad?"

Ambrose's dark eyes softened. "In the living room. You were out for a while. He wasn't sure if--when-- you woke up, you'd want to see him."

"I want to see him, yes."

"I'll go get him, then."

For the short time, Ambrose was gone, Avery tried to sit up, move side to side, even stretch, yet every "exercise" hurt. "Damn," she whispered. She couldn't stop thinking about how beaten she must look.

She had to know if only she could stand up and move.

"Darling," her father whispered, choked up. He was standing in the doorway.

"Daddy. I need a mirror, please."

"Honey, are you sure about that?"

"Yes, now if you would?" Avery held out her hand for a mirror, looking at her father impatiently. Any mirror. She needed to see what she looked like, couldn't her dad understand that?

"Okay...but you asked for it."

"Dad, you're supposed to say: 'you look beautiful no matter what.'"

"That type of talk never worked for your mother, why would it for you?" Dad searched Avery's room for a mirror (she had multiple) while he talked.

"Because I'm the one who got...who go...who," she couldn't even say, even think about it, without shuddering, without her stomach knotting up, without the memories.

"Found it!" her father cried in triumph, holding something up in his hand.

Thank God. She can finally see what she looks like. She knew her father, unlike Ambrose, would give her what she wanted. "What time is it?"

All the blinds were closed so Avery couldn't tell what the time was from looking out the windows. Was it light or dark? Was the sunrise or sunset out? Who closed the blinds anyway?

"It's three o'clock on Friday. You slept the day away, ladybug."

Avery's heart picked up. "You haven't called me ladybug since...well since before you left."

Her dad's eyes softened even more. "I know. The nickname always came out when you were sad or upset. I guess right now...you're a little bit of both."

She was. She couldn't even protect herself, even if she did have any weapons on her, she wouldn't have been able to use them since Ben had Ric and LeBron held her down. A lightbulb went off! Did her phone make it?

"Dad, where's my phone?"

He snorted. "Of course that would be one of the first things you ask for. Surprised it wasn't the first thing."