Mad Woman✓

12. Stronger

"So we've been outnumbered, raided and now cornered... It's hard to fight when the fight ain't fair.. We're getting stronger now"

   POV JOE:

I lift Taylor up, her body heavy and limp in my arms. Her blood-stained dress feels grainy beneath my fingers.

I manage to lift her off the yacht, but I am so tired. My arms are shaking under her weight.

I almost trip when I put her on the ground of the shore, in the sand.

"Joe!" I look up and I don't think I could ever be happier to see John.. John, and Andrea.

Her face turns pale when she sees us. Her daughter is covered in blood, and I look about just as bad from regularly putting new cloths on her wound. My shirt is bloodstained again, my hands are too..

"Oh dear God-" Andrea cries out. I quickly get up and rush toward her. She wraps both arms around me, sobbing into my chest, "Thank you for being there for her. Thank you for calling, and thank you for everything. I owe you everything."

I shake my head quickly, "No, it's- It is Taylor. I- I would do anything- It's- You owe me nothing."

"Thank you", she says again, running a hand through my hair, "Thank you."

"Joe, could you lift her for me? You're not injured, are you?" John calls over to me. I nod quickly, letting go of Andrea, "Yes, of course. I'm fine."

"Okay, I am going to put her on a drip for hydration in the van. And I need more blood too. I have some O negative, but she's lost a lot. I'm not sure if I have enough with me, but I guess it will do for now..."

"We're not going to the hospital", I realize.

"No. There will be questions, there will be police. It is a gunshot wound, you can't hide that. They'll want to know every single little detail. And if- No. You don't want that. I am going to get the bullet out of her leg in my van."

"That- No! It's not sterile! No, I won't risk her losing her leg or dying of some infection because you-" "Joe", Andrea says softly, "It's this or Taylor having to explain everything. Everything."

I look at her, realizing she is right.

"She told you, didn't she?"

I nod, "Yes."

"She- Joe, please don't-" "I'm not going anywhere, I am here for her. I told her that, and I meant it. I mean it always. I won't ever tell anybody. No matter what. I will forever be here for her. Even if something.. something horrifying occurs.... I will still be there for her."

Andrea takes a shaky breath and puts her hand on my cheek, "Thank you, love." I smile and then kneel down beside Taylor. I lift her up, my arms underneath her knees and her shoulders.

It's already dark, it's past midnight probably. The sky is clouded but the stars shine through anyway.

And I pray to them, something I have never done before.

I pray that Taylor will be alright, that her life will be normal again... That she'll feel whole again. That she can at least have a life without the fear she's now constantly in.

"Come, Joe", John says, putting his hand on my shoulder.

I let him and Andrea lead me to his van. In the back, I lay Taylor carefully on the plastic-covered table.

John attaches a hydration drip and a blood transfusion into her arm.

Then he lifts her dress a little to look at the wound. He carefully removes the cloths on the injury and then looks at me and Andrea.