Mad Woman✓

26. Time takes time

Time takes time to heal it, you can't do it by yourself.. Oh, whatever tears you apart, don't let it break your heart

   TAYLOR

I jump up when I notice John's van moving towards the plane. My heart is racing in my throat. It feels as if I have been waiting for days, instead of only a few hours.

Selena gets out of the van first. She hurries towards the plane and I run towards her. Towards Joe.

"How is he?" I ask. "Is he alright? Is he in pain?"

"John put him on anaesthetics", Selena says, her voice calm, "But he has been unconscious the whole time. He doesn't look too good, Taylor." "He's alive?" I ask.

"Yes", she nods. "He is alive."

"Thank God", I say, a sob falling from my lips, "I'm gonna-" I don't even finish my sentence before running to the van, as fast as I can.

John has already opened the door and I step inside.

My heart is racing. My hands are trembling.

John is standing in front of him, I can't see him.

"John", I breathe, "Can-"

John turns around to look at me. And I see Joe's face.

My breath stops and I bring my hands up to cover my mouth. Tears stream silently down my face as I stare at him.

"Oh baby", I cry out, taking a step closer to him.

His face is so swollen that I don't think it's even possible for him to open his eyes. Even if he wanted to. His face is completely bruised. His lips are swollen and split open from the hits he's gotten.

I slowly drag my eyes away from his face and look down to his neck. Four small burns on the right side of his neck, three on the other side. Cigarette burns.

He is not wearing a shirt and I gasp when my eyes fall on a knife set on the side of his stomach. His torso is bruised too, and his chest...

I move my eyes down, past the boxershorts he is still wearing. His knee looks weird and his ankle is in a painful looking angle.

"The knife", I whisper.

"I cannot take that out yet", John says softly, his hand resting on my shoulder, "Or he'll bleed out."

"And his ankle? His knee?" "His knee will be fine", John says, "His ankle... The bones are probably shattered." "And his face?" "I don't think he broke any bones in his face, maybe bruised his cheekbone or eye socket, but I would not worry too much about that. The worst thing is we can't take the knife out. But I am afraid that if we don't, an infection will start sooner than later. I don't know how long it's been in there, but definitely over two hours. I need to clean out the wound. But I can't take the knife out here, he'll bleed out."

"Let's get him home as fast as possible then", Dad says. I look up at him. He looks the same as always. But there is something else in his eyes..... Something I can't really put my finger on.

"What happened out there?" I ask him.

"The police got them all", Dad says, his voice a little hoarse, "And Morris was suddenly in front of us. And I shot him in the stomach. Didn't kill him, but-" He smirks, "I finally hurt him back."

I chuckle softly, "Thanks, Dad."

"Anytime for my little girl", he shrugs, hugging me to his side. He then winks at me and helps John to get the bed with Joe from the van into the plane.

I hold his hand.

Within half an hour, we're in the sky. On our way home.

John is checking up on Joe as he speaks. "I got a call on the way to the airport. Morris, Elias, all of them.. They are being investigated. They will probably get lifetime solitary confinement. Cause after they take their DNA, fingerprints and whatnot.. It will probably turned out that they were guilty of a lot of un-closed cases. They're never getting out of there again, Taylor."

"They are gone", Selena says, placing a strand of my hair behind my ear, "And Joe is going to be alright. Everything will be okay. Everything will be.. good again. Normal."

"It hasn't been good or normal for almost a decade", I say, "I don't even know if I know what it feels like anymore."

"You will soon", Dad says, putting his feet up on the couch.

"What happens to the guys I-" "Jasna has proof they did it", John says.

"They know it was me, if they confess- I will have to owe them. They do nothing for free, John. You know that." I tighten my hold on Joe's hand.

"You don't owe them shit", John says, "They owe you everything. And so much more."

"But what if-"

"Nothing will happen ever again. I swear", John says, "Otherwise, I will go and get one of my friends in that prison to kill them. All of them. And trust me, darling, they would." 

A/N:
Sorry for the short chapter... I haven't had much time lately to write. I'm busy with college and concerts (still can't believe I saw Louis Tomlinson three weeks ago and 5SOS last night?!?!?!). Also wanted to let you know that this story is going to come to an end quite soon I think. There will be more chapters and there is still unfinished business but we're approaching the end 🥹 

Also wanted to thank each and every one of you that is still reading this story! I appreciate it so much! I love you all <3