Inveigle

Chapter Fifteen: Remember the Gun?

Ava was asleep when I came into the room. An oxygen mask that looked too large for her small features covered her nose and mouth. Nathan was by her bedside, his eyes closed, but as I came near they opened. "Cora," he sounded tired. "Cora, I'm so glad to see you."

I looked at Ava, "She inhaled a lot of smoke, you see. The nurse came in and gave her some medicine to help her sleep." He took a deep breath, "They want to observe her longer." He was visibly shaking as he exhaled. I pulled a chair from across the room to sit beside him.

"She'll be okay, Nathan," I laid my hand on his back.

"She's a tough kid," I said, and I felt his muscles relax just a bit. We sat and talked for a couple hours. Nathan told me of all the things Ava wanted to do. She wants to see the ocean; she loves marine animals. She wants to be a singer, a ballerina, and study penguins. He told me about how over the summer when he would take her to parks she made friends with every kid on the playground.

"But first thing, when she gets out of here I have to get her in a proper school. I couldn't get her enrolled in kindergarten," he looked down at the ground ashamed. "We weren't never in the same area long enough. Hard to get proof of residence. But I'll get her registered for 1st grade. She'll catch up. She's smart as a whip."

"Yes, she is. You'll do right by her. I know it," and on that note of positivity I left Nathan to get some sleep. I patted his rough hands and shut the door quietly.

Pam's room was on the same floor, so I decided to check back in on her before going back to Sam. It was almost time for visiting hours to end. I was going to drag this out as long as possible. The sky just looked cold, and I was unfamiliar with this part of town. I didn't know if there was a shelter nearby or if I would be spending my night in an alley.

I was two doors away from Pam's unit when I saw a man walk out of her room. Not a doctor, but a man dressed familiarly.

Oh shit. It was the man from the shelter. The same one that had slipped me the piece of paper with the Grunsburrow address. My heart instantly seized in my chest. I ran into Pam's room as the end of the man's trench coat disappeared around the hall corridor. A steady ringing greeted my ears from the heart monitor. Pam's eyes were open but unseeing. I couldn't breathe. I stood staring at the woman who had taken me in. The woman who was bitter and sweet all at the same time. In the midst of my swirling mind I picked out three words: Sam, Ava, Nathan. I ran out of the room and bumped into a nurse that was probably coming to see why Pam had suddenly flatlined.

"Excuse me, Miss are you-," she said, but I was gone down the hall before she finished.

Nathan was still asleep in the chair when I got to the room. I shook him awake. Panicked, I told him Pam was dead.

"There was a man. I know him, no, I don't know him, but he was at the shelter this morning. He's bad news. He's-"

"Cora, you're exhausted. Are you sure you're not imagining this man?"

"Nathan, you have to believe me. He killed Pam. She's dead," I choked down tears and inhaled as much as I could. "I'm worried he'll come after you two and-"

"Alright, alright. I believe you. I'll see what I can do about Ava. Go check on Sam."

I ran down the hospital hall. The beeping noises echoed from room after room.

"I said no!" I heard Sam's voice shout.

There was some deep whispering that I couldn't make out in return. Then the sound of metal crashing to the floor rang out. I ran faster, my legs were shaking. As I rounded the doorway into Sam's room, I knew I wasn't imagining it. There was Sam, arms locked with the man from the shelter. Sam was trying to hold back his hairy knuckled hands. There was a needle in his right fist. Sam pushed and the man stumbled backwards over the knocked over medicine tray. On the floor he looked up and saw me. The needle fell from his hands and rolled away under the guest chair. He scrambled to his feet and lunged for space under the chair.