Cate's Neighbor

Let's Go Home

Catalina's pov
I'm just sitting staring at the hole in the wall waiting for something to happen. I'm just listening to the cars and birds trying to find patterns similar to music to somehow stimulate me until something changes. I begin to hear cars coming closer and I think I'll hallucinating until I hear tires on the gravel outside. Must be the dude coming back to update me or maybe put me out of my misery. I'm not sure which I'd like more at this point.

The door opens and lo and behold it's his majesty stomping over to me. "What the fuck did you say to her?!" He asks angrily as he rips the tape off my mouth. I can feel my lips begin to bleed from the rough treatment and the fact I haven't had water in a while. I lick them carefully, wincing as they burn. "What are you talking about?" I ask stubbornly but quietly as I feel I'm losing my voice. "Whatever fucking language you were speaking to her! You said something" he says pulling me to stand by the ropes around my wrists.

"Listen dickhead I-" before I can get my sentence out the door springs open. Both of our heads turn to see a police squad of about 5 people. "On your knees" one of them yells, "what the fuck did you do?! I told you what would happen if-" he turns to me and speaks through gritted teeth before getting cut off. "Sir we will not hesitate to shoot! On. Your. Knees!" I hear a woman yell at him and I subtly smirk as he slowly gets on his knees.

I see him discreetly reach for me but I kick the back of his neck causing his hand to fly to it. I hop away from him as quickly as I can and try to get to the officers. "Hi ma'am are you alright?" A woman asks me as she cuts the ropes on my hands and feet. "Yes I'm fine. Just thirsty" I say and she nods before leading me outside and to a patrol car. She opens the backseat and retrieve a bottle of water from a backpack. I chug it all and sigh in pleasure as I feel some moisture come back to my mouth.

I hear distant sirens getting closer and I slide down the side of the car to rest on the ground. You'd think I'd be sick of being on the ground but I desperately needed to sit. Being idle for so long caused me to lose a lot of energy and standing just feels like a chore at the moment. "Over here" the woman yells whistling to a paramedic. A firefighter comes over and checks me out briefly asking if I want to come to the hospital. "No I don't need it, thank you" I say and he squats in front of me before speaking.

"Alright these might sound like silly questions but I have to ask to make sure you're ok" he says and nod lightly telling him to go on. "How much is quarter worth?" He asks and I chuckles, "25 cents" I reply. "Whats your name and birthday?" He asks looking down at the tablet, "Catalina Watson, July 27th, 1998" I say, "ok, last one. What's todays date?" He asks, "January 6th... 2022" I reply and he clicks something on the tablet. "You're sure you don't want to get checked out?" He asks again and I tell him it's fine. He nods and has me sign an AMA on a tablet.

Another set of sirens approach, this time it's an ambulance. I close my eyes and sigh, I can't even imagine everything that I now have to do. Talking to people and telling them what happened and all types of shit. I hear quickened footsteps that make me rise my head and search for the source. "Oh my god" I hear someone gasp, I turn towards them to see it's Cate and I softly smile. She falls to the ground next to me and pulls me into her arms as her tears wet my dirty shirt.

"God I thought I lost you" she whispers shakily in my ear. "Please. You can't get rid of me that easily" I joke and she playfully rolls her eyes before pulling me back in her embrace. "Come on we're going to get you checked out" she says. "I'm fine Cate. I already told them I don't need to go" I say. She looks at me sternly and shakes her head before helping me up. "Hi she needs to go to the hospital" she says to a firefighter and he looks at me confused and I just shrug.

"Ok... she said she didn't need to go. Did you change your mind?" He asks, "no" "yes" we say at the same time and he smiles. "This is your decision so just let me know" he says about to turn away. "Yes. Fine, I'll go" I say and he helps me into the back of the ambulance before Cate gets in after me. She stops for a moment and looks as the men are being brought out of the building. "Which one of you sons of bitches did this?" She yells towards them making pretty much everyone look at her.

I can see the dude smirk and her anger rise. "Which one Marli?" She asks me and I smile at the nickname before pointing at him. She goes over and kicks him the balls before straightening out her shirt and calmly walking back over to me. "Alright let's go" she says to the stunned paramedic, she tells the driver were ready and we rode to an emergency clinic nearby.

Once all of the formalities are over we go home and she carries me up the stairs and puts me in bed after giving me a bath. "I'm never leaving you again" she whispers before kissing my forehead. "It was just a freak accident. It's not your fault... you don't have to worry about leaving me alone" I say stroking her hair and looking into her calming eyes. "I love my work... but I love you more and I can't stand the thought of something happening to you again. You'll just come with me from now on" she states.

I sigh knowing there's no point in objecting. "I love you too" I say instead and she smiles before kissing me gently. "Here baby" she says reaching over into her nightstand and pulling out moisturizer for my lips. "Are you trying to say my lips are rough?" I ask her and she chuckles. "Yes darling. But I still love them anyway" she says pecking my lips. "Toothpaste. Tampons. And condoms" I say before giggling. "W-what?" She asks confused making me laugh harder.

"Nothing" I chuckle before cuddling even closer to her. She kisses the top of my head before my exhaustion takes over and I fall asleep.