Whiskey Scarred Angel

Chapter 9

It was an hour before school was over when my boss pulled me into the hall and told me Carters dad was involved in a shooting and in the hospital with a gun shot wound. I had to watch how I reacted, no one knew about me and Jason and this certainly was not the time to start. I had to go back in my classroom and face Carter and the rest of the students like everything was fine.

It was the longest hour of my life. At pickup when Shelby came, I could tell she was frazzled.

"You heard right?" Shelby asks me quietly, it takes everything in me not to tear up.

"I did I'm so sorry." I say sincerely.

"He'll be fine. He's got 9 lives. I can't even get there until later. I have meetings, Carter would be with Jason but looks like he's going to grandmas." She says looking over at Carter, happy, talking to his friends.

"Well I'll be praying for him." I tell her, and we can't say anymore because there's too many people, and Carters ready to go. We say bye and they leave. I finish talking to the rest of the parents before I leave and head straight to the hospital.

"Jason, um richter, officer. Where is he?" I ask the front desk flustered. I hadn't seen him since the fall fest last weekend, but we've texted almost everyday since.

"Are you family?"

"I'm his...friend." I say knowing that's not getting me anywhere.

"Sorry, only family can see him right now. You can wait with the rest though." She tells me. I want to scream and cry at the same time but then I turn to hear a familiar voice.

"Kristen, hey he's gonna be fine, they think." Trent tells me, I see Zach, Brian, and some other officers beyond him in the waiting room.

"They think!?" I say.

"He's in an induced coma."

"Oh my god." I hold my head and start crying. My throat is closing and I feel like I'm gonna puke.

"Deep breaths like I said he's fine." Trent assured me.

"How long until he wakes up?" I ask panicked.

"They're hoping no more than 2 days. Do you wanna talk to him?" He asks me and I realize he's rubbing my back.

"Fuck yeah I do." I wipe my tears and follow Trent to the room.

"Officer she can't-" the nurse starts.

"Yes she can, stand down." He tells the her I sorta laugh, he just told a nurse to stand down. When we get to the doorway, I see him hooked up to machines and he's got a cast on his arm. I take a deep breath and tell myself I'm not crying. I can't let him hear me cry.

"I'll leave you alone." Trent says, I nod approvingly and he shuts the curtain. Leaving me alone with him, I look back at him and try to find the words.

"Jason...it's me, Kristen." My voice breaks at the end of it. I hesitate before grabbing his hand.

"When I heard I...fuck. I lost it but I couldn't show it. It took everything in me to not let Carter know. I couldn't even look at him. You need to wake up for him Jason. That boy needs you, I've seen the way he looks up to you, don't leave him behind." I say and then I have to leave the room. I'm comforted by Zach outside the bathroom. He embraces me for awhile and tells me he's gonna be okay. Once I collect myself I head into the bathroom to clean my face up.

When I go back out I hear Zach talking to Jason now, so I stop not wanting to interrupt. I can't help but listen too.

"Don't fucking pull through for me man, that girl out there is the reason you wake up everyday and you do the damn thing. I don't care what you say, she fucking loves you and you fucking love her. We all see it god damn it, you can tell us it's not true all you fucking want but you're lying to yourself. You're gonna wake up and you're gonna fight for her man. She's out there a fucking mess over you." He says and my heart is pounding out of my chest because every single thing he said was right.