The Woods | Harvey #1

Chapter 13

Ashton didn't want to count all the places he hurt. The first thing he felt was his head. He felt the soreness of his throat from his screams. As he remembered them his face felt warm from the shame. He knew it didn't matter, but it still felt that way. His eyes wouldn't open, and he thought maybe that was for the best. The sliver of light he could see was far too bright and made his headache worse. His jaw hurt.

Flashes came back, of a fist and a hand and a whip. He didn't know how his dad could do this, but he did it and had done it before. Not to this extent, but still. He could take pain.

Voices drifted to him. ". . . needs help."

"He can get out in a couple of hours. A full 24-hours needs to pass."

A choked sob.

It all sounded familiar. A face drifted into view and his heart sped up. "Nicole," he rasped.

A small gasp and hands rested on his chest. "Ashton," she said softly. He felt her head rest on him and felt as tears soaked his shirt. He awkwardly reached up to touch her but hissed when a pain shot down his arm. He'd forgotten how his shoulders were both nearly dislocated.

She sat up and touched his arms. "Don't move, Ash." Her voice was thick with tears – for him – and it hurt. Why did everything have to hurt? "Mason will take you to Benson in a couple of hours when they have to release you. They can only hold you for 24-hours."

"Okay." Water. He wanted water so badly. "Water," was all he could manage to say.

Footsteps echoed down the corridor and a minute or so later someone – Nicole, probably – helped get him to sit up a little bit so he wouldn't choke. The cool water passed his lips and he drank it greedily. "More," he said, voice a little stronger.

He drank three more cups of water before Mason said he needed to stop. Ashton didn't think so, but he was locked in a cell, so he couldn't really go and get it himself. "Fine." He tried to push himself up, and Nicole helped him. He could feel cuts everywhere. "How bad?"

"Bad, man," Mason said. His heart sank.

Nicole had her arm around his shoulders. "You're not that bad, Ash. Your eyes are swollen shut, but it should be okay once the swelling goes down." She rubbed his back. It felt good. He wished she could massage that muscle that was starting to get tight, but he felt another cut in the area and decided not to ask. He leaned over on her. She smelled like outdoors. His woods. If his face didn't hurt he would have smiled.

"It's bad," he mumbled.

"What happened?" Nicole asked. His heart sank further. He didn't want to tell her.

But he didn't have to – Mason spoke for him. He felt his face heat up with shame again. "His father beat him," Mason practically spat. "The man came in here breathing threat and murder. He drug a chair into one of the cells, came back, got a whip out of someone's desk – don't ask me why it was there or how he knew it was there – told me to get Ashton and that I had better get him or I was going to take his place and then he would get Ashton anyway." He sighed. "I can't get his-" Ashton moaned loudly. He didn't want her to know how much he'd screamed.

Mason cleared his throat, seeming to pick up on his thoughts. "Anyway, I didn't want to see or hear it, so I delivered Ashton and closed the door to the cells behind me. I'm so sorry, Ashton. And sorry to you, too, Nicole. I'm sorry I couldn't stop him."

Ashton began to worry. "What happened?"

She sucked in a breath – she was close enough he could hear it. "I, uh, was locked in here with you."

"And Mason can't unlock the door?"

She was silent for a minute, but Mason answered for her. "No, I can't. Clive told me to leave her in here. For 24-hours. She'll be released tomorrow morning. I'm sorry."