𝗘𝗩𝗘𝗥𝗬𝗗𝗔𝗬, 𝟮𝟰/𝟳

Chapter 9

 I awoke to the sounds of machines beeping, and the smell of antiseptic. I blinked, looking around. I was in a hospital room, and judging from the light streaming in from the open window, it was mid afternoon. JJ was lying half asleep in the chair beside the cot, looking exhausted.

Once he realized I was awake, he jolted out from sleep. He quickly explained how they were blaming John B on the murder of Sheriff Peterkin and how I'd gotten shot, instead of Rafe.

"And why not you?" I asked curiously after swearing vehicularly at Ward.

"Dunno," JJ said, shrugging. "Guess Ward has something personal after John B."

By "Something personal" meant Sarah Cameron as his girlfriend, I'd bet. I asked where the others were, and JJ said they were out hiding John B in Kiara's mom's car. Sarah was trapped in the Cameron house with her dad, and of course, he and I were here in the hospital.

"We still have the plane though, right?" I said hopefully.

JJ looked away, "It took off. With the gold to the Bahamas."

"Fuck," I swore, angrily clenching the hospital sheets. "What a minute," I said brightly, sitting up. "We still have my Dad! He'll believe me, for sure," I said confidently.

"I dunno, Mercedes ..." JJ said, weirdly distant with me. "Weren't you guys having—"

"—Beef?—"

"—Yeah, and like, weren't you on probation, and ran off a ton and shit?"

"No one fucking asked you, JJ!"

"Just sayin'," JJ raised his hands in surrender.

"He will believe me. I'm his daughter!" I said.

"If you say so."

"Would you stop being so serious already?! Okay, fine, we lost the gold! John B's out for 'attempted murder'! But at least I'm still alive, huh?" I pointed out.

"Yeah, 'at least'," JJ rolled his eyes.

"What about at the tarmac, huh?!" I rounded on him. "I was bleeding out and you were all 'Oh, no, don't die Mercedes," I mimicked JJ's deep tone.

"Whatever," JJ shoved his hands in his pockets, looking away.

"No, not whatever! I don't get you, why're you being so normal around me?"

"I'm not—" JJ argued, but someone interrupted him.

My Dad entered the hospital room through the door, worriedly, and JJ had to dive under the cot to hide. He gave his usual worried greeting, asking how I was feeling, but then I got to the point.

"Dad," I suddenly sat up straighter. "You know Ward was lying about John B, right?"

"Honey, I think you've had a very rough couple of hours, and you should take it down a notch," Dad said cautiously.

"Oh come on! It wasn't John B who shot Peterkin or me, it was Rafe."

"Mercedes," Dad said, skeptical.

"I'm the fucking one who got shot, and lived! I was there at the tarmac too! Don't tell me you're listening to Ward over me?!"

"Ward said you were out for most of it, sweetie ..."

"What the fuck Dad?! Are you actually serious right now? Listen to yourself!"

"I didn't know what to think, alright? And you've been on probation, running off all the time, I—I can't trust you anymore!"