FEAR

31

TRIGGER WARNING: mention of rape. Torture.

•VERENA•

               "You need to rest," Keegan said, as the doctor wrapped me up. He monitor everything the doctor was doing, while I was still pissed off not paying attention to the pain or what he was injecting me with. I don't know if the bastard had it out for me or if he genuinely forgot the pain medication. Keegan wanted me to sleep and I know I could as long as he was around but after seeing him again my mind refused to. Being in the same room as that thing made me want to murder somebody.

My heart pounded in my chest, as fragments of memories still lingered in my head as if it happened yesterday. I will deal with them today, I don't care about the pain or what the doctor recommends. Or whoever the fuck came to kill me. It wasn't the first time it definitely won't be the last.

Keegan had the whole block surrounded. Nobody will leave this house without my say-so.

I was shot, and there was a bullet lodged in my arm. My leg was grazed and just needed stitches I completely dozed off. The doctor told Keegan what I needed and how to treat the wound. He said some other shit about getting sick, hospital staying hydrated that I didn't pay attention to0.

Ghost lied to me; either because he wanted to make me feel better or he just didn't feel it. He was grazed by a bullet and had to get stitches. As soon as the doctor left I got up. "Verena can't it wait."

"No." I bet he heard every single thing the doctor said. I was so clouded by anger and regret I didn't listen to anything. I tried too but was quickly sucked into my thoughts and the old ticking clock that ground me. The sound alone brought me back from when I was 12 years old spending summer here with Jesse and Mateo.

I stood up I could walk just slowly it hurt though. Every time I did I felt my thighs sting.

"Walk slowly." He said but as I struggled he ended up just grabbing my good arm and picking me up. I wrapped my arm over his shoulder. He looked down at me and shook his head. "Why did you bring us here if you hate them so much."

I didn't respond.

He didn't press on just set me down in front of two people I hated as much as I hated Rowan. "Having to do this shit is getting old," I muttered mostly to myself. Keegan put me down and I sat down on a big sofa chair. "What did you do to him?" I said looking at Ricardo. A bitter taste lingers on my tongue. Disgust.

He took a moment to speak not being able to look at me. They're never able to look you directly in the eyes.

A doctor, one of best doctors in our country turns out to be a fucking. . . There are not enough words in the English or Spanish dictionary to describe what a piece of shit he is. "You dare step into my house and talk down to me Verena." There she goes again standing up and sticking her neck out like a pathetic little slave. This house was my grandmother's.

"Estella whatever rumors you heard about me they're probably true so stop tempting me." I tilted my head back to look at her. I haven't seen her in years and if it wasn't for that thick Mexican accent I wouldn't have recognized the hag. She looks tired, old, and decrepit. I guess having a doctor as a husband doesn't help the wrinkles.

She has never been able to break out of the cycle of being with shitty men. My grandfather was respected but he was an asshole. My father another asshole. She used to be the cool aunt the one to give us candy and show me how to dress and wear clothes. Take my brother and I to town just to look at stuff we couldn't afford. A lot of the things she taught me I still carry on with me. My respect for her died along with Jesse.