“In my c-“ before I could complete my sentence the woman fainted again, my heart skipped many beats watching her on my lap with red oozing out of her system and spreading straight on my pants. Her pained scrunch was like a fresh stab in my heart piercing it harder. Her face got paler as she struggled to breathe, I didn’t know where this fresh panic came from. Reverie Ames was a troublesome woman, if she wouldn’t have jumped on the crime scene things would’ve turned differently, dang it! things would’ve been different if she never joined journalism instead.
Those fuckers really hit her hard. I tried all the basic things by tying a large handkerchief on her head to stop her bleeding and pressing the wounded area with my other hand. Yet my hand trembled while handling her wounds. Her breathing was normal but I saw a bad concussion, there were other minor bruises resting upon her shoulder as I inspected further. “Ashton don’t stop paddling and move faster” the order skipped my mouth at Reverie’s worsening condition, the car which already crossed any speed limit was just close to flying.
And thanks to Ashton we reached the hospital in less than fifteen minutes. Without wasting any more minute I took her towards the nearer bed while the doctors rushed her into emergency ward
“We need to run a few tests.” My hands balled under my pockets at the doctor’s words. I signed myself as her guardian, and sat on the nearest bench, with huge patches of Reverie’s blood staining my clothes. This wasn’t what I quite imagined. All I wanted was some peaceful drinks and some time for myself, and when I finally shooed her away from my brain she came at me with guns in her head and a crazy blood bath.
“You should get checked too” Ashton spoke pointing at the dried scrapes on my arms.
“I’m fine, did you inform the cops?”
“Yep they’ll be here any minute now” Ashton replied rubbing his face. “Why would she jump in that scene instead of calling the cops?” his irritation was evident, I kept silent as the thought awoke unexplained fury inside me, and yes if not for us reaching on the right time. Her dress was almost going to be ripped and God knows how filthily they could’ve raped much worst kill her.
“Damn this Reverie Ames!!” I released a frustrated grunt. How can she be this stupid? Running right into trouble? By dealing with cases I knew how much these street criminals were dangerous. They robbed, raped and murdered people out of poverty. Yesterday was such a nightmarish experience I witnessed. We rescued the boy too, he had bruises beyond imagination.
She was really one problematic woman. Yet a corner of my heart couldn’t imagine her blood stained face. Her pale lips and uneven breathes, the way her body felt fragile in my arms as I lifted her. A doctor sterilised my arm, checking for any scraped wounds while I sat straight, my mind a haywire of thoughts in the process. By the time I got bandaged her wounds were taken care of, and an IV drip kept pumping glucose into her veins. Few minutes passed before the doctor emerged out of the ER making my already unsettled heartbeats run a crazy ass marathon. “We did run few tests and most of her wounds are scrapes and blisters.” A small insect fluttered my heart until the man started speaking again. “But I’m afraid she has a concussion, a severe one.” Back to running the marathon. “We need to observe her for a few days until her condition improves.”
“Do whatever it takes Doc. But please make sure she’s safe and sound.” It took Ashton’s surprised smile, the doctor’s adorned look, the nurse’s awestruck state and a whole minute before I realised my mistake. Those weren’t my words, those weren’t my sentiments, nothing I said or did was mine at this moment. It was like a bullet which cannot be taken back before I steadied myself. “Umm.. take care of her.” Lame
The night went by us resting on the benches while the doctors kept Reverie under observation. Even though she was fine her concussion needed further tests before. I took peeks into her ward, she laid unconscious with machines beeping in the background. Her head was wrapped with white bandages.
The goons were taken under custody with the charges of half murder and molestation with more such cases against them. The cops interrogated us along with Fred, the guy informed the police that they were money lenders and because he was crossing more deadlines they finally reached him with guns. My eyes narrowed at such cruel life of the poor, the boy was hardly 18 and yet he faced death if Reverie had not jumped into the situation. My mind again wandered at the sight of her, even in her unconsciousness she looked soo pure. “Noo” I rubbed my face in annoyance, you have to be kidding me??
Reverie
*Bang*
My eyes shot open at the firing sounds, they threatened my life, metal pressed against my forehead. I knew this was going to be it. The end of my story, a journalist who died young saving a young boy. Darkness enveloped me when a hand emerged pulling me out. A voice so worried yet so assuring, the face I couldn’t quite make out it was familiar yet very distant. My closed again but this time with a light following me around. Soon the darkness faded into the morning sun, it’s rays penetrated through the curtained windows comforting me that the day was here. I blinked several times lying in the same position. Unable to process anything as my eyes blankly stared into the unknown ceiling. Where was I? A hospital? It was too fancy to be one.
I moved my eyes around the room registering the surroundings, machines, an IV drip, yep I was in a hospital. After getting this brand new information, the poignant scenes from the other night came flashing before my eyes. I sprung up on the bed. The Intensity so much that it further intensified an already residing headache. “Ouch!” I hissed in pain holding my head. My fingers grazed the gauze draped around my head.
“You’re up.” The nurse came out of nowhere and rushed towards me, examining my eyes, blaring me with several questions. She then took a quick sprint towards the door which I guessed was to call the doctor.
“She’s awake” a wide smile spread across his face as the doctor looked at me again. “How are you feeling Miss Ames?”
“Great, minus the ugly headache and an unbearable smell.” I answered with a wide smile of my own. I couldn’t control my tongue but I had to keep a smiling face, one wrong needle and I was done for.
Half an hour passed and the painful ordeal started with him checking my vitals, giving me heads up about my condition. I got a moderate concussion even though I lost my consciousness for a while. I nodded faintly with a weak smile. My phone got lost so I couldn’t reach out to my friends and even office. I took some more rest before the doctor informed me about the cops who needed my confession. And that too ended tiring me completely. The concussion was far more better than this interrogation I thought
Cops informed me about lanky boy’s stable and well condition and my heart couldn’t be more happy that I could at least save his life. Poor soul he was about to be killed. A faint smile spread across my lips. “Thank you miss Ames, we did write your confession, that would be enough.” Officer George was cooperative enough to let me rest, cutting our interrogation short.
“What if those guys come for him again?” I asked, of course now that he had no family and no where to go what would happen? The lenders might chase him again and I can’t leave him at that place like an open offer on the dark web.
“You need not worry Miss Ames, Mr. Carter took his responsibility. He even offered Fred his college fees. Lucky guy” The man spoke with a smile, he heaved a sigh completing all of his mild interrogation and then left shutting the door behind, leaving questions to surface in my already aching head. I didn’t hear Carter right?
“Mr. Carter? Who ?” I tried hard to think hard about all the Carters in my memory list, and only one pain in the neck Carter came to my mind. “No! That can’t be him” I laughed this assumption off, the world was big enough and there were a million with the same last name. The bubble of misunderstanding popped, the assumption proved correct and for the first time I hated being right. The mild headache which I was feeling took an ugly form with it’s branches and stems spreading all over my skull, watching him walk towards me. “You!” My voice pitched higher. Alanis Carter? The Alanis who was a prickly thorn in my life, whose words riled ninety percent of my blood and whose face I was least expecting to see today. I doubted if the sedatives kicked in early and I was hallucinating. But it that was him in his annoying glory.
“Not a nice way to welcome someone who saved you from getting killed.” The man smirked, his humourless laugh echoed in the room. And suddenly the picture of the man last night got clearer in my mind, it was him. Those warm hands belonged to him, that voice! That damn silky voice which lulled me back to sleep belonged to him. I couldn’t curse my circumstances enough as he was the same man. My head started spinning again. The slight cripple of the shirt and light stubble rose suspicions that he indeed stayed in the hospital for me but a sane part of my brain laughed at that idea.
“You saved me? Why?” I asked with my sharp tone. I should’ve been thankful but seeing him in flesh brought nothing as close to gratitude.
“I wish I had the politest way to say this but, unfortunately I was at the scene and some mad woman ran into her own death.” He stated the obvious, but stupid? Me?
“And you were stupid enough to jump after a mad woman?” I asked back, every time a thank you for yesterday and sorry for that day came up my throat it was suppressed by a sassy reply. Goodness that damn smirk washed off his face, and I could see his eyes flaring up but nothing came in response. I raised my eyebrow at his direction waiting for his anger filled reply but to my surprise, the exasperation died down quickly as he came closer taking me aback. He took two strides just two strides and suddenly the distance from door to my bed seemed small. Our proximity changed with our faces just inches apart, his hot breath blew at my cold shudders as I drew backwards. Our eyes contacting in a manner I quite couldn’t understand. His jaw set in a perfect angle, Alanis this close was devastatingly gorgeous and I was sure anything that machine showed about my heartbeats had nothing to do with my health, but him.
“Be thankful for that day and today that you’re in this condition, you won’t be lucky next time” Those were the words he spouted before handing me the medics, and stormed out of the room just like he came, leaving nothing but a gush of red hot blood which tipped my nose crimson behind. I threw the bag away feeling totally at loss of sanity.
YOU ARE READING
RED HOPES
General FictionIn the world of right and wrong he has everything under control but looses the balance when it comes to her. Two Cs, charming and cunning which goes hand in hand with his personality, Alanis Carter is a well established lawyer known for his reputat...
