Mother of the Spiders: Octagon

9. Old Sam (Thread Two)

[Each chapter of Octagon corresponds to a song that inspired the character and/or story arc. You can listen to each chapter's "song" to gain further insight into the world-building of Gossamer Loom and the people who live there. Chapter 9's "Formation Song" is "Li'l Red Riding Hood" by Sam Sham & the Pharaohs.]

It was already nightfall as the double doors of Kane Hospital's backside slammed shut with a deafening crack, and Elijah Loomridge's body hit the pavement outside. Pain exploded through his body, radiating like shards of glass. He gasped, desperate for air, his vision pulsing with black spots. Dr. Elwood Kane hovered over him, the night air chilling Eli's blood-soaked skin.

Dr. Kane crouched low, his face inches from Eli's. "You get caught sneaking around this hospital again, and I swear, you won't leave this place alive. Got it, fag?"

Eli tried to speak, but his throat was swollen from having been choked earlier. His body trembled, muscles twitching under the strain of Dr. Kane's ass-whoop.  

Dr. Kane smirked. "I bet you could use a hospital right about now," he continued, his voice brimming with malice. "But you check yourself in here, and I'll make sure you don't make it out. One little slip of something lethal into your IV. No one would bat an eye for a fucking waste of space like you."

With that, Dr. Kane turned on his heel and disappeared into the hospital, leaving Eli sprawled on the pavement.

For a long moment Eli just lay there. Each breath felt like broken glass caught in his lungs. He could taste blood on his lips. He could feel the burn of Dr. Kane's choke hold in the back of his throat. He rolled to his side, trying to muster the strength to get up, but his body refused to cooperate.

That's when he saw the spider...

A small, insignificant thing moving in skittering patterns across the pavement. It paused when it reached Eli, as though it was aware of his presence. Eli watched it with a sort of detached fascination, the pain in his body fading to a dull throb as his mind fixated on the tiny creature. It crawled over his hand, then disappeared into the darkness of the parking lot.

Get up. Move.

Gritting his teeth, Eli forced his hands to press down against the concrete beneath him. His legs wobbled as he got to his feet, leaning heavily against the railing of the hospital's back door. Every movement felt like his bones were in a grinder.

But he had to get to Jane's.

He stumbled through the parking lot, but managed to find his car with moderate ease. Dr. Kane had dropped him off at just the right section of the hospital's labyrinthine parking lot. Lucky me, he thought to himself. He opened the door and collapsed into the driver's seat. The world went hazy as he reached for the ignition. Pain rapped at his skull, pulling him in and out of consciousness. His vision blurred. The car roared to life.

Driving felt impossible but he didn't have a choice. With trembling hands, Eli guided the car onto the road that curved its way through Mill's Edge. The streetlights stretched into long, distorted lines. His body screamed at him to give up, but his mind locked onto his destination: The Grove. Jane's house. Jane.

Jane...

*****

The smell of something warm and savory hit Eli before he even opened his eyes. He blinked, the world around him coming into focus slowly. Soft light bathed the room, the faint clatter of dishes echoing from the other side of the door. For a second, he couldn't remember where he was. The pain in his body felt distant, like a bad dream he couldn't quite shake. Then he remembered: Jane had taken him in. Jane was nursing him back to health.