Protected

Shattering Pain

       I turned slowly around and found myself face to face with Boss. His two-colored eyes gleamed. "We're leaving for California now. Smalls went ahead. I guess that I'm going to have to handle you."
His voice was strangely calm, but I could hear harshness behind it and I was terrified.
"P-p-please." I said, but that's all I got out. He grabbed me roughly by my left arm and twisted it behind my back.
I screeched and Carson launched himself forward, "Don't hurt her sir!"
But he was shoved aside. "I'm taking her to the trailer," Boss said in that same, quiet, creepy voice. "You are going to follow me."
I glanced over my shoulder and could see Syd. He looked indifferent, he could care less what happened to us. I felt a pang inside and was overwhelmed. We've really lost him. 
Boss kept my arm pinned behind my back and jerked me toward the trailer. "If either of you try any funny business, Syd is dead. I have no qualms about shooting him, even though he's my partner."
His voice remained calm. He shoved me out toward the trailer. Picking me up, he shoved me in. I lost my balance and threw up my arms to catch my fall.
Crack! I felt pain explode up my right arm and I screamed. It was excruciating and I felt it taking over all my senses. I curled up in a tight ball on the floor, tears streaming down my face. My vision was dimming and the pain was coursing through my veins like fire.
"Lexi!" I heard Carson shout and I could hear Boss laughing. Carson came running into the trailer. I felt strong arms grab me and cradle my head against his shoulder before the door was slammed and we were in darkness.
I sobbed into Carsons shoulder and he held me gently and let me cry. "Ssh." He whispered in my ear. "I'm not going to say it's ok, because it's not. But I'll protect you. I won't let him hurt you like that again."
I slowed my sobs, but tears pouring from under my closed eyelids. I leaned my head forward and rested it on his chest, where I could hear his heart. The pain had not dulled, it was sharp as ever. We sat there like that, him holding me gently, me cradling my shattered arm and tears streaming.

I don't know how much time passed, but I do know that I lost my hold on reality.
I'm not sure if I cried myself to sleep or blacked out but I know that my pain stopped and I couldn't hear, see, or smell. When I woke up, the pain was there just as insistently and I wished I would black out again.
"Hey Sleeping Beauty." Carson whispered in my ear. "How's your arm?"
I groaned. "It's killing me." Another tear slipped out of my eye and a sob escaped my throat. "I just want this nightmare to be over!" I exclaimed. "I miss my family, I miss the treehouse, I miss Bryce, Nate and the old Syd. Heck, I even miss being bullied by Sandra Bearnes. It signifies normality."
I was crying hard again by now. "I wish I could undo everything. I wish I hadn't seen that car and hadn't been curious. I wish I hadn't brought Syd or he wouldn't be smoking marijuana right now! This is all my fault!"
I was sobbing into Carson's shoulder. He took my chin and tilted it toward where his face was but was too dark to see. He placed his hand on my cheek and wiped my tears with his thumb.
"Listen to me, Lexi." He said, "This is not your fault. Yes, you led Syd and I here, but we could've stopped you."
I could hear him smile. "Well, maybe we couldn't have, but believe me. No one blames you. Syd's got his marijuana so he's probably glad, and I don't blame you. Okay? Please Lexi it's okay."
I calmed down, but tears continued. "It hurts. I wish I had a light to look at it."
Carson replied, "No you don't. Your arm would probably scare you." At that moment the car came to a stop and the trailer door opened.
I blinked into a bright flashlight, and saw Syd standing there grinning.
"I knew you two had a fling. Get out. Bathroom break. It's midnight, so no one will be here. Lexi, if someone is in there and you talk, I have orders to break your other arm and I wouldn't hesitate."
Carson pulled away his arms from around me and leaped up, stormed over to Syd, and jabbed his finger in Syds face.
"You lay another finger on her, bum, and I lay you out."
Boss ambled around the side of the trailer and said, "You watch where you're steppin' boy, that's my man you're talking to."
Carson backed off and I walked to the women's side of the rest stop, trying to ignore the burning, throbbing in my arm.
When I got to the light, I took a deep breath and looked down. I fell to my knees, gasping for air. My arm looked like there were no bones. It was twisted and mangled. My bones must be weakened from my unhealthy diet! I shattered it!
I heard Carson run up and kneel next to me. "Lexi what's the matter? Talk!"
I gasped again and just held my arm out. He paled, and I felt bile rising in my throat. I stumbled over to some bushes and threw up.

We were in the trailer. Boss had denied me medical assistance. As we continued our long journey to Cali, all I could think about was pain, shattering pain.