Living on Borrowed Time

Chapter Thirteen

     "I think he's waking up." A familiar voice says. Jane? I try opening my eyes but only one opens, my left one.
"Ahh..." I quietly groan with pain. My entire face is numb.
"Bruce?" Jane calls out from my right, but I can't see her. I can't turn my head, it hurts too much to try.
"Bruce? It's Sammy." Sammy says from my right as well, "Bruce, your eye is too swollen for you to open it. I'm going to have to drain the some of the fluid out."
"Hhh..." I struggle to speak as a wheeze comes out, "How?"
"Umm..." Sammy hesitates, "I'm going to have to slice your eyelid open."
"Oh..." I reply, not sure why I asked seeing how my mind isn't clear and I can't seem to process information clearly "That's cool, go ahead."
"Ok, try to sit perfectly still." Sammy says. I can't feel my body so I don't see that being an issue.
"Aaand... we're done." Sammy says a couple minutes later. My right eye is now open but only about half way. "That's as good as it'll get for now." She says.
"What in the world were you thinking?" Jane asks, slightly leaning over my bed. A few moments after my brain processes what she said I attempt to speak.
"I was... I..." After failing to speak I give up and just slowly shake my head. I don't know what I was doing. What had come over me? I just snapped.

Then, suddenly I realize why I feel the way I do. I try to clear my throat, trying to do so also gets Jane's attention. She stands and walks over to me.
"On... on drugs?" I question. She looks at me, puzzled, but then finally understands what I meant.
"Yes." She nods, "Sammy went to work for Joseph so she could get you the medicine you needed. You were in so much pain before that we had to sedate you." When I hear what she says I try to think, but I can't remember being awake after the blackout.
"Sedated?" I try even harder to get my words out clearly, "How long?"
For a moment there is nothing but silence from her, but then, "...three day." Three days is her reply. Suddenly my heart begin to beat fast. Three days? Where David? Where's Johnny? And Zoe? Trying to overcome the numbness I toss the blanket off of myself with my right hand. As I slowly try to sit up I think, 'My legs may be numb, but they still work. I can make them work'.
"Bruce what are doing!" Jane asks, "You need to rest."
"Take me... to Joseph!" I growl through my horrible physical state. She just walks around the bed and throws my right arm around her neck and stands me up. My legs aren't fully numb, I realize this as pain shoots through my legs. They're not completely numb... but the pain makes me wish they were. I hold my left forearm against my ribcage, as if cradling my pained ribs with help the pain ho away, but of course it doesn't.
"Take me to that bastard." I growl through the pain.

"Joseph!" I shout as Jane assists my balance. Jane and I enter the heart of Josephs hideout, the back of the hardware store, the loading docks. Its like a mini warehouse. I look straight ahead and an office door creaks open, Joseph slowly comes walking out, the sound of his boots echoes through the large room. Josephs armed workers start approaching from the sides to see what's going on, to see what I have to say.
"The troublemaker lives!" He smiles along with a slow clap, "What can I do for you, troublemaker?"
"Let us leave." I say, still needlessly cradling my ribcage as Jane supports me with my arm around her.
"Why do you want to leave so badly, Bruce?" Joseph questions.
"I'm providing a Sanctuary for these people... for you. Isn't that what you've been looking for all along? Safety for you and yours?"
I shake my head as I swallow, clearing my throat, "Not like this." I say, "You people aren't good people... my people and I can create our own sanctuary."
"Bruce... there's a lot wrong with what you just said. Let me start off by saying I'm hurt that you think we are the bad guys." He says with a sarcastic expression, "I mean, you're the one that beat one of my men senseless, nearly to death." Joseph points to my left. I look over and see the redneck that I beat. His entire face is bruised, cut, and swollen, and his left eye is red with what I assume is a broken blood vessel.
"And two..." Joseph continues, "When you say 'my people', what does that mean exactly?" He questions, "Do you want to take yourself and the others out into harms way because... because you're not in charge?" He looks at me with confusion and pity. Once again I shake my head.
"No... I know what kind of man you are... and I want no part of it." I say.
"Bruce, may you should just..." Jane tries to interfere but I stop her.
"Don't." I say, "I'm trying to do what's best for us."
"You don't know me!" He raises his voice, "Yes, maybe I did force you to come here against your will, but that was for your own good. I'm trying to help you people! Help this town!" Then, everybody's silent for a long moment as Joseph stands there in a puddle of rage.
"You know what, Bruce?" Joseph says, "You can go... you're much more trouble that I expected you to be... but only you."
"What?" I ask.
"You can leave." He repeats himself, slowly approaching me, "Except, only you can leave, but here's the catch... you don't get a choice anymore. You want to leave so badly... so I'll give you what you want." He says, "Troy!" He calls out, "Take Bruce and drop him off somewhere cozy on the other side of town, no weapons... no food... no water." He suddenly pulls out his pistol and bashes me over the head, knocking me out.