Truth Comes Second

The Visitor

Author's Note: I still can't thank you guys enough! I'm thinking about possibly switching my major to creative writing, but not sure yet. Who knows!

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Julie's POV:

Kenny had managed to get me in and out of a wheelchair for the past couple of days. He had wheeled me to the rehab room, and a physiotherapist, Tessa, would help me try to stand. I'd grab the two bars they had and would pull myself out of the chair. Tessa held onto my back to make sure that I wouldn't topple over.

At first, I tried my best not to put any weight on my bad leg. I pulled myself along, hobbling on my good leg. A strip of fire would run up my thigh whenever my foot touched the ground. I most of the past week in the rehab room with Tessa. She'd stay behind me, encouraging me to add a little more weight to my leg each time. As painful as it was, it was a lot better than being stuck in bed all day.

I picked up Hunter out of his crib and tried my best to wheel us over to the window. It was hard with one hand, and I had to rely on using the bed to pull myself forward so that I didn't keep going in circles.

The flowers strangers had given me were welting, and Kenny hadn't taken them out of the room yet. A few bouquets came in everyday, but the novelty of sending condolences to a person you didn't know had died down.

I turned on the news every night before I went to bed. I tried not to watch it during the day. The nightmare of them reporting Jimmy and Tommy dead haunted me and I couldn't bring myself to turn the television on. The last thing I heard was that they were looking for them in Albuquerque. I really hope that is just a false lead.

I picked Hunter up and kissed his cheek. He giggled and stuck one of his chubby fingers in his mouth. I wondered if he missed Jimmy too.

The sun was starting to set outside, and I heard a faint knock on my door. I looked over my shoulder to see Kenny standing there. He had a tray covered in aluminum in his hands.

"Dinner time," he said.

"What's on the menu tonight?" I asked wryly.

"Only the finest food St-Agatha has to offer." He set the tray down on the table next to my bed. "Meat loaf, mashed potatoes, and corn. Dessert is Jell-O."

I laughed and Kenny gave me a smile. It didn't matter what dinner was, in this place everything tasted the same. It was almost impossible to distinguish between breakfast and dinner.

"You should eat it before it gets cold," he told me.

"I will," I said. "Hunter and I are just watching the sunset."

"Well, enjoy it. I'll come back in an hour to see how you're doing."

"Thank you, Kenny."

I looked back out at the sky to see its mixture of orange and pink streaking through the sky. I cradled Hunter to my chest. My chest ached, but I ignored it.

I began to hum to myself. Turning on the radio became my newest guilty pleasure. Every song that came on was something new and I quickly memorized all the lyrics. I had been singing the same songs for the past two years, and never got to listen to the real melody of them.

My humming was interrupted by voices in the hallway. I looked over my shoulder, but couldn't see anything. I kissed the top of Hunter's head as his big eyes watched the world go by outside.

"Julie," I heard Kenny say.

I looked over my shoulder again to see him poking his head in through the doorway.

"Yes?" I asked.

"Lina's fiancé is here. He says that he has a message from Lina that he needs to give you."

I had barely seen Lina in the past few weeks. She was so busy arranging her wedding that I barely came across her mind. A few nights she has come with a movie, or a bag of greasy food that we used to always eat. When I told her that I planned on moving in with Carrie, her visits stopped dramatically.

"Yeah, no problem," I said.

I turned myself back around so that I was facing the door. As soon as Kenny left, somebody new stepped in.

My heart dropped into my stomach and I clutched Hunter to my chest.

It was Tommy.

He had on a black jacket, and a grey hat was on his head. He was using a silver cane. He walked in with that same damn smirk on his lips. Seeing it made me want to throw up.

I opened my mouth to scream, but he shook his head.

"I wouldn't do that, Jules," he told me.

"What are you doing here?" I asked. My voice came out barely above a whisper.

"I'm just here to visit you."

How did Tommy get in? Wasn't the whole country looking for him? Did he just simply walk into the hospital and ask for me?

On the news, people who talk about Tommy, but they never mentioned what he looked like. The only things they ever mentioned was a six foot guy with short dark hair and brown eyes. That could be thousands of people that live in America. Everyone was looking for the man with the scar. They were all on the lookout for Jimmy, not Tommy.

"I'm going to tell them you're here," I said.

"No you're not," he said.

Tommy got down onto his knees so that we were eye-level with each other. I could feel myself shake and I knew he could tell.

"If I get caught I'm going to tell them all where Jimmy is," he said. "And if I hear on the news that you told the police that I was here, I will turn us both in. You'll never see Jimmy again."

Tommy reached out to touch Hunter. I swatted his hand away and curled Hunter into my body. Tommy chuckled.

"You've been out of the house for only a month and you're becoming a fighter again. I like it," he said.

"What do you want?" I asked.

"It's the same thing that I've always wanted. I want you."