Against All Odds

Chapter 33

Lucas

There's a beeping beside me.
Oh god, I know what that means.
My eye lids feel heavy. In fact my whole body feels like weights.
"Lucas?" A voice comes from next to me and someone squeezes my hand. "Luc please wake up. I need you."
I need you.
I need you.
That voice. That hauntingly beautiful voice. But it's distant.
I feel like I'm sinking, unable to reach her voice.

~~~

When I wake for real I'm greeted by Harvey and Leo.
"Good to have you back man." Harvey smiles from next to me but he's tense.
"W-what happened?" I croak, my throat dry. As I try to sit I wince.
"You're in hospital Luc." He sighs, preventing me from sitting up any further. "What do you remember?"
I frown, racking my brains. Everything is blurry.
"Dad found out I've been working with the police. He got mad." I rub my forehead which has began to ache.
"Yeah, he beat you to within an inch of your life." Leo informs me softly. "He'd have killed you had Harper not-"
"Eve? Is she OK? Did he hurt..." I start to sit up again but get overcome with physical pain all over my body. Letting out a groan, I fall back uselessly onto the bed.
"Eve is fine...kind of." Leo nervously glances at Harvey. "She should probably tell you herself."
"What is it?" I demand weakly.
"Look, I'll go and get Eve OK?" Leo offers and I nod.
Over the next few minutes nurses and doctors come in, running various tests too see if I'll live.
They told me once I'm ready there's a detective wanting to speak with me.
Good old detective Russell. I wonder if the information I'd given him was enough to build up a strong case against Dad.
Eve comes in once everyone's left. It's just us two and I can't help but notice her eyes are dull, even when she offers me a small smile.
She's still beautiful though. She still manages to make my heart race faster which is kind of obvious thanks to the beeping beside me.
"Hey." I say softly.
"Hey." She replies just as quietly, sitting on the chair next to my bed. "I'm glad you're awake."
"Same although I feel like shit." I admit. "My throat feels like its been run over by a truck."
"Well that's probably thanks to your Dad strangling you." Eve tells me and I frown slightly. "Do you remember what happened?"
"Only bits." I shrug.
There's a pause as Eve takes a deep breath. I place my hand over hers causing her eyes to flicker to mine.
"I was in my room, I heard shouting. I looked into your room and Malcolm had you pinned to the wall. I phoned the police then ran into your house. He chucked you down the stairs. You were out cold. He had a gun..." Eve swallows and I see tears threatening to spill. "I persuaded him not to shoot you. He was handing me the gun when...when..."
Eve pauses, her breathing shaky.
"If it's too hard..."
"No it's OK." She composes herself. "Max and Benji had been out. When they got home and I wasn't there, Benji ran over to your house. He wanted to see you. When he burst through the front door...your Dad...he..."
Now Eve is crying. Tears flowing down her face. I comfort her, still not sure what happened. Was Benji hurt?
"Your Dad shot Benji." Eve cries. Her words are like a punch to my gut. I stare at her, waiting for her to laugh at me and tell me this is all some sort of sick joke. "He's in a coma, the doctors say it's unlikely that he'll..."
"He'll survive." I say, my voice wobbly. "Eve look at me." I force myself into a seated position and take Eve's hand in my own. "Your little brother is the strongest of us all, you'll see."
She nods softly, unable to speak.
"Come sit beside me, I always sleep better when you're with me princess." I move my body over and she doesn't put up a fight. She climbs next to me and buries her head in my chest, clenching the material of my hospital gown in her shaking hands.
I don't care that her head makes my chest ache. I barely feel my injuries at all. Knowing little Benji is in such a life threatening situation is the only thing on my mind.
Eve's sobs lessen as she begins to fall asleep.
I, however, have no intention of sleeping. The next time a nurse comes in I ask her if the detective is still here.
"He is, are you up to talking?" She seems hesitant. When I nod she glances at Eve's sleeping form. "Her brother wants to talk to you as well."
"What?" I question, confused because I thought Benji is in a coma.
"The older one." The nurses eyes are full of pity aimed at Eve and I feel stupid for not remembering her older brother. "You're lucky to be alive Mr Jackson, don't forget that."
She exits the room before I can give her a reply which I'm glad about since I have no clue what to reply to that. It's true I'd been beaten pretty bad, the memories are starting to come back to me. The moment I go blank is when Dad had thrown me down the stairs. Apparently I'd hit my head on the way down which knocked me out.
Not that I really care about my injuries. If I'm being honest, I wish I was in the coma right now, not Benji.
"Lucas, you had me worried." Detective Russell breaks me out of my thoughts and I put a finger to my lips, motioning to Eve who is still sleeping beside me.
"What happened with the papers?" I ask intently, keeping my voice low.
"I'm happy to say all the information on the papers you gave me were correct." Detective Russell is looking rather pleased with himself. "The location of the boats docking carrying drugs was right. We've made over twenty arrests, including your father. He wasn't there at the time. He was arrested as soon as the police got to your house, hasn't seen anything but the inside of a prison cell since. The evidence of his involvement you gave me was enough to send him down for fifteen plus years. What with recent events it's likely to be much longer than that."
There's a pause while I let this information sink in. He's in prison. My Dad is in prison.
"What's he being charged with?" My voice sounds like a mixture of relief and disbelief.
"Drug dealing of class A drugs and two cases of attempted murder." The detective's pleased expression darkens slightly. "You should have told me he was abusing you."
"He wasn't..." I start but quickly get shot down.
"Don't cover for him Lucas." He warns sadly so I keep my mouth shut. "The doctors said your body has suffered serious trauma for a few years now. Battered ribs and scars. You should have told me. I never realised he'd go this far with his own son."
"He had to be brought down." I reply, my mind wondering back to Eve's innocent little brother. "I just didn't realise the cost would be so big."
"Neither of us realised." The older man sighs, also thinking about Benji. "If that poor boy doesn't pull through I'll never forgive myself for not putting Malcolm Jackson in jail earlier."
"So...what happens to me now?" I try to change the subject because I feel overwhelming guilt weighing me down.
"Your mother wants you to go and live with her." Detective grimaces and I crack a slight smile at his reaction to my Mum. "Charming women I might add."
"Tell me about it."
"Seeing as you're eighteen, legally you are free to live in your own." The detective offers me a supportive smile. "If you ever need a place to kip for the night, give me a buzz."
I thank him as he hands me a card, learning his first name for the first time.
"Your name is Bob?" I stifle a laugh.
"Please don't make a builder joke or I'm going to forget that offer." He purses his lips and shakes his head. "Believe me I've heard them all." Bob the detective reaches his hand out and I shake it. "It's been a pleasure Lucas Jackson, I'm glad I'm not sending you to prison." He begins to walk out of my room but just as he reaches the door he turns around. "Oh, and one more thing. I've been promoted for my success with this case. They've offered me the opportunity to mentor a person to be my partner. If you would consider it I'd be honoured to mentor you."
With that unexpected offer, he leaves and I shake my head in wonder.