The Heroes We Weren't

Chapter 18 - A Needless Needle

The strained atmosphere between the three of us could have been popped like a balloon animal gone wild; my own presence being the needle. The door to the office was still ajar but Adam hadn't come out to greet his visitor; respecting the private meeting between Hyun-Soo and Miranda (in difference from my own needle-like-self).

"You said-" Hyun-Soo's disbelief of their unexpected meeting shone through with his stutter, "-You said you were with Joanne today."

Miranda seemed to have accepted the fact that her bruise had already been seen by the two of us, and so she hadn't put her sunglasses back on. Her chin kept down, allowing her hair to cover the sides of her face and therefor parts of her wound - she restlessly fumbled with her bag. Half accepted, I should have said.

"The detective," her voice was just as frail as before; every word seemed to gnaw onto her last drop of energy, "he helps me."

Hyun-Soo placed his hands in his jeans pockets before her threw a quick gaze over his shoulder. Adam was still seated by his desk.

"With what exactly?" Hyun-Soo asked. "Your lawyer took care of it already, no? Your therapist is patching the pieces back together, yeah? So why a detective?"

"He'll find out more-" she opened her purse to rid her restless hands of her sunglasses, "about Rick."

Hyun-Soo let out a scornful laugh.
"Except for the fact that Rick is a dick, what else is there to find?"

She finally raised her chin to gaze back at him. She narrowed her eyes and pursed her mouth.

"Stop it." She ordered him and his laugh immediately faded. "I think Rick is ill. The detective will help me prove it and then I'll get him the help he needs. Rick won't admit it to the doctors, you see - that he's ill."

As she adjusted the strap of her bag by her shoulder, the sleeve of her coat moved to reveal her wrist. Hyun-Soo hurriedly but gently grasped onto her hand, raised her arm like that of a muscle-less puppet and pulled her sleeve up even further.

Round, several, dark blue; The bruises showed of where someone had violently pressed their fingers onto her skin, against her will.

"Again?" Hyun-Soo asked, the despicable sight before us had washed hatred down his throat and revulsion therefore lingered around every vowel of his speech.

"Your lawyer helped you with the restraining order-" he began, "and yet you keep going to him?" He let her go and agitatedly ran his hand through his hair.

She brushed her sleeve back down to cover up the truth, but let him know the answer to his question with the tiniest of nods. He smacked his lips, turned in a circle and gazed back into Adam's office.

Every nerve of his body was getting worked up, I could tell from the way he continuously snapped his fingers. From the way he couldn't keep still, his feet, knees, hips - he was moving in place. He then ran his teeth over his lip before he slammed his fist against the still open door.

I could tell. Him, her, they had been through this discussion many times before - He had been there to support her, been there to keep her away from this man named Rick, and yet, time after time, she would not listen.

He wasn't angry with her, only disappointed - His anger was fully aimed towards himself, for not being able to help - I could tell.

Now Sam wouldn't have stood a chance against this man. Under gun threat, he had only stuttered. Under the roof of his empty house, he had only mumbled. Yet now, blood dripped from his bruised knuckles. Even Sam wouldn't have stood a chance against this man.