Ache

The Price of Love

After what seemed like forever, Anthony was finally placed in a holding cell. He looked at his ink covered fingertips, his picture had been taken, he had been placed in a room and they questioned him for hours. Questions like:
"What did he do to the little girl?"
"How could a 45 year old man be so disgusting as to touch an innocent 15 year old child like that?"
...they threatened him, told him he was going to go away for decades and once he was convicted and put in jail, the other inmates would just love getting their hands on him. But Anthony only said one thing, over and over again as they battered him with threats and questions,

"Anthony P. Miner, 25 Wysteria Ln. Apt. 425, Seattle WA and I want my lawyer."

But the booking office said it was Sunday. "Sunday?" He shook his head in disbelief. Last thing he remembered, it was Friday. He wondered how it had been almost 3 complete days. The drugs and booze were out of his system now, but everything was still a blur, details were foggy, and Anthony was suddenly exhausted. He lauded back on the merger bunk in his cell, and drifted off to sleep, a sleep filled with dreams of a naked Cassie and very nasty sex.

Anthony awoke to the sound of a jail cell door loudly clanking shut and an officer shouting his name to get up, showers in 10 minutes.

Feeling refreshed, Anthony sat up in the cloths he had slept in and waited for his cell door to open. About 10 minutes later, a guard came by and instructed Anthony to stand up, instructed him to face the back of his cell and walk backwards with his hands behind his back until told to stop. Anthony did as instructed, was told to stop, and felt the cold steel of handcuffs close around his wrists. The cell door opened and he was led down the hall to an elevator, where they stopped. The elevator doors stubbornly opened and closed behind them. 3 floors down, the doors stubbornly opened again to a workout center in the basement of the jail house. They crossed the center to the far wall where "Locker Room" was painted on the wall. Once inside, Anthony saw the the showers, was uncuffed and directed to take a shower, so Anthony followed the short hallway and followed the arrows pointing towards the "Men's Locker Room/Showers". As he entered the shower area he paused.... An uneasy feeling swept over him. He turned the last corner to the showers with his uneasiness growing, was just about to stop, when he was punched in the stomach and crumbled to the floor. A hood was placed over his head, some thick black cloth, making it impossible for Anthony to see who his attacker(s) were. Over and over again, he was hit, kicked, and he distinctly heard 3 voices calling him a pervert, child molester, piece of shit, and promises of something like this every day he was in jail! A foot stomped down on his arm, he let out a scream of pain as the dull "crack" of his forearm cracking, another foot hit him in the back and it got very difficult for Anthony to breath. His consciousness started to slip away as his head was repeatedly pummeled. Even in the back hood, he saw stars as he faded into unconsciousness.

....Anthony was so sore as he woke up, barley able to move and felt confined. He moaned, eyes still closed. Slowly, his eyes opened, his vision blurred. Anthony blinked, and blinked, trying to clear his vision. He lifted his right hand to wipe his eyes, but it jerked to a halt barely moving from where it lay, the cold feeling of handcuffs was very familiar against his wrist. Slowly his vision cleared and the glaring, stark white hospital room became clear. He glanced around the room, saw that there was someone asleep in a chair beside his bed, but he couldn't see who because their face was covered by a jacket and legs pulled up. With a start, Anthony realized it was Jen. His heart kept into his throat and he gasped with the sudden pain throughout his body.

Cassie stirred at the sound of his gasp. Slowly, delicately stretched out from under the jacket. Anthony sat breathless as he watched her slight figure, extend and contract. He watched her rub her eyes, then look in his direction. Her eyes looked red and swollen. Her face visibly sank as she look at Anthony. But she didn't say a thing, didn't even acknowledge Anthony. His heart sank, she looked so sad, almost as a reflex, he tried to say her name, but the familiar feeling of not having a voice stole his words before they formed. He jerked his right wrist to make the handcuff clank against the side of his bed. Jan's head jerked towards the sound. Eye wide, filling with tears, her voice barely a whisper,

"Pa.....pa?"

Then louder, "Papa!! Papa!! You're awake! Papa! I was so worried!!"

She launched herself at his bed and planted her little head on his chest, his chest erupted in pain, and his voice returned. Cassie startled by his cry, stood up, she grabbed the nurse call button and smashed it again and again as if her life was depending on it being answered. Then looking at Anthony,

"I'll be right back Papa"

And she bolted out the door of his room, calling at the top of her lungs for a doctor to come see, he's awake! Anthony settled back into the bed, winced, and smiled slightly, realizing, suddenly that he loved Cassie, not liked, not falling in love, but fully and completely IN LOVE with this perfect little princess. "IN Love?? She's 15! What am I doing??!!??" I'm 45! I can't be 'IN LOVE' with this little creature..." Anthony thought to himself.

There was a growing commotion in the hallway and Anthony heard Jan's voice excitedly chattering in the hall. A strikingly attractive, young looking, black Dr walked into the room, a lovely woman, she checked the machines and took his pulse, checked his temp, and looked at his eyes. Anthony whined loudly as she pressed slightly around his eye socket. As soon as the who've was uttered, Cassie flew into the room and positioned herself  between Anthony and the Dr.

The Dr. smiled at Jan and Anthony distinctly heard a low growl from Jan...

"YOU HURT MY PAPA!"

Cassie looked at Anthony, the rage in her eyes, melted and Cassie blushed beat red, turned and walked to the chair in silence.

Anthony tried to say, "Princess, it's alright and Papa is very proud of his little princess." to reassure her, but his voice was stolen by a searing pain shooting through his jaw.

"Good morning Mr. Myner." the Dr said with a barely perceptible Haitian accent. "I'm Dr Janise but everyone calls me Jan." The Dr. said., still smiling.

"You have quite a little guardian, there Mr. Myner."

Cassie suddenly beamed with delight from the chair across the room.

Anthony couldn't help but smile at the thought of his princess' possessively watching over him. It filled him with pride and reinforced the feeling of love that filled his heart.

The Dr, continued to talk,

"You presented with a broken left arm, a hairline fracture in your right leg, a broken right eye socket, and fractured jaw. Can you tell me how your pain level is?"

Anthony thought for a few seconds and tried to say he felt sore everywhere, but again, searing pain silenced his voice.

And Dr. Janise held out a chart with the smiley faces on it. And Anthony indicated which face represented his pain level as just below crying. But he held his face stoically so as not to upset his little guardian again.