Dark and Dirty Like You've Never Seen

Accusations

[Franks POV]

I stood in the lobby of the hospital pacing back and forth. Nobody’s told me anything yet. What was taking so long? I kept pulling out my phone and checking the time. If anyone were to walk by they would assume I was an expecting dad. You know, if it were the baby part of the hospital, whatever that’s called. Unfortunately, I’m pacing the E.R. lobby.

Finally a doctor stepped out from the double doors.

“Can I see her now? Is she awake?”

“What did you say your relation was again?” The doctor asked ignoring my questions and putting a hand on my shoulder. I shrugged it off.

“I’m her …” I hesitated before deciding on, “boyfriend.” I thought about it. That’s not completely true. I mean, I want to be. That’s what I wanted to talk to her about earlier. I liked how it sounded. Boyfriend.

“Well, unfortunately, I can’t give you any information if you’re not immediate family. If you could get someone here that is actual family, then I could -- ”

Just then the doors to the lobby swung open. I turned to see a guy standing at about five foot eight, maybe ten, and looked like he used to be built like a brick shithouse but is now rocking a small beer gut. He walked up to the doctor I was talking to and butted in like I wasn’t even there.

“Is my daughter, Angela Hutchison here? I’m her father, Jack.” He pulled out his driver’s license to show the doctor. I felt my breathing start to increase and my hands began to burn. So this is the motherfucker who does this shit to her? I looked between him and the doctor. He glanced down at me once with a knowing look on his face. It was like he wanted to laugh at an inside joke that I wasn’t a part of. I had to take a step back from him before I lost my shit.

The doctor asked him to step over to the desk to fill out some paper work before they confirmed anything. I took a deep breath to calm myself before stepping over to the cushioned chairs against the wall and sitting down. I just didn’t get it. They won’t tell me shit, but the guy who put her here walks in and they’re just going to hand her back over to him. Do they even realize she’ll be right back in here once they leave? I can’t even begin to think about what he would do to her for coming here without him. My entire body convulsing.

A few minutes later, her dad joined me on the seats against the wall. Out of the four other seats he could have taken, he chose the one right next to me. I felt myself tense up and I think he did too by the way the smile crept up on his face. I stared straight ahead, avoiding any eye contact with him.

“So, you drove her here?”

I was startled to find his voice wasn’t booming and deep like I thought it was going to be. I kept looking forward when I answered.

“Yes.”

“And you’re the one who drove her to school?”

“Yes.” There was a pause before his next question.

“Do you know what happened?”

“Yes…” I answered without hesitation in a low whisper. I wasn’t afraid of him here in the hospital in front of other people so I decided to see where my boundaries were.

“So you know she broke her hand punching another student at school. A boy. She broke his nose.”

I was caught off guard. I didn’t know that.

“But … I heard her, at your house…”

“You saw her on the floor crying wanting to go to the hospital. I went in the other room to grab her birth certificate and insurance card. When I came out to get her, she was gone.”