Innocent Fugitive

One Less

Teresa's parents had come and gone by now. She had told them the truth of course, there was no other way. Her father had not been pleased at all and her mother had been extremely stressed, but they had agreed to keep it quiet. 

Teresa got up from her bed. She was allowed to do that now, the doctors had said. 

She stared out the window. The air seemed fresher in here, it was almost as if the air got fresher in places that healed. 

Her phone buzzed. She turned around and picked it up. 

"Hello?"  

"Hi, how are you?" It was Margo, Teresa could tell as Margo didn't need to say who she was when she called.

"Fine. I'm not dead, so to say. Where are you? Are you and Bella all right?" she asked, worry flowing over her like a tsunami.

"Yeah, we'll live. We just need a couple days rest, that's all. I mean, Bella got a bloody knife shoved in her shoulder and she's handling it better than me and I only got a gash on my arm. Anyway? Are you able to meet us if I tell you where we are?"  Margo rambled on. She wasn't shy about speaking her mind.

"Yeah, maybe." Teresa replied unsure. 

"What do you mean?" Margo inquired. But before Teresa could answer, she added, "Oh! And before I forget, do you know who it was that shot you? And do happen to know what happened to Carlo after you got shot?" 

"Margo, for one, no, I don't know what happened to Carlo and I don't care either." Teresa was about to say more, when Margo interrupted again. 

"What? Why? I thought you two were really close!" Margo protested. If there was one thing Margo disliked more than sport, it was two extremely close friends splitting up. 

"Margo," Teresa said again, "I don't care because he was the one who shot me."

- - - 

Bella was sitting in her hospital room alone. Well, not quite alone. Joseph was also there, sitting silently, staring out the window. Bella looked around at her surroundings. It wasn't much, just her bed, the chair on which Joseph was sitting on, a small coffee table that had dying flowers placed upon it and the plain grey walls. 

How depressing. Bella thought back as far as her thoughts would go when her father had still been around. Bella was still a young girl then, but she could still remember the way her father smelled of cigarettes and beer. Her room had been a bright blue, and the walls decorated with all sorts of things. Her bed was decorated with a colourful blanket and many stuffed toys and pillows. Bella smiled to herself. That was a room that she had been happy to go home to. This room reminded her of the room she currently lived in. The blue paint, peeled and faded, the bed's sheets replaced with plain white ones that had greyed over time and the stuffed animals that had been sold by her mother to fund her drinking habits. That room wasn't home any more. 

She looked over at Joseph, who still was looking out the window. What is so interesting out there that you can stare at it continuously? He obviously didn't notice her looking at him as he didn't even flinch when she turned her head fully. She couldn't help but notice that since she had last seen him, he had certainly grown up a bit. His jaw was more shaped and his chest and shoulders and broadened. Even though she couldn't see his eye properly, she just see the soft brown glinting in the sunlight. His dark hair seemed to need a haircut, but she knew that if anybody bothered to tell him so, he would just shrug carelessly. 

"It's been a while since we've actually had the chance to chat." Bella startled him and he looked over in her direction.

"I suppose it has." He replied shrugging. He had a way of making everything he talked about into something unimportant.

"I guess I owe you an apology. I have been a little rough on you lately," Bella didn't really like apologising at all, but this time, she really didn't care.

"Nah. I suppose I haven't been acting my age some of the time. I know this whole law breaking stuff is new for you and all." Joseph said kindly. When he wanted to be, Joseph could be a real gentleman.

"Yeah," Bella laughed a little as she spoke. "Although... how do you plan on getting us to New York?" 

"I know a guy." was all Joseph would say.

- - -

"What? Carlo is the one who shot you?? You couldn't have at least started this conversation with that?" Margo was stressing out now. She paced around the room. She had less serious wounds than Bella, so she was already allowed to be up and running. Not that she was planning on doing any running.

"What, you wanted me to start the conversation with 'Carlo shot me' instead of 'hello'?" Teresa's voice came over the phone in a sarcastic manner.

"No, you know what I mean." Margo sighed. This wasn't unusual for Teresa to make a sarcastic remark in a serious situation. Sometimes, Teresa was a bit too optimistic for her own good. 

"I know. But any way, I've been thinking, and I don't think I'll be coming back. I have to look after my family now. They know. I told them. And now they could be in danger because of it. Margo, I have to stay home with my family." Teresa said sadly, making Margo stagger a bit. 

"Teresa... Are you sure you wanna do this?..." Margo knew Teresa well enough by now that if Teresa had her mind set on one thing, it wouldn't change until she changed it.

"Yes. I'm sorry Margo. Tell Bella too, won't you?" Teresa pleaded.

"Of course. You be safe, Teresa." Margo answered heavily.

"You too." Teresa replied and with that, she ended the call.

Margo stood there unsure of what to do. Pretty much all her life, Teresa had been standing beside her more than anyone else in the world. She was the most loyal companion one could wish for.

But Margo never thought that Teresa would leave the Fugitives.