Electrical Storm

Chapter 11

Darkness surrounds me. I can hear but not see. I want to know what's going on.

"Anne, PLEASE PLEASE! Just wake up I miss you."

"Mr. Mullen it's been a month since she went into a coma. Her chances are slim."

"Yeah Lars. You need to come back to Ireland. Get the girl out of your head. Stay with me and Ali for a while. I'm sorry this happened. But if she doesn't wake up in the next week her dad says he doesn't want to put her through the pain she's currently in." I recognized the voice as Bono's I don't know who this Ali is.

What do you mean!! I think to myself and wait I haven't been awake in a month!! What the fuck happened!!! Oyi and I have a FUCKING headache.

I am finally able to force my eyes open just enough to see everyone. Mullen's eyes are blood shot. Bono a woman with jet black hair and a man I presume is a doctor are all around Larry. My question is where is my dad? I yawn which gets everyone's attention. They are all staring at me like I'm a lunatic or something.

"Was that you Anne?"

"Yes, it was Mullen."

"My God do you sound like crap." The woman shot Bono a look Mullen glared at him.

"What it's true." Bono walks over to me and gives me a hug. It hurt so much I started to cry.

"See what you did Bono!!" Mullen screamed.

"I'm fine Mullen."

"Well I'll be damned than why are you crying?"

"My chest hurts"

"Well if I were you I'd image it would. And wonder by the fuck I haven't killed someone for pain meds." I giggled which hurt more. But I made Mullen (who I've only seen smile once) smile.

His smile made me beam even bigger, even though it hurt like shit. I feel Mullen's warm hand grip mine and it feels good to know he's there. He turns to everyone else but never takes his hand off mine.

"Can Anne and I have a minute?"

"Sure!" exclaims Bono happily as Ali and the doctor leave and he sits down, watching us intently.

"Alooone..." Mullen hints with a smile.

"Fiiiiiiine! See yeah then Larry," he says as he leaves.

Mullen turns to me and asks seriously, "Do you remember?"

"Remember what?" I ask, totally clueless.

"I guess that's a no... Do you remember what happened? Uh, with your brother?"

Suddenly a wave of memories floods back in overwhelming amounts with equally demoralizing information about the past few months. I see everything that my brother and aunt did to me.... and to Mullen. I look up at him and see what I was afraid of seeing; a long scar from his chin to his eyebrow on the left side of his face. As I close my eyes, warm tears stream down my face.

"Anne," Mullen kneels next to me and rubs my tears away with his finger," you remember, don't you?"

"Uh-huh" I respond with a nod

.

"What do you remember?" he asks as he kisses me lightly on the forehead.

"The note, on the street post, and him and me making you come with me to see him. He had men come take us in the van and to a place. I remember... I," the tears started coming fast and furiously hot and I opened my eyes to see his eyes, filled with tears, looking into mine," the abuse. The beatings, the lack of food and water and being so cold and hurting. I remember hurting worse than ever and... you."

"Me?"

"You were... they gave you the option to leave without me but you didn't go and then they hurt you. You were forced to work and they tried experiments on you and your eyes. They always looked like they were filled with hate," I saw him close his eyes and slowly open them and a tear fell. Only one.

"You... remember everything?" he asked and looked down at the floor.

I nod and then scream," Oh Mullen why didn't you go?! They gave you a chance and then hurt you and gave you more chances but you didn't even think before saying no!! Why didn't you leave?" I whispered the last part.

He looked up but he had a blank look in his eyes. It was like one of those that people have when they seem to be looking right through you.

"I couldn't go, Anne."

"You could have gotten help."

"They told me it was your life for sure or a chance of both of ours. We at least had a chance and I wasn't gonna leave you."

"Mullen, they would have killed us if my dad hadn't come with the military."

The doctor came back in and said Mullen needed to go because he had some more tests he needed to run on me.

"And I loved you too much to leave you Anne," said Mullen as he stood up to leave.

He walked to the door, opened it and turned to me. Before he turned to leave I saw one more tear fall from his eye and roll down his face. Then the world went black.

_*_*_*_*_

I wake and the light in my room hurt my eyes while knife like pains pierce my brain. In the corner of the room I see Mullen asleep on a chair with rings under his eyes.

"Hiya!" Bono bellows enthusiastically from behind me, causing me to have a miniature heart attack.

"Lord... Bono you scared the shit out of me!" I yelp.

"Shhhhhh... he's sleeping," he says pointing to Mullen.

"I can see that. Why isn't he in a bed somewhere?"

"He's been here since your surgery. He was outside the door for a while and stayed up all night pacing around the waiting room until the doctor would let him in. When he sat down he fell fast asleep."

"Wait, I had my surgery a day ago?"

"Yep!" Bono jovially replies, waking Mullen up.

Mullen rubs his eyes and asks groggily," What is it Bono? I swear you're like a puppy and let Anne sleep."

"Mornin' Mullen," I rejoinder and in about two seconds he is by my side.

"You feeling okay?" he asks and Bono looks at us and leaves.

"No but I guess better than before."

"Anne, tell me exactly what happened to you. I need to know," he says in a serious voice with a solemn face to match.

"Why Mullen?"