Me With Him

Chapter 33

CJ's pov.
Once we got to the hospital Aron was trying to help the police the best he could, but it didn't help that I was completely silent. We called Mrs. Anota and she said she was bringing Dustin right over. She cried and cried at the foot of Carter's bed for hours. She came to me for answers but I couldn't help her. I couldn't talk. Aron tried to help her as best he could but that wasn't much. She left a few hours later because she had work in the morning and the doctors assured her they would call. Dustin stayed in the hospital with me in Carter's room. All of my brothers had come in to see me. They were trying to get me to fill the gaps for the police and the medics. I just couldn't bring myself to relive it all. I just sat at the foot of Carter's bed. Crying, I wouldn't sleep or eat. It'd been three days and despite the doctors assurance he was showing signs of stable improvement I was really scared he wouldn't wake up. I couldn't help it, on the third night I was finally able to drift into an uneasy sleep with an unsettling dream. Actually, it was less of a dream and more of a memory, one that I really didn't want to remember.
Mr. Anota had the gun on Aron, but in a spit second he had it turned to me. I heard the trigger, and I expected the blow. Instead though, Carter had grabbed his fathers arm and jerked it towards himself seconds too late for his dad to stop.
I screamed and woke up in a cold sweat. My scream made Carter stir. The first reaction we've had from him at all. I called the nurse in, she called in three doctors and asked me to try talking to him. I did as I was told.
"He Carter it's C. J." I said leaning closer to him. He groaned and moved his hand.
Doctor 1 muttered something about a miracle. Dr. 2 was wringing his hands and watching the charts. Dr. 3 was instructing the nurse to do a bunch of things. He still wasn't waking up but it was a temporary improvement. I was excited. His mother came in and was talking to him. Dustin was also trying to stir a reaction. A few hours later he stopped reacting to even my voice. He was back to a comatose state. I once again curled up next to him and fell asleep. Back to the nightmare.
Carter fell to the floor bleeding. We rushed over to help but I couldn't do anything. I was just laying on him. I did manage to call 911 and cry into the phone. They tracked our location as Aron was trying to stop the bleeding and give him CPR. There was so much blood. I remember the horrified faces of the children as they watched the bodies being transferred into ambulances.
I was shaken awake.
"C.J. Your crying!" Dustin woke me up.
"It was just a nightmare Dustin I'm fine." I tried to reassure him but I was shaking. He snuggled up next to me and helped me sleep. Or rather watch him do so. I still couldn't sleep and wasn't hungry. Cason came in to see me around noon the next day.
"How ya doing Case?" He asked me, pulling the childhood nickname card.
" I'm fine case." I responded. We have the same childhood nickname. He smiled at me and I made a weak attempt to return it. Then Dustin walked in and looked at me pointedly.
"What is it Dustin?" I asked in a motherly whisper.
"Your boyfriend is here." He growled. He hated Aron. I looked to Cason for permission and he shooed me out the door. I walked out to see Aron. He was wearing lightly worn light blue jeans and a white T-shirt. It really complimented his blonde hair and just his everything. He smirked at me and I just rolled my eyes and smiled. Then I remembered that this is the first time he's visited in four days. I punched him lightly in the chest and scowled at him playfully.
"What was that for?" He asked rubbing his chest in mock hurt.
"Not visiting more and making me miss you." I pouted. He rolled his eyes and sighed. I was busy getting us these. He pulled out two pieces of manilla paper. I snatched up the one with my name on it and leaned against his chest to read it. It stated that I had one week to study to take each of my high school finals. One week for 10th grade finals. Which was technically my year. Although at this point it was three weeks until my 17th birthday. One week for my test that says I can skip the eleventh grade. One week for my 11th grade finals. One week for my skip senior year test. One week for my senior finals. In 5 weeks I could be graduated from high school. I love this about my high school. As long as you graduate they don't care about anything else. It kind of sucked I'll be doing this over the summer still and that I'll miss prom. But it was sweet for Aron to do this for us. He's already a year above me so I'll still school a week longer than him. He doesn't seem to mind. I love him so much. He also brought us college brochures. After everything that's happened we decided to go to college together. I told him about Carter's progress and he smiled so big I thought of the Cheshire Cat from Alice in Wonderland. I began my studying on the floor of Carter's hospital room. The police came in to try and take my statement again.
"Please tell us everything you remember about that night." The big scary officer with the brown spiky hair kept prodding me for information. I stayed silent not willing to relive my nightmare.
"We can arrest you for obstruction." He tried. I still remained silent. Harold walked in at this moment.
"It's illegal to question a minor without a guardian or lawyer present." He said. The cop's eyes widened and he backed off.
"Call us if you feel like talking." He said. With that he left and Harold gave me a hug and sat in a chair next to the one Dustin was napping in. I went back to studying and he watched me carefully. He knew that he couldn't protect me forever. Even I knew eventually I'd have to talk. I tried to push the thought in the back of my mind and focus on world history. It wasn't working. I must have fallen asleep on my books because that's where I woke up at 1 am from the same nightmare. I put a blanket over Dustin and laid next to Carter again. I still didn't go back to sleep. I got up early in the morning and got Dustin some breakfast. I still wasn't hungry, I'd lost 15 pounds that I really couldn't afford to lose but oh well. When I got back Dustin was frantic.
"What's wrong?" I asked him frantically.
"Where did you go? Carter had a siezure." He snapped angrily.
"What?!" I panicked. I ran over to a nurse who didn't look too busy and tapped her on the shoulder.
"Yes sweetie?" The nurse asked with monotone forced politeness.
"What's the situation on Carter Anota?" I asked hurriedly and rather snappier than I meant to. The nurse was rather taken aback by my rude attitude.
"You must be that young boy's sister." She assumed. I nodded not bothering to correct her. She continued.
"He is in a cat scan right now. They're trying to figure out what triggered the siezure." She finished. I thanked her even though I'm pretty sure Dustin could have told me all of that. So I went back to Dustin who told me his mother was on her way from a work meeting. It was a three hour drive and she'd been notified an hour ago so while Dustin was eating I got a two hour nap. It was really disturbing because I kept blaming myself for Carter's siezure. Even in my dreams. I was woken up by Mrs. Anota. She shook me awake just to slap me and start crying. I guess I wasn't the only one who blamed me. She blamed me too. I felt terrible. I should have been here, not getting breakfast. Dustin walked in.
"She knows it's not your fault. Don't blame yourself." He said as though he was reading my thoughts. He was always the golden child. He didn't know the whole story and that was my fault not his. I made a decision. I went to the police. I told them that Mr. Anota kidnapped Aron and told me to come get him. I fell for the trick. Then I proceeded to re-live my nightmares for the police. It took 3 horrible hours to tell them everything and I cried a lot. Afterwards I went for coffee. I was feeling a whole lot better with everything off my chest. In the middle of sipping my frappe I got a phone call from Dustin.
"Hello?" I answered.
"C.J. You need to get back here now." Dustin whispered into the phone.
"Why?" I questioned. A confused expression etched over my facial features.
"I'll explain when you get here. I promise, just get here now." He said, urgency clearly readable throughout his voice. I took a breath, about to respond, but he cut me off before I even began.
"Don't be followed. I mean it." He growled low and urgent. With that he hung up. Leaving me more confused and worried than I'd ever been. I walked back to the hospital, continuously looking over my shoulder the entire time. When I got to Carter's room I found it empty. I began to panic and look around for Dustin. Wandering down a hallway I was yanked into a janitors closet with my mouth covered by an all to familiar hand. I licked it and it let go. I spun around and glared at him.
"Dustin! What the hell?!" I hissed. His eyes were wide and he shushed me.
"They're still looking for us." He whispered shrinking further back into the closet and pulling me with him.
Who? I mouthed.
People dad worked with. He mouthed back. I instantly understood. I grabbed his hand giving it a reassuring squeeze.
We have to escape. I mouthed. His eyes widened in fear. He shook his head and tried to pull his hands away.
I'll protect you. I promise. I tried to look more sure of myself than I felt. He nodded, still looking roughly unsure but less afraid. He must have realized it was our only option. He allowed me to pull him into Carter's room and grab my bag. I locked us in a lounge down the hallway to get ready. I handed him a knife from my bag and put in my red contacts and put on my red wig. Dustin gave me a look. I instructed him to put the knife up his sleeve and handcuffed him. I put a gun in the belt of my pants. For once I had a plan. I took Dustin roughly by the arm and gagged his mouth. I began dragging him down the hall. We passed several bloody nurses and doctors dead on the ground. We were close to the exit when we were spotted. A big burly man with blonde hair and a mustache came up to me. I took out my gun and held it to Dustin.
"Found the boss's kid. I'm taking him to headquarters." It did the trick. He grunted at me and tossed me a set of keys, letting me pass. Before I was out the door I heard him mumbling something about those damn rookies taking his job but that was it. We got in the car and got as far away from there as possible. In the meantime I had uncuffed Dustin and had him call the police and his mom. His face darkened and twisted in pain. I stopped the car.
"What's wrong? What happened back there?" I asked him gently.
"My mom was. In the room watching Carter when they showed up. Was in the bathroom when I heard the shots. A few nurses went to check it out and were also killed. They killed my mom and Carter. I don't know what to do. I called you and the police but the police thought it was a prank call. Not that I blame them. I'm so confused. I just don't understand. If they worked for dad why kill his wife and son?" And why did that man let me live instead of shooting both of is on the spot? What am I going to do now? I have nothing. I have nobody left." He started sobbing. I can't blame him he's only almost 15. I grabbed him and pulled him into a hug and let him cry on my shoulder. It was my fault. All of it. If I wouldn't have been so obsessive and crazy none of this would have happened. I had to help him.