Off Planet (Asterism Chronicles Volume One)

Going Back

We made our way out of the office. We went by slowly so Jack didn't struggle, his breathing still messed up. Supporting him the whole way, we passed by Sam. He looked to Jack's beaten face and crumpled walk and he felt his own eye. Dad must have done that. I thought as he opened the door for us. I thanked his sad face as we left the factory.

"Right." Jack said, turning to follow the directions.

"I'm taking you to the doctor." I told him as he nodded. It scared me that he didn't refuse to go. "How far?"

He slowly responded, "not... far."

We walked in the direction of the doctor, turning whenever Jack said to. Slowly we made our way, me not wanting to push him too hard. As we walked the streets people stared. I could her their whispers, all about how poor we must be and go sad it is that we couldn't have a real family. It made me mad that they would talk that way without knowing who we were. Jack noticed too and lead me down alleys instead. All I wanted to do was sleep.

"Here." We stood in front of a building I recognized. Knocking on the door I helped Jack sit near the stairs. He rested his head on the wall trying to breathe.

"What do you want?" The doctor said before looking at me. "Oh, its you. What happened this time?"

"It's not me." Before I could motion to Jack the doctor ran to him. He felt Jack's pulse and picked him up. For an old man he was quite strong.

"What happened to him?" He asked setting him on an operation table. He placed his ear on his chest and listened to his pained breathing.

"He, uhm.. got beat up. He was kicked in the chest a lot."

The doctor looked at me as he cut his shirt open. Looking down at the scars his eyes widened. He felt around the bruised skin on his chest and ribs. Jack closed his eyes as I grabbed his hand, he clenched it in pain as the doctor continued.

"His ribs are broken. Most of them are." He looked at him again and motioned for me to follow. I let go of him and went to a separate room with the doctor. "What really happened? And those scars, they weren't stitched up."

I explained the whole thing to him except the scars. "You'll have to ask him about those."

"Okay, he is really banged up. I think he punctured a lung. That or its filling up with fluid. That's why he's breathing so funny. He'll be okay, but I need to operate on him."

I nodded as we walked back into the room. Jack was still on the table wheezing. I held his hand as the doctor explained what needed to be done. As Jack nodded he kept a hold on my hand.

"What about... the cost." He gasped.

"Dont worry about that now. Sleep, I need to operate soon." The doctor gave him the same one he had given me days before.

As Jack fell asleep the doctor led me to the back room again. He looked deep in thought as he sat down. I sat down in a chair near him and waited for him to speak up.

"I'm not going to make you pay." He spoke slowly.

Happily I asked him why. Why would he do this for free? He made me pay last time.

"He reminds me of my grandson. He was always caring for others, like this boy did for you. He died recently." His face looked sad, but no tears fell.

"I'm sorry to hear that. He is very caring, he paid for a woman and her child to get off this planet. It scared me that he accepted to go to you, he always puts others first."

He nodded and smiled at the memories of his grandson. Jack was just like him apparently, and that was good. The doctor stood up and went into the room to take care of Jack. I waited for the doctor to do the surgery in the back room, unwilling to see jack in anymore pain. While the doctor operated I was left with my own thoughts. Please, God, let him live. Please help my dad, let him realize the error in his ways and change. Please, God, please.

After a while of waiting and praying I decided to check on Jack. Entering the room I saw him with tubes and needles sticking in his chest. The doctor noticed me and explained the procedure.

"These needles are sucking air that's trapped in the chest cavity out. This one is taking out the blood that was building up. The tubes will stay in for a couple days, until I see the puncture healing correctly. He'll be fine, but he could have died if you waited any longer. You two are very lucky."

"Thank you." I smiled, trying to hug the doctor. As I tried he showed the blood on his hands, so I refrained. "So, when will he be fully healed?"

"About six weeks. I know you wanted to leave, but he can't until then. If he does, the change in pressure can collapse his lung." He took off the gloves and washed his hands while Jack lay there, his chest stuck with needles.

"Okay, I understand." Disappointed but I knew Jack needed to heal.

"You two are quite the pair." Walking back to the office he stated. "You care very much for eachother, but you have the habit of getting hurt."

I smiled at his joke and sincerity. "Yeah, we are magnets for injury."

"How your side?" He asked lifting my shirt. He looked at me with a really? You already tore them look on his face. "Let me guess, your daddy?"

I shook my head. "Tried to stop him, he pushed me to the ground."

"I'll fix it again. You'll have a huge scar, you know, ripping stitches makes them bigger."

He stitched me up again, the pain in my side as the needle went in and out dulled by worry for Jack. When he finished with me we went back to Jack. His face had regained colour and his breathing was almost normal. The doctor removed the needles but kept the tubes in his chest.

"He'll be fine. All we need to do is wait."