Off Planet (Asterism Chronicles Volume One)

Changed

As I ran into the room with Jack, he jumped up. Seeing my expression he grabbed my shoulders.

"What's wrong? What happened?" He asked as I wrapped my arms around him.

"Dont be mad." I whispered into his chest.

"Why would I be?" He said, softly stroking my hair.

"Promise me, please don't be mad." I said again.

"I promise." He said as I looked up to his worried eyes.

"He's here. He's hurt. I know he hurt you, and that he's a bad man. But I don't want him to die. Don't hurt him, please. I know he hurt you, but be the better person." I spoke to Jacks confused face. "What's wrong with me? He almost killed you and i still think this way!" Tears came down my cheeks and wet Jack's shirt.

I looked up to his angered expression. He stepped forward, towards the door. He reached out as I grabbed his arm. He turned around, saw my face and sighed.

"I'm going to talk to him. But I won't touch him. I promise." He said as he opened the door to my dad's room.

I followed after him and saw his pale face. Cap was cleaning his wound as Jack sat on the couch beside the bed and glared at the man who almost killed him. As I entered the room Cap looked at me.

"You know him." He spoke as he worked. A statement and not a question.

"Yes." Jack and I said at the same time.

"He's pretty hurt. He was stabbed, it punctured his kidney. He should be fine, as long as he doesn't bleed out." Cap kept working, never looking up as he spoke. "So, your dad?"

I whispered yes as Cap sighed. Jack never took his eyes off of him. I went to the couch and sat beside Jack. He was tense, his face was angry but he promised not to touch him. Why am I worried about him? He tried to kill Jack, gives people the drugs that kill them, and lied to everyone.

We watched as Cap fixed his wound. He gave him blood and left us to ourselves.

"I'm sorry." I told Jack, placing my hand on his arm. "I don't know what's wrong with me."

"Nothing is wrong with you." He said, placing his hand over mine. "He raised you, you believe that deep down he's still that man. Am I right?"

I nodded my head as we sat there watching his unconscious body. He was beat badly, but not as bad as Jack was. His hair was messy and had a streak of blood in it. His clothing, which was just a loose fitting long sleeve shirt and a pair of jeans, was soaked in blood as well. His breathing was pained and short, but his face was regaining colour. As jack and I sat there waiting for him to wake up I grew weary.

"Here" Jack said as he placed a pillow on his lap.

Thankful for his gesture I stretched out and laid my head on him. Looking up at Jack's face I fell asleep. I dreamt of my mom, as I had a lot in the past few weeks.

"She's always fallen asleep after crying." I heard softly through my dream.

Opening my eyes I realize Jack was being talked to. I sat up and saw my dad sitting on the edge of his bed. He smiled at me and continued to speak to Jack.

"Thank you. She looks much better."

"Yeah, she's gained back her weight." Jack responded calmly, without a hint of anger in his voice.

"What about her side?" He spoke as if I wasn't there.

"It's just got a scar now. She's fine." Jack smiled at me as well.

"Okay. What happened?" I asked utterly confused. "Last time you saw eachother you tried to kill him."

Jack and my dad laughed slightly and looked at me. Jack placed his arms around my shoulders and answered my questioning thoughts. "I know why your dad was stabbed."

"I told him the whole thing. You've got yourself a nice young man." He said winking at me.

"What?" I said shocked and embarrassed at his remaks.

"I'm a keeper." Jack joked.

"Someone better tell me what's going on."

"Your dad tried to tell Sam he was done."

"Sam was not please, to say the least. Turns out he was planing to rebel against me since he lost his eye. Thought he could run drugs better than me." My dad spoke as he layed back down, his face getting pale again.

"But, didn't you cause him to loose it?" I asked.

"No! What made you think that?" He turned his face to mine.

"I just assumed..."

"No, that's what you get for assuming. He was running drugs off planet and got sick."

"Oh, so you stopped the drugs?" I asked, confusion swirling my thoughts.

"No, I just left. People news those drugs." He said. I looked to Jack shocked at what I was hearing.

"You haven't changed at all!" I said standing up. As I stood Jack grabbed my arm and pulled down, causing me to sit.

"Listen to him." Jack said motioning to him.

"Yes, those were illegal." He said as I made a see? Bad, gesture to Jack. "But they aren't bad."

"What?"

"They were a new type of medicine. Non addictive, and the only side affect was being light headed. I was taking them off planet so people could survive. Those drugs were for cancer. The government doesn't want them to get out because they would loose all the money they get a year from the sick."

Ashamed at my own misunderstanding, I put my head down. I thought he was killing people. I thought he was bad, but it turns out that he was helping. Jack placed his arm around my shoulders again and said to cheer up.

"Why did you beat Jack then?" I asked confused by the whole situation.

"Dont worry, i already apologized. I thought he was bad. He had the look of someone from the outskirts and you looked terrible. I thought he corrupted you. Good to see I was wrong." As he spoke my worry grew. Each word grew softer then the last, and by the time he finished talking, he had fallen unconscious. By the time that happened Jack had already gotten Cap.

"Dad, please. You said you changed, you can't leave now." I said softly as Jack lead me out of the room.