A Chicago Story.

Chapter 3: Jadeyn Mills

I was sore. Every part of my body ached. Where was I? What happened? 
It all flooded back like water through a dam. 
Those men didn't by the fake diamond necklace, beat me half to death, then a cop caught me when I dove out the window. 
Correction - a cop that is oddly familiar. 
A cop that wanted to talk to me when I woke up. 
Then another recolonization smack me across the face. Oh shit. Rowen. 
How long have I been here? A couple of hours, a couple of days? 
I have to get out of here. 
Slowly, I opened my eyes and it stung until they adjusted to the harsh florescence lights of the hospital. 
Looking around and saw I was in a white hospital gown, hooked up to machines, and my wrist was wrapped in a half case. Hard on the bottom, tenser wrapped around to hold it all in place. 
A doctor came in holding a chart. He was handsome. He had dark red hair, almost brown, and ginger stubble on his face. He needed to shave. He was wearing his maroon coloured scrubs that said Chicago Medical Center on the chest and a long white doctor that said the same. 
Halstead? Like as in Jay-the-cop-Halstead? Brothers? Still, it feels oddly close. 
Like deja vu. 
"It's good to see you up Jadeyn. I'm doctor Halstead. You got some pretty nasty injuries but I am optimistic you will make a full recovery. You sustained a few cracked ribs, a mild concussion, a fractured wrist, and cuts and bruises all over your body. You are a very lucky girl Miss. Mills. Try to stay off your feet as much as you can. Ice your ribs. Also avoid the sunlight, or wear sunglasses for that concussion." 
"Thank you." I croaked out. It didn't even sound like me. 
"My pleasure." And with that the doctor walked out. 
I heard a toilet flush, water run, and Detective Halstead emerged from the bathroom connected to my room. 
"Good. You're up. How are you feeling?" 
"I'm okay. That doctor. Red hair. Is he your brother?" 
Jay smiled and sat in the chair bedside. "Yeah, he's my little brother." 
"Oh. How long have I been here?" 
"A week." Jay said looking me directly in the eyes. I could feel my heart rate pick up and threaten to break my already crack ribs. My breathing hitched and I thought I may have a panic attack. I'm guessing that there was a monitor that was watching my heart rate because the steady beeping went ballistic. beeping at an accelerated, unnatural rate. "Jadeyn. I was kidding. It's okay. We brought you in late last night."
Relief washed over me like waves at the beach. When my heart beat went back to normal I thanked the Lord for only being here a couple of hours.
I looked around the room, looking for a way to get the hell out of here.
Someone must have brought me clothes because a pair of jeans, a blue t-shit and a pair of sneakers where sitting on the bedside table. So was Jay's wallet. And a blanket. I looked at Jay for the first time since I woke up. He had stayed here since he brought me in. The blanket was crinkled and he had bags under his eyes - which I am guessing, was from sleeping in a tiny uncomfortable chair. "Did you stay here last night?" I gestured over to the blanket he had tossed on the end of the bed.
"Yeah, I did." he racked his hand through his hair. "I didn't want those guys coming back to finished what they started. People in gangs like that have been known to do it."
That didn't sit well in my stomach. A chill ran down my spin.
"Are you cold?" Jay asked, probably seeing me shudder.
"No, but I would kill for a cup of coffee."
"I'll go grab one from the cafeteria, I'll be back in a few." He said standing up and leaving the room. 

I waited a few second to make sure he wasn't coming back. When I was sure he was getting the coffee, I whipped my legs over the bed. I was dizzy for a moment, but managed to make it pass. My body screamed in protest, but I didn't care. I ripped off the monitors that were attached to my body and threw on the jeans, t-shirt and sneakers. Normally I would have been wearing under garments but I honestly didn't even care right now. I ripped off the tenser and half hard cast from my wrist, it would just slow me down and draw more attention to me. I grabbed Jay's wallet and speed walked in the opposite direction that Jay had gone. It wouldn't work out to my advantage if I was caught now would it? 
I took the elevator down the ground level and walked down the hall until I found a side exit. 
From there I jogged several blocks until I stumbled into a grocery store. Running and moving felt about as good as getting beaten up all over again. Dr. Halstead wasn't kidding about the cracked ribs and bruises on my body. 

When I got into the grocery store I slowed my pace. Grabbing a vacant cart and walked around as I checked how much Jay had in his wallet. I counted roughly two-hundred and fifty dollars. 
That was a score. A couple of credit cards and an access card of some sort. Probably something for the Police. I couldn't use the cards. I didn't know his pin and he could track me if I even tried. 
I walked around grabbing the cheapest, healthiest food I could find. I wanted this money to last as long as possible. Until I was well enough to find work or something. 
I got a few weird looks from adults, I thought it was because I was a kid, but it turns out it was because I had a black eye, a purple cheek bone, and a split eyebrow. The mirror in the stores bathroom confirmed it. 

I spent about seventy-five dollars on groceries and used the stores landline to call a taxi. 
Once the taxi pulled up, the older gentleman helped me get the groceries into the backseat of his car and I told him where I was going. I paid him the twenty dollars for the ride and took the groceries out of the backseat. I told him to stop a half block away, that way he thought I lived in one of these homes, and not an old beaten down, abandoned one. 

I painfully carried the six bags on my forearms and walked the half block to the house. 
I walked through the front door and Rowen came running to me. 
"Why where you gone so long? Oh my goodness. What happened to your face?" 
I dropped the groceries and he hugged me. His arms wrapped around my middle section and squeezed. I bit back a scream. When he pulled away he helped me put the stuff in the cupboards and the not working fridge. 
"The guys didn't buy it, and hit me a couple times. But I still got the money. It's okay, I'm okay. And we got food, that's all that matters." 
We eat enough to make our stomachs stop grumbling, but we didn't dare over eat. 
It felt so good to have a bottle of water and a peanut butter and jam sandwich with an apple. It was the first time in weeks since we ate something that made my taste buds dance.