"How'd you sleep last night?" Zach asked me when I awoke the next morning. He brought me my breakfast, applesauce and orange juice. The doctor said I shouldn'y have thick food just yet.
"Good." That was a lie. I kept waking up,3 taring at th hospital walls. Every time I'm almost asleep, I see him. Shooting one of the last things I had on this god for sakened world.
"Why do you lie to me about the silliest things, Mal? You I can see right through that fake smile of yours." His voice, playful and kind, was a teasing tone. For I cannot lie to this kid.
"Because I'm hoping that someday I will be able to lie to you. But apperantly, that won't be today." Or tomarrow, or the next day, or the day ten years from now, I added silently.
"Look, you crackhead, I can see right through all of your smies. Now what the hell's bothering you, Mal?" Worrying.. Typical.
"Nothing." I attempt a lie.
"And there you go again, lying to me again. Just tell me whats bothering you, Malorie." He came and sat on the edge of my bed, laying a reasurring hand on my thigh.
"Look Mal, We all need a little vacation. Everyone loved your mother, and we all miss her horribly. But can you tell me something, Mal? How did you get cought into that whole mess and shot?"
I swallowed har, which is when I realized that my throat was swolen. How did I get involved? I couldn't fully remember, but I tried to explain as detailed as possible.
"Brandt.. You know how he is. He'll drink and then get super pissed at me and mom all the time. It was always when you were out of the house, which sadly was alot.. He'd start yelling at mom and, you know how protective of her I am Zach.. he'd end up beating us both.. That night, he was drinking ALOT, and when he gets drunk.. He gets angry.. He got pissed at my mom for not being up to cook him something at three o'clock in the morning..
"I woke up around that time to him screaming, and then I heard a cash like.. Breaking glass. So I went and investigated, to see if he was just angry, or being threatening. Then I heard my mom yelp, and thats when I ran out there. I found my mom on the ground, her head was bleeding bad. I went and checked her pulse, she was still there.. But not fully. She'd keep mumbling things like 'help' or.. Just stuff i couldn't fully understand..
"He used the vase we made in kindergarden, remember? well it's gone.. Anyways.. I starting telling him off, because he shouldn't be able to do that to my mother. And I can be fisty.. So I said some stuff I probly shouldn't have.. Then I went to help mom, tried getting her up so I could take her to the hospital or something.. I didn't want to call it in.. On our way out the door.. I didn't know he had a gun..
"He shot once and missed her.. Hitting me in the side.. So me and mom both fell to the ground and.. He shot her three times.. I tried to get in the way and protect her but.. I was too late.. I'd blacked out by the time he shot the third time.. I was hoping he missed..."
I've been holding it in, but it's time to let the tears flow.. Zach looked on the verge of tears also, but stayed strong. I'm a cry baby when it comes to mom, she meant everything to me. I have no clue how he does it.
"Malore, it wasn't your job to protect her. She was a grown woman, she shouldve left the creep when she had the chance. This pisses me off more then you know Mal, and I will get that man. He will pay for what he did. I just don't understand why he would always act perfect around me.."
"H-he didn't want.. He knew you could.. Defend us better then us.. Alone could.." And I began sobbing. I hate crying.. I always cry with the worst snot in the world, and Zach always had tissues in his pocket for me. I used to be okay with crying.
I remembered when Gabe absolutely crushed my heart.. My mom was there to hold me and she knew exactly what to say. Remembering made me cry harder.
Thats when I felt his strong arms go around me. Forever being the shield that protects me from all things evil.
"Shh.. Mal, everything will be fine. I promise. Everything will go back to normal and we'll find somewhere to live and we'll be happy again. I promise I will never let that man touch you again." He was also crying. I haven't seen him cry since his father..
Zach lived alone with his dad for many years. His mother left them when Zach was two and he doesn't really remember her much. His dad was a Marine in the U.S. Military, and because of that he got deployed alot. Everytime he did, Zach would stay with us. We were the only thing he had.
We had a BBQ one day for Brett's, Zachs fathers, arival home from Afghanistan, but he never showed. Just roughly two weaks later, we had someone from the military knock on our door. I knew what it was for, but Zach was hoping it just be a letter. We saw mom break down at the door and then saw the yellow slip in her hand..
That day, Brett Mathew Brown was declared Missing In Action and most likely killed..
We;ve had Zach living with us ever since.
I jumped suddenly, deep in thought, at the sound of a knock on the door. Zach tensed for a second, then relaxed when he realized its just the doctor.
"I'm terribly sorry if I'm interrupting, but I need to squeeze in here and make sure everythings working right."
When Zach let go I could clear my eyes enough to examine what the doctor was doing. He was getting a fresh I.V. and got the normal check up things doctors use.
He was an older guy, mid fifties, early sixties. "Ms. Monroe, I'm going to have to ask that there be no visitors in here during your check up. Standard presedure."
"I'll be waiting right outside, Mal. If you need me, do hollar." Zach said. Then, with one last worried glance my way, he left. Only, he was watching through the windows. Making faces and whatnot, then looking away when the doc looked. Such a dorkus.
"Okie dokie. Ms. Malorie how are we feelin' today?" He started with my tempurature. Classic. I did not want to reply, so I just nodded with a slight smile. He tried a few times afterward to start conversation, but I'm persistant. I don't trust my voice.
While he's checking everything, I can't seem to keep my mind in the present. It's kind of like I'm taken over by old memories. Some good, and some not so good. I go back to my drinking days, Bad. I go back to mom. Theres some good memories there, but alot of awful ones.
I go back to Zachary, absolutely good. I go back to Gabe and I, ended BAD. Brandt, BAD. My brothers, BAD. School, BAD. That day, AWFUL. All I hear is the doctor yeling something when it all goes black.
