Moments Before

Noah

It was just like with Rico all over again. The crumpled panicked body. Blood, fear, whimpers like a kicked puppy. A bone that's clearly broken and pushing against the skin trying to break through. Not even being able to see their eyes because of the swelling. I wasn't even thinking about it when I pulled him off of her and started hitting him. If it wasn't for a desperate painful noise she made I don't think I would have stopped. When I look back on it the memory is like a puzzle, each piece has a fragment of what happened but not the whole thing. 

Sitting in that hospital chair waiting for her people to arrive I tried to breath normally again. I kept looking over at Rico's sleeping form. She protected him and for that I'll always owe her. I know that her family will be here soon and I'll have to go but I'm staying as long as I can. She's trying to stay awake and talk to me but it's only a few minutes before she's back asleep. How bad is it? Pretty bad. I evaded the question because I don't know what to say. Concussion, fractured skull, stitches in her head, arm, shoulder and leg, broken wrist, broken ribs and internal bleeding that's already been treated surgically. On top of that she's swollen and bruised everywhere. It makes me sick to look at her but when I look away I'm afraid she'll disappear. 

When a lone guy wanders into the room I'm confused for a second. They have the same eyes so they must be related but there's something about this guy that seems tougher than her. Or rather, harder than her. He has black hair and when he sees her laying unconcious in the bed he sucks in a breath. He reaches for her hand and his jaw muscle jumps. 

"What. The. Hell. Happened?" Each syllable is annunciated perfectly and it's clear that he's looking for whoever is at fault.  

"She was babysitting and somebody broke into my apartment, angry and looking for cash." I glance over at Rico sleeping softly in the chair next to me using a hoodie as a blanket. 

"Who was he?" It's a sharp tone and I'm worried he'll wake one of them. 

"Why does it matter? He won't hurt her again." I don't know why but I don't want to tell her brother where the man is being held, his name or the fact that he lives in my building. 

"I'm going to tear him apart. Beat him until he's worse off than her." I honestly can't tell if he's exaggerating or not but a shudder runs down my spine. There's something cold and lethal in the way that he says it that makes me not doubt his words. 

"I don't know where he is. Police came and took him. And be quiet or you'll wake her up. She needs sleep." I shouldn't chastise him since, A) I'm not family and he could have me removed from the room B) I don't think a machine gun would wake her up with how much morphine she's pumped full of and C) I don't want him to wake Rico who is sleeping soundly.

To my great surprise he nodded and sat down in the chair on the other side. He didn't say anything the whole time, just sat there and watched her sleep. Not in a creepy way just happy to see her and know that she's safe kind of way. I do the same thing to Rico. It's not long before her posse of friends arrive. 

The boys are all flushed and I've never seen them all so flustered. They shoot glares at me as if I'm the one who put her there before going to her bedside. The three seem unsure how to act and turn to her brother. I learn between their hushed words that his name is Derrick, they're pissed at him about something or other and he hasn't called the rest of the family yet. 

Logan is a tall guy and while he's usually friendly and chatty like a golden retriever he's a caged pit bull right now trying to get out. He paces back and forth shaking his shaggy hair. Cole doesn't have his usual megawatt smile on and for once his typically smug 'I know something you don't' eyes are frantic. Max is sitting cross legged on the floor holding her hand. 

Originally I wanted to be there when she woke up again but I have to get Rico home and it's starting to get crowded. Besides I want to leave before the guys from school wonder who Rico is. I don't need people's pity and don't want to deal with the gossip about Rico's paralysis. 

"I have to go. Tell Ashton to call me when she wakes up again, okay? I'll see y'all at school." I say it with my back turned to them as I wheel Rico out. I think I'm in shock. No, scratch that I know I'm in shock. I lift Rico into the truck and drive us home. I have to carry him up the stairs and than the wheel chair. With all the lifting I've done today my arms  are aching. The police did questioning at the hospital and apparently are done looking in the apartment. It's not an investigative scene since they already know who did it. I bolt all of the locks and the chain when we get inside and after putting Rico into his bed check all the windows. That's when I actually look around. 

There's blood in the kitchen, a four digit number on a piece of paper all crumpled up, the coffee table is broken and some of the pictures on the wall came off. Despite it being evident there was a fight here the dishes are done. The laundry was done, floor was swept and in the bathroom someone cleaned the shower, toilet and sink. I cringe to think of Ashton picking up my boxers or scrubbing our filthy toilet. Not only did she watch my brother last minute, risk getting herself in trouble with her family and end up getting attacked; no, she also cleaned my apartment.