All Lights On Us

Chapter 21: Tough Break

Klara POV

I stare at the dead body in front of me. Memories from the past years flash through my mind as I just stare. My eyes are captured by the drying blood and emotionless eyes of Ben Stuart. The numbing has hit. I freaked out for a little while, but it didn't get me anywhere. The death of Ben can go into the vault of people dying so that I may live.

Bishop would be proud.

Thudding echoes toward the door and Bishop, looking more like Cade than ever, sprints through the door with his gun raised. I fight the urge to roll my eyes. It's not his fault, but I was missing for so damn long and he's arrived long after the final quarter.

"Klara, Jesus Christ. What happened?"

His face goes from 'I'll kill anyone who gets in my way' to 'I'm perplexed and slightly embarrassed about it'.

"Please, Bishop. Just untie me."

He shakes his head and mutters at himself about being stupid before springing into action to release me. I hear the flick of a switch blade and then my hands are released. I immediately lean forward and clutch my wrists to my chest. I can't feel my fingers and my arms ache painfully as the blood returns to my lower arms.

Bishop leans down to release my legs and I stretch out the rest of my limbs. I attempt to bring my hand up to my head to feel for damage, but it's useless at the moment. I give up on doing anything I've been aching to do, that is except for staring hopelessly into Bishop's eyes. He stares back for a couple of seconds, but then he starts to notice all of my injuries. His tired eyes light up with new fire.

"What'd he do to you, love?" His finger tips brush over my bruised and aching jaw.

I sniffle.

"In short, he kicked my ass. Now can we please go to the hospital? I just want to get it over with so that I can go home and be held."

Bishop looks like he wants to cry and scream all at the same time, but he nods and tries to help me up by my hand. My legs wobble and my feet feel like they're being poked by pins and needles.

I buckle like a newborn giraffe and Bishop is there to catch me. He hoists me up into his arms and carries me away from Ben Stuart's corpse and the rest of my sanity.

--

The nurses are fast to help me, making me think I look even worse than I feel. The adrenaline is still high, but more and more pain seeps in as the time passes.

Bishop refuses to leave my side, which started to cause a bit of an issue when a nurse got frustrated by the meathead in her way. She tried to kick him out and when smoke started to wash off of him, I stepped in and said he would say and comply.

They wrapped my leg and my head after taking a million tests. They prescribed some pain meds, which I had every intention of tossing out, and sent us on our way.

No police report was filed, but that's because I fell down the stairs and didn't get a beat down by a large dumb football player whom is now very dead.

Once we're seated in the too-comfortable jeep, the adrenaline fades and my body aches. I glare at the small pack of pills the doctor gave me to last until I could get my prescription filled.

"Take two. It's better to do it now. Beat the pain before it becomes unbearable."

I can't look at Bishop. Every time I do, all I see is his regret and guilt. It hurts me to think he feels at fault.

"I love you Bishop. And I'm not taking the pills. This shit is addictive."

I raise my lip at the small life ruiners. I can pretty much hear Bishop's eye roll.