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Ch. 27

It's always hard to know that someone you love is capable of horrible things. Someone who loves hard, but is unforgiving. Almost like a wild animal that's been hurt one too many times, sneaky, protective of their own. It's even worse when it ends up killing someone.
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How do you protect the one who tries to protect you?
When you know it's all they know how to do?
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The ride to the hospital was quick, no one said a word. It was a horrible thing that I would most definitely never wish on anyone. She was a bitch, yeah, but that didn't mean she needed to be run down. I had called Sheila back and she was nearly beside herself with worry and relief at my voice.

I told her right then that I was on the way.

When we pulled in we all jumped out of the cars, Kevin's truck and my four door, and ran in. I recognized the receptionist and seeing us all again she sighed.

"Karen Jackson." I said. She knew we weren't going to wait so she gave us the room and watched exasperated as we all ran down the hall way.

"You go in," Fiona said. "We'll wait here."

"Lip," I said reaching my hand out to tug him in. He may be upset with her but she had still been a friend once.

The room was lit up, but only by a lamp on the bedside table, and I gasped seeing the prone body on the bed. Karen was laid out with half of her head shaved and nasty looking staples to close an incision. Her leg was in a cast and her arms were dark purple in places. Her face looked like someone had taken a sander to it. It was horrific.

Sheila sat to one side of the room staring at her, tears coursing down her cheeks. She hadn't heard us enter.

"Sheila?" I asked, she jumped a little before focusing on me. She hurried to stand and reached for a hug. It was long and filled with small choked sobs.

When we pulled back I glanced back at Karen.

"Sheila, what happened? Where was she?"

"Well she was so excited! She got Lip's text earlier today at school and she said she was going to meet him in the park, I was happy for her, she seemed so excited. I was worried of course because I knew that Lip wasn't going to tell her what she wanted to hear. I thought she would come home and finally want to talk... But... but then I got the call... and..." she choked on her words.

"Wait... Lip— a text from Lip?" I asked looking back to him.

"Sheila, I didn't text Karen. I haven't had my phone for half the day, I gave it to... can I see her phone?"

"It's in that bag on the drawers."

Dread was seeping into my stomach. Lip and I looked at each other as he pulled out the phone. Sheila walked to Karen's side and started whispering to her as I went to Lips side.

"Hey, I need to see you, we have to talk. Meet me at the park next to the public pool." 11:37

My heart sunk even deeper. Lip and I had quit texting around nine that morning. Looking to him I whispered.

"Did she have your phone?"

His breathing was heavy, his eyes glossed over. He nodded.

It was a long night from then on. We knew what Sheila didn't, but we didn't have any other proof. We would just have to talk to her.

After an hour or so the nurse came in to tell us it was time to leave. We both hugged Sheila and told her everything would be alright, she was still alive and was a fighter.