The Skylar Experiment : Dead Ending (second draft)

Chapter Fifty-Four - Finally, For Fuck's Sake

RILEY

DELPHINE ALLOWED MAXIMUM THIRTY minutes of snail walk around the halls. She made Luc swear that he wouldn't stray. I, for one, was too overjoyed at the idea of wiggling my legs and seeing something outside of those damned curtains. We took the elevator to the ground floor, and I had to squeeze in the IV machine with me, which proved to be tedious in the tight crowd. Luc stretched his arms on either side to take space, allowing me to stand behind without getting swallowed. 

I stood between a man in a wheelchair, his nurse, and an emergency doctor. 

The doors finally opened and I waded out. Before leaving the department, I'd slipped my feet into my snow boots. Parading with those ridiculous blue shoe covers was out of the question. In addition, I'd pulled on a jacket to look something closer to normal. In the distance, I could see the main entry doors leading to the exterior. The light of day filtered through the glass, and I imagined the crisp, fresh wind blowing in my face as it always did. 

God, I couldn't wait to get out of here. I hoped I'll get out of here. 

Luc leaned in. "You want to go out and sit on a bench?"

"Is it okay with the IV thingy?" I poked the machine and stared at him across from it. 

He shrugged, smirking wryly. "Let's pretend we didn't think about that."

I followed him to the doors, and he kept one open to let me pass. Tightening the jacket around me, I stepped into the snowy sidewalk. Taxis and vehicles constantly braked in front of the entrance and people hobbled out, either wearing masks or going in with a friend. It reminded me of an airport terminal. 

Cold air spread through my craving lungs and I could almost feel my whole body reveling in it. The sun hung pale and far in the sky, its light shimmering over the layer of snow. Spring would come soon. February just ended, and this harsh winter will eventually fade with it. Luc stayed in tow as I picked my way to a bench along the circular drive. White pillars lined the path outside, connecting a thick cement roof to the rest of the building. The stitches tugged with every step, but it was impossible to move or breathe without triggering an ounce of pain. 

I eased myself onto the bench so as to not stress the wound. Luc settled next to me, eyeing the unceasing traffic of cars with a shrewd gaze. 

"Why did you beat Chuck last year?" I said out of the blue. Now more than ever, I thought of him after he wielded that gun and threatened everyone around him. I thought of all the screw ups that could have amounted to that moment, and couldn't help but wonder if maybe Luc had a role in it. "You never explained how it happened."

From the corner of my vision, he stiffened. 

"If you're expecting it to make sense, you're going to be disappointed."

I was scared to hear the story, but I couldn't tiptoe around this after yesterday. My hands balled together. "I deserve to know, after everything..."

Luc shifted uncomfortably, and a long silence stretched between us until he said, "You do. You deserve at least that." I twisted toward him as best as I could, and he looked away. "I overreacted. A lot of things piled up that day, and when I started walking out of school, he was there with his camera. By then, the news of my sister disappearing had gone around town and all kinds of rumors of me circled. Chuck took a picture. For what, I didn't know for sure, but it was most likely for the newspaper." He warily glanced up at me like he thought I'd tell him to stop talking. I stood mute and waited, so he took it as a sign to go on. "I just snapped. Grabbed the kid by the collar and... I left him there before the teachers caught me, but a lot of people have seen it already. Since then, they tend to stay away. I did get a few weeks of suspension, obviously."