A House on Eden

8. Wednesday

I had heard the siren, seen the flashing blue lights. Bruce had a thing for flair. I opened the kitchen door and let him in. He lunged and struck me on the chin. My head jolted backward, my eyes saw stars. I broke into sobbing.

"Quit your crying," he said. "I didn't hit you that hard. Get your things and we'll get out of here. Whose place is this anyway?"

"It's mine," I said.

"Yours?" He said with puzzled eyes. "Where'd you get the money?"

"It's my own money," I said. "I've been saving it. The bank loaned me the rest."

"Shouldn't I have known about that money?" He shouted. "Shouldn't I have had a say in it?"

I stumbled into the kitchen, grabbing the edge of the counter with my hand. He came toward me, smiling.

"Jessie's been a bad girl," he teased. "Daddy's come to take her home now."

I pushed away from the counter and leaned against the refrigerator. "If you don't leave now," I said out of breath, "I will call the police."

"That's me!" He laughed. "To protect and serve, yes sir!" He giggled like a schoolboy at his own joke and came toward me with his arms spread wide.

Then a floorboard came loose from the floor and shot upward and hit him on the left arm. I heard the bone breaking, watched his eyes fill with surprise and pain. He doubled over, clutching his injured arm, and lay down on the floor screaming.

I was instantly down on my knees beside him. "It's gonna be alright, Bruce," I said softly, "I will go get help."

"That damn board broke my arm!" He screamed. "You have to take me to the hospital, Jessie! You have to!"

"Alright," I said. "Can you stand?"

He stood, barely balancing himself. "What the fuck was that?" He moaned. "That plank went off like a shot gun!"

I helped him into my car, belted him in and got behind the wheel. I drove to Carillion Memorial Hospital, parked in the emergency lot, and went into the building to get a wheel chair.

Back at the car I said: "can you get out on your own?"

"I'm so damn dizzy," he said. "I have to lean on you to do it." He leaned heavily on my shoulder as he swung into the chair.

"That damn house of yours," he grunted as I pushed him toward the big sliding doors, "I'm gonna put it on the market as soon as this is over."

While Bruce's arm was being X rayed I dialed Kevin's number. "Jessie, where are you?" He said. "Why aren't you at work? Everyone is asking about you."

"I'm at Memorial," I said. "Bruce has had an accident. Tell them I won't be at work for the next few days."

"Alright," he said. "Just don't get attached again, Jessie. I know how these things go. Promise?"

"Promise," I said and disconnected the call.

"Well, your husband has several serious fractures," the doctor said. "There are five in the radius and there's a slight tearing in the humerus. The tearing will heal on its own but we need to repair those fractures. We're going to put in a pin."

"Will he be alright?" I said.

"Absolutely," he said. "We've scheduled him for surgery. The procedure will take about an hour and then in a few hours you can take him home."

"May I see him?" I asked.

"Absolutely," he smiled. "Follow me."

Bruce was in a room with a single bed in it. He was sitting up with a foolish grin on his face.