Finding Montana

Breaking Point

Brigette

Brigette is furiously typing away at her company laptop while sipping on her three espresso shot caramel frappuccino. The deadline for Molly's book is right around the corner and Brigette's been working countless hours trying to get Lucy, the company editor assigned to Molly Tulip, to give her a final draft of the first forty chapters that Molly's cranked out. Brigette, like always, is the first and last person in the office, so when the door to her office opens at 11:15 in the evening, she's more than a little surprised. Standing in the dim lighting is Molly's ex, Damien. He's breathing heavily as if he's just outrun a train and holding something hidden within his winter coat.

"Damien, what an unpleasant surprise." She sighs and presses the button underneath her desk that notifies the building's security team. They should be up here shortly to escort him off the premises for the fourth time this week.

"You're going to tell me where she is, right now!" He shouts and pulls a gun from his coat pocket. Brigette's hands shoot up automatically and she wheels her chair back until it comes in contact with the wall of glass making up part of her corner window office. As if by pure, poor luck Molly's contact pops up on Brigette's phone and her ringtone sings its little song. "Answer it." Damien waves his gun at the phone and Brigette quickly hits the Accept button putting the call on speaker.

"Brigette Walters?" A gruff man's voice answers the other side of the line.

Brigette swallows, eyeing the gun that's trailed on her as she squeaks out her answer to the man, "Yes, this is she."

"This is Officer Wayne, with the Whitefish Police Department in Montana. I'm calling from a Miss Molly Tulip's phone. She's listed you as her emergency contact on this device. I regret to inform you that she's been in an accident and is being transported to the local hospital." If Brigette hadn't already been seated, she would have fallen down out of despair. Damien lowers his gun and leans in closer to the phone as the Officer describes the boating accident.

"She's lost a lot of blood and her right lung has collapsed from the damages she sustained. Her body was starting to shut down from hypothermia when we arrived, as she was in the lake for about ten minutes before being pulled to safety. Her vitals are still not where the doctor would like them, so they've requested that her family be contacted immediately and someone be with her while she recovers in the ICU. Can we expect you to be at the hospital?" Officer Wayne asks and Brigette eyes Daimen before answering.

"Of course, I'll be on the first plane to Montana." Brigette whispers. She starts to move from her desk, but stops immediately once she notices Daimen has lifted the gun back up to her eye level.

"Alright, I'll send you the name of the hospital via Miss Tulip's phone. Let us know what flight you end up taking and I'll have an Officer pick you up from the airport."

"Thank you." Brigette hangs up the phone while maintaining eye contact with Daimen. "I need to go see her." She says, her hands still up in defense as she rises from her chair.

"Like hell you are." Damien grabs Brigette's phone from off the desk. As she moves to take it back from him, he hits her over the head with the butt of his pistol. Brigette tumbles to the floor with a soft thud just as the security guard comes bursting through the office door. Damien doesn't hesitate to shoot the guard in the leg. He knocks the screaming man out with a single punch as he makes his way out of the office, Brigette's phone in hand.

Carver

The world is so much brighter than what Carver had left it as. The last thing he remembers is handing Molly off to one of the Coast Guard medics before falling over from exhaustion. Now, as Carver comes back to reality, he realizes he's in the local Whitefish Emergency Room. He's wrapped in blankets with an IV hooked up to his left arm. Molly. Her beautiful face pops into his mind and Carver quickly tries to sit up, but his head feels like it's about to split open. Carver groans as he closes his eyes, the pain in his head increasing with the light coming off of the hospital LED's. His quick rest is cut short by some commotion coming from the front of the room.