Now or Never ⇀ John B Routledge [1]

xiv. hope for the best

Ashtyn couldn't hold back her chuckle when John cried out in pain from the rubbing alcohol burning his open wound. Sarah's hand slapped over his mouth, eyes wide in panic as she looked between the door and the brunette girl who currently laughed to herself. "This isn't funny Ash."

"It kinda is," Ashtyn lifted a hand to cover her own mouth as Sarah scolded John, "Didn't know you were a screamer buddy." She playfully tapped John's shoulder, earling a light smack from him in return and an 'excuse me' from Sarah.

The blonde pressed down on the wound again in retaliation, causing John to wince and bite his lower lip in pain. "Fuck, come on Sarah Cameron..."

"I've never heard anyone whine like this before..." Sarah muttered, turning to grab bandages from the coffee table next to them.

As Sarah worked on John, Ashtyn's blue eyes roamed the organized office space. Never once had she been inside the Cameron mansion before, but she knew without asking that this was Wards home office.

His desk was a bit cluttered, covered in stacked papers and folders for his construction company. A cart of booze also sat nearby, hardly touched from the looks of it.

Ashtyn always envied Sarah for having such a clean cut, caring father. She and Peter Hughes had an unspoken understanding of one another. He had her back until their final day together, but she never came to appreciate all that he had done.

Yes, he was just as controlling as Claudia, pushing his daughter well past her limits on most days, but he never once physically or verbally harmed her. The worst that ever happened was him saying that he was disappointed before following up with an encouraging statement.

A part of Ashtyn hated herself for not having realized this until now. So much could have been avoided... and maybe he would still be alive.

A portrait on the far wall of a man from the Civil War era put a halt to her sadness. The sixteen year old tilted her head to the side, confused as to why that specific portrait would be kept in this house, and more specifically, in Ward Cameron's office. "Who's the dude?"

"Oh that?" Sarah glanced at the painting, "That's Denmark Tanny. The founder of Tannyhill plantation."

The mainland girl was taken back to the previous nights conversation where JJ brought everyone up to speed on his and Emerson's personal investigation. Denmark Tanny was of some importance to the Slaney family and apparently this was also true for the Camerons.

"So," John's eyebrows punched together, "How did a slave found a cotton plantation?"

"He was a free man," Sarah immediately replied, turning her full attention back to the boy's bleeding side. "He's kind of a mystery... Showed up out of nowhere and paid for all of the land around here in gold."

The mention of gold caused Ashtyn to snap her attention back to John B. In the days of the Civil War, no slave in the south would be freed easily, and on top of that, there was no way in hell that they'd have enough gold to purchase an island. It's improbable, unless he murdered his owner and took all his gold.