Drive [h.f-t. & j.l.] (COMPLETED)

Chapter 13 - Side Of Town

side of town - capital soiree
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josephine's pov

Tanaka was barely moving, clearly fighting to stay conscious, face contorted in pain. Jax rushes over to him, kneeling down next to his father, almost scared to touch him.

"He's alive!" He says, as if trying to tell himself rather than us. Tanaka's eyes were fluttering closed and his skin was a sickly pale. "Pop, who did this to you?" Jax asks Tanaka, but before he could say anything his head rolls to the side and he slumps even more, passing out. Jax's eyes were wild as he looked at us, a mixture of worry, anger, and confusion.

"Should we take him to a hospital?" Emilia asks and Jax slowly stands up, swallowing hard as he shakes his head.

"No. It's just his leg. He's lost some blood but we can take care of him here. There's a corner store a few blocks away. I'll got get supplies." Jax moves to run a hand through his black hair, but he freezes when he sees his father's blood slicking his hands. "I'll.." He starts again, and I could see Jax's hands are shaking. I walk over to him and he looks at me, his eyes wide.

"Jax, look at me... He's going to be okay. Just breathe." I say and staring at me, Jax takes a deep breath, nodding slowly. "We'll get him fixed up, I promise. Stay here with your dad, Jax. I'll go." I add, turning around, but Hero's already getting into his car in the garage. "Hero, wait!" I quickly walk over and get into his passenger seat, closing the door before he could say anything.

"What are you-" He starts but I cut him off.

"Just drive." He clamps his mouth shut and tears his gaze away from me, hitting the gas before the garage door is even fully up. Hero whips the car into the street, weaving dangerously around traffic.

"What do we need for Tanaka? Gauze, disinfectant, something to set his leg, right?" I say, typind a small list on my phone. Hero doesn't say anything and when I look at him, his eyes are focused on the road, jaw tense and fingers tightly gripping the steering wheel. "Hero, focus! What else do we need for Tanaka?" I say again but he still doesn't respond. I want to yell at him, tell him this is not the time for him to continue ignoring me. "Hero! I need you to talk to me! Whats-"

"Why the fuck are you still here?" He cuts me off, voice loud and for a moment I'm completely taken aback. He was looking right at me now, his eyes wild, his jaw tensed.

"..What?" I ask quietly, not sure what else to say. 

"Don't you get it yet? Don't you see what happens to people like us? I can't be the reason you get hurt, Josephine." He runs his hand through his hair while the other wrings the leather on his steering wheel, cursing under his breath to himself. "...What the fuck have I done?"

Later that night, the crew sits around in tense silence. as Jax paces back and forth, watching his father unconscious in a chair, until...Tanaka suddenly moves, groaning as he tries to sit up straighter.

"Pop?" Jax immediately goes to kneel at his father's side, placing a hand on his shoulder. Tanaka slowly opens his eyes, letting them wander through the room as we all stare at him.

"What are you..hff.. all sitting around, looking worried for? Hff... Is this what I pay you to do?" He asks but no one even smiles as he chuckles lightly.

"You don't pay us to be doctors either, but we just had to set your shattered leg." Jenny speaks up, looking at him with crossed arms and a raised eyebrow. "How did you even drive back here?" She asks him and Jax helps his father sitting up in the chair.

"With extraordinary difficulty." Tanaka says, groaning in pain when he tries to move his leg.

"Pop.. drop the act. What happened to you?" Jax says, obviously trying to not show his worry too much but failing miserably.