Falling for the Veterinary Pathologist

Chapter 3

After Mitch left to the other room I took a minute to examine my hands. The bandages were on well enough I would be able to go again.

I knew we wouldn't be going on the run for a while so I had plenty of time to train again and then rebandage them again.

So I stood and went back over to the punching back. This time I took it a little slower and concentrated more on my form this time instead of releasing my anger.

After I was about 10 minutes into it I heard the door open. I saw Abraham, Jackson and Chloe walk in but I didn't acknowledge them, I just continued punching the poor sand bag.

I continued on until Jackson interrupted me. "You hands are bleeding, Mack." He used my old nickname that Ray calls me. He held my arm that I was getting ready to punch with and looked in my eyes with what looked like sympathy.

"Gee thanks captain obvious" I shake him off of me and take a step away from him and the bag.

"You should have Mitch bandage them again." Chloe advised.

I didn't say anything in reply. I got up and went to grab a water bottle and the first aide kit again. Only I didn't stay in the room with them. I went to another room to sit by one of the big windows. Sitting on the window sill I looked out into the night sky.

I started to take the old bandages off and struggled greatly. I was still bleeding and had bruises forming on my knuckles already. I hiss in pain and finish taking the last of it off.

I rinse them off and clean them up but decide not to bandage them. They were too bruised to even try to do it myself. Right now I could hardly move my fingers. Plus I knew they would be healed in a few days anyways no point in wrapping them anyways.

I see Ronnie and Anissa walk by with a bag. With my clean hands I get up and follow them into the room. Walking up to Mitch and Jamie, Ronnie says, "Got what you wanted." He then pours the containers of the bag out. And a bunch of cell phone looking things fall out on the table.

"So how's this supposed to work?" Anissa asks as we all stand around the table.

"Well. I have access to all the security camera feeds at the zoo. Right now, I'm logging in to the camera that looks at the zebra enclosure." Jamie types along on the cell phone. "Alright. So that goes there" She places the cell phone on a map of the zoo where the zebra enclosure is. "I see where the security camera sees."

I peek over Anissa to see the camera feed and sure enough you can see the whole zebra enclosure. Huh. That's smart.

"And this one looks at the reptile house so it goes there." She places the phone on the reptile house on the map.

I wasn't in the meeting to hear what they planned so I asked, "so you're gonna be our eyes and ear when we're inside the zoo?"

"Yeah. I'll know where you are and I'll give you a heads up if there's any security guards coming your way." Jamie answers my question. Wow so she's really going to stay and watch all these cameras. It seems complicated. I think it seems easier to just attack back if we get caught and have her as man power but it wasn't my decision.

"Seems... complicated." Ronnie voices exactly what I was thinking.

"Yeah, it is." Jamie says.

"No it isn't. You got this. She's got this, right. You got this." Mitch tries supporting Jamie but I can feel the anxiety and stress radiate off of her. She better get it together and watch our backs.

It goes silent in the room. I just stare at Jamie. She nods her head and smiles at Mitch. God we are screwed. I knew we shouldn't have involved these people. What was Ray thinking.

"Whatever you better have our backs." I say rudely and walk towards the other table with guns, spray paint and other supplies we'll need for the run.

I'm rolling one of ropes up when it hits my newly formed scab. I hiss in pain and drop the rope on the table holding my hand. I bite my lip to hold back tears and any more groans.

I can feel everyone's eyes on me and that's when Ray enters the room. He takes notice of everyone staring at me and asks, "What happened?"

I can't have him find out about my hands and make me stay here. I am going on the run. No matter what he says. "Nothing I'm fine. I was just getting things ready." I state and smile at him hiding my hands behind my back.

He doesn't seem to buy it and walks over to me. He grabs my wrists and pulls my hands in front of me. Showing everyone in the room my bruised and scabbing hands.

I look down in defeat. Now the whole team knows. More specifically Ray knows.

"I thought you said you bandaged them?" He asks but I know is aimed at Mitch.

He walks closer to examine them too. " I did."

"Then why are they like this." My brother asks. I can hear the anger in him rise. I didn't want him to yell at Mitch. It wasn't his fault it was mine.

"I took them off. I went another round and they started to bleed through so I took the bandages off. I was going to redo them when Anissa and Ronnie came back." I make up an excuse so no one knows they hurt too bad to do them myself.

"Mitch rebandage them." My brother grabs a first aide kit sitting on the table and shoves it into Mitch's chest.

"No!" I deny. They both look at me. "I mean I can do it myself."

"Mitch can do it better he'll wrap them." Ray states in more of an order way than in a statement.

"No, I can do it." I say a little quieter this time.

"Either Mitch wraps them or you're not going tonight" Ray says and crosses his arms. Ugh! He knows how much this means to me!

I clench my fists and jaw. He has me beat he knows I won't give up on the run for something like this. "Fine." I say angrily. I grab Mitch's arm and drag him out of the room. I bring him into the one with a bunch of big windows.

I sit on the window sill. I set my hands out and look at the ground patiently waiting for him to start. Slowly he takes one of my hands and looks at it. Then he takes the hydrogen peroxide bottle from the kit and pours it over my hand.

I hold in my hiss of pain and clench my jaw. Doing my best to refrain from punching him in the face.  I close my eyes and try to relax. I can feel him looking at me so I open my eyes to see him looking intently at me.

"What? Can you just finish please?" I ask angrily. He doesn't say anything and just looks at me.

"Uh nothing." He finally speaks up. "Just you shouldn't do this to yourself." He says in a caring way. Why would he be caring about me.

"Ya well you're not my brother so stop worrying about me." I say bluntly and push my hand forward for him to continue. He continues on in silence until he's done and then he leaves.