Misfits - Chapter 11 (Patreon)

My eyes slowly peel open. Lucky for me the lights in the room were dimmed. I look around in confusion. Where was I? I do a self check, moving my fingers and toes and trying to move my other limbs but I was having no luck. My body was screaming in pain and my head was pounding.

I look around me and realize in no time that I'm in a hospital room. The familiar scent and the hideous décor made that obvious as well as the IV in my arm. I go over in my mind the events that I last remember which was Cal standing angrily over my father. If he hadn't shown up when he did, I would've been not only beaten to death but raped. I try and push the emotions I was feeling away from my mind but I was failing miserably.

My father was going to let them rape me. I shouldn't be surprised after everything he's done to me over the years, but a small part of me hoped that he would still see me as his daughter. I try and blink back the tears but they end up falling instead, rolling down my cheeks in large streams. I had no one. I was officially alone in the world. Whoever that man was, he was not my father. He was once a good man, but time and grief turned him into a monster. A monster so unrecognizable, that he didn't have the right to be called my father.

My eyes notice the shadow in the corner of the room. A small smile forms on my face as soon as I recognize who it is. Cal. He's fast asleep with his arms crossed over his chest and his head hanging low. His hair was falling in his face. He looked tense, a small frown was on his face. I wonder what he was dreaming about. If it wasn't for him, I might not even be here. How did he know where to find me? And how the hell did he take down all of my fathers friends and beat my father as well? He did it with such ease and gracefulness.

And the fact that he pulled a gun and a knife shocked me as well. Where did Cal get all of that stuff from? And more importantly why did he have it on him? I breathe in and immediately a loud and violent cough rips its way from my body. I hadn't realized how dry my throat was. Cal jumps up from his seat in the room, his eyes blazing and aware as if he hadn't even been asleep moments before. His face looked terrifying. After he scans the room his gaze lands on me, and immediately his face becomes gentle and filled with worry.

"You're awake." He breathes a sigh of relief and immediately makes his way towards me. He grabs the glass of water off the tray and brings the straw to my lips.

"Don't speak yet." I take a few sips of the water, enjoying the cool sensation soothing my burning throat. Cal watches me with an intense gaze. Like you'd watch a glass vase that was too close to the edge of the coffee table. I finish the entire glass, and open my mouth to speak but Callum beats me to it.

"How are you feeling?" he asks.

"I'm fine." My voice comes out rough and another cough escapes me. Cal shifts to comfort me but I hold my hand up to stop him from coming closer. When my coughing finally dies down I ask the dreaded question that's been nagging me.

"How long have I been here?" I don't dare look up.

"Five days."

"So.. I've been out for 5 days?" I ask.

"You lost a lot of blood, and there was a lot of.. damage done to your body." I squeeze my eyes shut, trying to make the tears stop. I slowly grasp the sheets, my hands shaking violently, afraid of what I will find when I pull the cover away from my skin.

Callums hand comes into my line of vision and he places it over my palm gently.

"Princess.. Don't do this to yourself," he says with worry. I look up at him and see nothing but pity written all over his face. He gently places his palm against the side of my face, and I revel in the heat seeping from his skin to mine. My hands raise from the sheets to Callums hand as I place mine over his to make sure he keeps it there. I close my eyes and just feel. Letting everything slip away except this intimate moment that I was sharing with Cal. I can even feel a small grin as it forms on my face.

The next time I wake up the sun is shining through the window, illuminating the room but Callum is nowhere to be found. I sit up a little in the bed flinching in pain. You’d think they’d at least give me something for the pain but it seems that that wasn’t going to happen anytime soon. My eyes land on some vases filled with flowers resting atop the counter in the room. I’d have to see who they’re from later. After 10 minutes, a nurse finally walks in. Her footsteps falter when she sees I’m awake.

“Oh! I see you’re awake.” She gives me a light smile. She walks closer to the IV bag hanging over my bed and begins checking my vitals and everything.

“You seem to be doing better today. The swelling has gone down on your eye and we’ve passed the point of infection on the incisions made on your body.” She begins explaining to me but I’m not even listening.

“I-Incisions?” I ask. She pauses what she’s doing and looks at me in shock.

“Oh my gosh, I’m so sorry.. I assumed you were up to speed with the extent of your injuries.” she says apologetically. I only shake my head.

“In that case, I’ll go get the doctor for you,” she smiles and begins to walk out of the room.

“Did you happen to see what happened to the guy that was in here?” I ask before she leaves. She pauses and turns to me.

“Oh, yes the persistent one,” she laughs as if remembering something silly.

“Visiting hours aren’t until 10, so he should be here within the hour. Actually, after the fit he threw when you first showed up here, I’d say he’s probably waiting in the public waiting room for visiting hours.” She walks out of the room shaking her head and laughing to herself. I want to ask her what she was even talking about, but the sooner she left the sooner the doctor would arrive to explain what happened to me.

A few minutes later the Doctor comes in along with 2 police officers. One officer had sandy brown hair and blue eyes, and each time he chewed on his gum, a dimple appeared on his cheek. The other officer was an older man with a mustache and hair that was beginning to gray at the edges. They seemed to sense my fear because one of the officers offers me a light smile, making me feel a tiny bit better.

“Miss Johnson?” I look up at the doctor, he was an old man with kind eyes.

“I’m here to tell you exactly what’s going on with your body and the extent of your injuries. These men are here to get a statement from you regarding what happened. Do you understand?” he asks. I nod my head timidly and he pulls out a chair.

“Good. Now, you lost a lot of blood by the time you got to us. There seemed to be large incisions all over your body. About a few centimeters deep. Deep enough to cause you to bleed profusely. You had a black eyes that was swollen shut when you came in, and some cuts on your face needed stitching. You also have 2 cracked ribs. Now, what we had to do was give you a blood transfusion, and do some stitching on many parts of your body. Lucky for you, the ribs didn’t puncture a lung.” He tries to give me a smile but I’m in shock from all the damage that was done. He explains the rest of the damage done, and treatments to me and takes his leave, leaving me alone with the two officers.

To my dismay the older cop gives me a soft smile, taking a seat next to the edge of the bed.

“Hi, I’m officer Bryan, and that’s my partner Noah. We just need some information on what happened and a statement from you if you don’t mind.” I nod my head and go into my story, telling the officers what happened. I can see that Noah is getting uncomfortable just hearing the details of the abuse I endured in one day. Officer Bryan stands giving me a smile.

“Thank you, Miss. We promise we’ll do everything in our power to have justice served.” He says.

“I-Is he... alive?” I ask.

“Yes. He was under guard at the hospital on Main street, but once he was well enough for release, he was immediately placed behind bars with bail. Judging from the amount of evidence we’ve discovered, as well as your statements, once we get a court date set we can definitely put this man away for a very long time.” He smiles at me as he says it. I only nod my head with wide eyes. He was in jail. And the officer said they had evidence. I had a chance to finally put him away behind bars. Maybe even for good.

The officers turn to leave the room, but officer Bryan stops at the door.

“Ms. I know the doctor didn’t say anything to you about it, but you almost died from the injuries you sustained. With your statement, along with all of the illegal substances we found in his possession, We will put him away for good,” he says reassuringly and steps out of the room.

Callum comes in later, his clothing changed. He sees me in the bed but doesn’t smile like I’m used to. He quietly pulls up a chair close to my bed, and takes a seat. He stretches his hand out grasping mine in his, and begins rubbing his thumb back and forth.

“Why didn’t you tell me,” he says quietly. His voice is eerily calm, yet I can sense an undertone of something else. He keeps his head down as if his gaze is focusing on the pattern he’s drawing on my hand.

“What?” I ask, completely caught off guard.

“Please. Don’t do that. Tell me why you didn’t tell me your father was beating you everyday Rue.” If there was one thing I had learned from interaction with Callum was this. He never used my name. He always called me “princess”. But just now he said my name. Which meant he was really upset.

“I...” I try and tell him, but I can’t get anything out.

“I knew someone was hurting you. I thought it was just the neighborhood you stayed in. I didn’t know it was the man you lived with.” He finally looks up, his amber gaze so intense I feel like I’m gazing at an autumn sunset.

“He could have killed you, Rue. Do you realize that? He almost did! If I hadn’t gotten there in time, those men were going to rape you. Why couldn’t you just follow the simplest order. I told you to stay at the library. But you wander home? Behind my back? And for what?” He looks so troubled, so confused as to why I did what I did.

“I didn’t want to burden you. My problems are my problems. I don’t need to drag anyone else into this. I don’t need any distractions. I have to focus on my end goal. I have to. I can’t let anyone else suffer w-” A choked sob escapes me. I can’t even finish my sentence from the tears.

“Is that what you think? That you’re a burden to me?” Cal shakes his head incredulously as if he can’t believe what I’m saying.

“Rue, how could you possibly be a burden to me? I have the means. I have the resources. I have the finances. I have it! How could you, be an inconvenience to me? A burden? How could trusting someone else enough to help you with your problems drag them down?” He pushes stray curls from my face.

“I told you. I want to make you mine. I told you I protect what’s mine. And I want to protect you I told you that and I gave you your space when you needed it, but this has gone too far Rue!” I flinch from his tone looking down.

“I’m sorry," 

I whisper. I expect some kind of snarky remark or something along those lines, but when I feel Cal’s fingers under my chin, I lift my head. I don’t have time to blink before he kisses me. A soft, and gentle kiss. I feel his hand cupping my jaw as he kisses me.

I forget everything. I forget all the pain and suffering. Until the warmth from his body pulls away and he’s looking at me with a small smile.

“You have nothing to be sorry for, princess.” he says. He gently runs his fingers over the top of my head, brushing my hair back.

“Absolutely nothing,” he murmurs as he stands. The nurse takes that moment to step into the room, her face turning embarrassingly red when she spots us.

“Oh, I’m sorry.. I just came to check her vitals,” she says sheepishly. 

He quick steps to the machines next to my bed and goes to work. I take not that she was very attractive, even in those scrubs. I expect Cal to be looking too, but when I look at him he’s watching me. He doesn’t even look away when he’s caught staring. The nurse finally leaves the room and I can ask Cal a question that has been bothering me.

“Cal. How did you know to find me?” I ask. I never let him know where I lived. He didn’t even know which road was mine or apartment or apartment number.

“I got done early and went to the library where you were supposed to be. And you weren’t there,” he says simply, completely missing my question.

“Cal. I mean, how did you find my house?” I look him in the eyes and he has no problem holding my gaze.

“The phone I gave you. Had tracking in it. I’ve known where you lived since day 1.” He watches me closely waiting for my reaction. But quite honestly I don’t know how to respond to that. So he gave me a phone, and has known where I lived?

“Why didn’t you tell me?” I ask not completely understanding.

“Why didn’t you tell me your father was beating you?”

“Cal, you can’t use that as an excuse!” Cal sits back in his chair and crosses his arms over his chest.

“What do you want me to say, Rue. No matter what I tell you you’ll believe I’ve committed some kind of heinous crime. I didn’t trust your situation. You went home every night and came back the next day with more bruises on you. I wanted to know exactly how to find you if something went wrong. Which it did I might add. I can’t give you anymore than that. If I could go back in time I wouldn’t change a thing. I’d still track you.” He watches me challengingly. I don’t even know what to say back to him. In a way it was sweet. But we barely knew each other when he gave me that phone. And now he was saying that he knew my whereabouts almost all the time.

That’s when it clicks.

“That’s why you always knew if I was lying,” I whisper. Cal makes a face and tilts his head as a laugh escapes his lips.

“No princess. You’re just a shitty liar,” he says. He doesn't wait for a response and stands walking across the room to all the vases on the table.

“Your teachers sent you some get well soon flowers and cards.” I drop my head in my hands as a groan escapes my lips. If they sent me flowers, then they knew what happened. There was no hiding it anymore. Not only that but I had missed a week of school. I was so far behind now it may be impossible to make up. If it’s been a whole week then.. I look at Callum in shock but he’s reading the cards to on the flowers.

“Oh my gosh, your party!” I say. Callum moves on to the next flower.

“What about it?” he asks simply.

“You missed it, because of me” I say. I open my mouth to blame myself, but Cal just laughs it off setting the flowers down and making his way back to where I lay.

“You are far more important than any business party. Besides, there will be plenty more in the future. I still want to show you off as my date.” He winks at me and I can feel my heart fluttering in my chest.

“How did work go?” I ask trying to change the subject.

“Fine.” Cal doesn’t even bother to elaborate. So I decide to elaborate for him.

“Fine how?”

“I did my job, and it went according to plan,” he says simply. I start to say something more but Cal shoots me a glare.

“Enough, princess.” I stare at him incredulously.

“Why? Why don’t you ever want to talk about your job?” Cals brow raises at me and he once again crosses his arm over his chest.

“Why is it so important to you?”

“Because you always avoid it.”

“I told you, I don’t want to talk about work. Why don’t you just respect that?” I fix my gaze on the white sheets, not wanting to see his expression.

Cal sits with me the rest of the day, talking to me and keeping me company as the minutes turned to hours. Even when lunch came he opted out of eating anything. Like I figured he would. He was so paranoid about eating food in public. The sun is setting in the sky when the doctor comes back in the room. He sees me and smiles but when his gaze lands on Cal it immediately drops from his face.

“How are we feeling?” he asks me, completely ignoring Cal’s presence.

“Better, thank you. When will I be able to go home?” I ask. He’s looking at the paper on his clipboard.

“Actually, we’re going to keep you overnight for observation, and you’ll be free to go in the morning. Do you have anyone that you’ll be able to stay with that can keep an eye on you?” I open my mouth to respond but Cal does for me.

“Yes,” he says. 

His voice is ringing with authority and no room for argument. I look at him in shock, immediately ready to tell him there was no way in hell I was staying with him, but the look he gives me shuts me up immediately. The Dr. finally acknowledges Cal, a silent exchange passing between them. The Dr. lets out a deep sigh.

“Alright then. Well visiting hours are just about over and she needs to get her rest.” He stands to walk out of the room. I look at Cal in confusion.

“What was that all about?” I ask.

“What?” he says it so convincingly. I scoff.

“That. The Dr. Seems to strongly dislike you,” I say as if pointing out the obvious. But Cal only shrugs.

“Most people do.”