"So, how's my patient doing this morning?" Dr. Iverson asks, his voice carrying across the room.
He stops, looking back and forth between Brandon and me, a huge smile crossing his face. Brandon nods at Dr. Iverson and quickly turns to me. "I'll be back later to check on you," he says as he walks out the door.
"My dear, you seem in better spirits today," the doctor says as he begins to examine my face.
"I am, Brandon has kept me company this morning and Maddy will be able to visit soon. I don’t want to scare her with how raw the scar still is,” I reply, trying not to smile.
He looks at me and shakes his head. "I've known Brandon since he was a small child and I can tell you, even though you don't know him all that well, that young man cares for you.” I look at Dr. Iverson with a confused look on my face and he laughs. "How do you know him?” he asks me.
"I saw him one night at Bottlestopper; I was there with Shelly."
He nods. "Well, you must have certainly made some impression on him if he was in here keeping you company."
"What do you mean?" I ask. “I mean we were best friends all through high school. Remember?”
“I’m getting old, you know.” He says, with a laugh.
“Anyway, he caught his girlfriend cheating with a longtime friend of his," he says taking a seat on the stool. "He's a very loyal person. He will talk to the opposite sex, but that's it. However, he seems to be pretty sweet on you."
"So that's why he didn't try anything," I whisper.
"What was that, dear?" Dr. Iverson asked.
"Oh, nothing really, I just realized that's why I saw him keeping to himself night." He nods. “Josh could have gotten that boy in a lot more trouble if Brandon wasn’t so level headed.” He shakes his head and asks me to sit up. A burning pain shoots through my sides when I do and I whimper.
"I know it’s uncomfortable, but I've got to finish examining you." I nod as tears begin to fall from my eyes and he lays me back and presses on my abdomen. "I'm going to have a plastic surgeon come in and talk to you about your face, if that's okay," he says.
"Okay," I reply closing my eyes as he turns to leave. The door shuts behind him and the silence of the room takes over. As I lay there with my eyes closed, I hear the door creak open again. I open my eyes slightly and see Brandon and a teenage boy, not much younger than us, creeping in.
"Jasmine, this is Austin. This is the young man that found you," he says guiding him to me.
"I'm s-s-so sorry," he says taking my hand. The horrified look on the kids face speaks volumes. The bruising, blood soaked bandages and the purple rings under my eyes must look horrible. He just stares at me, his mouth occasionally opening, indicating he wants to say something but no words come out.
"Austin, right," I whisper. He nods, not taking his eyes off me. "Thank you. You are the reason I'm still breathing. If you hadn't gotten there when you did I would have surely died and my poor Maddy would be broken." I say, fighting my own tears from the realization of it.
Austin leans down to me, kissing my forehead and hugging me softly. "If you need anything...anything at all, please let me know," he says turning to leave.
Brandon takes his place by my side. "Sweet kid," I say with a smile.
"He's not much younger than us," Brandon says. I nod, closing my eyes with a sigh. Brandon places his hand over mine and I smile.
"You're sweet," I say slowly opening my eyes to look at him.
"I try," he says running his thumb across my palm. Laying there just looking at him makes my heart thump loudly. Here I am a complete mess, scarred and bruised, and I’m being comforted by what could be the most beautiful man I've ever laid eyes on. I snicker to myself at the thought of telling him he's beautiful and he looks at me, eyes narrowed.
"What?” he asks.
"I was just thinking about you," I reply.
"What are thinking about me?” he asks.
"Nothing really."
"Liar," he says jokingly, "If it is nothing then why are you blushing?"
A knock on the door startles me as the nurse comes in. "Hey, Jasmine. How are you feeling today?” she asks, while checking my IV.
"My whole midsection hurts," I reply trying to sit up.
"Oh, honey, don't try to sit up by yourself," she says coming to help. As she raises the bed, I feel a slight burning sensation but not as much pain. "I'll go get you some pain medication, okay,” she asks. I nod and draw in several shallow breaths while I adjust to sitting up.
"Are you going to tell me what you were thinking?" Brandon asks. I shake my head, grateful when the nurse comes back with some medicine.
The pain begins to subside quickly as she injects it into my IV and I'm feeling more relaxed by the time she leaves my room.
Brandon just looks at me, waiting for me to answer his question. His phone begins to ring and he looks down at the screen. "I have to go," he says, "but I'll be back." Yawning loudly, I nod and close my eyes as sleep finds me just moments after he's gone.
Chapter Eight: Rekindled Fire
"Wood already touched by fire is not hard to set alight."- African Proverb
Jasmine
When I awaken, the door slides open and Dr. Iverson walks in.
"My dear, you seem to be doing well," he says with a smile, looking relieved.
"I'm better, that’s for sure," I say back to him. Looking over towards the window, where Brandon is sound asleep, he smiles and shakes his head. He comes over and begins removing the bandages and looks me over.
"Well...it looks like you'll be able to go home in a couple of days."
I smile at the thought of my own bed, but the joy is short lived. The fact is, I have nowhere to go and that Jeff, knowingly, will be waiting, makes me shiver. Reality has just set in and my mind begins to race, making me unable to concentrate on what he is saying.
"Jasmine," he says with concern in his voice.
"I'm sorry," I reply in a strained voice.
"Is everything ok?" All I can do is shake my head. "If you need someone to talk to I'm here, or I can get one of the nurses for you,” he says.
"I-I-I have nothing... what I mean is when I leave here, I have nowhere to go. I can't be a burden on Aunt Suz...I…I…c…can't go back to that apartment. I can't let Maddy see that," I stutter as the tears come.
"Jasmine, you don't know, do you?” he asks.
"Know what?" I ask, confused.
"Well, it's really not my place to tell you, but you have a room at the hotel across the street. Some of your belongings are there."
"How?" I whisper.
Dr. Iverson smiles at me and says, “Brandon.” All I can do is look over at him, with my mouth hanging open, stunned. "I told you he was a good guy," Dr. Iverson says, as he turns to leave. With my heart beating fast, I smile and feel relief for the first time since I've been here.
A soft knock on the door makes my heart jump and I hear the sweetest giggle ever. Maddy runs towards me, skidding to a stop as her eyes begin to water. "Mommy,” she whispers.
"Yeah baby, come give me a hug."
She climbs up, carefully studying my face. "I was so scared. Daddy is a monster." I cringe at the thought of her witnessing what happened.
"I'm gonna be okay. Look at me Madison, Mommy is okay." She nods wrapping her arms around my neck gently.
Brandon
As I wake up, I see Jasmine smiling widely at me and I instantly know why. "Iverson spilled the beans, didn't he?" I ask trying not to smile back.
"Yes, and I don't know how to thank you enough," she replies, tears streaming down her cheeks.
"Don't worry about it. I just...I," I say, pausing, unable to find the right words.
"You what?" Jasmine asks. I just shake my head, afraid of her response to what I need to say.
"Okay," she says, as if she knows the words I was trying to say already, "And thank you."
Getting up I notice she's watching me. "What?" I ask, curiosity getting the better of me.
"Cute? That's what you think of me, cute?" She nods not looking at me. "Thank you, I think," I say biting my lower lip. Jasmine looks at me and her soft brown eyes sparkle. Sitting beside her on the bed, I laugh as I slowly put my arm around her. She flinches and looks at me with wide eyes, unable to stop shaking. "It's okay," I whisper and pull her closer to me, being mindful of her injuries and I wrap the blanket around us. She lays her head on my shoulder and closes her eyes.
I just watch her as she sleeps, memorizing every curve of her face. Thick, dark, lashes fringe her eyes against the ivory pallor of her skin. Even with the gash running down her face and deep purple bruising, she’s still beautiful. Closing my eyes, I sync my breathing with hers and drift off to sleep, never wanting to leave.
~~~~
Soft whispers wake me and I see Dr. Iverson and Amelia in the doorway. "Brandon," Amelia says, motioning me to come to them. I carefully move my arm, making sure not to disturb her and kiss her forehead; realizing I am falling for this beautiful woman all over again.
"What's up?" I ask closing the door behind me.
"She’s doing well, and we’re probably going to release her tomorrow," she says.
"That's great news," I reply, "I'm sure some fresh air will do her good."
"Here's the catch, she's been in that bed almost a week so I need your help to get her up and moving around," Dr. Iverson says.
"I can do that, after she wakes up." He nods and pats my shoulder. "Oh yeah," I say before turning to go back in, "I know you told her."
He smiles widely. "That poor girl has been through so much and was worried, and I felt I had to give her some sort of comfort,” he said with a smile. I smile back and shake his hand before opening the door. "Oh, and I know you are freshly out of a relationship, but don't let that be a reason to lose this one,” he says as he walks away.
Jasmine is still sleeping so I sit on the stool beside the bed and just hold her hand. After a few minutes, I feel her squeezing my hand. "Hi," she says with a yawn.
"I have some good news for you. As it stands now, you will be discharged tomorrow." The look on her face goes through a variety of emotions from joy to dread. "Better yet, I’m off tomorrow so it looks like you'll be stuck with me," I say, waiting for her to speak.
"Thank you,” she says after a moment’s pause, "I have the worst luck. If it wasn't for bad luck, I wouldn't have any." Standing up, I lean over to hug her. She wraps her arms tightly around me, as she kisses my cheek.
"Now, you know what you just said, that's not true. You’ve got me and I'm not bad luck," I whisper. She smiles at me and hugs me again. "Here's the deal, you want to break out of here right?"
"Yeah,” she says with a sigh.
"Well...we've got to get you up and moving around.” In that moment, a fire unlike anything I've ever seen fills her eyes, and she reaches out for me to pull her up. A painful grimace crosses her face as she stands up. After a few deep, steady breaths she begins taking steps. Her balance is wobbly but she doesn't let that interfere. She walks confidently towards the door, with me by her side in case she stumbles.
With each step, she becomes sturdier. "You know what I want?” she asks.
"I have no idea," I reply.
"I want to take a shower. You think you could get that Ok'd for me,” she asks, batting her eyelashes.
"Yeah, I think I can do that for you." She walks back to the bed and sits while I run out to the nurse’s station. After finding Amelia, I go back in the room, only to find her undressing. "Oh. I'm sorry," I say turning around to face the door.
"It's okay, no need for modesty at this point," she says with a shiver. "Could you do something for me?” she adds.
"Sure, what do you need?" I ask.
"Could you get me some clothes? I want to feel somewhat normal and these gowns just don't do it,” she says pulling on the bulky hospital gown.
"Sure will. Amelia will be here momentarily and I'll be back soon."
Rushing over to her hotel room, I notice I'm being watched. I see a man sitting in a large, black truck. He sees me looking at him and he quickly rolls up his window, looking away. Pulling out the key I open the door and step inside. Looking out the curtains, I see the truck pulling away and take notice of the plate number. Once it leaves the parking lot, I begin rummaging through Jasmine’s clothes. Eventually, I find a pair of sweat pants, a t-shirt, and I grab several pairs of underwear. I can't help but feel a bit embarrassed as I shove everything into a backpack I've found. I make it back over to the hospital before she’s out of the shower.
Amelia is standing outside the bathroom door when I get to the room. I hold up the bag and hand it to her, and she smiles, slightly opening the bathroom door and setting it inside. "Jasmine, your clothes are in there with you. Let me know if you need my help," Amelia says.
"Okay, thank you. Is Brandon still out there?" Jasmine asks from behind the bathroom door.
"Yep, he sure is,” she says winking at me.
"Tell him I said thank you."
Amelia looks at me and smiles. "Why don't you go home and get some rest," Amelia tells me.
"Yeah, I could use a little rest," I reply digging my keys out of my pocket. "Let her know I'll be back, okay?"
"Certainly," she says shooing me away.
~~~~
My empty apartment is too quiet so I get up and head into the living room, flipping on the TV. Sitting there channel surfing, I keep thinking about Jasmine. Even though she has been back for a while and I have been getting to know her again for the past week, I feel some sort of strange connection to her. On the surface it feels like a rebound, but deep down it feels like more. I sit here pondering everything as the sun begins to trickle through the blinds. I honestly don't even know if I have even slept.
Standing up, I stretch and gather my things to shower. Dressing quickly, I look at the clock and notice it's only seven in the morning. Laughing at myself, I put on a pot of coffee and have a cup before heading out to go see Jasmine at the hospital.
Jasmine
The shower felt great, but disappointment set in when I got out and heard Brandon had left. I've been sitting here in this bed all night unable to sleep. Deep down I know it's not right of me to wish him here so badly, but there is something about him I can't shake. I draw in a deep breath and close my eyes, trying to figure everything out. A knock on the door brings me out of my thoughts and a huge smile crosses my face when he walks in.
"Good morning,” he says handing me a cup of coffee.
"Oh my God, you must be psychic," I reply before taking a sip. The warm liquid feels so good sliding down my throat. "Thank you, I needed that." I say, smiling.
"Anytime,” he says coming to sit by me. "How are you feeling today?"
"Better than I have been," I admit. He smiles and puts his arm around me, bringing my face close to his.
"I see your stitches are gone,” he says examining my face.
"Yeah, Amelia removed them last night."
He kisses my forehead, "You ready to blow this popsicle stand?
I nod, "Beyond ready."
"Well, let me go talk to Amelia and Dr. Iverson to see if the paperwork is almost ready,” he says with a smirk.
~~~~~
The cool wind whips my hair around my face when I stop to breathe in some fresh air. Brandon pulls his truck around, opening the door for me. "It's just a short walk over there, you know," I say, climbing in carefully.
"Yeah, but I can't have you falling down and getting hurt on my watch,” he says reaching over me to buckle my seatbelt.
"I'm not completely helpless, you know that, right?"
"Yes, I do know that, I was only trying to help,” he says trying not to laugh at me. I roll my eyes and try to hide the smile threatening to cross my lips. In a few minutes we're sitting in front of my hotel room. Brandon hands me the k
ey and walks me to the door. "Can you stay for a little while?" I ask before I even realize it.
"Sure,” he says walking in behind me. The room isn’t big, but the bright yellow paint covering the walls is cheerful.
"I didn't think you would want to go back to the apartment."
"No I didn't, but I have no idea how I can repay you for all this," I whisper.
"Like I said before, don't worry about it,” he says, carefully pinning me up against the wall. I smile, looking up into his green eyes and kiss his cheek.
"Thank you," I say and he backs away from me. "Will you call Aunt Suz and ask if she can bring Maddy to me?"
"I will call and see if she can bring Maddy to visit. You still have a long way to go before you need to have all that responsibility. Oh, here's my number,” he says and hands me a small piece of paper, "I've got to run a few errands and I'll come back, okay?" I nod, feeling like a gut-wrenching blow has been landed on my heart. "One more thing,” he says getting his keys off the table, "A big black truck was sitting outside when I came over to get your clothes, license plate V76LMP. Does that sound familiar?" A surge of fear rushes through me and I begin to sweat. "Jasmine, are you okay?” he asks as I begin to slide down the wall. I sit there a crumbling mess as tears begin to fall uncontrollably. "Is that who did this to you?” he asks me and all I can do is nod. "Jasmine, look at me,” he says sitting next to me. "He won't hurt you again. I’m telling you this now, and I mean it,” he growls. Nodding, I look away; the anger prevalent in his eyes is frightening. "You have my number if you need me. Don’t hesitate to call me; I'll be less than ten minutes away."
He leaves and I lock the door, placing a chair under the knob. Turning on the TV, I grab my phone and program his number onto speed dial. It's almost noon when he comes back and I'm still sitting there, staring at the door when he knocks.
All of ME Page 7