by Tosha Damaya
"Jon."
He didn't say anything. Johari watched as he stood and paced the room in frustration.
"Say something."
"Did you even think before putting yourself and our baby at risk? You could have killed yourself! What you did was selfish, Jo. You only thought about yourself and didn't take me into consideration," he shouted.
This was the first time he had ever raised his voice at her. It took a moment for her to react. "Of course, I thought about what I was doing. That was the only way we could get away," she said we because she was referring to herself and the baby. "Jonathan, he was threatening to rape me. That's worse than physical pain. I rather have the broken bones than have him assault me. It has happened many times before and those type of wounds never heal," she said the last few words with tears in her eyes. "You call it being selfish. I don't see it that way. I couldn't let Destiny continue to experience the pain I felt. Those emotional scars won't disappear."
Jonathan went back to her side and climbed into bed with her. "I'm sorry." He kissed the tears away. "I just don't like seeing you this way. Just promise me that you won't make this type of decision without consulting me first. Never try to do something like this alone. We could have worked out a plan together. "
"I only hid it because I knew you wouldn't let me put myself at risk."
"You're right. Demetrius told me what you planned, and we decided to leave you at the apartment. We would have never done that if we knew that he would show up."
"No one expected it." It shocked the hell out of her to see Trenton standing in the doorway; she hadn't heard any commotion from the living room.
Jonathan intertwined their fingers. Her light skin complexion complimented his chocolate tone perfectly. He couldn't wait to see how their child turned out. He smiled at the thought of a little girl following him around.
"We're supposed to fight together. Remember, you're not alone anymore. We're a team, Jo."
"I understand, but I had to do this for myself," she explained. "In the past, I took whatever punishment he gave me. This time, I wasn't giving up until I got away from him. I fought back; that’s something that I've never done before."
Jonathan lifted their hands and kissed the back of Johari's. "I'm proud of you, baby."
"I am too. I just wish I would have killed him," she said in regret.
Jonathan froze. "I thought he was dead."
She leaned back against his chest. "Nope. He's in a coma. He's here at the hospital. The police informed me that he'll be arrested once he wakes up. They'll transport him back to Texas to charge him with kidnapping and sexual assault. I'm kind of glad I didn't kill him. I hope he suffers in prison."
“I hope so too." Jonathan continued to hold Johari and they laid in the bed in silence. A nurse came in to check her, so he moved off the bed and waited on the side. He saw Johari whispering with the nurse and watched as the nurse left suddenly and returned with a portable DVD player. She handed it to Johari and left the room.
"Before you came, they completed an ultrasound and the tech was sweet enough to put it on a CD."
He watched Johari start the player and a black and white image popped on the screen. He sat back on the bed. "What is this?"
"It's our baby," she whispered. "He or she is barely the size of a peanut, but he or she is there."
Jonathan didn't know what he was looking at. "Is it bad that I don't see it?"
Johari laughed. "No. The baby is only about six weeks. Not much has happened." She pointed to the screen. "You see that little spot?" Jonathan nodded his head. "That's Baby Adams."
He got teary eyed and smiled. "That's Baby Adams," he repeated. He lifted Johari's chin and leaned his head down and pressed a soft kiss against her lips. "I love you."
"Love you too," she returned.
↔
Jonathan left the room to get something to eat from the cafeteria. Johari was left alone until Sierra, Ethan, Zeke and Sydney walked in. They all greeted her with hugs and kisses.
"How are you feeling?" Sydney asked.
"Like crap, but I'll get better. Thank you, guys, for coming. You didn't have to."
Sierra rolled her eyes, "Shut up, you are family. Of course, we had to come. We love you, Jo."
They talked, and Jo once again explained what happened. Sierra laughed when she told them that she kicked Trenton onto the highway.
"Where's Jon?" Sydney asked.
"He went to get food from the cafeteria."
"Jon isn't in the cafeteria; we just left there. I'm sure we would've passed by him," Ethan stated.
"Well, that's where he told me he was going. Where else could he be?"
Sierra snorted. "If I was Jon, I would be searching for Trenton's room to finish the job you started."
Everyone laughed and got silent when they realized that it was a real possibility.
"Stop him!" Johari yelled.
Zeke and Ethan took off towards the nurse’s station. They quickly learned that Trenton was being kept a floor below Johari in ICU.
As the boys were hopping on the elevator, Sierra and Sydney were frantically calling Jonathan. Their calls went unanswered. Jo started to panic.
"I hope he isn't doing anything stupid."
↔
Zeke and Ethan found Trenton's room and walked inside to see Jonathan standing over him.
"Don't do it!" Ethan yelled. "I know you want to, but think before you commit a crime that's going to put you away."
"He's right, Jon. I know you want to fuck him up. I would help, but there's too many witnesses," Zeke added.
"He deserves to die," Jonathan stated.
Ethan walked over to his brother in law and grabbed his shoulders. "I know. I think Trenton will get what he deserves. Don't lose your freedom by making him pay."
Ethan and Zeke dragged Jonathan back upstairs. They made a mental note to watch him while they were at the hospital. Him getting locked up wasn't going to solve anything.
"How were you going to do it?" Zeke asked while they were in the hall.
"I was about to unplug the machine keeping him alive," he responded simply. "He's lucky you guys stopped me."
"Remind me to never piss you off," Zeke replied.
The men walked back into the room as if nothing happened. Johari was happy to see that Jonathan was okay.
"Where were you?"
"I just needed to get some air," Jonathan lied. He didn't want to worry her.
Ethan took a deep breath. "I could really use a drink right about now."
Sierra pulled out a bottle of alcohol from her purse. "I guess it's a good thing I snuck this bottle on the plane.:
They all laughed but Sierra was dead serious.
She walked out of the room and got some paper cups and filled them up one by one before passing them around. For Jo, she gave her water.
She raised her cup. "To family."
"To family," they all repeated.
Chapter 33
"Your husband isn't making any progress."
Johari exhale noisily. "Dr. Kirkpatrick, please don't refer to that man as my husband. We're separated. The only reason we're still married is because he refuses to sign the divorced papers."
The doctor reddened in the face. "My apologies. Mr. Livingston remains unconsciousness from a severe head injury he received during the car accident. I was told that you were in the process of discharging from the hospital."
"I am."
Johari didn't understand where this conversation was headed. She didn't want to hear how Trenton was doing. She didn't want to hear his name at all.
It's been a week since the accident that put her in the hospital with a broken arm and leg. The few bruises and scrapes she received were slowly disappearing. The hospital was sending her home, but she was still going to be on bed rest apart from doctor visits and physical therapy in Austin.
Johari was elated to leave and was in the process of being rolled out in her wheelchair when the doctor stoppe
d her. She was ready to get on with her life. Jonathan was the only one that remained at the hospital with her. The others left after staying a couple of days. He was present now, holding her hand while the doctor spoke.
"Ma'am", he started again. "We don't think he's going to be able to survive the trauma. Like I said, he's not showing any improvement. You're his next of kin to make major decisions."
Her eyebrows rose. "So, you want me to decide if he lives?"
The doctor nodded his head. "Technically, yes. If we want to take him off life support, it would be your decision to make."
Without hesitating Johari replied, "Kill him."
The doctor stared at her in disbelief. "I beg your pardon."
"Kill him," she repeated. "He doesn't deserve to live."
Jonathan squeezed her hand gently. "Baby, maybe you should think about it." He was sitting beside her wheelchair.
Jo looked at Jon. "What is there to think about? I was trying to kill him before we came to the hospital. My feelings haven't changed."
"I just think you should think about all of the options." Jonathan gave his attention back to the doctor. "Is there any possibility of him waking up?" he asked.
"A small possibility. Some people wake up a few weeks after, some years. Others never do. Now, he has little brain activity, so it's unclear on what's going to happen."
"Then kill him," Johari interrupted. "If you want me to decide, I say unplug any and every machine that's keeping that bastard alive."
Dr. Kirkpatrick didn't expect the young woman to be so adamant about it. Usually, there were tears and hesitation when a loved one was making this decision. Trenton's family were furious that his wife was his next of kin. The other doctors tried to fill him in on the events that occurred while he was on his vacation nonetheless he was too busy to hear it. He saw the accident on the news but didn't know the details surrounding it. Now, he wished he would have listened. It was obvious that this woman hated her husband.
He watched now as the couple argued. The young man wanted her to reconsider and he agreed with him. Dr. Kirkpatrick cleared his throat to get their attention. "How about I give you some time to think about it? Today is Friday. I'll let you get home and get comfortable. On Monday, I'll call you to make a final decision."
Jonathan liked the idea. "That sounds appropriate."
Johari didn't like it but agreed. "Fine."
↔
Johari didn't speak to Jonathan for the next few hours. He tried to make casual conversation on the plane; she never said a word back. The tension was radiating between them as they landed back in Austin.
He helped her get comfortable in a wheelchair but refused to push until she talked to him.
"I have all day," Jonathan commented. "I don't have anything planned." He sat on a bench and started texting on his phone.
For a second, Johari contemplated on rolling herself out of the airport but quickly realized that it wasn't possible with a broken arm. She didn't have a phone to call anyone. Trenton destroyed it.
She sighed. "You should have agreed with me."
Jonathan looked up from his phone. He was in the process of texting Avery and Demetrius. He knew what Jo was referring to. "That's not true. I think Trenton should suffer as much as possible. That why I'm hoping he wakes up. I think he should rot in prison. Dying would be the easy way out. Don't you want him to serve time for what happened?"
She nodded her head. "Of course, I do. But wouldn't you feel the same way if you were in my position?"
"I don't know. I've had exes that I wanted to hurt, but I've never been in your situation, baby. I just think you should wait to see what happens with him. It's only been a week. What's wrong with waiting with a few days?"
"I'm not going to change my mind by Monday. You wanted to kill him yourself. Why are you backing out?"
Jonathan sighed and stood. It was obvious that Johari was missing the point he was trying to make. "Just use the next couple of days to think about it." He started wheeling her out of the airport.
"I already made my decision. I'm going to kill him."
"Okay, my little gangster," he said with a smile. "I still want you to think about it.”
Chapter 34
Johari was confused by the direction that the taxi was taking them. "Where are we going?"
"Home."
"No, we aren't."
Jonathan didn't say anything else. After about five minutes, Johari realized where they were headed. "Are we going back to our place?"
He nodded his head. "Yes. I thought it was time for us to move back home, where we belong."
She got excited. It was going to feel amazing being back in their own bed and house.
"Was Sierra and Ethan upset?"
Jonathan laughed. "Hell no, my sister was happy because now she can walk around the house naked."
Johari smiled. She truly loved having Sierra around. She always kept a smile on her face, even during the hardest times.
The taxi turned down their street and she saw a car in the driveway. "Another surprise party?"
"No, just Avery and Demetrius. Everyone else will be dropping by sporadically throughout the weekend. I invited them over for dinner."
When the taxi stopped, Jonathan carefully picked Johari up and carried her to the door. "I'm hoping to be able to officially carry you over the threshold as Mrs. Adams soon."
"If you let me take Trenton off life support, we could do it by next month."
Jonathan rolled his eyes and smiled. "I love you and your persistence."
Demetrius and Avery got out of their vehicle. "Need any help?" Demetrius asked.
"Do you guys mind getting the wheelchair and bags out the car?"
"Not at all."
She felt awkward still in his arms after they walked inside of the house. "Sit me down on the couch."
"Yes Ma'am." He put her down and made sure she was comfortable. Demetrius and Avery came in with their belongings. They dropped them near the door and came to greet Johari.
"I heard that you were a bad ass," Avery commented.
"Hurt myself in the process."
"Just a few battle wounds. You can brag about it to your daughter, let her future boyfriends know you can kick his ass," she added with a wink.
Johari laughed. "There's still a possibility that it's a boy."
"It's a girl," Jonathan declared causing them all to laugh again.
Demetrius walked over and hugged Johari. "I'm so happy you're okay. I was so worried. It was all my fault and I'm so sorry, Jo."
She brushed it off casually. "You're were doing what you thought was right. Only person I blame for my injuries is Trenton. I hope he rots in hell. He would be on his way there, if it wasn't for the doctor and Jonathan."
Jonathan sighed in frustration. "Imma go get drinks."
"I'll help." Avery followed him towards the kitchen.
Johari watched them leave. "What just happened?"
Demetrius pulled a chair closer to Jo. He grabbed her hand and took a dramatic breath. "This is your intervention."
She giggled loudly. "Are you kidding?"
He grinned. "Yeah, but your man did want me to come and talk to you. I guess we have a little something in common. He thought I could help."
Johari was puzzled until she remembered Nina. It felt like another lifetime ago instead of a few months. It was weird because he was married to Nina for years but was a better match with Avery.
"Do you regret it?"
"I think it's normal to have regrets. It's a part of life. I wanted to hurt my wife,” he replied honestly.
"That's exactly how I feel. I want him in pain."
"I understand where Jonathan is coming from though. If there's a possibility of Trenton waking up, I would wait. He deserves to serve his time. I can't change what happened with Nina. I can only move on from it."
Johari didn't think so. "Doesn't it drive you nuts that you never found out who put her in the coma? You would've never made
that decision if it wasn't for that person. At least I know what happened to Trenton. Nina's case is still a mystery."
Demetrius sat back against the chair and thought it over. He hadn't thought about it in a while.
Johari was watching him. "See, I don't think you can completely move on. It'll always be in the back of your mind. I want to completely wipe Trenton out. I don't want anything to do with him."
Demetrius could relate.
↔
Come Monday, Johari was watching the clock on the bedroom wall. It was only 7:30 a.m. but she was anxious to call Dr. Kirkpatrick. Jonathan was lying beside her amused. He handed her the cordless house phone. "Call."
She took the hospital paperwork off the nightstand and dialed the number. After being routed by the receptionist, she was able to contact Dr. Kirkpatrick.
"I was in the process of calling you," he responded.
Johari laughed a little. "I'll beat you to it. Listen, I haven't changed my mind. If Trenton hasn't improved, I want to take him off life support."
The doctor sighed. "That's why I was calling. He's made some progress. In fact, he's awake."
"Oh...Well, at least he can go to prison now." She looked at Jonathan and saw that he was confused. "He's awake," she whispered. Jonathan frowned. "Yeah, I know," she responded.
"Ma'am," the doctor interrupted.
"I'm sorry, continue."
Dr. Kirkpatrick sighed. "I'm afraid that I have some more news. I'm not sure if it's considered good or bad."
She squeezed the phone tighter in her hand. "What is it?"
"He doesn't have any recollection of the events that occurred."
She was shocked. "What?"
"His last memory of you is your first date a few years ago. In fact, he doesn't even know you're married. Anything that occurred during or before your marriage..." he trailed off.
"He doesn't remember the abuse and pain he caused me?"
"No."
Johari dropped the telephone. She looked at Jonathan but was unable to speak. Words would not form to come out of her mouth.
She couldn't believe it.