Lumen Cove

by Dianne Frost

  “N-no,” Alex said and pressed his lips together, trying to calm his galloping heart Come back, Alex. Come back. He took a deep breath. “No, when she left her tutoring session she said she was going home. To watch some show. With you.” Alex nodded to Reva and her brows crinkled in confusion, a hint of suspicion in her eyes. Why would Kelsey tell you that? But it was quickly snuffed out by the widening of her eyes as she whipped around on her father, yelling at him in hurried angry Italian.

  Alex almost felt sorry for the older man, his face going panicked as Reva read him the riot act for what Alex didn’t know. Then as if remembering he was her father, Ezio’s face began to burn red with anger and he blustered back at her, his voice echoing throughout the dining room but Reva merely crossed her arms and scowled, replying back with what sounded like heavy sarcasm. Alex shook his head. They were wasting time.

  “Reva!” He said harshly and both father and daughter quieted instantly, looking at him with wide eyes. He pursed his lips and sucked in a deep breath through his nose. “I’m sorry. Miss Sarno, what happened to K-Miss Charming?”

  “I-I don’t know,” Reva said, the fight going out of her instantly and Ezio held her arms as she sunk onto her stool. “Ami said the hospital in Mobile called. Kelsey was brought in an hour ago. She asked them to call me, but someone put my phone in the safe in the back because he is a control freak who non comprende la cultura amiercana e tratta la sua unica figlia come uno schiavo-!”

  “You do not speak to me that way young lady I am your Papa. Mi mostrerai il rispetto!”

  Reva made a rude gesture and pretended to spit. Ezio let out a loud Eoh gestured in a way that reminded Alex of an old mafioso on TV.

  “Please!” Alex yelled, his voice sharp and both fell silent again. “Why is she in the hospital?”

  “Ami didn’t say!” Reva exclaimed, a single tear falling down her cheek in a black line. “Papa I have to go. She needs me.” Reva begged looking at her father with pleading brown eyes and Alex didn’t see how the older man had a chance at saying no to that look. Alex certainly wouldn’t have been able to.

  “Of course, principessa. Of course,” Ezio said, taking her hands in his and squeezing them.

  “I’m going to take the Prius,” she said stumbling off her stool and reaching for a set of keys on the wall.

  “I’ll come with you,” Alex found himself saying, the words out of his mouth before he could even comprehend them.

  Both Ezio and Reva looked at him blankly and Alex sucked in a breath. He hadn’t been thinking about anything except getting to Kelsey, making sure she was okay. He hadn’t stopped to consider how odd it would be for her English teacher to want to run up to Mobile at 11 pm on a weeknight with another female student. In fact it was downright suspicious and the look on Ezio’s face proved it.

  “You’re in no state to drive,” Alex blurted after a moment, forcing his racing heart to calm and his face to remain stoic and sensible. “I would be happy to do the driving,” his eyes moved from Reva’s to her fathers. “That is if it’s okay with you Mr. Sarno?” Alex raised his hands in surrender, showing his palms and taking a step back from the counter. “I just… I only…”

  “Yes… yes of course,” Ezio said, a look of relief replacing his suspicion as he reached for the towel that hung on his apron. He dabbed at his damp forehead. “That’s very kind of you, Mr. Danvers. Reva?”

  “Yes,” Reva said, looking scared and lost and so very young in that moment that Alex felt a pang in his chest for her. “Yes thank you Mr. Danvers. Is… do you have your car?”

  “Yes,” Alex said, reaching into his pocket for his keys the movement quick and almost manic. “It’s out front. Mr. Sarno are you sure? I don’t want to be-“

  “It’s fine. Let’s go,” Reva said suddenly pushing herself off the stool and ripping the apron off her waist. She handed it to her father. “Non preoccuparti di papà tutto andrà bene. Sono sicuro che Kelsey sia brava. Ti chiamo quando arriviamo.” She leaned over and planted a red kiss on his cheek that remained there when she pulled away.

  She ducked under the counter and Alex had to jog to catch up with her as she scurried around the corner to the back entrance, Mr. Sarno calling for them to be careful and all Alex could do was raise a hand in acknowledgement before hurrying out the door.

  If anyone had told Alex a year ago that he would be riding alone with a female student in his truck up to Mobile at 11:30 at night he would have laughed right in their face. As surreal as this entire experience had been he didn’t have the emotional capacity to worry about it at that moment. All of his anxiety was swirling around what had happened to Kelsey. Why had she even been in Mobile in the first place? Why hadn’t she told him she was going?

  Reva kept up a steady stream of conversation the entire drive without really needing any input from him so he was able to fully contemplate all the angles and if there hadn’t been another person in the car with him when he came to the realization that this might have something to do with the money he - well, Drew - owed he would have pulled over. Instead he merely tightened his grip on the wheel and focused entirely on the road, drowning out Reva’s babbling and concentrating solely on keeping the vehicle between the white lines and breathing steadily in and out. In and out.

  Could they have taken her? He had until Friday and it was only Wednesday. They hadn’t contacted him. Surely they would have contacted him if they’d changed their minds. They wouldn’t just take her. God, he would never forgive himself for getting her mixed up in this. If they’d only gone to her place that night. If I’d only been strong enough to stay away from her after that first kiss. He felt as if his chest were caving in, guilt weighing heavy on him, threatening to suffocate him.

  When they arrived at Providence Hospital, Alex had to fight the urge to sprint through the hallways like Reva. He knew the role he was supposed to be playing. Responsible adult, the cool headed chaperone and he had to compartmentalize his panic and his rage in order to be that man. He forced Reva to walk, or at least not flat out run. The Emergency Room desk informed them that Kelsey Starlet Charming had been taken to radiology for x-rays and a catscan and they would send a doctor out to them when there was any news.

  The waiting room was only about half full, Alex observed as he followed Reva over to a bank of plastic chairs. She sat and he debated leaving a chair between them for a split second before just taking the seat next to her. He would swear later that she didn’t move an inch for the next hour and a half, perched on the edge of her seat, her back ramrod straight, not taking her eyes off the swinging doors through which a steady stream of doctors and nurses disappeared and reappeared.

  A doctor finally came to speak to them around one a.m., Reva propelling herself to her feet while Alex drug his weary body up into a standing position. Kelsey had suffered severe trauma to the head and torso resulting in a concussion, three broken ribs and a sprained wrist aside from multiple contusions to her face, neck and abdomen. Reva immediately began to sob when the doctor confirmed that while badly beaten up Kelsey would likely make a full recovery. Alex, startled by her outburst didn’t have time to think as she threw herself against his chest and he weakly patted her back with trembling hands as she wailed into his chest, smearing make up all over his sweater. The doctor waited a bit for her to calm down before letting them know that Kelsey was being transferred to a room for overnight observation and a nurse would be down to get them when she was settled.

  They sat down again in the hard plastic chairs and waited, Reva leaned over with her elbows resting on her knees as she continued to cry quietly into her hands. Alex didn’t know what to do. Shouldn’t she be happy Kelsey was going to be okay? He sure as hell was. He’d though his knees were going to give out from relief when they’d been told. Maybe they were happy tears but with the way her shoulders were shaking he doubted it. He tentatively placed a hand on her back and she jumped, tensing but then her muscles loosened and eventually the shaking stopped.

&nbs
p; Reva sat back finally and Alex barely had a moment to mask his look of shock at the state of her face. Her cheeks were streaked with black, bronze and pink her make up in complete disarray. She sniffled as she grabbed her pursed and fished around inside, pulling out a jeweled compact. She let out a short shrill “Oh my God” upon seeing herself and then frantically began digging in her bag. He watched with interest as she ripped open a small packet of wipes and immediately started wiping her face, all of the lines and smudges disappearing, the wipe turning brown and black and shimmery bronze. It took three of the tiny wipes before she was satisfactorily clean and Alex marveled at how different her face looked. She was a lot paler than he’d ever seen her, eyes still large and almond shaped but not as distinctive or sultry. Her lips were still full but not in their usual pouty way. Her face was much more round, the hallows of her cheeks having apparently been all contour and not bone structure. She looked impossibly young, rubbing at her running nose, her eyes sad and scared.

  When the nurse finally came to get them it was nearly two a.m., and both of them were dead on their feet. Reva’s crying jag had seemingly taken everything out of her while Alex never had much to give to begin with, his panic settling into a tight knot in his chest that he knew no matter how fatigued he was would never let him sleep. The nurse accompanied them up the elevator to the sixth floor and then down a long hallway to wooden door with a chart on it, the window next to it covered by vertical blinds. She opened the door for them and neither moved, just looked into the shadowed room, the single hospital bed back lit by dim medical lighting as machines beeped and whirred.

  Alex was the first to take a step and he felt Reva’s hand curl around his bicep, her touch making him tense but he let her hold on to him as he walked them into the room. Kelsey looked impossibly small all bundled up under the scratchy blue hospital blanket a large bandage wrapped around her head. Her face was distorted and swollen, her lip busted open, one side of her face already blackening. He could feel Reva trembling next to him and he wanted so badly to shake her off and reach for Kelsey’s hand, press it to his lips, tell her how sorry he was, having spent the last three hours convincing himself this was all his fault.

  Reva stepped in front of him, startling him out of his daydream as she lowered herself into the chair by the bed, searching for Kelsey’s arm over the covers. Kelsey jerked then, crying out and both Reva and Alex jumped, Reva’s hands snatching back as Alex’s rushed forward. Brown eyes met his, one completely bloodshot the other hazy from whatever pain medication they’d given her. He saw the recognition in her eyes, her tongue sneaking out to wet her lips.

  “Alex…?” She mumbled and he felt Reva’s shock, her back straightening.

  Alex stood stock still as Reva’s head slowly turned to look at him, her eyes wide. “She…she doesn’t know what she’s saying Mr. Danvers,” Reva said, shaking her head and looking back at Kelsey. “She would never use your first name like that…”

  Alex let out a breath of a laugh and shook his head. “I think I can let it slide this once,” he said, his voice strange to his own ears as his eyes met Kelsey’s again.

  “Kels…Kels…” Reva whispered, leaning over her and Kelsey finally managed to pull her eyes away from Alex to blink slowly at her friend.

  “Your face…” Kelsey slurred, her brow creasing as she struggled to free her arms from beneath the blanket. Alex saw then why she’d cried out when Reva had touched her. Her wrist was tightly bandaged. “You look awful.”

  Reva let out a watery laugh and Alex chuckled as well.

  “What… what happened?” Reva whispered and Kelsey blinked slowly at her, her eyes staying closed for longer and longer moments before they didn’t open again. “Kelsey? Kels!”

  Alex grabbed Reva’s shoulders just long enough to still her as she reached to shake her friend. “It’s the pain meds. She’s gonna be in and out.”

  “Excuse me.”

  Alex and Reva turned to the doorway and found a formidable nurse, her mousy hair tightly wrapped back into a bun striding purposefully into the room followed by another nurse, waifish and dark, who looked wary as if she’d been on shift entirely too long. The first nurse nudged Alex out of the way, her large frame causing him to take a few steps back so she could check the various tubes and bags that were attached to Kelsey. The nurse barked numbers at the other nurse who dutifully recorded them on the chart.

  “I’m Nurse Holcomb. That over there is Nurse Tillins. We’re at shift change so Nurse Tillins will be taking over Miss Charming’s care until tomorrow afternoon. You’re family?” Nurse Holcomb asked looking at Alex over her shoulder and then at Reva. Her nose wrinkled ever so slightly. “Well, you’re obviously not.”

  Alex’s neck jerked in shock, eyes widening as they found Reva’s. She was wearing a bored expression, her eyes sliding over to Nurse Tillins with whom she shared a look.

  “Yes I am,” Reva insisted, looking up at Nurse Holcomb defiantly. “I’m her big sister. Our parents adopted me because they wanted a girl after that disaster of a kid.” She indicated Alex who blinked back astonished. “And wouldn’t you know it Mom got pregnant right after the adoption papers came through.”

  “Was good of them to keep you,” Nurse Holcomb mumbled, adjusting something on the computer by the bed and Reva gave her a sweet smile that was all teeth.

  “Yes it was. Anyway, we’re family.” Reva looked over the nurse’s shoulder at Alex and gave a sly grin. “Look these two are practically twins. Matching black eyes and everything.”

  Alex glared at her as Nurse Holcomb turned to take in the bruising on his face, just beginning to fade to purple and green. Her eyes narrowed. Reva was looking at him with pleading eyes. Alex sighed and nodded at the nurse who snorted.

  “Family of brawlers huh? Tillins, make sure this girl gets her rest despite her brother and sister being here,” Nurse Holcomb said and Alex caught the slight roll of her eyes as Nurse Tillins handed her the chart to sign. “This one’s lucky to be alive. That part of Dauphin isn’t a place a young girl wants to be after dark. She was lucky she wasn’t raped.”

  Alex’s face must have blanched because Nurse Tillins stepped towards him, her coffee colored hand resting on his bicep. “Your sister is going to be just fine. She’ll likely be released tomorrow afternoon. Her stay is just a precaution. For the concussion.”

  Alex looked at her, taking in the warm assurance in her eyes and nodded, looking back at Kelsey’s bruised and battered face, inanimate in sleep. The nurses left the room, Nurse Tillins assuring them she would be back in an hour or so to check vitals and closed the door behind them.

  “Why’d you tell them I was her brother?” Alex found himself asking peevishly and Reva looked up at him.

  “You know they only let family stay past visiting hours!” Reva replied and in fact Alex had known that, he’d just forgotten. “I’m not leaving her. You should probably get back. Thanks for the ride.”

  Reva curled a leg underneath her, settling more firmly in her chair. Alex sighed looking at the door and weighing the risk. He didn’t know how he was supposed to leave Kelsey now. A great weight of responsibility seemed be trying to suffocate him, the feeling that he should have known she was hurt, that he should have been there. The idea of someone doing this to her was too overwhelming for him to comprehend, his fists balling at his sides and the carefully controlled rage beginning to boil over.

  “I’m not leaving you here,” he said, his eyes on Kelsey until he felt Reva’s stare on him. “How are you going to get home tomorrow? The bus? No.”

  Alex grabbed a heavy wooden chair with a green seat cushion and lifted it easily, plopping it down on the opposite side of the bed from Reva. He sat down with a force that seemed to end the discussion and Reva only blinked at him. She opened her mouth as if to question but then snapped it shut, her shoulders sagging and he saw a tiredness in her large brown eyes that seemed to have taken all the questions right out of her. She rested an elbow on the arm of her c
hair and leaned her cheek on her hand, her other reaching to gently lay over Kelsey’s on the side of the bed. Alex looked at her other hand laying against the blankets, chipped teal polish on her nails. He longed to take it and hold it in his, press his lips to her fingers.

  He realized then as he leaned over and pressed his hands together in front of him that she had no defensive wounds. His own busted knuckles were scabbed over now, most of the swelling gone. She hadn’t even fought back and this is what they did to her. He should go out to that bar, what was it, The Showbar? He should find these guys and-

  “Why did she come up here?” Reva asked, her voice quiet and tired, eyelids drooping. “Why did she come up here without me?”

  Alex didn’t answer and eventually Reva fell into a fitful doze. Alex didn’t even bother trying to get comfortable. As bone tired as he felt, he wasn’t going to be able to sleep. When Reva began to snore lightly he slipped his hand over Kelsey’s letting her feel the warm weight of it and her head rolled from one side to the other, her eyes cracking open the tiniest bit. He felt her thumb curl around his the best she could before her eyes fluttered shut again. He sat and kept watch, the room eventually beginning to lighten as daybreak approached, his eyes never leaving Kelsey’s face.

  Kelsey continued to float in the soft cotton fuzz of pain medication, half the time unsure if she was dreaming or not. At one point, Bobby had been next to her bed, telling her that she was part of their crew now and she needed to learn how to ride a motorcycle. At another Gram had been floating above her, the edges of her glowing and feathered as if she weren’t anything more substantial then a cloud. Still then there was a moment where Reva had been holding Kelsey’s hand with Alex standing behind her both looking scared and sad. She’d said his name, wanting to reach for him but her limbs were too heavy and it was all she could do to move her head so that her eyes wouldn’t lose him as he crossed the room.