Battleborn

by S. I. Hayes

  “I’ll just get a cool cane.”

  “There’s a better parking place in it for you, Sir,” Jarod added with a short laugh, easing the tension in the room.

  My dad laughed in return. “Touché. Is there any word on my son, Tim Colton?”

  “Yes, Tim. He is out of surgery, but he is still in critical condition, so we are keeping him in the ICU. No visitors, as he hasn’t regained consciousness yet. The bullet in his lung was an issue and we lost him on the table, having to intubate, and he is still on the respirator. We will be removing that shortly, as we are confident he should be able to breathe normally in due course. Once that comes out, you should be able to see him.”

  “Fuck, Tim.” I shook my head. “That’s my brother, you better take good fucking care of him, you hear me.” I stood up, “I need the facilities.” I headed for the bathroom down the hall. All of the stress was getting to me and it was manifesting as it usually did, making me sick to my stomach.

  I barely made it to the toilet before the bile was erupting out of me. This was what I got. I reached for a moment of happiness, and in that moment, when I was with Jarod, my world, my family lay bleeding to death. If I had kept my head down, kept to my isolated little world I would have never met him. I would have never ventured out and I would have never found out about the money. I would be perfectly unhappy and my parents would still be my parents and my brother wouldn’t be in some ICU, fighting for his life.

  I washed my face and stared at myself in the mirror. I hated who I was. Who I had once been, who I was becoming. There weren’t enough words for the loathing that was eclipsing me at that moment. All I knew was that I needed to scream. So I did.

  Chapter 29 Jarod

  I was sitting with Glory on my knee when I heard her scream. I looked at the nurse, who must have read the terror that had run across my face, as she was attending to the Lieutenant, because she nodded, telling me to go as I put Glory down. I moved with all the speed God gave me towards the sound of Caitlin’s voice. The terrible, gut wrenching scream that seemed not to want to end. People and nursing staff alike were standing around staring. Security was standing by as I pounded on the door.

  “Caitlin, baby. Please let me in.”

  The door flew open and she pulled me inside. Her lips pressed against mine. “What are you doing?” I asked, as she unbuttoned my fly and took down her pants.

  “I need you to fuck me senseless, right now, I need you to make me feel what I was feeling for you last night, before what I’m feeling right now overtakes me.”

  She stroked me hard and fast, but it wasn’t having much of an effect, I didn’t do sex in public. It wasn’t my thing and my boy was not going to give it up for her, especially as distressed as she was. This wasn’t what she really needed. It was only what she thought she needed. What she knew, her habits, her rituals for coping that didn’t work.

  “Please.” She begged me, in tears. “I just need to feel something good.”

  I pushed her gently back, righting my pants and pulling hers up. “Baby, your something good is not only standing here, but is out there waiting for you. Glory needs you to keep it together. Our time together is not meant to fill a void, or make you better. It’s a means of expressing how we feel about each other.” I went to wrap my arms around her, but she put up her hands, keeping me from touching her. She sidled by me and out of the bathroom.

  By the time I made it back to the hospital room, after apologizing for the noise to the security staff so they wouldn’t throw her out, she looked exhausted and ready to leave.

  She kissed her father, then glanced at me. “I need to get Glory some food. I need a shower. They say I won’t be able to go into the house until they finish processing it. It may be a few days, so I’ll also need to go to the stores to get some clothes and stuff for us. If that’s not too much of a bother for you.”

  “Anything you need.” I answered, confused. Could she really turn it off so easily, just because I refused to fuck her in some hospital bathroom?

  “YOU’RE BETTER THAN this,” I finally spoke as we were pulling out of the hospital parking lot.

  “Excuse me?”

  I stopped the truck. “Than some quick fuck on the bathroom floor, I said you are better than that. Which is why I wouldn’t do it.”

  “You couldn’t. I understand, you said you had some issues. I was just angry at the moment. But I’m better now.”

  “You stay angry if you want, because back there wasn’t an I can’t moment for me. It was an I won’t one. I wasn’t kidding when I said I love you last night. I’ve said those words only three times in my life; to my parents, my Granddad and to you. I never even said them to Rebekah, and I was going to marry her. If loving you means I have to treat you like a common whore, we need to rethink the definition of common whore.”

  She looked at her hands in her lap, then started to chew on her thumb. A sure sign she was under stress. I reached out and took her hand into mine, kissing the back of it. “I believe you can do and be whatever you want to be. I believe that you and I can walk out of this darkness we are stuck in, if we stick together. The three of us.”

  She looked up at me with tears brimming, as I kissed her tenderly. “I love you,” she whispered through the kiss. “I’m sorry.”

  “Don’t be sorry for doing what you thought you needed to do. Behaviors can’t change unless we see them and see they need to be changed. Now, if we were out and about and you suddenly got it in your head that you needed a little slap and tickle, who knows. In the future, I may be persuaded. Just, this was not that time.”

  She laughed against my kisses, even as she sniffled. “Okay. I’ll do well to remember that.”

  “Mommy?”

  “Yes, baby?”

  “Did you kiss Tin Man?”

  “I- um, yes baby?”

  “Good.”

  “Good? Why’s that good?”

  “I need a daddy.”

  I could feel my face had suddenly turned beet red as she smiled from ear to ear. “She does make a valid point.” I smirked. Thinking of my determination, just this morning, before the phone call that shattered things.

  “Let’s just try seeing if we can tolerate living under the same roof for a while first, huh?” She reached down, grasping my hand, as I put the vehicle back into drive.

  “I can live with that... For now,” I answered her, bringing her hand up to kiss it once more. Making a giggle erupt from Glory.

  “DO YOU FEEL BETTER?” I asked Caitlin as she settled on the couch next to me, freshly showered in a pair of new pj’s, with a cup of coffee.

  “I feel human, I’ll feel better when I know how Tim is, and where my mother has disappeared to. I just don’t get any of it.” She held the cup, looking for a place to put it. I only had the one end table. I had smashed the coffee table when Rebekah left.

  “I’ll take that if you want.”

  “Thanks. You really need some furniture.”

  “Well, that was part of earning your keep around here.” I smiled sheepishly.

  “Oh, ho, so I’m to redecorate the joint then? What’s my budget?”

  “How’s a grand per room, is that enough furniture wise? I mean it’s not like it all has to go, right?”

  She looked around.

  “Right?”

  “No, not everything, just most things, otherwise it’s gonna clash.”

  “See, I do need a woman’s touch.”

  “Do you now?” She slipped across the couch, her head down and her ass up, as she crawled.

  “Um...” I put down the coffee cup. “Where’s Glory?”

  “Napping. We have time.” She pulled off her T-shirt, giving me access to those full, luscious tits. I loved having those in my face. She knew it too and obliged me as she took my hands, leading them down her length. I pushed the crotch of her shorts aside and found her wet and willing already.

  “C’mon baby,” She huffed, straddling me. I could feel my cock tingle and
twitch as she reached into my pants and wrangled him free.

  As soon as he felt that wet slit he was ready. I thrust and we were inside of her with a happy little groan. I thought she felt good last night, but this time, without the condoms... Without the condoms?

  “Caitlin, the condoms.”

  “I got this.” She kissed me as she rocked on top of me. Rubbing her body against mine, hard and fast. She pushed me back, putting my hands on her tits. “Just let me know, before you come.”

  I sat back as she came unglued around me, and then made to take me to the edge. Just as I was about to spill over, she pulled herself free, taking my cock into her mouth, sucking my orgasm down. I grabbed the edge of the couch as she licked and sucked my head, taking it into the back of her throat. For fuck’s sake, I swear she could suck a football through a garden hose!

  When she was quite finished, she set my pants back to rights, put her T-shirt back on, then grabbed her coffee off the table with a smirk. Leaving me breathless and just a tad astonished.

  “Like I said. I got it baby.” She laughed, sipping her coffee and pulling my arm down around her. She was more and more a surprise to me, every chance she had to be. But I was far from complaining.

  “You are a phenomenal woman.” I grinned, stroking her hair. “Never feel otherwise, you hear me? I’m here and I’m not going anywhere.”

  Chapter 30 Caitlin

  My world was upside down again, but Jarod was right. I needed to keep things as normal as I could for Glory’s sake. She was sensitive to what was going on. Her happy nature was becoming a fussy one. All of this insanity had to happen on a Sunday, over a holiday. There was nothing we could do to help my dad, my brother was still in the ICU and my mother was in the wind. The money couldn’t be touched, at least until Tuesday morning, and I would be at the bank first thing, then off to identify myself to the child support officials. Today needed a sense of normalcy for Glory, so when she woke up and asked to go to the park, I figured why the Hell not.

  “If she wants to go to the park, I know Honeycutt is nice. It’s toddler friendly, specifically, too,” Jarod assured me as I got dressed. I loved how he watched me. Like he was taking in all my features and just drinking me up, washing away all of my self-consciousness and showering me with a rare bit of confidence.

  “She’ll like it?”

  “Oh yeah, lots of things to play on, plus a concession stand and regular restrooms with actual sinks.”

  “Oh, I like it already.” I laughed, wiggling into my jeans.

  “If you keep wiggling like that we may be practicing for her siblings.”

  I looked at him, wide eyed. “Would you want that? Kids, I mean?”

  “Of course. I mean, I love Glory, but I wouldn’t mind a few of my own to add to the mix, as well.”

  “A few?” I straddled him as he sat on the bed. “What’s a few?”

  “I dunno, like three more?”

  “Three, so with Glory that’d be four... That’s a lot of mouths to feed.”

  “I can handle it. My settlement was substantial.”

  I eyed him, were we really talking about kids? I’d only really known him a couple of weeks. It felt like forever, but the reality was it was only weeks. “I love that you want that, but isn’t this fast?”

  “Not if it’s what you want too. I’m a man who knows what he wants, knows what he feels and I’ve never been more certain of anything, before you. Caitlin, I was drowning before you walked into that pool hallway. Your falling into those noodles was the day I finally learned to swim.”

  I couldn’t think anymore as he kissed me, hard and passionately, rolling me down onto the bed, his weight on me, his cock pressed into me with urgency. He made for my pants and I obliged him, pushing them and my panties to my ankles as he pushed his pants down, over his hips. There was need, urgency as he nipped and licked at my neck, pushing off the bed with his good leg he was inside me and I gasped. My knees were flat against the bed, my feet tangled up in my clothes and pinned under us.

  “God, I love how tight you are around my cock,” He huffed, wrapping his arms around and under my ass, pounding into me. I had to put my hands above my head to steady the headboard as it had slammed the wall a few times already.

  “Harder,” I barked, clenching up around him. I lifted my knees, he wanted a tight little pussy, I’d give it to him. He groaned, drilling me deeply, his fingers kneading my ass, lifting me off the bed. Pulling gasps from me as I came, he kissed my tits through the fabric of my T-shirt. As I felt him tense up, I grabbed his ass, pulling him to me, letting him finish inside of me, where I knew he wanted to be.

  He collapsed on top of me with hefty breaths, and a laugh. “Oh God, fuck me...”

  “Baby, I think I just did that.” I smiled, pushing my hair back as I felt him pull from me, reaching into the nightstand for something to clean us up with.

  “I’m gonna go get a towel. It’s like a pool down here.”

  “Sorry baby, but you do that to me, so it’s your fault.” I watched as he pulled up his pants and headed for the bathroom. Then I heard Glory calling me. “Shit.” I pulled up everything and hopped from the bed.

  Jarod looked at me, confused

  “No time to waste, I’ve got an impatient toddler.”

  HONEYCUTT PARK WAS exactly what we needed, acres of beautiful green grass and all the durable, toddler friendly playground toys and towers her little heart could desire. She stared, as we got her out of the truck, with her little mouth hanging open.

  “Mommy? I like this park!” She squealed as Jarod and I took her hands, leading her across the street to its big iron gates.

  “Can I play?”

  I led her over to the slide and we helped her up, Jarod, on the other side to catch her. She was happier than a clam. The tire swings were her favorite, Jarod sat on it, and held her as I pushed him up way high, and she just laughed and laughed. There was my happy little girl, my sunshine, my Glory. We got hot dogs and iced teas for lunch at the concession, one of her favorite foods and by the time we left she was ready to go back.

  I was glad to give her such a good afternoon, after the long morning. When we got home, I put her down and collapsed on the couch next to Jarod.

  “So how goes it Tin Man?” I asked. Hearing Glory call him that all day was funny, especially when people didn’t quite see why, as he was wearing pants and didn’t really start limping until we were getting ready to go home.

  “Tired.”

  “Three more, huh?” I laughed. “You rethinking that, about now?”

  “Nope, besides, we’ve already started, if I’m lucky.”

  “Shush you.” I smacked his thigh and he groaned. “Does it hurt often?”

  “All the bending does it. I don’t usually move around like that. I’ll be okay. Do you think she’ll freak out if she sees me without it? Like on the crutches? I really need to let the limb breathe, Caitlin.”

  “I’ll explain it to her. Later. We’ll show it to her if you are comfortable with that.”

  He nodded. “It’s gotta be done, right. I mean, if you’re to live here, she’s gonna see it.”

  “Exactly, better now, than later. I mean, she’s a smart little girl, and fearless. She may not totally understand, but I don’t think she will be afraid of you or anything, either.”

  “That’s the last thing I want to have happen.”

  “I know.”

  He sighed, you haven’t really seen it either. I mean, we were in bed together, but we were occupied.”

  “Well, I sorta worked around it. I didn’t want to make you self-conscious of it while we were making love, seeing as you said you had issues sometimes. I assumed it was the issue.”

  He nodded. “All in my head, according to the docs. You have yet to make a big deal out of it.”

  “Because it’s not an issue for me. It hasn’t slowed you down, in any department as I’ve seen. You still work out obviously, since you’re shredded, and you fuck like a bear.
So, what’s there to have issue with?”

  “Thanks? I think.” He leaned over and kissed me. “Would you mind grabbing my crutches from the other room? They’re right by the bed.”

  “I know.” I kissed him again, and headed off toward the bedroom, remembering what he had said about the house having cameras. I looked around, wondering just where he hid them. Then I spotted the air vents and decided that there would be a great place to put them, if they were trained on the entrances to the rooms. I waved and flashed the vent, playfully, before going into the room.

  I ARRIVED BACK IN THE living room to find Glory standing at the edge of the couch staring at Jarod, slack jawed. She didn’t move and she didn’t say a word, but she had the beginnings of tears in her little, wide as saucers eyes.

  “An accident?” She repeated, suddenly looking up at me. “M-Mommy, Jarod was hurt bad, can you fix it?”

  “Oh baby.” I walked over to her, handing Jarod the crutches over the back of the couch. “I don’t know how she got by me,” I whispered.

  “It’s okay.” He swallowed hard, as I sat down with Glory in my lap, turning her to face him.

  “This is the fix, honey.” Jarod showed her the prosthetic, “it’s made of special metals that let me walk and run and do things, like everyone else. See, my knee survived the explosion, so it slides down inside and lets me control the limb.”

  “So it’s kinda like a robot?”

  He laughed, “think like a car, it’s got pistons and rods, like an engine.”

  “That’s cool.”

  “It is,” I added. I was actually impressed. The limb wasn’t as unsightly as I had expected. I thought there had been more missing, I didn’t realize he still had the knee. It explained the amount of leverage he had when on top of me. What was I thinking? I had my daughter in my arms! Bad Caitlin... Bad, bad, ravage him later.