You're Cute When You Scream

The room was horribly silent, minus the endless beeping coming from my heart monitor. The doctor was nice enough to treat as much of my wounds as possible in such a brief window of time.

Synyster’s feet scuffled across the pale-colored tile floor as he moved closer to the doctor. “What do you mean, doctor? She is my girlfriend after all,” he muttered with contempt.

Doctor Manor shrunk back in his typical timid manner. “I don’t understand…you claimed to have had sex with Myra exactly six months ago today. She was err at your house that entire time.”

Just because Syn and the doctor were slow didn’t mean Ronnie or I were. We both shared the same mixed expression filled with so much emotion. At first there was shock, of course. Then…relief, on my part. Followed by a mutual excitement.

Things were different now. I trust Ronnie just as much as I trust Katie…and I think that if we could only escape, then I could have this baby and we could start a family. Escape this torturous place.

“Hold on. That was the night that,” Synyster began, pausing to stare at Ronnie, “that you and I both raped her.”

Ronnie had decided to play dumb. “Yeah, man. What are you saying?”

Syn took one threatening step forward and shoved Ronnie’s chest. “I’m saying that you’re the only other fucker that could be the father of that baby!”

“So, you’re telling me that you’re pissed at me? You invited me to join in on the fun and games, Syn. That was your move.”

“Yeah, I am pissed, Ronnie. She’s my girlfriend.”

“I hate to break this to you,” I interrupted, “but that was before Christmas, I wasn’t with you then.”

I watched as Syn’s eyes lit up with outrage and shock. “You keep your mouth shut, you little slut.”

I matched my eyes with his own, suggesting that there was no way in hell that I was going to back down. Sure, Ronnie may have done this to me…but at least he recognized his errors.

There was no saving Syn.

I could feel my head throb as I increased the hardness of my glare. “I don’t think so, Brian,” I growled. “Not anymore.”

*Katie’s POV*

“They’ve been gone a long time,” Aliza whispered as she stared out the window in Zacky’s room.

Things were quiet for the most part. Shadows was asleep down the hall. Nikki and the Rev were in his room. Johnny was outside maintaining the landscape.

“Maybe the hospital was crowded,” Zacky shrugged, aimlessly running his fingers up and down my arm as I laid on his chest.

“I really wish Ronnie didn’t go with them. Either one of them could be the father…and I think things won’t go so well if Syn isn’t the dad,” I sighed, reaching for Zacky’s hand and squeezing it tightly.

“Do you think Ronnie will be okay?” Aliza asked, shifting her positioning so that she was facing us now.

“Just because Syn has a connection with the doctor in that hospital doesn’t mean he’d kill anyone there. It is still a public place,” Zacky reasoned.

I frowned at his words. The look on Aliza’s face clearly suggested that she instantly began wondering if that meant he’d be safe once they were in the privacy of their own home. “What Zacky means to say is that Ronnie will survive. Syn has anger issues, that’s nothing new. Ronnie’s strong, Aliza. He can handle a few bruises,” I assured her.

She nodded, having almost a tiny smile on her face. “You’re right. Hell, I’ve watched him and my other brothers fight all the time when I was younger. He’s a tough guy.”

Zacky sprung up and stared at her with wide eyes. “Ronnie is your brother?” he gasped.

Aliza and I exchanged glances before I faced him. “Zacky, you can’t tell anyone else. They will take advantage of that detail,” I pleaded.

He held his hands up in defense before lying back down. “Alright, alright. You’re secret’s safe with me.”

I was about to thank him, but I was instantly cut off after hearing the sound of the front door opening and slamming shut. Aliza and I exchanged worried looks upon realizing that Syn, Myra, and Ronnie had returned.

*Nikki’s POV*

“Why did you have to single me out?” I asked, feeling my lower lip quiver as I felt his fingers toy with the buttons on my pants.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” he laughed.

Frustrated, I forced myself into a sitting position, careful not to move my nearly healed legs. “I want to be with the other girls. None of them are forced into this,” I declared.

He stopped what he was doing and turned a nearby lamp on with a sigh. “I already have some dirt on Katie. Her loverboy is none other than Zacky. Myra, I’ve known her much longer than you probably thought. Doctor Manor can give me any dirt I wanted on you. So, that just leaves the mysterious Aliza left. I know you know something about her, Nikki.”

“Y-you know about Zacky and Katie?” I asked, completely shocked.

“There are a lot of things I know, babe,” he grinned. The smile of a madman.

I crossed my arms tightly over my chest and avoided his eyes. “I’m not telling you anything, you bastard.” His smile expanded.

“See, I was hoping you’d say something along those lines. You unintentionally just admitted to actually knowing something and, well now I get to play with some tools.”

The Rev reached for a nearby nightstand, the same one that was supporting the lamp. I heard the sound of clashing and scraping metals as he dug his hand inside the drawer. If he wanted to kill me, I didn’t plan on stopping him. No one other than Myra and Katie know of Aliza’s secret…and if that is to be the outcome, than it’ll stay that way.

“This is your last chance, princess. It doesn’t have to be this way,” he offered.

I swallowed hard as I stared up at him with expressionless eyes. “Yes, it does.”

As he approached me with something concealed in his hand, I prepared myself to squeeze my eyes shut…but changed my mind once I saw that all he was holding was nothing more than a small, shiny scalpel.

“Do you really think that after all I’ve been through these past couple of months that a few slices are going to convince me to talk?” I asked, slightly amused, and impressed by my recently attained tolerance for pain.

He shook his head and laughed. “Silly little Nikki. This is a versatile instrument. I can use it in many ways.”

He reached forward suddenly, getting a solid grip on my hand. Using his opposite hand, he came forward with the scalpel and rested it at the tip of my fingernail. Dazed, he ran the sharpened end along the bit of skin right below the nail on the backside of my finger. A thin red line formed, hardly bleeding.

Then, out of nowhere, he broke from his path and jabbed the edge right below the nail. I cried out in surprise, entirely unaware of where he was taking this. He didn’t stall too much longer. He shot me a grin before plunging the sharpened edge further, down past the cuticle.

Hot streams of tears leaked from my eyes as he wedged the scalpel up and down digging deeper before finally tugging it upward once more, shredding my entire nail bed off my finger. It made a sick, crunching noise as it landed on his nightstand, flying through the air. Blood leaked out of the newly formed bloody square at the tip of my finger.

He had to take two other nails off before I caved. My body was shaking endlessly as my entire right hand was soaking wet and stained red. I didn’t have any other tears to cry; my eyes were entirely dried out.

“A-Aliza and Ronnie are related,” I whispered, keeping the “secret” vague.

He backed away from me, moving to the lower end of the bed. His eyes were widened slightly in surprise. But that surprised look didn’t fool me. I knew that I had just unleashed some sort of pain onto Aliza and Ronnie.

The tears returned.

*Normal POV*

I gripped the IV cords out of my arms and neck, ignoring the small splash of blood that ensued. “Uh, Myra, I really think you should stay in bed,” Doctor Manor murmured in concern.

I kept my expression hardened as I ignored him. Keeping one hand protectively over my stomach, I crawled out of the bed and began to approach Synyster, who worse a smug smirk on his face.

“I think you should listen to the doctor,” he said.

“Well, I think that you deserve the harshest form of capital punishment this country has to offer. But guess what, we can’t all have what we want.”

“Ouch, baby,” he laughed, placing a hand over his heart.

“Fuck off,” I muttered, standing before him.

“You need to…SIT DOWN!” he shouted, reaching forward and firmly pressing the palms of his hands on my chest, shoving me backwards.

I cringed as my back sharply met the edge of the hospital bed, causing me to sink down onto the floor.

Syn then redirected his attention over to Ronnie. “You may have given birth to that kid. But you won’t be the one raising it,” he snarled.

“Do you really think that it’s going to be a good idea to raise a baby in the environment we all live in?” Ronnie asked, his eyes narrowed in an accusatory glare.

“When did you get a heart?” Syn countered, looking at him with disgust.

“It’s called common sense, dumbass.” That was enough to throw him over the edge.

He lunged forward and gripped Ronnie by the throat, slamming him down onto the floor. Ronnie groaned as he tried to wrestle with Syn, but he was at a disadvantage. Syn had caught him off guard. Punches were thrown left and right along Ronnie’s chest and face, all while Syn maintained his chokehold.

Ronnie was gasping for air and choking on the blood that was dripping from his nose into his opened mouth. I wanted so badly to get up and help him, but that could easily harm the baby. So, I did all I could do in that situation.

“GET OFF OF HIM!” I screamed, so loudly that he actually froze in place.

The doctor stared at me with wide eyes, practically shaking with fear. “Aw, does Myra have feelings for the daddy of her baby?” he taunted, getting up off of Ronnie, who was very close to passing out.

“Y-you were hurting him,” I whispered, avoiding his question.

He squatted down so that he was near eyelevel with me. His hand reached out as his fingers entangled themselves in my greasy strands of hair. “Don’t ever stand up for him again. Now, it’s time to go,” he growled, lifting to me by my feet, still gripping my hair.

“Let’s go, Radke,” Syn commanded, looking over his shoulder at the rather black and blue face belonging to Ronnie.

He stumbled up onto his feet, following us out the door. Somehow, I couldn’t help but think that this was all my fault…

*Katie’s POV*

The minute we heard the door downstairs, Zacky, Aliza, and I bolted down to the living room. Aliza’s eyes watered when she caught a glimpse of Ronnie’s battered face. I know it must’ve been rough for her, but…at least he was still alive.

I’m guessing that because of all this, the doctor revealed that Ronnie must be the father of Myra’s baby.

Footsteps echoed behind us as Shadows, Rev, and Nikki came downstairs as well. One look at Nikki and you could tell something went wrong in her time spent with the Rev, which really is not a surprise. He was insane.

Her eyes were swollen from crying so hard. A couple of her nails looked as if she was wearing thick, chunky brown nail polish, but a double take would clarify otherwise. Her nails were…gone. It was the dried blood that I’d seen. I choked back a sob as I turned the other way, not capable of beginning to imagine how painful that must’ve been.

“Wow, Ronnie, you look like a pretty proud parent,” Shadows laughed, staring at the bruises and dried blood layered across Ronnie’s face.

He didn’t respond. He looked like his mind was elsewhere, not that I blamed him.

Myra kept her eyes locked on floor, almost holding a look of guilt across her features.

The Rev stepped forward with a smile on his lips that definitely implied that he was up to no good. “I know that we got little Nikki here from the hospital so we have information on her…but does anyone even know what Aliza’s last name is?” he questioned pointing a finger in her direction.

Her eyes widened in absolute horror. The guys seemed interested in this newly revealed fact. “What is your last name?” Shadows asked, taking a dangerous step toward the three of us.

Ronnie was shaking his head subtly, sending her a message to lie. She opened her mouth to speak but no words ever exited. The Rev didn’t give her a chance.

“It’s Radke. Her name is Aliza Radke,” he breathed out.

All of the guys spun their heads to stare back and forth between Ronnie and Aliza, who both looked incredibly upset. “You’re keeping secrets from us now, Ronnie?” Shadows challenged.

“You never asked. I never told,” he mumbled.

“I think all our problems would end if he was out of the picture,” Synyster said shoving his way past Myra and heading for Ronnie.

Synyster tackled Ronnie down on the ground, slashing away at him with a knife, shreds of clothes and blood droplets flying through the air. “Get away from him, you monster!” Aliza cried, prying her way between Zacky and I.

“Oh don’t even,” the Rev exclaimed lunging forward, shoving Aliza’s head up against the wall, knocking her out cold in her puddling blood.

My eyes were lined with tears suddenly. This has gotten way too far out of control, not that it was ever normal before, but I can’t take it anymore. My fingers formed such a tight fist that my fingernails began digging into the flesh of my palms.

“FUCKING STOP!” I screamed at the top of my lungs, getting a rewarding silence and stillness in return. Everyone stared at me wide-eyed.

“You got something to say?” Shadows asked menacingly.

“You heard me,” I growled.

“Oh, I think I’m gonna enjoy this,” he grinned, running toward me.