My Little Raspberry

“Did someone die or what?” was Brendon’s first comment when he entered the entrance. It wan’t suiting, at all. No one gave him a response, so he felt the shame by himself. He slowly sat down beside Betty, who looked really worn out. “Can you tell me what I’m doing here?”

“Brenny, first of all, it was not your fault, whatever you think is def-“

“Can you get to the fucking point?”

“The thing is that Gwen didn’t come home to the apartment this night, so we thought she was with that guy from yesterday.” Brendon’s eyed widened while she spoke. “And so they called from the hospital. It looks like she was-“

Before she could finish the sentence, Brendon jumped up from his chair and smashed his fist into the wall opposite them. He wanted to scream, but nothing came out. Betty’s hands were shaking and she desperately had to focus her own anger on the newspaper she was holding onto as she watched him having his outbreak. While gasping for air, he sat down leaning against the wall and buried his head in his hands. She was collecting courage to sit down beside him.

“Bren, I know it’s hard.” There was no answer. “She’s still alive at least. Brendon, please, answer me, tell me something.”

“Can we see her?” He sounded so pitiful.

“She doesn’t want anyone to see her.” A sigh of pain left his throat after her response.

“I am going to hunt down the person who did this, and then I am going to make him wish he never was born, even though is sounds like a cliché, but he is going to suffer, suffer so fucking much.”

“Hey, with me you’ve got four hands to strangle him with. You’re not the only one who wants to see him laying in his own blood.”

“Where’s Samantha?”

“She went somewhere with a nurse just before you came. I think she’s in need of painkillers, that poor bastard.”

“For what?”

“The entire body I suppose. She was lucky enough to find a reasonable one, and the mess in Mary’s room right now is over the extreme.”

“Thanks for the details.”

“How are you holding up?”

“I’ve got something stuck in my head.”

“Tell me.”

“It’s your fault if I get raped tonight.”

“Who said that?”

“My little raspberry, the last thing she told me before I got out. I guess I should have put a little more effort in finding her a sensible man.”

“Brendon! Anyone of us would have picked him. He looked like a perfectly normal guy.”

”I still can’t get it out of my fucking head.”

“Honey, I’ve known Gwen many years. Even longer than you have, and I know she’s not bitter about what you did, and the comment was completely innocent.”

“Whatever. I’m gonna go find Samantha.”

He left her still sitting on the floor, because of the fact that he was in desperate need of clearing his thoughts. When he came to the end of the corridor he looked left, and then right. The hospital seemed extremely empty for being a Saturday. When he squinted his eyes he could see Sammy’s character coming toward him. He shouldn’t have left his glasses at home. When she approached he noticed the way she was walking. She was wiggling pretty much, and it didn’t look normal for a woman with all her senses in check.

“Brendoooon, where have you been all my life?” she shrieked when she noticed him too.

“Hi Samantha, are you feeling alright? You look a little lost.”

“I don’t think I’ve ever been better. And why are you calling me Samantha? Nobody else does.”

“I suppose I don’t know you that well yet. I don’t like to use people’s nicknames until I know them properly.”

“You know me now, because I can call you Brenny-bear if I want to. Brenny, Brenny, Brenny-bear.”

“That’s great, Sammy. What and how much did the nurse give you?”

“I’m really not sure. But she gave me something for the pain I was feeling, and y’know, when she was looking away, oops, I took some more. But don't tell anyone, because it's a secret. They’re reeeeally good for my head."

"Great, Gwen's in a hospital bed, and you're high on drugs. Next is me loosing my fucking mind finally."

"You know what. I reeeeally want to meet your friend, Ry-, Ryaaa-, what's the dude's name?"

"And you can only tell me that when you're not yourself? Y'know you won't remember this tomorrow, but sure, I'll let you meet him."

"Do you know what Brendon rhymes with? Femdom." She made a pause to laugh. "I like that, because it means I can be on top and you have to do as I say."

"But that's something you want to do with Ryan, and not with me."

"Noooo, Ryan's the sensitive one. I just want to get to know him. He's so sweet."

"You really don't have to tell me that. What do you say of going back to Betty so she won't be so alone?"

"I'm gonna give her a biiiig hug when we get there." Sammy's behavior eased Brendon's mind a little bit, but he was still tense. He could feel it was going to be a long day at the hospital if Gwen didn't make up her mind soon about letting them see her. Sammy was wiggling so bad Brendon had to help her walk straight. She sat down beside Betty, tilting her head on the older woman's shoulder. Brendon continued walking back and forth through the corridor, humming known melodies to empty his head. When an hour had passed a nurse came out of Gwen's room and approached Betty who reacted immediately.

"Well?"

"She is struggling with some matters right now, but said you could come in. Just know she's still in shock."

Brendon was eager to see her, but at the same time not. The bad conscience was burning inside of him. He was the first one to enter the room and see his friend sitting in her hospital bed, practically staring into nothing with her arms around her. The right side of her face was lightly bruised, and her bottom lip had burst. She wasn't giving any signs of reacting to them coming into the room. Betty pushed Brendon slightly on the shoulder. He took a deep breath and sat down beside her on the bed.

"Baby?" She wasn't responding, just turning her head toward him and looking him into the eyes. At one moment she wasn't the Gwen he knew, but it suddenly switched to her normal expression, and turned into an extremely hurt one. Without saying anything else he kissed her gently on her bruised cheek and leaned his forehead against hers, watching her silent tears fall down on his lap.