Keep You

~POV: Riley~
“Mrs. Hardy,” the new doctor started to say.

“R-Riley,” I muttered, swallowing thickly through my sore throat.

“Riley, this is going to be what will help you with your cough. As soon as that is cleared up, we’re going to tackle the pneumonia and get you out of here as soon as you can. I hate to be the one to inform you of this as well, but because of the risk of passing on the cough, we’ll only be allowing your family to visit wearing surgical masks to keep them from getting it.”

“I don’t care about the masks, I’d just as soon not have them here anyway.” I said, coughing into my hand.

“You really care about your family don’t you?” the man asked as he put a bag of fluid on the IV bag holder.

“They’re all I really have,” I replied, feeling the fluid enter my blood stream. “I retired from my profession when I was in my 30s to have my daughter. My parents are gone, all I have from my blood family is my aunt and uncle and my brother and sisters and my kids. My other aunts and uncles live in Maryland and their kids are all over. I don’t really have anyone but my husband and kids. My daughter hates me…” my voice trailed off from a cough and the strain talking was putting on my throat.

“You know, I lost my mother when I was young, my father was never around, so I was basically an orphan until I was adopted by the couple I call Mom and Dad now.”

“My aunt and uncle sort of adopted me. My mother died when I was six, and my father lived in Texas. I was lucky though, I met my husband the day I moved in with them.”

“Wow, how long ago was that?” the doctor asked, adjusting something on the IV line.

“42 years ago,” I answered, feeling the medicine kick in. He said it would make me drowsy and put me to sleep.

“That’s a long time,” he replied.

“Yeah, our anniversary is actually coming up. 32 years ago this Thursday is the day we started dating.”

“Well, congratulations,” he said. “Get some rest, I’ll be back in to check on you later.” I just nodded as he left, but the medicine kicked in fully then, and I was lost in the world of darkness.

"Riley?” Jeff’s voice called.
“J-Jeff!” I called back, finally getting my voice to work.
“Riley, keep talking. Tell us where “you are.” Matt called. “Dad! Mr. Calaway! We hear here.” he called.
“Shut up Matt.” Jeff said. “Riley where are you.”
“Here!” I called, hoping they could follow my voice.
“She sounds like she’s over here.” Jeff said. Without warning the flashlight hit me in the eyes, blinding me for a minute.
“Dad! We found her!” Jeff called, kneeling beside me and scraping me up into his arms.
“Riley, I’m sorry.” He said, running his hand over my face.

I jolted awake as the dream faded. I didn’t want it to end, because I knew it led to happy times, but it also led to heart ache as well. That was the night I realized my feelings for Jeff was more than just friendship. I had ran away from Dad, and Jeff and Matt found me hours later, weak and unable to move.

It was when everything with our old friend Ron started as well, so it was a bittersweet memory.

“Riley Michelle,” a voice said from beside me. I turned to the person talking, but his face was covered with a mask.

“Riley Michelle Mitchell, no wait, Calaway, no, wait again, Hardy. That’s right, Riley Michelle Hardy now isn’t it?”

“W-who are you?” I asked, my voice sounding even more strained from the fear and sleep.

“You don’t recognize me?” he asked, lifting the mask up. I stared into his eyes, knowing the eyes from somewhere. That’s when it hit me, those are the eyes that haunted my dreams for many years. Ron Weston smiled when he realized I knew who he was. “Surprise,” he chuckled. “Look at you, the big tough Riley Hardy, getting beaten by a little illness, that’s not the Riley I know.” He shook his head and heaved a heavy sigh. “Not the Riley I know at all.”

I opened my mouth to call for help, but Ron covered my mouth, not that it mattered because a coughing fit started just then.

“You’re going to pay for making my life hell,” He said, pinning my to the bed. He reached around my head and grabbed something from the table. It was a roll of tape. He used it on my mouth, causing my screams to be rendered useless. He crossed to the door and slid the lock into position. So now if anyone heard me, they would only be able to get in by breaking down the door, or the janitor’s key. I was stuck in here, and there was nothing I could do about it.

~POV: Matt~
Leaving the food court, I noticed how much carefree Jeff was becoming when a cell phone rang. It was Jeff’s phone, so I knew it was something about Riley.

“Hello?” Jeff answered, grabbing Will’s hand. He froze, his eyes going wide with horror and grief.

“How long ago?” he asked, his voice cracking. I noticed Will wince, and saw that Jeff’s knuckles had gone completely white from how tightly he was squeezing the boy’s hand. I rushed forward and took my nephews hand from my brother’s larger one, but Jeff didn’t seem to notice.

“Daddy?” Kylie said. I shushed her as Jeff swore.

“Didn’t anyone stop it!?” he shouted. “Real fucking nice! I’m trusting you with her life and you…” his voice trailed off. “I gave you fucking people specific orders to keep him away!” he paused as the person on the other end said something. “There’s cameras all over the damn fucking place and security everywhere! Fuck it, just fuck it. I’m bringing my wife home, where I can keep an eye on her!” He snapped his phone shut and turned to me.

“We have to go,” He said, grabbing Will and Kylie’s hands and dragging them toward the entrance of the Zoo.

“Whoa, Jeff what the hell?” I asked, grabbing his arm to stop him. “What happened?”

“I-I can’t,” He muttered, glancing over at Kylie and William.

“Jay, you and your mom get everyone in the cars.” I told my step-son. He nodded and we watched them leave. “Now what the hell happened?” I asked my brother, turning back to him.

“Riley was almost killed this morning,” he replied, tears filling his eyes.

“WHAT!?” I shouted, so loudly people turned to stare. “What do you mean ‘killed?’ Don’t you mean she flat lined or something?”

“No I mean she was almost killed, murdered.” Jeff said, pulling at his hair.

“By who?” I asked. “Who the hell wants her dead? Everyone has been trying to help her get better, not worse.”

“She was suffocated with a pillow. She wasn’t breathing when they walked in, if they waited just a few more minutes…”

“Who did this?” I asked, clasping my brother’s shoulders. “Who the hell did this because when I find out, he’s dead.”

“He’s a dead man anyway. I should of done something then, fuck!” he shouted, a sob escaping from him. “I should of never listened to you and Riley and let him off so easily.” Something in my brain kicked in, and I knew exactly who had done this now.

“Don’t tell me, he’s out?”

“He’s been out, he’s just never had free access to Riley like he did today. I fucking told them to keep an eye out for him, but NO! I’m going to that hospital, I’m getting my wife, and I’m bringing her home where she’s safe.”

“Jeff, she needs to be in that place. We’ll just have to get personal security for her room,” I said. “You take her out of the hospital, it’s basically giving her a death sentence because we can’t take care of Whooping Cough or pneumonia. That has to be done at the hospital.”

“Matt, she almost…” his voice trailed again. “I almost lost my wife for good today, my worst nightmare was inches away from coming true today, and those assholes don’t act like they care.”

“They’re pricks who just want to fill their pockets Jeff you know that as well as I do,” I said. “But they know what they’re doing better then we do. I hate to say this, but you have to keep her in there, just get personalize security for her room. Someone you know will make sure she remains safe.”

“I’m not going to loose her Matt, I can’t.” Jeff muttered, staring at the ground. “especially because of those assholes called doctors and nurses and the prick who can’t get over the fact that he’s getting exactly what’s coming to him.”

“You’re not, we’ll figure it out.” I said. “Let’s go to the hospital. Mandy has room in the van, she’ll take Kylie and Will with her and we’ll go to the hospital to get the facts straight.” Jeff nodded and we left the zoo. I told Amanda the plan, and she agreed to it.

“I’ll go with Dad and Uncle Jeff,” Jason spoke up. “Give you guys more room.”

“Fine with me,” Jeff muttered, getting into his car. “Behave for your aunt you two!” he called to his kids. They both nodded, confusion and worry in their eyes.

“What happened?” Jason asked as we pulled out of the parking spot.

“Your aunt was nearly killed,” I informed him. For the whole ride it was Jeff and I filling Jason in on what happened through the years. He looked pissed, and I knew Amanda and I raised him right by the next thing he said.

“He’s messing with my aunt, he’s messing with my family, and that means me as well, he’s going down.”

“The police will get him, again,” I muttered.

“I hope they kill the son of a bitch,” Jeff replied, glaring out the window. “This has gone on way to fucking long.”

“I know,” I assured my brother. “Let’s just see what happens now.”