Love within Ashes

Chapter 19: Like a Power Ranger?

"I'm sorry, Miss. I can't do anything. He can't enter to the hospital," said firmly the nurse that was behind her desk.

"But-But-But, Miss, you got to understand. He's his brother. I mean, it was all of the sudden and he is... well, he reacted that way. You need to understand," I tried to explain as I leaned forward to her desk to see and face her.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Sanibel threatened to file a lawsuit to the hospital, and he is the senator's nephew. It will be better to Mr.....," she said searching his last name in some papers.

"Darley! Mr. Darley! But.. Mr. Sanibel? Oh, is he ok?" I asked.

"Yes, it would not leave a permanent damage on his face, only marks. Can I ask you something that maybe would be considered inappropriate?" she asked raising her eyes to mine.

"Sure, I guess," I should have said NO!

"What is your relation with Mr. Darley?" she frowned.

"I'm... I'm.. Well, he's my husband. I mean, we are together. Why?" I uttered.

"No, nothing. Is that I just didn't thought that people like you could be with people like him," she shrugged as I dropped my jaw to her obnoxious comment.

"Excuse me?! People like me? People like him? What?! Is it that I'm a different type of human that has green blood or something? Or is it that he is not a human being or something?" I growled to her.

"No, Miss, is that you-you-you..."

"Oh, so is it because he has tattoos? Well, let me tell you something, honey. Those fucking tattoos are the sexiest thing that you could probably see in your life. And they way he kiss, Woo! you don't have any idea. So, if I was you I'll try to date with people like him, and not with people like you," I said to her leaning more closer to her, uttering it in a growling whisper.

She tried to utter something, but her vocals cords didn't allowed her, and her face was just flabbergasted.

"Oh, before I leave, I almost forgot something," I said tilting back, " When Mr. Darley enters through those doors, they better not restrain his pace. Because if they do, the one who file a lawsuit will be me, for having prejudgment and judging somebody by the looks. And believe me, the first name I will give, is yours," I looked at her list of shift and continued, "Mrs. Arnolds."

I turned my back to that daughter of her mother, and sauntered to Joe's room, where Aubrey was. Some admiring feeling towards Aubrey has been growing this day. I mean, she hasn't left Joe, not even for a second. We have been in the hospital since yesterday, and I was exhausted, I just wanted a bath and a warm cookie. But Aubrey was there, by his side, with her clothes all dirty and with kids' puke on her. She was my new hero. How could she be here all this time? And why? When I entered the room, I saw her holding his hand and laying her head on his right arm. Joe was covered in medical bands and was with an oxygen machine concentrator. His face showed serenity and his bruises showed scuffle. He looked so terrible, it broke my heart to see him like this, and not like the smiling Joey.

"Aubrey, are you ok?" I whispered as I placed my hands around her shoulders.

"Yeah, Emma. You go home," she whispered back.

"Ok, but aren't you coming?"

"No. I will stay with Joey."

"Ok, but before I leave, I want to talk to you. Do you think this is a good time?"

"Yeah, I could use a chatting time with you."

"So, you wanna go to the cafeteria? To eat something quickly?"

"Hmm..." she looked at Joe, thinking about it.

"Ok, stay here. Do you want a sandwich or a coffee?"

"Both, please," she smiled.

I went to the cafeteria and bought some chips and coffee with her sandwich. I knew she was just starving, like duh, all these hours inside that room without eating it was obvious. I went back to the room and sat on the couch, while I pulled the table closer to me and laid the food there. Aubrey sat on the couch, next to where I was, and grabbed the food.

"Thanks, I was fucking starving!" she uttered with her mouth full of food.

I smiled.

"I'm glad to see that you and Billy are back together," she said.

"I guess we are, huh? Haha, yeah, well, we haven't said anything nor I'm planning to, but when Grandma died, he just stayed there by my side. He didn't even said a word but his actions said thousands."

"Aw, I knew you guys would get back together."

"So, what happened between you and Heco?"

"Well, we broke up," she simply said.

"I know, Aubrey. But, why?"

"I don't know but, Heco is not my Heco anymore. Plus, it was only sex, Emma."

"But, I thought you loved him."

"I think did. Look, Heco's in coke, he's always high, and he treated me like shit. I couldn't stand it anymore."

"Oh my God! Why didn't you told me something!?"

"Because... you were sad because of Billy and then you got back together, and then... your Grandma passed away. Girl, do you think you had time to listen to my problems?"

"But now I have it."

"I'm not going back with Heco. I think we are better without each other."

"Ok, good. I like Heco, but he's high all the time. Did he hit you?"

She nodded while she took a sip of coffee.

"OH! What a son of his mother! I'm really sorry, Aubrey!"

"He didn't hit me that bad. It's ok."

"So, I want to ask you something."

"Ok."

"What- I mean, when I saw you here, you know, your reaction ... wasn't a friend's reaction."

"What do you mean?"

"What I mean is, that you reacted like you were Joe's girlfriend. Before you say anything, I know, maybe I'm just, you know, misunderstanding everything. I mean, you guys know each other for a long time, right?"

"Yeah, we do."

"I'm sorry, I just wanted to ask you, and tell you what I saw. I don't want to hide anything from you, Aubrey, not even my stupid thoughts."

"It's alright. But... you got me."

"What do you mean with I got you?"

"Me and Heco separated a month ago, this week was official."

"Oh."

"So, I went with the boys to pick up Joe in his trial. They left me in Stokely Hall to babysit Mrs. Portman's kids. And when I finished my work, I was leaving and..." she paused with a raised eyebrow staring at the floor.

"And?"

"And... when I was leaving I saw Joe taking out the trash."

"So?"

"So, I greeted him and we talked just a bit. Then..."

"Then what, Aubrey! For Peter's sakes, tell me!"

"Then-Oh my God, Emma, I'm not telling you! You will think of me as a whore!"

"When did I stopped thinking that?" I playfully asked as she gently punched my shoulder.

"Hey!"

"Aubrey, I love you, whore or not. You are my boo!"

"Aw, you my boo, too. My Disney suckling!" she new I loved childish movies and teased me all the time. When Billy broke up with me, one day we watched Disney love stories all day! Poor Aubrey, for me it was impossible not to love her.

"C'mon, tell me! What happened?" I insisted.

"We had sex," she simply said as she looked back at Joe.

"WHAT!?"

"Yeah, I know! Joe's just sweet, in some way. He just kissed me and his apartment was a few steps away, so," she shrugged in a lively mood.

"Oh my holy milk shake, Aubrey! I just can't believe it!" I uttered with awe.

"So, I guess like brother like lil brother, right?"

"What do you mean?"

"Remember when I told you that you will have a blast with Billy's company?"

"Yeah," I chuckled.

"Well, like big brother like lil brother," she blatantly said.

"Geez, Aubrey! So you like him?"

"What?" she obtusely asked.

"You like him!"

"No, no, no. He's my friend!"

"Whatever you say. I just know that you really care for him, and you can't deny that," I said pointing he with my finger as she did a sad face.

"Yeah, I care for him. He's my friend. So... did you had a rave?" she asked with sneaky lusty eyes.

"Aubrey, don't start."

"C'mon, everytime I asked you if Billy was a thunderbird in bed, you started to cry. C'mon! Shit, Emma, tell me!"

"Why are you so curious?"

"Don't fucking know!"

"Well, he's not a thunderbird," I snickered.

"A Power Ranger?" she asked with a childish face.

"No," I shook my head giggling.

"A Chuck Norris?"

"Haha! It was like a Zeus! Hercules mixed with Zeus!"

"Haha! What? Chuck Norris is better," she chuckled.

Some how we ended up having a Chuck Norris discussion and forgot about Billy's endowment.

"So," I brought her to our first conversation, " was Joe a thunderbird?"

"No, he was The Chuck Norris!"

"You so like him!"

"Hell no!"

"No wonder you always made fun of his petite figure!"

"What? You started it!"

"No-uh! It was you and only you, Aubrey!"

"I don't like him, Emma! Fuck, I don't, I don't! Shut up, and get your ass home and bring me some clothes. I stink!" she threw a fit while she raised my hands pushing me to the room's exit.

"Ok, but don't rape my piece of tart while he's sleeping," I joked.

Aubrey stopped pushing me and her face became a sad bothered one.

"What's wrong, Aubrey?" I asked her.

"Will he wake up?" she asked with tears in her green eyes.

"Ah, Aubrey," I hugged her, "Didn't you hear what the doctor said? Joe is resting, he will wake up, soon. Very soon. And he will be back with us."

"But will he walk?"

"Aubrey, I just know he will be ok."

"Yeah," she sighed while she wiped her tears, "Now, get me some clothes. Oh, and bring me my make-up bag, please, I left it in Mrs. Portman's."

"Why do you need it, huh? We are in a hospital!" then I glanced at sleeping Joe, "Oh, I see... looking good for the sleeping beauty!"

"Stop it, Emma! Now, GO!"

"Bye bye," I mocked with a high pitch voice.

I thought that if I teased Aubrey that at least that will cheer her up. I mean, you should have seen her face when she was waiting news of Joe. Her face was totally dull, it was not Aubrey, it was not the cheerful , jovial face and expression she always had. I don't know if she really like him, I doubt it, though. Aubrey could be my best friend and I will love her for ever, but she didn't had the most clean reputation. Maybe it was a one night stand, I don't know. But she stayed by Joe's side all this time and that showed her commitment and dedication to him. When I was strolling down the hallways of the hospitals, I passed by Mr. Arnolds desk and when she saw me, I gave her a glower as she bowled down.
I took a taxi cab and arrived at home within fifteen minutes. I wanted to call Billy, but he was having a hard time and maybe he needed his space, his time to be alone. So, I took a long delightful and exquisite bubble bath. And I enjoyed every second of it. When I got out of the tub, and pressed my weigh on the ground, I felt a crater under my left feet. I forced down with my feet a little bit more and a creak was heard, and that meant that it was hollow below. I took my towel and kneeled down to see the cavity. It was a loose broken wood on the floor. I always found odd to have wooden floor in the bathroom, but since the apartment was old, I just didn't care anymore. I tried to slip my fingers through the crater trying to lift the broken wood up. But all in vain. I grabbed a comb and started to dug and wiggle it until the wood was lifted up. When I took the piece of floor I saw that underneath it was hollow. I sled my hand in the hole and tried to see if I discovered something. Finally, after waggling my fingers, my fingertips stroked something, some metal and synthetic thing. I leaned forward and grabbed the thing. It was kinda heavy and difficult to get out of the hole. When I took it out, I just come across with a gun on my hands. I was shaking and almost threw the gun to the tub. My eyes widened and I started to feel every water drop on my body descending through my skin. I was scared. The only thing I could think of was in the wooden gun, of my nightmare. The gun that Billy gave me. But no, this was not a wooden one, heck no! it was a real one. I placed carefully the gun down and ran to where my cellphone was. I grabbed it in a twist and called my uncle. He was the one who lived in here before so, he knew about this gun thing.

"Howdy?" he answered.

"BOB! WHAT THE HECK? Why do you have a gun in your apartment?" I panicked.

"Damn, Emma! Calm down! You found it?"

"What do you think?"

"Look, when I owed Billy I had to cover my back so I bought a couple of guns"

"A COUPLE?"

"Emma, give that gun to Billy. Oh, you guys are not together anymore, right?"

"Bob, you are talking about my relationship with Billy like something normal."

"Right, well, to tell you the truth, I was kinda getting used to have that bastard as my new nephew. So, just throw the gun away. Emma?"

"Yes?"

"Did he raped you?"

"UNCLE BOB!"

"I'll take that motherfucker with me! I'll kill him! I will!"

"Oh yeah! By moving to another state?"

"Emma, I'm serious! Did he? Did he forced you to be with him?"

"Bob-"

"AH! It's all my fault, because I owed him, all because of the stupid shit, he made you his whore!"

"Bob-"

"This woe must be bestowed upon me, not you, not you, my dear niece!"

"Bob, have you been reading my books, Emma and Pride &Prejudice?"

"Yes, why?"

"Nothing, I can tell! Look, Billy did not forced me to be with him, I chose to be with him. And just forget about the gun, I'll talk to Billy. Now, tell me how's Paul?"

"He's been good, I think."

"What-What do you mean by you think? Bob, you are not a good thinker. So, you better tell me, is Paul living with you?"

"No."

"Where is he? He moved in a dorm?"

"Not exactly."

"Then, where he is?"

"He's in the police station, detained."

"WHAT!? What did he do?"

"Um, well, he beat the shit out of some guy in a bar."

"Bob! Are you nuts? He's only 18! A bar, where you there?"

"Dude! I saw everything! Paul is kickass! Shit he could be a famous boxer in no time."

"Bob, are you sure you are freaking 39? Cause you don't act like it!"

"Shush, I thought we would say that I'm 30 or 29, Emma!"

"Bob, are you paying the bail?"

"Yeah, tomorrow. The pastry isn't going very well, so I... Emma?"

"Yeah?"

"Paul dropped out of college."

"WHAT?!"

"A week after... Mom's death," he sniffed.

"Shit!"

"Emma! Don't curse!"

"Bob, please! Now, make sure to get his ass back to college. If no, bring him here, I'll find a job for him cleaning streets and kissing old men's asses. Do you hear, Bob?"

"Wow, Emma? For Peter's sake, shticks to you, Bam! Since when Billy lighted that fire in you?"

"The day that I paid your debt."

"So he raped you?"

"NO!"

"Shit, ok! Hey, Emma, I have to leave you, somebody's at the door. "

"Take care, Bob. And do as I say!"

"Yes, sir!"

We hanged up, and I stared at the gun. At the same time I thought, "Great, Paul's fighting and in prison while Bob's doing Lord knows what." The only thing I could think of was throwing the gun out. So I hid it in a kitchen drawer.

I wanted to see Billy, but I need to give him his space, he just didn't reacted very well to Joe's attack. I mean, when he gripped the doctor's scrubs, Billy's eyes turned black and cold, distanced. I didn't know who was that man. Maybe that was a side of Billy that I didn't know, but I have to know. If I'm going to love him, no matter what, I need to know who I'm loving. Even if it means that I'm loving a monster, right now, I just am not capable of raising my standards and leaving him, I just want to be by his side.