Looks Can Be Deceiving

The knuckles of Brian Haner's fingers turned white as he tightly gripped his steering wheel, speeding down the darkened streets of Huntington. How he hadn't been pursued for traveling at such an ungodly speed through a residential area bewildered him to some extent, but at the very moment, it was the least of his problems.

From the passenger's seat, Matt Sanders was just a few seconds away from going on a shooting spree. Pistol in his hand, his fingers tightened around the base of the gun. After the frantic phone call Brian had received from his girlfriend just a mere few minutes ago, the two of them weren't taking any chances.

Zack and Johnny drove just behind them in a second car, with Jimmy following in the third. Both cars were loaded down with all sorts of weapons. The dark streets soon became flooded with light as they neared Lyndsey's home. Porch lights were on and several neighbors stood outside in their robes, hoping to catch a glimpse of the crime scene.

Yellow tape closed off the yard from outsiders, but none of the men paid the tape any attention. Slamming their doors shut, they exited the cars and stalked towards the front door. An officer immediately tried to usher them in the opposite direction, but Brian wasn't having any of that.

"That's my fucking girlfriend in there!" he barked, squaring his shoulders as he stood in front of the officer, who was clearly shocked as well as intimidated. Stuttering an apology, the officer allowed them inside, and they moved through the hallways with haste.

The first thing they saw was Lyndsey, who was a bawling mess as an officer attempted to question her about the invasion. Nothing was accomplished, as she was too hysterical to speak. She stood in her purple scrubs, hair disheveled and eyes red from crying. Brian felt a flash of anger run through his body as he studied his girlfriend's emotional state. He quickly calmed himself down and walked forward, pulling her straight into his chest.

It angered him further to see how terrified she was as she broke down in front of him, legs giving out from under her. He caught her easily, sweeping her into his arms and bringing her to sit down on the couch in the living room. As soon as the group of men piled into the living room, all went silent. The room was trashed, and blood was smeared across the walls and the carpet.

That wasn't what stopped them in their tracks, however.

Matt cursed loudly under his breath at the sight of Lyndsey's friend crouched on the floor, still as stone. A shiny, silver pistol was locked in between her hands as she stared blankly at the body in front of her. The body was at least three times her size, if not more. Two exit wounds could be seen on his back. He lay face down in a pool of blood. Blood flowed from his head as well.

Looking back toward the redhead, Matt froze. Wearing nothing but a crimson lingerie set and a small robe of sorts, she sat unmoving, eyes locked on the body in front of her. A dark red bruise was beginning to form on the side of her face. Her hair was tussled, her eyes cold. More bruises littered her brown skin. The most prominent was the one around her neck. Matt could feel his blood boiling as he looked at the woman in front of him. An officer was currently attempting to pry the pistol from her hands, but anytime someone moved an inch, she flinched and gripped the gun even tighter.

No one wanted to freak her out while she was holding a nine milimeter pistol in her hands.

"Brittany...it's Matt. We're here, and we won't let anything happen to you or Lyndsey. I want you to hand me the gun." Matt slowly took a single step forward. Brittany flinched. He stopped moving, "I know you're upset. I don't know the details of what happened, but I know you're scared. You did what you had to in order to keep Lyndsey and yourself safe, and you did great. But now, we're here to help. We can't do that as long as that gun is in your hands."

She didn't move.

Matt knew he had to try again, "Do you trust me?"

At that, her brown eyes glazed over and refocused. She shuddered as her gaze left the body of the man who'd attacked her, and glued themselves to Matt. The look in her eyes was one he'd never forget. Hands shaking, she stiffly unlocked her fingers and allowed the gun to drop to the floor. Matt cautiously stepped towards her as the officer swiped the gun. Jimmy watched the officer closely to see what he'd do with the gun.

"W-who does things l-like that, Brian?" Lyndsey wailed into Brian's chest, "Who breaks into s-someone's house w-w-with the intent to k-kidnap them?"

Zacky whipped his head around, "Kidnap you?"

An officer was by their side with a pen and notepad in a flash, "Where did you hear this, ma'am?"

"The other one u-upstairs...h-he s-s-said...he s-said..." Lyndsey was too upset to finish.

"He's upstairs? Why haven't you talked to him yet?" Brian glared over at another officer who'd just stepped off the last stair just a few feet away from the group. The officer moved to speak, but a small, cold voice cut him off.

"Because he's dead."

The room fell silent as all eyes focused on Brittany's distant ones. She was still in the same position as before. Crouched down on the ground, staring at the unconscious body in front of her as officials took pictures for evidence. Paramedics came in and checked the man's pulse and deemed that he was alive. Matt had the sudden urge to take out his own gun and shoot the sick fuck who'd messed with his friends.

"How did that happen, ma'am?"

"I broke his neck." she answered robotically.

The officer blinked. The others exchanged uneasy glances.

"And how did you do this?" the officer wanted to know.

"Cast iron skillet," another officer piped up, stepping into the room with the weapon that'd been used, "Fractured both his C1 and C2 vertebrae."

"I shot him. Twice. But he kept going. That made the other one mad. So he jumped me." she explained mechanically, as more paramedics moved into the room.

Both girls were questioned as they were surrounded by paramedics. Lyndsey checked out to be unharmed physically, though the emotional damage was evident. Brittany, on the other hand, didn't seem so lucky. Once again, Matt's blood was boiling as he listened to the paramedics' remarks.

"It feels like a couple of cracks, but I can't be entirely sure as to which one," one paramedic spoke with a sigh, lightly grazing his fingers over the petite woman's ribs. She gave no sign of pain, though it was nearly impossible for someone so small to leave such an attack without sustaining any injuries.

Another paramedic stepped in, "My guess would be between seven and ten. Those are most likely to crack under these circumstances, especially because she's so small."

"Is that her only injury?" Matt asked gruffly, watching as the workers poked and prodded at her. He knew that she didn't like any of it, despite the fact that she didn't bother to speak. He could simply tell by the look on her face.

"It seems to be, but we won't know for sure until we take her in and get her looked at."

Matt nodded, as did the others. He'd figured that. He could tell just from the way she was barely moving that she was hurt somewhere. If her ribs were indeed bruised or cracked, it would hurt her to make much movement, breathing included. Speaking of breathing, the small breaths that she did allow were low and shallow. It gave him all the confirmation he needed.

"Look, we can get their statements at another time," the officer next to Johnny sighed, "There's no point in traumatizing them any further tonight. We'll come back once they've been cleared by the hospital. The rest of these guys will be tearing the place apart, as it's now a crime scene."

The first officer stepped forward, "The best thing for them would be to pack up some of their belongings. The essentials like hygiene products, and clothes. Comfort items. Have them stay with a close relative or friend once they're released from the hospital. Call their jobs, take them off schedule for at least a week."

Jimmy nodded, "We'll be sure to do that. What's gonna happen to that guy?" he motioned towards the unconscious man on the floor.

"He'll be taken to a different hospital under police custody. Once he comes to, he'll be marandized, booked, and we'll be sure to call you." the officer reassured him.

Jimmy took the time to give the officer his information while Zacky and Johnny trudged upstairs. Each of them took in the gruesome sight in front of them and shook their heads. That guy was as dead as dead could get. They worked quickly, packing what they thought Lyndsey would need into two bags, before moving on to Brittany's room. The TV was still on. They turned it off and began packing her things.

Johnny noticed the puppy in the kennel and let him out, sighing as the puppy yelped and yelped, "You'll be staying with me until your Momma gets better. God help us all." he muttered, thinking of keeping a puppy in his house that had yet to become potty-trained.

"I think we're good, Christ. You taking him with you?" Zacky turned, watching as his friend held the puppy in his arms.

Johnny nodded, "Yeah. Load their stuff into Rev's car. Puppy's shit, too. Food, pads, all the shit she bought earlier. You take my car, and I'll take Syn's. I'm sure Shads and Syn are riding in the ambulances."

As the two men worked on loading everything up, Jimmy wrapped up his conversation with the police officers. He would be notified of any changes in the investigation. Matt and Brian had spoken to the paramedics and arranged to ride with the girls to the hospital. As the girls were placed onto stretchers and loaded into the awaiting ambulance trucks, each of the five men met up at the end of the sidewalk. They said nothing, simply exchanged one simple glance amongst each other before going their separate ways.

Whoever had staged this had officially entered a deadly game.

[BRITTANY'S POINT OF VIEW]

I wasn't okay, I knew that much. Not physically, and certainly not mentally.

I was too tired to stay awake, but too afraid to close my eyes. Too afraid of what I'd see. Those cold, dark eyes stared lifelessly back at me, haunting my every thought. I wasn't sure why it bothered me so much. It shouldn't have. I was doing the right thing, I was. I was protecting myself, protecting Lyndsey. Right? I'd had to do it.

I lay on my side, watching through the small slot of glass in the door as Matt muttered into his cell phone in the hallway. He was pacing, stopping every now and then in front of the door where I could see him. He was clearly agitated, as his voice would begin to rise and rise until he'd come to a halt and get himself under control again. The orders he barked into the receiver were curt and gruff, though I couldn't make out who he was talking to or what he was talking about.

I turned my gaze from him and eyed the nurse just a few feet away. She hummed quietly to herself as she scribbled down a few notes on my little patient chart thingy. I felt the urge to sigh, but couldn't. It hurt. I was pretty damn sure that something was broken. My ribs or something. The doctor hadn't come back in yet, but I just had a gut feeling.

The nurse turned to me, "The doctor should be in shortly, sweets," she smiled sympathetically, "That way you can get something for the pain. I know you're not feeling all that great."

"Understatement," I whispered hoarsely, though she understood.

"We'll take care of it, don't worry," she assured me with a timid smile, "Get some rest while you wait for Dr. Monaco. I'm Holly and I'll be here for a while, so give me a shout if you need anything, okay?"

I nodded before I called her attention, "Holly?"

She turned back to me, her hand on the doorknob, "Hmm?"

"C-Can you...can you f-find out how Lynds is?" I asked her pleadingly, watching as her features grew soft, "I know she wasn't handling things well, a-and I--"

She held up a hand, "I'll check on her and let you know. Don't worry, just rest."

With that, she walked out into the hallway, just as Matt quietly slipped inside. He was rigid, his eyes dark and his chest heaving. The room lapsed into silence and I didn't dare disturb it. He didn't look like he was in the best of moods, and for once, I felt a twinge of...fear, almost. I eyed him as he took a deep breath and stepped forward.

"We should've stayed."

I blinked, "Huh?"

He began pacing again, "We should've stayed longer. We would've been there when-" he cut himself off, glancing at me as his jaw clenched, "Things could've turned out differently had we stayed with you."

"Or they would've hurt you, too." I reasoned quietly, noting the harsh glare that he was giving the tiled floor.

"No," he nearly growled, "We would've handled it. They wouldn't have ever been able to get near you. We would've-" he stopped himself again, though I didn't understand why, "All this wouldn't have happened."

I sighed, cringing as a pain went shooting through my side, "It's not your fault."

"You didn't deserve this, Britt."

"No one ever does," I whispered, feeling the breath leave my body.

Matt was by my side in a flash, grabbing hold of me and gently sitting me up so that I could breathe easier. He then arranged the pillows behind me so that there was less of a strain on my back. I smiled in gratitude, reaching forward and patting his forearm as he moved to sit on the edge of the bed.

In the small amount of time that I'd known him, Matt had opened up a lot to me. It was clear that he was a very private person, and not always in tune with his emotions. It was weird, really. He was very cautious and tense around people, and didn't like to get close. But he had this kindness that often broke through the walls he had up, and that was the most intriguing part about him.

"I just...wish we could've helped. I'm sorry about this."

I smiled at his sincerity, "You're helping now. That's all that matters."

Another spasm of pain flooded my body, and he seemed to notice immediately, "What's wrong? Do I need to go get help? I do, don't I? Where's the goddamn doctor--"

"Matt," I croaked, "You be calm, and I'll be calm. The nurse already said he's on his way."

"Sorry, sorry," he muttered, placing his hands in his head as he leaned on his knees, "Fuck this shit."

I knew he was irritated with the current situation. He wanted to help but didn't know how to fix things. I didn't know how to fix things, either. If there was any fixing to be done, that is.

"What do I do now, Matt?" I asked after a few minutes of silence, "I know Lyndsey can't handle going back, and I was living with her until I could get back on my feet. I'd have to put in overtime at work to make enough to get a place so quickly, and who knows when I can go back to work? And Lyndsey is a basket case right now; she won't be able to be on her own, and then Shadow! Poor Shadow is all alone, God knows where--"

I was stopped mid-rant by Matt placing his finger on my lips. I looked up to see that his eyes were trained on me, "We'll figure things out. Shadow is with Johnny for the time being. You and Lyndsey will stay with one of us, or we can call a family member for the two of you, if you'd like."

"No family. They'll worry," I shook my head, grunting as my ribs screamed at me.

The door opened and Matt straightened up, eyeing the man in the white coat as he entered the room. He didn't look much older than forty at best, as he only had a few gray hairs and a rather young looking face. His smile was kind, and his light eyes crinkled at the corners.

"Miss Santini, is it?" he smiled, stepping forward. Matt stood from the bed and crossed his arms over his chest, and it was then that his scary protective streak made an appearance.

The doctor blinked before offering his hand to Matt, "Dr. Jeff Monaco."

Even I could tell how tightly Matt had gripped the doctor's hand, "I trust she's in good hands?"

"The very best," the doctor chuckled nervously before Matt allowed him closer to me, "Hi, Brittany."

I felt the urge to flinch, but held it in, "Hi."

He smiled and placed a large folder in front of me, "Got the X-Rays back."

"How does everything look?" Matt asked gruffly from the corner of the room.

"Two fractured ribs, I'm afraid. As you know, she's mighty small to begin with, so even a small amount of force could've done the job," Dr. Monaco answered with a sad expression before turning to me, "I hear you've been experiencing some pain and shortness of breath?"

I nodded, but didn't speak.

He smiled reassuringly, "That's to be expected with your condition. Now we'll get them back on the right track, but like any break, you're not gonna be very comfortable for most of the time. We'll get you on some pain meds and see how it goes." he explained softly, looking over a paper in his hand.

"How long will it take for them to heal?" Matt asked another question, face still set in stone.

"Approximately six weeks. It depends on the rate at which she heals. It'll take longer should she have a calcium imbalance, so make sure she doesn't have a lot of sugar and red meat."

Dammit. There goes my entire diet.

Matt nodded and continued shooting off questions for the next half hour. The nurse came in as the two spoke and gave me a dose of medicine. I couldn't remember the long name, but I knew it would help with the pain. Other than that, there was nothing I could really do to make my condition better.

It didn't take long for the meds to kick in. As the doctor finished up his conversation with Matt, my head began spinning. It was hard to keep my eyes open, and I knew I wouldn't be able to fight the haze for long. I felt the doctor pat my knee before he left the room, and watched Matt smiled over at me in amusement. I wanted to glare at him for poking fun at me, but I didn't think my eyes were currently working right.

"Just rest. We'll talk tomorrow morning." he smiled, heading for the door.

I wasn't sure what happened next, but I knew that I didn't like that answer. I heard a loud, fast beeping noise in my ears as shudders ran through my body. I opened and closed my mouth several times to tell him to come back, but my message wasn't all that clear. I could tell by the way he looked at me.

My blood ran cold with fear at the thought of being alone. I wasn't one to get scared easily, but after the night I'd had, the last thing I needed was to be alone for any period of time, especially in a place filled with strangers, and no gun or lock on the door. I knew I was holding it together better than Lyndsey was at the moment, but for how long?

"Shh," Matt's smooth voice calmed me instantly, "I'll stay with you, if that's what you want."

I couldn't speak, so I just nodded. The room lapsed into silence. The wild, crazy beeping noise went away. I didn't feel cold anymore, just warm. I realized it was because Matt's hands had captured my own in a tight grip. I watched as he sat in a chair directly in front of me. He leaned on the edge of the bed with his elbows and stroked the back of my hand. I felt calm...safe, even.

It wasn't long before I felt my eyes flutter shut. I wondered if they'd stay that way.