Our Pain Will Shine a Light

Chapter 5
Andy

One Kick. Then another. Then another to the face. I don't know why these people are here, but I didn't have time to think about it. I blacked out hoping to never wake up again.

*•*•*•*•*

A pain that I've never felt before went through my body causing me to yell out in pain. I tried to sit up but my body wasn't having it.

"Help." Only a little whimper came out. Boy am I fucked. I can't call 911. The police will find my drugs. I looked down shamefully at my arm. Yeah I gave Ashley the needles but I still have some in my car. They were old though.

Part of me wanted to lay there and die, but that small part of me told me to reach for my phone and call Ashley.

*•*•*•

"Andy?!"

I moved my head to the side to see Ashley and an African American woman running towards me.

"Can you hear me child?"

"Yes."

"Okay. I'm just going to raise up your shirt to make sure nothing's broken."

She lifted up my shirt and pressed around in certain parts. I hissed at one spot, and she made mental note of it.

"Ashley get the icy hot. It's not broken just bruised. A rib brace from the pharmacy will fix it."

I heard Ashley fumbling around in something then I felt the cold ointment on my skin. I looked down to see Ashley massaging the bruises with the chemicals. This weird feeling came over me, but I quickly pushed it away.

"Let me see your face Andy. Can you sit up."

"It hurts."

"We need to sit you up Andy." Ashley said.

"Wait a minute Ashley. That could be dangerous."

"Then what are you suposed to do?!"

"Andy can you move your fingers?" The woman asked.

I looked down at my arms, then to my hands to find them moving.

"That's a good sign. Alright Andy, we're gonna lit you up now. It's going to hurt a little."

She and Ashley both grabbed one of my arms and stood me up.

"Fuck..." I mumbled.

"Oh child." The woman said under her breath.

I looked at her with a frown. Ashley noticed and whispered my name. When I made eye contact with him he just shook his head. I looked to her then back at him and jerked away.

"She's one of those isn't she?" I spoke."

"Excuse me?"

"You're–"

"Andy stop."

There was no turning back now. I wasn't stopping here. I had a problem and I was going to make it know.

"You're his Christian friend aren't you? You're not one of those excepting ones. You're the ones that throw your religion on everyone else. Guess what. I don't give a solitary fuck about your goddamn beliefs."

She stood kind of stunned for a second. I clapped to myself in my head.

"Andy that was out of line!" Ashley yelled at me.

Roberta just stood there with her mouth slightly opened and an angered look on her face.

"Oh lord I want you to help me! Help me on my journey! Help me on my way! Oh lord I want you to help me!"

"Yes break out into gospel. It's not going to help anything."

"Listen here you little g–"

"Roberta leave. I'll handle him."

"No Ashley. I'm not going to let some little atheist kid mock my beliefs and talk to me this way."

"Oh this is going to be fun to hear."

"Go to hell."

"When you die the only kingdom you'll see is two feet wide and six foot deep."

Without a thought her hand flew across my face making the pain in my worsen.

"I'll pray for you. God bless you. Goodbye Ashley."

She bent down and grabbed her first aid kit and got in her car. Ashley took no time to yell at me.

"What the actual fuck was that?!"

"Sorry I'm not fake like you."

"What does being fake have to do with anything?!"

"You don't believe any of that shit. You know when you were talking about your mom you never once said that you prayed. That's the first thing people say. I prayed on it blah blah blah."

I looked at him as he silently counted to himself with his eyes closed. He opened them back up and looked at me.

"Where are you staying tonight?"

"What?"

"Where are you staying?"

"Here I guess."

"Get your stuff and get in my car."

"What?"

"You heard me. I'm not leaving you here."

"You're just going to take me in? You don't know me Ashley."

"I know you enough to know that you're just some insecure kid whose too suborn to admit that you want help."

"Go to hell."

"You first, Mr. Atheist."

I stared at him for a second. My gut told me to go but something else was telling me not too. My dad always told me to listen to my gut, so that's what I did.

"Fine."

I grabbed my bag and threw myself into his car.

"You should loose the attitude. It's not going to get you anywhere."

I rolled my eyes and propped my arm on the window.

"So what is it with you?"

"What do you mean?"

"It's obvious that I'm not a bad person. You trust me enough to come stay with me so why is your guard still up?"

I didn't know why actually. I guess I've always been this way. I did trust him, but like a lot of other people he would just let me down.

"I don't know Ashley."

"You can trust me okay?"

"I know."

"Are you hungry?" He asked me.

"A little."

"We can go to Arby's."

"I love that place."

"Good...And when we get back to mine I want to talk about those injections. I can tell that they're fresh. When'd you do it?"

"Last night."

"It's okay to come to me when you get the cravings."

I just nodded and we continued to the fast food place.

We ate our lunch casually while watching tv. Ashley rambled and rambled about how excited he was to watch his own television again.

"I think I'm going to take a nap." I said.

"Not before we talk about those." He said while pointing to my arm.

I sighed and looked away.

"It's okay Andy. I believe you can get through it."

I didn't believe him. I'd heard that line so many times. It's really getting old now. I guess I'll just go with it.