A Matter of Betrayal Ch. 12

"Why?" Colin managed to croak out.

"Huh?" Seth grunted.

"Why...help?" Colin said.

"Heh," Seth chuckled. "Even you don't believe me when I say I couldn't let my cousin get hurt like that?"

"No."

"Well...okay, I was going to let them bust your kneecaps, I was even the one who set it up, but as I watched them getting ready to do it, I realized I couldn't let that happen. You may have deserved it, but you're still family. Maybe you've forgotten, but I haven't, that we used to be close as brothers."

"Why did I...deserve it?" Colin asked.

"You need to ask? Do you know how much trouble you got me into when you blabbed about the fixed games? Nothing may have come from the investigation, but the people I associate with don't like it when a spotlight is directed on their activities," Seth said.

"You shouldn't have been associating with them," Colin said.

"What gives you the right to tell me how to live my life?"

"You did it with me."

Seth sighed then spoke. "Don't you get it yet? I was only trying to look out for you. I saw the way your mother coddled you and I knew I had to get you away from her control or you'd end up a mama's boy for the rest of your life. It wasn't right man!"

"I suppose you were only looking out for me when you took Sheryl away from me as well?" Colin said.

"Well in a way, yes. First it was your mom dominating your life then it was your girlfriend. You needed to break the habit of letting bitches run your life."

"Neither of them are bitches!"

"Whatever. I won't deny that I came to have feelings for Sheryl, maybe that's why I fucked things up in the end, I was afraid I was becoming too much like...well...you. It doesn't matter now, she's back with you."

"She's not back with me," Colin stated.

"You could have fooled me," Seth replied. "The worst part of the whole thing is that you never showed me any respect, maybe that's why I was so hard on you."

"Respect needs to be earned," Colin said.

"I don't need this crap from you Colin! Do you want me to drop you right here so you can get to the nurse on your own?" Seth asked.

"That's fine, I would hate to think Iowed you anything for helping me get away from an attack that you set up!" Colin answered.

"I give up! When we get to the nurse's office you can tell her I was the one behind the whole thing and you'll get your revenge. I don't give a shit anymore!"

"Don't tempt me Seth," Colin shot back. After that, both were quiet for the rest of the way to the nurse. They made it back inside the building and Seth helped Colin through the empty halls of the school leaving puddles of rainwater behind in their wake. Both were soaked to the bone and half frozen, Colin's eye and nose were swollen, and the front of his shirt was stained red from blood. They would have made quite the sight to gawk at but luckily most students were still at lunch. They finally came to the front offices and found a door with a big red cross on it.

"Oh my goodness!" Nurse Gorman said in alarm when she saw Colin walking in supported by Seth. Nurse Gorman was a matronly figure, a heavyset woman in her fifties with black hair significantly streaked with gray. "Quickly dear, lay down," she said as she led Colin to a room that had a couple black padded beds with exam table paper stripped across them.

"What happened?" Nurse Gorman asked as she sat Colin down on a bed.

"He was attacked by a couple of guys with baseball bats," Seth said.

"Oh! You poor thing," the nurse said as she gave Colin a cursory examination. "It looks like your nose is broken dear. I think we're going to have to send you to the emergency room to have that checked out."

"I was afraid of that," Colin said then he grunted as Nurse Gorman touched a tender spot on his abdomen.

"Hmm, you at least bruised a couple ribs too. I don't think they're broken but it will be good to let a doctor check and make sure," she said and Colin groaned. "Don't worry sweetheart, you're going to be just fine once a doctor takes care of you. I'll go get some ice for your face, I'll be right back." He nodded as she left the room.

Colin and Seth stared at each other in silence while they waited for Nurse Gorman to return. Colin's mind was trying to come to terms with the situation. Here, finally, was his chance to nail Seth! Why was he hesitant to do so? Should he be grateful that Seth saved him? Fuck no! It was Seth's fault he was hurt in the first place! He could now show the world that Seth truly is evil incarnate, he should be dancing a jig for being able to do that! (If he felt up to it, that is.) But one sentence kept resonating in his mind:'Maybe you've forgotten, but I haven't, that we used to be close as brothers.'

Nurse Gorman returned with Principal Grant in tow. "Colin, honey, we've called emergency and they are sending an ambulance for you," the nurse said as she placed an icepack in his hand then raised it up to his face. "Just keep that in place."

"I...I don't think I need an ambulance," Colin said feeling embarrassed at the attention he would receive.

"You need to get examined hon, and you need to go to the emergency room to do that."

"I can get there on my own, take the bus..."

"Nonsense Mr. Martin, while in school you are our responsibility and you are going in the ambulance," the principal said and with her, there was no brooking disagreement. She was a small woman in stature, maybe an inch shy of five feet and probably weighed less than one hundred pounds, but she had an imposing presence. Colin wondered if the Coach had taught her his stare or she taught him.

"Yes ma'am," Colin said.

"Nurse Gorman tells me you've broken your nose."

"It appears that way ma'am."

"You do realize that you are the third student within the last month to have broken their nose on school grounds?" The principal asked.

"It hadn't occurred to me."

"Well, it has to me. It's a regular epidemic and I find that very distressing. I also find it coincidental that you have been in the immediate vicinity during each instance."

"The first two were accidents though," Seth put in.

"Yes, of course they were," Principal Grant said in a doubtful tone. "But according to Nurse Gorman, this instance was certainly no accident."

"No," Colin said. "It wasn't."

"Would you mind telling me what happened?"

"Two guys with bats jumped me beneath the bleachers."

"Who were they?"

"I don't know, they were wearing masks."

"You have no idea who they were? No idea why they were waiting there to hurt you?"

Colin avoided looking directly at Seth but he could see him out of the corner of his eye. He stood very calm and composed, like he really didn't give a damn if Colin told on him or not.This is my chance!

Colin sighed. "No, I have no idea," he said pressing the icepack more firmly against his throbbing nose.

"Mr. Martin, if you know more than you are letting on..."

"Ellen, let the boy be for now, he's in pain!" Nurse Gorman said.

"Dr. Grant, the ambulance is here," said a new voice, a secretary from the front office stood in the doorway.

"Thank you Tischa, could you please show them back here?"

The paramedics came in and worked over Colin taking his vitals and asking him questions about what happened to him, where he was hurt, and the degree of pain he felt on a scale of 1 – 10. Colin informed them it was about a 7 but inwardly he thought that if he was asked to gauge his embarrassment it would be around 15. He didn't like being fussed over this way. Sure he was hurt, but he could still move under his own power, it wasn't like he had been shot or something. They made him get in a wheelchair to roll him out to the ambulance waiting outside. As icy rain pelted him he could just imagine the attention he was drawing as people watched him through the school windows. He tried to shrink down as far as he could in the wheelchair.

He was taken to Saint Christopher's hospital and delivered to the emergency room. His vitals were taken again and he told the story of how he was injured for what seemed the hundredth time that day and he was asked again to rate his pain. He admitted it was now an 8, his face and side hurting very badly and now his body was shaking uncontrollably and he was extremely nauseous.

When Colin assured them he wasn't allergic to any medication they gave him a pill for pain and one for nausea. They then parked him on a gurney behind a curtain and told him would have to wait to be examined by a doctor.

Colin leaned back and bided the time until the medicine began to work. He actually started feeling quite a bit better. The queasiness passed, the shaking subsided, and the pain went down to about a 2. He closed his eyes and tried to encourage the tranquil state the medication was offering his body.

"Colin! Oh my God!" Colin knew who the voice belonged to before he opened his eyes, but he supposed he had to open them anyway.

"Sheryl? What are you doing here?" Colin asked his former girlfriend.

"Oh God Colin are you hurt bad? Have you seen a doctor yet? What did they do to you?" Sheryl said, her voice cracking and tears in her eyes.

"I've only been seen by a P.A. and nurse so far but they gave me some medicine and I'm feeling okay. What are you doing here Sheryl?"

"Oh God, your face!" Sheryl put a hand up to lightly stroke his cheek.

Colin took her hand and said, "Please answer my question."

"I'm here for you baby, why else would I be here?"

"How'd you know I was here?"

"It's all over school that you were attacked. When I heard I just dropped everything and left. Luckily Agnes let me use her car today because of the rain. This is the closest hospital to the school, so I assumed this is where they took you."

"Sheryl, you didn't have to come..."

"Of course I did! I love you and you need me!"

"Sheryl..."

"Shhhhh...let me take care of you honey." Sheryl wrapped her arms delicately around Colin and placed her head on his chest. She gave him a gentle squeeze and said, "I'm so sorry you were hurt. I heard about those fucking assholes tricking you! All this because you thought I was in trouble! I love you so much baby!" Sheryl sobbed into his chest.

Colin sighed in exasperation then looked up...into a pair of shiny green eyes. Aileen stood at the opening of the curtain. The look of hurt he saw in her expression felt like a brick dropping into his stomach. She turned and walked away.

Some days it didn't pay to get out of bed.

NEXT CHAPTER: IT'S ALL COMING BACK TO ME NOW