Across the Tracks Ch. 08

Nikki nervously picked at the legs of her jeans. She didn't feel right in these clothes. She didn't even feel right in her skin. She felt dirty and filthy. She felt.... Used. Otis finished cleaning the wounds on her face, and leaned back.

"This is going to hurt Firebird. I've got to set that nose, and it ain't going to be no walk in the park."

She looked right through him as she nodded. It's like she wasn't even there. Quickly setting her nose, he heard her scream of pain die in her throat. He leaned back again, making sure it was straight. It looked it, but he was no doctor or nurse. He began to clean the last traces of blood from her face.

"I'm not going to tape your nose or glue your lip yet, you'll probably want to take a shower. What happened to you Firebird?"

Deke stood at the door silently, waiting for her answer. She hadn't told him, and he wanted to know too. She cleared her throat several times before speaking.

"You can't tell anyone. Ever. Not even poppop. Do you understand?"

Otis nodded. He knew Nikki's grandpa, had worked on his cars. They were almost what you'd call friends.

"Danny texted me and wanted me to come over. I took too long to get there, and when I did he... He.... Well, you can see what he did."

Nikki broke down sobbing. Otis clenched his hands. Another broken life thanks to that little prick. He heard a throat clear and looked to Deke, who was standing there with what looked like a shirt and sweats in his hand. He looked at Nikki, and seemed to not know what to say, which Otis thought was a first. Deke had always been a talker.

"Ma'am, they'll be big, but if you wanted to use Otis's shower, I got some clothes you can change into."

Nikki nodded her thanks and took the clothes. She looked to Otis and he nodded, and she went to the bathroom with the shower. She turned the water on hot and didn't even bother getting undressed. She sat under the hot spray, trying to clean her skin of his touch. Her mouth felt like it burned with acid from the taste of him. She tilted her head back, filling her mouth up with water and gargling, spitting the water into the drain. It didn't work though, she still felt it. Eventually, she stood, disrobing, and cleaned herself. When she was clean and dry, she put on the clothes the man had given her.

He was right; they were very big on her. The shirt reached her knees and the sleeves her mid-forearms. The sweats could have been pulled up to her armpits and still been too long. The clothes were warm and clean, and didn't have the smell of Danny on them, so she was grateful. She realized she still didn't know the man who had helped her, still didn't know his name.

As she was in the shower, Deke and Otis sat down and talked. Deke gave Otis the run down, the last two years in a condensed version. Otis did basically the same, letting Deke know the girls name, what had been happening, and who Danny and Ariel were. Deke was shocked to hear JB had a kid, and was trying to stay sober. Deke asked about his grandpa and Otis told him Old Mans recent escapades. Deke had just finished laughing when Nikki walked into the living room, a bag holding her wet clothes. Deke jumped to his feet, almost fast enough to not avoid the fan. Nikki stared at him for a moment, and couldn't help but smile a little. He looked like Gumby.

"I'd like to thank you for saying me..."

"Corporal Deacon James Evans, United States Army ma'am."

Nikki nodded like she knew what the hell any of that was supposed to mean and sat back down on the couch for Otis to tape up her tender nose. After he was satisfied with his work, he gently covered the slight gash in her lip with liquid band-aid, sealing it together. He then pronounced her put together as best as he could make it, and told her if she got a fever to go to the doctor. He then told them in the nicest way his raddled brain could to get the fuck out his house; he was calling in to work so he could get some sleep.

Nikki smiled and gave him a hug; she had seen Otis act like this before. He got grumpy like a bear when he didn't get any sleep. Giving him a hug, she thanked him for everything. She watched as him and 'Deke' slapped hands and promised to meet up soon, they had each other's numbers. Nikki and Deke went back downstairs and got on the bike. Deke rode them back over to her car, and then followed her home. Deke gave the girl a scrap of paper with his number on it, just in case she needed any help. He decided better safe than sorry, and made sure she got home and inside safe.

Once she was inside, he turned the bike and headed to his parents house, where he was staying until he got on his feet.

Nikki walked to her room and lay down, was another wave of bitter crying hit her. She couldn't believe what had happened in such a short time. It was all so unreal, her world was turned upside down. She spotted the wood plague above her bed that said 'Love Conquers All' and was filled with rage, her grief forgotten. Yanking it down, she threw it into the trash. She went on an anger filled rampage, tearing everything she had dealing with love and throwing it into the trash. When she was done, she couldn't help but collapse on her bed and cry some more.

As she lay down on her bed, she thought about the man who had helped her. People didn't do things like that anymore. You didn't stop and turn around to see if someone was ok. You kept driving. She was glad he did though. Her eyes would have swollen shut all the way and she wouldn't have been able to see to drive and she would have had to stay there in her car all night. She was thankful, but it was still weird. She briefly wondered if something was wrong with his left leg, he seems to walk weird with it. She moved, and felt the pain rip through her body. When she felt the pain, she busted out sobbing all over again. She wondered if she would ever run out of tears.

Finally, exhausted and weary to her very soul, she slept.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

When Ariel woke up, it was to the sound of something so strange she almost couldn't place it. When she realized what it was, she almost thought she was still dreaming. It was her mother's laughter! Her mother hadn't laughed, well really laughed, in a long time. Her laugh now days were usually so fake. Ariel knew this was the real deal though.

Ariel wandered down the stairs, looking for her parents. If her mother's laugh shocked her, what was at the bottom of the stairs did even more so. Her father and mother were cooking breakfast, and her dad was behind her mother, with his arms wrapped around her. He kept whispering in her ear and biting at her neck, which seemed to be the source of all the laughter.

Ariel couldn't really do more than look in shock. Her parents were flirting! It was kind of a weird moment for her. She knew they loved each other, but they had been really cold to each other. She really didn't know what to say, but she did know she didn't want to disturb their fun. She tried to turn and go back upstairs, but as she turned she was spotted by her father, who whispered in his wife's ear.

"Ariel? Baby can you come here for a minute?"

Ariel turned around, fake smile plastered all over her face. She didn't even want to know what her mother wanted. She and her mother hadn't gotten along allot in the past few years, but she was still willing to try, just to see what her mom wanted. She stood on the other side of the kitchen island, and stared at her mother, just waiting.

"Ariel, I just want to say I'm sorry. I never should have said those things to you, and I never should have pressured you to stay with Danny if he was abusive."

Ariel couldn't do much more than stare at her mother for a moment. Her mother had never apologized to her, especially about Danny. She didn't even know what to say. Her mother and father looked at her, and she couldn't do much more than nod and make a plate of breakfast. She was looking down and missed the crestfallen look on her mother's face.

Trish was trying to make amends to her daughter, and it didn't seem to be working. She was worried that the rift between them had grown too large, and she didn't want that to be that way. Trish had been unable to have children, and Ariel was her world. She had forgotten that in her own grief and shameful feelings. Remembering the fact that she tried to keep her beautiful daughter with an abusive boyfriend made her heart hurt. What had she been thinking? She couldn't help but bury her head in her husband's shoulder and cried.

As much as Ariel wanted to stay home and sleep after everything, she also wanted to see Otis. She took shower, singing horribly along to some pop jingle on the radio. She was humming happily as she got out of the shower and dried off, and then picked out her clothing. She decided since it was still nice weather for October, she'd go with jeans and a t-shirt. She hated skinny jeans, so she went with some comfortable Levis and her A Day to Remember shirt. Grabbing her hoodie just in case, she was halfway done the stairs before she realized she hadn't even asked Otis if she could come see him. Sitting down right in the middle of the steps, she grabbed her phone from her back pocket.

Otis felt himself drifting off to peaceful sleep, finally achieved by his over-tired and over imaginative mind. As soon as he closed his eyes and started dreaming of a mystical land where one could sleep to their hearts content until they were no longer tired, and the beds were motorized and he never had to leave the super comfy bed he was living in. It was glorious. Until his fucking phone rang and woke him up, shattering his sleep, dream and patience. Grabbing his phone, he seriously considered launching it and his arm was halfway in a fastball pitch with his phone before he managed to stop himself. Hitting talk, he barely managed to articulate a hello.

"Oh crap, did I wake you up?"

Otis was instantly awake.

"Naw, I'm up. What's up? You ain't in trouble are you?"

Ariel smiled. He had been asleep. She could hear it in his voice. She felt bad she woke him up, but if he wanted to act like he had been awake that was fine.

"I was wondering if you were doing anything today, I was going to come over and we could maybe hang out?"

All of the sudden she was nervous. What if he didn't want to hang out with her? What if he didn't like her at all? Why did she like him? Ariel was so wrapped up in everything that she almost missed him telling her she could come on over, he wasn't busy. She giggled like a little girl for a moment then hung up and went to leave.

Otis got out of his bed and began to get dressed when he heard a knocking on his door. Unless she had been sitting in the parking lot, she couldn't have gotten here that fast. Putting his eye to the peephole, it was covered. Goddamn it JB, he thought as he furiously undid the locks and threw the door open. Otis had enough time to realize it was not JB when the first shot was fired. He took three to the chest and watched as the shooter walked forward into the apartment living room.

_~_~_~_~_~_~ ~_~_~_~_~_~_ ~_~_~_~_~_~_~_

Deke had gotten up early to change his clothes only to realize he had left his duffle bag at Otis's place. Hoping on his bike and riding over there, he briefly wondered if Otis would kill him for waking him up. He had just shut the bike down when he heard three shots. The soldier knew what those sounds were. Small arms fire, pistol. Running up the stairs, he saw the door at the end of the hallway open, one man on the floor and another standing over him. It was Otis's apartment. Charging forward for his downed friend, Deke tackled the guy with the gun. He was dressed in what Deke guessed counted as 'tactical' in the 'burbs, black hoodie, black Dickies pants, black skater shoes and a skull mask like bikers wore.

They fought desperately each trying to get a hold of the firearm. The other guy tried to get in a desperate kick at Deke, catching his left shin with savage force. Deke screamed in anger and pain as his prosthetic leg tore loose. The shooter got up and ran, Deke trying to place his leg back together to chase him. It wasn't going to work though, the shooter was gone. Pulling himself to the side of his fallen friend, trying to apply pressure to the three bullet holes in his chest. If he knew anything about wounds, it looked like Otis had two through his left lung and the other one in the meat of his left shoulder.

"Otis shit man. Stay with me man I'm going to call 911. Just stay with me bro!"

Deke hurriedly dialed and reported the shooting, telling them to hurry the fuck up; his friend was bleeding to death. Looking back to Otis, he watched as he gritted his teeth, blood rolling out around his teeth to spill down the side of his face. Otis had nothing but cold fury in his eyes as he looked at Deke.

"Deke, I am going to kill that motherfucker and that's fucking promise."

Ariel arrived at the apartment complex only to see someone go tearing off in a little black Honda Civic. It looked like Dale Enders car, this douche bag she worked with that would do anything for a little bit of money. She was never sure how he passed drug testing at work, but pass he did. She pulled into a parking space kind of close and looked at a bike parked a little weird. It wasn't Otis's, probably belonged to a friend of his though. As she was walking up the stairs, she started hearing sirens. She shook it off, and as she hit the landing, she looked down the hall. The door to his apartment was open, and someone was crouched over Otis's still form lying on the ground.

Ariel ran forward and saw the man holding pressure on the wounds. Obviously he wasn't bad if he was trying to save him. She looked at Otis. Three bullet holes! She had no idea how he was still alive. The ambulance arrived as Otis grabbed her hand and squeezed her hand in his. She was more worried than anything that she could barely feel his grip. She put his hand up by her face, the backside of his hand against her cheek. He felt her tears hit his hand and shook his head and tried to talk, his voice weak.

"Don't cry. I be alright. I promise."

Ariel couldn't help but keep crying as the paramedics pushed her and the other guy out of the way to work on Otis. They loaded him into the stretcher and took him down the stairs. Ariel ran to her car to follow them and was almost held up by a police officer. She finally got him to understand she had to leave, she had to follow the ambulance, and couldn't he just get her statement at the hospital?

Deke did the same as the girl, hobbling on his still fucked up prosthetic, getting on his bike and telling the cops they could wait til the hospital to take any statement he was gonna give, and if they didn't like that they'd better be ready to taze him. They made a strange procession five vehicles deep, a cop car with lights and sirens on, an ambulance with the same, a Dodge Neon, a motorcycle, and another cop car.

_~_~_~_~_~_~_~ _~_~_~_~_~_~_~_ ~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~

They had been at the hospital for what had seemed like hours. Ariel had called JB and her parents, who had all, came, JB having gone and got Otis's grandpa. The old man was devastated. His grandson had already been shot and almost killed once. He couldn't lose Otis. You were supposed to be buried by your children. Not bury your sun and bury your grandson. This wasn't how life was supposed to be.

JB was having a moment of his own. His best friend was dying possibly. So much time had been wasted between them, so much left unsaid. JB did the only thing he could, he prayed. To anyone and anything. Sitting there with his ass on the cold hospital floor and his back against the wall, JB sold his soul to a thousand different demons, gods and angels. Anything to save Otis.

Deke leaned against the wall in silence. He had left the killing sands of the Middle East, only to come home and have one of his buddies ripped from him. He replayed that fight over and over. If he had been better, stronger, something he could have won and they would at least have answers. Instead he had failed. Just like he had failed at everything since the IED took his left leg and ruined most of his side.

Cole and Trish stood quietly together. They didn't know this boy, but he had saved their daughter. From hushed whispers between Ariel and JB, this was most likely because of saving her. Cole was proud of Otis. He had stayed conscious until he got to the hospital, and only letting them take him back when he got on the phone and assured his grandfather he was alright. He was tough.

Ariel sat next to Pappaw, almost as shattered as he was. She didn't understand her feelings. She was worried for Otis, but she would be worried for any friend that was hurt. She also felt like her boyfriend was hurt. But Otis wasn't her boyfriend yet. She shocked herself by mentally adding yet, it seemed her mind and heart had already decided for her. She couldn't loose him until she found out if he was the one or not.

Everyone looked up as a surgeon walked into the room, pulling his mask down. He looked at them uncomfortably, before the oppressive silence made him speak.

"Mr.Andrei was wounded very badly. We've done what we can."

Ariel took a shaky breath and grabbed Otis's grandfathers hand, finally speaking.

"Is he going to make it?"

The doctor looked at everyone who was gathered, desperate for news. Grimacing, he began to speak.

(Stay tuned for Chapter 9!)