Charlie
When I opened my eyes for the first time since the crash, I thought I was dead. I was in a bright white room. Everything was white. The walls, the ceiling, the floor. All brilliant, the brightest shade of white that I’d ever seen. I was lying in a bed, and even the bed was white. White sheets, white mattress. Bright white bedframe.
“How are you feeling?” A woman walked into the room. She was wearing pink scrubs and had blonde hair piled on top of her head. She was pretty, but in older, tired sort of way. I could tell she’d been working for hours just by the circles under her eyes.
“Where’s Nicolette?” I asked warily. “Where is she? Where am I?”
The nurse pursed her lips. “I’m sorry,” she said, bringing her hands together in front of her. “I don’t know who you’re asking about.”
Panic raced through my body and I sat up. Everything in my body hurt— my skin, my head, my limbs. Even my hair hurt.
“Nicolette,” I said sharply. “The girl I was brought in with. We were in a car accident – I was in a truck that crashed…” I trailed off. Somehow, I thought I remembered Nicolette lifting me from the wreckage of the old truck and carrying me, but I knew that couldn’t be right. She was a full head shorter than I was, not to mention over seven months pregnant. I wasn’t sure what had happened, but I realized that I’d probably just imagined Nicolette helping me. My angel, I thought, before I could stop the words from forming in my brain. She saved me.
“You were brought in through the emergency ward,” the nurse said. She licked her dry lips and sat down in a plastic chair by the side of the bed. “You were in a big semi-truck, a big rig.” She smiled. “Are you a truck driver?” I glanced at her nametag – ‘Carrie.’
“I need to know where Nicolette is,” I said urgently. “This is important; she’s my wife, and she’s pregnant. I’m the father of the baby, and I think she might have gone into early labor.”
Carrie blinked. “I’ll check on that,” she said uncertainly. “Does your wife have the same last name, Charlie?”
“McDonald,” I replied. I lowered my head into my hands and started rubbing my temples. “Her last name is McDonald.”
Carrie nodded. “I’ll be right back,” she promised. “Stay right here,” she added. “Just a joke,” she said breathlessly when she saw my angry expression. She mumbled something unintelligible under her breath as she left the room.
I sighed and lied back into my bed, letting my eyes close. Even with my lids shut, I still saw bright white everywhere. I wondered how long I’d been out. My head ached so badly that even closing my eyes was painful. Red hot pain thumped between my eyes, at the back of my neck, and in my wrist. There was some kind of soft cast wrapped around my right wrist and my leg was in a brace.
Slowly, the details of the fight began to return. But I couldn’t remember how I’d gotten in the truck. My memory was full of gaps and holes.
When Carrie came back through the door, she wasn’t smiling. Immediately, I sat up in bed and stared at her.
“What? What’s going on? Where’s Nicolette?” I groaned as I tried to climb out of bed – pain shot up my leg and I froze in place.
Carrie shook her head and gently pushed me back down. “You’re not going anywhere,” she said firmly. “Nicolette is here, but there’s another man with her right now.” She cleared her throat and a pink flush came over her cheeks. “He’s also saying he’s the father.”
“No, no, that’s not right,” I said. I shook my head. “That guy – he’s real bad. She’s been trying to get away from him for months. He’s abusive. Used to beat the shit out of her every day.”
Carrie clucked her tongue. I could tell what she was thinking –Great, what the hell do these white trash kids think of themselves? – but she didn’t say anything for a moment. Then she shrugged. “I’m sorry,” she said. This time, her voice had a note of chill to it. “But there’s really nothing I can do. If that man is the father, he has rights.”
“She’s my wife,” I snapped back. “And I’m going to settle this now!” Carrie’s face contorted into a mask of horror as I grabbed the side of the bed and tried to lift myself up. She immediately rushed forward and pushed my chest back down to the mattress, but I grunted and shoved her to the side. There was a pain in the back of my left hand and I looked down to see an IV taped into the skin. Gritting my teeth, I ripped out the needle and tube with my right hand and tossed it to the ground.
Standing up made me feel dizzy. Carrie rushed over to the door and peeked out, screaming for help as I made my way towards her.
“Help! Somebody, we need backup! Orderlies! Help!”
“I’m fine,” I said loudly. I stumbled and almost fell, the brace on my leg sliding on the chill linoleum hospital floor. “I just need to see Nicolette. Come on, Carrie,” I said, begging her with my eyes. “Please. You have to let me go.”
She pursed her lips and shook her head tightly. “You’re not going anywhere,” Carrie said primly. “Go on, back to bed!”
I sighed. “I ain’t telling you twice,” I grumbled, pushing past her and limping quickly out of the room. “I’m going to see Nicolette!”
In the hallway, I almost panicked at the sight of two orderlies rushing towards me. I broke into a painful run, limping down the hall and using the motion from my brace to propel myself forward. I could hear the soles of the orderlies’ shoes slapping against the floor but I didn’t look back – I knew that would just delay me. When I got to the end of the hall, I quickly glanced up at the sign. Shit. The maternity ward wasn’t labeled.
I knew I didn’t have any time to waste. As fast as I could, I took off to the right and hurled myself into an elevator with closing doors. Thankfully, it was empty. And the maternity ward was labeled inside the car – the third floor, two floors below where I was now. Jamming my finger against the button, I grinned as the doors finally closed with the orderlies right behind in hot pursuit.
A sharp pain hit me in the side and I cried out, gripping the side of the elevator car as I descended. I gritted my teeth and fought off the pain, breathing hard. I’m gonna make it, I realized. I’m in bad shape, but I ain’t dead. Jack, you haven’t won yet. But then I remembered he was with Nicolette, and that I hadn’t won yet either.
The elevator doors pinged open and I took off down the hall, glancing at the tags outside of each room. Fuck! Where the fuck is she?
I heard her voice before I saw the nametag outside of her room. Nicolette’s voice, and Jack’s voice, screaming at the top of their lungs.
“Keep him away from me!” Nicolette begged in a way that shot rage through my heart.
Those bastards, they’re not protecting her! This is a fucking hospital! Doctors are supposed to protect people who can’t protect themselves! The anger that had sprouted inside of me only grew faster and darker as I sprinted down the hall and through the door of Nicolette’s hospital room.
“Nicolette!” I yelled. “Nicolette, I’m coming!”
“Charlie!” Her shriek sent another stab of pain through my body. “Charlie, help me!”
As I skidded into the room, I looked up to see Jack standing by Nicolette’s bed. He was wearing an odd expression – tranquil, but cold, like he’d been drugged. As soon as he saw me, the blank look slid off his face, replaced by a scowl.
Nicolette was in bed, wearing a hospital gown, hooked up to monitors and an IV bag. Her belly looked bigger than ever under the sheets, and there was a huge gash across her forehead. She looked small and pale and her brown hair was tangled and matted down her back.
“Nicolette,” I said breathlessly. “Nicolette, I’m here.”
A doctor turned to look at me. He had a smug expression and a white coat with his hands propped on his hips. “And you are?” He raised his eyebrows. “Don’t tell me we have another paternity claim.”
“I’m the father,” I panted. “I’m with Nicolette. This guy,” I added, jabbing my finger towards Jack. “He needs to be dragged out of here in cuffs. He’s a rapist and a monster, and he beat the shit out of me.” I gestured towards the brace on my leg and my wrapped wrist. “He assaulted me, that’s the whole goddamned reason I’m here in the first place!”
The doctor cleared his throat. “Sir,” he said. “I advise you get back to your bed.” He stepped towards the door and pushed a button before leaning close to a speaker. “Orderlies, I need assistance in room three-oh-four,” he said. “Quickly!”
“No!” I snapped. “No! You can’t fuckin’ drag me out of here.” It was painful, but I dragged myself over to Nicolette’s bedside and reached out for her hand. “This is my wife, and I need to make sure she’s okay. I’m not leaving her until that asshole is arrested.”
Jack turned towards me. Pure vitriol spread across his ugly face and he stepped forward, rubbing his forearms. “I didn’t beat the shit out of you as well as I could’ve,” he grumbled, swinging his arm back.
“Hey!” The doctor reached forward and grabbed Jack by the arm. “What is going on?”
“I told you,” I snarled. “This guy’s bad fuckin’ news. He’s the reason why I’m all dressed up like this. And he used to do worse to her,” I added, pointing towards Nicolette. “She was his girlfriend, but she left him because he wouldn’t stop beating her up. She was afraid for her life,” I said. “She thought he was going to kill her. And he threatened to kill her earlier today – to her face and after she’d left, when he was in the process of kicking my ass.”
Two orderlies rushed into the room and crowded in front of the doctor. I winced as he lifted his arm. I was sure he was going to point at me.
“This man needs to be taken out of here,” the doctor said. He wasn’t pointing at me. He was pointing towards Jack. “And we need to call the police.”
“Help me,” Nicolette moaned from the bed. I glanced over and felt a wave of sharp anxiety pass over my body as our eyes met. Her face was scrunched up in pain and she looked even paler than she had before. “It’s happening,” she moaned loudly. “Help!”
The orderlies grabbed Jack and slowly dragged him out of the room. He put up a fight – kicking and punching and trying to bite the men who were holding him. But they were stronger, and after a well-placed hand on the back of his neck, Jack went out of the room, looking as sullen as a convict.