Chapter 19 #2
Remy took a deep breath, nervous but excited to help Ellis.
She surveyed this wonderful group of friends, all here because they were doing her a favor.
She felt like she was part of a family for the first time, and she felt good about paying it forward with Ellis.
She wasn’t alone anymore, and he shouldn’t be either.
Theresa put her hands on her hips, still addressing the men.
“I mean it! If you get in his face, you’ll scare him off.
So please, none of you step in unless we ask for help, okay?
” She spoke firmly, but Remy could see the affection in her eyes for all three men.
They were all wonderful boyfriends who just wanted to protect the women they loved.
Avery, Jesse, and Sean all nodded rather grimly. They respected the strength and independence of the women, but it would be a struggle for them to stand back and watch Ellis hurt them if he got out of hand.
Theresa began walking down the street toward the Railroad Depot building, and Remy and Lucy fell into step behind her. As promised, the boys lagged behind, keeping a respectable distance.
“Good thing they can’t touch Ellis, because they are out for blood,” Theresa observed.
“Yeah, they are,” Lucy said. “It’s kind of sweet.”
“It really is,” Remy said with a smile. She loved how everyone treated Avery like a person, not as a spirit. To them, he was just one of the guys.
The three women walked behind the building of the Railroad Depot to the empty parking lot. Remy looked around, and there was still no sign of Ellis. Disappointment rippled through her as she realized it was entirely possible that Ellis was going to stand them up.
Lucy suddenly let out an agonized shriek, shattering the silence. She dropped to the ground on all fours, then rolled onto her back, moaning in pain.
“Lucy!” Remy cried, dropping to her knees beside her. “What happened?”
“I don’t know,” Lucy said in a weak voice. “I don’t know.” She closed her eyes and cried out again.
Jesse’s shoes pounded the pavement as he rounded the corner to the parking lot.
He dashed to her side, with Sean and Avery close on his heels.
He dropped to his knees beside her, a look of sheer panic on his face as he looked at Lucy writhing in pain on the ground.
He looked up at Remy and Theresa and asked in a voice filled with terror, “What happened to her?”
“I don’t know, Jesse,” Theresa said, trying to keep her voice steady for Jesse’s sake. Remy could see it was a struggle for her. “She just dropped to the ground.”
“Lucy,” Jesse said, leaning down and looking into her eyes. “Darling, what happened?”
“I-I don’t know,” Lucy croaked out. “But something’s really wrong…with my l-leg…it’s my leg…”
Jesse yanked up her skirt and inspected her legs. “Where? Where does it hurt?”
“My l-left leg. Around the knee.”
Jesse carefully inspected her leg. When he touched her knee, she screamed in agony.
“I’m sorry, I’m sorry, my love!” Jesse said grimacing. “I just had to see.” Jesse looked up at Sean and Avery, panicked. “I don’t see anything wrong!”
Jesse sat back on his haunches, and Remy could see he was searching for any possible explanation for Lucy’s suffering. Then he groaned and said, “No, no this can’t be happening. It’s not supposed to be happening here! We’re not on a battlefield!”
“You think she might be feeling battle pains?” Theresa asked, eyes wide.
“Yes,” Jesse said, eyes filled with sorrow. “This is just what happened at Devil’s Den. Sudden, horrible pain with no physical injuries… Godammit, I don’t understand! We’re nowhere near a battlefield!”
Realization suddenly slammed into Remy with sickening clarity. She didn’t want to tell Jesse what was happening to Lucy, but she knew she had no choice.
“Jesse,” Remy said, her eyes filling with tears. “The building.”
Jesse slowly raised his eyes up to the Railroad Depot building. Remy watched in horror as the truth dawned on him.
Jesse closed his eyes. “Oh, my God.”
“What?” Lucy managed to say through heavy, panting breaths.
Jesse and Remy exchanged sorrowful looks.
“Tell me!” Lucy shrieked.
Jesse leaned down and slid his arm underneath Lucy so he could cradle her.
“Darling,” Jesse said as gently as possible. “The railroad building was used as a hospital during the war…it’s where…it’s where they used to do amputations to the soldiers.”
Lucy closed her eyes and began sobbing. She nodded through her tears. “That must be what’s h-h-appening to me. Oh, Jesse, it hurts so much.”
“I know, my love, I know,” Jesse said, holding her close to his chest, his face awash in anguish and grief over her suffering.
“Th-that’s how Ellis died.” Remy said, struggling to choke out the words. “His leg was amputated.”
“That son-of-a-bitch set her up,” Theresa said, her voice quaking with rage. “He told us to meet right here at this time.”
Ellis could be mean, but Remy could hardly believe he was capable of something as horrific as this. “May-maybe he didn’t know. Maybe he didn’t know Lucy was sensitive to—”
“He knew,” Jesse said, gritting his teeth. “He loves to taunt me about Devil’s Den, tellin’ me it was my fault she suffered through my death.”
Still on her knees, Remy covered her face with her hands. This is my fault. I did this to her. I put her in danger. She’s being tortured because of me.
Remy uncovered her eyes and saw Lucy was frighteningly pale. She let out a moan, then closed her eyes and fell completely limp in Jesse’s arms.
“Lucy!” Jesse yelled. “Lucy!” He desperately shook her, trying to revive her.
“Let me see her!” Sean roared. He rushed over and carefully but firmly pulled Lucy from Jesse’s arms.
Jesse looked up, scared and bewildered.
“It’s all right, Jesse,” Theresa said in a soothing voice. “He has medical training. From the military.”
Jesse nodded numbly. Theresa held out her hands, and Jesse allowed her to drag him to a standing position.
Remy knew she had to pull herself together to help Lucy and Jesse get through this nightmare.
She shakily got to her feet, and both she and Theresa stood on either side of Jesse and wrapped their arms around him.
It’s gonna be okay, Jesse,” Remy reassured him. “It’ll be over soon, and she’ll be okay.”
Jesse’s grief-stricken look was almost more than Remy could bear. “Why does she have to be so sensitive,” Jesse moaned. “Why couldn’t it be me? Why couldn’t it be me?”
“I know you’d bear it for her if you could, cowboy,” Theresa said gently, pulling him close and squeezing him.
Sean held Lucy in his arms while he examined her. She was still unconscious, which was scary. He leaned in to listen to her breathing, then grabbed her wrist and counted her pulse.
He looked up at Jesse. “She’s breathing fine.
Her pulse is a little off, but that’s to be expected.
” Next, he pried open her eyelids and examined her eyes.
He nodded, then he gently pulled up her skirt to examine her knee.
“Physically, she seems to be fine. Doesn’t seem to be any physical trauma, and her vitals are good. ”
Jesse nodded, looking slightly relieved. He gazed down at Lucy’s unconscious form. “We gotta wake her up!”
“I’m not so sure, Jess,” Sean said, looking worried.
“Whut?”
“She seems to be all right at the moment, physically. Seems more merciful to let her stay out for the moment. At least she’s not suffering now,” Sean said, looking down at Lucy with sadness. “Poor, sweet girl.”
Jesse nodded. “Is there any risk to lettin’ her stay unconscious?”
“I don’t think so, but I can’t swear to it,” Sean said truthfully. “Maybe let her go just a few minutes then we’ll try to revive her.”
Jesse nodded, his expression agonized as he looked down at the love of his life.
“You can hold her if you want, Jesse,” Sean said softly.
Jesse nodded, then sat down beside him. Sean gently placed Lucy in Jesse’s arms.
“My rose,” Jesse said, stroking her cheek. “My beautiful rose.”
Remy looked up to see Avery standing sadly off to the side. He must have known there was nothing he could do, so he stayed out of the way.
He locked eyes with Remy and said, “She’ll be all right soon, Remy.”
She was still terrified for Lucy, but Avery’s kind expression comforted her. It was entirely possible that all her friends would hate her after this, but Avery would never leave her. At least, he wouldn’t leave her unless he crossed over and had no choice.
Lucy began moaning again.
“Lucy! Lucy, darlin’…” Jesse said as he stroked her cheek. He studied her face, desperate to know that she was all right.
Lucy opened her eyes and looked up at him and said weakly, “Jesse.”
“It’s all right, love. I’m here. I’m right here. Does it still hurt?”
Lucy nodded. “Yes, yes, Jesse, it hurts so much.” Her eyes welled up with tears again. “Jesse, I can’t do this…I-I can’t… It hurts.” She broke down in sobs of agony again.
Remy could Jesse’s heart ripping in half right in front of her.
Jesse looked up at Sean. “Isn’t there anything we can do? There must be something we can do to stop this!”
Sean’s expression was mournful. He shook his head. “If it were something physical, maybe there would be something, but this?” He looked as frustrated and helpless as Jesse did. Remy knew they certainly didn’t cover this type of emergency in the military.
“Jesse,” Avery said as he crouched down beside him. “Let’s try to get her away from here. Maybe getting her away from the building will stop the reaction.”
Jesse glanced down at his beloved Lucy, who was still sobbing in his arms. “But it hurts her worse if I touch her,” he said, looking down at her knee. He had touched her there when she first collapsed, and she had screamed in agony.
Avery gazed sorrowfully down at Lucy. He looked back up at Jesse. “I know Jesse, but we’ve got to do something. We can’t let her go on like this.”
Jesse nodded, but still hesitated, his face ashen. He was terrified of causing Lucy even more suffering.