Chapter 27
When she opened her eyes again, it was daytime. Justin was sitting in the chair by the window, picking his teeth as he played on his phone.
She closed her eyes and rolled over, her hands moving down to her tummy and the emptiness there. The room was empty except for Justin, and she heard him get up. Closing her eyes quickly, she breathed evenly as he approached her.
“Say? Sailor, are you awake?” he asked in a whisper. “Say?”
She stayed still, her eyes closed until he went back to his chair and sat back down. She lay there for over an hour until the nurse came in to check on her, a woman behind her with a tray.
“Hey, Mrs Ruiz! It’s good to see you awake! Do you think you could sit up and eat?”
Sailor shook her head sadly, not feeling like eating.
“I’d like it if you would try for me, please? We have someone coming in to talk to you here in a while, okay? The doctor has already talked to your husband and…”
“I’m not married,” Sailor told her hollowly. “I’m still in high school.”
“She’s kidding,” Justin spoke up quickly. “They’re married! Her and Geo. Geo, your husband?” Justin told Sailor pointedly. “The father of your… umm, the child? ”
Sailor snorted. “You mean my rapist and captor? Fuck off, Justin, go away and leave me alone. I already know I’m dead, just go away.”
“Sailor, you cain’t say shit like that,” Justin hissed.
“Your husband will be here shortly, I’m sure, Mrs Ruiz,” the nurse smiled knowingly. “Do you think you could sit up and eat for me or…”
“Did he pay you off already?” Sailor asked numbly, turning away from the woman. “Just leave me alone, all of you. Get out.”
The nurse left, the woman with the tray leaving it behind before she left. Justin stayed, pacing as he tapped away on his phone.
The nurse returned a few minutes later and put something in her IV. Sailor didn’t care, she wanted to sleep again.
She didn't sleep, though, she just seemed to go fuzzy all over and languid. Her pain was gone, and her thoughts were gone. It was just an empty echo chamber where her thoughts seemed to bounce around and mean nothing.
She finally had a coherent thought when her eyes locked with Geo’s.
She would be dead soon.
He looked sad, his big brown eyes were full of pain. He was sitting next to her bed, leaning on it, holding her hand—the one without the IV.
“The car’s ready downstairs,” Mig said from behind her.
Sailor didn’t look, she stared at Geo’s face. He was handsome in a terrifying way.
How long until he killed her? Would it hurt? Would it be quick or would he make her pay first?
“Her clothes are in that locker there,” the nurse spoke from behind her. “She should be fine after I get the IV taken out of her, the meds should have worn off already. I’ll take her out in a wheelchair, then you can take her home, okay? Here’s her prescriptions and here’s some paperwork on aftercare. This is a referral for mental health and this is a list of some support groups. Hi there, Mrs Ruiz! It’s good to see you awake and focused! I told you your husband would be here soon! I’m going to take your IV out, then you can go home with him, okay?”
Sailor didn’t answer her, still staring at Geo.
When he stood suddenly, she flinched, but he just took her clothes from Mig and helped her get dressed. They’d brought her sweatpants and a t-shirt to wear out. Geo helped her out of bed and into the wheelchair, and she grimaced at the pain when she sat down.
Geo helped her into the back seat, then got in next to her and put an arm around her shoulders, pulling her close to him.
Sailor didn’t fight it. She knew he needed to put on a show for the people at the hospital. She wanted quick and painless, not torture.
She lay unmoving against his chest, feeling empty.
Her life hadn’t even started yet and it was over.
Should she plead? Beg him? Make him promises?
No, it wouldn’t matter. She’d killed his child. You didn’t take what was his. She knew that.
Mig got in front and pulled away, but Sailor didn’t look around. They would probably take her back to that warehouse from the first night. Someplace where they could do it without worrying about the mess.
Maybe Geo would make Davon do it, to prove his loyalty. Would he? Could Davon kill her? He had anger in him towards her, but she didn’t think he could kill her. She knew Davon loved her, even knew now that he’d been in love with her for a couple of years. Maybe he would try to save her? He would just get himself killed too.
They finally stopped and she sighed dismally, trying to find the strength to fight him and run. She couldn’t summon it at all and she wondered if she was still drugged.
No. It was just grief. Heart-rending, gut-wrenching grief, immobilizing her and shutting her down.
Geo got out and helped her, and she didn’t pull away or fight him. It was better to get it over with. He led her into a building and she did look up and around then, at the place they were in. The woman behind the desk smiled, but Geo walked past her and down a hall with people. Orderlies, nurses, and people in robes who looked like patients. Wealthy patients. Like some aftercare facility for people who’d just had plastic surgery. Was he taking her to have her organs harvested or something? Make money on her death? Sell her parts to wealthy people who need them? That made sense.
He opened a door and led her into a room. Sailor stopped and stared, not processing what she was seeing.
Her mother, sitting up in bed, an IV in her arm. Her grandmother was in the next bed with a book. The large room was nice and lavish and even had a large TV on. Her mother quickly turned it off, smiling at Sailor.
She seemed to snap out of it then, wrenching away from Geo who let her go and ran to her mother's side. Half tackling her in the bed, she climbed in with her, then broke down sobbing huge, wracking, sobs. She knew this was goodbye, but she was so grateful for it! She got to say goodbye!
“Oh, baby girl, I know it hurts,” her mother whispered, kissing her head over and over again. “I know it hurts so much, and I’m sorry I couldn’t be there for you! Your friend came and told us what happened and I’m just heartbroken for you, baby! The pain eases, it passes, I promise! Especially when the next one comes. You’ll have a baby soon, when you’re ready for it, okay?”
“MOM!” was all Sailor could say, hugging her as she cried.
Geo moved closer, stroking her hair. “Rue. How ‘bout this place, huh? You see all this? They takin’ care a shit. ‘N you see this?” he asked, touching the IV bag going to her mom's arm. “Medicine. Clinical trial or some shit. Lookit your mom. You seen her lookin’ this good in a while?” he asked as Sailor sat up and looked at her mom who was smiling at her.
“He put us in here together,” she told Sailor. “Mom and I. He said you were doing side work for him? So it wasn’t really costing him much? And he got them to put me in the trials, baby girl. The medication… I haven’t felt this good in months! I think it ’s working?”
“She tries to talk my ear off!” her grandmother called. “Don't give me a minute's peace! Can’t read a whole dang chapter without her chattering at me!”
Sailor stared at her grandmother, who hadn’t coughed once. Turning, she hugged Geo, breaking out into happy tears this time. “Thank you! Thank you! You can’t know what this means to me! And thank you for letting me say goodbye!”
“Goodbye?” he asked, confused. “Our deal was twice a week, remember?”
Sailor pulled back and looked up at him, confused.
Of course. She still had a job to do. He wanted his money, his return, and he was going to use her mother and grandmother to make sure she did it.
Giving him a nod, she moved back, then turned and hugged her mom again before going and hugging her grandmother.
Geo made a motion to Mig and they both stepped out, letting her have some time alone with them.
When he came back over an hour later, he had a bag of food and a drink that he set on the table next to her mom's bed, where she was curled up watching TV with her.
“You need ta eat, Rue,” he told her. “Finish it, then we gotta go. We’ll come back after we get some shit done, okay? Anyways, you got school tomorrow ‘n shit. They excused the extra days when the doctors faxed them the paperwork on what happened, but they say you gotta do finals in person ‘n shit. You also gotta get them that homework ‘n shit. Hurry’n eat.”
Sailor opened the bag, but her heart was breaking again. She felt he’d never let her return if she left. He’d just hold it over her to get what he wanted. Still, it was better than the alternative. She was alive, they were alive, and even doing better in a place that was taking exceptional care of them. She had no factual basis for complaint.
Eating as much as she could, she handed the rest to Mig, knowing he would eat it, and hugged her mom as tight as she could. She hugged her gramma, then her mom again, tears welling up when her mom kissed her head and whispered how much she loved her.
Geo put his arm around her, resting a hand on her shoulder as he led her out and she felt tense. Didn’t he know she wasn’t going to fight now? He had her mom and gramma. She was going to do whatever he asked, steal however much he wanted her to.
Opening the car door, he helped her in and got in with her, then pulled her close in a half hug and held her there the whole ride back to his house. Leading her upstairs, she wanted to go to bed, but he led her past the room she’d slept in and to his room to the bathroom.
Justin came out as they were going in. “All of her stuff is ready, and I got the shampoo you asked for. It’s in there already.”
“Where the other bitch at?” Geo asked, pausing on his way into the bathroom.
“Day’s down in the kitchen. Sophie asked him to do something for her.”
Geo didn’t respond, leading Sailor into the bathroom and shutting the door. Turning her, he gently helped her pull her clothes off and got her in the shower, then took his clothes off and joined her. He stayed quiet as he washed her hair, and then her body, being extremely gentle with her.
Leading her back out to his bed, he laid her down, then climbed in and took hold of her waist in both hands. Leaning close, he pressed his head to her tummy and held her there.
Sailor could feel it then, the grief that was in him. His loss was cutting him as keenly as it was her. Finally, he rolled his head and planted a soft kiss on her tummy, then another and another in a small circle all around her belly until he came full circle. Lifting, he moved up the bed and laid down next to her, pulling her to lay on his shoulder as he covered them both. Squeezing her in tight, he kissed the top of her head and just held her there like that. Tears were rolling down her face and onto his shoulder, but he said nothing, just holding her through it. Sailor cried herself to sleep as he squeezed her, and he was still holding her when she woke in the morning.
Her heart ached as she lay there. He woke and she sighed, knowing the bubble of suspended reality was about to burst. He gripped her tightly for a moment in a small hug, then let her up.
“Go on’n get ready for school, Rue,” he rumbled. “You got clothes there in that closet.”
The last thing she wanted to do was go to school like anything was normal, but she also considered that it might be a way to get away.