The Tattooed Devil Wears Chucks

Chapter 43: Sleeping Beauty, a Criminal and a Correctional Officer

Jax.

Gabby looks beautiful with her little body all curled up in a ball as she sleeps in chair of my hospital room.  She's been sleeping here for hours.  Nursing staff come in and out of the room routinely and Gabby doesn't even flinch.  Her long blonde hair is hanging down in her face, her arms are wrapped around a book, she must have gone home at some point because she is no longer wearing the black dress from yesterday; instead she's wearing some gray cotton shorts and my wrestling hoodie.

This is how I wanted to wake up every morning.  Not in this fucking hospital room, but a room of our own, with her looking that peaceful.  Looking like the Gabby I love.  Book in hand, Chuck Taylors, those annoying as fuck rubber bands on her wrists that she would snap when she was nervous or upset, that's what I want.

Her being in this room with me is keeping my mind off the worst right now.  It's keeping me from thinking about Courtney, about how badly I fucked up that night by not taking the road.  No one was in those fucking woods but the three of us. Whoever did this, they had to have taken the road.  Or they went through the woods on the other side of the road, which I've never been in.  Unless they were in a fucking boat, but I think we would have heard that.

I keep my eyes on Gabby sleeping, taking deep breaths, trying not to work myself up again.  The anxiety attacks take over when she's not here.  Jesus if she wasn't in this room right now they would probably need to tie me to the bed.  We are both missing the funeral right now.  Courtney's funeral.  They are putting my baby sister in the ground today, Gabby's best friend. 

Think Jax.  Who would want to hurt Courtney?  What did Courtney tell you?

My thoughts are halted when Dan clears his throat from the doorway.  My eyes shift from Gabby to him.  He looks terrible, as if he isn't sleeping either. Just in the short time I've known him he's gone considerably more gray.  He stands in his suit, hands in his pockets and an envelope under his arm. 

"She was here when I woke up." I blurt out in panic and motion to his sleeping daughter. She's grounded for the summer and supposed to be staying away from me.

He gives a sad smile towards her and walked further into the room. "It's fine Jackson. She hasn't really slept since that night, she's exhausted."

I look back to Gabby and sigh. She told me she couldn't get the image of Courtney out of her head and it was giving her nightmares. I didn't see Courtney like she did, I wouldn't be able to live with it; I know I wouldn't.  Part of me still needed to know though.

Dan takes a seat beside my bed, crossing his legs and setting his envelope on top of them. It's Monday, which means it's my probation meeting day.

"Is the funeral done?" I mutter as I keep my eyes on Gabby.

"Yeah. Everyone's over at your parent's house now."

"Did my parents do okay? How bad was my mom?"

He doesn't answer right away so I turn to look at him. His eyes are on Gabby. "They did as well as any parent could in that situation. Your mom was upset but your dad did okay. Better than I would have done." His focus shifts back to me. "What about you? You doing okay?"

I give a shrug my shoulders and offer nothing more.  My baby sister is dead.  She screamed, she was alive and I didn't get there in time.  Definitely not okay.  "Can I ask about the case? Is that something you're allowed to talk about?"

He shifts uncomfortably and gives a nod.  "Honestly Jackson, I don't know much.  But you're her family, you should be asking questions.  I know you didn't kill her as much as you know that Gabby and I didn't do it.  What do you want to know?"