If You Fall

Forty Two

I would have called the cops so they could raid the place and check on the half-dead people around, but the hospital told Reed they would report it. 

I checked on her through the night with calls while they slept. By morning she was "stable but unresponsive". The nurse further explained that meant she was basically probably not going to die, but was basically in a coma. 

I tried to get her to clarify. "Wait, so she's not talking or awake or anything? At all? Will she wake up?"

She didn't answer, instead directing me to speak with the doctor when we arrived to see her.

I told Reed when he woke up at seven, not looking much better than he had the night before. He had a bandage on his arm that I hadn't noticed before. "She bit me," he said with a humorless smile when I asked. "She freaked out, we had to hold her down while they tried to sedate her. Then she had a seizure and lost consciousness."

I winced, but I was mostly worried about whatever she could have given him through a bite. "I'm really sorry," I told him inadequately.

We were pouring coffee when we heard a car in the driveway. He looked out the window and relaxed all over. Don was back.

He came in with a tall, athletic woman in her late twenties. She hugged Reed first and he was glad to see her.

"Chérie, this is Amanda," he told me, letting go of her and putting his arm around me. "This is Addy," he said to her, almost proudly.

She shook my hand with a strong grip. "My, look how beautiful you are, I've heard a lot about you," she said nicely. Her front tooth was chipped, her smile friendly.

I couldn't exactly say the same but I came up with something polite.

Don hugged Reed. "How is she?"

Reed told him what I'd passed on, and I went to take a nap while they got ready to go visit her.

When I woke up it was to Bella knocking, and it was noon. I opened the door and saw the Jeep was gone.

"Your phone broken?" she asked, coming in and hugging me in greeting. "Been texting all morning."

"So since like ten thirty?" I automatically came back. I was groggy, and began making coffee. "We found Arianna last night."

She snorted. "She's still alive, huh."

Her intention was probably not for me to burst into tears, but that's what she got.

She was astounded. "Shit, Heidi, was she fuckin' dead or something?" She put her silver thermos on the counter as I sobbed holding coffee filters.

"No," I said, thinking of her mostly dead on the floor of that place. "Not yet."

We sat and I told her about it. "Poor fucking kid," she said when I was done, fortifying herself with some vodka. "Probably better for her if she does just die."

I couldn't really argue with that, and I'd been thinking about it a lot. All night. "It sucked, dude," I admitted, sniffling but over the worst of the crying. That whole scene had been intense enough for me for the next several lifetimes.

"Jesus. At least we can live semi-normal lives as adults. Quasi-adults." She held up the thermos. "Even if it is with crutches."

"Right? Shit." 

"Speaking of crutches, how's your razor situation these days?"

"More than two months," I said proudly, feeling that shit.

Her face relaxed. "That's great, Heidi. Seriously. Don't hurt your beautiful self, dude. That shit kills me. Like I would kill anyone who did that to you, but I can't kill you, so it annoys me a lot."

I laughed. "You sound drunk already." I got a chocolate cupcake from the kitchen and ate half in one bite. "I love having Reed home, done, whatever. I love knowing about all this finally. But I miss my fucking life, dude." 

"It's kind of a fucked trade off," she agreed. She drank some more. I could smell it rolling off her.

"Kick back, Bells." I didn't need one more thing to deal with, and drunk-at-noon Bella was rapidly approaching.

"I'm fine," she protested, but capped it and set it on the table. Even if she did immediately look at it longingly. "I do drink too much."

"Yeah, you do."

"Drugging kids with heroin. Honestly, this world is so fucked." I could see her mentally reaching for the thermos.

"Chew some fucking gum or something, dude. Don't you smoke?"

She flipped me off and reached for the remote instead. "Do we have to watch cake shows? I swear to God."

"Right, we should watch the life documentary of Mos Def," I agreed as she changed the channel. "Shithead."

"Mos Def is an interesting and talented human being, actually. This is what we're doing today, until more drama happens. Do you have any bacon? I could totally go for some bacon."

"In the big house. If Dane didn't eat it all." I drank some coffee. "That kid loves bacon like, too much."

"Gorgeous thing," she said in reverence.

"Jesus Christ, Bella. He's seventeen."

She shrugged belligerently. "Teach him a thing or two."

I shoved her. "Gross, and inappropriate. And he has a boyfriend, anyway."

Her eyebrows shot up. "He's seeing a guy." She got her cigarettes out and searched for a lighter. "I'm not interested really, you know that."

I got up and opened a window. "I know." I refilled my coffee cup and poured some for her. She liked it black. "Are you going to give me the whole 'everyone's a little bit bisexual' spiel?" That was her theory.

"Everyone is." She rolled her eyes at me. "Except you."

"Yeah, pretty sure Reed's not." Though how would I know?

"Pretty sure he's asexual," she came back.

I sat down with her again. "Which one is that?"

She had it all down. "No sexual feelings or desires. People are born like that, though. Not made that way through abuse."

I shrugged. "I don't care if he is." I didn't.

She mock shuddered. "Now that, I cannot fathom."

"I know," I said again. I didn't care about sex that much. I didn't think, anyway. I could live perfectly happily with him if that were the case. I mean, I did anyway. "You heard from Randy the wife beater?"

"Fuck him, no. Not since Romeo handed his ass to him on a plate." She snorted. "His mother called me and bitched me out, said he has a broken arm and internal injuries, blah blah blah. I told her I hope he died, but first I hoped his dick rotted off." She gave in and took the thermos, unscrewing the top and drinking.

"He's lucky he's still alive," I pointed out. "But for real though."

She nodded in acknowledgment. "Should be calling to thank me."

"Should be sending you flowers." I took the thermos and capped it and set it on the other side of me, then handed her the coffee cup.

"You're no fun, Heidi."

"Don't I know it," I said dryly.