The next day, I was sitting in my Doctor's office, getting my stitches removed.
"Say Doc, is this gonna hurt at all?" I asked teasingly as she cleaned that area of my arm with one of those disinfecting wipes.
"It shouldn't hurt, but you'll probably feel a little pressure." She chuckled, grabbing her tweezers. "Alright, here we go."
I wrinkled my nose as she cut and pulled out the first stitch, dropping it in the garbage can. "Gah, that feel's weird."
"Yes, it does. No pain though, right?"
I shook my head. "No."
"Good." She nodded. "That mean's there's definitely no infection."
I watched the whole time as she removed them. It was really odd sensation, though I think it only seemed weirder than it really was because I was watching her pull them. I'm surprised it didn't freak me out more as I watched the stitches literally be pulled put of my skin. Well, I guess if I could handle the pain of being shot, then surely I could deal with a little discomfort from a few stitches.
"...and you're all done!" Dr. Greene smiled, pulling the last stitch from my arm. I let my arm slouch, having had to of held it completely still while she worked. It tingled a bit, having gone slightly numb, so I rolled my shoulder and shook my arm out lightly. I winced a bit as a small pain shot down my arm when I moved my shoulder the wrong way. I knew it'd be a while before it was one hundred percent healed, but at least it wasn't as horrible as it was a few weeks ago. That had not been fun at all.
"Phew, glad that's over." I spoke up. "Though I must admit, it wasn't as horrible as I thought it would be."
Dr. Greene chuckled, wiping my shoulder once more and then wrapping it in the medical bandage, followed by the medical tape to keep it in place. "I'm glad. Alright, you can hope down now."
She stepped back, pulling off her gloves and tossing them in the garbage. I hopped down off the table and slid my left arm back into my sleeve, having slipped it off and around my neck so it wasn't in Dr. Greene's way.
"Will I need to come back for a checkup?" I asked, pulling my jacket on.
"I don't think so. If you notice any unusual discoloration or severe pain, then definitely come in because those are signs of an infection, but other than that, there shouldn't be any problems. Just keep the wound clean and take the medication I prescribed, and you should be just fine."
"Right. Well, thank you so much."
"No problem dear." She smiled, patting my shoulder. "Now, if you could just sign a few forms for me and then you are good to go."
I nodded, taking the pen and clipboard she handed me. I quickly read everything over and scribbled my name on the lines, then handed it back to her.
"Thank's again!" I called over my shoulder as I excited the room. I waved politely at the receptionist as I excited the Doctor's office, pulling my keys out as I headed for my black Nissan X-Trail. I felt kind of bad for the receptionist, considering I'd scared the crap out of her when I first came in. As a Police Officer, I usually carried my gun around with me, on the belt of my waist with my shirt pulled over it. I hadn't realized that my shirt had ridden up when I first came in, showing off the gun. The receptionist freaked out, not knowing I was a cop, and I quickly had to pull out my badge and calm her before she called 911. It was actually pretty funny once she calmed down.
I climbed in my car and buckled up. I snatched my sunglasses from the console and slipped them on, started the car up and pulling out. I excited the parking lot, turning a corner and then heading for the gas station. I needed to fill up, and since I was officially taking a break/vacation, I decided to get myself some junk food as well.
When I finally arrived back at my apartment building, I pulled in my spot and shut my car off. I sat there for a few minutes, going over some things in my head, before sighing and hopping out. I grabbed the plastic bag containing my junk food from the back seat and made sure to lock the doors before heading inside.
I looked up at the stairs and sighed, beginning my climb. I unfortunately lived on the fourth flour and the building had no elevator. I was young and in shape, though, so I really shouldn't be whining.
"Hello Ms. Patterson." I smiled politely at my neighbor when I finally reach my floor. Ms. Patterson wasn't exactly the sweetest woman, though, which I was reminded of as she just scowled at me, stepping inside her apartment and slamming the door behind her. I raised an eyebrow. "Alright then..."
Shaking my head, I pulled my keys out and unlocked my door, quickly moving inside in case Ms. Patterson came back out and started complaining about something I did. I shut and locked the door behind me, setting my bag down for a moment. I bent over to untie my shoes, but froze when I noticed that the shoe mat was half way across the floor and there was mud on the floor.
My eyebrows furrowed. It sure as hell wasn't like that when I left. My eyes shifted up and I straightened up immediately when they landed on the dinning set. One of the chairs was out of place, turned diagonally to the left and sitting at least a foot away from the table. That was not how I left it this morning. In fact, that wasn't even the chair I had been sitting in while I had breakfast.
My hand immediately went to my waist and I gripped my gun, un-holstering it. I raised it in front of me, taking slowly steps forward. I peeked around the corner of the front hall, my eyes scanning the open living room and dinning room area. I didn't see anything, so I stepped out into the open, my eyes shifting in the direction of the hallway that led to the two bedrooms and bathroom.
CLINK
I spun around, my attention now directed towards the kitchen. There was a wall that separated the kitchen from the dinning area, so I didn't have a clear view.
"Shh! Be quiet!"
My eyes narrowed. There was someone in my kitchen.
"Sorry!"
Okay, two someone's. From the sounds of it, it was a man and a woman. I took quick but silent steps towards the kitchen, stopping when I was just about to go around the corner.
"This is Officer Lucy Wilder of the N.Y.P.D.!" I announced. "Come out with your hands up!"
"Dammit." I heard the woman curse, then the click of heels against the floor, followed by the light thud of a heavier shoe.
Just like I thought, a man and a woman stepped out. The man had kind of shaggy brown hair and scruff, while the woman had long red hair.
"Whoa there," The man held his hands up, the woman immediately doing the same. "There's no need for the gun."
I raised an eyebrow. "Oh really? I think there's plenty need for the gun. You did break into my apartment, after all."
"This is all a misunderstanding." The woman spoke up, her voice pleading.
"Oh, I'm sure." I said sarcastically as I inspected them closely. They seemed so familiar. The man stepped forwards suddenly and I aimed my gun straight at him. "Stop right there or I swear to God I'll shoot you."
"Please, just let us explain." The woman pleaded. I glanced at her, watching her take a cautious step forward so that she was directly beside's the man. My eyes narrowed in a warning and she froze, obviously intimidated. I looked them over once again, and suddenly their faces connected in my head. My eyebrows furrowed and they seemed to relax a bit, realizing I recognized them.
These weren't just some random people in my apartment, no, they were Henley Reeves and J. Daniel Atlas. Two of The Four Horsemen. The group that my brother had been in. The group that just so happened to be on the run from the F.B.I.
"I take it you recognize us?" Henley asked, watching my face closely.
"Yes, I do." I answered, still keeping my gun aimed though. "You're Henley Reeves and J. Daniel Atlas. What are you doing in my apartment?"
They shared a look before Henley spoke up again. "You're Jack's sister, right?"
I tensed up at the mention of Jack, but gave a stiff nod. "Yes, I am. Now, tell me why you two have broken into my apartment? Famous or not, I won't hesitate to shoot you."
J. Daniel seemed amused by my threat while Henley gave him a scolding look. They happened to share another secretive look, a bit of nervousness flashing in Henley's eyes. I was just about to open my mouth to demand answers once again, when another voice entered my ears.
"Lucy?"
I spun around, prepared to shoot another intruder, only to have all the air leave my body.
My eyes grew as wide as saucers and I swear I stopped breathing. This was not real. This could not be real. Something had to be wrong with my medication and it was fucking with my head. I had to be going insane. There was no way, no God damn way, that he was standing right there.
He stepped forward and I automatically took a step back, fearing what this would do to my head. My mind was playing tricks on me; this was a hallucination. It had to be!
"Lucy." He called out, softer this time. His eyes, his brown eyes, seemed so sad and yet so happy. He looked almost exactly the same as when I last saw him, though he'd lost all his baby fat. He was taller now, towering over me, and he looked so grown up.
"Jack?" I whispered, my voice cracking. Dear God, please don't be messing with me. I can't take it. I can't go through the devastation and anger and guilt again. I couldn't survive it again.
"Yeah Lulu." His voice was so sad, but it was strong and filled with hope. Lulu. He called me Lulu. The nickname he'd given me when he was too young to pronounce my name correctly.
A strangled noise between a scream and a sob travel up my throat and ripped from my lips and I lowered my gun instantly, dropping it to the ground. I don't think I've ever moved as fast as I did in that moment in my entire life.
"JACK!"
I crashed into him, nearly knocking him to the ground. My arms were around his neck in seconds flat and sobs shook me as I clung onto my brother for dear life. He was here. He really was alive. I wasn't hallucinating. I was actually hugging my baby brother. I felt the heat radiating off him, I heard him breathing and I felt his heartbeat as his arms locked around me.
"Shh," He soothed, though I could hear how his voice cracked. He set his hand on the back of my head, running his hand over my hair soothingly and holding me to him. "I'm here Luce. I'm here."
I couldn't stop sobbing as I clung to him. As much as I couldn't believe it, I could certainly see it. His embrace was warm and familiar and I never wanted to let him go again. I couldn't understand what he was murmuring to me, but his voice was giving me the will power to fight from passing out. I focused on the sound of his voice, keeping it in my head and making sure I never forgot it.
It took me a bit but I finally managed to choke the words out. "I mi-missed you so much!"
"I missed you too, Lulu. I'm so sorry." He whispered, slightly louder than before. I realized that that's what he's been saying while I sobbed.
I took a huge gulp of air, only to choke on another sob, so I tightening my grip on him almost impossibly so. God, I was so relieved, confused, sad and happy at the same time and it was giving me a headache. I began to hiccup, feeling my body shake as my emotions took over.
"Luce," Jack murdered, pulling back just enough so that he could see my face. "Shh Lucy, it's alright. Relax, it's all right."
"I ca-can't." I hiccupped, grabbing his face with my hands. My eyes roamed over his face, taking in every detail and slight difference from him growing up, making sure I never forgot. He seemed to be doing the same to me. Finally I gripped his face, kissing his cheek and then embracing him tightly once again. "I love you Jackie."
"I love you too, Luce."
