Yeh it's been forever. Had some writers block as you'll probably be able to tell by this shitty chapter. Okay it's not that bad but it's not that good. Lemme know what you think.
Thanks for the reviews and i promise this IS The Aftermath.
Chapter 11
Kirsten's breathing remained ragged as she buttoned her blouse as best she could and pulled her skirt back down past her hips. Carter still lay motionless on the floor. Sandy sat in shock as he stared at the sprawled out figure in front of him. Kirsten crawled over to him and placed her shaking fingers against his pulse. It was there. Suddenly his eyes flew open and he lurched from the floor but Kirsten pushed him back down forcefully. "Carter?" she said loudly, "Carter? Don't move," she repeated. Carter was looking around the room fearfully. He spotted Sandy still pushed up against the wall and he gulped. Kirsten placed her hands on the side of his face and forced his gaze upon her, "Carter?" she said firmly.
"I'm okay," he said croakily. His left eye was beginning to swell significantly. He tried to sit up but he winced as pain seared through his chest. Kirsten pushed him back down again onto the floor.
"Don't move," she instructed. She got to her feet shakily still dazed after hitting her head on the wall. She surprised herself by being so calm and in control. Inside she was screaming. It felt like her head was about to explode. She reached for her car keys and watched as Carter got to his elbows and tried to distance himself from Sandy as much as possible. Sandy was staring at a spot in the floor and his right fist was cradled against his chest. Kirsten sighed. She should be looking after her husband not Carter. She went over to Sandy and kneeled next to him.
"Sandy?" she whispered softly, "Hey baby look at me." she said. He turned to her and she noticed the tears for the first time, "Hey come on it's okay. We just have to get him to a hospital and everything will be fine. I promise," she said reassuringly. Her hands were still held firm on the side of his face fixing his gaze, "I promise." Sandy nodded and Kirsten wiped the stray tear that was inching down his face. In a second Sandy was on his feet and walking over to Carter who was eyeing him in fear.
"Look Sandy I'm sorry I…"
"Shut up." He growled as he bent down and wrapped Carter's arm around his neck. He lifted him to his feet and led him out to Kirsten's Range Rover. He settled him in the backseat and took position in the drivers seat. Kirsten sat next to him unable to look him in the eye.
"I'm sorry," she whispered, "I should have told you I was going to see him."
Sandy didn't answer. He had gone a frightening shade of grey. Kirsten checked he wasn't about to vomit before glancing at the huddled figure in the back seat, "I'm fine. Look I don't need a …"
"Shut up." Sandy growled again and turned the key in the ignition. The rest of the ride to the hospital was in silence apart from the moans coming from Carter as Sandy sped up over the cracks in the road.
The hospital was crowded and no one seemed to take notice of them as they both limped through the doors with a half conscious Carter draped across their shoulders. Kirsten caught a nurse's arm and she managed to get Carter onto a gurney. As he was placed onto the white sheets his eyes drooped further. Kirsten panicked and tapped his face, "Carter? Open your eyes…" but before he could answer he was whisked away by nurse and led him down a long white corridor. Kirsten turned and found that a doctor in the corner of the waiting room was questioning Sandy. She hurried over to find out exactly what Sandy was telling him.
"He was unconscious for a while then he woke up but on the way here he was slipping in and out." The doctor nodded and led Sandy to the reception desk. Kirsten sighed exhausted. She didn't care about documents or insurance. She didn't care that she was sitting in a busy waiting room wearing a ripped shirt and her skirt probably still too far up her legs. As she watched her husband converse with the receptionist she realised that all she cared about was whether or not she and Sandy came out okay in the end. She saw his hand red and bloody from repeated collisions with Carter's face. She also noticed that he was trembling. Guilt couldn't begin to describe her feelings. She had done this. All of it. She had almost been raped by a man she had led on for the past few months and now it was her husband who could be arrested. She put her head in her hands and sighed again more deeply. No tears fell. She was too exhausted to cry. Too exhausted to care anymore whether Sandy could see her or not. She closed her eyes and allowed the hustle and bustle to ebb to the back of her mind. She thought of her kids at school blissfully unaware that their family was slowly but surely being ripped apart. She felt someone else's presence next to her and she looked up expectantly but it wasn't who she wanted it to be. It was the nurse who had wheeled Carter away out of her sight. "Kirsten Cohen?" he asked.
"Yes?" she said wearily.
"Are you in contact with any of Mr Buckley's family? A sibling? Girlfriend?"
"Uh…" Kirsten closed her eyes and shook her head, "I don't know. His ex-wife lives in Nevada and I think his parents are dead. I'm sorry I don't know." The nurse nodded.
"Ok well Mr Buckley is asking for you. He'd like to see you." Kirsten's heart skipped a beat. He was okay. Well enough to ask for her. Although not well enough to remember his next of kin. She sighed and nodded in reply. Sandy joined her on the plastic seats as the nurse returned to Carter's room.
"Is he okay?" Sandy whispered softly.
"Yeah I think so. He wants to see me. I just wanna make sure he's okay. I'll be back." Kirsten said quickly before he could object.
She made her way down the corridor until she came to room 359B. Carter was lying against a large white pillow as a nurse stitched his left eyebrow. She knocked on the door softly before entering slowly pausing at his side before settling on the seat by the window. She waited silently as the nurse finished up before speaking.
"What did the doctor say?" she asked shakily.
"Concussion. I still have x-rays and stuff but I think I'll be okay." Kirsten sighed with relief.
"I'm sorry…"
"It's my fault. I'd have done the same If I was… you know if it was my… I'm sorry. I didn't want to hurt you. Or scare you. And I definitely wasn't gunna rape you. I was just angry…"
"Look I'm sorry okay. About everything. That night a Feather brook and then last night. And for Sandy. He was just…."
"I know. Let's just both be sorry and leave it at that okay?" Kirsten nodded.
"I'm gunna go. Sandy's waiting." Kirsten got to her feet and made her way to the door.
"Kirsten?" he called from the bed, "Tell Sandy I'm sorry."
Sandy watched as his wife walked toward him. The guilt loaded in the pit of his stomach rose to his throat. He knew she went to try and fix things with Carter. To end it and explain. And he tried to rape her. He had tried to hurt her. Her clothes were ripped and her hair was sticking up wildly and still she managed to walk through the waiting room with an air of grace. He wanted her to hold him in her arms. He needed to feel protected this time. Usually he was the one looking after her but this time he was feeling vulnerable. She took a seat next to him and placed her hand on his.
"I'm sorry. I just wanted to tell him it was over and I was…"
"It's okay. Lets go home and… sleep. We can talk later okay?" he said wearily. It was only eleven am and it felt like the day should be coming to an end.
Kirsten drove them home in silence. When they arrived home she led him through the house toward their room. She pulled off his shoes and tucked him into bed before changing into an old sweater under Sandy's watchful eyes. She slid under the covers and placed her head on his chest. She could hear his heart beating in his chest. She counted them in threes.
One.
Beat.
Two.
Beat.
Three.
Beat.
One.
Beat.
Two.
Beat.
Three.
Beat.
As she drifted off to sleep she listened to the one thing she prayed was still hers.
Please R&R
