War Fields: Chapter 14
Twenty-four hours later Brad Turner entered a hospital room carrying a bouquet of fresh flowers. He walked over
towards Annie resting peacefully in her bed. The whole ordeal had exhausted her physically and mentally. He rested
the flowers beside her bed, and then kissed her cheek, as he brushed away a few strands of red hair from her face.
Her head was bandaged up covering the gashes she had received, but besides that the doctors said she'd make a
quick recovery. Deep down Brad knew it would take her longer for her to recover. She had learned thing he never
dreamed her knowing and faced her mother for the first time in her life. He was uncertain how she'd treat him
once she regains consciousness. His thinking was interrupted by the commotion from the patient in the next bed.
Roxanne opened her eyes blinking several times as if the light blinded her. She grunted and moaned slightly, as
she realized she could feel the pain in her sides again. "I need more morphine," She bickered while she attempted
to reach a remote to call the nurse. She cussed lightly once she realized the remote was barely touching her fingertips.
Brad walked around the curtain dividing the two beds and stood there, with his arms cross watching her stretching
her hand towards the remote, "Need a little help?"
Roxanne face jumped up in fear to meet Brad's eyes. For the first time she wished he had worn his sunglasses,
because she wasn't ready to face him. Her tongue remained tied up, as she looked for signs of him ready to lash
out.
Brad took a few steps towards her, and she turned her head away in fear of him striking. "I'm not that mad," He
spoke in a calm tone placing the remote into her hand. I can't believe she'd actually think I'd hit her anyway.
"I feel bad about what I did. I…I wasn't thinking when I took her with me. Vanessa really chewed me out about it.
If I just known the truth, I wouldn't of bothered. I didn't want to hurt anyone," A few tears streaked down her
face. "I just wanted to be where I was accepted. I thought Annie would appreciate who I am, especially after standing
up for me."
Brad pulled up a chair, "We all did some talking shortly after we brought you both in. I'm mad because you dragged
my daughter into something dangerous. Yes, I kept Vanessa's identity secret from you, but I also kept your relationship
with VENOM secret from Annie. I was afraid the knowledge would ruin your friendship before it started. I hoped,"
he paused, letting out a deep sigh as he ran his fingers nervously through his hair, "that you would gradually
come to share those secrets with each other as your friendship grew. Now," he paused again, gravely, "I
don't know." He shook his head and shrugged, unsure how to express his mixed feelings. " But, I also
realize that you did everything in your power to protect Annie, even at the cost of your own life. That means
a lot."
Roxanne confessed, "I didn't just protect her for you or the sake my future existence, I did it for Vanessa as
well."
Brad looked to her slightly confused.
"She'd never be the one to admit it, but she has spot buried somewhere in her heart for Annie. I saw first glance
at it when Annie had just turned her away," She remarked with slight sorrow in her tone.
Brad let that sink in a moment, more confused now than ever. If she ever felt that way, I would have never
known. She acts more or less like she never had a child. Then again, if anyone knows Vanessa's weak moments,
it's Roxy.
"I need to know why you told Annie that I worked for VENOM," Brad looked her dead in eye as his thoughts focused
on Vanessa and her organization.
"Brad I told her a lot of things I should never tell anyone," She confessed, " I was mad. She was shouting her
mouth off, and I was shouting off mine. I only said the truth that you had been with VENOM for 3 months. I never
said anything to indicate you were still associated."
"No, her head injury did that for you," Brad replied absently.
"I already said I felt bad," Roxanne replied somewhat petulantly. "Are you still going to let Dusty
kill me?"
Brad smiled slightly at the thought, "It crossed my mind. Probably depends on Annie more than anything,"
he added, a slight teasing note in his voice.
She looked at him wide-eyed. If that's the case, may as well write my will now. I know she'll milk his sympathy
for all its worth.
Still unsure what to make of his jumbled emotions, Brad sighed in defeat at the sight of Roxy looking hurt and
properly contrite. "Alright Roxy, I'm not saying your off the hook, but I'll consider it." He started to
walk away, "And I'll go grab that nurse for you."
Roxanne smiled feeling reassured he wasn't going to hate her forever.
Muffled voices drifted into Annie's consciousness. As she shifted towards full wakefulness, the voices became
clearer. One male, one female. She only heard the last snippet of the conversation, but it was enough to make
all the feelings of hurt, anger, bitterness, and betrayal come rushing back upon her.
"...you're off the hook, but I'll consider it..." her father's voice said from the other side of the
curtain in her room. "And I'll go grab that nurse for you."
Eyes still blurry, Annie watched him walk out of the room towards the Nurse's station, clenching the blankets tighter
as her temper flared. First he goes and practically forgives her right on the spot, then he just leaves without
a backward glance. 'I'll consider it,' my foot, she'll have him eating out of the palm of her hand in no time,
just a twist of the truth here and there. Annie closed her eyes again at the dull ache in her head and the
pain rising from her heart. Her eyes snapped open sharply as she heard the sound of the curtain separating her
and Roxy being pulled back.
"Uh, hi girls," Scott's boyish man voice greeted both of them shyly.
The room suddenly held a deadly silence. Roxanne and Annie both lay in their respective beds, still as statues,
saying nothing. The tension in the air thickened to the point of suffocation. Scott felt much like a new soldier
finding himself navigating carefully through a field of land mines. One misstep and there would be fireworks,
a big explosion, and then it would all be over. He placed a chair in the exact center of the room, treading carefully
as he laid a vase with one red rose on each of their bed stands. Then he sat down, trying not to visibly gulp
as he attempted to bridge the slowly widening crevasse he felt separated 'his' two girls.
"I'm really glad you guys are okay," Scott said conversationally, ignoring the almost visibly thick cloud
of tension in the room. "When I saw Rax torpedo your boat, I thought that you guys were...well, you know,"
he paused, unable to finish the sentence. "I was pretty scared, even more so when faced with the thought
of telling Dad and Brad." He glanced over at Annie, who looked back sympathetically. He looked sidelong
at Roxy, who just seemed stoic about the whole thing. "I thought for sure they'd blame me, and I'd be a goner
too."
"It wasn't your fault," Annie whispered to him softly.
"Ooooo, her highness awakes," Roxanne snarled, hearing Annie's voice but not her words. "Please
your majesty, enlighten me with your words of wisdom."
"Roxy!" Scott admonished, before he thought better of it. Now wasn't a good time to look like he was
attempting to take sides. He loved both girls differently and had not wish to be caught in the middle of their
argument.
"I said," Annie repeated accusingly, "that what happened wasn't SCOTT'S fault."
"Accusing me, princess?" Roxanne asked with syrupy sweetness. "Maybe I should remind you that I
SAVED YOUR LIFE! TWICE!"
"My life never would have been endangered if you would have LISTENED TO ME IN THE FIRST PLACE!" Annie
screamed, sitting bolt upright and resisting the urge to shatter Scott's vase of flowers in Roxanne's face. She
didn't wait for Roxanne to reply as she continued angrily, "Not that anyone cares about that. Or the fact
that you dragged me unwilling onto that boat, into my mother's oh so loving arms. Nobody cares that she still
doesn't give a damn about me, and they don't care that you partied it up with VENOM while I rotted away in a jail
cell! No, just a few Roxanne Trakker twists on the truth, and you have them sighing 'Oh Roxy, we forgive you!
How could we have been so cruel?' Well, you'll forgive me for not falling at your feet in a lump of quivering
gratefulness...I'm not about to thank the person responsible for me being here."
"Annie!" This time Scott's protest was more plea than admonition.
"It's okay, Scott," Roxanne soothed him. "She's too afraid to admit she was too weak to save her
own hide. At least your father's grateful I saved your life," she continued, knowing Annie'd rise to the
bait.
"It wasn't bad enough you stole my mother, you had to brainwash him too!" Annie's voice cracked with
hurt and bitterness. With all the strength she could muster, she swung her legs over the side of her bed. "Well,
guess what? I'm not going to sit here and take this. Unlike you, Roxy, I have friends I don't have to manipulate
or lie to, and they'd be happy to have me around weaknesses and all." Shakily, she stood to her feet.
"Annie, where are you going?" Scott asked worriedly, resisting the urge to run over and comfort her
like he did at the hotel. Her face looked scared and vulnerable, but her eyes were hard chunks of emerald. Scott
knew that attempting to comfort her now would just make the situation worse.
Roxanne turned her head and glanced at Annie's feeble attempt to be strong, "We'll see if she even makes it to
the door."
She ignored her comment and managed two shaky steps toward the door. "Anywhere. As long as it's away from
HER."
"GOOD!" Roxanne yelled in retort. "I'm sick of listening to you whine! Go back to those hillbilly
rednecks you hang out with on that godforsaken mountain!"
"If it meant I would never have to see you again," Annie replied with dangerous calm, "then I would
live the rest of my life and DIE in those mountains. At least my friends in the Rangers know the truth when they
hear it, and they would never let me be tortured by their Commander!"
"YOU DON'T EVEN KNOW WHAT REAL TORTURE FEELS LIKE!" She shouted in anger practically trying to lift her body out
of bed. She sat on her elbows growled in a treating tone, "Maybe you'd to take a look at the mess, I took for your
ungrateful sorry hind!"
"Roxy don't get out of bed! Annie please you can't go!" Scott attempted to keep both girls in bed. His head did
a double take with frustration. There was no way he could sway either girl to listen to him. He cried in a loud
voice, "PLEASE LISTEN TO ME!"
Annie shambled a few more paces toward the doorway, only to find it blocked by Brad's sturdy frame. He folded
his arms across his chest, much as he did with Roxanne, and regarded her with a look full of such a mixture of
emotions that Annie couldn't begin to tell what he was thinking. That more than anything made her take that first
dizzy, involuntary step backward.
"That's enough, both of you," Brad said tonelessly, taking in both his daughter and Roxanne with that
penetrating gaze.
"She started it," Roxy muttered under her breath collapsing back into bed realizing she had no strength
in her upper body what so ever.
"We're finishing it." Matt's voice carried the same toneless quality as Brad's. "You heard him,
Roxanne, he meant both of you."
She breath heavily still letting steam escape her nostrils, a few tears followed realizing her attempt to get up
had worsen her current condition "uhhh…just unbelievable."
Brad stepped out of the doorway, allowing Matt to enter along with the nurse they summoned for Roxanne. They quickly
walked to Roxanne's side of the room. Brad watched his daughter wobbling on her feet, then flicked a glance in
Scott's direction. The torn look on his face made his emotions apparent. Brad hated to make him feel worse,
but he had to get the girls separated as best as possible.
"Scott, do me a favor and put the curtain back please," Brad asked as kindly as he could manage.
Scott swallowed hard and nodded, placing the divider back with a WHOOSH. After a moment of hesitation, he stepped
to the other side to join his father and his sister.
Under the weight of Brad's hefty gaze, Annie's legs finally gave out from under her. He caught her easily, letting
her head rest in the crook of his arm as he pulled her upright. "Where did you think you were going?"
he asked sharply.
"I don't..." Annie held her tears in check, "...want to be here with HER."
"Well," Brad began as he lifted Annie up and placed her gently back in her bed, pulling the blankets
up around her, "you obviously aren't going to just walk out of here, and I'm not going to take you home in
your current state. So," he continued as he pulled a chair over to the side of her bed and sat down, "we're
going to have to wait for the doctor to release you, and stunts like this aren't going to increase your chances."
Annie sat with her head bowed, a sniffle betraying the fact that she was crying underneath the strands of hair
that hid her face. In his typical fatherly gesture, Brad brushed a limp piece away from her face and tucked it
behind her ear. She looked almost like a child sitting there, so miserable and vulnerable from the nightmare she
had just been through. Brad's heart ached, and the high emotions running through his body softened at the sight.
As he had done so many times when she was a little girl, he continued to smooth her hair back.
"Talk to me, honey," he pleaded softly.
She didn't answer right away. When she finally did, her voice betrayed the same mixture of strong feelings he
had. "Do you want to hear MY side of the story, or are you just willing to accept Roxanne's as the complete
truth?"
"Of course I want to hear your side," Brad replied, slightly hurt and offended. "With emotions
running so high, though, I'm just not sure this is the best time."
"I don't think there will ever be a GOOD time," Annie said miserably.
"All right then, let's hear it," Brad said, a little more gruffly than he intended.
He settled back in the chair, making himself as comfortable as possible as he adopted his listening pose. Annie
turned her head and glanced at him sideways. She tried unsuccessfully to wipe her tears away, but they just fell
all the harder. Finally, she just gave up and started talking, hoping all the while she could keep her voice steady.
"If I had realized sooner what was happening, I never would have let her get me on that boat. Everything
happened so fast... I didn't realize who had ran past us until we were already in the water. Once I knew we were
chasing after VENOM, I practically begged Roxy to turn around, but she just laughed and said she used to work for
them. Then I of course blurted out who my mother was...I swear she sped up after that. I asked her to turn around
again...we would still have had time to get help, and Rax wouldn't have felt threatened enough to fire a torpedo
at us! None of this would have happened if she would have listened to me in the first place!"
Annie choked, tears streaming wildly down her face. Brad realized sitting in the chair wasn't going to cut it
as he moved to sit down on the corner of her bed. He took her hands in his and waited for her to compose herself
enough to continue.
Roxanne's voice carried cuttingly over from the other side of the room. "Excuse me for thinking you'd accept
my REAL friends. I thought you were a TRUE friend, guess I was wrong."
"Do you introduce all your TRUE friends to terrorists and torturers or am I just one of the lucky few?"
Annie retorted scathingly.
Before Roxanne could reply back Matt towered over her like a shadow and spoke in a demanding voice, "Cut it out,
there'll be no more arguing." She gritted her teeth in anger, because she was denied a chance to defend herself.
Her upset gaze shifted from her father to the nurse, who was injected her with morphine.
"Enough..." Brad's voice was soft, yet authoritative. "Let it go."
There he goes, sticking up for HER again. "Dad!"
"I said to leave it alone." He joined the authoritative tone with the 'don't argue with me' look. Brad
noted Matt's murmurs indicated he was giving Roxy much the same lecture. "Tell me what else happened."
Annie's eyes flashed hurtfully, but she swallowed and continued her story. "I got a rude awakening when I
woke up, threw up what was left in my stomach, and found Vanessa Warfield standing over me."
"I saved her life, Vanessa patched up her injuries, and she doesn't even have the courtesy to be grateful!"
Roxanne yelled across the barrier separating the room. "The ungrateful bitch hit her! And Dusty...called
me...selfish..." Roxy's voice seemed to be waning.
Scott stood in the corner of the room shocked at what his ears have heard, "Annie is not, take that back!"
"I'm not going to take ANYTHING BACK!" she shouted at Scott, "She is what she is…I can think of much more suitable
names that are far too vulgar for your fragile ears."
Matt's voice boomed through her sending a chill down her spine, "I'm not going to tolerate your out bursting anymore!"
The nurse looked at the poor girl who was ready to shatter, "She probably didn't mean it sir. She's in a lot
of pain. It's kind of difficult for anyone to think straight."
Roxanne could feel the effects of the morphine running thru her system, yet she still fought to stay awake. "You…never
believe me…" she spoke with a few tears before drifting off to sleep.
Annie clenched her hands into fists as they still rested in Brad's. She looked up at her father, a cold, angry
look settling across her features as she asked, "Since I'm not allowed to defend myself, do you plan on just
sitting there and letting her talk to me like that?"
"No." Brad stood and disappeared around the corner; wearing that completely unreadable expression she
had first seen when he walked in.
Matt sat in a chair next to Roxanne bed and dried up the remaining tears on her face. "I never said I didn't,"
he replied to her, as if she could hear him in her sleep.
"You know I'm trying to have a serious conversation with my daughter, her commentary isn't making this any easier
for me," Brad insisted.
"I know," Matt reassured him as he tucked Roxanne back into bed, "She'll be out cold for several hours. I don't
think she'll disturb you anymore."
Annie could hear soft murmurs of sound carried over, before Brad came back and resumed his perch on Annie's bed.
"She's practically out."
He can't even yell at her properly! Thanks for defending me, Dad! "You didn't say much," Annie
accused.
"I'm not going to kick her while she's down, no matter how much of a pain in the ass she's being," Brad
countered. "Besides, Dusty already gave her a severe tongue lashing when you passed out, on your behalf I
might add."
Brad stopped, pausing dramatically at Annie's uncharacteristically astonished expression. She looked at him wide
eyed in surprise. "He did?"
She had to have hit her head harder than he thought. Of course he did. He's just as protective of you as I
am, sometimes more so. "Only after you accused me of wanting to take you back to VENOM." Brad let
out a mirthless chuckle, and asked nonchalantly, "So did Roxy tell you about that before or after you hit
Vanessa?"
"After," Annie said quietly, still reeling from the shock of Brad's revelation. "After she hit
me...TWICE! After she tried to pile blame on you for the whole mess. She insinuated you never should have introduced
me to Roxanne in the first place."
He returned a not so casual shrug. "Maybe she's right."
"Maybe she has no cause to say anything about what you decide for me, because she didn't have the guts to
stick around!" Annie retorted with righteous indignation. ''Besides, you and I both know that's not the WHOLE
truth, just like I'm assuming, hoping, and praying that Roxy didn't tell me the whole truth about you being an
agent for VENOM."
"She didn't." Brad wanted to just leave it at that for the moment and let Annie finish her tale, but
her arched eyebrow and quizzical expression told him he wouldn't be off the hook that easily. So he sighed inwardly
and took the plunge, hoping she'd at least pretend to understand. "She conveniently left out the part where
I was trying to rescue a kidnapped professor, stop them from building and using a dangerous weapon, not to mention
getting her out alive, all under Matt's careful direction."
"You were ACTING?!?" A flurry of emotions flickered through Annie's eyes, chiefest among them astonishment
and was that...relief? She slumped back against the pillows, a flush of shame in her cheeks. "I can't believe
I thought that you would...I wasn't... She made it sound like... you went because of.... Vanessa."
"In a roundabout way," Brad admitted. "Our 'relationship' made the act believable, but don't let
Roxy fool you because it was no party. I almost didn't think I was going to make it out of there alive."
"I...remembered hearing Jesse and Jackie talking one night...about what would happen if you...hadn't..." Tears
began climbing down her cheeks again. "Why didn't you ever TELL me?"
He wiped a tear away from her cheek as he brushed her hair back. "Because I knew that even if I managed to
convince you it was all an act, you still wouldn't understand. I know that hurts, but I also know you know it's
true. So I took the easy way out and asked Matt to have PNA classify it highly confidential, so even if you did
find out, I wouldn't have been able to tell you."
Annie closed her eyes and turned her head away. He was right...it did hurt that he couldn't trust her with the
truth, but then again, he was also right that she wouldn't understand. She still wasn't sure she did, and she
wasn't sure if it was because of lingering effects from her head injury or her own perspective on things. Damnit,
she cursed silently.
Knowing this topic couldn't go much further, Brad steered the conversational ball back into Annie's court. "You
haven't finished. What happened after you defended my honor and hit Vanessa?"
She opened her eyes, but didn't turn back toward him. "She threw me out...got rid of me, just like she did
when I was born. She had Rax lock me up in a cell. Oddly enough, he told me he was going to protect me from everyone
else, I guess because he knew who I REALLY was, and I was so messed up I started comparing him to you."
Brad let out a small laugh. "Oddly enough, I don't think I mind the comparison. If anyone other than Vanessa
was going to watch your back, I'm glad it was him."
"I wish I could've shared that sentiment, but I was too busy being scared out of my mind. Roxy was nowhere
to be found, and I didn't relish the idea of only having him to place my faith in," Annie sighed. "I
managed to fall asleep, and it was only when I woke up later with Rax and Roxy outside my cell that I found out
where she was. Partying it up with them, playing cards, smoking, and confessing her undying devotion while I rotted
away, hurt and scared!"
Brad's face remained relatively neutral as he filed that piece of information away, prompting, "Go on."
"We argued...that's when she told me about you being in VENOM. I cried and fell asleep again, and shortly
after I woke up, Mayhem was there." She shivered visibly, turning back toward him, her eyes showing that
same fearful expression as when she first saw the VENOM leader. "He demanded to know where Matt was, then
hauled her away. When the screaming started...I...I...thought it was all over." Annie's voice quaked as
much as her shaking body, but she managed a controlled laugh as she said, "When I saw what he had done, I...yelled
for Rax. Ironic, isn't it?"
"Kinda," Brad admitted softly.
"He called for Vanessa. I couldn't help but notice..." Annie's voice all but disappeared. "...that
she mothered over Roxy and her injuries like she... she should have done for me all those years. When I managed
to ask her about it, she...told me... I didn't... meet her standards. I don't...know why...I let it...bother me...but
it...it...it HURT!"
Brad gathered her into his arms protectively as a strangled sob escaped her lips. Tears streamed down Annie's
face as she finally let herself break down and release all the emotions pent up inside her. He wanted to just
hold her and let her cry, but there was one more thing bothering him that he had to find out. Resting his head
on top of hers, swallowing hard, he spoke quietly. "Honey, I can't fault you for being angry, hurt, and bitter,
at both Vanessa and Roxy, but they did save your life and protect you from harm in their own way, as well as helping
you escape from that hellhole. Don't you think that that should mean something?"
"I don't know what to think!" Annie sobbed brokenly into his chest. "I want...I want so much to
be your sweet, forgiving little girl...but I...I can't!" Her voice strengthened with her momentary vehemence.
"I know you taught me better than that, but at least I can admit I know I'm wrong! I know you, Dusty, Buddy,
Matt, Scott, and everybody else will think badly of me, and so will Jesse, Jackie, Matt, Cody, and the rest of
the Rangers, but I just can't get past it! I can't get past the fact that my mother doesn't think I'm good enough
for her, and I can't get past the fact that this could have been avoided if Roxy would have just thought about
the consequences and listened to me!!! I know I should be grateful to her, and to Vanessa, but I just... I just..."
Annie's voice faltered again, and her sobs became louder again. "I just...can't...I can't... not now...maybe...maybe
not...not ever.... I'm sorry...I'm so...so..." Her teeth chattered with violent sobs "...sorry."
Brad closed his eyes and held Annie tightly, knowing that her reply was the answer his heart knew she'd give.
"I'm sorry too, honey," he whispered. Then he remained quiet and let his daughter cry out all of her
hurt and sorrow. It seemed like an eternity before her cries died to mere whimpers, then subsided entirely as
she drifted into an exhausted sleep. Having no wish to move himself, Brad gently maneuvered so that Annie's head
rested on his shoulder, and he had enough room to stretch his legs out onto the bed. His feet dangled over the
side, but he was comfortable enough as he let his head rest against Annie's. He felt his eyes drifting shut as
well...this whole ordeal had exhausted him too.
"Brad?" called Scott's voice timidly.
He opened his eyes to regard Matt's son. Scott poked his head around the side of the curtain, looking like a lost
puppy as he asked, "Is Annie...is she gonna be alright?"
Brad shook his head sadly. "I don't know, Scott. I just don't know."
He closed his eyes again, and this time they stayed closed as he fell asleep too.
Matt came up behind Scott and gently placed a hand on his shoulder, "Overtime both their wounded hearts will heal,
and maybe if they can surpass their personal grudges towards one another they can become friends again."
Scott knew his father spoke the truth. No matter how hard he tried, he'll never be able to put them in the same
room again. I can't choose between them. I won't do that ever. He looked up at his father, "I just hope that
day comes sooner then expected."
"I think we all do," Matt gave him a crooked smile.
