Chapter 8-Deja vu
Hospital-
The police had left after questioning Nikki. She was torn up inside. She knew what happened, but she couldn't tell the police. It was Troy's gang that beat her up and killed Kiesha. When she arrived at Troy's two days ago after being with Jack, he asked her about the baby. She was confident because she knew there was no baby but he didn't believe her so he let her go. She was surprised that he didn't get angry. On her way back home to Jerry's house, she heard a car pull up close to her. It was pitch black dark by now she didn't see who it was. The next thing she saw was Jack after waking up in the hospital. She figured that they killed Kiesha after they heard her talking on the phone with her.
'That's why she hung up.'
"Are you ok?" Jack asked her as he walked back into the room after the police officers left.
"Yeah I'm fine," she said.
"Nikki did you tell them?" Jack asked.
"Tell them what? Jack I told them what I remembered," Nikki said sounding angry.
"I just want to make sure they catch who did this to you," he said lifting his hand to hers.
She pulled it away and said, "They won't. Trust me."
"What do you mean?"
"You should know better than anyone Jack. Dirty cops, they protect most gangs around here," she said as she rolled over on the hospital bed.
"What's his name?" Jack asked.
"Whose name?" she muffled into her pillow.
"Your boyfriend," Jack asked her.
"Jack, just forget about it," she said.
He got up and walked to the other side of the bed.
"I want to help you, I can't do that if you lie to me," Jack said as he stroked her hair.
She pushed his hand away. She didn't want Jack to see her scar because she felt less attractive and that's what Troy wanted.
"Jack you should go home," Nikki said. "I'm going to be ok."
"I'm not leaving you alone," Jack said to her.
"Jack just go!" Nikki yelled out of frustration.
She avoided eye contact with him as he slowly backed back out of her room. When he shut the door she pushed her face into the pillow and started to cry. She didn't mean to yell at Jack but she didn't want him digging into this. He could get hurt and she was starting to feel strong feeling for him. She thought she might even be in love with him.
"How's she feeling?" Angel asked Jack.
"She's ok, I guess," she doesn't wanna talk about what happened.
"Look, I think I know who did this," Jack whispered to Bobby and Angel.
"Did you tell the cops?" Bobby asked.
"No, I wasn't sure but she gave it away to me. She didn't tell them either," Jack said looking at Bobby.
"What you wanna do Jacky?" Bobby asked.
"Oh, no," Jerry said walking over to them. "Let me tell the police, we ain't going through this again.
"I think Jerry's right on this one, let the cops handle this one," Angel said.
"No, you guys know there are crooked cops all around this town," Jack said.
"Tell us what you know Jacky," Bobby said.
"Well I've heard Nikki talking on the phone with some guy. He's her boyfriend but I don't know his name," Jack said looking at Jerry.
"Don't look at me man. I don't know who he is," Jerry said.
"Does she keep a diary or something? We should check her cell phone," Bobby said.
"Her cell phone was missing along with her purse," Jerry said.
"What about your computer Jerry? She ever use it to talk to friends?" Angel asked.
"Yeah, I think I saw her on one of those messenger things," Jerry said.
"Jack, we'll go check this out. You stay here and watch out for Nicole," Bobby said.
"No, I wanna help. She's in the hospital no one can get her here," he said.
"No, stay here," Bobby said as they all headed for the elevator.
"No, I'm coming with you," Jack said walking behind them.
"Jacky, I know you wanna help, but your no help to us dead," Bobby said closing the elevator doors.
"Bobby!" Jack screamed beating on the closed elevator doors.
"Damn it!" Jack yelled walking back to Nikki's room.
Camille, Sophie and the girls were still there so Jack went back to the chapel. He mostly sat there not praying just thinking. Once again Bobby had shut Jack away. He felt responsible for what happened to Nikki and he couldn't even go after her attackers as far as Bobby was concerned. Since Jack got of the hospital when he was injured Bobby, Angel, and Jerry kept a close eye on him. Bobby would curse his head off every time Jack opened the front door. He wanted to prove that he was a man and that he didn't need Bobby or anyone to look after him like he was a toddler. It was hard for him to express his feelings. When he was done venting his anger in his head he went back up to the I.C.U. He walked back in the room and Camille was doing Nikki's hair. She put down the brush and kissed her niece on the forehead. She left with Sophie and the girls. Jack grabbed a chair and pulled it up to the bed. Nikki rolled in the opposite direction.
"Come on don't be mad at me," Jack said.
Nikki didn't answer so he got up and walked over to the other side of the bed like he had done before. She covered her head with the pillow.
"How can I talk to you with that pillow on your head?" Jack asked her.
"The pillow is prettier than I am," Nikki mumbled because her words were muffled by the pillow.
"No matter how they cut your face, you're still the most elegant and beautiful person I know," Jack said talking down to the floor.
Nikki lifted the pillow off her head and watched Jack stare at the floor.
"Are you talking to the floor?" Nikki asked him as she sat up.
Jack looked up slightly but not making eye contact with her and said, "I was talking about you."
Nikki wisped her long hair out of her face and held her hand out for him. He held her hand and sat on the bed next to her. The sun was shining right behind her. Jack thought she looked like an angel sitting there but his concentration was interrupted when Nikki leaned in and kiss him delicately on the lips.
"What was that for?" Jack asked.
"For wanting to help," she said.
"I will help you," Jack told her.
"No Jack, just forget about it," Nikki said.
Jack got off the bed and stood at the foot of it.
"Why won't you let me help you?" Jack asked her.
"Because you can't help me Jack. Just stop already," she said as she lay back down.
Jack walked out of her room and walked to the stairs.
"Jack," Nikki called after him.
He called Jerry on his cell phone but there was no answer.
'Why won't anyone let me help?'
Jack was frustrated so he went back to Nikki's room to tell her that he was going to leave.
"Nikki?" Jack asked.
Nikki was mad at him so she ignored him.
"I'm going home. I'll see you later," he said grabbing his jacket.
Mercer House-
Jack was so tired from not getting any sleep at the hospital he changed into some sweatpants and went to bed. The next day, Jack woke up around eleven a.m and saw Jerry and Angel sitting on the floor. He walked into the kitchen to get some milk.
"Good morning sunshine," Bobby said to Jack.
Jack kept drinking the milk ignoring Bobby.
"Do you always wake up with morning wood?" Bobby chuckled.
"Shut up," Jack said sleepily.
"Is it from being in a house full of men?" Bobby asked him.
Jack ignored his brother's comment and flung the milk carton at him.
Bobby said, "Ok fine, if that's how you want it to be."
Jack closed the refrigerator door and headed back upstairs through the living room. Nikki was laying there on the couch with a big smile on her face. Jack didn't notice her until Angel and Jerry started laughing.
"I always tell you to put some clothes on," Angel said laughing with Jerry and Bobby who just entered the room.
Jack tried to hide the bulge through his sweatpants with his hands.
"Good morning to you too," Nikki said staring at his hands.
He ran upstairs to put some clothes on and get rid of his wood. He met up with Bobby back in the kitchen.
"How come you let me go in there?" Jack asked Bobby furiously.
"I figured you wouldn't mind," Bobby said writing something down on the counter.
"Bobby, why wouldn't I mind?" Jack yelled at him trying not to let everyone in the living room hear him.
"Jacky, why would she care if you had a hard on? She knows you're gay," Bobby said as Jerry entered the kitchen.
Jerry let out a short laugh then he said, "The doctors said that we could take her home, but I figured you would want to see her."
"I didn't want her to see him with a hard on Jerry," Jack said placing both his hands on the counter next to Bobby.
"Well, Angel always use to tell you not to walk around here half naked," Jerry said.
"What are you doing Bobby?" Jack asked him looking at the paper he was still writing on.
Bobby turned his head to Jerry and they both stared at each other.
"What is it?" Jack asked looking at both of them.
Jerry signaled with his not to tell a Jack, but he Bobby thought he should know.
"Listen Jacky," Bobby said as they all sat down at the kitchen table.
"We found Nicole's diary. She mentions a guy named Troy. Angel and I were going to go down by the high school to ask some questions," Bobby said.
"When are you going?" Jack asked.
"School gets out at three. Stay here with Nikki, cus you're not going Jacky," Bobby said showing him notes he took from Nikki's diary.
"I'm going this time," Jack said sternly.
"That's cute Jacky, but no," Bobby said as he watched Angel sit down at the table.
"Bobby I wanna help," Jack said.
"Like I said, that's cute Jacky but you're not coming with us. Jerry's going stay here with you and Nicole," Bobby said as he got up from the table to grab his keys.
"Damn it Bobby," Jack said throwing his chair on the floor.
He heard Nikki gasp in the living room. His brothers looked at him like he had lost his mind.
"Jack what the fuck is your problem?" Bobby asked him, "Pick up that fucking chair."
"No," Jack said.
"Oh, I'm sorry. Look boys, little Jacky wants to be a man," Bobby said sarcastically looking around the room and laughing.
Jack got so angry he punched Bobby across the face. Bobby was on the kitchen floor now as he wiped his bloody lip.
"Come on man, don't do this," Jerry said to Jack as he got up from the table.
Bobby smirked again and said, "No, if Jack wants to be a man and throw punches he's gotta be able to take em."
Bobby got off the floor and tackled Jack to the ground. He was about to punch him back but Angel caught his arm.
"Stop, get up off him man," Angel yelled to Bobby.
Nikki heard the commotion going on in the kitchen. She wasn't allowed to walk yet so she got around by her wheelchair. Sophie came downstairs to distract her from what was going on in the kitchen.
"Look why don't we all go?" Jerry asked Bobby who was icing his lip.
"At least you don't hit like a girl anymore Jacky-O," Bobby said taunting him.
Jack got off the floor quickly and lunged at Bobby but Jerry caught him. Bobby leaned on the counter laughing.
"Fine he can come as long as he doesn't start crying," Bobby said placing the ice pack back in the freezer.
Please leave a review! I think this will be my last chapter until tomorrow. I know I update quickly and I wrote all these chapters in two daysbut it's time for me to get back to my school work. Thanks for reading check back soon!