The Bridges we Burn
Chapter 11: The Talk
They stabilized Jaime and took him out of the Intensive Care unit after eight painful hours of surgery. Regardless of the "good news" the doctors said he would still be under twenty-four hour watch. He was going to pull through, the doctor had told them, the watch was just to be on the safe side. Jack had muttered something about better safe than sorry but Bobby wasn't paying him a whole lot of attention. Bobby hadn't paid much attention to anybody or anything since the accident. All he could think about was the sound Jaime's bones made when being crushed by the speeding car.
The car that had technically done nothing wrong, their lawyer had reminded them. While the driver had been nice enough to come to the hospital with them and fill out paper work, he was, by law, the innocent party. Jaime, the stupid fucker, had been the one who ran his ass out in front of the speeding vehicle. Bobby shook his head as if it would help to clear it.
He had slept with Jack's mother. He had possibly fathered a child to Jack's mother, and now that child was in the hospital for attempting to commit suicide. While the accident had been declared as nothing more than just that, Bobby knew what Jaime's real intentions had been when he jumped out of their car. And they didn't involve waking up in a hospital, or anywhere else for that matter.
And that's what scared Bobby the most. Because Bobby knew that if he was completely honest with himself, he would have to admit that he cared about Jaime. A lot. And regardless of what the paternity test results were, he wasn't sure he wanted Jaime to leave.
"Bobby! I came as soon as I heard," Sabrina ran down the hospital hallway, panting. Bobby didn't want to deal with her at the moment. Or ever really. Not after the conversation that had led them to where they were now. He watched her walk towards him, limping slightly and keeping her head tilted to the left as to make her black eye less noticeable, and for the first time he saw Jack written all over her face. He saw him in her body movements and her antics. How could he have missed it?
"Don't look at me like that Bobby Mercer. It's my life and my business so just…just shove off," Sabrina said without the cold sting he was used to hearing. She sounded worried, stressed, and tired. Well, her son was holed up in a hospital after being hit by a car, he reminded himself.
"I wasn't looking at you like…well, like however you thought I was looking at you like. I was just thinking," Bobby answered. He knew he would have to confront her about being Jack's mother sooner or later, but at the moment he just didn't have the energy. He was afraid he would get too accusing. Get too angry and that wouldn't help anything.
"How is he?" She asked, ignoring his answer and plopping down into one of the hospital chairs. Bobby wasn't really sure how to answer that question. Technically, he was doing well. Pretty damn good actually considering the circumstances. But he hadn't talked to the boy since his marathon across the interstate and so emotionally….he wasn't sure how the boy was.
"The doc said he'll live," Bobby finally settled with, sounding much colder than he meant to. Sabrina paid him no mind as she stared off into space and grit her teeth together. A habit that she had that Jack had inherited. It always drove Bobby crazy.
"Where's Jack?" Sabrina asked more to herself than to him. Bobby looked around and noticed for the first time that Jack wasn't in the waiting room with him. He shrugged, then realized Sabrina wasn't looking at him.
"Don't know. Must have went for coffee or something," Bobby mused. Sabrina gave him a cock-eyed look, then turned in her seat to face him.
"Bobby…do you know why I left you?" Sabrina startled him by asking. Bobby really didn't have an answer to the question that had gnawed at him since the time she had took off without so much as saying goodbye. "I left you because this wasn't the kind of life you were meant to have. I'm sure you thought I was slut and a bitch and every other horrible name you could think of and you…well you deserve to have thought that and still think that now if you choose. Actually it might make things easier…for everyone…if you continue to believe that way. But I left for you, Robert. I left because you were falling in love with me and no one, especially not someone like you, deserves to fall in love with a woman like me."
Bobby stared at her like she had two heads, opening and closing his mouth without knowing how to answer her sudden rampage.
"You…you left for me? That this is biggest pile of shit I think I've ever heard come out of your mouth, Bri! And you've been known to tell big piles of it, let me tell ya!" Bobby nearly shouted. The angry glint that Bobby always found strangely sexy returned to Sabrina's eyes, and even black and blue Sabrina looked like the strong woman Bobby knew she was.
"You just- you wait one minute Robert Mercer! If you don't want to listen to what I have to say- fine! If you don't believe me, that's your problem! But don't you dare call me a liar! 'Cause if I have been one thing to you, Bobby, it's honest," She responded back vehemently. Bobby couldn't prevent the loud, sarcastic, laugh that left his lips.
"Honest?! You, honest? First you up and leave me without a 'see ya later' or 'I don't think this is going to work out Bobby' and ah-! You can say it was 'for me' and all that bullshit but that doesn't change the fact that you left. Then, you return years later with a kid…that you claim is mine…and then you leave him and me- again! Then, I find out that you're my kid brother's mother!" Bobby stopped at the surprised look on Sabrina's face, then stood up and started pacing in front of her.
"Oh yes, Sabrina, I know all about your previous son that was in foster care all those years. Imagine how shocked I was when I found out I had fucked my brother's mother! I mean, Jerry Springer, here we come!" Bobby took in a deep breath, marveling in Sabrina's openmouthed shock. For once the bitch has nothing to say, Bobby smirked.
"And, I'll have you know…this…Justin man! He's not getting near Jaime! He's not even laying eyes on him so you can just…tell that bastard that he can go to hell!" Bobby shouted, then stopped at his own words. Where had that come from? To his horror, Sabrina actually smiled, then had the audacity to laugh.
"You're jealous!" She accused after recovering. Bobby shook his head.
"I'm not…jealous! I'm just," Bobby started but was cut off by Sabrina.
"You so are! You're jealous of Justin. You don't want him to pick him up because you know that you like Jaime. You don't want Jaime to leave with him," Sabrina said without menace. She seemed happy but unsurprised. Bobby stopped pacing and sat back down in the seat with a huff.
"No…I just…well, I think since Jaime and Jack are brothers that it would be better…you know…" Bobby stated logically. Sabrina grabbed his hands and kissed his cheek.
"Oh Bobby I knew you'd change your mind! He's so much like you and I kept saying, 'just give it time, he'll love him before ya know it'! And I was right!" Sabrina exclaimed. Bobby drew back at the word 'love'. That's not the impression he had meant to send.
"Sabrina…I uh…you know, I like the kid. I'll admit that. He's cool…for a kid. But I didn't say I was gonna be his father. You know I can't be his father. I can't even take care of myself and my kid brothers," Bobby tried to explain, but Sabrina cut him off by slapping his head and then giving him a hug.
"Shut the fuck up Bobby. Everyone knows you're not as cold-hearted as you make yourself out to be," She whispered. Bobby glared at her, not bothering to hug her back. They broke apart quickly to the sound of Jack clearing his throat.
"So uh…I had always heard that tragedy brings people together but um…" Jack started, a smile playing at his lips. Bobby held his hand up.
"Not another word Little Brother," Bobby said threateningly. Jack smirked and tossed him a soda.
"Thought you might be thirsty," Jack answered, taking a seat beside Bobby. He had been sitting no longer than two minutes when a doctor strolled into the waiting room.
"Are any of you the parents of Micah James Wood?" The doctor asked. Both Sabrina and Bobby stood up, looked at each other, then Bobby cleared his throat and quickly sat down. The doctor looked at the two of them, then shrugged.
"He's awake now. He's asked to see his father."
It's been so long I know! Anyone still reading this?