Chapter 9 Mickey's Wounds

I get to the hospital and see Tony, the neighborhood cop. He grew up in the neighborhood and always tries to look out for his own when he can, which is why most of us like him, cause he relates to us, or at least tries to.

"Tony what the fuck happened?" I ask

"All we know right now is that Mandy must have walked in on the attack." Tony says "We're reviewing the 911 call Mandy made for clues, we have a team at your house working to determine what happened. Your dad was completely unconscious when we arrived on the scene. I rode with Mandy in the ambulance, she was still conscious, she was scared."

"What aren't you telling me?" I ask fearing the worst

"We have reason to believe that Mandy was raped by whoever broke into the house." I feel my hands tighten, Tony's no idiot and sees this "She was also hit on the head pretty hard and according to the doctors has cranial bleeding. Your dad's awake though with a broken collarbone and a busted kneecap." I sigh, the old man being okay is fine and all, but Mandy, she's my kid sister, she's the only one in the family who really knows me. Fuck I need Ian right now. "Mickey I hate to do this but I have to ask you when the last time you spoke to either of them was?"

"I saw Mandy yesterday, she brought me lunch at work, we talked for few minutes but she never gave any indication she or anyone else in the family was in trouble." I take a breath "Tony I'm barely at home these days." Tony doesn't ask me why "Terry and I ain't exactly on speaking terms, more like yelling terms. I wouldn't know if he pissed someone off lately or not, but hey I wouldn't be surprised. I just want to know-"

"You can see Mandy." Tony tells me what room she's in and I wander in.

My knees go weak at what I see, My baby sister hooked up to a whole ton of machines. I turn as I hear my dad's voice from the room across the hall.

"MICKEY YOU WORTHLESS SHIT GET IN HERE." Gee Dad yell that for the whole hospital to hear, great. I ignore him and go sit down next to Mandy's bed. "YOU AIN'T GONNA COME SEE YOUR OLD MAN. YOU'RE HEARTLESS." The yelling continues, he's probably just pissed he can't have a smoke. The nurse closes Terry's door when she finishes checking on Mandy and finishes giving me an update on my sister.

I feel better as I see Ian walk in and sit down next to me. He doesn't touch me, and I realize he's not sure if I want him to.

"Ian I need you." I say "I don't care who knows it." I take his hand in mine and he uses his freehand to rub small circles on my back. "They have to operate on her brain. They think she was raped. The worst part is I have no idea who did this."

"Tony told us." Ian says "Fiona's out in the hall. Whatever you need me to do, I'm here."

Several minutes later the doctor walks in, "Mr. Milkovich, I-" he stops when he see Ian

"Ian can be here for whatever you have to say." I tell him

The doctor nods and continues "Your sister was definitely raped. We've sent all evidence to the police and they are working on a DNA match. We're taking her into surgery now. The MRI shows more bleeding than anticipated, we can't wait any longer."

The doctor moves aside as nurses come in to move Mandy to surgery. I feel my whole body shaking. Ian just keeps rubbing small circles in my back. After they leave Tony walks in.

"Well this explains why you haven't been living at home." Tony says "How are you Ian?"

"Getting better." Ian says. I see the fake smile he gives everyone but me. "Do you know who did this Tony?"

Tony sighs and shakes his head "Mickey can you think of anyone other than the usuals who would want to go after Terry?"

"No." I tell him "If he's got any new enemies I wouldn't know."

"Mickey promise me that you won't go looking for whoever did this." Tony says "I know you don't have a lot of faith in the system, but we'll find who's to blame." I stay silent

"Then promise me." Ian says

"Whatever." I say as I get up "What did my deadbeat father say?"

"That he doesn't remember anything." Tony says "I don't know if-"

"I'll get it out of him." I say as I saunter across the hall. I hear Tony and Ian close behind me.

"About time you come see your old man." Terry says to me as I walk into his room

"Who the fuck attacked you?" I ask

"I don't remember." Bullshit. That's gotta be bullshit

"Whoever attacked you raped Mandy." The old man's face goes ice cold, I know he doesn't know.

"Where the fuck were you?" he asks me "Where the fuck have you been. You let this happen. Where the fuck have you been?"

"Why the fuck do you care all of a sudden?" I snap at him. "You haven't given a damn about what I do with my life since the day I was fucking born."

"Well you've disappeared from the house. If you were there you could have protected me and Mandy."

"You don't need protection Terry. You need to fucking sober up." I yell at him "You were probably too drunk to defend yourself or even recognize your attacker."

"Where the fuck have you been huh?" asks Terry "You seem to have fallen off the face of the fucking earth."

I breath, and look back at Ian. "I've had more important things to take care of than your drunken ass."

"What's more important than your old man?" Terry says to me

"My boyfriend." Next thing I know I'm on the floor and Tony's got my old man handcuffed to the bed.

"You're telling me you're a fag?" Terry asks

"That's enough Terry." Tony says

"You can't arrest me for nothing." Terry says

"You assaulted your son for telling you he has a boyfriend." Tony says "In my book that's a hate crime. Mickey go find a nurse to get some ice on that now."

"I'm fine." I say "I want to say one thing. Yeah dad I'm gay. Yeah I have a boyfriend. You don't like it then you can just fuck off. For all I care you can rot in hell, but Mandy she better live or that's on your drunken ass."

"Well maybe if you weren't off playing house with your boyfriend this wouldn't have happened." Terry screams "You may have been able to protect your sister."

"Fuck you old man."

I storm out of my father's room and down to the outside of the hospital where I light a cigarette. I can feel the blood on my face, but I don't give a fuck. I flinch as I feel someone place an ice pack on my face.

"It'll cut down on bruising." Ian says "Even if you do look sexy with a black eye." He steals my cigarette and takes a drag "Were you planning on telling your dad or did that just happen?"

"Maybe I didn't stop at home enough." I tell him avoiding the subject.

"Yeah and every time you did go home Mandy told you to get your ass back over to my place." Ian tells me. I know he's right. I would at least try to go home the first few days Ian was home but Mandy bitched that I wasn't where I needed to be, so eventually I just kept staying at the Gallagher's. My sister is the only one who gets me. My knees go weak and I feel woozy. I hear Ian call my name and then everything goes black.