Marcy listened as her little sister set the phone back on the receiver. But didn't stop staring at the fan from her position on the floor.
"That was Adam."
She still didn't look at her.
"He's going to stop by after work, bring us something to eat." Ella said, watching as Marcy shook her head. "No."
"What'd you mean no?" She chuckled, "you love Adam."
"I don't wanna see 'im." Marcy whispered, rolling onto her stomach.
Ella sighed, "The doctor said you're not supposed to lay like that."
"I don't want him here, Elle." She felt the slight girl lay next to her and she turned back around.
"Why not?" Ella gently put her hand over hers. "He wants to see you, Marcy, he loves you."
Marcy shook her head, "not any more."
"Of course he does." Her smaller hand held her bruised one a little tighter, "it's Adam, he'd love you no matter what you looked like-you know that."
Marcy blinked, watching as the fan continued to circulate in a hypnotic manner. "No he won't."
"Why not?" Ella repeated, moving to rest on her elbows.
"I can't give him what he wants any more." She whispered, blinking numbly as Ella's gaze softened.
"Oh."
"Please" Marcy sat up, holding her sister's hand tighter, as she rubbed her other against her face, "please, don't make me see him."
Ella gently pulled her hand from her beaten face, "alright. I'll tell him your asleep or something."
"Thank you." She struggled to smile as the tears rose to her eyes, ignoring them, she stood. "I'm-I'm gonna go-shower, or something."
"Okay," Ella nodded, looking up at her as she left the room.
Marcy hadn't been herself, and along Ella loved her sister, dearly, it was beginning to wear on her. She missed Marcy. Her Marcy, not this…melancholy downer that had body snatched her.
Sighing, she stood. It was time to call her mom.
-
Nikki blinked at the sign in front of him. Not entirely sure where he was, he looked around the hospital.
He was looking for the Intensive Care Unit, not the maternity ward.
"Can I help you, sir?"
He glanced down at a small woman in scrubs. "Yeah, what's up, I'm lookin' for Allerdyce, ya know where she is, doll?"
The woman's face paled slightly, as she smiled sympathetically at him. "I'm afraid she's been checked out already…you must be her brother?"
"Yeah," his grey eyes narrowed slightly, "how'd ya know?"
"The accent, besides Ella said you might be coming." She ushered him toward a desk, "I think it's best we go over her chart."
"Look lady, I just wanna see my sister. Now either tell me where she's at or I'm gonna start pullin' fire alarms." The tall, lanky man glared at her, and tried to use his height to intimidate her. It failed.
"Look here, boyo, I know you're worried, but she ain't here, and someone needs to know what's going on." The woman's eyes grew fierce, "and you're the only one of age who's come to see her."
Nikki quirked a brow, "haven't the Yankees been down?"
"Only family member that is of age." The doctor explained, pulling the chart out. "Now, I'm going to warn you, it's not-"
"Just tell me." Nikki snapped, crossing his wiry arms over his thin chest.
She did. And the woman watched as the young man's face crumbled at the news.
-
"Where the fuck is my baby?!"
Blair winced at his mother's voice. "Ma, I told you-"
"Blair." He looked at his father. "You said you were talking to Nikki?"
"Fuck Nikki!" Ava growled, "He can take care of himself! Where's Ella?!"
"She's with Nikki." Robert said, "Why'd they leave?"
Blair put his head down as the phone rang, "Marcy-"
"Hello? Oh thank god," Ava sighed, putting a hand over her heart as Vanessa looked at her, "It's Ella."
The younger woman let out a sigh of relief. Three days. That phone call was long over due.
"Where are you?" Ava's smile dropped, as she whispered, "what happened to her?"
Robert turned to his wife, "Ave?"
She ignored him, "What does that mean irreversible damage?"
The room stilled, tense, as the mother broke down into tears.
-
"Wow," Adam stared at the girl, "you alright?"
"Fine," Ella shrugged, "why?"
"Because you look dead on your feet." He pulled off his jacket as she took the pizza from him. "Where's Marcy?"
"Laying down." She didn't meet his eyes. Clearing her throat she motioned to the kitchen.
Adam looked around the loft. It was so different from Marcy's. Designer art lined the walls instead of family photos. Everything was clean, and cold.
He glanced down at the counter and picked up a note that lay upon it.
Dear Marcy,
If you're going to kill yourself, don't do it here. I don't need the property value going down.
Kira.
He glared at it before tearing it in half. "Why would she leave something like that?"
"She can be kinda…" Ella's voice trailed off as she pulled some plates down. "Well. If she wasn't a bitch she wouldn't be ours."
"Hmm. How's Marcy doing? I mean, Stella said she was sorta, ya know…" Adam shrugged helplessly as he took the slice of pizza from her.
"Yeah she's still pretty out of it."
A silence hung in the air a moment, before the young woman went on.
"I was wondering…when I go home, if you could check in on her? I got a key made, and Nikki'll be here for a few days but…" Ella took a sip of her soda as he watched her carefully. "I'd just feel better if you were around, is all."
"Yeah, me too." He agreed, cocking a brow, "Nikki?"
"Only one I could get on short notice."
Adam let out a quiet chuckle as he felt his eyes heat up with welled tears. "Wha-what about Blair or Vanessa or…" He took a deep breathe as Ella eyed him sadly.
Ella picked a pepperoni off her plate. "Work. And I can't stay…she won't let me."
"What'ya mean she won't let you?"
"Says I need to stay in school, and I said I could go to school here, and she said something about the decline of the American Public School system." Ella said, smirking. "So I guess there's some hope for her after all."
Adam smiled as she tossed a key over the counter. A few tears strayed from his eyes and he quickly wiped them away. "When are you supposed to head home?"
"Thursday."
His brows rose. "Wow. Why so soon?"
"Marcy thinks a week off'll be long enough."
Speaking of Marcy, she sat gazing out on the city as the two continued to talk in the kitchen. Her feet resting gently over the railing as a cool wind drifted over the balcony.
She was getting a little sick of being the topic of every goddamn conversation. Blinking, she watched as the sky continued to darken, going from a hazy orange to a darkened purple.
Pensive on the outside, even Ella didn't seem to realize just how off balance she was. Internally she was struggling with something far worse then a few scars.