Chapter 25: Awake
POV: Marta
I hit the side of the passenger door with my elbow as Phil swerved. I yelled and he looked nervously back at me. He apologized and mumbled something inaudible. His hand reached over to the radio and blasted Seether even louder. Like if I needed to hear Scars, at this point. It was like salt in the wound to hear this song. I fastened my seat belt hanging by my side. He swerved again and a cursed slipped out of my lips. As my eyes focused, I saw the biker…no the Son…..dip and miss the car in the next lane and careen into the divider. His bike hit it head on and his feet went over his head as he was propelled from the Harley. It happened so fast and I could not tell who it was except that he was a Son. When Phil saw the cut, he yelled, "Oh Shit!" and slammed the breaks.
He ran out of the van with the other drivers behind yelling and honking their horns. I yelled to one on his cell phone to call an ambulance and followed Phil. He was over the divider before me. I only needed to see the bike to know whose it was. There was an IPOD holder and the reaper on the side. Only one son was techy enough to have an IPOD holder. I scrambled over the dented metal and began skidding down the hill after Phil yelling his name.
"Juan Carlos! Juice! Juan Carlos!" I found Phil standing over him pulling at his curly hair and cursing. I knelt down and saw blood coming out of everywhere. I told Phil not to move him and wait for paramedics. There was a twig sticking out of his left leg, scrapes all along his arms, and a deep cut on his brow. I caressed his face. My fingers went to his neck and his pulse was still there. I was relieved. What the hell was he doing? He lay unconscious. I held his hand in mine and prayed that the ambulance would come quick. I used my belt to put a tourniquet on his leg after pulling out the twig. He didn't even finch. I tried talking to him but got no response.
Phil paced back in forth muttering to himself and was absolute no help. I could kill the Prospect. Why didn't he notice him so close? There was no point yelling at him in Juan Carlos' state. His head began to slowly move as the paramedic got there. Distinctly, I heard his weak voice say "Go." Then I was shuffled out of the way. Standing on the sidelines, I watched him lifted onto a plank and taken to the ambulance up the hill. I told Phil to call the guys but he was hesitating. Finally, I snatched his pre-pay out of his hand and called the garage myself. Chibs picked up. I told him to go to St. Thomas to meet the ambulance. He would need to see a friendly face when he woke up. As much as it broke my heart, it wouldn't be mine. Even half-conscious he had made it clear I needed to leave. Phil confirmed he hadn't told him I was leaving. In fact, he thought Juice had been in the clubhouse when he left. He must not want me here so onward bound I walked.
POV: Juice
I woke up in a hospital room surrounded by club members. By the lack of light through the window, I knew it was night time. Chibs knelt down and kissed my forehead and playfully tugged my outgrown hair.
"You scared us for a second Evil Canival. Knew you'd pull through Juicy Boy." Tig slapped my leg just where the bandages were on and laughed mockingly. What a jerk! The guys all wished me well. Tara walked in and gave me the breakdown of my injuries, 2 cracked ribs, puncture just above my knee, a concussion, contusion, and superficial scrapes and bumps. This was what Tig must of felt when Bobby's old ass bike sent him over a railing a few years back. I laughed to myself. As I looked around I saw the elephant in the room. Phil stood in the corner holding a bed pan. Jax pointed at him and spoke.
"This shithead is you're bitch from now until you recover! Who runs a member off the road of the charter he's trying to patch? You dumbass!" Jax shook his finger at Phil and Tig kicked him in the shin. Phil slouched down. He rose up and avoided eye contact as he apologized. He had no clear excuses other than I made him nervous when I kicked the door. My heart sank because I didn't see what I needed, his precious cargo. Where was she? The guys left the room after being ushered out by the doctor except Phil. He still stood there in the corner holding a bed pan.
"Where is she?" I looked around the room hoping she was behind the curtain or in the bathroom. I tried to pull myself up hoping to see the door's window. There was no sight of her.
"She went down the hill with me. She even used her belt to tie off your leg to keep you from bleeding when she pulled the twig out. She kept it together until the paramedics got there. I thought she would stick around but….." He shuffled his feet and look down into the bed pan.
"But what?" He was making anxious.
"You were coming to and she was holding you hand. You told her to go, man." I shook my head in disbelief. I did see her in the sunlight and I was trying to tell her not to go. How could my brain jumble so much up? Instead of saying don't go, I said go. I tried to get out of bed and fell back. The pain killers were strong and I didn't have complete control of my faculties.
"I didn't mean that! No."
"She came with me to the hospital. Once Tara told her you would be ok, she walked out. I didn't realize it right away. I checked the van her stuff is gone. I'm sorry for everything." He tried to pat my shoulder but I swung his hand out of the way. I was so angry. The machine attached to me began beeping and Phil rushed out. Doctors came urging me to calm down because my blood pressure and heart rate were through the roof. I tried to pull off the IV. Doctors called Phil back and he ran back in with Chibs, they held me down while the doctor stuck a needle in the IV. Everything became blurry and I could hear Chibs tell me it was for my own good. I couldn't see anything that wasn't her for my own good. The more time passed the harder it would be to get her back. Why couldn't they just let me leave?
10 hours later
I woke up with the sunlight streaming into the room. My eyes felt glued to my eyeballs and I had a hard time adjusting to the light. Lying on my chest was a familiar face. Her body was curled next to me on the hospital bed. I couldn't decide whether this was a delusion from the painkillers or if I actually had her back in my arms. A tear came down my face and tried my best not to move. She started stirring and looked at me. Meeting my eyes were two bloodshot brown eyes, she must have been crying. She gave me a timid smile and began to get up. My grip kept her from leaving my side.
"I'm sorry…..I just needed to see for myself you were going to be ok. I couldn't leave. I know you want me to go. I can do that now." Her voice trembled but retained control. She gently kissed my lips. Then she pulled my hand off her arm and let her legs touch the floor. I couldn't believe that she came back only to leave me. She turned me back to me as I heard her fumbled for her shoes. I saw on her back etched and still new, a familiar tattoo- Luctor et Emergo. I struggle and I come through was my motto permanently marked on the inside of my left arm. I knew then we struggled and we would get through. I pulled her back in with such strength that her elbow hit me in the ribs causing the air to be knocked out of me. She looked surprised and tried to get the remote to call the nurse. I shook off her attempt.
"No. Please don't go…not now… I'm the one who's sorry for pushing you away. I was stupid. I just can't get things right sometimes. Look at me! I tried to stop you from leaving and ended up hospitalized." I couldn't help but grin even as the tears escaped my eyes.
"I don't need you to feel sorry for me. It's fine. You're free….." I couldn't let her finish. It wasn't true.
"Marta, this isn't pity. I need you. I love you. I am broken without you. I have been broken for so long. You make me whole." I place her hand on my chest. "You have my heart. I'm sorry that I didn't help you or made you feel out of place. SAMCRO is where my home is. Nowhere else has ever felt right, not even Queens. Until you ended up on the back of my bike riding back to Charming, no one person made me feel home the way you did. "I let go of her hand on my chest and pulled her in for a long passionate kiss. I could taste the salt of her tears and the desire in her heart. She was back where she belonged by my side. I made a mental note to thank Phil for my accident. He'll never know how he mindless driving had finally brought her home; had brought us home to each other.