Chapter 25: A Brother's Burden
Jason and Daisy arrived in Neptune at three in the morning on Sunday. Jason headed straight to the hospital. He tried to get Daisy to go home and rest, but she refused. She was determined to give him the support he had given her the past week. They headed into the ICU waiting room to see if anyone they knew was there.
Jason saw Veronica curled up against Logan asleep. "Veronica," he said. Logan opened his eyes.
"Hey. You made it," Logan said. He nudged Veronica awake.
"What the hell's going on?" Jason asked, obviously distraught.
Veronica sat up and yawned and then waved at Daisy. "Hey, chica," Daisy said.
"Your sister was found yesterday around four unconscious and barely breathing by Mac and Weevil," Logan said. "They called 911, and Weevil gave her CPR."
Jason nodded. "I got her message. She called me, but my phone was off," Jason said with a grimace.
"Right now, she's in a coma," Veronica said sadly. "She swallowed a bottle of Xanax. They pumped her stomach, but she went into respiratory depression. I think she had a seizure, too."
Jason sat down next to her. "I don't understand. What's going on? Why in the world would she do such a thing? I was only gone one f***ing day!" he exclaimed angrily.
Veronica exchanged a look with Logan. Someone needed to fill the poor guy in, but it wasn't going to be pretty. "Thursday, she told Weevil that she'd had sex with another guy," Veronica shared.
Daisy looked surprised but Jason disbelieving. "Yeah, right. Never in a million years. Not only would Eli have mentioned it to me, but she would've. Not that she'd ever cheat. What's really going on?" he asked.
"Weevil said he's been trying to tell you that something was wrong with your sister, but you dismissed his concerns," Veronica said.
Jason looked stricken at the reminder. "Yes. I...well...when I asked her, she said she was fine. That she had PMS. Then Eli told me about a pregnancy scare, so I thought that was why she was acting weird. I figured it brought back all those memories of her miscarriage," he explained. How could she have kept so much from him? How did he not see?
Daisy felt a bit guilty. "I probably took up some of his attention, too," she admitted.
"The day I had my miscarriage, I was confronting Jazmin about her odd behavior. She seemed distressed and unhappy. I guessed that she was so worried about being pregnant because she didn't know if the baby was Weevil's," Veronica shared.
"What? She said that was the case?" Jason asked, feeling sick.
"Wait until you hear everything before jumping to the same conclusions that I did. I didn't dig further and now look where she's at," Veronica said grimly. "I told her Wednesday that if she didn't tell Weevil, I would. I also suggested to Weevil that he go talk to her. When he did on Thursday, she told him she'd had sex with another guy. As you can imagine, he was devastated and angry. She wouldn't tell him who it was just that it was someone she hated."
Jason got to his feet. "My sister doesn't go around having sex with guys she hates! She especially doesn't go around cheating on her boyfriends, especially when it's Eli!" he fumed.
"We know! Calm down!" Logan said. No one was going to blame Veronica for this. He was still pissed at Jason's dad for throwing around accusations. Veronica had been through enough the past week. She couldn't save the world or be all things to all people. Sometimes, she had to take care of herself first.
"Jason, there's something you have to know," Veronica said warily. She glanced at Daisy, who was watching Jason in concern. "We found bruises on her. Someone's been hurting her. She has a bruise on her face. Last night, we noticed bruises of fingerprints on her arm. She also had bruises on her back like someone took a belt to her."
"What?" Jason asked in horror. He looked at Daisy, who got up and put her arm around him. She didn't even like Jazmin and felt a bit ill at the news she was hearing, so she could imagine how hard this was for Jason.
"None of us have any idea what's been going on. She's not said a word to anyone," Veronica said with compassion. "I'm so sorry."
"It gets worse," Logan said. "Your dad is here."
"He is?" Jason asked warily.
"He left a few hours ago. I think he went to a hotel. I'm sure he'll be back this morning," Logan said.
"He's really angry. He made everyone leave," Veronica said.
"But not you?" Daisy asked.
"He tried," she said flatly.
Daisy grinned, imagining that confrontation.
"You can go get some rest. I'm here now," Jason said. "Thanks for staying."
Veronica got up and gave him a hug. "She's strong, Jason. She's going to pull through this."
"She's in room 308, but visiting hours don't start until six," Logan shared.
"Like they're going to keep me out of my sister's room," Jason said crossly.
"Call me if there's any changes," Veronica said. "We'll come back this afternoon."
Jason and Daisy said goodbye and headed to the patients' rooms. A nurse stopped them. "Visiting hours are over," she said.
"My twin sister is Jazmin Jaleno, and I am going to see her. We just flew in from Puerto Rico," Jason said.
"Well, we can make an exception for family," the nurse said.
"How is she?" Jason asked.
"No change. She hasn't gotten worse, so that's good. Hopefully, she'll wake up soon," the nurse said. She led them to Jazmin's room.
Jason stood in the doorway, afraid to enter. He just couldn't believe it. Daisy put her hand on his back in encouragement. "It's okay," she said softly.
"But it's not. That's my twin in there. She's in a coma. She could die," Jason said darkly.
"She won't," Daisy said confidently. She gave him a little nudge. "Go in and see her."
Jason went closer. She was hooked up to machines. He picked up her hand and looked down at her. He saw the bruise on her face. Then he moved her arm until he saw the bruises that they had told him about. Heartbroken at the sight, he collapsed in the chair next to her bed without letting go of her hand. "I don't understand," he whispered. "What's happening?"
Daisy went to the other side of the bed and lifted up her shoulder, careful not to disturb any of the IV's or wires. She peeled back the gown and flinched. A part of her thought they had to be mistaken, but the welts were obvious. Someone really had hurt her. The sight was jarring.
Jason felt like he was holding on by a thread as he looked at the final proof of just how badly he'd failed his sister. "Daisy, I appreciate you being here for me, but I think you should take the car and go home and get some rest. Come back in a few hours," he told her.
"I don't want to leave you here alone," she said with a frown.
"I'd like some time alone with my sister," Jason said quietly, looking away from Daisy and down at his sister. "I am having trouble wrapping my mind around this."
Daisy looked at him with compassion and understanding. She could see the naked grief in his eyes, and it broke her heart. She walked around the bed and put her hand on his shoulder. "Okay, if that's what you need," she said softly. "I'll come back in a few hours and bring you some coffee."
"Thanks," he said.
She bent down and kissed him. "I love you," she said.
"I love you, too," he said, giving her a bittersweet smile.
Daisy reluctantly left after he handed her the car keys.
Jason looked at his sister and closed his eyes a minute at the sight of her still form. "I failed you," he whispered. "I'm so sorry." He moved the chair closer to the bed and wrapped his arms around her waist, hugging her as best as the position would allow. He just wanted to feel close to her again. It was obvious that he no longer was if she hadn't come to him when someone hurt her. He laid his head down on her lap and broke down. He had failed her.
"Please, don't die, Jazzie. I need you." It had only ever been the two of them. She was his other half. She held his compassion, his heart, his ability to laugh and remain unjaded no matter what the world threw at them. If she died, he would never forgive himself. Nor could he see surviving the loss. It'd destroy him—at least anything good in him. "Please, God, please, don't take her from me. She's all that I have," he cried.
His relationship with Daisy was new and exciting, but it hadn't been a part of him for long. He hadn't learned yet to depend on it. And now the pain and guilt consumed him as he cried out his sorrow. He had been so focused on himself, on Daisy that he hadn't even noticed that his sister was in pain. Eli had tried to tell him, and he'd all but laughed in his face. His sister loved him fiercely. This he knew. She'd never willingly do anything to hurt him. Not in the nineteen years that they'd come out of the womb practically holding hands had she purposely hurt him. She scolded and sometimes bullied him if he was straying from the path she saw for him, but she'd never tried to hurt him. Her love and support were his one true constant. So no one could understand more than him just had bad her pain must've been if she'd tried to escape it by taking a bunch of pills. Jason refused to believe that she really wanted to die, to leave him. Her misery had driven her to such a rash action. Now he prayed desperately that she'd not be taken from him. That he'd get a chance to make it up to her—a chance to help her and protect her.
******A Few Hours Later******
Eli went in at dawn to check on Jazmin. Visiting hours began at six, and he wasted no time. Disappointment crashed through him when the nurse told him that there still wasn't any change. He slowly walked down the hall to her room. It surprised him to see Jason back already. He had fallen asleep holding onto his sister. The poignant sight pierced him for a moment until he hardened his heart against it. He wasn't going to feel compassion for Jason. As far as Eli was concerned, Jazmin wouldn't be here if Jason had listened to him. He'd tried more than once to get Jason to discover what was going on. Jason was too smart and naturally too intuitive to be fooled no matter how deceptive Jazmin was being. Not if he'd really wanted answers or actually tried to get them. But he'd been too concerned with getting laid.
Eli walked to the other side of the bed and bent down to kiss her check. "Wake up, Princess, my Sleeping Beauty. Show me those beautiful eyes," he said. If she heard him, there was no sign.
However, Jason heard him and raised his head, his face still ravaged with sorrow. "Hey," Jason said.
Eli nodded slightly, not wanting to speak to the man. His anger was so strong that he was afraid of it spilling out in front of Jazmin.
Jason was good at reading body language and was aware of the anger that was coursing through Eli. He couldn't blame him. He was angry with himself, too. However, he had to know one thing. "Why didn't you tell me that she told you she'd been with another guy?" he asked. "I'd have known something wasn't right."
Eli glared over at him. His nerve galled Eli. How dare he? "You are un****ing believable!"
"How is she?" a voice from the doorway called, interrupting them.
They looked and saw Mac and Dick. "The nurse said only two could stay in the room, but I wanted to come down and check on her," an exhausted looking Mac said.
Jason got up. "She seems peaceful, but she's not woken up or stirred," he said.
Mac went over and hugged him. "I'm so sorry, Jay. I just didn't realize she was so upset. I had no idea. I feel just awful," she said against his chest.
"No one feels worse than I," Jason said, looking down at her. "I'm the one that should've known."
"You're damn right!" Eli exclaimed, finally speaking to him. "I spent the past few weeks telling you something was wrong!" His glare spoke volumes, and Jason looked away in guilt.
Dick felt sorry for the dude, but he kind of thought Weevil had a point. If anyone should've known, it was Jason. Then again, Dick knew better than anyone that siblings were sometimes the last to know. "I spent like every waking moment just about with my brother Cassidy, and I had no idea that he'd been abused by his little league coach or that he was plotting mass murder," he shared bluntly.
Although Jason appreciated Dick's surprising support, he didn't let it excuse him. He wasn't Dick. However, he knew now just had badly Dick probably felt when all the truth came out. For the first time, he felt true kinship and admiration for the man that he had previously not understood. "Yea, it's rough," he finally said. "I'm going to go get some coffee. You can stay a bit, Mac."
Dick went out with him while Eli stayed behind. He had more he wanted to say to Jason, but he didn't trust his control right now.
Mac looked over at Weevil. "I'm really sorry I didn't see she was so upset," Mac said to him.
"Well, I did see, and it didn't do any damn good," he said sourly. "She wouldn't talk to me. She lied right to my face."
"She must've been really scared," Mac said sadly.
They stood there a few minutes in silence. Finally, Mac asked, "Do you think she really wanted to die?"
Weevil wasn't sure and the possibility that she was so miserable that death was preferable upset him so much that he could barely breath thinking about it. "I hope not. I really hope not," he said morosely.
Back in the waiting room, Jason was pouring a cup of coffee. He was so exhausted, but he wasn't going to leave until his sister woke up. He'd not been there for her enough.
"You know people are good at hiding things when they don't want you to know what's going on," Dick said to Jason.
Jason looked up in surprise. Dick rarely addressed him directly. He was always uncomfortable in his presence as they had very little in common. "Someone should know when it comes to things like this," he said, not willing to let himself off the hook.
"Well, Ronnie was raped at a party, and no one knew. She had a complete personality change over it, and everyone thought it was just 'cause Lilly was murdered. Oh, and Lilly was sleeping with both Weevil and Logan's dad and not even Veronica knew. And they were, like, inseparable. Logan was always getting beat by his dead, and I didn't have a clue. I don't think anyone did. Or if they did, they didn't do anything to help. And like I said earlier, I had no idea what was going on with my own little brother, and we spent all our time together," Dick shared in the blunt manner of his that always surprised Jason. It was probably the most the man had ever said at once to him. His lack of pretense always amazed Jason.
"The fact that Veronica's father didn't know what happened to her isn't okay. Someone should always ask. Someone should care enough to ask! It isn't right. Lilly Kane was obviously a great actress, who had no problems with deception, but my sister isn't like that. She's always been honest. She's always talked to me when something was wrong. I should have known!" Jason exclaimed, his disgust with himself obvious.
"I'm glad to hear you say that because that's exactly what I was going to say," Sebastian said from the doorway. He stepped into the waiting room that was empty except for his son and the young Casablancas boy. He ignored him and walked to Jason. Dick quickly moved and sat in a corner, trying to be invisible. He wanted to leave, but he also was afraid of what the man might do to Jason and felt obligated to stay.
"Dad," Jason said in acknowledgment. "Is mother here?"
"No. We didn't know how severe it was when I came. You know your mother. She doesn't handle a crisis well. Her parents should be here today, though," his father replied. "I want to know why you left the country without telling me. Do you know how I felt when Jazmin's roommate told me that she had no family here when she was near death because her brother was in Puerto Rico?"
"My girlfriend, Daisy, had a close relative die. The funeral was on Saturday. I flew in Friday and was planning on being back Sunday. I didn't think it was a big deal," Jason said defensively.
"You didn't think?" Sebastian repeated coldly. "My only son flies to another country and doesn't think to tell his family? What if the plane blew up or crashed?"
"Jazmin knew," Jason said.
"Oh, and she's in a position to tell us what you're up to?" Sebastian said harshly.
"I feel sick enough, Dad. Don't you think I feel awful? She's my sister! My twin!" Jason exclaimed angrily.
"Oh, you feel awful? Do you? Now that it's apparent your sister has been abused for some time and tried to end her life, you feel awful? Is that supposed to make up for your negligence?" Sebastian asked in increasing anger.
"No," Jason said, hanging his head.
"Why are you at this school? Why are you in this town?" Sebastian asked coldly.
"To watch out for Jazmin," Jason replied, looking down at his shoes. He felt his father's condemnation like a physical blow.
"I let you leave a top-rated school in the Chicagoland area to come here. You have one task. One! And you failed! You failed your sister, and you failed me!" Sebastian said angrily. "I want to know how you let this happen to her?"
Jason didn't answer for a minute. Finally, he said, "I don't know."
Sebastian reached out and grabbed him roughly by the chin. "You will look at me!" he ordered in a deadly tone. Jason faced him, his gaze unflinching. "What has always been your top priority?" He let go on Jason's face.
"To watch out for my sister," Jason said dully.
"First, you let Joseph impregnate her. Then you let him break her heart. He dared to put his hands on her because you failed as her protector!" Sebastian said angrily. "And now I find out she's not only tried to commit suicide, but she's covered in bruises! Bruises! Someone has been hurting her! And where were you? Where?"
"I asked her once if she was okay. She misled me," Jason said with a note of anger.
"Oh, you asked her?" Sebastian asked in a voice dripping with disdain. He stepped forward and hit Jason across the face with an open palm, but the force of the slap made Dick cringe in sympathy. "Asking her politely is not what you do. Jalenos do not ask politely! They demand answers! They demand respect! They get results! If you don't know that by now, you are not my son!"
"Sebastian," Michael said in a warning tone from the doorway.
Sebastian glanced over at Dick, who tried to look invisible when the man's gaze fell on him. He pulled out his cell and pretended to read text messages.
His father took a deep breath, gaining control. "This girlfriend of yours, is it that Daisy girl I met at dinner when I was last in town? The one you were chasing?" Sebastian asked.
"Yes," Jason replied stoically.
"It's obvious that she is taking away too much of your time. If you cannot learn to prioritize, then she may not be what you need right now," Sebastian said. He knew better than to outright tell his son who to see. That was a battle he lost long ago. His son was as stubborn as he when he set his mind.
"I love her," Jason admitted. His father had often been his confidante. Jason felt his father's anger was justified, so he didn't hold his harsh words or the slap against him. It was the way things worked in their family. His father could never be harder on him than he was on himself.
"That is all fine and good. I'm sure she's a fine woman. But there's a time for everything, Jason. You are just nineteen. Sow some oats. Have fun. However, if you allow yourself to get so wrapped up in a woman, you will lose focus. Things like this will keep happening," Sebastian said. "Don't think I didn't notice your midterm grades weren't perfect like they normally are. Your grades are slipping. That cannot be allowed. You were the one who insisted on a double major. If you cannot handle all your responsibilities, a new girlfriend is not a good idea."
Jason said nothing. "Are you forbidding me from seeing her?" he finally asked.
Sebastian shook his head. "No. You can date whomever you want. You know your grandparents tried to keep your mother from dating me, so I would never do that," he said frankly. "But I want you to remember why I allow you to be in this town. Your sister comes first. She is the most important thing. When she is married and someone else's main priority, then you will have time for your own relationships."
Mac and Eli came into the waiting room. Dick looked so relieved that Mac immediately went to his side and sat down. "Are you okay?" she whispered.
"Get me out of here," he whispered back. However, neither felt inclined to interrupt the family drama that kicked up a notch when Sebastian's focus turned to Weevil.
"Eli, I was just explaining to Jason how disappointed I am in him. He's failed his sister," Sebastian remarked. He noticed that his daughter's boyfriend didn't disagree but only glared at his son. It was clear that he felt the same way. "I can see that you don't disagree."
"I told him more than once that something was wrong. That first weekend she was acting terrified and clingy. Told me it was PMS. I didn't buy it and went to Jason," Eli shared. Jason couldn't hold his gaze.
"She laughed it off when I talked to her!" Jason defended.
"Oh, you mean in the five minutes you spared to actually talk to her?" Eli asked in disgust.
Jason would take it from his father, but he wasn't about to take it from Eli. He felt bad enough. "I did talk to her, damn it! More importantly, it's not me that was making her so miserable she swallowed a bunch of pills!" Jason said hotly. He stepped toward Eli. "Just what exactly did you say to her when she told you she'd been with another man? I bet you were angry, weren't you? Did you yell at her? Did you make her cry? You're not going to put this all on me without looking at your own part in this!"
Eli's anger exploded, and he charged Jason, decking him hard across the face. Needing an outlet for his own impotent rage, Jason returned the hit with one of his own. The two men were evenly matched. Jason superior skill was matched by Eli's rage and determination to punish someone for Jazmin's circumstance.
Mac and Dick got to their feet. "Stop them!" she ordered Dick and Sebastian.
Sebastian looked at Michael, who stepped forward. The two best friends were separated, both a little bloody. Both still very angry.
"If she dies, I will never forgive you!" Eli said angrily to Jason.
"If she dies, I'll never forgive myself!" Jason replied hotly.
Mac decided to brave the anger and stepped between them. "We all failed Jazmin in some way or another. But the truth is she went out of her way to make sure none of us knew anything," Mac said.
Sebastian nodded. "The question is why? If she was afraid, she has plenty of people to turn to," he said.
"When she wakes up, we'll ask her," Jason said.
"I'm not going to wait. We need to find out now," Sebastian said. He looked at Mac. "Do you think you can gather all Jazmin's friends and bring them here for lunch? I will get a conference room where we can have privacy. I don't want to leave the hospital, so I'll bring in some food. Her grandparents will be here sometime today, and she may wake up or get worse."
"Of course," Mac said.
"We're going to get to the bottom of this," Sebastian said grimly. He looked at Dick. The man's obvious fear of him amused him. He smiled. "Can you get a hold of the Sheriff? See if he can join us."
Dick nodded and grabbed Mac's hand, tugging her out of the room.
When they were safely in the elevator, Dick shuddered. "Oh, my God, Mackie! Never leave me alone with that man again! You should've seen the way he talked to Jason! He even slapped him. Hard. I never felt so sorry for a person in my life!" Dick exclaimed.
"Everyone's upset," Mac said diplomatically.
"I know I am after witnessing that!" Dick said dramatically. Then he began to fill Mac in. Dick appreciated his own father more and more.
*****More to Come*****