Chapter Nine
We had the entire plane to ourselves. Even though it was my first time on a plane, I knew that it was rare- if not unheard of. Owen was leading the group down the aisle, and even though they all had tickets for first class, he passed them up making his way toward the mid-back end of the plane. It was towards the back and right near the exit. Personally, I didn't care where we sat, as long as it was all together.
Owen, Sean and then Kota filed into the exit row on the left after loading their belongings into the overhead compartments. Nathan led the way into the row in front of them, pulling me into the middle and North in the aisle seat next to mine. Across the aisle from us, Victor took the window seat and Silas left a seat in between them, taking the aisle seat. In front of us, Luke took the window seat and Gabe plopped down in front of me. It made me giddy thinking that I was surrounded on all sides by these amazing guys. I almost needed someone to pinch me, surely I was dreaming.
The others chatted away, talking amongst themselves about what they were going to do first once they reached Jacksonville. Most of what I caught involved food. Typical boys. I, on the other hand, felt like I was going to vomit.
Without breaking conversation, Nathan reached for my hand and gave it a little squeeze. It was so sweet and helped to lessen my anxiety just a bit. I made sure to squeeze back, showing him I appreciated his efforts and he turned from his conversation and gave me a small smile.
North was leaning across the aisle speaking with Silas in a foreign language that sounded like it might be Greek, but I wasn't sure. North's hand had found its way to rest on my knee- I hadn't even noticed that it was shaking until he'd placed his hand there. North caressed it a bit, calming me even more.
Before I could freak out even more, the flight attendant made his way toward the front of the plane. I made sure to pay strict attention to every word in his safety speech. Buckled seat belt? Check. Exits? Located. Seat cushions that double as flotation devices? I prayed that we wouldn't need those. Oxygen masks? Put mine on first before helping anyone else, check.
Making sure to remind us that due to the short flight, a beverage service wouldn't be offered, he thanked us for flying with 'them' and disappeared. The plane jerked into motion, and my free hand latched onto the armrest with a vengeance. Deep breaths, Sang. Big girl panties remember?
As the pilot maneuvered the aircraft down the runway, his voice crackled to life over the intercom. "Attention passengers. A small tropical storm has formed just off the coast of northern Florida. As a safety precaution, we will be flying out and around the worst of the weather to avoid unnecessary turbulence and maintain optimal flight conditions. We do anticipate some minor bumps during out flight but otherwise it should be smooth skies. We should be landing in Jacksonville at approximately 2:18 p.m. local time. We apologize for any inconveniences and thank you for your understanding."
I think that I might have let out a small squeak during the pilot's announcement. I knew that odds were in my favor, but I couldn't help panicking. As I looked around to check how the others were faring, I noticed they were exchanging odd looks. They really needed to stop doing that. I tried making eye contact with someone, anyone but whenever they noticed my gaze, I was given a tight smile and nod of unconvincing reassurance. I wanted to call them on it, but was afraid to anger anyone.
An arm reached through the seats, offering a stick of gum. "Sang, sweetheart. Here, chew on this. It will help your ears pop as we reach elevation." I was too scared to turn around, but I was pretty sure it was Sean who had thoughtfully proffered the tiny mint gift. I took it, eager to do anything to take my mind of the impending takeoff.
Suddenly the plane took a sharp corner and came to an abrupt stop. I almost turned to North to ask if something was wrong, but the whirring of the engines drowned out any and all conversation in the cabin. The level of noise was intimidating. My heart was attempting to hammer its way from my heaving chest and my pulse was pounding. I couldn't shake this feeling of dread. I squeezed my eyes shut, praying to any god who would listen. Please let us reach Jacksonville safely.
Without warning, the plane jetted forward. I was pressed into my seat, not expecting the sheer force and extreme angle of the takeoff. I kept my eyes closed and vigorously attacked the piece of gum between my teeth, waiting for the plane to level out. North and Nathan gripped my hands, silently providing their support. Before long, the seatbelt light chimed, indicating we had reached cruising altitude and we were free to move about the cabin. I thought I was going to cry out of sheer joy. Finally, I could relax… until it was time to land, but I wouldn't worry about that now. Upon opening my eyes, I realized that I was the only one still in my seatbelt. Everyone had turned to face in my direction, including Gabe and Luke who were turned around and kneeling in their seats, grinning like a couple of loons.
"That wasn't so bad, was it Sweet Pea?" Gabriel was holding back his laughter. I feigned anger and pretended to scowl. "Aw, don't be like that, Sang. I can't live knowing you're mad at me." He reached out and playfully tugged on a piece of my hair.
"Come sit up here with us, Cupcake." Luke nearly toppled over the seats trying to reach down and unbuckle my seat belt. But Nathan was quicker. He smacked Luke's hand out of the way and deftly unlatched the buckle, flipped up the arm rest and lifted me onto his lap.
"No way, Bro. My little Peanut wants to sit here and watch out the window with me. Right, Sang?" I couldn't form any words. Nathan's strong hands were resting on my thighs, and my stomach fluttered as his fingers softly brushed along my skin. As much fun as it would be to sit by Luke and Gabriel, I couldn't find it anywhere in me to move from the comfort of Nathan's lap.
Luke pretended to pout. "No fair. You have to share her with the rest of us. No hogging."
"Sang will stay in her seat. Just because the seat belt light went off doesn't mean you'll be dragging her all over the fucking cabin. Stop your bitching and sit down." North wasn't playing. He reached over and plucked me off of Nathan's lap and returned me to my seat, making sure to fasten my seatbelt snuggly across my lap.
Everyone but North and I burst into laughter. North scowled, grumbling something about "safety" and "dumbasses".
Still chuckling, Sean leaned over my seat and ruffled my hair to grab my attention. "Miss Sang, would you be so kind as to join me near the back of the plane?" When he saw the look of confusion on my face, Sean's smile widened. "Strictly professional reasons, I assure you. I'd like to check out your injuries if you'll allow it." I glanced at North, asking him if it was ok. He nodded and helped me out of my seat and into the aisle. "Wonderful. Follow me please."
At first I thought that Dr. Green was going to lead me into the bathroom, and I couldn't help but be a little apprehensive. But I needn't have worried. Sean merely led me to the back of the plane, and into the last row, where he lifted the armrests and asked me to take a seat. He crouched in the aisle, bringing himself eyelevel with me. "Sweet Sang. I was hoping that you'd let me look at your ribs. From what you've described of your Mother's abuse and your reaction when Luke poked you, I'm concerned that your ribs may be fractured. Would you mind?" I nibbled on and poked at my bottom lip in indecision. "There really isn't much I can do right now, but I'd at least like to know how things look and listen to see if everything sounds ok." I hadn't noticed it before, but he pulled a stethoscope from around his neck smiling sheepishly. "Whaddya say? Mind if I play doctor for a few minutes?" Sean's smile was positively angelic and I couldn't say no.
"That'd be fine. What do you need me to do?"
I didn't think it was possible, but Sean's smile grew even bigger. "Not much. I just need you to take off your sweatshirt and take seat for now so that I can listen to your heart and lungs. Sound ok?" I nodded before pulling my favorite pink hoodie off. My tank top had pulled up a bit, revealing some of my stomach and I rushed to pull it back down before Sean noticed. When I peeked up to see if he'd noticed he was busy playing with his stethoscope and if it weren't for the slight blush on his cheeks I might have thought I'd gotten away with the accidental peep show. Seriously, could I be any more awkward? Quickly, I sat down before I could make a bigger fool of myself, hanging my head in shame.
When I looked up, Sean was watching me while a warm smile. "You ready for this, Sweetheart?" I nodded my head trying not to burst into flames. "Good. If you're a good little patient, I promise to give you a treat when we're done." He waggled his eyebrows flirtatiously. Flames be damned- my face must be the brightest red by now. Sean only chuckled at my embarrassment; his eyes twinkled with his laughter. "I'm just teasing you, Sang. Lighten up, ok?" His hand landed on my knee and squeezed. Little did he know, but that wasn't helping.
Sean put the ends of the stethoscope in his ear and put the other end over my heart. After several moments of quiet, he seemed satisfied and moved the stethoscope around towards my back, telling me to take a few deep breaths before pulling the device away from me and grinning. "Everything sounds good. It doesn't sound like your lungs have been punctured, so that's relieving. Now I just need you to lie down." He was busy pulling up the arm rests around us as he spoke. Sean patted the seats and hesitantly I lowered myself across the row of seats. I drummed my fingers on the cushions, nervous for what came next.
Clearing his throat, Sean slowly reached for the bottom of my shirt and started to lift, bring it up so it rested just under my bra line. My heart was hammering in my chest and I couldn't bring myself to meet his eyes. I'm so glad that he wasn't listening to my heart right now- I would have been mortified. Sean didn't say a word for what felt like minutes. What must he be thinking of me? Sean released a heavy breath. "Sang. My hell. What did that woman do to do?" His fingers danced across the sensitive skin of my sides and abdomen. I knew what Sean must be disgusted by what he saw. Multiple bruises covered the expanse of exposed skin. Every color was represented there. From black, blue, reds and purple to several shades of greens and yellows. It was a mess. I was a mess. I closed my eyes so I wouldn't have to see the look on his face.
His warm hands roamed over my belly and ribs, pushing on different spots, feeling for injuries or abnormalities, I'm sure. It hurt but I tried not to flinch. I didn't want Sean to feel bad for hurting me. When he reached my injured ribs, he pushed ever so gently and I couldn't hold back the gasp that broke through my pressed lips. "I'm so, so sorry, Sang." Sean had spoken so softly, I had barely heard the words.
"It's ok." My words were hardly a whisper.
"No. No, Sang. It's not ok. But we're here now and we'll keep you safe." Tenderly, he continued his examination and it seemed that he had to force himself not to look up at my face. I, on the other hand, couldn't look away. Once again, their words- his words- gave me hope and I soared with their promise.
Sean pulled my tank top back down and patted my thigh. "Ok Sang. All done." He was a different person than the flirty, fun-loving guy who started this exam. He reached over, grabbing my hands and helped me into a sitting position. "Nothing looks completlely broken, but based upon the amount of pain I'm guessing there's some fracturing. But it's hard to tell without at least an x-ray. For now, just take it easy- lots of rest and no strenuous activities. I'd really like it if you'd go to the hospital when we get to Jacksonville where we can get a complete exam. Would you do that for me? I'll even take you. Please?" These boys must be my kryptonite because I was powerless against them.
I pretended to think it over for a few seconds. "Ok, I'll go.. if you promise to come with me." Shyly, I peeked at Sean, trying to gage his reaction to my condition.
His beaming smile didn't disappoint. "Cross my heart." Sean actually drew an 'x' over his heart with his hand, solidifying his promise. It was adorable and I melted in my seat. He picked up my sweatshirt and reached for my hand, pulling me up from my seat. Sean turned and headed down the aisle, pulling me behind him. When I looked up, remembering the rest of our group, I saw that they were all turned watching us, watching me. My face hadn't quite returned to normal from the last time, and instantly the blood returned. What had these boys, these men, done to me?
The plane jerked suddenly, knocking me off balance and throwing me into Sean. He turned around to help steady me and my face must have shown my fear because Sean was quick to try and calm me down. "It's ok, Sang. Just a little turbulence." He winked at me and I tried to return his smile. "No worries, Sweetie. Come on, let's get back to our seats." He grasped my hand again pulled me back towards the rest of the guys, who greeted my return with enthusiastic smiles.
Gabe and Luke were kneeling in their seats and leaning on the back of their seats, grinning wildly and wiggling their eyebrows at me. Sean guided me into my row and thanked me for being a 'good little patient'. Apparently Gabe and Luke found this positively hilarious and nearly fell out of their seats with their laughter. As I practically crawled over North to get to my seat, the plane shook again, dropping in altitude so quickly my stomach lurched. North and Nathan, and even Gabe and Luke were quick to reach out and help steady me, settling me back into my seat. I tried to hide my shaking, but I don't think I fooled anybody.
I hadn't noticed how dark the cabin had turned while Sean had been examining me. I peeked around Nathan to look out the window. Black clouds were everywhere and lightning flashed far out in the distance. Looking down towards the ocean I noticed that inky surface was churning and white caps tipped the violent waters. The plane shook again, bouncing me in my seat.
Across the aisle, a "Whoa!" broke the sudden silence. I was pretty sure it had been Silas, and it didn't help calm my nerves one iota to know that well-traveled Silas was unsettled by the amount of turbulence we were experiencing. My chest felt tight, and my breaths were too many and too shallow to be effective. I was sure I was experiencing a panic attack. My hands were locked in a death grip on the arm rests at my sides, I was holding so tightly that my hands ached, but I wasn't letting go for anything. North and Nathan each reached for one of my hands in perfect synchronization. Well, I wouldn't have let go for anything else. They each took one of my hands in their own, rubbing my hands between their own, trying to soothe and calm. The plane shuddered again, rocking me in my seat.
"It's ok, Cupcake. Just a bit of turbulence. No big deal, right?" I looked up at Luke incredulously. Was he serious? I looked around at all the others. Why was I the only one freaking out? I just shook my head at him and closed my eyes, willing my heart beats to slow down.
I felt a strong, steady hand smoothing my hair. When I looked up, Owen was leaning over the top my seat. "It's ok, Sang. Remember the pilot said that there was going to be some bumpy patches? It's just rough because of the storm. No big deal. Turbulence is just a part of flying. I've seen much worse. We'll be through it in no time."
Kota was standing and leaning on the back of North's seat. "It's ok, Sang. Turbulence is caused when the plane flies through pockets of air that are made up of two different types of air pressure. You see-"
"Fucking shit, Kota, she doesn't need a meteorology lesson! She's just scared, damn. What's wrong with you?" Gabriel smacked himself in the forehead.
"Maybe if she understood the basic dynamics of what turbulence was, then she wouldn't be scared, Gabe." As he spoke, Kota had reached through the seats and gripped my shoulder. He squeezed me gently, silently lending me his support.
"It's ok. Thank you, Kota, but I know what turbulence is, and what causes it and all that. I've just never experienced it before. First flight, remember?" They all seemed a little shocked at my revelation. "What?" I squirmed a little under their study.
North was the one to break the silence. "Nothing, Baby. We should know not to be shocked by anything that comes out of your mouth by now." He smirked and squeezed my hand a couple of times to let me know he was just teasing me. A few of the guys laughed with his comment, nodding in agreement.
I smiled. These guys had to be some of the most amazing guys that walked the earth. They were all rallied around me, showing me their support. Not a single one of them were making fun of me for my irrational fear of flying. In fact, they were all reaching out to me in one way or another. Whether it was through an actual touch, or with a smile they were each letting me know that they were there for me. Even Victor and Silas were standing in the aisle, close enough I could have reached over and touched one of them if I'd wanted. It was wonderful and frightening all at the same time.
Finally the plane stopped vibrating and bouncing. "See, Princess. All better. Nothing to worry about." Victor was beaming at me and I released a breath I hadn't realized I'd been holding. If I never experienced another bump of turbulence again, it would be too soon. I settled myself into my seat and tried to relieve the tension in my muscles. The guys spoke around me, breaking into their own conversations but not returning to their seats. It was as if they wanted me to know they were there but recognized I needed a minute to collect myself and they didn't want to overwhelm me.
Suddenly, the plane dipped in extreme, tossing me out of my seat and sending me crashing back into the armrest, knocking my already damaged ribs. I shouted and hissed in pain, gripping my side in a delayed attempt to protect myself. "Sang!" Shouts of panic and desperation rang out around me.
"I'm ok. I'm ok." I wasn't ok, but I tried to reassure them anyways. I didn't want them freaking out on my behalf. I panted through the pain, trying to ignore the black spot dancing across my vision. I closed mt eyes hoping to make them go away. Next to me, North was frantically righting me in my seat so he could fasten my seatbelt.
"Holy fucking shit, Sang baby. Are you ok?" I could hear the alarm in his voice. "Baby. Baby, look at me." I opened my eyes and wanted to cry at the amount of concern I saw there. "How is your side? You hit that arm rest pretty hard, Sang. Let me see." He didn't give me an opportunity to respond and jerked my shirt up, but before he was able to see anything the plane dipped dangerously once again. This time, I wasn't the only one who was caught off guard. Victor and Silas, who were still standing in the aisle has been thrown back into their row. Luke and Gabe had clutched onto the backs on their seats but had still been knocked around. Behind me, Mr. Blackbourne yelled for everyone to get into their seats and buckle up. He stopped ordering the others around long enough to ask me if was ok and then managed to get himself buckled into his own seat. The plane continued to bump and dip and jolt.
I was officially freaking out and noticing, Nathan reached over and wrapped his strong hand around my own. "It's ok, Peanut. I've got you. I won't let anything happen to you, ok?" And somehow, I knew he was telling me the truth. Nathan would do what he could to keep me safe. On my left, North had a strong grip on my thigh. I knew that he would watch over me as well. The plane dipped again, and I thought I was going to lose my lunch. Without warning, masks and oxygen bags dropped down from the ceiling and immediately I began to panic. North swore and grabbed my mask, making sure to gently place it over my head, pulling the elastics so it was snug. I must have been cracking up because I could only think about how the flight attendant said that North should have put on his own mask first. Still the plane continued to shake. The lights began to flicker and around me and the plane took another violent plunge, before steadying once again. I took a moment to look around, and noticed that a couple of the overhead compartments had popped open. One of the guys' bags was lying askew in the aisle. Unused masks dangled and jostled from the ceiling. Taking another glance around me, I realized that I was the only one who was panicking. The others seemed to be assessing the situation and coming up with plans. I peeked back, through the seat and saw Owen, Sean and Kota in a heated debate but I couldn't decipher what they were actually saying. Noises from the shaking plane prevented their words from reaching me.
Once again, the plane plummeted. I grabbed the hand North had placed on my thigh; I needed to reassure myself that I wasn't alone. I knew I was squeezing too hard, but neither Nathan nor North tried to break my grip. I wanted to cry. Why was this happening? It took me several seconds to realize that the plane wasn't leveling back out. Looking out Nathan's window, I could see the ocean rising towards us at an alarming rate. It was dark as night, though only early afternoon and the rain and lightning were relentless. This was straight out of the Twilight Zone, this couldn't be my life. The lights continued to flicker and cast angry shadows throughout the cabin. Everything was shaking and bouncing. This wasn't right. I caught Nathan's gaze, his was steely determination and I'm sure I looked like the personification of pure terror. There would be no surviving this. We were going to die -I was sure of it. How many times does a plane fall from the sky and people survive? It just doesn't happen. Nathan saw my sudden realization, and shouted at me. "No, Sang. We're going to be ok. We'll make it." I felt the plane level out once again before it plunged ceaselessly toward the Atlantic.
Someone, I think it was Sean, yelled out, "Brace yourselves! Heads down!" North reached over and shoved my head between my legs and told me to stay there, while he and Nathan braced themselves against the seats in front of them. It was only seconds later and the plane violently collided with the waves. I slammed so hard into my seat that the breath was knocked from my body and my vision blacked out and blurred. It was several seconds before I could breathe again, my sight slowly sharpening- but all I could see was darkness. Emergency lights lit up the aisle, but that's all that I could see. My hearing was momentarily knocked into oblivion and I couldn't hear the commotion around me, but I could feel it.
Nathan and North were helping me to sit up in my seat- North scrambling for my seatbelt and Nathan trying to focus my attention. Once I was free of my seat, Nathan pulled me to stand next to him and turned us towards the aisle. Our bags were everywhere. It looked like a bomb had gone off in the cabin. The others had been busy while Nathan and North had worked to get me out of my seat. The exits were opened and Luke, Gabe and Victor were busy gathering our things. It was amazing how calm and collected they all seemed. Sure, we were moments from certain death, but no need to panic, right? Wrong. I was near hysterics and couldn't stop shaking. Nathan was trying to calm me, but nothing he said or did was helping. Not this time.
Silas and Kota were pulling off seat cushions and tossing them at Luke, Gabe and Victor. Sean and Owen were searching the overhead compartments for what I'm sure were life vests.
Owen spoke to the guys while they worked, gathering gear and passing out bright yellow life preservers. "I'm going to go check the cockpit. See if there were any survivors. Everyone put on a vest and get ready to exit." Was I the only one who thought that was a stupid plan? He should be leaving the plane. Suddenly, Mr. B came running back shouting.
"Get out of the plane now! Take what you can and get out. Move, move, move!" When Mr. B spoke, everyone listened. Silas, Luke, Gabe and Victor were the first ones out along with several of our bags. Next went Sean, Kota and North. Owen waited next to the exit, making sure the rest of us made it out safely. Nathan stood behind me and gently coaxed me towards the exit, where I froze. Below me, the guys all shouted at me to jump, that I'd be ok. But I couldn't make myself move. Nathan pulled the strings to inflate our vests.
"Come on Peanut. You can do this. On three." Nathan reached down and once again wrapped his hand around my own. "One." I took a deep breath. I could do this. "Two." I wanted to survive. "Three!" Somehow, we were sailing out of the exit and plunging into the thrashing waves of the Atlantic. The icy water stole my breath and froze my limbs, but I fought my way back to the surface. When I broke through, I turned around to see Mr. Blackbourne was right behind us.
Owen was shouting orders as he jumped. "Get away from the plane, now. As fast as you can! GO!" The guys were a flurry of activity. Nathan pulled me through the water for a few feet before he realized I was an extremely capable swimmer and could handle myself. Owen and Nathan swam beside me, encouraging me to keep going and to swim faster. When we were about 40 feet away from the plane, a massive explosion tore through the air. Before I even had time to realize the plane had exploded, something slammed into me from behind, pushing me under water. The last thing I remember was hoping that none of the guys were hurt before everything faded to black.