Chapter 99

The Mist

Alex POV

I have to walk away from the girls to try to absorb the information I was given. I'm stunned. Absolutely speechless. My mind is completely numb. I have no idea what to say or do. I can't believe the things I heard come from Rhi's mouth, let alone what Kate and Ana revealed to me.

Fuck. I can't believe the things they've told me are true. It sounds like something that would be in some psychological thriller. They've got to be exaggerating. I mean, how can one person have gone through so much in such a short time? Better yet, how could someone get away with doing something so heinous?

My heart breaks for Rhi but something tells me she would be angry if I let it show. I don't think she would accept pity from anyone. I don't know if I would call her strong and resilient or cold and distant from all she's been through. They all describe her but some more than others. Strong and resilient because she endured, escaped and survived but became cold and distant as a result of everything.

Yes, I've seen the x-rays of her hand, the new and old injuries so there is proof that it really happened but even with that my mind doesn't want to accept that it's real. In all honesty, I could kill whoever hurt her. This guy Jace sounds like a monster.

When I leave the bedroom, my feet move me in the direction of the cabinet that is well frequented by Rhi. I open the cabinet door, pull down a tumbler, and fill it with Patron. I usually don't drink that much but, fuck, I really need it now. I'm standing in the kitchen, the glass resting upon my lips and I tilt my head back quickly, pouring the liquid into my mouth and feel the burn as it travels down my throat and settles in my stomach. I'm beginning to see what the appeal is to Rhi. It has a numbing effect, which is greatly appreciated right now.

I'm trying to decide if I should let her have some space and go back to my place or if I should stay here to make sure she's OK. As I set the glass down on the counter, Ana comes running in from the bedroom and shouts to me, "Alex! Come quick! We need your help! Rhi's passed out on the floor in the shower. She isn't moving and we need to get her out but can't lift her! Please!"

What the fuck? I'm stunned and trying to wrap my head around what she just said but she's already off and running, disappearing quickly into the bedroom again. My mind is blank as I run after her. Rounding the corner, I skid to a stop in the doorway. The scene in front of me is surreal. It's like walking onto the movie set of Stephen King's The Mist. The shower door is open, steam billowing out and filling the bathroom like fog rolling in from the sea. The water is still running and I see Kate struggling to turn it off but the heat is overpowering.

When she hears me, she turns her head and I see the panic in her eyes. "Alex! I can't get the water off! It's too hot! We need to get her out of there!"

Snapping out of my fog, no pun intended, I run to her side and reach in to turn off the water and reach in to turn off the water but I quickly retract my hand. "Fuck! Why is it so hot? Did you turn the cold water off on accident? She could get burned!" I snap at Kate.

"Don't snap at me! I didn't touch the water! It was like this when we came in." She growls and when I glance at her, if looks could kill I'd be dead on the spot.

I ignore her and reach in again and after three tries I'm finally able to turn off the water. Reaching in, I feel for a pulse and feel it beating so fast it's like a frightened rabbit. Her skin is bright red and burning to the touch.

I bark orders at the girls, "Ana. Grab a towel and get ready to dry her off." She rushes to the towel rack and picks one up. "Kate, move over so I can lift her up." She backs up quickly, nearly slipping on the wet floor. "Careful." I don't want her to get hurt on top of the situation at hand.

Stepping into the shower, I straddle Rhi's body and squat down to hook my right arm under her legs behind her knees and my left arm under arms and upper back. Carefully, I step out of the shower so I don't drop her and head to the bedroom and out of the heat. Ana is standing next to the bed with a towel and I carry Rhi's limp body and lay her gently on the bed.

Leaning over to check her breathing, I see that her skin is bright red and I can feel the heat radiating off her from overheating. "We need to lower her temperature quickly. Ana, start drying her off. Kate, get a cool glass of water. Not too cold though, we don't want to shock her system." Ana starts drying her and Kate starts toward the kitchen to get the water.

As Kate leaves, I go into the bathroom and get a hand towel, wetting it down with cool water. As I return, Ana looks at me, "I thought you said we didn't want to shock her system with cold water!"

Starting to wipe down Rhi's body with the towel, I explain, "It's cool water, not cold. We've got to cool her off but we can't put her in an ice bath. This is the safest way to do it."

Starting from her head, I continue wiping her down, moving my way down. All the shit I learned a few minutes ago disappear and are replaced with worry. I'm trying to focus on the task at hand and not the fact that she's naked on the bed. The memories I have of the couple of intimate times we've had are vivid in my mind and it's then that I realize something. I need her. Please be OK. I can't lose you.

Kate returns to the room with a bottle of water. "Here, this was sitting at room temperature. I hope it's not too cold." She says, handing me the bottle.

"Thanks Kate. Can you help me lift her up so we can get some water into her to start cooling her from the inside, please?" I look at her as she complies and we gently lift her up a little. Carefully, I place the bottle at her lips and pour a little into her mouth. I'm trying to trigger the natural reflex of swallowing, hoping it will work.

Kate and I watch Rhi's face intently, waiting to see what happens, as Ana continues to dry her off. After a few long seconds, she swallows the water and coughs a little. Taking advantage of that, I pour a little more water in her mouth and she swallows that too. Kate, Ana and I let out a collective sigh of relief and our bodies relax a little.

Rhi starts mumbling something about someone coming to save her and wanting to go with them. That she doesn't want to hurt anymore, she just wants it to stop. My heart shatters into a million pieces and as I look at Kate and Ana, it dawns on us what she's saying. From the look on their faces, I can tell that it's a shock to them to hear her words and understand what they mean.

"Did you guys know she felt this way?" I ask, after hearing her words.

The sadness in her eyes tells me the answer before she answers. "We had no idea. Like I said, even we don't know what's going through her head."

Sighing, Kate adds, "We've been terrible at the lack of attention we've paid this entire trip. I feel like we've neglected her mental and emotional state. We can't let that happen again."