Chapter Eighty Two
Lincoln
“You ready to get out of here hotshot?” A nurse named Marley asks as she opens up my door.
Even though technically my 48 hours were up last night, they obviously weren’t going to release me at ten o’clock at night, which means that I had to eagerly wait until this morning for my release.
“More than you can imagine.” I tell her as I stand up from the bed and look around to make sure I hadn’t forgotten something, as if I had anything to forget.
I didn’t even have my own clothes.
“Just so you know, I tried convincing them to make you stay until you opened up in group.” I cast her a glare, hoping like hell I’m not going to have to stay here a single minute longer than necessary. “Oh, don’t you worry. If that were cause enough to keep someone here, hardly anyone would be released.”
Then, as if by magic, she produces a stack of clothes and a pair of shoes. Handing them to me she says, “Your family brought you these. I’ll let you get dressed and will be back with your discharge paperwork in just a few minutes.”
Heaving a sigh of relief, I reach out and take the clothes with a nod before closing the door behind her.
I can’t wait to get out of here and see everyone but most importantly, I can’t wait to see Raleigh.
I know that we have a lot to talk about and after everything, I’m here for it, whatever it takes.
Shortly after getting dressed, I’m sitting on the edge of my bed when Marley returns with some paperwork in her hands.
“Okay, Hotshot,” she says, stopping in front of me. “These are your discharge papers. Your Dad has already signed all of the necessary forms for your release and I went over these with him as well but, this,” she says showing me a blue sheet of paper split in quarters, one square already filled out. “Is a prescription for your antidepressants.” She stops and looks at me, at my nod, she continues holding up another piece of paper. “This is a list of psychiatrists in the area. The highlighted one is where I would start. If they don’t have any availability for new patients, the one below would be my next choice and so on and so forth.”
I don’t know what makes her do it, but she places her hand on my shoulder, Look Hotshot, no one can make you get further help or take your pills once you leave here but after seeing how many people you have that care about you and how upset they all were the other night when you were brought in. Just…” she heaves a sigh, her eyes filed with resignation.
Reaching up, I curl my hand around hers before assuring her, “I won’t let them down. I finally realized that I have too much to lose.”
Her lips lift in a hopeful smile and she nods her head as she backs away. “Alright, well, let’s get you out of here then, Hotshot.”
She turns and walks out of the door and I follow her out and then down a hall. We stare buzzed through a set of wooden doors and make our way halfway down an empty corridor before stopping at a bank of elevators, Marley reaches out and presses the den button and we stand in awkward silence as we wait for an available one.
A beeping proceeds the opening of the silver elevator doors and we step into the small tin square before Marley once again reaches out and presses the button for the first floor.
We step out into the Emergency Room entrance two floors down from the psych ward and I find five familiar faces sitting in the hard plastic blue chairs, my heart dropping at the realization that in the sea of brown, my little blonde is missing.
Aspen stands up and comes over, wrapping her arms around my waist, she gives me a tight squeeze. Stepping back, she steps into Bos’s embrace, his arms wrapping around her and as if reading my mind, she says, “She wanted to be here. I promise. She couldn’t miss school.”
I nod in understanding but that doesn’t make the hurt in my chest go away.
“You can go and see her after she gets out of school,” Dad says, coming up to stand behind me, placing his hand on my shoulder and giving it a squeeze. “It’s good to have you back, Son.”
“Thanks, Dad.” Then, glancing around I realize another face is missing. “And Jax? Where is he?”
Dread fils my gut when Aspen looks up at Bos, who then looks over to Dal. Dal and Bos at the same time turn their attention to our Dad who is still standing behind me. Giving my shoulder another squeeze, he says, “Let’s get you out of here and we will explain everything on the way home, okay?”
“So let me make sure I have this straight,” I say once everything has been laid out before me. “Morris thinks that Brady broke into Raleigh’s home, or got close to her at the library or *somewhere* and threatened her and so while the police continue to look for him, he wanted to have someone keep a close eye on her, to be close to her just in case he tries to make another move…and he thought that *Jax* was the best guy for the job?” I ask incredulously as I glance back and forth between the faces surrounding me, feeling pissed off at how carelessly Raleigh and the babies' lives are being handled. “Jackson, the guy who has no formal training outside of wrestling and the karate classes he took a few years ago. The same Jax that has no idea how to use a gun and doesn’t even go to Rydell High?”
“Morris thought it would be the least suspicious course of action, and Jax’s wrestling and karate are better than nothing,” Dad says from the driver's seat.
Ashlynn cuts in by saying, “He wouldn’t be able to carry a gun on school property anyway. Only law enforcement can but that would kind of give whomever was undercover away.”
“But why *Jax*?” I ask, feeling mixed emotions at having my brother so close to my girl.
“Morris was going to use one of the rookies just out of the academy at first but Jax asked if he could do it.” Aspen murmurs, “He wanted to help but before Morris would even consider using him, he had to prove that he would be able to care of her by sparring with other agents. After proving himself, Morris realized, with you four being practically identical, that using Jax was a good move. But, he also has men all around campus, as well as trailing them when they aren’t at school and he even has guys watching her house.”
“Okay…” I mutter, trying to wrap my head around my brother trying to play *me* with my girlfriend.
“Wait a minute,” I growl as a thought occurs to me. “Exactly just *how* much like me are we talking? Are they just friendly towards each other like normal or…”
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