Chapter Twenty
Jesse parked his truck in front of the huge black gates and looked up at the house. It still felt intimidating to stand there but he couldn't worry about his own personal feelings now. He pressed the intercom button three times before it was answered. “Hello?”
“Mrs. Alexander?”
“Yes.”
“It’s Jesse Owens, ma’am. I need to speak with you about your son, Kelley.”
Jesse heard a sharp intake of breath. “Is he okay, Jesse?”
He had wondered if she would remember him, she clearly did. “Can I come up to the house so we can talk?”
The gate opened and Jesse drove up the driveway. The front door opened and Laura appeared in a nightgown as Jesse parked his truck. He took another deep breath as Laura remained standing in the doorway. He grabbed the folder and got out of his car. Laura’s arms wrapped around herself.
“Hello, Laura.”
“Jesse, come in please. What’s wrong with Kelley?”
Jesse followed Laura into the kitchen where she put the kettle on and sat down at the island counter. “Is Charles here?”
“He’s in the city, has been all week.”
Jesse nodded his head, relieved that they were alone. “Laura, I’m not going to pretend to know what happened, only that I found Kelley with a bleeding wound around his eye.”
Laura’s head lowered. “Is he okay, Jesse?”
“He’s in the hospital. He was attacked by students from the private school right after their game tonight. His brain is swelling and they need to operate on his wrist. They need permission though because he’s still a minor.”
Jesse slid the folder over to Laura and took out a pen from his jacket pocket and placed it on top of the folder. Laura seemed almost frozen in spot but then she picked the pen up and opened the folder and signed on the dotted lines. She closed the folder and slid it back over to Jesse. Her expression was grim and Jesse felt immensely sorry for her.
“I’m glad he found you or that you found him.”
“What the hell happened, Laura? He’s a kid, a good one too and he’s all alone. You haven’t even tried reaching out to him!”
“It’s more complicated than that, Jesse. Kelley’s better off out there even if he is alone. I can’t help him more than I already have.”
“The nurse needs you to call her, so she can get confirmation that you signed these papers. Kelley’s in a coma right now … you know, I felt sorry for you way back when I worked for Charles, but this, this is bullshit. You don’t deserve him.”
Jesse picked up the folder and his pen and walked out of the Alexander house. Jesse returned to the hospital and handed Carey the signed documents they needed to go ahead and treat Kelley as they saw fit and to do everything in their power to preserve his life.
“Jesse … I can see you care about him but this seems bigger than just a fight after high school football. How do you know his parents? You got that signature pretty quickly.”
“Some things are better left unsaid, Carey. I have history with the Alexander family but that’s not why I’m looking out for the kid. He’s a good kid and his mother’s right about one thing. He’s better off away from them.”
Carey just nodded her head, she didn’t know much about Jesse’s life but she knew his wife had been troubled and that she’d killed herself. It had been two years since that fateful day and it had changed something in Jesse, forever.
“You can sit with him. I listed you as his uncle, so you’re next of kin.”
“Thanks, Carey. I really appreciate you.”
Carey's hand rested on his arm and she squeezed it lightly. “Jesse Owens, someday you’re going to make some woman very happy.”
Jesse lowered his head and another sad smile was evident. “I’m not so sure about that.”
“You deserve to be happy and it’s okay to move on you know.”
“So do you, Carey.”
Jesse sat by Kelley’s bedside and listened to the rhythmic beeping of the machines. The bastards had done a real number on Kelley and he fought his own anger at going to hunt Charles Alexander down. He was responsible for this. He was their king after all and nothing happened in Yorkdare Bay without his say so.
Kelley remained in his coma for three days and the doctors operated on the second day, the swelling of his brain had gone down significantly and they declared him out of danger. The break in Kelley’s wrist was similar to that of a fighter’s and Jesse concluded that the punch Kelley had landed would’ve definitely left a mark.
On the third day, Jesse shifted in his seat, his back cramping up from being in the same position for so long when Kelley’s eyelids finally fluttered open. His left hand fisted the sheets and Jesse had jumped up from his seat.
“Kelley?”
Kelley blinked a few times and a groan sounded from him. He was clutching at his chest and Jesse placed a hand on top of Kelley’s to try and calm him. “You’re in the hospital. You’re okay, kid.”
The words registered but the pain in his wrist and in his head was excruciating. “Jesse?”
“I’m here, kid. You’re okay. I’m going to call the doctor.”
Jesse left Kelley’s room and bumped into Carey. “He’s awake.” The smile on Jesse’s face was genuine and Carey couldn’t help but smile too.
“That’s great news. I’ll get Dr Ingwe.”
Jesse sent a text to Mason, who was at school but he knew Mason would be pissed if he didn’t tell him that Kelley had woken up. Jesse waited for an hour as Dr Ingwe and Carey spoke to Kelley and did their neurological exams.
Half an hour later Mason walked into the waiting room with fifteen other boys and Jesse had to smile. Kelley had no idea how many new friends he had. That was how Public worked, if you touched one of them you touched them all.
