Chapter Forty-One
Kelley was transported to the hospital in an ambulance as the paramedic tried to staunch the bleeding in his head. Lee and Mason were following behind the ambulance and Kelley knew he was in shock. He kept staring out of the small windows of the back doors at the ambulance behind them transporting Jule’s body.
It all felt surreal. Jule had died in his arms and he felt the anger build slowly inside of him. He wanted Petey's blood for Jule's blood. He sat in that ambulance, never taking his eyes off the other ambulance and vowed to avenge her. He didn't care how or when, but Petey Johnson would pay.
“You’ll need stitches.”
Kelley didn’t say anything as she kept the gauze pressed against his head. A police officer had already asked him if he’d been drinking and they followed behind the ambulances to do a breathalyzer test and most probably a blood test too. The accident kept playing on repeat in his head. Jule's smile, her scream, her wide eyes, the screech of metal on metal, her lifeless eyes looking up at him. He'd never forget her eyes.
He felt numb not knowing how to deal with Juliana’s loss. He sat in an almost catatonic state and lay back on the gurney when they told him to and wheeled him inside the emergency room and into a trauma bay. The lights were too bright and the loud voices made him feel disoriented. Two voices stood out from the rest and Kelley turned his head towards the entrance.
“Kelley Alexander … we’re brothers!”
In a few seconds, Mason and Lee’s faces appeared through the curtain and then Carey was speaking to a doctor as a nurse dabbed the area around his wound and placed a tray with equipment on the bed next to where he sat. Hands gripped his shoulder and he was pulled back to reality. He still felt caught in a nightmare, a real living nightmare he couldn't escape.
“I gave your phone to the officer. He’ll call Juliana’s mom.”
Kelley could only nod his head as Lee and Mason spoke to him, telling him that it wasn’t his fault. He knew it wasn’t his fault but he still felt guilty. Kelley had soon realized that he’d never actually loved Norah, it was a relationship spurred on by his father, but he did love Jule. She was pure light to his darkness. She was everything good and now she was gone. Kelley had no semblance of time and he couldn't seem to focus.
“She’s here.”
Mason and Lee moved through the curtain again as the doctor stepped inside and examined his wound. Kelley didn’t even flinch when he pressed his fingers around the wound and then proceeded to stitch him up.
“Kelley?”
He turned his head to the side at the sound of Maria’s voice and looked at her tearful face. She was Juliana’s mother and he slid off the bed and hugged her. “I’m so sorry.” Her shoulders shook in his arms and tears made their way across his cheeks.
“The policeman said it wasn’t your fault, Kelley. They are going to test the other boy’s blood, they think he was drinking.”
“I should’ve made her wear her seatbelt, she took it off at the intersection.”
“It’s not your fault, Kelley … the force was too great, she would’ve died either way even if she was wearing it.”
The doctor cleared his throat and Kelley had all but forgotten that he was still there. He sat back down on the bed and held Maria’s hand as the doctor finished stitching him up. For a fleeting moment, he wondered if Petey was okay but then he closed his eyes and saw Jule’s lifeless eyes look up at him once again and pushed his concern for Petey away.
“Insist on them taking a blood sample. Petey Johnson was almost certainly drunk. Give a statement tonight and they can test my blood and Jule’s blood, we weren’t drinking. Get a lawyer tonight if you can, you know what … don’t worry, I know someone.”
Kelley was rambling, trying to think of ways that the Johnson family would try and get Petey out of this situation. Mason appeared then and Kelley took his phone and dialed a number. He faintly heard a phone ringing and then John stood behind Mason.
“Kelley …”
“You’re here.” Kelley frowned but then shook his head. “It doesn’t matter … Maria needs a lawyer. Petey’s parents are going to try and bury this. He skipped a red light and slammed into my car.”
“Hi Maria, I’m John Campbell, Kelley’s lawyer and now yours. Let’s go talk to the police.”
“John … they can take my blood.”
John nodded his head. “Good to know. You okay?”
“I’m fine … don’t let them get away with this.”
Kelley turned to leave when the doctor placed a hand on his arm. “Mr Alexander, you need to lie down and let me examine you. A car accident is no joke and you could have a concussion, we’re also keeping you overnight.”
“I feel fine.”
The doctor pursed his lips. “I don’t care. Lie down.”
Kelley complied as his head started to pound. The doctor checked his blood pressure, listened to his heart and lungs and pressed down on his abdomen. He took a seat when the nurse returned to withdraw his blood and signed the consent form.
“On a scale of one to ten how bad does your head hurt?” The doctor was young and efficient, no-nonsense and seemed patient enough to sit down by his bedside.
“Five … I’m fine, really.”
“Do you remember what happened? The police would like to question you but if you don’t feel up to it right now I can tell them to come back.”
“The sooner I give my statement the sooner they can arrest Petey Johnson.”
“Between us he’s so drunk I doubt he’ll wake up before morning.”
“He killed my girlfriend.”
The doctor looked down briefly. “I’m sorry for your loss, you should try to rest. I’ll discharge you in a few hours if your condition hasn’t changed.”
“Thanks, Doc.”
“Ulrich. Ulrich Drummond.”
He left the room and Kelley lay back on the bed, listening to the bustling sounds of the emergency room around him. He had a good mind to stalk over to wherever Petey was and beat the living shit out of him. He gritted his teeth and clenched his fists. He'd wait. Petey's day of reckoning would come.
