Dead

CHAPTER 17

⚠️CW⚠️ blood, death, gore, PTSD flashback, dead child

After an awkward—yet nice—breakfast at Easton's place we began our trek to the clinic.

The whole drive was silent, my gaze firmly on the window and watching the trees zip past. It wasn't uncomfortable. In fact, I found peace in the lull of the engine and the silence that settled over us like a blanket.

Walking in to the clinic while wearing Easton's clothes felt like a fever dream, and not a good one. The looks we got as we entered had me ducking my head and staring at the floor as we walked. 

Easton had offered to drive me to my place to grab some clothes before shift, but I refused. I wish I hadn't now, but I wanted nothing more than to never have to see my apartment again. I knew that wasn't possible, but I could at least avoid it a little longer. 

"Well, look what the cat dragged in. I know I told you to give him a chance, but I didn't think it'd happen so soon." Aaliyah called over from behind the nurses desk, all smug smirks and raised brows.

I rolled my eyes, "It's not, and never will be, what it looks like."

Easton snorted in amusement and I shot him a glare. He raised his hands in surrender and I raised a brow at him.

Aaliyah's eyes flicked between the both of us and then shook her head in disbelief. 

"If you say so. Anyway, if it's not what it looks like, then what is it?" Arms crossing, she pinned me with her curious gaze.

"It's a long story." I huffed at the same time that Easton opened his big mouth and replied, "His apartment was broken into."

Just like that, the playful demeanor in the lobby fell through an invisible hole in the ground, Aaliyah's stare turning worried as she rushed over to me.

I stepped back from her advance and she stopped short just a foot away.

"Oh my goddess, are you okay?"

"Peachy. Teach Easton to keep his damn mouth shut." Glaring at Easton over Aaliyah's shoulder, I took another step back, feeling backed into a corner.

Easton had the audacity to look indifferent to the news he just shared that I wanted nothing more than to keep between us. My home was already invaded, I didn't need my personal life becoming disrupted with it.

Easton shrugged his shoulders at my comment while Aaliyah seemed to pick up on my discomfort. 

"Okay, well I'm circling back to this, but for now let's discuss our next steps with Jax." Finally, a topic that didn't make me feel like throwing up.

After another small and disheartening session with Jax on getting more comfortable around needles, I needed a moment to myself. It wasn't long before I was leant against the brick wall of the clinic, standing just outside of the back door. 

I also hadn't had a moment away from Easton since everything happened. It was overwhelming, I needed to get away from his scent and his hovering. He was worried, I knew that, but I didn't know what to do with it.

Trying to just catch my breath, my mind wouldn't stop repeating the way my apartment door was opened, and how every one of my personal belongings were strewn about the apartment in a mess of rage. 

I started pacing, doing everything I could to get away from those thoughts. The what ifs. 

What if it really was the hunters that broke in?

What if they really found me?

What if they knew where I worked?

What if they knew my routine?

What if—

The spiral was cut short when I noticed something off behind the dumpster. I stopped in my tracks and just stared for a second before slowly shuffling toward the foreign object against the wall.

"Holy shit." 

A hand. 

A completely still hand was sticking out from between the wall and dumpster. I swallowed the lump in my throat and fully looked behind it.

My suspicions were proven correct when I saw the rest of the body.

Lifeless and with a sheen of blue over his skin, eyes closed but pointed in my direction.

Before I could process what was happening, my brain sent me spiraling through the memories. 

Alone in the corner of the concrete cell yet again, I was too young and too scared to even think straight. I wanted my family, my home, my stuffed animals to comfort me. They were no where to be found, and a part of me knew I would never see them again.

Every thump and thud and creak made me jump, shrinking more and more into myself. They had no routine, they just came and got you whenever they pleased, whenever it was convenient for them, and you never knew what they planned to do until they were already doing it.

The only thing I could do was watch the shadows moving from under the door. When the lights went out, I knew it was safe to sleep.

Footsteps grew nearer toward my door and suddenly a shadow completely blocked the light coming from underneath. 

I held my breath, hands shaking and sweat dripping down my temple, curly hair sticking to my skin. It hadn't been washed in ages. 

The door creaked open and I could do nothing but watch as something unexpected happened. A loud thud echoed in the small space as something was tossed in and the source of the sound was a little boy, possibly younger than I was. His brown hair was matted and filled with grime, clothes a disgusting mess of dirt and specks of blood. The door slammed shut behind whoever threw the child in, leaving just the two of us. 

"Hello?" I whispered into the dark, waiting for his response. I hadn't been able to talk in Goddess only knew how long, I couldn't quench the little flicker of hope at someone else being in the room with me. Someone that didn't want to cause harm.

When no response came, I inched closer to the boy. Tapping his shoulder, he didn't move, so I slowly turned him over. 

Eyes widening in horror, I couldn't hold back a scream as the boy's face filled my vision. Battered and bloodied with his brown eyes opened wide, forever frozen in fear.

He was dead.

I had to physically shake myself out of the flashback. I was a medical professional, of course I had been around bodies multiple times, but this completely caught me off guard. 

I quickly paged Easton and Aaliyah to come outside before I finally collected my bearings and dragged the body from behind the dumpster, laying him flat at my feet. I wasn't hopeful, but I pressed my fingers to his neck and gasped when I felt the very thready, nearly there pulse under my fingertips. 

"Goddess, he's alive." The man had scarring all over his face and arms, but what stood out most were the fresh wounds around his head. I had no reason to believe this man was alive, yet here we were. 

The door behind me burst open and I heard the shocked gasps of Easton and Aaliyah before they rushed over. 

"Oh my Goddess, what happened? Who is this?" Aaliyah immediately took my place, crouching down and checking his pulse just as I had done. 

"I don't know. I came out for some air and found him behind the dumpster. I thought...thought he was dead, but he still has a pulse." My voice was shaky and legs felt like jello. 

Easton cast a worried glance my way before bringing his radio to his mouth and called for backup. This was now a scene, it had to be processed and I had to be questioned. 

All I wanted was some fucking fresh air.