Blemished Love – Episode 41

BLEMISHED LOVE EPISODE 41

© Loudest Thoughts (Christabel Hilda)

All Rights Reserved

 

The Police just left Bryan’s house after doing their follow up. Though Grissel managed to stop Tom from pointing out Bryan as a suspect, the police had already taken interest in him and his friends.

Judge Sculley came to his rescue and because he believed his son wasn’t capable of murder.

‘Who was that at the door earlier?’ Melisa who was in her room when the doorbell rang asked.

‘So you are talking to me now. I thought we were just roommates.’ Bryan teased.

‘It’s been a week and until you are ready to talk we are just roommates.’ Melisa told him.

‘Lisa, I’ve told you time without number I had nothing to do with what happened.’

‘My brother thinks your hands are not clean.’

‘Tom is delusional.’ Bryan said pacing around.

‘Would you stop making noise with your flip flops?’ Melisa snarled at him for no reason.

She was getting irritated with his recent silence. Bryan hasn’t said a word since Julia drove Melisa to his place as she promised.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             Melisa has been trying for a whole week to get him to say what he knew about the sh00t-out but he keeps distracting her.

‘Sorry, but I have to go out now. Would you be okay in here?’ He asked like a good boy.

‘If you step out of that door, we are done.’ Melisa told him standing up to block his view.

‘Lisa, we’ve been at this all week and I have been trying to hold back.’

‘Hold back? I just want to know what happened.’ She yelled.

‘What do you even care? I mean Henry had always molested you and Dane hurt you so what is it to you if they get killed.’

‘They were my friends and you had no right to sh00t them.’ She roared.

‘You are delusional like your brother.’

‘Me? Delusional?’

‘Yes, and you don’t even see my silence is actually keeping you out of jail.’

The room went silent and dark to Melisa. She didn’t understand what he meant by that.

‘What is that supposed to mean?’

‘Now I got your attention.’ Bryan stared at her for a long while. He knew she was innocent but he thought of using his doubts to blackmail her emotionally.

‘You think I could do this to a man I love.’ She said with regrets because she bite her lips.

‘Love!’ He painfully exclaimed.’

‘Let’s not go there. But what do you mean by your silence is keeping me out of jail.’

‘You can deny it all you want but Cephas probably have evidence against you.’

‘And who is Cephas?’

He turned to look at her innocent face and realized she doesn’t know the name of the guys that used to sleep with her in her unconscious state. Bryan quickly shrugged off the blackmail thoughts.

He knew how Morris could be violent when it comes to his daughter so he swallowed hard to be able to continue talking with her.

‘One of Henry’s friend’s think you have something to do with his death.’

‘Like seriously?’

‘Yes, the same way you and your brother think I was involved.’

‘So you had nothing to do with all these?’ Melisa asked slowly as she was fed up of his attitude.

‘You asked me who was at the door earlier.’

‘Yes, and you shut me off.’

‘That was the police clearing me of your brother’s suspicions and don’t worry Cephas was bluffing.’

‘Of course he was and besides I was with you here all day.’ Melisa was definitely out of questions.

‘I told the police all that in front of my dad.’ Bryan stressed.

Bryan walked to sit beside her while she rested her head on his shoulders.

‘I pray D wakes up soon.’ She murmured while Bryan frowned.

Her phone rang at that moment and her heart skipped. She watched Michelle’s number flashing her phone for the second time and she answered while Bryan still had a frown on his face.

‘What happened?’ Melisa asked immediately she answered.

‘Relax, he’s awake but hasn’t said a word yet.’

Melisa sighed standing up so she could move away from Bryan who was angrily looking on. He knew it was about Dane.

‘But he’s breathing and he’s blood works are fine right?’ Melisa queried.

‘He just woke up a couple of minutes ago. We are waiting for you to start all the blood works.’

‘Michelle, you don’t need me there. You have my consent to do anything at this point.’

‘I know but I thought you would want to be the one to tell him about the amputation.’

‘No, I can’t. You are his doctor and that’s your responsibility.’ Melisa muttered.

‘Alright, I will stalk for a while until we are sure everything is okay.’

‘Thank you Michelle. I owe you one but do me a favor and call Stella. She’s Dane’s family.’

‘I would do that.’ Michelle said faintly.

Melisa hanged up quickly and turned around just to bump into Bryan.

‘Jeez, you scared me.’

‘He’s alive right?’ Bryan asked with anger lacing his voice.

‘Yes, but I’m staying here with you.’ She feigned a smile.

‘I’m not stupid Lisa. If you want to go, just leave already.’ He angrily said and walked out while Melisa looked on with her mouth still opened.

When she finally regained her composure, Paige was the first person she called to pick her up because her car was still with Julia. When she drove her there after she collapsed at the hospital, Julia drove back home in Melisa’s car.

***

‘Shirley, put on your shoe.’ Tom hurriedly said when he came downstairs.

‘Are we going to the beach like you promised?’

‘No, your dad is awake and I’m taking you there.’

‘Really?’ She smiled and jumped around happily.

‘Yes, but where’s your mom.’ He asked in the midst of all that joy. Tom looked through the window and both their cars were parked in the compound.

‘Emmmm, she s..a..id…’

‘She went out?’ Tom angrily asked cutting her off.

‘Yes, I tried to stop her like you asked me to but she’s my mom and always have her way.’

He ignored her and then reached out for his phone dialing Grissel’s number but realized it rang from Shirley’s pocket.

‘Gosh, I now understood why you didn’t wake me up when she was going out.’

‘I’m sorry. I needed airtime and she made me swear not to tell you.’

‘That’s oaky. I’m sure she went with your Grand mom.’

‘No, she’s asleep in her room.’

Tom started to sweat at once. He checked the security post and the man was still at his position.

‘Why would she leave without telling me?’

‘Uncle Tom, I think she went out with Aunty Stella.’

‘Stella?’ He glanced at her for a while after repeating the name. Tom checked his wallet from his back pocket and his credit card was gone.

He hissed and knew at that moment his money was going to buy unnecessary stuff. Tom dialed Stella’s number and Grissel picked up.

‘I just went to get groceries and I’m safe.’ She said immediately to prevent him from yelling with a loud Hello. Stella handed the phone over to her when she realized it was Tom.

Tom heaved a sigh of relief. ‘Why wasn’t I informed you were going out?’ He still had to ask just to let her know he’s still in control.

‘I would come in soon. We just parked outside.’ She didn’t want to lead him on to another fight.

Tom noticed she was avoiding his rage so he hanged up. Shirley followed him quickly when he was leaving the room.

When they got to the gate, Grissel was relaxed in the front seat definitely exhausted. He packed the shopping bags back to the house and constantly checking the number of bags it was.

Grissel and Stella kept laughing because aside he being angry earlier he was definitely angrier now about Grissel purchasing the whole shop with his money.

Tom wasn’t a happy person when he finally came out.

‘Here’s your card.’ Grissel handed him the card and reaching to be assisted out of the car.

He gave her a cold stare for a while.

‘Your brother is awake, can we get a ride to the hospital.’

He finally spoke to Stella not realizing Shirley was already in the car and must have given them that information already.

Grissel got down from the car and stole a kiss before they drove off. They knew she would want to stay out of it like Melisa.

***

When they got to the hospital, Stella’s mom was already there. Judge Reed had called her to check on him since he was far away from Seattle.

‘Hey Mom. Why is everyone staring at him that way?’ Stella asked while Dani rushed inside.

‘He was asleep when I came.’

‘Okay but has he been told yet?’

‘No, the doctor wanted to get some test done first because his body isn’t responding to touches.’

‘I hope everything works out fine.’ Stella said patting her mother on the shoulder.

Tom left mother and daughter at the door so he could check on Dane.

‘Dad, your princess is here.’ Shirley rubbed his forehead.

She had no idea, he could barely speak. Dane opened his eyes slowly and smiled weakly.

‘Shirley, your dad can’t speak now. Can you come out for a while?’

‘No, it’s alright.’ He said taking the breathing aid off his nose.’

‘Uncle Tom, he can talk.’ Dani joyfully announced shaking the bed.

‘Easy, Shirley.’ He cautioned so he could stop shaking the bed.

‘I’m sorry but I’m just happy.’

‘I will leave you two alone.’ Tom told him.

‘No, wait here. I don’t know why everyone is avoiding me.’

Tom wasn’t surprised because Stella and her mom were still at the door staring at him.

‘I’m sure they are happy you made it.’ He said while Dani was busy poking his nose and laughing.

‘Daddy, can I become a doctor and a lawyer at the same time?’

He nodded and smiled weakly. ‘Yes, but I thought you wanted to be like your mom.’

‘Emmm I want that too but I need to build you a new leg and I can only do that if I’m a doctor like Lisa.’

For some reason the room was quiet all of a sudden and Tom examined the look on his face. He realized Dane hasn’t been told yet about his leg.

‘Princess, it’s the drugs. I’m sure I would start walking soon.’ Dane explained because Michelle had earlier on came to check him out and he complained of not feeling his legs.

‘No, Dad. Mom said you had your leg cut off.’ She said quickly before Tom could stop him.

‘Cut off?’ He asked surprised and tried to lift himself up forgetting his whole body can’t move yet.

‘Hey, just relax. Let me get Michelle.’ He was rushing out to find the doctor when he called him back.

‘What happened to my leg? Can you lift the duvet off my body?’ Dane said sadly.

Just then the police came in with Stella and her mom following them.

‘Uncle Tom, why are they holding handcuffs?’

‘Princess, it’s okay. Dad just need to answer some questions.’ Dane said staring at them.

‘Okay, I would sit outside.’ She rushed off leaving the policemen speechless.

‘What’s the problem officer’s?’ Tom faced them when Dane was suddenly mute.

‘We are here to question Mr. Reed.’

‘But weren’t you told he just woke up.’ Mrs. Medts chipped in.

‘We know all that but it’s been a week and the bullets retrieved from his legs and that of the deceased was a match.’

‘So, he’s now a suspect?’ Tom asked angrily.

‘Of course he is? We just want to know what happened since there was no witness.’

‘You retrieve a bullet from his legs and that makes him a murder. Come on, get something better.’ Tom muttered.

‘I don’t think you understand the gravity of this situation Mr……..’

Tom cut them off. ‘It’s Tom. And I understand you rookies perfectly. All we ask is a day more for him to regain his strength.’

‘Hold on, who is the deceased?’ Dane finally asked after looking on the whole time.

‘Mr. Henry?’ The other quiet rookie answered.

‘Yes, I remember he shot me thrice in the leg during the fight and I grabbed his gun when it went off but hi…..’

‘There you go, he shot him in self-defense. Now you can go.’

Tom knew once Dane admits he shot him without adding it was self-defense he would be in trouble and besides the rookies were naïve and he knew that from the past week they were in and out of the hospital.

The two police men glanced at Tom. ‘But he needs to prove that.’

‘I think I can help with that.’ Bryan said behind them with Shirley on his shoulders.

Tom’s face changed at that moment and he hurriedly grabbed Shirley off his shoulders.

‘Mr. Sculley, I thought you had no idea what happened.’ The shorter rookie asked.

‘Yes, I didn’t until my friends confessed a while ago.’

‘Your friends?’

‘Cephas and Jake. I have it all on recording.’ He answered the police officers.

‘Good, we would need the recording and you have to come with us to the station.’

‘That’s fine with me.’ Bryan announced with an angry face on.

He wasn’t going to bring the recording to the police but he knew his friends would point their fingers to Melisa if he doesn’t.

‘Alright, Mr. Reed. Don’t leave town and Mr. Tom I hope you can keep an eye on him.’

‘He’s going nowhere.’ He replied them and while they walked out.

Tom saw Dane pushing his tears back countless times after the police had left while Dani jumped up and down with a lot of questions.

‘Dad, are you angry with Lisa?’

‘No, why did you ask?’

‘Because she’s not here and you haven’t asked about her yet.’

‘Princess, can we grab some ice-cream?’ Stella interrupted so she could stop asking too much questions.

‘But I want to spend time with Dad.’ She frowned.

‘Dad needs some rest.’ Mrs. Medts chipped in.

‘Okay,’ she said and landing a peck on his dads forehead.

Tom waited for them to leave and he grabbed the next chair beside him.

‘Now we are alone. You can let it all out.’

Dane didn’t wait for him to finish before he started shedding tears. Tom watched him cry and when he was done he wiped his face with the duvet.

‘Sorry, I embarrassed myself.’

‘That’s okay, at least you picked the best person to witness your tears.’

‘Yeah you are right.’ Dane replied slowly.

‘Can we talk about what happened?’

‘You mean the sh00t out?’

‘Was it really self-defense?’ Tom had to clear his doubts even though he defended him earlier.

‘I don’t know Tom. I really wanted that guy dead.’

Tom shifted his chair closer to his bed. ‘What do you mean by that?’

‘After I dropped Dani that morning at school, I was on my way back when I had a call from him asking me to meet him.’

‘You should have refused.’

‘I did until he told me he was right behind Lisa’s car with a gun.’ Dane tried to feel his leg unconsciously.

‘Maybe he was bluffing.’ Tom mentioned.

‘I couldn’t take that chance.’ He said shyly.

‘Why did he choose you when Lisa wasn’t yours anymore?’

‘I still love your sister and she loves me. Henry knew Bryan could easily be controlled but with me he had to put up a fight.’

‘So if I get you correctly, you were willing to die for my sister and leave your daughter fatherless.’

‘Dani would always have Grissel but Lisa has only me.’

‘But you do know I don’t want you for my sister right?’ Tom selfishly asked.

‘I do know that especially when you are comfortable with Bryan in her life.’

‘After what you just told me, I don’t think I want him around my sister.’

Dane laughed and winced in pain.

‘I’m glad I made you laugh but you still haven’t told me how you ended up in Lisa’s area.’

‘I had no idea Lisa and Bryan were moving in together, Henry teased me about that when I got there.’

‘Let me guess, you don’t like to be teased so you started to fight him.’ Tom chipped in.

‘You are right, he was already with a gun when I got there but his laughter got me pissed off.’

‘You could have called for help.’

‘I called your sister and she hanged up. Even after I was shot, she was the first person I could think of since Henry mentioned her place was near.’

‘I’m sorry, she was probably still angry with you.’

‘She answered the call and told Bryan to tell me it was a wrong number.’

‘Wait a minute, Bryan answered your call or my sister.’

‘Yes, I heard his voice before i went unconscious but I’m sure I heard Lisa’s voice too.’

‘That bas***d, I knew he was hiding something.’ Tom literally jumped up.

‘Don’t blame him, he was probably acting on your sisters orders.’

‘No, Lisa would never do that to you.’

‘You may never know Tom. Pain changes people.’

‘I’m just glad you are okay.’

‘You call this okay,’ he pointed his left hand to his right leg.’ He had no idea how his hands suddenly got strength.

‘Your hands can move now.’

‘I think so but my leg is gone.’ He murmured sadly.

‘It was an impossible situation, Lisa did her best.’

‘Lisa? What does she have to do with all these?’ Dane asked naively.

‘The Medical Power of Attorney.’ He mentioned to him quickly.

‘Oh yeah, I brought that to the hospital the night I left your place.’

‘Why would you do that when you had no idea Henry was going to call you?’

‘Fighting Henry after he nearly knocked off Grissel was my plan but he beat me to it first with his call.’

‘You knew he was the one, you could have said something when I asked.’

‘One of us needs to be alive for the ladies in our lives.’ Dane said slowly lifting the duvet off his leg while Tom kept pushing his hands away.

‘So you were going to ki*ll him how?’ Tom whispered quietly.

‘I don’t know Tom, all I wanted was him to leave the ladies alone.’

‘Make sure the police doesn’t get a hint of this.’

‘Thank you for earlier and even though I meant to ki*ll him, his friends were also guilty.’

‘The gun went off in the middle of your fight right?’ Tom figured it out.

‘Yes, it felt good but then his friends appeared from nowhere that was when he shot me thrice in the leg.’

‘So he didn’t die immediately.’

‘No, I saw them dragging him to his car.’

‘That explains why he died at his apartment.’

‘Well I’m glad he’s gone.’ Dane replied just when Michelle came in to check on him.

Tom went out to put a call through to Melisa.

‘Drag your lazy self to the hospital right now.’ He said immediately Melisa’s Hello came through the phone.

‘Tom, I’m drunk.’

‘Are you serious right now?’

‘Goodbye.’ She hanged up before Tom could say another word.

He was still beating himself up when Dani arrived with her aunty and Grand mom. Michelle had informed them Dane wanted to leave the next day. They went back in to persuade him to at least wait for him to be discharged first. Dani threw tantrums until he decided to wait behind.

Mrs. Medts knew he was masking his pain at the same time hating himself. They suggest Psychotherapy which he kicked against.

***

Dani and Tom got home late at night and Grissel was seated at the gate with the security guard waiting for them. She was surprised to see Tom smiling when he was dropped off by Stella.

Dani hugged her mom and rushed passed her inside the house. The security guard followed immediately when it seemed his work there was done.

‘What’s so funny?’ Grissel questioned him.

‘You look so funny sitting at the gate with my kids probably enjoying the scenery from that big belly of yours.’

‘What kept you two that long?’ She was just asking straight questions.

‘I’m sure you want to know what went on at the hospital.’

‘I told you I don’t need to know every detail about Reed. Just pass them on to Ella.’

‘Okay, that reminds me. Stella never said a word to him in there.’

‘Forget Ella, she’s still angry with him.’

‘But you have forgiven him right?’ Tom wanted to be sure.

‘I think so. Can we go in now?’ Grissel gently asked.

Tom led him in while talking about the events of that day even after Grissel had told him she didn’t want to hear it.

 

To be continued this evening

 

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