Mark’s heated face loomed an inch away. “Why don’t you tell me just how twisted my sister is, Hunter? I really want to know since you’re the one who’s been sleeping with her for the past three months! Did she put out enough for you? Did you like turning my sister into a slut?”
“It wasn’t like that at all! Get your hands off me!”
“Then tell me what it was like! You were the last one to talk with her before she torched your house and knocked Jimmy across the head!”
Hunter slapped Mark’s hands away and shoved him back; his anger rippling through him like a turbulent red tide. “I’m not telling you shit!”
Hunter dodged Mark’s fist that sailed over him and punched a hole through the drywall. Scout arrived with Samuel and they wrapped Mark up and hauled him back struggling and reaching to get another shot at Hunter before finally giving up and going limp. He slumped on the sofa, hid his eyes with a trembling hand and cried. His body shook. His legs kicked in a spastic fit.
Jimmy managed to sit up and was hacking blood onto his chin. Ginger and Luis rushed over and coaxed him into lying back and settling down; tending to him before he made his injuries worse.
Hunter straightened his sweater into place and brushed his fingers through his hair. He stared at the floor, ashamed of playing a part in Mark’s pain. Mark resembled his sister so much it was eerie in a way that made Hunter even more sympathetic. A part of him ached for Molly despite his thoughts on her personality. He never considered how their relationship affected Mark. Obviously, Mark had never approved.
Everyone waited, allowing Mark enough time to work through more of his grief. After a while, Jimmy broke the silence.
“You better get going. Take care of each other before anything else.”
Hunter snatched his leather jacket off the chair and crossed the room. Scout handed him his ski mask, gloves, scarf, and goggles. A gust of cold air slapped him in the face as he pushed through the doorway. Two SUVs waited at the curb with eight different boys packed inside, everyone wearing grave expressions. Hunter and Scout would ride their motorbikes so they could track and follow the trail of Catherine’s kidnappers.
Scout walked up behind Hunter as they both slipped on their winter gear. “Those clouds aren’t going to hold for long, and when they dump, we’ll lose everything.”
Hunter pulled down his goggles and swung his leg twice before sliding onto his new motorbike. Mark passed him without comment.
Another jolt of pain laced through Jimmy’s body and tugged. He now lay on a firm hospital bed in the clinic with his shirt off; his chest covered instead with ugly purple bruises. Relaxing was tough, even with everyone gone except Ginger. Luis snoozed with his head on his desk, his gentle snores crossing the space between doctor and patient. Jimmy knew he’d gotten everyone up early, but the pain refused his own attempts at sleep.
“I have to sit up,” he told Ginger.
Ginger worked the mechanical gears that raised the head of the bed. Jimmy’s face tightened from the movement, but his ribs didn’t hurt as much once he was up right.
He held Ginger’s hand and offered it a reassuring squeeze to let her know everything was okay. He guessed she still agonized over not escaping and bringing back help in time, but he was just thankful Patrick hadn’t gone caveman on her.
Light filtered in between the blinds, cold and gray, chasing away the darkness. Jimmy wished the light could do the same for his spirits. His ribs were killing him. Luis suspected a couple of them were broken, but he couldn’t confirm it without X-rays. He said they’d heal with time and gave Jimmy meds for the pain. The medicine did squat from what Jimmy could tell.
“Does your head hurt?” Ginger asked.
“Not too bad.”
“I can’t believe she did this. I never thought Molly would hurt someone. This just doesn’t add up.”
“Molly’s been angry for quite a while. I wish she hadn’t chosen last night to pop, but what can you do.”
“She used to have a crush on you.”
“Yeah, I know. I told her I liked someone else.”
“You did. Who was that?”
Jimmy smiled as much as busted lips would allow.
“Me?” It was cute the way she pointed to herself. “I’m glad you didn’t tell her that. She was hard enough on me.”
“Well, now you’ve been promoted.”
Ginger frowned. “I hadn’t thought of that.”
“Congratulations.”
She narrowed her brown eyes. “Not exactly the way I planned to get promoted.” Then her eyes widened. “Wait, I don’t know the first thing about running a store.”
Jimmy chuckled, still a bad idea; his eyes filled with fresh tears and he was forced to focus on his breathing. He patted Ginger’s hand.
“You’ve been running that store since you started,” he finally said. “Why do you think we put you there? Molly couldn’t sew a stitch. Just keep doing what you’ve always done.”
The sounds of a new day interrupted their conversation. A gaggle of geese honked their flight plan overhead, the cold wind whistled against the window, and kids hurrying past on their way to breakfast discussed the details of the house fire in excited tones.
Ginger sighed. “I had to keep my crush on you a secret because of her. I used to do things for you, like when I planted the flower bed outside your house.”
“That was you?” Jimmy smiled, finally fitting all the pieces together. “I should have figured with all the flower pots in your house. Maybe you should bring that green thumb out to the fields with us.”
“No thanks. I like sewing. The flowers are just a hobby.”
Jimmy began noticing that each new breath felt like he was inhaling through a narrow straw with a giant spitball lodged in the center. He gripped the sheets.
“Are you okay?” Ginger asked.
“I… I can’t catch my breath.”
“Luis!”
Luis leaped from his chair with a piece of paper stuck to his forehead. “What?”
“He’s having trouble breathing.”
Jimmy didn’t like the way Luis frowned, assuming that’s never a good sign when it comes from a doctor who’s taking care of you.
“One of the broken ribs might have punctured a lung. It’s pretty common with rib fractures.”
“What can we do about it?” Ginger asked.
Luis placed a hand on Jimmy’s shoulder. “I have to re-inflate your lung.”
“How?” Jimmy asked, with a bit more of a wheeze.
Luis offered him a weak smile. “I’m not sure yet. Give me a little time to read up on the procedure.”
“Take all the time you need. I’m not going anywhere.”