Redemption (Book 3) The Fixer Series (7 page)

"Fabulous."

"That didn't sound too convincing."

"It was a long trip, Mother, and I'm really tired."

"Yes, I imagine that you are.  It's just been so long, that I had to see you.  Rebecca and I were hoping to take all of you out for dinner this evening, but it seems that you need to rest."

"The others may want to go, but I would prefer to stay in, if you don't mind."

Dylan came up behind me,
"Excuse us a minute please, Mary."

"What in the hell are you doing, Brooke?"

"Talking to my mother, why?"

"Why are you being so rude to her?"

"I told you when we got here that I was in no mood to entertain."

"That does not mean that you can treat your mom like shit!"

"Oh...fuck you, Dylan.  Don't preach to me what I can and can't do.  You may be my husband, but you don't own me."

"Where the hell is all of this coming from?  This isn't like you, Bro
oke.  You weren't acting like this on the plane."

"Well
, D.  This is the new me.  So, you either take it or leave it."

"That's where you're wrong.  The Brooke that I know and love would never treat me, her mother or anybody like this.  Get your act together and behave like a lady.  I don't give a shit if you hav
e to paint a smile on that face, show some fucking respect!" 

"Oh, I'll show some respect, but only because you asked so nicely, asshole.
  Now excuse me, I need to use the restroom," I said, pushing past him.

How could I respect a woman who allowed a man to treat her child like shit all of her life?  I knew Dylan was pissed, and I'm sure he had good reason to be.  But
, even though he was angry with me, I knew he'd never do anything to demean me or harm me.  I was angry all around.  I stopped and looked at myself in the mirror.  I really didn't know who it was that was staring back at me.  It wasn't just my appearance that had been altered, but
I
had been altered. 

This wasn't how it was supposed to be when I came home.  It was supposed to be a happy time with my family, a fresh start to my new life.
  But it wasn't.  I was more confused and angry than I ever could have imagined. 

I took deep breaths as I stood there looking in the mirror.  The harder I looked at myself
, the harder I breathed.  Rage rolled through my body, increasing my adrenaline, causing my heart to beat faster than it had ever beat before.  The tears fell heavy from my eyes as my past began catching up with me.  Who the fuck was I?  How did I get here?  No one really loves me.
 
I had finally hit rock bottom.  I hated myself and it didn't matter how times Dylan or my mother told me they loved me, I didn't believe them. 

I loathed everything about myself.  My inability to carry a baby, my inability to have a father that loved
me, and the fact that I had killed my own sister and my first love.  What made me so special?  Why didn't I die in that accident, too?  Why did Dylan and Tristan have to save me? 

I couldn't take it
, anymore. I would never be worthy of Dylan's real, true love.  I was a girl from the wrong side of the tracks and a menace to the Prescott legacy.  Once he knew the truth about me and what I'd done, he would never want anything to do with me again.  I didn't deserve to have his children, because I was damaged goods. 

I was overtaken by rage as I took my hands and slammed them against the bathroom mirror.  I hit the mirror over
and over again screaming, "Why not me, God.  Why not me?" 

I heard Dylan outside the door, pleading with me to open the door.  The only problem was, that I couldn't have opened the door even if I wanted to.  My hands and arms were so badly cut, and I was losing the battle of trying not to fall asleep.  I curled up on the cold tile as I started to drift off into a peaceful sleep. 

The bathroom door flew open and I heard someone yell, "Call 911".  Dylan sat on the floor, holding me in his lap, pulling out shards of glass and wrapping my hands and arms in towels.  He rocked me back and forth as he cried, begging me not to leave him, again.  "I'm sorry, baby.  I didn't mean what I said.  Please don't leave me.  Please.  I am nothing without you.  I won't make it if I lose you, again.  God, please don't take her from me.  Please, God, I'm begging you."   

CHAPTER 7

Dylan

I was losing her, again.  That was all I could think of as I held her lifeless body in my arms.   I should never have come down on her the way that I did, but she was being so disrespectful to her mother, and I just didn't understand it.  I knew her mood was changing as we approached the city, but I figured she was just tired. 

The ambulance showed up shortly after we'd called.  I rode in the back with Brooke to the hospital.  They were trying to stabilize her
and had given her something in her IV to sleep.  The paramedics couldn't tell me much, just that I'd have to wait until a doctor took a look her.  Either way, I knew that my wife wasn't well and that she would need psychological help, immediately.  I had hoped that we could figure it out on our own, but seeing the state she was in now, I knew that wasn't going to happen. 

A team of doctors and nurses were waiting for us when we arrived at the emergency room.  They rushed to the back of the ambulance and wheeled Brooke quickly into a room.  A young nurse approached me and explained that I should be seated in the waiting room until a doctor was available to speak with me. 

I didn't want to leave her, but I had no choice.  I was sore myself and I knew there was nothing I could do to help my girl.  I felt helpless and sad.  Worse than I'd ever felt in my life.  I had found her and she wanted to leave me, again.  I sat with my elbows on my knees and my head in my hands, and began to cry. 

I felt a hand on my shoulder, and looked up.  It was Tristan.  He'd come alone and I wondered why. 
 

"I'm here, man.  Whatever you need.  Just say the word."

"Thanks for coming.  Where's everyone else?"

"Stephanie is driving your mom and Mary.  They'll be here soon.  I just didn't think that you should be alone."

"Thanks, T.  You're a good friend."

"Would you like some coffee or something to drink?"

"Sure.  Coffee would be good."

"I'll be right back."

I sat, trying to figure out what my next move would be.  I needed to get Brooke help, but she couldn't stay here.  The media would be all over this and it wasn't something that my family needed.  I was going to have to find a private facility for her to go.  There was no way I could take her home, because I couldn't trust her to be alone when I returned to Prescott Oil and Gas International as CEO.

Tristan returned with our drinks as we waited to hear from the doctor. 

"You sure about this, Dylan?"

"Sure about what?" I asked.

"Brooke."

"What about her?"

"Man...".

"What
, Tristan?  Just say it."

"She's been nothing but trouble since the first day you met her."

"Fuck you!"

"I'm not trying to be an asshole
, here."

"Well
, you're sure coming off like one."

"All I'm saying
, is that ever since she came into your life, you've had nothing but drama and shit."

"
I think you need to rethink your words, Tristan."

"
How much more shit can you put up with, Dylan?"

"As much as it takes."

"You sure you're ready for that?"

"What the fuck is your deal
, asshole?"

"I don't want to see my best friend miserable
, anymore."

"She's my fucking wife!   Do you understand that?  For better or worse, in sickness and in health!  I can't just walk away from her, just because the going gets tough."

"I hear you, man, but what if she never gets better?  What if the damage is too much?  You have to face the facts, that she may never be the same."

"You don't think I haven't thought about this?"

"I'm sure you have.  I just wonder when you're going to accept it."

"I'll tell you what.  I'll accept it when you finally admit that you have feelings for Stephanie.  How does that sound?"

"I'll leave you alone.  I can see that now isn't the time for us to have this conversation."

"Do you think?  My wife is cut all to shit in there
, and I have no idea what the fuck is going through her head, and you want to me to walk out on her? You've overstepped your bounds with me, brother, and I think you should leave."

"I'm sorry, Dylan.  I really am."

Tristan stood, just as the others walked in. 

"Any word on Brooke
, yet?" Steph asked.

"No.  Not yet,
" I replied.

"I hope she's not injured t
oo bad," she said, shooting me an accusing look.  "What the hell did you say to her, anyway?"

Fuck! 
I was pissed.  "I didn't say anything to her that was out of line.  She was being disrespectful to
your
mother and I told her to knock it off.  Not that it's really any of your business, what I say to my wife."

"Well
, excuse me for giving a shit!   Someone has to, since it's obvious that she feels no one does."

"Has it ever occurred to you, Stephanie, that maybe she's upset with you?"

"With me?  Why the hell would she have an issue with me?"

"Oh...I don't know.  Maybe because she thinks you had a perfect life."

She put her hand up.  "I had a perfect life?  Whatever."

"Well, maybe in her eyes you did, regardless of what the truth really is."

My mother stepped in between us.  "You two need to stop this, right now.  You're not doing yourselves any good by blaming each other, and you most certainly are not helping Brooke."

"
I didn't start this, Mother."

"Dylan Matthew,
  it's over!  You have more important things to worry about right now, and arguing with your sister-in-law isn't going to solve shit!"

We
had managed to piss my mom off, because she never swore, unless she was really angry.  I knew better than to argue, even at my age.  I couldn't even begin to imagine how she was feeling.  She had just lost her husband, and her son had just returned home with his fragile wife. 

Brooke's mom said nothing.  She sat quietly in a waiting room chair, off in her own
, little world.  I couldn't help but wonder what kind of shit had gone on in their house while the girls were growing up.  Something inside told me that there was more to all of this than anyone was willing to let on. 

Looking back, I should have known that something was up, when Brooke
started asking about Thomas in the car.  It was odd, because she never asked about him.  Before she had been kidnapped, she had made it very clear that she no longer wanted anything to do with him.  I had so many questions, and the only person that could answer them, was lying in a hospital bed with her secrets. 

"Excuse me, I need to use the restroom, " I said to my mother as I pushed past her.  I entered the bathroom and turned on the w
ater.  I let it run until it was ice cold.  I was in a daze, just standing there, looking at myself in the mirror.  I leaned down toward the sink and splashed water on my face, hoping that it would awaken me from my current nightmare.  I was going crazy, not knowing what was going on with Brooke. 

I grabbed a handful of
paper towels and blotted my reddened face.  I made my way back to the waiting room, just as the doctor was coming through the emergency room doors. 

"Mr. Prescott?" 

"I'm right here," I said, waving my hand as I walked faster toward him. 

As I approached
, he pointed me over to a corner where we had some privacy away from the others.

"
Mr. Prescott, your wife has sustained serious injuries to her hands.  However, she didn't sever any tendons or arteries.  We cleaned her cuts and gave a few stitches in her right hand, which should be completely healed in a couple of weeks.  What I am concerned about, Mr. Prescott, is her mental state of mind.  We are placing her on a seventy-two hour suicide watch, here on our psychiatric unit."  

I gave a nod. 
"Can I see her, now?"

"
Yes, she's been asking for you, but she made it very clear that she doesn't want any other visitors at this time."

"Understood.  Thank you
, doctor."

"I'll take you to her, now."

I followed the good doc into Brooke's room and closed the door for privacy.  I walked closer to her bed and leaned down and placed a soft kiss on her forehead. 

"Hey,
Princess, how you feeling?" I asked in a soft tone.