Basketcase, chapter 19
*Recap*
"We have to help her, now." I told him motioning towards the note.
"But she's in Texas..." he stared at me.
That's what this is for...." I pulled out a wad of money from my pocket. "Its enough to get us there and back..."
*End recap*
Tre's eyes lit up with the idea. "I'll be right back." He jumped up and ran off to get something from his room. He sprinted back, still magically silent.... and just the a huge bang came from the front door. I jumped and Tre ran to it. He looked through the peep hole and glanced at me, eyes wide open. He pulled the door open slowly and a body collapsed on him. He caught it and dragged it to the couch..... It was Erin, she was passed out and she had bruises all over her. I gasped...
"Holy shit Tre.... get a bowl of warm water and a rag." He obeyed. I took the rag and wiped the dirt away from her face. Tre came up behind me and laid her whole body gently on the couch.
"What happened to her?" Tre asked worriedly while rubbing her arm.
"I'm not sure, but I bet it has to do with her mom." I answered.
A few minutes later her eyes fluttered open.
"You're awake! Oh My God, you're not dead!" Tre exclaimed.
"I'm all right I- ugh" She clutched her hand to her side and Tre lifted up her shirt enough to see a huge bruise on her rib.
"Did she do this to you!? Did your mother hurt you again?!" Tre yelled, fists clenched.
"Yes... I managed to get away..."
"What happened?" I asked, laying some ice on her side. She winced, but held it there.
"Well, after we left, she took me to the hotel she was staying at... she walked inside and started to yell at me. She pushed me up against the wall and She told me a was a worthless whore and that I didn't deserve to live in her presence. So I yelled at her, saying that I would rather die than live with her. And that's when.." she paused trying to hold the tears back and Tre pulled her into a hug. I walked over to her and rubbed her back.
"It's okay," I said. "You don't have to tell us now, we can wait until you've had some rest...."
"No, it's okay." She pulled away from Tre's embrace and sat back up, wincing once again." After I told her I'd rather die than live with her she said, 'That's fine with me, bitch!' and she pulled me away from the wall and threw me onto the ground, I tried to get up but she kicked me in the ribs. Then she pulled me off the ground and slapped me. She just kept hitting me, I gathered the strength to smack her with the tequila bottle she was drinking, she fell over and I hit her with this metal thing and she passed out..."
"Nice." Tre said.
"Shut up, Tre." I hissed.
"Anyway," Erin continued. "I ran out of the hotel and I collapsed, I managed to get to a bus station and come here. I walked up the drive way.... then I guess I passed out."
"She's going to regret all of that..." Tre started to stand. With some trouble Erin stood up.
"Tre, please don't leave me..." she said, letting the tears she was holding fall freely. He walked back to her and pulled her into a light hug.
"I won't, but something has to be done..." he said, trying to soothe her.
"We need to get you to a hospital.... you might have a broken rib." I told her, "I'll deal with your mother... don't worry.... Tre take her to the emergency room." They nodded, Tre picked her up and I walked out to the car with them. He set her gently in the back of the car and sat down in the driver's seat. "Take care of her..." I demanded. He nodded and pulled out slowly. I walked back in a took the phone off the hook. I dialed the police and told them what was going on. They assured me that they would be on the look out for her. I agreed and hung up.
I decided that Billie and Mike should know what's going on, and that we should all go up t the hospital. I walked into my room and found Billie laying on his side, staring at the wall. "You okay?" I asked him, gently sitting down and setting my head on his shoulder.
"Hmm? Yeah... Just thinking...." he replied.
"Bill, we need to get to the hospital." His head shot up as I said this.
"Why?!"
"Erin's back, she's hurt really bad... Tre's already taken her, but we need to get Mike up and drive over there to see what's going on.... I've already called the cops, they've started searching for her mother..." He jumped out of bed and threw on some pants. I walked out of the room and across the hall to Mike's. I woke him up and told him the same story, we jumped into his car and drove off to the hospital...
"We have to help her, now." I told him motioning towards the note.
"But she's in Texas..." he stared at me.
That's what this is for...." I pulled out a wad of money from my pocket. "Its enough to get us there and back..."
*End recap*
Tre's eyes lit up with the idea. "I'll be right back." He jumped up and ran off to get something from his room. He sprinted back, still magically silent.... and just the a huge bang came from the front door. I jumped and Tre ran to it. He looked through the peep hole and glanced at me, eyes wide open. He pulled the door open slowly and a body collapsed on him. He caught it and dragged it to the couch..... It was Erin, she was passed out and she had bruises all over her. I gasped...
"Holy shit Tre.... get a bowl of warm water and a rag." He obeyed. I took the rag and wiped the dirt away from her face. Tre came up behind me and laid her whole body gently on the couch.
"What happened to her?" Tre asked worriedly while rubbing her arm.
"I'm not sure, but I bet it has to do with her mom." I answered.
A few minutes later her eyes fluttered open.
"You're awake! Oh My God, you're not dead!" Tre exclaimed.
"I'm all right I- ugh" She clutched her hand to her side and Tre lifted up her shirt enough to see a huge bruise on her rib.
"Did she do this to you!? Did your mother hurt you again?!" Tre yelled, fists clenched.
"Yes... I managed to get away..."
"What happened?" I asked, laying some ice on her side. She winced, but held it there.
"Well, after we left, she took me to the hotel she was staying at... she walked inside and started to yell at me. She pushed me up against the wall and She told me a was a worthless whore and that I didn't deserve to live in her presence. So I yelled at her, saying that I would rather die than live with her. And that's when.." she paused trying to hold the tears back and Tre pulled her into a hug. I walked over to her and rubbed her back.
"It's okay," I said. "You don't have to tell us now, we can wait until you've had some rest...."
"No, it's okay." She pulled away from Tre's embrace and sat back up, wincing once again." After I told her I'd rather die than live with her she said, 'That's fine with me, bitch!' and she pulled me away from the wall and threw me onto the ground, I tried to get up but she kicked me in the ribs. Then she pulled me off the ground and slapped me. She just kept hitting me, I gathered the strength to smack her with the tequila bottle she was drinking, she fell over and I hit her with this metal thing and she passed out..."
"Nice." Tre said.
"Shut up, Tre." I hissed.
"Anyway," Erin continued. "I ran out of the hotel and I collapsed, I managed to get to a bus station and come here. I walked up the drive way.... then I guess I passed out."
"She's going to regret all of that..." Tre started to stand. With some trouble Erin stood up.
"Tre, please don't leave me..." she said, letting the tears she was holding fall freely. He walked back to her and pulled her into a light hug.
"I won't, but something has to be done..." he said, trying to soothe her.
"We need to get you to a hospital.... you might have a broken rib." I told her, "I'll deal with your mother... don't worry.... Tre take her to the emergency room." They nodded, Tre picked her up and I walked out to the car with them. He set her gently in the back of the car and sat down in the driver's seat. "Take care of her..." I demanded. He nodded and pulled out slowly. I walked back in a took the phone off the hook. I dialed the police and told them what was going on. They assured me that they would be on the look out for her. I agreed and hung up.
I decided that Billie and Mike should know what's going on, and that we should all go up t the hospital. I walked into my room and found Billie laying on his side, staring at the wall. "You okay?" I asked him, gently sitting down and setting my head on his shoulder.
"Hmm? Yeah... Just thinking...." he replied.
"Bill, we need to get to the hospital." His head shot up as I said this.
"Why?!"
"Erin's back, she's hurt really bad... Tre's already taken her, but we need to get Mike up and drive over there to see what's going on.... I've already called the cops, they've started searching for her mother..." He jumped out of bed and threw on some pants. I walked out of the room and across the hall to Mike's. I woke him up and told him the same story, we jumped into his car and drove off to the hospital...
