Page 71 of Vows of Blood
He sighs and rubs the bridge of his nose. “Then look through your sister’s stuff or something. Go. Get some clothes on so we can get out of here.”
I go up the stairs and to Annie’s bedroom. I’m kind of tempted to peek in on my old bedroom, but I pass it by. I’m sure that there will be plenty of time to see it again once I’m moved back into this place. I have no doubt that’s where I’m headed until I can get my own place again.
I step into my sister’s room and the faint smell of perfumed powder hits me. She liked that kind that smelled like flowers. Lavender and roses, usually. There’s a mix of it in the air here. I walk across the plush white carpet to her closet. She got to have a mirrored closet, something that I wanted too, but I knew better than to ask for one. My mother was big on treating us like we were two different entities.
As I approach, I suddenly see the wisdom in my mother’s choice. I don’t look like the girl who left this house. My hair, which I cut short ages ago, is starting to grow out some and is getting close to being the length it was when this all started. In a couple of months, it’ll be back at my shoulders again.
I look pale and a little thinner than when I left. I lean in and examine the circles under my eyes. Is this worry, or just a byproduct of tonight’s chaos?
I open the closet, pushing my reflection out of the way, and thumb through my sister’s clothes. I’m not wearing any underwear, so I guess I’m just out of luck there. There’s no way I’m putting on my sister’s panties. I ain’t that desperate. Butthere’s a collection of nice blouses and some jeans folded over hangers. Only Annie would hang her jeans up on a hanger.
Annie had her own place before all this, but she liked to keep clothes here. Who knows why? I guess that’s lucky for me right now.
“Three minutes!” I hear from downstairs. It snaps me out of my revelry and I put on the blouse and jeans. I go to her dresser and find a pair of socks, then a pair of her pristine white canvas shoes.
If there’s any good in any of this, at least it’s that I’ll be able to see my father. I’ll be able to find out if he’s really all right.
We leave the house and now we’re on our way to the hospital. I ride back in silence, thinking about what I’m going to say to him. A lot of things have changed in my mind since he’s been shot, the main thing being my feelings for Alexei. If he’s still alive, I want another chance with him. He can call his dogs off and bring him to me. From there… well, I don’t know what happens from there. But at least he’ll be alive.
We pull into the hospital parking lot an hour later. As we pull into the parking space, Paul says to Georgie, “All right, let’s go. Boss is waiting.”
It’s just before dawn. Birds are starting to sing in the distance as I’m walked across the parking lot and into the hospital. In another timeline, I’m waking up in Alexei’s arms and confessing my love for him.
They stay on either side of me as we walk to the elevators and they don’t change positions even as we ride up and walk to my father’s room. They’re making sure I don’t bolt, I guess.
We turn a corner down a hallway and I can tell immediately which room is my father’s. Another of his men, this one I only know as ‘Fingers’, is sitting in front of the door reading a book. As soon as he sees us, he stands up to his full height. He’s as tall and as thin as a giant piece of rope or spaghetti.
“Hey, Paul,” he says without acknowledging me at all.
“Fingers,” Paul responds. “How’s the bossman?”
“Doctor just left. Said he looks good.”
“That’s good news.” Paul turns to Georgie. “Stay out here with Fingers. I’ll be back out in a second.”
He nods to me, and the two of us walk into the room.
My father is in his hospital bed, hooked up to a million wires. The machines around him beep and chirp in synchronistic rhythm. And it smells like disinfectant with a hint of his cologne mixed in. It’s almost laughable that he’d even be wearing it right now.
He sees me and his pallid complexion softens as he smiles, the light brightening in his eyes. And…
And I start crying. Sobs rise up and escape me as I walk over to his bed. I can’t control it. It’s just coming out of me in rivers.
I hug him, leaning into his chest as I start weeping. He runs his hand over my hair and goes, “Hey, hey, kid. I’m all right.”
I know he is. I think I knew he was before I even got here. But just seeing him isn’t the reason I’m crying. It’s everything. It’s the violence, it’s Alexei, it’s probably even my hormones. I blubber into his hospital gown a little longer before I hear him say, “Hey, get her some water or something.”
The door opens and closes behind me as I get myself together and lift my head up. “Hey.” He laughs. “Listen, there’s no need for all the tears. Those sonsabitches missed their shot and it’s all thanks to you. I’d be six feet under if you hadn’t warned me.”
All I can do is nod. The door opens again and Paul returns with a cup of water. “Pull up a chair,” my dad says to me. “Stay a while.”
I look around and see a chair by the wall. I drink the water in one gulp, then pull the chair up to his bed.
“Listen, Paul,” my father says, “leave us alone for a little bit, all right? I need to talk to my daughter.”
“Sure thing,” he says. Once he’s gone, the hysteria seems to leave me. I sit there sniffling like scolded child.
“You know, I never should have doubted you in the first place,” he says. “I should have known my own flesh and blood would come through, no matter what.”
