The First Lock - 35. Part 3, chapter 8

- VIII -

After Katrena finished talking almost two hours and last remaining cigarette later, Mandy just silently stared at her with huge eyes. Finally, she cleared her throat.

“I see,” she said evenly. “So you figured that if you make up something as wild as the story you just told me, it will...”

“Mandy,” Katrena sighed tiredly. “I didn’t make it up.”

“Uh huh,” Mandy nodded somewhat energetically. “Sure you didn’t! I mean, this whole thing is...”

Katrena sighed again and stretched out her hand, without letting Mandy finish her phrase. She blinked, staring at her palm, and suddenly, a tongue of bright-yellow flame came to life right in the middle of it, dancing wildly in the wind. Mandy made a sound that was a mix of a gasp, cough, and a moan. She stared at the flame without blinking. Katrena glanced around and saw some people walking towards them. She snapped her palm shut, killing the flame instantly.

“I didn’t make it up,” she said in a serious, quiet voice.

Mandy looked at her with disbelief.

“Holy shit...” she said in a small voice. “Fuck me ‘till I cry...”

Katrena let out a small, tired laughter.

“Maybe another time,” she nodded, and Mandy finally blinked and laughed at that weakly.

“Oh my God...” she said slowly. “Does anyone else know...?”

Katrena shook her head.

“No,” she said. “You are the second person I told the story to...”

“Second...?” Mandy raised her eyebrows. “Who was the first?”

“Paul,” Katrena said simply, and Mandy blinked.

“Did he believe you?” she asked.

“Not at first,” Katrena sighed. “I couldn’t demonstrate anything like I just did because I was Locked, so I sliced my hand open instead...” She winced at the memory. “See, I heal a lot faster than anyone normal... That cut was gone in less than an hour...” she shrugged. “He believed me after that,” she nodded thoughtfully.

Mandy lifted her arm and carefully ran her fingers through the white strand of Katrena’s hair.

“You got this after you broke whatever-it’s-called?” she asked carefully.

“The Locks,” Katrena nodded. “The first one; second and third weren’t too bad... In fact, they were quite easy... But that first one...” she shook her head. “The first one was a bitch. I seriously believed that I was going to pop something in my brain and die from internal bleeding,” she winced. “I passed out right when the damn thing finally gave up... When I woke up, I had a nosebleed from hell and my head hurt like it never hurt before,” she sighed. “So yeah... The first Lock was definitely a bitch,” she nodded.

“Oh my God...” Mandy said again and slowly shook her head. “I don’t believe this... I mean, I do after your trick with fire, but at the same time, I don’t... It’s just too...” she shrugged. “Too unbelievable,” she finished.

“I know,” Katrena nodded. “Mandy, I am sorry about lying to you all these years, but...”

“Don’t worry about it,” Mandy muttered. “As you said, I understand now why you made that up... I would do the same thing. Wait,” she frowned. “You never said why you are in the hospital!”

Katrena blinked and realized that she never told Mandy about Jett.

“Damien’s father is in a bad condition,” she said quietly, and Mandy stared at her.

“His father?” she repeated incredulously. “He is here? I thought you got pregnant in your old world... God, it’s weird...” she muttered the last words mostly to herself.

“I did,” Katrena agreed. “I needed his help though after that bitch got Damien... I went back to get him. I couldn’t risk Damien’s life in case if that blonde cunt sensed that something was off... Well, she did sense it...” she grimaced. “That’s why Jett is in the hospital right now... At first, I thought he was dead and...”

“Jett?” Mandy interrupted her, squinting her eyes. “That’s his name?”

“Yes,” Katrena sighed. “That’s his name...”

“I see,” Mandy nodded. “That explains your hesitation with your last name back then...”

“Yes,” Katrena said again.

She was about to say something else, when Damien ran outside, his eyes wide.

“Mom!” he yelled. “Get inside! The doctor is out!”

...She ran inside, almost tripping over her own feet. Mandy caught her right before Katrena lost her balance and fell face-first onto the asphalt. The doctor waited patiently, absent-mindedly twisting a pen in his fingers. He gave her a quick, tired smile as soon as he noticed her. “That’s a good sign,” Katrena thought feverishly. “I mean, he wouldn’t smile if something was wrong, right?”

“Mrs. Bryant,” the doctor said, and Mandy blinked very rapidly at that. “He suffered a nasty case of brain hemorrhage...”

Katrena closed her eyes, trying to stop herself from shaking.

“You got him here right on time,” the doctor continued. “He is going to have some difficulties for a little while, but eventually, he’ll be back to normal...”

“What kind of difficulties?” she asked in a harsh whisper, almost crying with the relief. He was alive... Oh, God, he was alive...!

“Speech impediment,” the doctor was saying meanwhile. “Some of his motor functions will be affected as well... In fact, he is going to spend some time in a wheelchair, but as I said, eventually, he will be fine.” He sighed. “I hate to say it, but he’ll have to stay out of court for at least a year... I am sorry,” he added with a serious and sad nod.

Court? Katrena almost frowned, but then she realized that he was talking about basketball court, since he firmly believed he just operated on Kobe Bryant.

“Thank you, doctor,” she muttered. “When can I see him?”

“Tomorrow morning,” the doctor nodded firmly. “I have to make sure that everything is okay and that the surgery went fine. I am sure it did, but I need to monitor him for the night.”

“All right,” she nodded, and warningly squeezed Damien’s fingers when she felt him tense up. “Thank you, doctor,” she said again, and he nodded and walked away.

“I could make him let you see him,” Damien said quietly, and she looked at him.

“I know,” she said softly and ran her fingers through his hair. “But if he says he needs to monitor him, it’s better to let him do that... I don’t want to take any risks.”

“Who is he, anyway?” Damien made a funny frowned expression. “He looks familiar...”

“Men...” Katrena sighed and glanced at Mandy, who kept staring at the kid with disbelief. She shifted her gaze towards Damien again. “He is your father,” she said softly, and the kid stopped blinking. “It’s a long story,” Katrena nodded. “And no, he didn’t abandon us... In fact, I am the one who did the whole abandoning thing... It’s a long story,” she said again with a sigh after seeing Damien’s expression. “Believe me, he would never abandon us... He never even saw you, but he was willing to risk his life for you, monkey,” she said seriously.

“I am not a monkey,” he said very thoughtfully, and Katrena grinned weakly.

“You are a monkey,” she nodded firmly. “Come on, let’s go get something to eat!” She looked at Mandy, who didn’t look as shocked anymore. “Come on, Mandy,” Katrena said with a half-smile. “My treat!”

Mandy blinked and followed them without saying anything; she just gave Katrena a slight nod.

****

She came to the hospital at nine in the morning, and took a shaky breath after the receptionist told her the room number. She was biting her fingernails the entire time she was in the elevator. “Should’ve taken the stairs,” she thought gloomily after the elevator turned out to be slow as hell. Finally, it arrived onto the floor she needed, and she almost ran out, bumping into some people as she went.

“Sorry...” she muttered without looking back and ignoring a mildly-angry grumble from someone.

She didn’t even bother knocking on the door when she finally got to it; she simply pushed it open and walked inside. He was awake and very confused, it seemed. He looked up as soon as the door opened, and when he saw her, he frowned.

“Hey,” she said in a soft voice, his frown puzzling her. “How are you?”

“I am okay, I suppose...” he said slowly, as if making sure he was saying the right words.

“Doesn’t hurt or anything?” she asked carefully, still trying to figure out the reason for his frown.

“Umm,” he said. “No... Not really...”

“That’s good...” she nodded slowly and sat on the edge of the bed next to him. “You scared me back there,” she said softly and took his hand. His fingers stiffened a little when he felt her touch, and now it was her turn to frown. “What’s wrong?” she asked carefully. “Jett, what’s wrong?” she repeated with badly hidden alarm when he remained in frowned silence.

He blinked several times at the name and looked at her intently.

“Jett,” she said evenly, her fear rising rapidly inside her chest. “Talk to me... What’s wrong?”

He slightly narrowed his eyes and pulled his hand away.

“Who are you?” he asked finally, and Katrena became mute.

She stared at him without blinking, her fingers tightly grasping the sheet.

“You don’t...” she coughed. “You don’t remember...?” she asked incredulously, and he slowly shook his head, a puzzled frown never leaving his forehead.

She closed her eyes briefly.

“Jett...” she said finally, and he interrupted her.

“Why are you calling me that? That’s not my name...”

She opened her eyes, feeling miserable and angry, helpless tears building a waterfall underneath her eyelids.

“Yes,” she said in a strained voice. “It’s your name, Jett...”

“No,” he said slowly without looking away from her face. “Everyone else here calls me Bryant... Kobe Bryant...”

She closed her eyes again, resisting an enormous temptation to burst into a string of unintelligible obscenities. Finally, she took a deep breath and opened her eyes.

“Your name is Jett,” she said evenly. “Jett Rhaddler... Kobe Bryant is...” she hesitated. “It’s a long story,” she said after a minute. “Listen, you...”

“Who are you?” he interrupted her again, more impatiently this time.

“My name is Katrena,” she said as evenly as before. “I am...” She pressed her lips tight. “We know each other,” she finished tightly. “Rather well,” she added in a second.

“I don’t know you,” he shook his head.

“You don’t remember me,” she muttered. “Believe me, you know me...”

“I don’t think so...” he said with great doubt. “If we knew each other before, there should’ve been some recognition, some stirring, some...” he shrugged. “Something,” he said finally. “But when I look at you, there is nothing... I don’t think I know you,” he shrugged again.

“Jett...” she whispered, and he tiredly shook his head.

“I am tired,” he said and closed his eyes.

She sat there, helplessly biting her lip for several minutes, and finally, she slowly got up and went towards the door. Right before she opened it, he said softly behind her back:

“You are so gullible, I can’t believe it...”

She froze on the spot, her fingers glued to the doorknob.

“I would never forget you, Kat,” he laughed softly. “Not even if I had half of my brain knocked out of my skull...” and he laughed again, louder this time.

She turned around very slowly, and he stopped laughing the minute he saw her expression.

“Ah, shit...” he muttered. “You are going to hurt me, aren’t you...?”

She looked at him silently for several minutes, and then turned around and left the room, slamming the door on her way out. She went down the empty hallway, and right before she got to the staircase, she heard in her head:

“Kat, come back... I am sorry, okay? Just come back... Please...?”

She leaned on the wall and closed her eyes, furiously pushing those damn tears back down her throat.

“Kat...” he said silently once again. “Just come back, please... I am sorry! Kat...?”

She dug her fingernails into her palms, ready to be overwhelmed with desire to go back, but it never came. Instead, he sighed deeply in her head.

“Okay...” he said in defeat. “If you don’t come back, I am going to get off this bed, pull all this crap out of my arms, and go look for you... I heal fast, we both know it, I don’t need this shit anyway...”

She swore furiously through her clenched teeth and went back. This time he wasn’t pretending – he really was about to get off the bed and pull all those I.V.’s out of his arms.

“Lie down, you dipshit!” she commanded in a strained voice.

“I heal fast,” he shrugged without letting go of the I.V. tube. “I mean...”

“I said, lie down!” she barked, and he winced. “I know how fast you heal,” she nodded furiously. “But you had a fucking brain hemorrhage! I am not taking any chances when it comes to your bloody brain!”

“Oh...” was all he said, and then he let go of the tube immediately.

“The doctor said that you would have some speech impediment and motor function problems,” she continued in the same furious voice.

“Oh...” he said again and blinked somewhat guiltily. “So I suppose, memory loss was entirely possible, huh?”

“Asshole,” she said darkly, still fuming beyond belief.

“Well,” he said thoughtfully. “I guess you can consider it a payback for those eight years...” He flinched when he saw her expression, which was beyond furious. “Sorry,” he added quickly.

She closed her eyes and took a very slow, deep breath.

“Try something like this again...” she said in a low voice. “...and I...”

“You’ll kill me,” he nodded.

“Oh, no,” she gave him a stretchy, mad smile. “I will make sure you live for a very long time...”

He blinked.

“I am sorry...” he said again without guilt or wincing this time. Now he was quiet and sincere. “Come here...”

She almost flipped him off and left again, but instead of doing that, she slowly walked towards the bed and sat down on its edge, her back beyond rigid. He reached out and grabbed her hand, wrapping his fingers firmly around hers.

“Kat...” he whispered. “I am sorry...”

“Ass,” she said in a less furious voice than before, and he smiled weakly.

He gently pulled her arm, and she narrowed her eyes.

“I am not doing anything with you,” she said firmly. “Not for a week, at least! I have to make sure that you are fine! As I said, I am not taking any chances; not when it comes to your brain!”

“Lie next to me,” he said quietly. “That’s all... Just lie next to me... I just want to be able to inhale you again, to hold you, to...” he sighed. “Just lie next to me,” he finished.

She locked her teeth together and narrowed her eyes, studying his face. Finally, she let out a small sigh, and carefully slid into the hospital bed next to him. He wrapped his arms around her, and she closed her eyes after she buried her face in his chest.

“Who is Kobe Bryant?” he asked softly after several minutes.

“He is a basketball player,” he voice sounded muffled because she never pulled away from his chest. “Damien’s favorite... I had to make sure that nobody pestered me with any I.D. questions, so I asked him to make them think they knew you... Kobe Bryant was the only one he could think of...” she smiled against his skin, and he hugged her tighter.

“I see...” he said thoughtfully. “I figured he was someone famous... I mean, the way everyone treats me here...” he shrugged without finishing the sentence. “Hey!” he sounded like he just remembered something very important. “Where is Damien? Is he all right?”

“He is fine,” she nodded against his chest, sensing his immediate relief. “He is with Mandy...”

“Who is Mandy?” he muttered, burying his face in her hair.

“My friend...” she said into his skin.

“Roxanne DeLuca...?”

“Gone,” she nodded without opening her eyes, and he relaxed.

“Oh, man...” he muttered a minute later. “Have fun explaining to him who I really am...”

She smiled weakly at that.

“He knows,” she nodded into his chest. “I told him,” she added when she felt him tense in surprise.

“How did he react?” Jett muttered finally, his arms tight around her.

“He is fine, I guess...” she shrugged. “He might freak out later on, but right now, he is okay...”

“Okay...” he breathed. “Who is Paul?” he asked after several minutes, and she sighed.

“I will tell you later,” she muttered without pulling away. “Is that okay...?”

“Yeah,” he said softly. “It’s okay...” He was silent for several minutes. “You are not with him now, are you?” he asked finally, and she immediately shook her head.

“No,” she whispered. “I am not...”

“Okay,” he muttered and closed his eyes without letting go of her shoulders.