Page 5 of Kaine

Chapter Three

HER

“No! Let me go!” I scream, bracing against the wall in the dead-end alleyway.

“Give us the money!” He pants in my face, catching up with me and grabbing me by the shoulders, shaking me hard.

“I don’t have any, please, let me go!” I beg.

“Shut her up!” A deep voice orders from behind him.

“Open wide,” the one holding me taunts and grabs my chin, shoving a handful of sawdust into my mouth.

I try to spit it out, choking as it catches in my throat, spluttering trying to breathe.

“Is she okay?” I hear a far-off voice say. It’s a male voice that’s only vaguely familiar.

“Yes, she’s okay, just dreaming.”

“Okay, I’ll be back tomorrow.”

It’s dark again and I sleep.

A while later, I don’t know how long, I feel a soft cool hand press against my forehead. My eyes open and then slam shut again, getting used to the light.

I can just make out a figure by the bed, stocky and dressed in white.

“Where...” I try to speak, but my mouth feels like... huh, feels like sawdust.

“Aw, sugar, hang on, let me get you some water, you must be absolutely parched, the poor dumpling,” the cheery voice says. “Here you go, just go slow, don’t you go choking on my watch now.”

She holds the plastic cup to my lips and I drink fast and long; I’ve never tasted water so delicious before.

When I finally have my fill, I close my eyes and lie back on the pillow. “Thank you,” I say, hoarsely, the water slowly seeping into my lips and tongue. My head is pounding and I just want to sleep.

“You know where you are, sugar?” she asks as she fusses around me, lifting my arm and checking my blood pressure.

“Hospital?” I reply, unsure.

“Haha, well, it sure ain’t heaven, cos I would not be wearin’ vomit splattered shoes if it were!” She belly laughs, appreciating her own joke.

“I’m Ruby, by the way. You call me if you need any damn thing. You’re at Lenox Hill hospital, have been for two days now.” She writes something on a chart and then tucks the blankets tight around me.

“Two days!” I’ve never slept that long in my life. “What happened to me?”

“You got a guardian angel, that’s what happened to you, sugar,” she nods seriously, and then grins, showing her row of bright white teeth. “A gorgeous guardian angel if you get me.”

I can’t help but smile even through the throbbing headache, her joviality is infectious. “I don’t remember anything. My guardian angel is gorgeous, you mean?”

“Well, if his body is anything to go by. My my, if my old man was still alive I’da left him for a piece of your angel, but,” she stops and looks ponderous, “can’t really say I’ve seen much of his face. It was covered most of the time by his hoodie.” She turns back and winks at me, “but sometimes, you don’t really need to look at his face at all, do ya, sugar?” She makes a show of elbowing me and throws back her head and laughs again as she grabs my chart and goes to leave.

“Don’t be going nowhere, doctor’ll be in to see you in a minute, dumplin’.”

“Where am I gonna go?” I call after her, sad to see her go. “Gorgeous guardian angel, huh? Whodathunkit?” I muse to myself as I fall back asleep, dreaming of a man in a grey hoodie rocking me against his chest.

***

“Jade! Oh my god, lookat you. JADE! ARE YOU OKAY?”