Chapter 6

CHAPTER 6

Frankie

I heard the crash all the way in the kitchen where I was making lunch. Granted, the safe house wasn't very big, but it was surprisingly well insulated. Sound didn't travel very far when the doors were closed, so the fact that I could hear the noise from several rooms away meant it must have been loud.

Taking just long enough to safely store the sharp kitchen knife away, I ran to the back bedroom. Not sure what I would find on the other side, I turned the knob and opened the door carefully. Sebastian lay sprawled on the floor, still tangled in the bed sheets, with Newt flittering around like a distressed hummingbird.

"Oh my God. Are you okay? No, of course you're not. Don't move. What hurts?"

I grabbed my friend and stopped him from tripping over his own boyfriend.

"What happened?"

Newt knelt on the floor next to Sebastian and checked the man for a concussion. "Well, I guess Sebastian tried to lean too far over the edge of the bed. I only looked away for a moment, but it was my fault. I should have been paying more attention."

"Ugh, stop it." Sebastian batted Newt's hand away. "It's not... I was just trying to reach the glass on the table. I should at least be able to get my own damn drink of water."

While Newt helped Sebastian to sit up, I found the glass in question. It was lying on the floor, its contents now soaking into the carpet. Based on the water ring on the table, however, the glass had previously been just a little too far away for Sebastian to reach. Instead of asking for help, the idiot had tried to get it himself.

As much as I loved my job as a physical therapist, this was one of the things I hated about working with patients. They could be so stubborn, even to their own detriment.

Unfortunately, Gabe wasn't available to help. He'd left to go meet with some people and hadn't said when he'd be back. So, Newt and I had no choice but to hoist Sebastian back into the bed by ourselves.

As the taller of the two of us, I took Sebastian's upper body and hooked my arms under his shoulders. Newt took charge of Sebastian's legs, being very careful of his cast. Together, the two of us managed to lift the larger man. It wasn't graceful, and the movement jostled Sebastian around more than I would've liked, but it worked.

Once Sebastian was settled, I reached for the pillows to rearrange them, only to find a red smear of blood staining my skin. I stared at it for a moment, wondering how I'd hurt myself. Then the truth hit me.

The blood wasn't mine.

I glanced back at Sebastian, noting the man had a grimace on his face. He knew what I'd just realized.

"Show me."

For a moment it looked like he would argue, but then he sighed and gave in. Lifting up his shirt, he showed me his ribs. A few had been cracked in the explosion back at the apartment, and large ugly bruises ran up and down his side. There were even deep gashes where something had raked against his ribs. The damage had been fixed up in the hospital, but his tumble had ripped a few of the stitches. Some of the dark strings hung loose, and blood seeped freely from the wound.

The bleeding was sluggish, so it wasn't an immediate danger, but would need to be repaired right away.

"Uh, Newt, we've got a problem."

"I'll say."

I met Newt's eye to find him holding a metal pole.

When Sebastian fell off the bed, he'd knocked his traction rigging over as well, which had made most of the crashing sound I heard. The fall had damaged the rigging, and even from a quick observation I could tell it wasn't salvageable. It would need to be replaced.

Re-stitching some wounds we could handle, but replacing the traction rigging would be a much harder problem to solve.

"Damn it," I grumbled as I cleaned the blood from my hands. "Perfect time for Gabe to be gone. We don't have a way to fix this."

"We might be able to rig something up with what we have here," Newt suggested. "Maybe tie some towels between a few chairs." He was already grabbing the nearest chair and lining it up with the bed. It wasn't tall enough. If we stacked the chair on top of something else it might work, but such a structure would be unstable at best and a hazard at worst.

I huffed and ran a hand through my braids.

"That might work temporarily, but I wouldn't trust it long term."

I sighed again, then stood up straight with a new facade of confidence.

"All right, here's what we're going to do. Newt, get your man stitched up and check to see if he has any other wounds he hasn't told us about." I glared at Sebastian, and the man at least had enough sense to look abashed over his actions. "Meanwhile, I'll drive into town and see what I can find to build a new traction frame. We've still got the RV. It's not the most efficient vehicle, but it'll get me there and back."

I headed for the door, eager to take action.

Newt followed me.

"But, Frankie, Gabe said not to use our credit cards since they can be tracked. How will you buy anything?"

That was a good point. I stopped in my tracks halfway to the door.

"I think Gabe left behind some emergency cash. Let me check."

I ended up having to search through the FBI Agent's stuff in the bedroom before eventually finding an envelope with some cash tucked away in a folder. Most of the cash I left alone, only taking as much as I thought I would need, but I still felt guilty. Technically, it wasn't my money, so this could be called stealing.

No, it was supposed to be for emergencies, and this counted as an emergency. We were left alone, and Sebastian needed something to help with his healing. Besides, Gabe and I were sharing the bedroom. In such a setup, he couldn't expect privacy.

I certainly didn't have any.

After giving Newt one final reassurance that I would be back soon, and reminding him to keep the doors locked, I hopped into the RV.

Maneuvering the cumbersome vehicle was easier this time since it wasn't raining and I actually knew where I was going. Still, the ten-mile drive into town took me nearly half an hour to navigate. Then there was another twenty minutes of aimless driving before I found a hardware store. The town didn't have much, but I couldn't help looking around with suspicious eyes.

Was that person walking on the sidewalk staring at the RV with too much interest?

Was the car behind me on the road following me?

Someone outside the hardware store was talking on the phone.

Who were they calling?

Were they reporting me to someone?

After pulling the RV into a parking spot, I took a deep breath and leaned my head against the steering wheel. Spending so much time with Gabe was making me paranoid. Yes, people were out to get us, but that didn't mean the whole world was our enemy.

The hardware store ended up being one of those mom and pop places where everything is organized in a way that only makes sense to the owner. I searched the shelves for a few minutes on my own but ended up having to ask the person working there for help. I gave a vague description of what I was trying to make, without revealing what it was for, and they helped me find the materials I would need. They even gave me a few ideas about how to make the whole structure sturdier, just in case Sebastian got the urge to be self-sufficient and fell out of bed again.

Hopefully, that wouldn't happen. His wounds didn't need any more stress, but I would rather be overly prepared than taken by surprise.

By the time I left the hardware store, I'd already been away from the safe house for an hour and a half. Newt would be worried, and there would be hell to pay if Gabe came back while I was gone. I should have immediately returned to the safe house, but my eye caught on the grocery store standing next to the hardware store.

Gabe had bought us basic supplies already, but the man seemed to be under the impression that living like he was still in the army was acceptable, and that everyone would be happy with such conditions. Protein drinks and granola bars were okay for a few meals, but we were going to need some more variety in our diets if we were going to be living there for a while.

Not to mention a few creature comforts would be nice. The man hadn't even bought us shampoo. Just plain bars of soap.

I scratched at my braids, which were in desperate need of some attention.

Yeah, there was no argument. I was definitely getting a few extra things at the store.

Another half hour later, and with the cash I'd brought nearly depleted, I was ready to return to the safe house. Only a little daylight remained, so I hurried back. Driving through the woods in the dark had been difficult enough the first time. I didn't want to do it again.

The last rays of sunlight were just fading to twilight among the forest's canopy when I pulled the RV up to the safe house.

"Oh, shit."

All my rushing to get back to the safe house had been pointless. Another car already sat in the clearing.

Gabe had returned before me.

Breathing deeply through my nose in an effort to rally my patience—the kind I usually reserved only for the most difficult patients—I braced myself to enter the house.

There were too many bags for me to carry in one go, so I started with the grocery items. A few of my purchases were perishable, so I wanted to get them in the refrigerator right away.

I managed to get all the way to the kitchen and set the bags down on the table before I was noticed.

"Where have you been?"

I held a sigh back behind my teeth at the sound of Gabe's demand.

"I just went out to get some things," I said as I started storing the items away in the mostly empty cabinets. "We needed?—"

"I can see what you needed."

Gabe held up the bag of M&Ms I'd bought for Newt. They were his favorite, and my friend had been so stressed trying to take care of Sebastian. A little chocolate was usually the quickest way to calm him down. Yet, Gabe stared at me with a judgmental eye, as if I'd brought cocaine into the house.

Breathe , I reminded myself. It was no different than dealing with a headstrong patient that questioned all of my instructions.

Just breathe .

"You weren't here, and Sebastian needed a few things, so I went out. Nothing happened, and everything is fine. There's no reason to get mad."

Although I hadn't finished putting everything away, I left the kitchen and headed back out to the RV to fetch the supplies from the hardware store. I had at least put away the perishables. Everything else could sit on the kitchen table until later. I refused to stand around and be scolded like a child.

Unfortunately, Gabe was insistent on making his opinions known and followed me out to the RV.

"What if something had happened to you while you were alone? Or what if something had happened here?"

Grabbing the last of the bags out of the RV, I slammed the door hard enough that the window seemed in danger of breaking.

"It was fine. Newt was here with Sebastian. I told them to keep the doors locked. They survived just fine without me for a little while."

I was on the front porch, almost back inside the house, when Gabe's words stopped me in my tracks.

"I'm almost not surprised by your disregard for your own safety, but I thought you'd at least show more care for your patient."

"What?" My footsteps echoed on the wooden boards of the porch as I turned around slowly to face the man standing just a few feet away. "What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

Gabe crossed his arms over his chest, making him look even larger. Although I stood on the porch and his feet were planted on the ground, he barely had to look up to meet my eye.

"You promised to help Sebastian recover. You're a physical therapist. It's your job to help take care of people. Yet, you left the people relying on you alone and vulnerable so you could go shopping for junk. If you're this irresponsible with all your patients, then healthcare probably isn't the best career for you."

We hadn't known each other very long. Only a few weeks. Yet, somehow, Gabe knew exactly how to hit me where it hurt most. A literal stab to the chest would have been less painful. My job was one of the most important things in my life. Some days it felt like the only thing keeping me going. To say I didn't deserve my job was basically the same as saying I didn't deserve life.

He said it so matter-of-factly as well. I would have preferred if he screamed or got mad. Then I could excuse his statement as a fit of emotion.

But no.

He spoke calmly and disregarded my life's work as if it were an obvious fact.

I stood frozen on the porch. A cool wind blew through the trees now that the sun had set, and goosebumps prickled my skin. Yet, I couldn't even bring myself to move two steps into the warmth of the house.

"Hey, Frankie, you're back," Newt's voice greeted me and broke the silence.

I turned away from Gabe and found my friend standing in the open doorway. The light from inside the house glowed at his back.

"Did you get the stuff? You were right. My idea with the chairs isn't going to last. It's almost fallen over twice now. I hope you were able to find something."

He was smiling, but the expression didn't reach his eyes. I'd known the man long enough to recognize what was going through his head. He'd heard my argument with Gabe and was coming to my rescue.

The relief that filled my chest was so strong I nearly kissed him. Instead, I held up the bags still clutched in my hands. "Yep. Got it. The person at the hardware store gave me some ideas, too, so we should be able to come up with something."

"Great." Newt grabbed my arm and pulled me inside. "Come on. Sebastian is asleep right now, so it's perfect timing. If we have to move him again it won't cause him any pain."

We brought the bags into the far bedroom where, just as Newt had said, Sebastian was deeply asleep. He was still on a lot of painkillers, and I was honestly surprised he managed to stay awake as often as he did.

We dumped the contents of the hardware store bags onto the floor and started sorting through the different bits and pieces. Thanks to the instructions I'd gotten at the store, it wasn't hard to come up with a viable idea to replace the broken traction frame. The two of us sat on the floor like children putting together a puzzle. Through our efforts, little by little, the contraption started to take shape.

I was in the middle of struggling with a difficult screw that didn't want to fit into place when Newt suddenly spoke up.

"I noticed you got some other stuff."

"Yeah," I said without looking up. The screw had just started to behave, and I didn't want to let it get away from me. "Just some food and basic stuff, you know. To make living here a little more comfortable."

"Great. I'm starving, and Sebastian is going to need plenty of good nutrition while he's healing."

The screw finally fell into place, and I laughed. "You and your freak of nature metabolism. I swear, Newt, your stomach is like a black hole."

For the first time in several minutes, I looked up from our contraption, only to notice that Newt wasn't paying attention to me. He was looking at something over my shoulder.

Craning my neck to look in the same direction, I saw Gabe standing in the doorway watching us with an unreadable expression on his face.

Not that it was different from his usual expression. His face was almost always unreadable.

"Do you mind?" Newt said, his voice flatter than usual. "We're trying to get this finished before Sebastian wakes up."

His hands were occupied holding the last pieces of our contraption together, so Newt stretched out his leg and closed the bedroom door with his foot.

Gabe didn't say a word as it slammed in his face.

Newt didn't ask me about the argument, and I didn't feel inclined to talk about it either. We just passed each other an understanding smile and set to work finishing our project.

A few minutes later it was finally done. Sebastian's leg was secured safely in the new traction frame, and he hadn't even woken up when we made the transfer.

"Whew. Another crisis averted," Newt said as we admired our handiwork. "I don't know about you, but I'm beat."

"I know," I agreed. "I think an early bedtime is calling my name tonight."

"Same," Newt nodded. "Although, first, I think a shower is needed. And then I'm raiding the pantry now that we've got some proper food in this place. See you in the morning?"

I shrugged as I opened the bedroom door. "Of course. Where else would I be?"

Newt really was an angel. No matter what was going on, he had a magic ability to make everything seem like it was going to be okay.

Maybe that was why he ate so much. It took a lot of energy to stay positive all the time.

My good mood lasted until I reached my own bedroom.

"Oh, hell no."

I'd been so focused on getting Sebastian taken care of that I'd forgotten one crucial fact. Gabe and I were still sharing a bedroom. He sat on the edge of the bed, scrolling through something on his phone, but he immediately looked up when I opened the door.

Our eyes locked for one tense and silent moment. Then I threw my hands in the air.

"Nope."

After our earlier argument, there was no way I was sleeping next to the man that night. No pillow wall would ever be high enough for me to relax with him so close by.

I needed some space. At least for one night.

The keys to the RV still sat like a lead weight in my pocket. Making a quick decision, I grabbed what few articles of clothing I owned and headed for the door.

I had hoped that Gabe would let me go without another fight.

I was wrong.

"Where are you going?" he demanded as he followed me.

My teeth clenched so hard I was barely able to spit out one single word.

"Out."

I stormed right through the front door and out toward the RV. My hands shook and I fumbled with the keys, which made a loud jangling sound in the otherwise silent forest.

Just as I managed to unlock the door to the RV, the keys were snatched from my hand.

"You can't leave," Gabe said, waving the keys in front of me like an accusation.

I tried to snatch them back, but I wasn't fast enough. "I'm not leaving. I'm just sleeping out here tonight."

Gabe stuffed the keys into his own pocket, where I would have no chance of retrieving them unless I wanted to go rooting through his pants. "No. You're safer inside. You need to stay there."

At least I'd already managed to unlock the RV. Giving up the keys as a lost cause, I pulled open the door, but Gabe blocked my path before I could set foot inside the RV.

"Would you fucking back off," I shouted as I shoved ineffectively at his chest. I may as well have punched a marble statue for all the good it did. "I don't care if it's safer inside. I need some space."

Finally, I was able to read one of the man's expressions. Oddly enough, he seemed baffled. It was like he couldn't understand why his claim that it was safer inside hadn't immediately won the argument.

"Are you doing this on purpose?"

In the face of such a strange question I nearly forgot my anger.

"What are you talking about?"

"This." He gestured to me, the RV, and the house like it was supposed to mean something. "Disobeying. Putting yourself in danger. Are you doing it on purpose?"

I laughed in his face, and the sharp sound of my voice startled a few birds from their trees. "What do you expect? That we're supposed to just obey you when you're keeping us like prisoners here. No. Worse than that. Prisoners are at least allowed the luxury of shampoo. We're just dolls to you. Something that you can box up and put away on a shelf while you go off and play the big badass hero all on your own."

I shoved him again and this time actually managed to make the man stumble back a step. Taking my opening, I pushed past him into the RV.

"I don't know why you're surprised. Anyone would be mad after you belittled them like that. I've given up everything to help my friend. I didn't even get to say goodbye to my family before being dragged out here, and I haven't said one word of complaint about it. Yet you still accuse me of being irresponsible. Of being selfish. Fuck that."

I stood in the door to the RV, filling the space with my body in case Gabe tried to follow me inside.

"I'm sorry I'm not the obedient soldier you would prefer, but you're just going to have to deal with that. Now, leave me alone."

Then I slammed the RV door closed before he could try to continue arguing and locked it from the inside. The sudden burst of emotion had my heart racing and I sat on the floor of the RV, waiting to see what would happen.

A few moments of silence passed where my pulse slowly calmed down. Eventually, I heard the faint sound of footsteps leaving and I watched through the RV window as Gabe went back inside the house.

I collapsed on the floor as a whole new barrage of emotions hit me. Tears that I had been holding back for days finally broke free from the dam I'd trapped them behind and flooded my eyes.

It wasn't fair.

I'd sacrificed so much without complaining. I'd done everything that was asked of me, and even gone above expectation. Yet somehow, once again, I wasn't enough.

The minute I had my own thoughts, took my own actions, suddenly I became an ungrateful brat and none of my previous efforts mattered.

My parents and Gabe would probably get along like a house on fire.

That was a bad analogy, considering the apartment we were living in had literally been blown up and burned down.

Although, maybe that made it an even more accurate comparison.

The words I'd said to Gabe continued to echo in my head. I hadn't told my parents goodbye. I hadn't told anybody that I was leaving. The only person I would have told was Newt, and he was coming with us so there was no point.

If I never returned from this little adventure, would anyone notice?

My therapy patients had probably already been reassigned. I only talked to my parents once a month, and they may not care if I missed a month.

My landlord might not even notice, since I had no idea what happened with the apartment I shared with Newt once we went into hiding. Gabe had vaguely mentioned that it would be taken care of, but I had no idea what that meant.

So, the answer to my question was obvious. No one would notice if I never came back. At least, not for a while.

Wiping the tears from my eyes, I shed my clothes where I stood. I climbed onto one of the RV beds and wrapped myself in blankets. The wind whispered against the walls, like a dozen grasping hands trying to find a way inside my little haven of warmth.

I buried my head deeper into the bedding to try and block out all the sounds around me.

When I couldn't hear anything but the rushing of my own blood in my ears, I was finally able to relax a bit. One of my hands carded through my braids and traced over the familiar line of a scar running along my scalp. It extended from a spot just an inch behind my ear all the way to the back of my head. I'd had the scar for years, and most days I forgot it even existed. Every now and then, however, something would remind me of it, and then it was all I could think about.

I tucked my hand under the pillow before I gave in to the urge and started scratching at the line of uneven scar tissue.

It was a reminder of the last time someone other than Newt had noticed my absence.