Suppression: Laurel Springs Emergency Response Team #2

by Laramie Briscoe

  I pause, because I’m not sure if I’m doing this right.

  “So he’ll never hurt me again?” he asks.

  “Never again.”

  He lets loose a long breath, his shoulders seem to slump from what appears to be a huge weight he’s been carrying. “I love him, but I hate him too. He made me scared of him. I like you and Nick better. I feel loved with you two.”

  Wrapping my arms around him, I kiss him on the forehead. “Then with us is where you’ll be. Wanna say a prayer with me for your dad and Nick?”

  He nods, slipping his small hand in mine. As we bow our heads, I have a silent prayer of my own, one hoping I’m doing the right thing.

  Twenty-Seven

  Kelsea

  Waiting is the worst, especially as Darren sits curled up next to me. I have to admit, even though I’m sad about the events that brought him here, I’m happy to have him beside me. For the last few weeks, he’s been my buddy. While I would do anything to take away the pain I know he’s feeling, I’m almost glad he doesn’t have to grow up with the piece of shit father he had.

  Sighing, I look at my watch, wondering how long it’s going to be before someone comes out and tells us how he’s doing. He went into recovery almost an hour ago, according to the patient board. I’m about to not be patient any longer.

  “Do you want some coffee, honey?” I look up, seeing Whitney.

  “I should be asking you, if you need anything.” I scoot over, doing my best not to disturb Darren.

  “No.” She grabs hold of my hand. “He’d want me to take care of you.”

  For some reason Whitney saying those words starts the water works I’ve been trying to hold at bay for the last three hours since Darren showed up. She puts her arm around my shoulder, hugging me tightly.

  “He loves you, you know that, right?”

  My chin trembles as I try to keep my emotions in check. “I know he does, he just has a hard time expressing his feelings.”

  “He does,” she agrees. “Did you ever hear how he came to live with us?” She asks as Darren shifts off me in his sleep.

  “No.” I shake my head. I’ve only heard parts of the story here and there. No one has ever told me the whole thing.

  “C’mon, let’s take a walk.”

  I don’t want to leave this place, because they might get an update, and then I won’t be around. She must notice the panic in my face as she holds up what looks like a beeper. “They’ll let us know when he’s awake.”

  “And I’ll take care of Darren,” Mom says as she comes to sit next to him, smoothing his hair back softly.

  Walking next to Whitney is soothing, I’m not exactly sure why or how, maybe it’s because we both love Nick and we have that common bond.

  “It all started when Ryan came home from work one day. He was furious and bothered by something he’d seen when he was working a theft case. He told me about the teenage boy who’d stolen food because he was hungry and clothes because his clothes were too small. He’d left an IOU in place of everything he’d stolen.” She wipes at her eyes. “Even when the world has tried to push him down, Nick’s always been a stand-up person.”

  “He has.” I think back to things I’ve seen him do, how he holds me at night when he doesn’t think I’m paying attention.

  “So anyway, Ryan comes home with this story of this teenager, and I don’t know.” she shrugs. “Something came over me, and I asked him if he had anyone to take care of him.”

  “That sounds like something you would do.” I grin at her.

  “We tried to have another one after Stella, but it never worked out for us, and the moment he mentioned Nick, I knew I was waiting for him. We were supposed to have him. He needed a home full of love, we had one. The very next day I went to a lawyer friend of ours, and Ryan went to some people who owed him a few favors. Within a week he was in our home. Within a week, he was ours,” she emphasizes the word. “And we’ve never looked back.”

  I ask the one question I’m always wanted to know. “How did Stella react? I know how she told me she reacted, but I’ve always wondered if she did or not.”

  “It was weird, they immediately started fighting like brother and sister. They had these little inside jokes within a day, and it was like they’d grown up together. Ryan and I were half-way scared, what were we in for? Stella was a bit of a handful, and now we’re adding someone who seems like he’s going to be her best buddy? There were a lot of sleepless nights when they were teenagers. Who am I kidding? I still have sleepless nights, especially if Nick doesn’t text me when he gets off work, and sometimes he forgets.”

  “I’ll make sure he does it from now on,” I assure her, because I know how I would feel if I were waiting up, wanting to make sure he was safe. This woman beside me has probably had thousands of sleepless nights.

  “Thanks Kelsea, but really all I want you to do is make Nick happy, and I think you do.”

  “I think so too.” I lift my shoulder up. “But it’s so hard to tell with him.”

  Footsteps beat against the hallway, causing us to look up.

  “He’s awake!” Ransom yells. “And he’s asking for you, Kels.”

  If anyone had asked me before this moment if I had any that were incredibly important to me so far in this life, I’d probably have listed off a small handful. That is, until this one.

  Until the moment I walk into Nick’s hospital room and see him awake and alive.

  “Is that my blood?” he asks first as he reaches out for my hand.

  I completely forgot it was just a few hours ago that Stella and I had worked on saving him. “It is, Stella and I found you.”

  “I thought so.” His voice is hoarse, probably from the tube they put down it, and the surgery. “I wasn’t sure if I had dreamed you two or not.”

  “No, we were there.”

  “Then I told you?” He grips my hand in his, entwining our fingers together.

  “It’s late and this has been a crazy day, so please forgive me, but told me what?”

  “That if I could love anyone it would be you?”

  My breath catches in my throat as I look into the dark eyes of the man I love. “You did.”

  He closes his eyes. “I was wrong, I was so wrong, Kels. I saw the other side tonight and I don’t like what I saw. I promised myself if I got to speak to you again, if I was just given one more shot, I wouldn’t blow it.”

  Tears are streaming down my face. “You never blew anything. I’m always gonna be here for you.”

  “I did blow it.” He holds my hand tighter. “You’ve been here for me, for years, and I’ve just taken it for granted, never let you know how I feel, never did anything that would put me out there. You’ve always been the vulnerable one, Kels. Well this is it. I fuckin’ love the shit outta you. You make my life brighter, you make my days happier, and you give me purpose. Please tell me I haven’t fucked up.”

  Leaning down so that I can kiss his dry lips, I know my tears are leaking onto his face, but right now I don’t care.

  “I love you too, Nick Kepler, and you’re never gonna get rid of me.”

  He laughs hoarsely. “Good, because I don’t ever want you to go anywhere.”

  As I lift up, the door opens and in runs Darren. “Nick! Are you okay?”

  “I’m fine, takes more than a bullet to put me out of commission.”

  “My dad’s dead.” He says the words so matter-of-factly. “But I’m okay because I’m with you and he can’t hurt me anymore.”

  Nick looks to me for confirmation and when I nod, he let’s go of me to wrap Darren up in his arms. “You’re damn right about that. You’re gonna be with us, and nobody else will hurt you anymore.”

  I know with everything I am that’s a promise both of us will keep.

  Twenty-Eight

  Nick

  If the bullet that hit me didn’t kill me, physical therapy sure as hell will. The therapist they’ve given me is sadistic. Now I know why Ransom was such a
little bitch when he was rehabbing. I might owe him an apology or two.

  “Come on, Nick, one more set,” she encourages me in this all too peppy voice. “I know you have one more in you.”

  I want to tell her to shut the fuck up, but at the same time, I’m struggling with not being on the job. I badly want to be back in my squad car, riding the roads and taking lunch with Ransom. If I ever want to be allowed to do that again, she has to sign off on it.

  When I have absolutely nothing else left to give, she claps her hands. “That’s it for today, Nick.”

  I’m breathing heavily, wishing it didn’t take so much out of me to do PT, but it does. I’m so weak compared to where I was a few months ago, but I’m also better than I was a few weeks ago. “See you in a few days.” I wave as I use a towel to dry off my wet hair.

  Walking into the heat of the Alabama afternoon, I almost want to go back in and do another round of PT. Luckily, I see Ransom at the patient pickup. Waving over, I lightly jogg to where he’s parked.

  “Thanks for coming and getting me.”

  “No problem.” He hands me a bottle of water. “Looks like you could use this.”

  “Dude, I’m tellin’ you she likes to see me sweat.”

  There’s a bark from the extended cab, and I glance back, seeing Rambo. “Hey, bub.” I reach back to give him scratches on his ears. “You excited to be out with us today?” His tail wags back and forth, full of excitement.

  “Darren’s gonna love sitting back there with him.” Ransom turns to the right, taking us to the elementary school. “Does he know you’re picking him up today?”

  “Yeah, I explained to him last night what’s happening and warned him about not telling Kels. He knows this is a secret mission. Pull up here.” I point to a spot for parents who are going to get their kids are instructed to park. “I’ll be out in a few with him.”

  “Take your time, I ain’t got shit to do today.”

  “Rambo!” Darren squeals as he gets in the truck and Rambo starts licking his face.

  “Leave it!” Ransom instructs with some bass in his voice. It always amazes me how this dog pays attention.

  Rambo listens, putting his head in Darren’s lap, while Darren buckles in and then strokes his head and scratches behind his ears.

  “So where are we heading?” Ransom asks as he turns onto main street.

  “Laurel Springs Bank and Trust. What I want is the family lockbox.”

  “Can I tell you how awesome this is?” Ransom grins like a fool. “No one else I know has a family lockbox. That’s like southern royalty shit.”

  “Jesus dude, I bet your family has one, and if they don’t, they should. It’s home safety 101, don’t keep things in your home that robbers could steal. You are a cop, right?”

  “Shut up,” he says as we pull into the bank parking lot.

  “You wanna come in and see what a lockbox looks like?” I tease him.

  “I know what the fuck it looks like.”

  “Hey.” I point back to where Darren sits.

  “I’ve heard worse.”

  Ransom laughs. “He’s heard worse.”

  “While I’m sure he has, you’re having your own kid in a few months and you should probably clean up the language.”

  “And you should probably take the stick out of your ass,” he fires back.

  I laugh, I can’t help it, I bend over I’m laughing so hard. He laughs along with me.

  “I’m glad you’re here.” He hitches his chin at me.

  “I’m glad I am too.”

  As we walk into the bank, Ransom asks the question I’ve been waiting for him to ask all day. “What are we getting out of this lockbox?”

  “An engagement ring.” I grin at Darren as I say those words.

  Ransom looks back and forth between the both us, while we grin. “Well I’ll be damned,” he laughs. “My little boy done went and joined us big boys.”

  “I would normally say fuck you to that, but it’s the truth. I finally became a man. One who can tell the woman I love I love her, and one who can put a ring on her finger. I’m proud of where I’ve been and now where I am. Yeah, I have grown up.”

  And nothing else has ever felt so right.

  Kelsea

  I haven’t gotten my hair done in forever. Maybe it’s because I’ve been taking better care of Nick than I have myself, but I’m super excited to be hanging out with Stella and Ruby today.

  When I walk in, I see them both already sitting in chairs. “C’mon over here, Kels,” my hair girl, Tiffany says as she points to me. “What are we doing today?”

  “Cutting this length off.” I blow my bangs out of my eyes. “And maybe some highlights?”

  “Sounds good.” She goes to work, while I get settled.

  “How’s it going with Nick?” Stella asks as she rubs her stomach. I’ve noticed her doing it more and more since she got a bigger bump.

  “He’s doing well. He hates physical therapy and he can’t drive yet, but Ransom is chauffeuring him around today. He can deal with his bad attitude after PT,” I joke.

  “Is he that bad?” Ruby asks as she takes a drink from her can of Coke.

  “It depends on what kind of a day he’s had. Like I can’t blame him, it’s got to be super hard for him, but at some point it’s going to get easier, ya know? He just wants to be back in his squad car, and while I get it, it makes it difficult to live with him at times.”

  “Has he at least been cleared for the physical stuff?” Stella giggles.

  “Look lady, just because you’re in your horny trimester of pregnancy, doesn’t mean the rest of us are. But to answer your question, yes he was and we had a good time trying to stay quiet so we wouldn’t wake Darren up. So there.” I maturely stick out my tongue at her.

  “Girl, I know where that tongue’s probably been.” She throws a magazine at me. “Put it back in your mouth.”

  The three of us giggle like schoolgirls. I’ve missed this, and I’m so glad I’m getting the chance to hang out with my friends today.

  Twenty-Nine

  Nick

  “You’re sure it’s okay for him to stay tonight?”

  My mom grins as she takes hold of Darren’s hand, welcoming him into their home. “It’s more than okay. We’re gonna have so much fun, you and Kels have a great time.”

  We’ve never left him alone for the whole night, but after the last few months, we kinda feel like we deserve a night out. I go back to work in three weeks, and I know better than anyone how much time I’ll have to be putting in. Everyone has covered for me while I’ve been away, and I’ll only want to put in that same time for my coworkers.

  “Be good for them,” I kneel down. “If you get scared or anything, you can call either one of us, I promise. We’ll come to get you.”

  On the way over, he’d confided in me he’d never spent the night with anyone before like this.

  He nods. “Okay.”

  “He’ll be fine,” Dad says as he comes into the living room, covered in saw dust. “I’m gonna show him my shop.”

  “You’re in for a treat D-man, he showed me his shop when I was about fifteen, so you’re gonna get a hell of a jump on my skills.”

  He looks interested, and eventually dad lures him out with the promise of it being man’s work. I wave to mom as I leave, thanking her again for taking care of him.

  “It’s my pleasure. You and Kels have a great time.”

  That’s exactly what we plan to do.

  “Where are we going?” She asks as I hit the interstate heading south.

  “We’re going to Birmingham. I’ve got a surprise for you,” I smile over at her. “You’ve done so much for me, with taking on Darren, taking me on. I want to give you a little something in return.”

  The smile she gives me lights up her whole face. “Is this why you told me to dress nice?” She indicates the little black dress she’s wearing.

  “Yeah,” I turn from her, focusing on the traffic as we
make the drive. “I wanted to give you a nice night, you deserve it.”

  “So do you,” she reaches over, grabbing my hand.

  Looking down at our clasped hands on the console, I can’t help but imagine this will last forever. Like we do the whole thing. Marriage, maybe more kids. It’s the first time I’ve ever imagined it with anyone, and it feels right.

  “You know, I had never been to Birmingham until I moved into Mom and Dad’s house.”

  “Really?” She asks, curling towards me with her body.

  Talking with her is easier than I thought it would be, but it’s still difficult. “Yeah, like never on a vacation, never really outside of Laurel Springs. I remember us driving down sixty-five, and seeing the big buildings pop out of nowhere. There’s a Popeye’s a few exits before you get there.”

  She giggles. “I know which one you’re talking about.”

  “We stopped there on the way back, and since then I’ve always had an affinity for Popeye’s. But I remember being so amazed. There was a Starbuck’s, Whataburger, and a Target, all at the same exit. It blew my mind. While all of that scared me slightly, I also wanted to experience it.”

  “It sounds like sensory overload.”

  “It was kind of, but I got my first froo froo coffee, my first Popeye’s, and my first Whataburger all in the same day.”

  “Epic day for you,” she deadpans.

  “It was,” I argue.

  We look at each other, laughing at our argument. The GPS on the dash indicates I need to take the next exit. She’s quiet as I follow the directions through downtown.

  “Nick,” she gasps. “Really? Flemings?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Can we afford this?” She squeals slightly.

  Leaning over, I push her hair back from her face, tucking it behind her ear. For once I don’t stop the words that want to come. “I can afford anything to make you happy and to let you know that I appreciate you, Kels. Anything.”