Flames In The Fire

SEVEN

John POV

“John, you have a phone call, it is important, or I would not bother you,” my mother says through the door. I step out of the shower and wrap up in a towel. I c***k the door open, and she hands me my cell phone in through the tiny opening. I cannot believe I left my phone. What the hell was I thinking? What if Ellie needed me. 

“Hello,” I say.

“John, It is Patsy. I just went to see Ellie,” Patsy says, her voice breaking. 

“What is wrong? Is she okay?” I ask frantically. 

“Yes, she is on her way home to you now, but I wanted to tell you something because she made Joshua promise not to say a word,” Patsy says.

“What is it?” I ask.

My mind is racing a thousand places. What the hell would prompt Patsy to go against Ellie and her husband?

“She had a seizure at the hospital right before they left with her. Joshua said it was from all the pain medicines she is on to control the pain. I only wanted you to prepare yourself because it will happen again,” Patsy says.

“Thank you,” I say. I hang up the phone and set it down on the sink. I grab the sink and hold it hard in my hands. I want to rip it out of the wall and throw it. I want to scream and cry. I kneel down on the floor and sob. My mother comes back to the door. 

“Is she okay, John! Is Ellie okay?” my mother screams. I wipe my face with my towel and get out of the floor. I open the door. I look at my mother and grab her. “She is okay. That was Patsy. She said Ellie had a seizure from the pain medicines, but she did not want me to know,” I say.

“She is still trying to protect you,” my mother says. She holds me tightly. “I need to dress before she gets here. Patsy said the ambulance is on its way with her,” I say.

“Home health is set up. I had her bed put in the sunroom. She loves that room,” my mother says. 

“She will love that, mom,” I say. 

“Do you want me to stay until she gets here, or can I run to the store?” my mother asks. 

“We have plenty of everything here. What do you need?” I ask.

My mother puts her hands on her hips and gives me one hell of a look. “John Bradley, this house needs food. Ellie needs good food, and I will go get it for her,” my mother says. 

“Hang on a moment and let me get dressed. I will give you some money,” I say to her.

“John, you can text me if you think of anything she needs. I will be right back,” my mother says as she leaves. 

“Do you know how to text?” I ask her. “Funny, glad you still have your sense of humor,” my mother says as she exits my bedroom. I dress quickly and go to the sunroom to wait for Ellie.

I sit in the sunroom next to Ellie’s bed. One of her dogs has already claimed a spot next to her bed. I guess he knows this is where Ellie will be sleeping. My mother put her favorite blanket on the hospital bed and a cot next to it for me to sleep on to be close to her. 

Ellie and I never spent many nights apart except for extended hospital stays and when she lost herself after Leah died. My sweet Ellie, there are so many moments with you that I have to cherish. 

*Flash Back*

“Stay away from my daughter!” A tall, well-dressed man coming running into the police station screaming and coming straight for me, Mark Morris, I can only presume. 

I do not acknowledge him at first. I want him to come to me before I respond to him. I promised Ellie I would not get into a confrontation with him, but he is coming into my work and starting with me. 

“Did you hear me? You cannot take care of my Daniela,” Mark screams at me. 

“I heard you. I choose not to respond,” I say and turn to walk away. 

Mark grabs me, which is a huge mistake. We are in a small police station with many witnesses, but Mark is someone who has a lot of pull. If I knock his a*s out, I will be the one in trouble. 

“Do you want to do this here, Mr. Morris?” I ask him.

“I want you to stay away from her. When I am done with you, you will be scrubbing toilets,” he continues to scream.

Lucky for me the chief likes me, or Mr. Mark Morris might be able to have pulled it off. “Mark, even if I am scrubbing toilets, I will still love her and be with her. So do what you want,” I say to him. 

I walk away from him. It was the hardest thing to do. I wanted to put him in the ground, but Ellie, she makes me a better person. I walked away from the meanest bastard in town, Ellie’s father. 

I walk out of the police station and get into the car with Jeff. “I need to find a phone and call Elli,” I say. 

“Do you love that girl?” Jeff asks me. 

I look at him. Jeff never really asks me anything. He loves to give out advice, but he doesn’t ask for input before he rips me a new asshole. 

“I do love her more than anything in this world,” I answer him.

“Well, that is obvious. I cannot believe you did not plant him where he was standing. That is not the point, young buck. What you need to do is go buy a ring and marry that girl now!” Jeff says.

“You think so,” I say.

“Yeah, I do. But I am done talking about it now. Just do it, and I do not want any details,” Jeff says. I think I saw him smile when he told me to marry her.