Nightmares of Caitlin Lockyer

Part 43

43

The second I stepped out of the lift I heard Caitlin's voice. I'd gone downstairs to get some flowers – it was her birthday, after all, and I didn't know what else to get her.

I sprinted down her ward to the sound of her screaming. Another nightmare – and I wasn't there to wake her from it. I hadn't been gone long, but I'd wanted to wake her with the sweet-scented flowers. Liliums, the florist had called them. Ah, fuck, who cared what they were called? My feet pounded on the carpet as her screaming grew louder. Where in hell was her guard? Fuck, Navid had been standing guard by her door when I left, drinking his coffee like his life depended on it…

I skidded into the room to see the nightmare had become more real than it should have. She fought someone real. Someone I'd never seen before. Someone who should never have been allowed in.

"Leave her alone!" I ordered, striding over to her. I threw the flowers into the sink, barely registering that there was already a bunch there.

In shock, he let go of her and Caitlin fell harmlessly back to the bed. I saw her eyes snap open, disoriented and scared.

He was still too close to Caitlin, his eyes not leaving her.

"What did you do to her?" I thundered, taking another step toward him. He started to back away, so I spared a glance at Caitlin.

She blinked, lying there, stunned. Then she saw him. Her eyes widened in shock.

She didn't invite him – she's as surprised to see him as I am. I need to get him away from her and out of here, so she'll be safe again. "Get away from her!"

"I didn't mean to scare you. I wanted…" he began, but I cut him short with a fist to the face that he didn't see until it was too late. He was piss-weak, though, going down like a sack of surprised potatoes. I don't think he'd ever been in a fight before. He climbed awkwardly to his feet, backing away in the direction of the door.

He looked at Caitlin. He saw something in her face that hardened some sort of resolve in him. Instead of leaving, his face firmed up and he tried to fight me. I dodged a few wild swings that didn't connect as I waited for the opportunity to lay this idiot out on the floor for the second time. This time, he wouldn't be getting up again. Right…

I was forced to stop mid-swing as Caitlin stood between us. Oh, God, she shouldn't be out of bed yet. She was shaking and I reached out to steady her at almost the same instant he did.

"Don't you dare touch me." She lifted a face contorted with fury. He immediately tore his hands away.

He edged away from her. His eyes jerked from her hands and wrists to her ankles and feet, slowly dragging his gaze up to her thighs, his horror growing as he stared at her rainbow of bruises. The sheer sight of her was enough to incapacitate him, the useless idiot.

Movement caught my eye and I saw a trickle of fresh blood pool beside her foot. A scarlet flower blossomed on her nightdress. The skin graft. She's ripped her stitches. I need to get her off her feet. Oh God, how much is this hurting her? How is she still standing?

"I want nothing to do with either of you if you're going to fight like animals. Get your hands off me!"

Her screech was directed at me. I only tightened my grip on her. I wasn't letting go – she'd fall without support. She was already visibly sagging with the effort. Or the blood loss. Or the pain. Oh God, Caitlin! Don't do this.

"Not until you're back in bed. You can yell at me or him to your heart's content from there. I know how much pain this is costing you." The last part was spoken in a low voice in her ear as I lifted her in my arms. She curled up in pain – I could feel every muscle as tense as she could clench it – and she didn't relax when I set her down on her bed. She looked like she wanted to scream at how much it hurt but it was taking every bit of her self-control not to.

"I can get you more pain medication. I'll call a nurse – you don't need to hurt like this," I said urgently, praying he hadn't done anything else to her before I'd arrived.

I ignored the bloke behind me, all of my attention focussed on her, waiting for her reply.

She turned away from me to speak to him, as if I didn't exist.

"Jason." She sounded almost hypnotised. "Something else...scared me...and I was just shocked to be woken up." Her voice had gone deathly quiet. Tears flowed down her face, but still she sat, rigidly upright, her eyes on him. She stretched out a hand to him, every finger bandaged and splinted.

I turned so I could see his expression. His eyes were just about popping out of his head and he looked green as he gasped out, "Oh my God, what did they do to you?" He turned and fled.

"No. Jason…wait!" she called after him, but I doubt he heard her. When he didn't come back, she dropped back down on the pillows, her eyes closed. No more tears escaped her iron control.

I crossed to the door of the room in time to see him stumble into the toilet at the end of the ward. I heard him retch as the door swung shut behind him.

"He left in a hurry," Navid said beside me, inclining his head toward the nauseous numb-nuts.

I stared at him. "Where were you? How the hell did he get in to Caitlin's room?" I hissed, as quietly as I could so Caitlin wouldn't hear me.

He shrugged, far from fazed. "Call of nature. He's her friend – that girl Jo's brother. He's on the list. Of course I let him in. She had him there, you'd disappeared and I've been up all night because my son's teething. I've had two coffees already this morning. I needed to take a piss."

I wanted to break the calm expression on his face, but I knew he was a better fighter than me. I'd had one sparring session with him in the gym and I'd sworn never to do it again. Not ever and not now, either. Shaking my head, I headed back to Caitlin.

"Is he coming back?" she asked, her eyes still closed.

"No, he looked pretty sick," I answered.

She sat up and shook her head. "He shouldn't have come. He faints at the sight of blood. What was he thinking…"

It's not as if there's that much blood, I thought sourly. Bloody wanker. He wouldn't have been any use to her on that beach. I tried to ignore the thought that followed it. You were shocked when you saw how badly injured she was, too. You couldn't get away from her fast enough. But YOU promised… I wanted to hug her tightly, wishing I could forget. I opened my arms, offering.

"No," Caitlin said, her hands up like a mime artist, showing me an invisible wall that I couldn't penetrate. Her face was set. "I said don't touch me." She took a deep breath. "What in hell did you think you were doing?"

 "I swore I wouldn't let anyone hurt you! He was touching you and you were screaming!" I replied, louder than I meant to. I didn't regret punching the idiot. I wish I'd knocked him out with the first blow.

"You swore you wouldn't let them hurt me again. That doesn't mean you pick fights with my friends." Caitlin sounded angry as all hell. "He never hurt me. My friends don't hurt me." She glared at me. "Right?"

My hands itched to wrap around the neck of her green friend and choke the life out of him, but I swallowed painfully before I replied, "I'll never hurt you. I was trying to protect you. You know that, right?" Shit. She's going to kick me out for trying to keep her safe.

Her expression softened the tiniest bit. "I know, but you're wasting your effort. Save the violence for the bastards who really deserve it."

I didn't trust myself to say a word. I nodded fervently and looked away. My eyes landed on the bouquets in the sink. "I'll go get some vases for your flowers." I grabbed them.

"Flowers?" Her question came out entirely devoid of emotion.

"Flowers," I repeated, holding them out. "Happy birthday, Caitlin." Dragging my heavy heart with me, I left.