A Furious Chick

Stay

Brian

I opened my eyes slowly, the sun was beaming through the window. I groaned slightly and looked around. Katherine was still there. She was asleep in the recliner chair. No blanket, no pillow. Her head was resting on the arm of the chair and her legs were curled up underneath her. Waking up and seeing her face was the greatest thing I've felt in months. I smiled slowly.

Before I could say anything, the team barged in. They all had bruises on their faces, Kaleb had a bite mark on his cheek which was sewed up last night. My wound from Katherine was also sewed up and wrapped in gauze.

"How long has she been here?" Letty asked.

"All night." I smiled slowly.

"Brian, don't jump straight into this." Dom told me slowly. "She's still brainwashed. We need to fix her before anything else."

"The best way to fix her is to treat her the way we've always had. She kept saying that we basically hurt her. We have to prove that we've been by her side since day one." I argued.

"She'll only think we're putting on a show. We have to snap her back into the old Katherine. We have to make her angry."

She suddenly jumped up from the chair and pulled a gun out of her waistband.

"What the hell?" Rome said, ducking behind my hospital bed.

"Why am I here?" She growled.

"What? You came here last night after the team left." I frowned.

She furrowed her brows and thought for a moment. "It's fuzzy. I remember sitting in my car outside...I shot you."

"You shot a whole lot of people." Kaleb didn't seemed phased by the weapon.

Katherine lowered the gun. "I think...I think I need a round of therapy."

"Therapy?"

"Shock therapy...sometimes they'll use words instead of such an intense procedure." Katherine put the gun away. "Helps me stay focused on the task."

"Katherine, they were brainwashing you." I told her softly.

"What?" She frowned deeper.

"The shock therapy, the verbal sayings...they were manipulating your mind to basically get you to forget the good in your life and be angry." Dom broke it down to her. "They want you to be unstoppable."

"Bullshit." Katherine hissed. "They were helping me."

"Helping you forget the life you built for yourself." I sighed. "You think our marriage is a fraud, you don't remember our children...they fucked you up."

"You guys fucked me up." Katherine sat back down in the chair. She stretched.

"We helped you but you were too dumb to listen to anything we ever said. It was either your way or no way." Kaleb commented.

Katherine stood quiet and thought for a moment. "I killed Dad."

The room got quiet.

"What?" Kaleb frowned.

"Yes. I remember. I shot him and that's why I didn't go to his funeral." Katherine sighed. "And that's why you and Mother hated me. But you guys refused to leave me alone because the Howard's are all about loyalty."

"You did not kill Dad." Kaleb whispered. "Mother and I do not hate you. We never did. You didn't kill him, Katherine. You didn't go to the funeral because you couldn't handle it. It happens."

Katherine bit her lip.

"You made the right decision to come home and let us fix you." Tej nodded.

Katherine sat back in the chair and crossed her arms. I looked at Alina. She shrugged.

"I checked in on the girls." Alina told me. "Brooke is being a bit fussy but they are all okay."

I nodded slowly.

"How are you feeling?" Dom asked me.

"I'm fine. Really." I told him. "I would be better if..."

Katherine was staring right at me.

I didn't finish.

"I have to go." Katherine jumped up quickly.

"What?" Kaleb frowned.

"I have to go."

"Katherine. Please stay. Don't leave me." I begged her.

She looked at me and debated.

"Would the old me have stayed?" She raised her eyebrows.

I nodded.

"Okay." She walked back to the chair and crossed her arms. "I'll stay."

-Chicken Soup 🍜