Page 43 of Johnathan

Thirteen

“Abby, can you open your eyes for me?”

God, she just wanted to sleep. Something was telling her she needed to wake up. To be alert. Something was wrong in her body and she needed to fight against the pull to stay asleep.

“John?” she groaned. “Where are we?”

“I just parked outside the emergency room at St. Clare’s. We need to go inside now. Do you think you can walk or do you want me to carry you in?”

“No!” Abby forced her eyes open and she moved away from John as her vision swam. “No hospital.”

“We have to, Abby. You’re having some sort of reaction to something.”

“I c-can’t.” It felt like her brain was trying to work while submerged in glue, the words she wanted to say forced behind a wall of fog and sludge.

“We need to, sweetheart. We don’t know what’s going on.”

“Please, no.” She’d beg. She’d plead. She’d use everything she could to not step back into that building. With every bit of strength she had, Abby curled her legs up towards her chest, wrapped her arms around them, and buried her face.

The door closed gently beside her, and the truck rocked slightly as John climbed back into the driver’s seat. Abby tipped her face towards John. His eyes pierced hers for a second before she closed them again.

“Should I call Sam? Or your mom?”

“No.”

He must have known she was about to argue because he lifted his hand to silence her. “Does that asshole from the bar know where you live?”

Shit. Did he? She’d asked him to pick her up from the bakery, but did that mean he knew she lived there?

“He picked me up… outside Sprinkles.”

“Do you think that’s enough of a buffer? Did you ever mention your apartment being above there?”

“I can’t remember.”

“Let me take you to my house. I don’t want you being anywhere near where he could try and do something. And we don’t know how the drug will affect you, if he did slip you something. I could come stay the night at your place again, but I’m closer to the hospital if anything happens and we need to get you back here.” He squeezed her hand.

“I can’t. Katy?”

“She’s having a cousin’s camp out with Jack. It’s why I was out with my brother in the first place. I’m sure Jackson is letting Grace know what happened. They’ll watch her, or they’ll have my mom come get her.”

It shouldn’t be like that. It shouldn’t always be John stepping in to save her. Abby just wanted one time where she wasn’t looking so weak, so incapable, around him. But as her vision faded around her, her sense of safety won out. She nodded, and sighed as he started the engine and backed out of the parking spot.

“It’s going to be okay. I’m going to take you home and I’ll make sure everything’s okay.”

She rested her head on the window and let herself fall into the calm quiet of being near John.

“Abby, we’re here.”

John’s rough hand ran up and down her arm, and even in her sleep she could feel her body waking up to his touch. Her eyelids felt so damn heavy, but she managed to open them just as John parked his truck.

They weren’t outside Sprinkles.

“Where are we?”

“My house. I told you I was going to take care of you. Remember? My house is closer to the hospital if we need to get you help.”

“I don’t th?—“

---