Page 1 of Savage Scream

1

JARED

Aslow, steady, consistent beep irritates me enough to drag me to consciousness. As my hearing increases, the sound of someone crying close by forces my lids to blink open. Light floods my vision painfully, and I snap my lids shut again as I release a groan.

“Oh, my goodness. Jared.”

The voice is my mum’s, filled with relief as I recognise her gentle touch on my shoulder.

“Mum?” I croak, confused about what the hell is going on.

“Gregory, he’s waking up. Get the nurse.”

I hear feet shuffling, followed by my dad’s voice calling to a nurse before it fades, and I can only assume it’s because he left the room, or wherever it is I am.

I try to crack my eyes open again, but the light is too much, and I cringe as pain slices through my head.

“Muuum.” I groan. “Can you turn the light off, please?”

“Oh. Of course.” She rushes out, the touch of her hand disappearing from my shoulder as I hear her moving. “Oh wait. Please don’t go. I’m sure Jared would like to thank you for helping him.”

My eyes snap open at my mum’s words, thankful that the light over my head is now off, the only glow coming from a back light somewhere behind me.

I quickly take in my surroundings. I’m in a bed. A hospital bed. The annoying beep that won’t fucking let up is coming from a monitor next to me, but it’s now beeping faster as I ease my head to the side to see my mum standing near the silhouette of another person at the side of the room.

I’d know those curves and short stature of my little pocket rocket anywhere.

“Dee?” Her name flies from my lips as she steps closer to the door.

Her feet halt, her shadowed form becoming clearer as my eyes push away the haze, but she doesn’t turn to me. She stays angled towards the door, her head covered by the black hood she’s wearing, shielding her face from me.

“Her name is Dee?” my mum asks, glancing back at me, before sending her gentle eyes towards my girl.

Yes, she ismyfucking girl. I don’t care what Dee thinks about it. She owns my fucking soul, and I’m not going to keep lying to myself about that. Not after everything we’ve been through. Not after I thought I was never going to see her again. My life nearly cut short not too long ago.

Dee doesn’t respond to my mum, which is nothing new since she doesn’t talk to anyone, keeping her voice to herself.

My mum darts a worried glance at me, so I offer her a warm smile.

“Mum. Could you give us a few minutes?” I ask, my throat feeling scratchy and dry.

“But honey. You were in a car wreck a few hours ago. The nurse will want to see you. The doctor too. And you need to rest. You’ve had another bad concussion.” A sob flies from my mum’s lips on the last word, and she presses her hand to her mouth, trying to stifle her cries.

My dad steps back into the room at that moment, his concerned gaze locking onto mine.

Shit. I feel bad for scaring them like this. Here I was thinking they didn’t care, when obviously they do. They just don’t know how to deal with their grief over losing Tim. Both of them are worried sick right now. Hell, I’ve probably brought their past trauma back to the surface from the day my brother died.

I fucking love my parents, and I’m going to tell them exactly that, right after I speak to my girl.

“I just need a few minutes with Dee, please.” I basically beg, and Dad glances with confusion between me, my mum, and Dee, whose stance is slight, her head angled down as if she’s trying to hide.

Clearing his throat, my dad approaches me, leaning down to block my view of the two women that mean the most to me in this fucked up world.

“The girl won’t speak to us,” he whispers. “She won’t speak to anyone. Wouldn’t let anyone touch her or look over her for injuries, and at the mention of separating the two of you, I was almost certain she was going to kill anyone if they tried just by the look on her face.”

I fucking smirk. “Dee doesn’t talk, Dad.”

His brows shoot up. “Oh. At all?” he asks, and I give my head a small shake, although the action makes me a little lightheaded. “Do you know who her parents are? They really need to be called.”

---