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“What the fuck?” The phrase is muttered loudly from inside the waiting room. My head snaps up, and I lock eyes on my brother, Reece.
“Reece!” Mom admonishes. “Language!”
“Are you kidding me right now?” Reece explodes. As his tone escalates in volume and anger, Doe retreats behind me. He’s scaring her, and that pisses me right the fuck off.
“Simmer down,” I growl low. I feel Doe’s hand curl into my shirt at the small of my back.
“Simmer down? Me?” He punctuates his words with a finger into his chest.
“Yeah, you. Always the hothead. What’s your problem?”
“My problem is you bringing your skanky little side piece along for the ride while Dad’s lying in a fucking hospital bed,” he sneers, taking two steps forward and to the side, as if he’s trying to make eye contact with Doe.
“Boys, knock it off!”
Mom’s words fall on deaf ears. I’ve taken my own two steps forward until I’m right in Reece’s space. I know I dragged Doe with me, as her grip never loosened on my shirt, but I’m past the point of being able to tell her to let go. His words have my ears buzzing, and I’m seeing red. Instead, I reach behind me and pry her fingers open, giving her fist a tight squeeze before letting it drop back to her side. I’m not sure if she got my message, but she doesn’t grab me again.
“You don’t have a clue what you’re talking about.”
“Save it, Niko. You always were the selfish one. Thinking the world revolved around you. Lashing out after your friend disappeared. Now, Mom and Dad need you, and you drag your fuck buddy with. Real nice, brother.”
I deck him.
The Lord himself would have had a hell of a time holding me back from throwing a punch. After Reece’s rant, mentioning Aislin, and then calling Doe a derogatory name twice, I snapped.
He throws his own punch, aiming for the face. I dip left and he misses but manages to lock his arms around my neck. I try to pry his arm off but can’t, so I send an elbow sailing into his ribs. He grunts but still doesn’t let go. I knock him with another jab.
“Stop, you guys! What the crap?”
Reece throws a punch to my ribs, coincidentally the same spot Doe kicked me earlier, and the pain returns with a vengeance. I run him backward, hoping he’ll fall onto his back, but he hangs on. I’m able to land another jab to his gut before hands start tearing us apart.
“Knock it off, idiots.” That voice I recognize as Michael, Tori’s husband. Reece’s hold finally gives, and I drag in a lungful of air. Tori’s skinny arms wrap around me, one in the chest and the other behind my back, as she pushes me into a chair.
“What is the matter with you two?” I look up from my shoes and see Michael shove Reece into a chair. Shame starts to creep in when I see the blood on my brother’s lip.
“Misunderstanding,” I grunt, keeping my eyes locked on Reece’s.
“Yeah,” Reece sneers back. I’m about to get up and hit him again when I see his gaze flicker to my left. The expression on his face changes from anger to one of confusion.
“Niko,” Mom whispers. I turn her way.
“Shit.” I’m out of my chair in a nanosecond and crossing the waiting area. Mom sits in a chair with Doe in the one beside her, curled into a ball and holding a white-knuckled grip on Mom’s hand. I pry their hands apart, replacing Mom’s with mine, and haul Doe from the chair. Her eyes stay clenched tight, but she lets me lead her across the room. I regain my seat and gently guide her into the one beside me.
“You’re okay. I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have done that. Shh,” I soothe, quiet enough only she can hear me. Fully aware all eyes are on us. I want to reach out and touch her, stroke her hair, do something to comfort her, but I don’t want to push her over the edge. Whatever the fuck happened to her in the past, that little scene I allowed to happen was too much for her. Regret consumes me. Maybe I should have left her at home.
“I’m sorry, Doe,” I tell her again, and she gives my hand a tight squeeze. I sit sideways in my chair, facing her, trying to cage her in and keep the rest of the world out.
Time passes in silence, and a while later, soft, even breaths sound from Doe as she sleeps beside me. I’ve been so focused on her that I’m not sure if everyone left or they’ve just been quiet. When I look around, I’m startled to see my family still here, watching us. And at that moment, I know I owe them an explanation, something, to describe Doe and who she is to me.
“Several weeks back, she was brought into the hospital after being found wandering the streets one night. She was barefoot and covered in cuts and scars. She was a Jane Doe.” I pause to look in their faces. How much do I tell them to explain but also respect Doe’s private history?
“Were you the detective on her case?” Mom asks gently. The sound of her voice draws my attention her way.
“Not exactly. The same night she was picked up, someone was outside my house. There were gunshots.”
Reece grunts audibly, probably remembering the night I paid him a visit.
I continue. “I made the decision to question her myself and see if she had been in the area. When I got there, though, she didn’t remember. She was a true Jane Doe without a memory.” I shake my head at the difficulty of the situation.
Slipping my hand from Doe’s relaxed one, I prop my elbows on my knees and run my hands over my hair. I let my hands hang limp between my spread legs and raise my head up to look at my family. “She’s in recovery mode. She has no memory, no family, and nowhere to go. I gave her the name Doe and took her home. She’s been staying in the house...” I stop and swallow thickly. “In Aislin’s old house. When I got the call about Dad, I couldn’t just leave her there. I’m the only person she trusts at this point, and that took a fucking long time for her to give it.”
“Niko, I’m sorry. I didn’t know,” Reece says, sounding contrite.
“No, you didn’t. I bet you can see now how those comments of yours were even ten times more fucked up.”
“I get it.” He raises his palms out to me. “I’m sorry. I’ll apologize to her too when she wakes up.”
“Good. Now if you all don’t mind, I’m going to get some shut-eye. Someone wake me when it’s my turn to see Dad.”
“Of course, honey, get some rest,” Mom says, and I send her a grateful smile before closing my eyes.
