The Black Glove (Chapter 3)

Chapter 31

I sat up, my head pulsing. The unbearable strain on my temples made me lie back down. I must have passed out after the incident, but where was I, and more importantly, where was Michelle? I had lost any hope by that time that Patrick or Anna had survived. I knew the second I put Michelle down on the porch that they were through. I laid and cried for a solid five minutes. That was all I could really muster up considering the pain I was in. His words kept repeating in my head: “You’re a real kicker man! I think that you’ll end up doing something great in the end…” It echoed and echoed until I was sure that I heard it right in front of me. I sat up again, this time, taking in my surroundings.2

“The hospital?” I thought out loud. But why the hospital? I was sure that I could make it without the help of some guy telling me what to and not to do. I saw the clock. It read 7:00 a.m. I tried to stand up. “Ouch!” I yelped and laid back down. I dozed into a trance. My head was in a ridiculous amount of pain. I reached my hand to my head. What was wrong with it? It was hard to the touch. I looked at it and realized that the black plastic of Pat’s phone was still seared to my skin. My left hand was scarred and tattered, my fingers sticking to each other from being welded together by shear heat. I flinched at the sight of it. The scars were brutal, up and down my arms. They looked like I was digitally animated, but my careless animator failed to turn in the final project. I was a second rate person, not only for my scars and seared skin, but because I couldn’t save Patrick or Anna.3

MICHELLE! She popped back into my mind. Where was she? Was she okay? Damnit! I had to know. My mother walked into the room with Marcus underneath her arm. Her eyes were gushy with half-formed tears, and my brother’s eyes were fixed on my right hand. I hid it.4

“Honey, are you alright?” my mother finally started.5

“Aside from a major headache, and THIS!” I showed her my arms forcefully, “yeah. Yeah, I’m fine.”6

“The doctor said that you would be okay to come home after I get off work today if you said you felt alright. What happened that night?” she prodded.7

“I don’t exactly know actually.” I strained to remember, “I was outside on the porch when the fire started. I don’t know what happened. I just knew that I wanted to save… Michelle! Mom! Where is she?”8

“She’s in a room down the hall sweetie. No need to panic. She does not seem to remember much about the event either. The last thing that she remembers is waking up on the bed this morning.” What morning was it? Conceivably, I could have been out for more than just one night. Was school in session today? Why did that matter to me? I was obviously out, and with good reason. I put my head on the cheap pillow looking into the bland white ceiling. They’d torn out all the glass from my skin, that’s why it was scarred, but what about the crappy cell phone plastic?9

“Mom? Did they say anything about the plastic in my skin?”10

“They did all the could honey. They can’t get it off. The only way would be amputation and I told them that I refused to have that happen.” Well, I suppose it’s better than a right-handless existence. “You know that Pat and Anna-- Well—They--”11

“Yes. I know.” I said in despair.12

“Why did you go out that night?” she said, shaking her worried head, the half formed tears starting to come out. She paused. I didn’t answer. “Honey, why?” she said, more firmly this time with a little bit more vigor. I was silent again. “Listen to me, you’re my son, and I love you, but I’m also very upset with you for going out. You could easily have died that night, and it’s a miracle that you didn’t! I’m glad that you’re still here to see another day, but don’t you think that I have to do something to punish you?” I looked down in shame. “You’re very lucky that I’m a reasonable mother, and I consider sitting in a hospital room for 4 days unconscious punishment enough, but you have to promise me that you’ll be more respectful of the house rule, do you understand?” So it was a Thursday. I knew it. I had always hated Thursdays. I nodded my head in comprehension and my mom came to stroke my cheek. My disgusting scarred pitiful cheek. She kissed my forehead.13

“Come on Mom, don’t you have to take Marcus to school or something?” I asked, embarrassed.14

“Oh yeah. I’ll be back to visit later okay?”15

“All right Mom. I love you.”16

“Love you too sweetie.” And she left. I couldn’t cry in front of my mother, but I managed to cry a good deal more the next couple hours. “I think that you’ll end up doing something great in the end…” I kept hearing it. “All that stuff he said about you? He really meant it.” over and over again until I couldn’t stand to listen. I finally came to my senses and figured I was going stir crazy. I had, after all, been in the same room for four and a half days. The nurse walked in the room.17

“How do you feel?” she asked me with a disgustingly fake pep.18

“Fine.” I blurted abruptly, “I could really use some pain meds.”19

“That’s why I came!” Her damned PEP! “Here are your pills.” She handed me the little paper cup. I was tired and cranky. I downed the pills as she was leaving the room.20

“Wait!” I called out, “I want to go visit my friend. She’s a couple rooms down. Her name is Michelle Felton.”21

“Why yes, I think that can be arranged.” Her disgustingly fake pep was making me sick. What made people think that they could go on acting so arrogant around me? I was in control of my life, and that stupid nurse had no say in weather I went to see Michelle or not.22

“Arranged my ass! I want to see her! I’m going.”23

“Ummm… Young man!” she said, desperately as I left the room. “Young man, you can’t do that!”24

The hell I can’t I thought to myself. She continued calling for me as I stormed down the hall, my head still pulsing. These damned people trying to control me. Could they not see that I was in grave emotional, not to mention physical, pain? I marched down the hallway in search of Michelle. I caught my reflection in a mirror on the back of a door. My face had minor scars, one, very large, directly across my forehead, and a small one down my right cheek angled at my right shoulder, and one at the tip of my nose. I touched my new face. I was disgusted with it, but I realized, and admitted, reluctantly, that I would have to live with it. I wanted to punch something. Maybe that would calm my anger toward my unsightly appearance. I got the better of myself, cracking my knuckles, and trudged on.25

I finally got to Michelle’s room. Her mother, father, and older brother were all there, her mother at the end of a cry. Michelle was sleeping, her angel face still holding its elegance despite the scars she had attained. A few bruises here and there, but other than that, her appearance had hardly changed at all. Her hair was luscious in the bright luminous light.26

“Hello, son,” her father said to me as he walked towards me after putting a vase of flowers on the bedside table, “You’re recovering quickly I presume?”27

“Yes sir.” I replied in as mannered a tone as possible, “How— How is— Is she all--” I stuttered.28

“She’ll be fine.” He finally cut in, a bit anxiously, “The doctor said that she’d be back on her feet by tonight, and that we could take her home. My poor baby girl caught up in such nonsense.” His eyes began to water, “Such a pitiful pastime.” He spit his P’s, “All these damned kids thinking they can get off smoking and partying. They’re killing everyone around them! All this because of YOUR little party!” Oh, so now I was being accused for the misfortune? I was the culprit? Could he not see my scars? I was the hero here, thank you very much. I went back for your daughter, and I tried to save Pat and Anna.29

“Sir,” I began curtly, “I’m very sorry, but with all due respect I—“30

“Do NOT talk to me about respect son! If you can’t even respect yourself, how can you expect me to believe that you would respect me, much less my daughter?” His emotions began to run with his brain, which was moving too quickly for him to keep up with to begin with. “You say goodbye, and then you get out of this room, and do not EVER come near my daughter again. Do we have an understanding?”31

“Mr. Felton, I--” still couldn’t get an entire sentence in32

“Young man, I suggest you do as I say. You have very little merit in my book right now, and my daughter doesn’t need to be hanging around with the likes of you! You are lucky that I’m giving you the chance to bid farewell. I suggest that you take it.”33

In my mind I was cursing him. Damned fool couldn’t get past the fact that just because there was a fire didn’t mean that I caused it! He couldn’t set aside his damned teenage stereotyping and listen to what I had to say. The bastard. I made sure that my face showed my anger.34

“Come on Marian, Joseph, we’re going home.” He shot me a look of disgust as he left the room. I returned it.35

I shuffled over to the side of her bed. Her eyes were still closed when I touched her cheek. She woke up. She winced back a bit at the sight of me. Not because of my face, I don’t think, but because it was so sudden that I was there.36

“Oh… I didn’t realize it was… you.” Her voice shuddered.37

“Yes, it’s me. I’m here. I’m here.”38

“What happened?” She was near tears.39

“You really don’t remember?”40

She shook her head, “First thing I remember is… We were playing truth… and… Did we kiss?”41

She at least remembered that. I nodded my head in confirmation. “But that’s not the point. Michelle, they died.”42

“Who? Who died?” She said, softly at first. I was very surprised. I looked at her in disbelief for a moment, “Tell me who died!” She was a bit more flustered. I could hardly find the confidence to tell her.43

“Patrick… and Anna. They’re both gone. They died in the fire.”44

“No. No you’re wrong. YOU’RE WRONG!” She really had no idea, “Why had nobody told me!” she was screaming, “Why had nobody told me!” She repeated it over and over again. I cried with her; for her. I hid in my distorted hands. Should I hug her, should I leave, should I say something? It was so painful watching her cry. My emotions hung on the very threads that hers did, they were a direct repercussion of hers.45

“Michelle, I…” The peppy nurse busted in with a security force member at her side.46

“Young man, I suggest you return to your room.” The burly bastard snapped.47

“Ugh. Fuck off!” I said, under my breath.48

“Excuse me son?” he said, obviously aware of what I had whispered, “Come with me.” I didn’t move, “NOW!” I reluctantly started to walk toward him and Peppy McPep. He grabbed me by the arm.49

“I’m coming back Michelle. Don’t worry, I’m coming back.” She looked at me with her sad eyes. My heart sank. We returned to my room.50

“You’ve caused enough ruckus for one day, I’d say.” She gave me a cup of juice, which I drank, frustrated, “That should put you out ‘till your mom gets back you cheeky lil’ bugger.” WHAT! Damn tha— that peppy— peppy little bi…51

I was out.52