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My Child (first rough draft chapter 7-10)



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Thu Jan 26, 2012 4:53 am
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missienick says...



Chapter 7
Jesse slipped into a large Victorian-Gothic styled bedroom, that of which consisted of a very large canopy bed and an ornate bedside table, on the wall to his far left; an extremely nice yet old shell pink vanity table complete with makeup, hair accessories, and a matching cushioned seat, sitting on the wall across from him; next to the vanity table there, spanning most of the wall, was a bookshelf filled with all kinds of old books. Many of these books were history; stories of the wars, Kings and Queens, the past, and many deaths. The large armoire, to his right, held all of the clothes that Alyssa would probably need. Given she was still the size he remembered; which it seemed to be so. The main source of light in the room came from a large sunroof in the middle of the room. He used to lie in a room like this and would look at the night sky thinking about the ‘what could’ve been’s’ and the ‘what if’s’ of his life. No matter how many times he told himself it was pointless to think like that he would always go back to do that as he looked at the stars, or watched a storm rage it’s fury. He remembered one night in particular soon after he and Alyssa had parted their ways. He just lay in the bed, still warm from her touch, looking out that sunroof watching the stars glimmer in the sky, thinking what if he followed her, what would she do then; would she come back, or just run farther away? All these thoughts ran through his mind in torrents, eating at his very core. He knew then that he couldn’t stay away from her forever. It was impossible, he couldn’t even try to stay away from her, and there was no way he - he freezes, all thoughts cut off by her sigh.
He looks over at her. She was still sleeping, hopefully peaceful rest, but then she moaned and moved positions from her side to her back; one arm above her head and one leg bent. He didn’t know exactly what to do. Her kitten, Alice, slept peacefully at her feet on the big bed, and didn’t wake at her master’s restlessness.
Jesse took one step forward towards the large window by the vanity table and the floor squeaked; waking the kitten, who stood and stretched and walked back up towards the pillows to lie back down and finish sleeping. Jesse didn’t move for a few seconds fearing the kitten may take more notice in him and meow. When he was sure it was asleep he moved closer to the window and opened the curtains; letting the glorious moonlight spill across the floor, illuminating the room. When he looked back at Alyssa she seemed peaceful and at rest. Meaning that whatever had disturbed her in what should be her own little refuge was gone. Mildly thankful he walked over to her bed and leaned against the far left post at her feet and just stood there watching her sleep, breathe, and dream; all of which seemed peaceful. She moved again; this time she brought her arm closer to the head, bending it more at the elbow then it was to begin with. Only this time her hand was in a relaxed fist touching her forehead.
He silently looked down at her and wished that he could just lie there and hold her as he had done many times yet many years before, but this could not happen. Not while her life was at stake. His as well, but hers was much more important to him. It had become much more important when she left their world to start a new life and raise a little child, never knowing that she wasn’t very far from that old life that she had once tried to forget.
Jesse didn’t know how long he was going to stand there looking down at her, but he knew he shouldn’t stay long for fear of being missed.
He left his spot in the doorway and walked towards where she lay and gazed down at her longing to lie down and hold her in his arms. He wished he could be the one to push the stray strand of hair behind her ear, but he couldn’t. He just couldn’t, he made himself think whispering the words in the comforting darkness. She was his light in the darkness; even now, as she lay there sleeping, never knowing his innermost thoughts. As he bent down towards her and moved the stray piece of hair, he longingly gazed into her face and placed a kiss on her delicate forehead; forever imbedding the memory into his mind.
He then stood to leave and watched as she unconsciously touched her forehead, making him smile. Afraid to get too close, he started for the door. He figured if he kept his distance it would be easier to protect her and keep his focus. If he lost his focus it could result in the death of multiple people, most importantly to him; Crissy and Alyssa.
He walked into the hall, closing the door behind him and walked straight into Mark as he turned from the door.
“You should be in bed, don’t you think?” Mark slightly chided Jesse, letting a chuckle escape. “Your doctor’s going to get strict on you.” He feigns mock terror.
“Oh, shove it, Mark. I could fire the doctor anytime if I wanted to.” Jesse say although they both know he wouldn’t. Despite everyone’s belief and all the outward detachment, he actually cared for people. He has just learned that sometimes you shouldn’t show it. Although he was never good at remaining detached when it concerned Alyssa. No matter how hard he tried, he just couldn’t remain detached when she was around. She had a way of disarming him without realizing it. He liked out she didn’t beat around the bush but went straight to the point. He liked how she was so positive she could take care of herself and most of the time she could. He really liked the fact that they were in the same place at the same time once again. He couldn’t wait to get to know her again. And during this time while his thoughts are running amuck, Mark just stands there.
“- Jesse, hey. Jesse!” Mark, snapping his fingers in Jesse’s face, finally gets his attention. “Man, sticking around her like that isn’t good for your health apparently. Especially if you are getting up in the dead of night to check on her. She’s fine. I promise you that. The doctor had me give her a sedative so she would sleep peacefully without worrying about everything that’s going on.”
“I can check - wait. You gave her a sedative?” Mark nods affirming it. “Mark, she’s going to go for your throat when she wakes up. She isn’t stupid.”
“I was going to tell you and see if you could keep her from killing me off before Pearson gets a chance.” Mark laughs at his own comment, “although surely he hates you far more than he hates me, so I might have a shot at life.”
The two men start towards Jesse’s room both wondering the same thing. What was Pearson doing right now? Is he searching for us? Does he know Alyssa is back and with us? The thoughts repeating in their heads over..
And over..
And over.
~*~
Alyssa woke up in the morning feeling extremely groggy trying to figure out what she last remembered. She remembered the guys coming to her house. She remembers vividly the sight of Jesse falling unconsciously to the ground. She can’t stop seeing it in her head. Over and over she watches him fall as if in slow motion, Mark turning towards her yelling and throwing the keys to her. She remembers the fear being replaced by adrenaline as she drives the truck over to where Jesse fell. She also remembered waking up in a strange place, Mark taking forever to bring her the glass of - THAT WAS IT! He drugged her. That has to be it. He took ages to get her water. He must have talked someone into giving him the drug or he had to find it or steal it. Oh, was he doing to die. Slow and agonizing? Or quick and sleek? Slow and agonizing, she decides. Oh this will be fun.
She gets out of bed and stumbles over to the adjoining bathroom. In there she look at the large mirror hanging over the beautifully crafted marble sink. She looked like something Death ran over. Her hair was going a Medusa on her and her face was flushed and she was still groggy. So, fist things first, brush teeth, shower, and then kill Mark.
~*~
Dr. Andrew Johnsen steps out of the shower wrapping a warm, white towel around slim, yet muscular waist. He looks in the mirror towel drying his hair with a hand towel and gazes at a body he remember busting at the gym trying to get down to this size. Now as he gazed in the mirror at himself he remembers the long days at the hospitals and then going to the gym, spending very little time at home. Which is why he just can’t keep a girlfriend. His last relationship, fourteen months ago, had only lasted 6 months. She constantly complained that she never gets to see him and how her friend suspects he is cheating on her. He finally sat her down and told her straight that he wasn’t cheating and never would. Then two weeks later she dumped him. He remembers the look in her eyes clearly as she sat down with him on the couch. They had been watching some show on the television, it’s unimportant to him now, and she pressed mute and looked at him. All she said was that she wasn’t happy and wanted some time to herself. She said she had her stuff packed and she was going to leave town for a while and figure stuff out. He never heard from her again. The last he saw of her was her back walking out the front door. She never called, never wrote, never even attempted to contact him to tell him she wasn’t coming back. But that’s life. He has his job at the hospital, the gym, and this new job with Jesse. Although he knows that getting mixed up with Jesse and his work is dangerous, the money and board are great. If he had any choice he probably would have hooked himself with Jesse ages before Jesse called him up looking for a doctor that is practically fearless yet not stupid. So here he is.
As he walks from the bathroom mirror and heads to the bedroom, connected his bathroom, he starts picking up some of the clothes carelessly thrown to the floor. I need to start being more neat. I’m a doctor for crying out loud. The thought barely registers through his head as someone knocks on the door. Andrew opens the door and when Alyssa looks down at his towel clad pelvis he realizes he’s half naked and says a short ‘Excuse me’ and closes the door, leaving her waiting in the hallway.
As he managed to put boxers and pants on he registered that she was livid. He hadn’t seen her at all really but it wasn’t hard to miss a set off woman. Amanda, his last girlfriend, had taught him to know when a woman is mad. Apparently every time she was angry he just didn’t care. It honestly wasn’t that. It was just he didn’t see it or didn’t notice it. Women are so confusing. They get upset when you don’t notice they are angry and then when you actually notice and ask what’s wrong they say ‘nothing’. He just didn’t get it and he was sure that he wasn’t the only man.
Alyssa, trying to wait patiently, is tapping her foot and trying to remind herself that it wasn’t the doctor she was mad at. Although, it’s very possible the doctor gave him whatever drug it was that he crushed into the water. She doesn’t even remember laying down so it must’ve been a strong one. The doctor opened the door and invited her into his bedroom suite and offered her a seat on the settee. She took it and at the same time admired his body. He must’ve kept up at the gym because his arms were just amazing. The kind of muscular yet normal looking arms any girl would dream of their male friend having. Although they were never going to be like Jesse’s. She shoos the thought from her head. They aren’t a thing anymore and she was going to do whatever she could to keep it that way. She didn’t need anything else going on right now, but God, the doctor had it going on.
“I’m Dr. Andrew Johnsen.” He says holding out his hand to shake hers, “You must be the famous Alyssa.”
He’s got a smile that could light up the darkest room, she thinks as she reaches her right hand to his. It’s the kind of smile that crinkles at the eyes no matter how old you were. It was beautiful.
“Yeah, that would be me. Although, considering the circumstance I wish I wasn’t so famous.” She says, laughing a little uncomfortably.
He continues as if he doesn‘t notice, “I don’t want to sound rude, but is there anything I can help you with. Seeing as how it’s about eight in the morning I don’t think this is a courtesy call.”
He seems sincere enough, thought Alyssa. She wants to be mad at him but can’t seem to get there. “I’m going to go straight to the point because I don’t like to beat around the bush, did Mark drug me last night so I would sleep?”
“Yes.” Came the reply he knew she expected although asked anyway.
“Did you give him said drug?” Even though she knew the answer she wanted to be sure.
“Yes, I did, and I will speak on Mark’s behalf. He knew you were restless, and worried, meaning you wouldn’t sleep well. So we came to the conclusion it was worth drugging you. I only gave him a small sedative that would put you to sleep; not keep you asleep. You stayed asleep because your body needed it, not because of any drug. The drug was merely to put you to sleep.” He explains as well as he can so she wouldn’t misunderstand anything.
“I’m still going to confront him. I don’t like to have the wool pulled over my eyes like that. Especially when I’m being drugged.” She’s had enough of an experience to last her a lifetime. She didn’t care to have a repeat.
“May I ask what happened last time?” Dr. Johnsen inquires, seeing it written in her eyes.
“No. I don’t mean to sound rude, but it wasn’t a good experience and both Mark and Jesse know, and Mark should have known not to drug me.” She said pointedly.
“You will have to go and talk to him then, Alyssa. I don’t think I can answer any of the questions you have for him.” He’s smiling at her. She realizes that he’s trying to ease the tension.
“I apologize for the mini-interrogation, I wanted to get my facts before I went to Mark.” Alyssa doesn’t like having to give apologies, but she felt like she made a jerk of herself so she apologizes. Besides if it really was just for her own good what harm would it have done. It’s nothing like it was last time.
“No apology needed, I understand how it is. Well at least the wanting the facts first. If I’m right he’s most likely in Jesse’s room. If he wasn’t checking on you, he was in there. You both have a great friend in him.” He again vouches for Mark knowing that she was calming down. Which meant he most likely wouldn’t be needed as much tonight.
“Still. The apology is still in place. Thank you for the honesty, but I think it’s time I go talk to Mark,”, she says standing up, “I’m sure I will see you later at lunch or something. So, see you then, Dr. Johnsen”
“Andrew, please. If we are going to be living in the same place you don’t have to call me Doctor Johnsen all the time. I will definitely see you at lunch. I will enjoy getting to know you more.” He walks her to the door and opens it for her. A gesture normal for him. He was taught to treat a woman with respect regardless of anything else.
“Thank you, Andrew. I will see you later then.” She walks out of the Doctor’s bedroom suite very surprised by what she found. She found a good guy who does meaningful work and is completely happy. She found a guy who respects a girl even if she showed up without warning to interrogate him. The thought made her laugh inwardly. Any girl would be lucky if she could catch his eye.
~*~
 
 
 
 
 
Chapter 8
Alyssa walks down the hallway and reaches the top of the stairs, which happen to be between the wing her room is in and the wing the doctor’s room is in. She ponders going down stairs but decides against it. She wants to talk to Mark and figure out his side of the story before she decides whether to get extremely mad over it. The Doctor had a calming manner about him, he managed to get her off of the war path by just speaking to her about his thoughts on why Mark had drugged her. So, now, instead of being ready to rip his throat out she is actually quite calm.
Looking past the stairs to the hallway that would lead her to Jesse’s room, she walks. She passes about 3 doors and turns to Jesse’s to find it cracked and she could hear two men talking. She hears her name thrown around a few times and decides to listen rather than walk in. It wouldn’t surprise the men but she needed some answers as to why she was whisked away from her home after she was almost killed.
“She’s going to kill you, man.” she hears the deeper voice of Jesse.
“Well, you see, she needed the rest. The drug was only to put her to sleep. She stayed asleep on her own. Apparently her body needed it.” she hears the softer voice of Mark reply, “I just hope that if she sees the doctor first like I think she will, he may be able to get her calmed down before she comes for me.”
She continues to listen while the two men converse back and forth about her, Dr. Johnsen, and some guy named Matthew. Apparently Matthew was there hired computer geek. Although very smart, he seemed very naïve from what they were saying.
Alyssa had gotten bored with standing there listening to them and decided to open the door and walk in.
“Hey boys.” She says simply. She watches as Jesse tries to straighten up probably to look less vulnerable. “Mark, we have a little problem.”
Mark turns to face her as Jesse tries to hide a grin. “You know Alyssa, there’s only a problem if you see it as a problem.” Mark says prophetically.
“Mark, I want to talk to Alyssa before I let her have her shot at you.” Jesse pretty much shoos Mark past an annoyed Alyssa and out the door all from his bed while Alyssa just stands and waits.
“Please, sit. I would like to talk.” Jesse begins motioning to the chair next to his bed. Alyssa sits and waits while Jesse studies her. “How do you like your room? Did Matthew get it right for you?”
“Yeah, I like it. Thank you. Now do you mind telling me what I’m doing here instead of at home.” She asks trying to sound like she’s in complete control of her emotions. Trying to sounds like she isn’t worried about him lying in the bed wounded, but recovering. He’s recovering, she keeps telling herself.
“You were almost kidnapped or murdered or whatever Pearson wanted to do to you and you are asking why you are here instead of at home? Home was the same place you were attacked, remember?” He says blatantly, yet trying not to upset her. He doesn’t know how to handle her anymore. He doesn’t know how to say things without worrying about her crying or freaking out. All he wants right now, as he looks into her eyes, seeing the fear; is to be able to turn back the clock to a time less hectic.
“Yes, I remember.” She snaps back. “How could I forget. It’s in the back of my mind every time I look around. Every time I see you and Mark.”
“I’m sorry if you don’t want to see us, but I can assure you that we aren’t going to let him get you. We are going to get Crissy back and keep you safe regardless of what you think.”
He desperately wants her to believe him, but he doesn’t show it. He looks vulnerable enough, he doesn’t need to look desperate.
Alyssa wants to believe him, but it seems a little too easy. She shouldn’t be so ready to trust him, she barely knows him anymore. He’s so secretive and she can see that there are some things he’s withholding from her. Whether it be about her, Crissy, or Pearson she is determined to find out, one way or another.
“I never doubted you could keep me safe. What I want to know is why you don’t think I could have kept myself safe.”
“I didn’t say that you couldn’t ke-”
“You implied it,”, Alyssa interrupts, “when you threatened to drag me out of my house kicking and screaming.”
“I don’t think I said those exact words.” He says, trying to get himself out of a hole he had unknowingly dug for himself.
“No, you didn’t. If I remember correctly the exact words were ‘ - I, personally, will drag you out of here conscious or not-’, am I correct?” She counters, satisfied as she watches the expressions fly across his face
He is just utterly stunned. She catches more than he remembers her ever catching. If his memory served him right, she caught more with details of places, not words that were said.
“Shocked? Yeah, I’m not the same girl you knew way back when.” She says quietly, not as rude now.
“I knew you weren’t the same girl from before Pearson’s man ever entered your home that night.” He waits to see if she catches on and she it register in her eyes.
“You’ve been watching me.” She simply states without questioning it.
She looks down at him from her chair as he is trying to find the words he wants to say. Part of her feels safe because he was watching her. Yet, another part feels an invasion of privacy. She doesn’t know which feeling would be better to hang on to so she just accepts the fact.
“How long have you been watching me?”
“Long enough to know where you keep your gun, and long enough to know you are still a strong and determined woman,“, he pauses, “and definitely long enough to know that you were a great mother.”
Alyssa looks away, afraid to see the truth in his eyes, as she fights the tears. Memories of watching Crissy run around out back, teaching Crissy how to swim in the pool behind her house rush to the forefront of her mind. She can still hear her baby girl laughing at the littlest of things. She imagines how Crissy would be now at eight years old, running around with friends, and animals, and enjoying the life of a child. Two single solitary tears spill from her eyes, one quicker then the other, hits her hand that’s folded on her crossed legs.
“Alyssa, I know you are hurting. More than you will let anyone know. You have been for the past five years. I’ve seen it. Even when you don’t think I have. I’ve seen you hurt before any of this. Let me help you. Let me be there for you again.” He almost pleads with her.
“Jesse, the only reason I’m in this house is because you gave me an option I couldn’t pass up. Along with the fact I’ve some crazed lunatic after me and apparently you.”
“Don’t forget the fact that I would’ve dragged you out of that house conscious or not, too.” He laughs out loud easing the tension between them.
Alyssa starts to grin without knowing it. She remembers sitting at many different tables with him laughing about stupid things. To her he’s got the sexiest laugh she’s ever heard. She lets herself relax a little and looks at him again.
“How are you feeling? Honestly. Don’t play it off like it’s nothing.” She gestures towards his gunshot wound.
“It’s alright.” He looks up at her, “You can trust me. I promise you that. I’m going to get her back and keep both of you safe.”
She look down at him and wants so badly to believe him so all she does is nod. She looks into his eyes, studying the color. His eyes had a mysterious look to them. She remembers looking into them and believing every word he had ever said. Now? She finds it difficult to trust anyone. Even this still handsome man with milk chocolate eyes. She looks down at her hands and then back up at him, “You need to get some sleep, Jesse.”
“No, I’m fine. Don’t worry about me. You know, Mark only did it for you. He did it so you could be on top of things when you woke and quite obviously you are. The drug he gave you was only to help you to fall asleep. Your body kept you asleep so it could rest and heal.” He speaks on Mark’s behalf, attempting to ease some of the pent up anger.
“I know, I know.” She sees him slouch a little more, “Jesse, you need some sleep. I can leave…” She trails off and she sees his eyes shut just a little.
He reaches a hand out to stop her as she stands, “No, don’t it’s fine. It’s just the drugs make me a little drowsy.”
Alyssa got up and walk to the end of the bed and looked back at Jesse, “I should leave. You need to sleep so I will go find something to do. See you later?”
“Whatever makes you happy.” He says, sleepily, as he closes his eyes.
She walks out the door and closes it almost silently behind her. As she walks down the hall towards her room she starts thinking about the things that she needs while she’s here. She starts making a mental list and when she gets into her room she sees Alice sitting on the window sill; cat food and a litter supplies, she adds. She walks over to the vanity table and makes a list. She needs clothes, toiletries, cat food, cat toys, litter supplies, notebooks, and reading books.
   
 
Chapter 9
“ NO! Absolutely not.” Mark looks at Alyssa while vehemently replying to her question.
Alyssa walked down to the kitchen quite a while after visiting with Jesse. After writing her list she took a shower and spent some time thinking about Crissy, Jesse, and everything from the past and what’s happening now. The next thing she knew it was past lunch time and she was waking up. She hadn’t even realized she’d fallen asleep until she looked at the clock showing 3:47 p.m. Now she looks past Mark to the clock of the microwave and see that it’s 4 o’clock.
“Mark, I need these items and you can’t keep me locked up in this house.” She raises an eyebrow as a thought occurred to her, “especially if Jesse is unable to stop me.”
“Miss Alyssa?”
She hears a meek and somewhat timid voice behind her. She turns from Mark and sees a new face she suspects is Matthew. Jesse’s computer geek.
“Just Alyssa, please. You’re Matthew I assume?” She inquires with a polite directness.
“Yes.” Matthew stands there taking in the person he has heard so much yet so little about. He likes the directness and the fact that she was straight to the point and didn’t dilly-dally around. “I can go to the store and get your stuff if you’d like.”
“That’s fine but I think I -” she looks at Mark stern fatherly face, “okay. Okay. Yeah, that’d be great. Thank you.”
“Yeah, just give me that list right there,” - he reaches for the paper in her hand- “ and I will head out soon and get these.” He lifts the paper higher in the air. “Do you need anything, Mark?” When Mark shakes his head Matthew looks at the doctor, “What about you, Doc.?”
“No, I think I’m fine, although if it’s not too far out of the way could you pick up some tea? For Jesse. He needs something other than caffeine in his system.”
“Yeah, sure, no problem.”
When Matthew walks out the front door Alyssa turns to Mark, “That’s Matthew? Isn’t he a little young to have a death wish.”
Mark looks from her to the doctor and laughs, “He doesn’t know everything that’s going on. So we are hoping that because the lack of information he knows, no one will kill him.”
“You are serious, aren’t you. You are risking his life! He can’t be more than 28 and fresh out of college and you are risking his life, and his future.” She is fuming at this point. The nerve of them. Both of them! Because, surely, Jesse wasn’t letting Mark run the show.
“He knew there was a risk and we didn’t technically ‘recruit’ him. He applied for the job we requested and that was that. We explained to him that there was a certain risk and he took the job anyway.”
“You could have at least told him he might die.”
“Don’t you think you are being a little uh…melodramatic?” Mark tries to chose a word and that’s the only one that came up.
“Forget it, I’m going upstairs.”
Mark watches Alyssa as she turns and storms up the stairs. A few seconds later he hears her door slam and he turns to the doctor as If to say wow.
Ugh. Alyssa can’t believe she lost it down there. She never loses it. Especially not like that. It just set her off that they would risk the life of someone that young. He had to be fresh out of college with big dreams of a future, and Mark just stood there so nonchalant about it. As if it didn’t matter to him. Of course it mattered to Mark. It had to, right? He couldn’t be that
heartless. Not like Jesse anyway. No that was the wrong way to put it; Jesse wasn’t heartless. He was far from it. He was just determined to get what he wants. Question is, what is it?
“She’s mad.” The doctor says looking towards the empty doorway where Alyssa stood just a minute ago. “She’s not going to get over it any time soon. If I were you I would walk on eggshells for a bit.”
Mark, looking at the doorway, says, “She’ll live. If I ‘walk on eggshells’ around her, as you put it, she will be even less cheerful. Then, I’ll let you deal with her.”
Mark turns and walks to the doorway and then suddenly turns back to the doctor smiling, “You’re doing dishes tonight.”
Doctor Andrew Johnsen laughs out loud as he watches Mark walk toward the front door. He is very straightforward, Andrew thinks to himself, with a chuckle, as he rinses out his coffee cup he had been drinking out of. He then walks from the sink, after putting the rinsed cup on the counter, and heads to the stairs.
Walking up the stairs Andrew thinks back to the scene in the kitchen and works through both sides of the conversation. Yes, he agreed with Alyssa that the boy should have been told about the risks, but he also agreed with Mark that the boy applied, knowing there was a risk; he just wasn’t aware of how great of a risk. So technically neither Jesse or Mark were at fault; they made the boy aware of the risk, although omitting the exact nature of the risk, and the boy still applied for the job. Although on the other hand, Alyssa was right to say that the boy’s life was being put on the line, even if it was indirectly. He’s young and full of life so naturally he wants to make something of himself in a short amount of time. Well, thought Andrew, if he lived long enough he would do just that.
When the doctor reached his room he walked in and threw the jacket down that he had been wearing and checked the time. Looking at the clock, which reads 7:34 p.m., he decides that checking on Jesse twenty-some minutes earlier than the scheduled time isn’t going to hurt anything, so he picks up the small medical bag that’s lying beside his bedside table, and walks down the hall to Jesse’s make-shift hospital room.
“Hey, Jesse,” Dr. Johnsen says as he walks through the bedroom door, “How are we feeling?”
“We aren’t feeling anything, Doc.” Jesse says with a smile playing at his lips. “I’m feeling like shit still, but hey what’s new, right.”
“Well, maybe someone shouldn’t sneak into bedrooms in the wee hours of the morning, should they.” Dr. Johnsen smiles as he looks down and picks up Jesse’s charts.
“I guess I shouldn’t be surprised you know, Doc. You are very perceptive.”
“Just don’t do anymore midnight excursions from this room. If I allow you to get out this bed every once in a while, will that satisfy your insatiable need to feel in charge?”
“Maybe, Doc.” Jesse laughs. “When can I get up?”
“Tomorrow. Assuming you don’t get up before then. There’s no infection in your wound, so we don’t have to worry about that. No more midnight trips, Jesse. Anymore and you are grounded.”
“Yes, mom.”
Andrew Johnsen walked out of Jesse’s room with a smile on his face and headed in the direction for his room. He needed to change into sweats if he wants to go work out in the basement. Jesse had said that he had a home gym set up in anticipation of their arrival. Well, it was set up and it was time someone used it so he got changed and headed to the kitchen to grab a water bottle.
Walking down the stairs into the basement he heard music playing. Only it wasn’t the kind of workout music you’d hear in a gym. It was ballet music; thought the song and artist were both completely lost to Andrew. He decides to continue walking down the stairs and sees Alyssa stretching at a bar. She was stretching and doing some kind of balance thing. He had no clue, but he just stood and watched; waiting for her to see him in the mirrors that took of the length of the wall. She was wearing a burgundy leotard with a halter neck and an open back. With this she had on a loose, short, white dancing skirt that would flare out when she spun or jumped.
She was sitting down now, putting on her Pointe shoes and lacing them up. He just stood watching and felt like he was intruding but continued to stand there. Finally, he walked over to the lightweights and started warming up.
“Finally done watching me, Doctor?” Alyssa smiles his way showing that she’s teasing.
“I never would have expected you to be into dancing, let alone being a ballerina. It obviously caught me off guard.” He continues to lift the weight now working his biceps.
“Well now you know my deep, dark secret.” she continues to tease. “Not many people really know. It’s just kinda my way of -” she tilts her head to the side a little looking for the word, “letting go of everything; for lack of a better word.”
“Jesse knew though, didn’t he? He’s the one who set this up for you?” Andrew nods to the mirror and bar behind Alyssa. “He’s the one who got close enough to know this without sneaking up on you, am I right?”
Alyssa shrugs off the answer to his questions. He was polite enough, yes. He probably saved Jesse’s life, yes, but she had no reason to trust him with hers, although, he hasn’t given her a reason to mistrust him.
“I hope ballet music isn’t poison to your ears.” Alyssa finally finishes lacing up her shoes and steps up to the bar with one arm curved over her head as Andrew switches from the lightweights to the medium weights.
“It’s fine. It’s actually quite relaxing to listen to.”
Soon a peaceful silence falls between the two as they both work through their own issues with their own methods; his is working out, hers is dancing.
Dancing is her therapy. It’s how she has been able to survive everything that has happened in her life. Dancing is a part of who she is. It surprised her when she came down to the basement and saw the wall mirror and the bar set up just for her. She didn’t expect Jesse to remember something so small. Although, Jesse seems to be doing a lot that surprised her lately. The emotions for one. She never expected to feel like this towards another man, let alone towards Jesse, but when he slumped to the ground that day she thought she was going to lose him and it had scared her. Now what scares her is the fact that she was afraid to lose him; he isn’t even hers to lose. She came into this planning on remaining distant and unfeeling towards him, but now she was confused as to what she was feeling and thinking anymore.
Andrew continued to watch her fluid movements in his peripheral vision as he worked through his work out routine. Watching her spins, tucks, and leaps seemed to relax him and distract him from his own problems as she worked through hers.
A little while later, maybe an hour or so, Alyssa stops and walks to the radio and turns the CD off and picks up her back and walks back upstairs. She makes it to the kitchen and grabs a bottle from the fridge and starts up the stairs to her room. As she passes Jesse’s room she notices his door is wide open and he is sitting up reading a book. Quickly changing plans she walks into his room and dropping her stuff on the floor she sits in the chair.
“What’s going on,” She begins, “I don’t think I have ever seen you read a book before.”
“I’m an intelligent man who happens to like to read books. I’m sorry if you don’t take notice and that you think otherwise is a blow to my ego.” Jesse looks over the top of the book at her and has the cute lopsided grin that she remembered so well.
He looks at her and notices that she’s wearing the dancing outfit he tried to not notice her put in her bag back at her place.
“You don’t need any help building an ego. You have one the size of the world.”
“You look a little sweaty. You don’t have to sit here and criticize my ego but if you must you can at least get me a drink.” He nods towards the water bottle.
She takes the hint and hands over the bottle. “If you are sick and you pass it to me, - forget it,” she laughs, “you can keep the bottle.”
“What if I promise I’m not sick?”
“Then let’s say this is me being sweet, kind, caring, and all that crap.” She looks down at her bag and looks back up at Jesse, “I guess I should thank you for the equipment in the basement.”
“Nothing to thank me for. I know how you feel about dancing and what it does for you. I just wanted you to be comfortable.”
An awkward silence flows through the room and she looks from him to the book in his lap. “What’s this?” She glances at the title, “Of Mice and Men? Wow. Now you have surprised me. Where did you get it?”
“The Doctor gave it to me. Said that it was one of his favorites and it might turn out to be a good thing for me to do rather than sit here thinking about crawling out of this bed. He says I can leave the bedroom tomorrow and that the only reason I’ve been in bed this long is because he wanted to make sure I wasn’t getting an infection.”
“Andrew’s a good doctor. He seems to know his stuff.”
“You are on a first name basis?”
“Yeah, if we are all going to be in the same place for God knows how long we might as well drop the formalities. Right?”
“Yeah, good point. Can you hand me that glass of water?” He sets the book aside and points to the cup on the window sill.
“Figures you’d want the water that’s on the other side of the room.” She rises from the chair and walks around the bed to get to the window sill. Walking back she speaks, “Why am I here? What is so important about me that they take my daughter two years ago and now me?”
She hands him the glass and sits back down on the chair. “I deserve to know, Jesse. Whatever it is you are trying to protect me from, I need to know why I’m here.”
“You’re right as usual. I’m going to tell you how important you are from Pearson’s point of view. He thinks you are a true descendent of some great Queen from India. Her story begins in the late 1600s as a commoner. The King Somashekhara Nayaka saw a very pretty maid by the name of Rani Chennamma. She was the daughter of Siddappa Shetty of Kotepura and very beautiful. The very next day the King sent for his priest and said that if he was going to marry it would be her. So they married. It’s said that they had a great and beautiful marriage; like milk and honey is what I hear but -”
“That’s why Matthew’s here isn’t it?! You want him to find out if I really am descended from her?”
“Apparently our Queen adopted a son after her husband’s infidelities with some dancer and the thought is Pearson’s head is that you may be somehow related to the son. We just don’t know that story yet. Rumor is that his biological parents had another child. This child, rumor tells us, left while the country was at war during her brother’s reign and fled for North America and rumor tells us that she made a living here as a servant or a slave. Supposedly she married and had two daughters and a son and then they married and reproduced and so on and so forth. Rumor has it that her lineage eventually made it to the civil war era and continued.”
“And Pearson believes I’m somehow magically related to this family because…?”
“You look like her. Not identically, but enough for him to believe this. Trust me, he’s done his research on the family and believes that knowledge of the whereabouts of something quite important has been passed through the family.”
“And what’s this something-important?”
“I haven’t quite figured that part out yet. I’m waiting on Matthew to find out.”
Pensively she asks, “How do you know she is still alive? Where’s the proof?”
Knowing the subject has switched to Crissy Jesse reaches for her hand and gives it a gentle squeeze, “I’ve talked to Pearson, once, over the phone and I’ve tortured one of his men. He wasn’t quick to tell me. Which means this is delicate information and we can’t let on that we know.”
“Then how do I get her back and how do I figure out where she is?”
“We…” he subtly makes his point, “will get her back. I already have some idea where Pearson’s headquarters, for the lack of a better term, are located. I know you don’t exactly trust me anymore, for good reason, but I’m not letting you do this by yourself. So, therefore, we will do this together.”
“Does he know where we are?” She obviously meant Pearson and quite obviously wanted him, and indirectly her daughter, closer.
“Yes, I’m sure he does, but he’s not going to try anything. He’s smart; planning his moves with care. He wants you and he wants to kill me.” Jesse chuckles at the thought. Pearson has wanted him for years for many different reasons.
“Why are you laughing? What the hell do you think is so funny?”
“Just nothing. Just thinking about Pearson. Why don’t you go take a shower and get all cleaned up so you can take me downstairs to dinner.”
“I don’t smell do I?” She laughs and mockingly lifts her arm high over her head. “I guess I can shower. Only because I don’t want to go to dinner smelling like a hospital room.”
“Well I can promise you as soon as possible that I will give this room a more masculine feel to it. Just for you though.” He continues the teasing and sees that she’s honestly at ease for the moment.
“Alright, I will take a shower, as long as you do. I don’t want to escort a smelly man to dinner.” She teases.
 
 
 
Chapter 10
One Week Later
Matthew walks in the door carrying a cup carrier holding four coffees and the fifth coffee centered on those four with a small box on top of it. He slammed the door and grabbed the coffee, with the box on top, in his other hand so he wouldn’t drop it walking through the hall to the kitchen.
“Alyssa! You have a present!!” He shouts towards the stairs on his way to the kitchen. Dropping the little 4x3 inch box on the table he turns to set the coffee carrier on the counter as Alyssa flies down the stairs.
“What is it?” She picks up the little box taking in the size and shape. “Oh my gosh. Is it jewelry?!” She teases him as Jesse saunters into the kitchen. “Hey Jesse, I got a present.”
She lift the box in the air a little bit and looks on the tag for a different name. “I don’t know who it’s from though; it doesn’t say.”
Jesse reaches towards the box, “Let me see it.” He demands as he holds his hand forward. Alyssa takes the extra step or two that it took to get to him and drops the box in his hands. When the box drops in his hands it weighs almost next to nothing. He looks at Alyssa and unties the ribbon holding the lid to the box. Dropping the ribbon to the floor he then lifts the lid. Inside the box is a lock of curly brown hair tied with a bow. In the bottom of the box is a note. Setting the box down he picks up the note.
Mommy, I want to come home.
He looks at the other side of the paper for anything else and then hands it Alyssa. “What is it?” Her hands start shaking as she reads the words written down. She drops the paper and falls into the nearest chair, stunned. “Is it really her? Did he make her do this? What’s in the box?”
She reaches for the box but is too late as Jesse grabs it from the table. “Alyssa, I’m going to show you something that’s going to shock you, hurt you, and I want to warn you; It may or may not really be hers.” He then delicately hands her the box.
She takes the box from his hands eager yet horrified as to what she may find inside. Before she looks down she closes her eyes and takes in a deep breath to steady her racing heart. Finally, after a minute of this she looks down. Wrapped in a pretty yellow ribbon is a strand of curly dark brown hair.
The box fell from her hands to the floor.
“My baby girl. . .” She mumbled almost incoherently, falling to the floor as Jesse pitched forward to catch her.
Picking her up in his arms he looks to Matthew, “Get the doctor up to her room, quickly.”
“Get the box off the floor and bring it up to her room.” He says walking past Mark who was just coming into the kitchen.
Jesse laid Alyssa down on her bed just as Andrew arrived. “What happened to her?”
“Pearson happened. Mark’s bringing the package up. It’s a small thing but it was enough to tear her apart. No one was expecting him to do anything this soon. Apparently he’s in more of a hurry now.” He speaks his mind as the doctor checks her blood pressure and temperature.
“Her blood pressure’s a little lower than we’d like but her color’s coming back and soon her breathing should be back to normal. I want you to take her necklace off and undo her belt for precautionary reasons and cover her with the blanket.
“After a while she should be back to normal and able to go about her normal routine without worry.”
“Alright. You’re the doctor.”
Mark walks up to the doctor from his place in the doorway holding the box and note, “This is what started it all, I assume.”
Andrew takes the box in his hands and feels the ribbon, “That would do it. To Alyssa anyway.” He sets the box down on the bedside table. “Just let her rest and recover. Her breathing is back to normal so she should be fine.”
As the three men leave the room Jesse flips the light switch and closes the door.
“What was in the box?” Matthew asks when the men enter the living room.
The living room is just down the hall from the kitchen towards the front of the house. The living room is to the right of the front door as you enter the house and it is furnished with three couches, a fireplace, a 60” flat screen, and a couple of recliners with Matthew lounging about on one of the couches.
“A piece of her daughter’s hair. At least we are assuming it was Crissy’s.” Mark throws in.
“Why would he send a lock of hair? Wouldn’t that be kinda pointless?” Matthew takes another sip of his cola.
“He sent it because he knew what it would do to her. So, in saying that it’s really not pointless to him. This,” Jesse gestures towards the box, “is a game for him. He knew exactly what it did to her and he at least knows what it’s doing to her now. What he doesn’t know is that she’s going to come back and she’s going to fight. I know that for a fact. She’s hardened somehow.”
“What do you mean somehow?” Matthew is unaware of Alyssa’s past having only been working with Jesse for a few months.
“Pearson kidnapped her daughter a while back. She tried to get the police to believe her but she had no proof so no one believed her. Pearson believes that she knows where some sort of treasure is because of the heritage he’s positive she has.”
“That’s crazy. We don’t even have proof that she is the relative. And even if she is she’s obviously got no freakin’ clue what this is about or even where the thing is and we don’t even know what that is.” Matthew’s now pacing around the room trying to figure this out. The same thing Jesse did in Alyssa’s kitchen.
“I know, I know. But we have to figure it out before Pearson does or there’s a great chance that Alyssa may be sucked into his web of deceit. The first thing he will do is offer her Crissy in exchange for her ‘staying’ with him. When we all know he has other plans for her.”
“Yeah, yeah. Torture, pain, humiliation, etcetera, etcetera. It’s like a chant. Jesse, we won’t let her get hurt. You won’t let her get hurt. She will be fine.” Mark waves his hand as if swatting something away and sees the slight fury in Jesse’s eyes. “No, I’m not trying to downsize her situation. It was actually meant to make you feel better.”
“You’ve been losing your touch, Mark.” Jesse stands from the chair and walks behind it placing his hands on the top.
“It’s from hanging out with a dangerous bunch of people and not having much of a life outside or saving your ass from the sidelines. So bite me.” Marks attempts to keep a straight face and fails miserably.
“Yeah, well, you enjoy the excitement and you know it.” Dr. Andrew throws his two cents in with a genuine smile playing on his lips.
With the lighter atmosphere the men start talking about what to do for dinner. “I vote for a large, juicy steak for me and the rest of you can eat macaroni and cheese.”
Jesse looks at Mark, “Right. Let’s all do that and make Mark eat outside with a big sign ‘Pearson! Here is a big target, right here! Come and get me’. How’s that sound?”
  








If you want something badly, you just gotta believe it's gonna work out.
— Andy, Parks & Rec