Day 168 - Upside Down- Chapter 16 - (1775 words)

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UPSIDE DOWN, BACK TO FRONT

By Wayne Webb

CHAPTER 16

Three

That was interesting, I think she may suspect things are up. She always thinks she knows, she has instinct but no idea.
I’m still a baby in her mind.
What’s going on? I don’t know James was here, what the? I thought he was hiding, I thought…?
He looks scared, did he come here? Did Ivan go and get him? Why on earth… What is going on?
He looks unhinged.
I can’t trust him, we need to get him away from Manisha soon. Get her out of the way and deal with him, make him see reason. Make him understand. Make him stop.
Or stop him. By god I will stop him if it comes to that.
How? I can see what James meant, he really does look like he could go through with it.
Did he set that fire for James, did he make sure those doors would not open? He couldn’t have known that Greg was going to be in there, right? Look at those eyes, he is away with the fairies.
Don’t get out of my sight.
I can hear a tone in her voice, dammit. She’s in a mood, this can’t end well.
She needs to leave.
Now.
Why is James looking at me like that? Yes, thanks I can see he’s dangerous thank you very much.
Why is he looking at me?
Why is his hand behind his back?
Oh it’s empty.
There it goes again?
Is there something in his …oh no, it can’t be can it?
Step in between him and Manisha, before it’s too.
Jesus he’s unhinged, he’s really unhinged.
Fuck it is, no, no, no!
Manisha! No! You bastard, there’s no way you are going to. You cunt, I’ll fucking stop you – I don’t care you bastard, that’s my sister, you hit my sister! She’s fucking pregnant, I don’t give a fuck how big you think you are, that’s my … whats this? I have the gun.
The safety is red.
It’ll never stop. He’ll hurt her again. He has to be stopped.
Brain.
Don’t muck around, pull the trigger.
Don’t think, do.
What’s that noise?
What’s that smell.
Oh. He’s right there.
Dizzy, I … did I pull the trigger.
There’s smoke coming out of the end. My hand hurts. It kicks, it punches you back. They say it does that. I feel it now.
Did I?
James?
Ok.
What are you doing?
Fuck that’s so loud. I’m going to be sick. Why?
Don’t touch him, don’t.
I, it’s so bright in here. Why can’t I hear properly? What’s he looking for? Who is he calling?
No. No.
“You can’t.”
“I did. YOU can’t. You have to look after her. I won’t have a job, she won’t forgive me – but you can’t be the guy that killed the father of her child.”
What is he saying? Why is he doing this?
Jesus, the police, the police will be on their way.
We should leave, we need to go, get the money and go.
Go where?
Manisha? Oh my sister, are you ok? Is the baby, did he hit you there? Did he, oh I think I’m going to be sick again, the floor is moving.
Why is this happening.
“It’s done Sam, trust me. Just trust me please.”
Of course I trust you. I just don’t understand.
Is that siren?

Four

Oh that’s just fucking great, of all the fucking times to turn up. Shit.
This pissant little shit bag better keep hims mouth shut.
Dammit, I can’t think straight.
How did I get here? We had this all planned out. I’m losing control. I’m taking it back.
Now, I’m taking it back now.
Anger, get your temper in control. People will follow your lead, be decisive. Be a man.
Be the man. Be the man in chage.
Don’t wait for things to happen, take charge.
That’s it, see who I am. I am the man, I am the husband and the father.
Oh.
Father.
My baby is in there. My baby. He’ll look up to me, I won’t make the same mistakes my dad made. I’ll do better, I’ll do it better. I will be in control, I will be in control.
That’s better, that’s right.
Yes you look at me, look into my eyes. Fear what you see. You know who I am, what I am.
I am to be obeyed.
All of you will respect me.
You eyeballing me? Are you? Seriously? Look at me, LOOK AT ME! That’s right.
That’s who the fuck I am.
Why are you arguing? This is being settled.
No, no, no.
How dare you talk to me like that? Are you pushing me? Pushing me?
I push back.
Hard.
What do you think is going to happen? You’re not thinking this through woman.
You think he matters? I AM your family now. Me! And my son, we ARE you family now.
He’s an in-law now.
Respect, love? Sure but me first. US first.
Oh my god! What are you saying? Are you not fucking listening?
You need to get out of here and let the men deal with business.
What? What? What!?!
Jesus you sound like her, you look like her.
Don’t you fucking dare leave!
Why are you on the floor? Get the fuck up. There’s no time for dramatics.
Did I pull the gun out? Why is it not in my waistband.
Is she bleeding? What happened.
Fuck, he’s so heavy. Get off of me, I have to help her. Jesus, stop trying to make things worse.
She’s pregnant and that’s my baby. Why?
Manisha? What is going on.
Did I give him the gun?
Don’t look at me.
Black, Fire & Gravity.

After

The white room.
Where am I?
Ow? My head hurts.
“How are you feeling?”
“I… my head hurts.” Manisha raised a hand to her head and there was a cloth lump where her forehead should have been. It was wet, gummy with – is she bleeding?
The nurse motioned for a Doctor to come over and he appeared, from nowhere all white coated and serenely disinterested.
“Hello, I’m Dr Williams, do you know where you are?”
Manisha looked about. It was a hospital. She felt the fabric on her head and realised it was likely a bandage. Why is she here.
“Not exactly. I mean this is a hospital right? I don’t know why I am here?”
“Umm, hmm. Can you tell me your name please?”
As she replied he flicked a pen light in and out of her eyes, making he blink and shake her head. Jolting in the pain of whatever wound there was in her. Then a layer of numbness fell like a warm waterfall down her arms and legs. She roiled sightly.
“Whats the last thing you remember?”
“I was… I was…” Everything was blackened with soot in her memory. That’s oddly uncomfortable.
“He, had a gun.” That’s right. What the hell was Ivan doing with a gun in a house with a pregnant woman?
What was he doing with a gun at all.
A woman in a police uniform replaced the doctor. She could not see more than a few feet before things greyed out and tunneled in.
She felt very murky, muddied by the tide.
“Mrs Maxwell?” The policewoman spoke to her, but quickly looked back to the doctor for reassurance that she was good enough to talk to.
The doctor was reading his chart and making notes, checking his logic and leaving the communication to the police until he knew what his road was.
“I’ll kill him!”
“Excuse me?”
“I’ll kill him, he brought a gun to my house! A gun, I’m pregnant! I’m going to have a baby and he brought…” Even through the fug of the pharmeceutical adjustments, she felt the cold of that thought.
“The baby is fine, vitals and natal checks all work out ok for now. We’re more concerned about you.”
“What have you given me?”
“Something for the pain, don’t worry it won’t harm your child. But you need to rest to make sure that it stays that way.”
The doctor never once looks up from his chart.
It’s not an easy job, and the number of domestic violence cases he had seen that week with pregnant women was getting to him. Professional distance, get it and maintain it. Don’t memorise the name, just deal with the facts.
She’ll be back, they always are. It was that expectation of disappointment in humanity that made it easier to ignore the individual when you needed to.
It was that or start drinking.
“Oh. Good. How’s Sam? Did he hurt my brother?” Her indignation rose again.
“He held a gun on me and threatened my brother! If he’s hurt my baby boy… I mean my baby brother… I will honestly kill him. Where the hell is he? Is he under arrest?”
The policewoman looked at the doctor who finally returned her look with a shrug. The bump on her head was not that bad, the dull ache would last longer than an ill effects. Concussion maybe.
Maybe she won’t be back after all, he thought. Not that it made the dealing with it any easier.
But good on him for protecting his sister.
She obviously can’t protect herself.
“Be quick and let her rest.”
“Be quick about what? What’s going on? Where’s Sam? Where’s Ivan? That stupid man, what the hell was he thinking? A gun? In my house. I will, I mean it I will…” Manisha finally registers the look the policewoman is giving her.
“Manisha Maxwell, there’s know easy way to say this but your …”
What? What is she saying? The rubbed out feeling in her mind was only getting worse. Dead? How can he be dead.
There’s no point in just thinking, it’s too cramped in here.
“How can he dead?”
“A…” the policewoman checked her notes, “.. Mister James Hansen, an associate… or colleague of your Brother Samir…”
“James? Why would James do that? He can’t have. He wouldn’t have. He didn’t?”
“He told us he did. Your brother confirmed it.”
“I don’t understand.”
“We’d like to ask you a couple of questions if you’re okay?” she looked up again at the lab coated man. “Is she okay?”
“Yes, yes I’m fine ask anything you want. This isn’t true, this isn’t happening.”

Before anything more happened that night though, she fell asleep.