His Fight by Cassie Wild

Author:Cassie Wild [Wild, Cassie]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Belmonte Publishing, LLC
Published: 2018-11-04T04:00:00+00:00

Fifteen

Briar

When Raisa decided to send me home, I hadn’t argued, a sign of how shitty I felt.

I hadn’t felt up to driving, so she decided to drive me home, while a fellow employee tagged along behind us to give her a ride back to the hospital. She was in for a long night of paperwork and reports.

“I can’t believe you’re letting me drive your baby,” Raisa joked, trying to lighten the air.

I think I made some sort of response, but I couldn’t remember what I said.

“You hanging in there okay, Briar?” Raisa asked softly.

“I’m fine,” I said, but my voice sounded so tired. I was fine, mostly. I was sore as hell and tired and pissed off. It didn’t help that I was more pissed off at myself than at anybody in particular. I should have known better to step in between two men who’d already shown a proclivity for violence, but I’d gone and done it anyway.

“It’s okay, you know,” Raisa said softly.

I didn’t bother responding.

She brushed her fingers across my arm. “People like us want to think that calm, rational talk can fix almost anything. Violence isn’t a part of us. The only thing you did wrong was thinking you could change the violence in somebody else. And you ended up hurt because of it. I don’t think you’ll forget that lesson any time soon, will you?”

“Maybe ten years after I’m buried,” I said sourly.

She laughed. “Then the lesson was learned. And in the long run, you learned it with just a bruise and a bad headache. It’s still a bitch, but some people take even more to learn that lesson.”

“Is this pep talk supposed to make me feel better?” I asked, cracking open one eye and turning my head to look at her.

She kept her gaze fixed on the road, but the ghost of a smile danced on her lips. “I just want to make sure you know you’re not the only one who’s done something like this. Working at an urban hospital…well, sometimes doctors get caught up in messes like this. It will be okay, Briar.”

After a long moment, I said, “I know.” And I did know that. Really, despite my aching head and bruised cheek, my pride was hurt more than anything else. I should have known better. I learned all about this shit in school, and yet during my first real live experience, I forgot everything I’d been taught.

“I just…” Unable to fully explain the gamut of emotion running through me, I turned my head and stared outside. “I don’t get it. All this bullshit started over music. And the crap in the hospital started because that dumbass didn’t like the color of Charissa’s skin. He might have been able to go home, but now he’s going to end up spending at least the night in jail…”

“Are you pressing charges?” she asked softly.

I groaned and pressed my fingers against my temple. “I don’t know.” Groaning, I dropped my head back against the seat. Immediately, I wished I hadn’t because it made my head ache that much more.

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