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18 Weeks of Twoey - 76. Week Eleven Saturday, November 15, 2014: Consequences
O God, what mischiefs work the wicked ones
H.VI / 2 - WS
***
The morning broke as ominous as fuck.
Gloomy and gray, chilly and windy, unsettled and troubling. I should have sensed it. I should have remained home and meditated. But I was stupid. I threw on some warm clothes, grabbed a piece of toast, wore a heavier jacket and some gloves, tossed on my backpack containing only the camera, Catcher in the Rye and a small pad, heading out at about eight to Mrs. Zimmerman’s apartment. It was Saturday and I figured I could be on an all-day stakeout. I would finish the English assigned reading and associated essay at the very least. Maybe I'd be able to grab one more picture. With the flash yesterday, I knew it would be unlikely he'd be there today, but the rear parking lot was protected from the neighboring apartments as well as the wind, and I could bring my bike back there too. I intended to have both a morning and an afternoon shift, just going to Kory’s for lunch and to warm up.
It didn’t work out that way.
Mike
Alan and I arrived a little after 10. We could see Gary pacing. He was waiting impatiently for us to get off the bus. When he greeted us I could tell he was happy we were there. I asked him if there was a place we could talk and he walked us a couple blocks to a little diner. On the way, we caught up on our lives, girlfriends and sports . Alan and Gary really do hit it off so well. It’s too bad we live far apart. Those two could easily become close friends. I thought so when he came up to Syracuse, but could recognize it all the more this morning.
When we got there, none of us was hungry, so instead we got seated and ordered some coffee for me and sodas for the other two. When the drinks arrived, I sensed it was time to break with the small talk.
“Gary, we need to talk about David. What the fuck is going on with your buddy?”
He didn't smirk and he didn't get pissed at my sorta blunt question. Instead he got a very concerned look on his face. Gary has a very readable face.
“I have no idea and it's worrying the hell out of me. He's all but shut everyone out. He doesn't even have the quirky look in his eyes I've known since we were little kids. Something's seriously wrong and I can't penetrate him to find out. All his friends are worried. But he seems to be functioning in school. What little we can get from his classmates, he's even more involved than usual, and he's always been a straight A student. I can't ever remember him getting anything but an A in everything, even back in grade school. But he doesn't walk to school with his close friends anymore and doesn't sit with us at lunch ...in fact he's never even in the lunchroom. No one knows where he spends all his time or sees him anywhere around town, although some geeky kid called Randy did say he's met him here at Kory's a couple of times. I know he doesn't tutor Twoey anymore cuz I've talked to Twoey. This is simply not like the David I've known all my life. I've been worrying that maybe he's suffering from some kind of stress breakdown or something. Maybe it's a delayed reaction to Danny's shooting ...I don't know, that was quite a while ago. We just can't figure it out.”
As I've learned, this is the way Gary talks …run-on ideas and sometimes things which don't even make sense together. But he's worried. No fucking doubt about it.
“What did he say when you asked him about it. I mean you guys are tight.”
“Well, we always have a lot of respect for each other's privacy. If I'm pissed or struggling with something, he backs off until I'm ready to talk to him about it. Sort of when I have it mostly figured out. I'm the same with him. It's always been this way between us. And I do know he's got a serious family crisis going on. That much he did tell me. And he’s always fighting with the pastor of his church. But nothing has gone on this long or been this weird before. And, I'm sorry to admit even to myself, I've been a little preoccupied with my girlfriend when we can find some time to be alone, if you get my drift. I hope he’s not suffering the consequences of me not paying closer attention. In fact, I was about to confront him this weekend when I got your call. I was hoping maybe you had an angle through something Twoey might have said to you.”
“No, in fact I called Twoey a few days ago for the first time in a long time and he totally broke down over the phone. I guess David told him he wouldn't be stopping over there anymore. They were pretty close, you know.”
Gary's eyes shot up. “What do you mean by pretty close?”
Oh shit. Gary has no idea. I better be careful what I say.
“You know, since the shooting. I guess David helped Twoey walk through of some pretty traumatic flashbacks and shit. That's got to bring people close. Then to have one of them say, so long ...have a good life is sorta emotionally wrenching or something. Anyway, it's got Twoey in a depressed state, which is definitely not good for his ultimate recovery from something like a shooting.”
“Oh yeah, I get it. Well what do you thing we should do?”
“Why don't the three of us pay David a visit and tell him how this is affecting Twoey. If we lay it out like that, it's got to have some impact on him. I know he wants Twoey to heal. Maybe he'll say something that'll let you figure out what's going on, since you know him so well. And we're not strangers either. You guys came up to Syracuse to visit us, and all.”
Gary thought for a minute. He was really conflicted over something. Finally he started speaking slowly.
“It's not the way we usually work together, but I think you're right. There is something way deeper going on here. Something we don’t understand. I gotta agree with you. Look, it's Saturday morning. He's probably home right now. Maybe we should walk over and have a talk. What do you think?”
Alan and I both jumped right in.
“Let's go!”
We paid our bill and headed out of the place called Kory's.
Everything is within walking distance in this little town. That's sorta nice. After about five minutes we were on Cherry Street. Gary pointed out his own house. We took only two more steps down the street when we came to an abrupt halt.
David2
My mind wasn’t really on anything in particular when I turned on to Teasdale Street, where Mrs. Zimmerman’s apartment is located. It was early, the sun had been up for a little but it was cloudy and sorta dark. I wasn’t paying attention to my surroundings or anything, but I should have been. I was on a mission and should have had all my senses heightened. But I didn’t and suffered the consequences.
As my bike wheeled toward the apartment, I saw that white van ahead pulling over in front of me. It startled me out of my daydream. Squeezing my brakes and veering, the bike started to skid just as I saw two people in hoodies come at me from between parked cars. I recognized it was Coulton who slammed into me hard and pushed me off my bike. The last thing I remembered was my head hitting the pavement.
Until...
Fuck! A sharp blow jolted me and pain shot through me. That woke me right up! My left side hurt badly now, just above my hips. I felt another sharp thud across my back, like someone hitting me with a bat, which is exactly what it was! At that point, I became aware of a person on my right side, holding me up by the armpit and shoulder. He immediately stepped aside as I regained my balance. It’s when I swiveled around to face my attackers.
“Finally your awake! I knew my little wake-up tap would do the job.”
I recognized Burch’s voice and saw I was in some kind of large room when suddenly someone I didn’t recognize took a hard swing at me. He connected so hard it pushed my body a foot or something. Fuck that hurt! I think he broke a rib. I could hardly breathe! As I twisted around in pain, I saw Coulton take a vicious swing with his bat. It hit me in the back of my legs, right behind my knees. Fuck! It dropped me right to the floor. Shit, that hurt like hell too! I was writhing about now, trying to slue around to get a better grasp on how many there were and who was the most dangerous.
Fuck! Someone hit me in the other side. It launched my body a foot or so the other way. That one caused a lot of pain and I lost my breath again. Another bat swung at me! I saw that one coming and I raised my left hand in defense, but a sharp pain shot through my fingers as the bat connected, then slid through to sink into my side. I think it broke my fingers!
I rolled over onto my stomach but cried out as two more blows smashed into my back, one from each side. I was in serious pain now. I think it was at this very moment I realized they were going to kill me. I had no doubt they were!
I distinctly remembered hearing a sneering laugh.
“This’ll beat the demon out of you.”
I turned my head enough to see Burch, evilly grinning and swinging his bat at me, full force! I turned my head quickly to avoid being smashed in the face.
I felt it hit.
Then nothing...
Alan
We had just walked by Gary’s house, which he pointed out. I think he was about to point out David’s house when we came to an abrupt halt.
A cop car pulled into a driveway ahead. We stopped when Gary said, “That’s David’s house.”
We watched a policeman knock on the side door, which was opened by a kid of maybe about 13. He turned toward the open door and screamed.
“Mom? ...MOM!!”
I’m sure people heard that last yell all the way back in Syracuse. Then a woman joined him at the door. The cop was talking to her when the kid yelled again.
“WHAT???”
“HOW IS HE???”
“WHERE IS HE???”
The cop said a few more things, then got back in his car and backed out. Mike and I were baffled and stood there stationary. Finally Gary broke the paralysis.
“Fuck! I’ve gotta find out what’s going on.”
He ran to the house. Mike and I followed him, but we walked, hanging back a bit.
Gary just walked right in!
We stopped by the door and waited. A few minutes later he came out with the younger kid.
“Let me call my father.”
Gary was on his phone.
“Dad, David’s father is at work and David’s been brought to the hospital. He’s been hurt real bad. The Megals can’t get there. OK. We’ll be right over.”
Gary told the kid to come with him to his house. Then he told me David was seriously beaten and was rescued from somewhere by the police. To say we were stunned only puts it mildly. I asked Gary how to get to Twoey's house, which turned out to be easy, it's just the next street over. I made Gary promise to text us the minute he knew anything.
After watching Gary, his father and the kid squeal away, Mike and I hiked over to the address Gary gave us for Twoey's house. There was no car in the driveway, but when we knocked Twoey answered, a little surprised to see us.
When Mike told him what happened, he just fell back against the wall and sobbed.
“I warned him! I told him this was too dangerous! Now they tried to kill him!”
I couldn’t process what he said.
“Tried to kill him? Twoey, what the fuck is going on?”
Sam
I got a text from Twoey:
< David was beaten. We don't know his condition yet, but it’s bad. I'll text you when I find out. They’re going to kill him Sam. >
Of course, I already knew what happened, just not the extent of the damage. I walked over to open my desk drawer and pull out the manila folder. I remembered his words.
“You'll know if you need to use this.”
Now I understood what he meant. He knew exactly how dangerous this was. And I know exactly what's in here. You better fucking believe I'll use it if I need to.
Alan
After about two hours I finally got a text from Gary saying David had a concussion and some cracked ribs and lots of other injuries and was in the ICU. Of course, Twoey wanted to go right to the hospital but his mom was still out grocery shopping. I tried to calm him down telling him only family was going to be allowed in ICU. He was a real basket case by then. I pulled Mike aside and, after he said it was OK, I told Twoey we'd stay with him tonight and go home Sunday.
When his mother finally came home, she seemed really shaken by the news. I guess he’s been over here an awful lot and she’s sort of grown to like him. After dinner, Twoey texted David’s brother, the kid we saw with the big voice. I guess his name is Tommy.
Tommy said his Dad finally got there about one-thirty and the two of them are staying till late at the hospital. Then Twoey told us the oddest thing. Tommy said his Mother never came to the hospital. It’s something I couldn’t wrap my mind around. If it were me, you wouldn’t have been able to pry my mother out of that hospital!
But then it got even weirder.
Gary came over when he found out we were still at Twoey’s. We were all sitting in the living room, even Twoey’s mom. You could see he was holding something in. Gary is easy to read. Finally, when he couldn’t keep it to himself any longer, he blurted it out.
“You guys aren’t gonna believe this. When David’s father got there, he was alone. Dad and I were about to leave cuz we’re not family. There wasn’t much information anyway. As soon as we found he was gonna survive, we figured it would be better to be refreshed in case we were needed tomorrow. We noticed David’s mother didn’t arrive with his father.”
Gary got this real strange look on his face.
“ Well, Dad called my mother. He asked her to go over to ask David’s mother if she needed a ride to the hospital. We were on our way home, being useless with him in ICU, and figured we could pick her up and deliver her to the hospital since she doesn’t drive. My mother was about to walk out the door when she saw David’s mother get into a big Explorer. When she saw some guy throw a suitcase in the back, she figured it was David’s stuff and they were on their way to the hospital. But according to Tommy, she never showed.”
That’s when Twoey’s mom dropped her head into her hands.
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