Classic Novel
Chapter 112
112 H (Jayden)
Who Throws the First Punch
I look in the hospital bathroom mirror and see a bruise on my cheek, redness around one eye -pfft, must have been when we fell, I never felt his fist land up there a very swollen bottom lip and my ribs feel like hell.
Lucky shot is all.
There's blood on my white business shirt but I don't have time to change now. Phillip has already wasted enough of my time. I'm going to be with Abby when she wakes up.
I stride out of the bathroom and Gus falls in step beside me.
"Do you have any evidence incriminating Ashlyn and supporting Winona's claim she set her up?" I ask quietly.
"My security has turned in every bit of video and audio they have."
"Have you listened to any of it?"
"No."
"Don't fuck me around, Gus. I need Winona cleared of all this."
"Okay, okay," he concedes. "There's some words but I couldn't really make out anything clearly. It needs an expert to pick up the audio. It's with them now."
"Someone must have gotten something. Maybe if we check the videos, we can see who may have been close enough. I've got her father locked up in red tape on a string of misdemeanors, hardly enough to keep him behind bars for long and his testimony is useless anyway."
"I'll organize getting the video footage to your lawyer."
T
We round the corner and I head to the nurse's desk. "Abby Bre I mean, Joseph. Is she in the Brennan Wing yet?"
The nurse eyes me carefully. "No more trouble or they won't let you back in."
"No more trouble. Sorry for that. Completely my fault." give her my smile and a wink. "Boys will be boys, you know how it is."
The nurse nods and smiles back. "Her fath I mean, Mr. Joseph, is waiting outside intensive care for word. There will be a restriction on how many can be in her room at once I'd imagine.
"Gotcha. We'll wait for word from Dr. Green as well."
My phone buzzes. I check messages. It's Lance.
L: Board meeting.
Shit I forgot I had to co-sign papers today.
J: Abby in St Michael's. Bring paperwork here. Intensive care waiting room
112 He Who Throws the First Punch
L: Shit. Ok.
We get out of the elevator and I go to the small lounge provided for those waiting to get into intensive care as a visitor or patient support. The room is empty. Maybe he went home. Maybe he's in there with her now.
I sit on a seat and Gus sits beside me. "You don't need to be here if you have things to do." I told him.
"I'll stay until I'm sure you're done with trying to be Mike Tyson."
I scoff at this a little. "I was doing alright."
Gus looks at me and says, "for a fighter you make an excellent businessman."
"Maybe if my father had been around more, he could have taught me how to do proper gut punches." I shrug. It's completely unnecessary but I don't care.
I look up and Phillip walks in. I see his jaw is swollen and he has an ice pack in his hand. He's been bleeding from the lip as well, Hah! Serves him right.
He holds my gaze for a second and then we look away from each other.
Gus nods at him and he sits as far away from me as possible. None of us say anything, there's just this reluctant silent agreement to all share the same air until word on Abby arrives.
I'm not sure how much more of this non-talking I can take. It's been around thirty minutes. Lance walks in and I see him stop and take stock of the three of us. Then he shakes his head. "Sorry looking lot you three are." He hands me the folder with the papers that need signing.
No one says anything to him.
"Clearly Jayden got the first punch in," Lance observes
I glare at him. It's way too soon for jokes.
"I mean, he can't hit a barn door with a handful of wheat. Actually Phillip, you probably just ran into his fist accidentally."
But when did being too soon to joke ever bother Lance? Never that's when.
I sign off on three sheets and shove the folder back at him.
"You did throw the first punch, didn't you?" Lance grins
"For fuck's sake, Lance. Does it matter?" I say with a frown. Ouch that hurt.
"Of course it does. I don't want to lose my money."
"That bet is years old."
"Still valid." He holds out his hand. "You owe me a hundred."
"You don't have any proof that I didn't land another punch."
"Well, were you in a fist fight with Phillip?"
112 He Who Throws the First Purch
"Yeah."
"Then that's proof enough." Lance chuckles. "Never landed a second punch in your life."
"Don't you have work to do?" I ask flatly.
"Okay, Gus, did you see them fight?" Lance asks and I know he will never let this go.
"I came in during it, yes."
"Did you see Jayden land an actual hit?"
Gus shakes his head.
"I'll clock you in a minute," I warn Lance..
"Oh, give me thirty minutes to move out of the way. Please," Lance dodges an invisible punch in slow
motion:
"I swear, Lance. I don't know why we are still friends."
"Oh, come on, lighten up, Jayden. You three are all here for the same reason. Stop turning it into a comparison on whose penis is bigger."
I glare at him. Lance nudges Phillip and says, "mine is, by the way."
With that, Phillip cracks a smile and I glare at him.© 2024 Nôv/el/Dram/a.Org.
"Shit, sorry Jayden. He's just a funny fucker, Phillip says to me..
"Hilarious."
"So. We'll all meet for drinks after this. At the usual place?" Lance asks with a grin.
Lance is completely impossible.
"No." I say.
"Come on, Jayden. It's bro code. You throw the first punch, you buy the first round. You in Gus?"
Gus looks at Lance and coughs. "You want me to come?"
"Sure. Why not? You like beer don't you?"
I stare at Gus. Surely, he isn't going to say yes.
"Okay. Fine. I do like beer."
"Phillip?"
"Oh, what the Hell? Yeah, count me in."
I ance looks back at me. Then Gus and Phillip both look at me and I feel there's a lot more going on here than drinks. This decision means a white flag.
It means I am really putting Abby first and forgetting my bruised ego and face.
But Phillip isn't her father. I am. I'm not letting him forget that.
112 He Who Throws the First Punch..
+251
5. BON
I do need to find some sort of calm to move forward. I can't have Abby seeing us three at odds. We're the three main father figures in her life. We can't stuff this up on her.
I shrug. "I guess."
"Great. I can use your three sorry asses to remind me why becoming a parent is a bad idea." Then he walks out the door.
I look at the two other men and throw my hands up into the air. "That's Lance," I say.
Dr. Green comes in. "She's awake."
113 Damn Bro Code