Now time was of the essence for Xation and Charles to flee the ghastly scene, leaving Charles no time to admire the horrifically violent work of his hands, only catching a red flash of gore, broken and bashed, bits of crushed bones, smashed teeth and brain matter, seeped and streaked with deep scarlet blood, that only a moment ago was once a human face, the victim lay dying an agonizing, miserably slow death, choking on his crushed larynx, lungs slowly filling up with blood, drowning in a torturous, gruesome death.
Quickly helping the wounded Xation into the passengers seat, Charles pulled off Xation's green silk shirt; which was covered in the blood dripping from his nose, as his left eye began to swell shut, he was having trouble hearing, as if Charles was speaking to him from underwater. "Here, take this." he said balling the shirt up and handing it to his bloodied friend. "Keep pressure on your nose!" Charles glanced into the little gas station and did not see the shop keep, whom was in back putting on a pot of coffee and saw nothing. Now picking up his trusty, and bloody, Nine Iron, Charles rushed over to the small water filled box with it's squeegee, for cleaning windshields, however, Charles used it for a different purpose, sliding the head of his golf club in the soapy water, to rid it of any bits of bones, blood and brains. Xation yelled at him to hurry as Charles grabbed a few of the blue towels from the dispenser drying his Nine Iron before slipping it back into his golf bag behind Xation, who was in an excruciating amount of pain and Charles was worried for his friend and Charles was worried for himself as well.
"I'll have you back at the hotel in 10 minutes." Charles said sliding behind the wheel speeding off down the deserted, two lane road. Charles did not speak for a few minutes as he tried to catch his breath and calm his heart and mind with a moment of silent contemplation, as the realization of what he had just done sank in, though Charles knew his surging fit of unbridled rage, and destruction, was only to protect his friend, in his mind Charles was safe and secure in the knowledge he had really done nothing wrong; which is the same logic he used to quiet his conscience after he nearly decapitated Felina's rapist, only last year. Now putting any thoughts about himself, or his violent actions aside, he turned all his care and attention to Xation asking him "Xation? Are you having any trouble breathing mate?"
"No, but fuck my ribs hurt! Feel like I have been kicked by a mule!" he moaned in pain.
"On a scale of 1-10, 10 being the worst, rate your pain." Charles said driving along at the speed limit concerned for his friend's well being.
"At least a 10! I think they broke my ribs!" Xation shouted as they drove on, getting closer to Kapalua.
"No! They didn't break your ribs" Charles smiled a little.
"Well, how the fuck do you know?! You haven't even taken a look at me yet!" Xation shouted as the sharp, stabbing, ache settled down deep into his flesh and face.
"Because, if you had any broken ribs you would have said 15, and you can breath, and are apparently having no trouble screaming at me! Now just take it easy, lean back, try to calm down we are almost there." Charles tried to reassure him, but due to the shear shock and horror Xation had just witnessed, a numbing sense of the vicious scene replayed in his head, but it was not what Xation had just seen moments ago, but the memory of one dark day, back in England, with Bengiman, and what Bengiman Pruce had done to poor Teddy McDowell, that Sunday summer's evening, way back in 1978. Xation closed his eyes and tried to wipe each of these haunting memories away, both old and new.
Back at the hotel Charles did not valet the car, instead they parked on the side of the hotel and staggered back in a side door, through a long hall, down to the elevator's. Luckily the profuse flow of blood from Xation's nasal cavity had stopped, and on the ride up Charles determined his nose was not broken, nor did he loose any teeth, or even cut his lips, though the left eye was now completely swollen shut, the deep-blue-purple color of a massive bruise, his face was a red, ripe mess, looking like he had just got out of a losing match with Rocky Marciano. Helping Xation back to their suite, Charles hurried to find his little black doctor's bag; which he always kept with him, as the Diaz family's private physician this was crucial. He checked him for signs of concussion, none. Charles listened to his lungs, they were clear of any fluid, and his heart rate and pulse had returned to normal. Charles taped up Xation's ribs to help ease the pain and then handed him two small blue pills "Here, this is vicodan, it will help with your pain." Charles said as he too swallowed down a couple of the pills.
Xation gave him a strange look asking him "Well, if I am the patient.., why are you taking them?"
"I take them for my mental pain and anguish." Charles said in all honesty, then he realized Xation had never know about his vicodan addiction, so he quickly changed the subject. "I need to order you a steak."
Xation gave him a strange look and he said with a confused expression "Well.., I am not even hungry."
"No, a raw piece of meat for your EYE, to take the swelling and bruising away."
This statement sent Xation's mind reeling back to England, the night Mr.Pruce had saved him from that fight, behind the Tiger!Tiger!, in Piccadilly Circus, he remembered how Bengiman's mum had made him rest on her sofa, after the bout, putting a piece of raw steak on his face for the same reason back then. Xation let out a sigh of loving memory for old Gertrude Pierce, whom he had not thought of in a very long time, God rest her sweet soul. The memories of the dear woman flooded Xation's mind, for she had been like a mother to him, a warm spot of joy welled up in his heart at the long lost thoughts of that special lady, whom Xation had cared for all those years while Bengiman toiled in Her Majesties Prisons.
Charles looked over at Xation who had a far off, melancholy look on his face of fond memories from long forgotten days. "Xation are you alright?"
Xation did not reply, he only turned his gaze completely and utterly on Charles, who stood before him, the tall, handsome American, but now his face had changed, he did not look like the bright eyed, charming, smiling fellow, Xation had known and taken into his family. His face was without any expression, or emotions, or remorse, he had become like a blank, stone wall. Xation could not see the light of life, or spark in his eyes, or cheer to his voice anymore. A cold chill ran up and down the length of his spine and every fiber in his being became as tense as wire as Xation realized he was looking at a ghost in it's shell.
"Xation? Can you hear me?" Charles said getting his pen light out checking his pupils again.
Xation swatted his hands away from his face saying "What are we going to tell the girls? I can not let Leah see me this way."
"You still want to go and get them?" Charles asked fearing this was not a very good idea after what had transpired and Charles wanted off this fucking island now!
"Oh yes! I want to see Leah right now, more than ever." Xation said and that was the truth.
"Well, we will have to make up a story." Charles sighed and then he said "We will say you were driving, without a seat belt, and we got into an accident and you busted your face and ribs on the steering wheel. I was in the passenger seat, wearing my seat belt, and was unharmed."
Xation thought this plausible, fictitious story was an excellent cover, and lie, so the two agreed this would be the tale they would tell, to whomever it was that asked, the girls, his sisters, his parents, Mr.Pruce.., or even the police, if need be. Charles ordered up an odd request from room service, one raw sirloin strip, a bucket of ice and three large Ziploc bags, being this was a five star hotel the staff would have sent almost anything their wealthy guests requested. Now as Charles hung up the phone Xation leaned back on the sofa with his feet up as Charles hurried to change his blood splattered clothes, washing his face and hands before rushing to pack up all of their belongings. Xation held a cold, wet washcloth up to his face as Charles had instructed him while he waited for the bags of ice for his bruised and swollen face. Xation rested his free hand on his lap and he felt something down in his pocket, so he reached into his jeans. Then with a little laugh he called over to Charles saying "Oi, Charles! Here's your pack of gum!" Xation said tossing the little yellow pack of juicy fruit over to him.
Quickly helping the wounded Xation into the passengers seat, Charles pulled off Xation's green silk shirt; which was covered in the blood dripping from his nose, as his left eye began to swell shut, he was having trouble hearing, as if Charles was speaking to him from underwater. "Here, take this." he said balling the shirt up and handing it to his bloodied friend. "Keep pressure on your nose!" Charles glanced into the little gas station and did not see the shop keep, whom was in back putting on a pot of coffee and saw nothing. Now picking up his trusty, and bloody, Nine Iron, Charles rushed over to the small water filled box with it's squeegee, for cleaning windshields, however, Charles used it for a different purpose, sliding the head of his golf club in the soapy water, to rid it of any bits of bones, blood and brains. Xation yelled at him to hurry as Charles grabbed a few of the blue towels from the dispenser drying his Nine Iron before slipping it back into his golf bag behind Xation, who was in an excruciating amount of pain and Charles was worried for his friend and Charles was worried for himself as well.
"I'll have you back at the hotel in 10 minutes." Charles said sliding behind the wheel speeding off down the deserted, two lane road. Charles did not speak for a few minutes as he tried to catch his breath and calm his heart and mind with a moment of silent contemplation, as the realization of what he had just done sank in, though Charles knew his surging fit of unbridled rage, and destruction, was only to protect his friend, in his mind Charles was safe and secure in the knowledge he had really done nothing wrong; which is the same logic he used to quiet his conscience after he nearly decapitated Felina's rapist, only last year. Now putting any thoughts about himself, or his violent actions aside, he turned all his care and attention to Xation asking him "Xation? Are you having any trouble breathing mate?"
"No, but fuck my ribs hurt! Feel like I have been kicked by a mule!" he moaned in pain.
"On a scale of 1-10, 10 being the worst, rate your pain." Charles said driving along at the speed limit concerned for his friend's well being.
"At least a 10! I think they broke my ribs!" Xation shouted as they drove on, getting closer to Kapalua.
"No! They didn't break your ribs" Charles smiled a little.
"Well, how the fuck do you know?! You haven't even taken a look at me yet!" Xation shouted as the sharp, stabbing, ache settled down deep into his flesh and face.
"Because, if you had any broken ribs you would have said 15, and you can breath, and are apparently having no trouble screaming at me! Now just take it easy, lean back, try to calm down we are almost there." Charles tried to reassure him, but due to the shear shock and horror Xation had just witnessed, a numbing sense of the vicious scene replayed in his head, but it was not what Xation had just seen moments ago, but the memory of one dark day, back in England, with Bengiman, and what Bengiman Pruce had done to poor Teddy McDowell, that Sunday summer's evening, way back in 1978. Xation closed his eyes and tried to wipe each of these haunting memories away, both old and new.
Back at the hotel Charles did not valet the car, instead they parked on the side of the hotel and staggered back in a side door, through a long hall, down to the elevator's. Luckily the profuse flow of blood from Xation's nasal cavity had stopped, and on the ride up Charles determined his nose was not broken, nor did he loose any teeth, or even cut his lips, though the left eye was now completely swollen shut, the deep-blue-purple color of a massive bruise, his face was a red, ripe mess, looking like he had just got out of a losing match with Rocky Marciano. Helping Xation back to their suite, Charles hurried to find his little black doctor's bag; which he always kept with him, as the Diaz family's private physician this was crucial. He checked him for signs of concussion, none. Charles listened to his lungs, they were clear of any fluid, and his heart rate and pulse had returned to normal. Charles taped up Xation's ribs to help ease the pain and then handed him two small blue pills "Here, this is vicodan, it will help with your pain." Charles said as he too swallowed down a couple of the pills.
Xation gave him a strange look asking him "Well, if I am the patient.., why are you taking them?"
"I take them for my mental pain and anguish." Charles said in all honesty, then he realized Xation had never know about his vicodan addiction, so he quickly changed the subject. "I need to order you a steak."
Xation gave him a strange look and he said with a confused expression "Well.., I am not even hungry."
"No, a raw piece of meat for your EYE, to take the swelling and bruising away."
This statement sent Xation's mind reeling back to England, the night Mr.Pruce had saved him from that fight, behind the Tiger!Tiger!, in Piccadilly Circus, he remembered how Bengiman's mum had made him rest on her sofa, after the bout, putting a piece of raw steak on his face for the same reason back then. Xation let out a sigh of loving memory for old Gertrude Pierce, whom he had not thought of in a very long time, God rest her sweet soul. The memories of the dear woman flooded Xation's mind, for she had been like a mother to him, a warm spot of joy welled up in his heart at the long lost thoughts of that special lady, whom Xation had cared for all those years while Bengiman toiled in Her Majesties Prisons.
Charles looked over at Xation who had a far off, melancholy look on his face of fond memories from long forgotten days. "Xation are you alright?"
Xation did not reply, he only turned his gaze completely and utterly on Charles, who stood before him, the tall, handsome American, but now his face had changed, he did not look like the bright eyed, charming, smiling fellow, Xation had known and taken into his family. His face was without any expression, or emotions, or remorse, he had become like a blank, stone wall. Xation could not see the light of life, or spark in his eyes, or cheer to his voice anymore. A cold chill ran up and down the length of his spine and every fiber in his being became as tense as wire as Xation realized he was looking at a ghost in it's shell.
"Xation? Can you hear me?" Charles said getting his pen light out checking his pupils again.
Xation swatted his hands away from his face saying "What are we going to tell the girls? I can not let Leah see me this way."
"You still want to go and get them?" Charles asked fearing this was not a very good idea after what had transpired and Charles wanted off this fucking island now!
"Oh yes! I want to see Leah right now, more than ever." Xation said and that was the truth.
"Well, we will have to make up a story." Charles sighed and then he said "We will say you were driving, without a seat belt, and we got into an accident and you busted your face and ribs on the steering wheel. I was in the passenger seat, wearing my seat belt, and was unharmed."
Xation thought this plausible, fictitious story was an excellent cover, and lie, so the two agreed this would be the tale they would tell, to whomever it was that asked, the girls, his sisters, his parents, Mr.Pruce.., or even the police, if need be. Charles ordered up an odd request from room service, one raw sirloin strip, a bucket of ice and three large Ziploc bags, being this was a five star hotel the staff would have sent almost anything their wealthy guests requested. Now as Charles hung up the phone Xation leaned back on the sofa with his feet up as Charles hurried to change his blood splattered clothes, washing his face and hands before rushing to pack up all of their belongings. Xation held a cold, wet washcloth up to his face as Charles had instructed him while he waited for the bags of ice for his bruised and swollen face. Xation rested his free hand on his lap and he felt something down in his pocket, so he reached into his jeans. Then with a little laugh he called over to Charles saying "Oi, Charles! Here's your pack of gum!" Xation said tossing the little yellow pack of juicy fruit over to him.
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