Page 168 of Skin In the Game (The BlackWater)

Maddie groaned as she woke. Her body was in more pain, more agony than she thought she’d ever been through. She tried to move but just shifting slightly sent a wave of searing pain through her leg and she gasped.

“Don’t move if you can.”

She narrowed her eyes looking up and seeing him there.

“What the hell are you doing here?” She muttered.

“Who else did you expect Maddie?” Richard replied and she rolled her eyes.

“I think I’d rather have woken up alone.” She said and he laughed.

“Not a chance. I’m your brother I’m meant to be the one to pick you up each time you fall.” He stated.

“Is that what this is, a fall?” She joked shifting again and letting out a whimper.

“You tell me Maddie. And I said don’t move. They couldn’t give you anything too strong, so you’re going to feel this for a while.” Richard replied.

Maddie huffed.

“Normally they give morphine for this type of injury, but because of your history they were reluctant to give you anything opiate based so you’re stuck with the low level stuff.”

She felt her eyes widen and stared at him shaking her head.

“What did you just say?” She asked slowly, angrily.

“Relax, I know what happened. I know you’re not a real addict Maddie.” Richard said.

“For fucksake.” She snapped. “Who told you?”

He shrugged like it wasn’t even a big deal. “It’s in your notes.”

“So you what, thought you’d just turn up here and start reading all about my medical history is that it?” She asked growing angrier by the second.

“I’m a surgeon, that’s what we do.” He stated.

“And I’m your sister, I have a right to privacy.” She snapped.

He shook his head. “I think you take that right a bit too far sometimes.”

“What does that mean?”

“It means that you could have told me, you could have told me about China, about what happened, about the torture too, all of it. I could have helped.” He replied.

“Maybe I don’t want you knowing, did you ever consider that?” She yelled not caring who heard, not caring how angry she sounded, just not caring at all. “Maybe I like my privacy, maybe I like not being judged by everyone, not being treated like I’m damaged, like I’m broken.”

“You’re not broken Maddie.” He said gently and she shook her head.

“What do you know about it?” She muttered shutting her eyes.

He sighed getting up and moving nearer to her.

“You have to learn to trust people.” He said. “Not everyone is like him, not everyone is out to hurt you.”

“I don’t need your advice Richard.” She stated.

“No but maybe you should listen to it every once in a while.” He replied.

She huffed again. What did he know about it? He grew up with a loving parent, with a stable home. He went to the best schools, the best university, he’d never had a real struggle in his entire life. How could he possibly understand what she was going through?

“I take it the bullet’s out.” She said changing the subject.

“Want to see it?” He asked and she raised an eyebrow as he held it up in the tiny plastic pot for her to see.

“Jeez.” She muttered.

“The good news is there’s no permanent damage beyond the scarring. You’ll have to have some physical therapy of course. Turns out that the guy who shot you wasn’t particularly good at aiming or maybe he was, a few centimetres to the left and he would have got your femoral artery and you’d be in a whole different situation.” Richard explained.

She sighed, wondering to herself if it might all be easier if he had got it, if she had simply bled out and got it all over with.

His phone vibrated and he frowned pulling it out and reading the message before typing back.

“Diane’s here.” He said and she sighed.

“This isn’t a family reunion.” She stated.

“She insisted on coming as soon as she heard. You know how she sees you.” He said.

“What about the kids?” Maddie asked brushing the insinuation aside, she knew his wife liked her, she knew she treated her like she was her sister but that didn’t mean she wanted to be molly cuddled and especially not now, not when she was like this.

---