Toto and the Boys III: Dannie

Chapter 22

A piece of the past...

Tessa had gotten worse. Her cough had become more uncontrollable. Soon after, she was spitting blood. The doctors could only do so much with their financial status.

It meant more hotel visits for Dannie. She didn't know how much the men paid her mother, but she assumed, that with everything that they had done to her—with everything that she had experienced—it would have been enough to cover her sister's hospital bill.

"This is going to be the last visit," was the frequent words she'd hear from her mother. But the last one would always be followed by another.

The more her visits, the more her mother's Bingo and Mahjong friends came by.

She was already shaking with anger as her mother dragged her back to the hotel in a new dress. Tessa was lying in the hospital alone with no medicine to take. She'd have to endure this one again, she thought.

Her mother left her outside the door. The let her in.

Dannie sat on the bed, her heart beginning to hammer. Just like last week and the week before that. The man started to undress. A new feeling unraveled inside her. It started in her gut and slowly climbed higher to her throat. Before she knew it, Dannie was running for the door and the man shouted after her.

She ran as far as her feet would take her until she could not take it anymore.

She puked on the carpeted floor as the tears streamed down her face. In her head, she was crying for Tessa's forgiveness.

She couldn't take it anymore.

Dannie started running again.

PRESENT DAY

Okay, so I said I was CARnapped, right?

Yes, I was!

After all the mileage, after all the love and care and after all the repainting and overhauling, they decided to CARNAP me? At this stage of my vehicular life?!

Come on, right?

Who would want to bargain for me?!

Well, it turned out there were a few people would wanted me back and I only learned about it hours after my mysterious disappearance.

How did it happen?

Simple.

I was waiting for Jordan and Georgie to finish off their shift at the Red Cross HQ. I was having a nice talk with Dee, the ambulance friend of mine, when suddenly the couple ran out with two more crew members for a run. They had an emergency call.

So I said goodbye to Dee, telling her to keep the couple safe, most preferably Jordan since I was sure Georgie could take care of herself.

And I was left alone. Again. Naturally.

I was doing some mental yoga in my mind so I would not think about Dannie baby and her problems. I was also stressed and a stressed car was not good for itself or its passengers. I had to keep my engines cool and relaxed and calm.

Until I had to panic and shout at the top of my gas tank.

See, I saw a very familiar figure walk toward me. I was used to seeing him, but not at the HQ. At first I thought he was there to visit Georgie since they sort of, well, had a history though they were now good friends.

But no. He was walking toward me. And—take note—he was alone.

Jam, where's Nomad? I asked after his motorbike.