Pretty Poison

Fifty - Five

"Why should we give a damn about him now?" A man shouts in an abrasive tone.

"Yeah! Why should we care if he dies? He deserves this."

"No," the nurse retorts, "He doesn't belong in the ground, he belongs in prison. He deserves to rot in a cell for the rest of his life! Death is too easy."

Everyone in the room pauses to let her striking words settle in in their entirety. They all nod slowly in agreement, some rubbing their chins in deep thought.

"Achard's right," someone finally states, breaking the long silence.

"Well, where is he then?"

"Venice."

***

Everyone scrambled to leave, some hastily opening locked cabinets to pull out hand guns. They all pushed through the chamber door, only two people remaining to watch over me.

I remain still on the table, the weight of the blanket no longer noticeable around my shoulders. My body slowly grows warm, yet every muscle aches with congestion.

Two men leaned against an adjacent counter from the table, conversing in hushed tones. Their arms are folded over their chests, their demeanors relaxed as they every so often glance over at my still figure. My eyelids feel heavy, but I refuse to let them droop.

I turn my head to face the men. I stare at them, blinking slowly and watching their every move. One of them senses my eyes on them, for he shifts uncomfortably under his weight.

I struggle to speak, my lips opening and closing over and over again. I grow irritated laying here, useless. I grow frustrated that I'm here, instead of up there, helping to find Enzo. I tremble in annoyance, the weight now obvious. I lift my hand from under the blanket, attempting to get the attention of one of the men. I wave, but they don't notice with their backs almost turned towards me.

I heave out a breath, a weak sound chained to it. I breathe out again, harsher, and that same sound follows.

"H-h-hey," I croak, too soft for anyone to hear. I call out again, "Hey," my voice threatens to leave my throat, but I force it to stay.

Still nothing. Their faint voices loom over the room, the solid stone walls reflecting any sound. They chuckle, the men's chests bouncing as they bob their heads.

"Hey!"

Instantly, they stop and turn to face me, a bit irritated. One of the men stays put while the other strides towards me. His coat sways as he walks uneven steps.

"What's wrong?" He questions as he stares down at me.

"I-I"

"Speak up, I can't hear you."

"I-I need you to-"

"Spit it out," the man states harshly, his annoyance radiating from his dark eyes.

Without thinking, I reach for his arm, a newfound anger rising within me because of his impatience. The man shouts and tries to pull away, recoiling quicker than a gun. I don't let him go; and he doesn't fall. He doesn't die. Why?

"Jesus! Get off of me!" He shrieks, but I don't let him go. I use his arm to lift me up, tightening my grip. The other man rushes over and stops short once he sees my harsh hold on his colleague.

"I need you to take me to Venice," I state, my voice and confidence crashing down on me. My voice is stern, leaving no room for negotiation.

The man stares at me with terror filled eyes, soon confusion takes its place. His eyes flicker between my hand and his skin back to my cold eyes. He gulps rather loudly, his Adam's apple sinking down his throat.

"Well?" I spit, mirroring his earlier frustration.

He nods slowly up and down, "Alright," he breathes, "I'll take you."

His heart beats rapidly in his chest as does mine as he pulls away from me. His partner stares with nothing but shock etched all over his features.

"H-How?" He asks under his breath as his eyes avert back and forth between my hand and his partner's skin. After a moment, he runs after him, a string of questions rolling off the tip of his tongue.

Their astonished voices grow distant as they step into another room for a moment. They appear again a moment later, both still uttering phrases of bewilderment between each other. They return to my side with a set of keys as I push myself off the cold steel table.

"Where in Venice?"

"To Enzo."