Calamitous (Kaylor)

14

Taylor was enjoying playing the game with Martha. The nurse had told her that it was a game that most children knew, but Taylor had never heard of it, so Martha had decided to teach her. After a grueling ten minutes, she slammed her cards and yelled, "HA! I win!"

Just then, the door burst open. Taylor turned to greet Karlie, wanting to impress her with the fact that she had won on her first try, but the excited words died in her throat. "What are you doing here?" she growled.

The chief shot her a look of pure hatred. He ignored her and turned to Martha. "I believe I told you that your services were no longer required," he said dangerously.

"And I believe I told you that Taylor almost died because of you, and that I'd be sticking around."

"The decision isn't yours to make." The man towered over her threateningly. "I want you to leave, and I want this criminal back in solitary."

"You can't do that!" Martha protested.

"I can do whatever I want!" he yelled, swinging back his hand as if to slap her. Martha cowered back but the blow never landed, despite the ringing sound of a hand meeting flesh. The nurse opened her eyes and saw that Taylor had leaped between them.

The blonde's wide eyes burned with fury. "You hit me," she said in disbelief. She looked behind her, and Martha's scared gaze met hers. "You tried to hit her."

"And what are you gonna do about it, Kitty?" the chief taunted. "I have it on good authority that you're too weak to -" A swift punch to his face interrupted him and sent him reeling backward. Eyes watering automatically from the pain, he felt his nose and was relieved to see that it wasn't broken. "Is that the best you can do?" he said with a laugh.

"Far from it," Taylor sneered, eyes wild. "Try to hit us again and find out." The man lurched toward her, but the blonde was too quick on her feet for him and danced out of the way easily. He threw a punch toward her but she ducked and swept him off balance with a leg. As soon as he was down, she pinned him and started to hit him as hard as she could, over and over.

Just then, Karlie and Lily rushed into the room. They quickly took in the scene: Martha cowering in the corner, the chief on the floor with a bloody and bruised face, and Taylor, eyes glazed with hatred, kneeling on his chest and continuing to punch. "Taylor!" Karlie shouted, feeling sick as fear rolled in her stomach.

Hearing Karlie's yell, the girl hesitated with her arm drawn back for another hit and turned to face the detective. "Taylor, what did you do?" Karlie whispered now, slowly approaching her. Taylor dropped her arm and looked down at the man beneath her. She stared blankly for a moment before her eyes seemed to come back into focus and she shook her head violently.

She scrambled off and scooted backward on the cold floor, staring in horror at the scene before her. Karlie slowly approached her, leaving Lily to guard the door and Martha to examine the chief. She slowly reached for the smaller girl, trying not to startle her into attacking, but Taylor flinched away from her hand.

"I...I didn't mean to," she whispered, looking up at Karlie with watery eyes. "I swear, it was just instinct, he hit me first - he wanted to hit Martha, Karlie - I didn't mean to!"

Karlie shushed her and gently wrapped her arms around the blonde, thankful that she didn't try to struggle away from her hold. "I know you didn't, Taylor. He should have known better."

"I could have killed him, Karlie. Oh, god. I'm a monster."

"You aren't." Her words didn't manage to comfort the girl, though, because Taylor started crying seconds after.

"There will be some people from the hospital coming over to take him over there," Martha said to Karlie, resting a hand on her shoulder. "But we have the tapes. He did try to hit me, and she was protecting me. She retaliated and gave him a chance to walk away, but he attacked again. She might have gotten a bit out of control, but it was self defense. If either of them deserves to be in a cell after this incident, it's him."

Karlie sighed, rocking the sobbing blonde in her arms gently as she thought. "I doubt the commissioner will see it that way," she murmured. "I mean, obviously the chief will face consequences. But the odds of Taylor being allowed to move in with me must be practically nonexistent now."

"You would be wrong there," a voice from the doorway spoke. The girls looked up to see the commissioner. "I was watching the cameras the whole time. Despite her lack of control, Taylor behaved admirably, especially considering her record. She showed loyalty to Martha and regret for the overly violent nature of her defense," he said, motioning to the blonde.

Karlie looked down at her; the sobbing had quieted, and it looked like Taylor was either asleep or close to it. She must be exhausted. How she managed to take him down when she's still so weak, I'll never know.

"Additionally," the commissioner said, "Karlie, you showed that you are able to subdue her when she loses control. She obviously trusts you. And, considering what has been happening over the last few weeks, this is clearly a hostile environment for her," he said, scowling down at the chief's body.

"Therefore, I am approving your request, effective immediately. You can both go home tonight."