Alex Skywalker Pt.2

Music filled the air. An electric guitar wailed out a melancholy instrumental tune. The boy moaned as his right hand automatically reached out for his phone … but did not find it. His searching hand faltered giving up as he lapsed back into induced sleep.

Nikki dropped her glass startled out of her reverie. Her blue eyes were anxious as she stared at her grandmother.

The elderly lady reached for Alex's phone. The identification caller said "Idiot". She shook her head her in wry amusement as she pressed the pick-up button.

"Hey!! I got massive news for ya!! Where are you at?" and overly excited chattered over the line "Let's meet up and talk strategy, then I'm going to get you for leaving me with Chloe and her friends." A dramatic groan from the other end of the phone sounded "Those girls sure know how to talk a guy's ears off. They never stop for breath; your best friend officially has no ears now thanks to you!" A short laugh followed the statement.

Lady Jayne suppressed a smile. "Hello?" she said finally. Dead silence greeted her on the other end. "Hey sorry. Did I get the wrong number?", embarrassment colored the boyish voice. "I'm sure I got the right number. Alex is on speed dial."

"Yes, I'm sure you did. May I know who is speaking? Your Friend has been in an accident," she said speaking clearly.

"Shit! Is Alex okay? Is his baby ok? May I speak with him?"

"His baby?!" her hand flew to her mouth in shock. Nikki gasped from her chair.

"Yeah, you know his car. Is it bad? How is he?"

Lady Jayne closed her eyes in sweet relief and signaled her niece. It was false alarm. Nikki slumped back into the oversized chair with relief. Silly boy she thought, giving me such a fright.

"He is safe. We managed to get him out of his car in time. He is resting." A friend she thought. "Sorry who did you say you were again? Do you know his parents?" She threw in the last question as a test. Was this close friend or just an acquaintance? Did the friend know who Alex really was?

"He is resting? He never rests!" an incredulous tone and snort. There was a long pause. "It must be bad. I'm sorry. I'm his best friend Ash. Can I see him?" Gone was the brash voice. "May I Know where he is?", now anxious.

"Ah," she smiled as she finally put a face to the voice on the phone. He was the infamous Ashton Blake, Alex's best friend and confidant. The two were inseparable. Ashton, who had staunchly vouched for his friend's innocence and gave him refuge when he had 'disappeared' from the elite social circles.

"Yes, of course. Please come over to this address." She quickly gave him the details.

"Thanks, I'll come right over."

Ash slowed down in front of the huge gate. A guard approached his car as he wound down the screen. "Ash to see Lady Jayne. She knows I'm coming". The guard gave a slight nod to signal his partner. The had been informed by the Lady and were expecting him. The gate swung open slowly.

The long drive up to the main house was spectacular. The road was lined with Flames of Forest. The huge trees had flaming orange-red flowers which gave the impression that it's leaves were alight with fire. The high branches overlapped above forming a thin canopy through which the sunlight filtered. Fallen red petals covered the pathway reminiscence of a red carpet. Wow, dramatic and intimidating. Perks of being wealthy, he thought and smiled. He hoped Alex was okay.

Ash closed his eye and sighed. I leave him for a few hours and he gets into an accident. What was he even doing in that part of town? No scratch that. He knew what he was doing there. Dr. Anderson … Alex had gone to see his mom. Only the problem was Did she know he was there? Or was he stalking her again? He shook his head at his friend's complicated life.

Finally, the car pulled up in front of the main house and parked to the side. He got out slowly, properly awed at the architecture of the building. The front door was being held open by the butler.

"Umm, thanks," he muttered as he entered.

"Lady Jayne and Miss Nikki are expecting you in the guest room. First floor, turn right, last room down the hallway."

"Guest room?"

"Yes sir, your friend is there"

"How is he? Do you Know" Ash asked worriedly.

"I can't really say sir but he will be alright, sir" The elderly said reassuringly at him.

"Thank you"

Ash's steps echoed on the polished marble floor as he hurried up in the opulent central staircase, running up the right branch as it curved gracefully back to the middle where the twin stairs merged. Ignoring the grand sparkling chandelier hanging low from the ceiling directly in the middle of the descending circle, he jogged past a spacious carpeted landing and up a small flight of stairs to the first floor. A long carpeted hallway awaited him and at the very end, an open doorway with light spilling out it.

Ash stood at the door and gave it a light knock. All the while he was taking in the scene before him. An attractive elderly woman who was reading quietly from the bedside looked up inquiringly from her book. Her armchair was drawn up to next to a double bed with a still figure in it. A pretty young woman, blonde with red rimmed eyes startled and was looking at him from an overstuffed chair in a corner of the room. His eyes drifted back to the bed and he walked over slowly.

"Come. Ash, I presume?"

"Yes, ma'am," Ash confirmed as he looked down at Alex's still form. Alex 's face was blotchy and one eye was swollen shut. His head and left hand were bandaged, his other hand was tied loosely to the bedpost above his head. He was breathing shallowly. That was all he could see at a glance. "Crap!... you're a mess," he muttered. The girl shrank even more in her corner.

"What happened?"

"His car was hit by niece," she indicated the young woman. "He will be alright. He is lucky. He currently in a coma. He broke his spine and damaged his spinal nerve. But that would be replaced with an artificial one. We would have done that earlier but he refuses to go the hospital for surgeries."

"Yeah, no hospitals … no clinics either," Ash said as he looked around the large room. "If you want to perform surgery on him its best you do it here" he waved around the richly decorated room" … or else he might freak out."

"Freak out?" She raised her eyebrows.

"Yeah … and you tied him up." He continued glancing at the bedpost. "He is not going like it, he has issues," He looked at her apologetically.

"It can't be helped. It's only temporarily to keep his hand above his head to stop his bleeding," she explained. "What is his name? Who is he?"

"Umm, … Alex, his name Alex"

The elderly's woman eyes narrowed. Ash was not giving anything away.

"I'm sorry, I can't tell you more. He is my best friend. I've known him since we were kids. He is a good person … he is not a bum and he won't steal from you. I'll get him out of here as soon as possible okay?" He fidgeted nervously.

"What? Of course not silly boy," she exclaimed in exasperation. Silly boy, Silly loyal boy she thought to herself. "That not what I meant at all. And he is not going anywhere, not in that condition."

"Huh?"

"I meant, is there someone we can contact. His family perhaps?" she raised her eyebrows inquiringly.

"Ugh, no-ooo," he hung his head.

"No? Surely his mother or …. Someone? They will be worried about him."

"No, I'm sorry, there is only me right now," an awkward pause "… about his car, where is it?"

The young woman came forward. She had obviously been crying and still pale. "I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to hit him. My mind was elsewhere. It was an accident."

"Hey, it's okay miss … don't beat yourself up over it."

"Nikki, you can call me Nikki," she stammered.

"It's okay Nikki. Alex is tougher than he looks. He will recover fast and we will be out of here soon. No worries." He spoke softly trying to calm her. "Are you okay?"

"Yes, just a little shaken." She gave a tentative smile. "My car got the worse of it"

"His car …? How about his car? He will need it when recovers," Ash prompted.

"It's … I don't know. I did not see his car," her voice trailed "I'll pay for repairs but it will take time."

"No Nikki. It is a total wreck … not salvageable at all, a total loss" The older woman chimed in.

"A total loss, ohhh …" Ash made a strangled noise. How was he going to tell Alex his baby was gone? Where was he going to live now? The idiot was too proud to stay at his place.

"I'm sorry."

"Does he have insurance?"

"No. I doubt it but I'll ask him when he recovers …" he sighed and shook his head. "May I stay for a bit? … you and your niece can take a break."

He sounded so hopeful that she relented. Lady Jayne ushered her niece out of the room with her. The boy was right, they needed some rest too. "Thank you," he said quietly as she passed.

Finally, alone in the room with Alex, he sighed "What are we going to do now?" he muttered under his breath as he settled into the recently vacated chair by the bed, his heart heavy.

"Don't you dare die on me. Don't you bloody dare!" Ash dared his unconscious friend. It was more to reassure himself than an actual threat to anyone.