Cain by Kathi S. Barton

can’t move just yet. Just leave me here and go out and find
a gun. It will be a mercy killing, I swear to you. You won’t go to
jail. I’ll leave them a note for you.”
    Mrs. Webb looked horrified. Julie was
only about half kidding. But when she left Julie, she thought maybe
she was going to put her out of her misery. Tears streamed down her
face. She was in so much pain, so when the nurse returned
empty-handed, Julie couldn’t help it, she sobbed.
    “ You don’t be moving from
there, child. I’ve called the troops, I have. Someone will be here
just shortly to see you though,” Mrs. Webb said with a look of
determination on her face.
    “ I think you should just
shoot me. I know I’d feel better in the long run. I know I’d feel a
damned sight better than I do right now.” When Mrs. Webb only
tisked at her, Julie continued. “I don’t suppose you can tell me
where I am, could you? I know this is someone’s home. Is it
yours?”
    “’ Tis Dr. Cain Waite’s
home you’d be in. He called me just yesterday. Retired, I was, but
he was looking for some extra help and I some extra monies. Do you
want to try and stand now, miss? You don’t look so pale
now.”
    Julie knew that was where she was, but
the reality of the situation was still a bit of a shock. Moving to
the edge of the bed more, she stood up, the need to leave
overriding the pain that riddled her. But the need was overpowered
by the tilting room and the belly lurch. Julie reached out and
grabbed the first thing she touched.
    “ Come on,” the voice said
in a strained way. “Let’s get you back to bed. Damn it, Julie, do
you have to make everything so difficult?”
    Julie looked up into the stormy eyes of
Cain. “Fuck you. I didn’t ask you to bring me...how the hell did
you bring me here, come to think of it? Never mind. I’m leaving. I
just have to pee, let me go.”
    Julie tried pulling away, but the next
thing she knew, he was scooping her up into his arms and taking her
into the bathroom. She tried in vain to pull the t-shirt, which she
just noticed wasn’t hers and was huge on her, down to a modest
cover up.
    “ Put me down this instant!
The nerve!” She tried to struggle out of his arms, but she was just
hurting herself more.
    “ Shut up. I swear...here.
I’ll stand right out here and you do your business. And be careful.
You don’t need any more bruises on you.”
    Glaring up at him, Julie wanted to cry.
Damn him. He had no right to be pissy with her. She was a grown
woman, damn it.
    “ I can’t...you have to
leave. I can’t pee with you standing there.” She didn’t think he
would. She thought he would be just stubborn enough to stand right
there until her body had done what he wanted.
    “ I’ll be right outside the
room. If I hear one noise, one sound that I don’t like, I swear to
you that I’m busting down this door and coming in. You hear me?”
Cain roared at her.
    “ The fucking house can
hear you, oh loud one. Like I give two shits if you bust down your
own door.” She moved toward the commode. “Out, and when I’m
finished, I’m leaving here. You aren’t my keeper. Nor are you my
father, though there are times...get out!”
    Cain mumbled something. She was sure as
she was standing there that she didn’t want to know, but he left
her. She turned on the water tap full blast to drown out any sounds
she might make and sat down to pee. But not before sticking her
tongue out at the man on the other side of the door.
    Julie started crying in earnest. While
she didn’t hurt as badly now—the moving around had loosened
muscles—she did know without a doubt Cain wouldn’t be letting her
leave like she wanted. To be honest, she wasn’t sure she’d get very
far like this. Her head was pounding like a jackhammer had moved
in. When she flushed and stood up, the room titled dangerously. She
was afraid for all her bravado, she was going to fall and hit her
poor head again.
    Turning off the water, Julie could hear
Cain