Chapter thirty seven

For the next few hours I drifted in and out of consciousness, but everytime I woke Richie was still by my side. My obs were checked every four hours, and apart from checking my blood pressure the rest didn't hurt. Softly I coughed, the tube in my nose providing oxygen, was making my mouth dry, Richie immediately picked up a sponge stick and dipped it in water before he gently placed it to my lips and pressed. " here lick this bud" I parted my lips as a small amount of water trickled inside. Gingerly I swallowed. " so will you please tell me what happened, bro you look awful, it was Antonia right?"
I looked at him and blinked my one good eye in response. "dr says your lucky to be alive, they ruptured your spleen, your lung collapsed and they have already operated on your scrotum to reduce the swelling, your eye socket is closed and your other eye is totally blood shot"
With very little voice I joked, "apart from that I look ok eh"
Rich looked at me in horror, " your fucking  joking? What's with you? I tell ya, those fucking bastards are gonna pay."
I raised my hand to try to calm Rich, but he was raging. He left my side and was pacing around the room, his next sentence made my blood run cold, "the cops will be here later, and this time they are going lock the psychotic bitch up." fear flooded through my veins as I tried to speak, " no, I can't, please call off the heat."
"What? Have you lost your ever freaking mind?"
" please, I beg, Rich, trust me..... I can't tell the cops"
"Why? Huh, why? Did you enjoy this? "
Gently I shook my head, "D, they will kill D"
" how the fuck can they kill D?, a fucking neat trick from a jail cell, get a fucking grip Jon......... We're jersey Boys right."
I wanted what Rich wanted, man I wanted her to pay, but until I was recovered and strong enough I had to wait. I needed to be sure my wife would be safe, I had to protect her before I took revenge, well justice.

Rich would not relax, he paced and paced, my voice was just not strong enough for me to shout for him to stop.

My mom walking through the door did though. "Something wrong Richard?" she always spoke to Rich using his full name, he hated it. Grimacing a smile he glared at me as he walked over to my mom, and gave a fake smile and a hug.

"So Mrs B how are you?"

"pissed, can you tell me what's happened to my boy?"

I raised my hand to gesture for her to sit and I could explain but she chose to ignore me. instead she glared at me and spoke to Rich.  

"truthfully I don't know Mrs B, Jonny has not said much, but looking at his bruising across his neck not surprising, but rest assured I'll find the bastards and they will pay."

"revenge is not the answer Richard, justice is... yes we will find whoever did this to my boy and they will pay, in jail..."

finally she walked to my bedside, her face full of concern. she stoked away my bangs and traced her fingers down my face, "oh my poor baby...."

pulling my bruised aching arms up I caught her hand and gently brought it too my lips to kiss her fingers. I was trying to reassure her I was fine.

Then another visitor came in, my Dr. "Excuse me, can I see my patient please.

He pushed past my ma and took the chart from my bed, then came round to my side, "mmm eye is still closed, lifting my top he gently examined my chest, side and stomach, which made me flinch, I heard my Mom cry out when she saw the bruising on my body, the doc then pulled open my pants to look at my scrotum, careful not to expose my genital area in front of Rich and my mom. then he proceeded to feel around my neck, Adams apple and larynx's, again I flinched, satisfied with his exam he sat on the edge of the bed and like everyone else asked me what had happened.

He sat crossed legged his hands rested on top of each other as he waited.

"I tried to tell him, it was all ok, but he was having none of it.

"Jon,  I know you are a celebrity, your scared about leaks to press and stuff, but more importantly you are my patient,  and I can assure you anything you tell me will be in the strictest confidence, however, for me to continue your treatment to the best of my capacity as your Dr I need to know what happened to you. so shall we try again?"

I spoke softly but asked the Dr to get Rich and my mom to wait outside.

He asked them if they wouldn't mind stepping out so we could talk. Neither of them wanted to leave but the Doc herded  them out into the waiting area.

"So, were alone, tell me. What happened to you?"

I explained slowly and with hardly any voice the nightmare I had endured at the hands of Antonia and her hench men. the Doc sat listening his face full of concern, I also told him about the threat to D and why I could not tell the cops yet. After I had finished he spoke.

"Jon I don't agree about you not telling the police everything that happened, they are trained to deal with these kind of things, keeping it to yourself you could be doing more harm, to yourself and your wife. you have suffered serious injuries and I tell you, your lucky to be alive, so I ask you to reconsider your decision. "

I listened to the Dr, but I just did not know what to do, if they did half as much to D as they had to me, I could not live with myself. I know what the Dr and Rich had said was true, but dare I take the chance.

The Doc reached the door and with his hand ready to open it, and let my mom and Rich back in, he said, "I mean it Jon, think about it and the consequences..."

As he left my mom and Rich came back inside the room. immediately Rich started, "so you tell him, but not me, I'm your bro, I can sort this shite out man, so are you gonna tell me or what?"