Chapter 18 ~~
A groan filled the hotel room as his blue eyes fluttered open. He felt pain almost instantly. It crashed around his head like a thunderstorm and he shut his eyes again tightly. His limbs were sore and his stomach burned like someone had just tried to brand him.
“Fuck…” he mumbled as he tried to sit up.
His right shoulder was the sorest of his limbs and lifting it was not in the cards. He collapsed back down trying to catch his breath when he suddenly became aware that he was not alone.
“You waken up for real this time? Bout damn time!”
Jr looked over to see Ron standing in front of a window.
“Not you…” Jr whispered as he tried to move again only to have his body scream at him.
“Yes me! Did you think you could get away?! I told you I sleep light! I should kill you right now for making me go through all that work. Stealing an other car… Breaking the speed limit to catch up with your damn ass truck, which I’m sorry to say, is now just a sorry heap of scrap metal.”
Jr’s eyes shut tight at his words. He started to remember what happened and now he was more pissed then sore. He couldn’t’ wait to get the chance to hurt this guy… Especially after harming his baby!
“Well enough talk. Lets get your ass in the car and finish our little road trip! I’m sure your friends can’t wait to see you.”
Ron’s eyes twisted into an evil glare as he walked over to the bed Jr was lying in and grabbed him, pulling him harshly to his feet.
Jr’s head spun with the sudden change in gravity and he shut his eyes to maintain control.
“Because of your damn stupidity we lost a good part of the day! Now we wont get there till early morning!’
“Why are you taking me to a track that is filled with security and people that will protect me? Seems like a dumb move for you.” Jr couldn’t’ understand why he was bringing him to a race track surrounded by his “Family”.
“Cause I have PLANS for you! That’s why! Don’t question me!”
Ron yanked Jr’s arms behind his back and pushed him forward to the door. The moment pulled on his sore muscles and he fought tears.
“I got some water and Motrin in the car. I want you feeling better for when we get there.”
“Why the hell for?!?!” Jr snapped while being shoved in the back of an old Buick.
“You’ll see!”
And with that the door was slammed in his face and Jr relaxed into the seat. The sun was almost set and shadows were already setting in. He was glad because he didn’t think his head and eyes could take the sun right now.
He glanced into the review mirror from the back seat and saw himself. Now he knew why his head and face hurt. He had small scratches on his forehead and chin. And quite a good gash on the side of his head.
“Must have been from the glass” he mumbled about the cuts while remembering his beautiful truck tipping over.
All he wanted was to sleep some more. He knew whatever was coming was gonna take a lot of energy to stand. He grabbed the bottle of pills and the water and took a few before laying himself gently back down in the back seat.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
“Teresa? Are you ok?”
Teresa looks up to see Karla standing above her.
“I guess.”
“I brought you a soda.” She said while handing it to her.
“Thanks.”
“I know your worried but he wasn’t in the car! So that could mean he got out himself and was just fine!”
“Then where did the blood come from?” She muttered while taking a sip from the can.
“Maybe he cut his arm or something?”
Teresa shut her eyes remembering the night before. Her whole being screamed when she saw what was in front of her. Blood covered the upholstery. Glass was scattered everywhere... but there was no Jr. She was so worried.
“He wouldn’t leave that truck. Not if he could help it.”
“Maybe it was the other guy who was hurt and Jr found a way to get him somewhere safe? Teresa you don’t know. Please stop beating yourself up ok?!”
“Some place safe…” Teresa’s eyes seemed to glaze over as she thought about that phrase.
“The track is safe.”
Karla was confused and utterly scared at the look in Teresa’s eyes. Suddenly Teresa stood up sharply almost dropping the can of soda.
“Get in the car!” She said as they both took off running to the police station doors.
“They are going to the track!”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Kevin Harvick sat in his motor coach watching the end of the Busch race. Well not really watching it. He was staring into space thinking. He had been doing it all day and there was no way he could concentrate on anything else but his thoughts that were running away with him.
A knock at the door sent him out of his daze and it swung open before he could make a move to answer it.
“Jesus Harvick have you been in here all day?!!? Did you even hear what happened?”
Tony Stewart ran in out of breath, clutching a paper in his hand. His eyes were red and the worry lines on his face were enough to clue Kevin in that something was wrong.
“Tony what’s going on? Why do you look like crap?”
“Normally I’d bitch slap you for saying I looked like shit but right now I’m in no mood.” And with one swift movement he shoved the piece of newspaper he had in his hand under Kevin’s nose.
What he saw made him sick to his stomach.
“No… that’s not… it cant be!”
“It is…” Tony said. While trying to control his shaking hands.
“I… I can’t believe this Tony. I’m sorry but…. No!”
“Its his truck Kevin. They found it like this in Pennsylvania.”
“Is he… I mean… ya know…”
Kevin couldn’t’ finish the sentence and he wasn’t sure he wanted to know.
“I can’t believe no one told you. I’ve known for about an hour and I’ve been trying to get some answers!”
“To… what?” Tears were starting to form in Kevin’s eyes as he looked at the picture of the Red Truck laying in piece on its side.
“Kevin… he wasn’t in the car when they found it.”
The Chevy driver was confused for a second before his eyes lit up somewhat.
“So he could be ok?”
Tony gave him a reassuring smile when there was an other knock at the coach door.
Kevin leaned over and opened it up find a distraught Kerry Earnhardt on the other side.
“Kerry?” Tony said. He noticed the looks of sadness and signs of tears in the older Earnhardts eyes.
“You ok Kerry?”
“No…”
“You saw the paper huh?” Kevin said while placing it on the counter.
“Yes I did but that’s not why I’m here.”
“Oh?” The two drivers were confused.
“Can I talk to you about something?”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
“Wake up…”
Jr felt a strong punch in his sore right shoulder as he swiftly came to.
“We’re here ya little shit. Get outta the car.”
It was still pretty dark outside and Jr rubbed his eyes to try and see as he was being pulled from the car and leaned against the trunk. He didn’t notice someone else was there till Ron acknowledged him.
“Grab that bag there.”
Jr looked up to see his brother Kerry leaning over to grab a few bags from Ron
The young Earnhardts eyes turned blood red at the sight of him and he would have lunged at him if he had the strength.
“Bastard.” He mumbled at him.
Kerry looked at Jr with regretful eyes. Eyes that were almost pleading with him to forgive him. He also noticed Kerry had a black eye. He wished he had gave it to him.
“Alright lets go.”
~~~
The trio made their way into a dark Motor coach and Jr was pushed down onto a couch.
Jr recognized that it was Kerry’s coach and shivered inward at the thought of being near him right now. He couldn’t’ believe he would betray him like this.
Kerry walked by him still giving him those pleading eyes but Jr had none of it. He couldn’t look at him. Not ever again.
“Get him into bed. I want him rested up for what I got planned for him later.” Ron said while opening the fridge and peering in. He reached in and grabbed a half eaten sub and pulled it out.
“And make him eat this. He’ll need energy.” He tossed the sub at Kerry and went back in for something for himself.
Kerry extended a hand to Jr and Jr ignored it as he pushed himself slowly up to his feet on his own.
“Don’t’ touch me.” He whispered in Kerry’s face before walking himself to the back of the bus.
Once back there, Jr flopped on to the bed and stuck his head in the pillow in an attempt to block out any view of his older half brother. Every square inch of his body hurt and his head was throbbing. The last thing he wanted to do was get into a spitting/slugging match with a family member… If he could still call Kerry that.
“I’m sorry.”
Jr kept his head in the pillow pretending to ignore anything that came out of Kerry’s mouth.
“Please don’t hate me.” Kerry said as he set the sub on the night side table before starting to walk out.
Jr couldn’t hold it in anymore and he twisted too sharply in an attempt to yell at Kerry.
“Damn it!” He screamed while inching himself up onto the pillow down onto his back, shutting his eyes.
“Can I get you anything?” Kerry said with concern in his voice as he walked back over to the side of the bed.
“How about... you just kill me... and get it over with.” He said through deeps breaths. “Then... I wouldn’t be in... anymore pain.”
“I’m not going to kill you.” Kerry said defensively.
“Oh yeah?” Jr’s eyes shot open. “You tried before!”
“I did not!”
“Whatever… get out.”
Kerry opened his mouth to protest when he noticed his younger half brother shut his eyes again in pain and exhaustion. He continued his way out the door and shut the light on the way. It was going to be a LONG day.
