Chapter 3 Fractured minds

"Where is she?" Stevens asked, getting up in anger.

"Where is who?" Ricardo asked.

"Where is she, Ric? I've got to kill her." Stevens yelled pacing the office.

"Sit down." He commanded.

"No, you don't understand Ric; she's the reason I'm like this, the reason I have scars all over my body, the reason I can't sleep, the reason for everything!" Stevens yelled, his eyes all red and his breathing uneven.

"Sit down." Ricardo urged him again while playing with a ball in his hand. He does that anytime he's trying to control his anger.

"Ricardo!"

"Fvcking stop pacing and sit down!" Ricardo yelled, his eyes finally meeting Stevens who stopped pacing as a result of the outburst.

Steve closed his eyes, trying to calm himself before sitting down.

"It's clear you both were in the same place, is there a chance you might have been taken there by her?" Ricardo asked, his head coming up with different scenarios.

"No." Steven answered.

"I can't remember her from before, although I did hear Jean... " He stopped his statement to look at Ricardo.

Ricardo's eyes flashed with something and he couldn't place it.

"Continue." He waved, a sign for him to continue.

"Jean said Rena trained with us when we were teenagers and she had a huge crush on you."

"Me? The theory is wrong. I don't think it was me she liked, hell I don't even recognize her." Ricardo says picking up the photo one more time to take a look.

"She said one more thing. According to Jean, she confessed her feelings for you and you rejected her and that was the reason for the ploy with Kevin."

"I don't think it's me, there's a mix up somewhere and Jean is not..." Ricardo closed his eyes, before continuing "she's not-"

Just before he could complete his statement, Lucas came in.

"Meeting without me, again. I'm starting to think your hatred for me runs deep." Lucas says pouting

Steven smiled at his childish antics.

"Jean is awake."

Silence descended the room, Steven staring blankly at him.

"Hello? Ricardo, didn't you hear what I just said? Jean is awake." He broke the news again.

Ricardo opened his eyes "it this some kind of sick joke, I'll have your head on a spike." He threatened leaving the room. Ricardo broke out in a run and didn't stop till he got to her room.

"I'm fine, Natalie." He heard her voice.

Ricardo opened and closed his eyes, relishing the fact that his baby sister was awake.

"Don't blame me for worrying, Jean. It's been 5 months, and I'm practically useless without you." Natalie groaned. "Well, don't tell me you've found no use for my brother." Jean laughed. "He's been distant lately, and I don't want to bother him, but I'm glad you're awake, though." They had no idea Ricardo was standing outside the door. He knew he had been distant and couldn't come up with an excuse. What could he say? That a gang kept hijacking his shipments? Just then, Natalie got up and opened the door, and her eyes widened as she saw him standing there. "Hi," she said, surprised.

"Hi," he said, feeling awkward.

"You can go in," Natalie said, stepping aside to let him enter.

"Can we talk first?" Ricardo asked. He needed to make things right as soon as possible; he couldn't have Natalie upset with him and his shipment missing. "Yeah, sure," Natalie replied, glancing at Jean, who nodded in agreement.

"I'll be in our room," Natalie muttered, walking past him.

"How are you feeling?" Ricardo asked Jean.

"I'm okay, just a headache, nothing much," she shrugged.

"Don't do that again; I'll go crazy without you here," Ricardo said, his voice filled with emotion. Jean smiled, standing up from the bed, her legs a bit wobbly from being in one place for so long. "I'm sorry," she whispered, opening her arms for a hug. Ricardo smiled, embracing her. "Now, go get your girl," Jean chuckled, returning to the bed, still a bit unsteady on her feet. Ricardo smiled, nodding. "I'll send the maids up, in case you need anything," he said before leaving.

Jean heaved a sigh, as coming back has taken so much from her. Presently, her head doesn't feel like hers-it feels just like there is something off. She keeps having these headaches in which she feels, with a couple of good knocks, it will go away. So that's what she did. Jean kept slamming her head with her palm. When it wasn't enough, she went close to the wall and continued with the procedure.

"What's that noise?" Steven asked, furrowing his brow. The question was addressed to Lucas, standing next to him.

Lucas cocked his head and tried to tell from where the noise was coming. "Sounds like it's coming from Jean's room," he said in a low tone.

Steven's eyes went wide with alarm. "What is she doing?" he muttered, already hurrying toward Jean's room.

As they entered, a disquieting sight greeted them: Jean was standing near the wall; her palms red and swollen, her face distorted with pain. Her head was bumping against the wall, with her eyes closed tight.

"Jean, stop!" Steven rushed to her, clamping down on her arms to hold her. "What are you doing? You're going to hurt yourself!"

Jean's eyes snapped open, desperation and frustration alive in her eyes. "Make it stop," she pleaded low, her voice shaking. "Make the pain stop."

"Hands off me, bastard." She yelled, struggling from Steven's grip.

Her eyes met Lucas', and she suddenly stopped. "Husband!" she whispered, her voice trembling. Lucas' eyes widened in shock, and Steven froze, giving her the chance to leave his grip. Jean jumped into Lucas' arms, hugging him like her life depended on it. Her bloody head stained his clothes. "He tried to hurt me and take me away from you," Jean whined, her voice filled with desperation. "Don't let him take me away, Mi Vida," she kept repeating, her grip on Lucas tightening, until she finally fell asleep, still clinging to him. "What just happened?" Steven muttered, getting to his feet, looking bewildered. "I have no idea," Lucas replied, gazing down at the petite female holding onto him, the blood on her head wetting his shirt.

A part of him was jumping with excitement, another part of him was sad. What he had just witnessed took him to the edge and confirmed the doctor's words. Jean had lost her mind. He loved her, maybe more than he would ever know; he wanted her love, but he didn't want it if she wasn't in her right state of mind.

"She's lost it, right?" Steven asked, his voice barely above a whisper.

Lucas gave a slow nod. "We can't know for certain; it could be a side effect from her slumber."

He didn't want to believe it one bit.

"What's going on here?" Ricardo asked, entering the room. His eyes darted from Steven to Lucas and then to the blood on the wall. He was met with silenc

"You both should answer me. Why is there blood on the wall?" Ricardo asked, raising his voice slightly.

"Quiet, Ricardo. We don't want her waking up," Lucas hushed, carrying Jean in a bridal style and taking her into the bathroom located inside the room. Ricardo followed suit.

He carefully washed her hair, gave her a bath, and wrapped her with a towel before taking her out of the tub and back to the bedroom.

Lucas gently laid her on the bed, trying not to wake her. He covered her with a blanket, his eyes filled with concern. "I'll go call Dr Tate to treat her wound". Steven muttered, leaving the room. His mood was a mess. This was all because of him, he shouldn't have hurt her in the first. He didn't get to reach the doctor's quarters before breaking down in tears.

~~~

"She called you her husband?" Ricardo asked, still unsure. Immediately Steven left, Lucas had given him a run down of what happened.

"I love her, maybe more than I'll ever know. But, I can't have her love if she's not in her right mind." Lucas said, his tone breaking on edge.

"Relax, if she wakes up still recognizing you as her husband; you become one. Steven broke her heart, you just have to mend it."

Lucas nodded, taking Jean's hand in his. It felt cold against his. Ricardo felt the emotions whirling around and decided to leave.

"I'll go check on Steven, I don't think he made it to Tate's quarters." He said excusing himself.