Lisa Ch. 05a: Only Human

"I'll do it," Riley said, anxious to get some inkling as to what kind of behavior had Angus so worked up. "Eat up."

"Okay, " Jessica said, and began eating.

'Okay?"' Riley thought to himself. She'd said it loud and clear. It looked like she was planning on upholding her end of the bargain ... for eating too, she was eating a slow but steady stream of food. But after a few minutes she lay her fork down.

She forced her eyes to Riley's and fought to keep them from slipping "I can't eat any more," she said. She had looked directly at him, and mistook the stunned look on his face as displeasure. She lowered her head. "I'm full." she added hastily.

Now Riley knew why Angus had been awake all night. Something was different. The only thing he could think to do in response was to go along with it and see where it led.

"Pass me the first aid kit Josh," Riley said standing. "On the sofa Jessica." Jessica made her way to the sofa, and it was clear that every step was an effort.

Jessica hesitated when she got there, unsure how to lie down without causing herself pain.

"Get your shirt up first," Riley said from behind her, and he began to pull her shirt up over her shoulder blades. Jessica gasped as pain shot through her.

"I'll help you lie down," Scott said taking her arms to steady her.

"I got her legs." Riley said. One hand holding up her shirt, he wrapped his other around her legs and lifted. Jessica grimaced, until she was on her stomach, and then she lay very still, afraid to move.

"What the hell did he do to her?" Scott hissed at Riley.

Jim and Josh had watched the ordeal from behind the sofa, and now leant in close to Riley and Scott.

"This was uncalled for," Josh growled.

"I thought he was supposed to be going easier on her!" Jim added.

"We'll talk about this later," Riley said, hoping Jessica hadn't heard the conversation. If she had, she gave no indication of it.

Riley spread the cream on her back. A few welts had the red edges that indicated infection. Riley made a mental note to monitor them closely. Jessica grimaced while he worked and once he was done, Jessica sighed and fell to sleep.

"Riley ..." Jim began in a tone and expression that made it evident he planned to complain about Angus again.

"Not here!" Riley interrupted. Was he nuts? He knew better than to discuss this stuff around Jessica, awake or asleep.

"Get her a blanket," he said to Jim.

"You take care of that damn dog!" he said to Josh as the puppy began to whine, "We'll have plenty of time to talk about this tonight."

"But ..." Jim began to protest.

Riley held up his hand. "Nothing is going to change for her whether we talk about it now or later. Later, Angus will be up and we can find out from him what the problem was. Just get her a blanket so she can sleep, and for Christ sake Josh, I swear to God that if that dog isn't out of my sight in the next two seconds, it'll be making me a really good silencer as I shoot your ass!"

Scooping the pup up, Josh went outside. Jim stomped to his room, muttering obscenities under his breath as he went. He returned with a blanket and laid it gently over Jessica.

"One of us has to stay with her ..." Riley began looking between Jim and Scott.

"I will," Jim said quickly. "Go do whatever you need to, I'll watch her."

Before leaving Scott kissed Jessica on the top of her head. 'Shit!' he muttered to himself and then brought his lips to her forehead and confirmed what he was afraid of.

"She's burning up," he said.

"What?" Riley asked and laid his hand on Jessica's forehead. She felt hot. He had attributed the heat coming from her back to the difference between the temperature of the cream and her skin.

"Fuck," he said and reached for the first aid kit that he'd placed on the coffee table. He found the thermometer and slid it under Jessica's arm. Moments later it was clear that she was in the midst of a full-blown fever. Riley pulled the blanket off her. Reaching beneath her he undid the button of her jeans, unzipped them and pulled them off.

"Get me a wet cloth and some cool water," he said to Scott but then thought better of it, "Never mind Scott, the cloth won't be fast enough. Go run some cool water in the bath instead." He rolled Jessica onto her back and then scooped her up in his arms. Jim trailing after him, he headed for the bathroom and then lowered Jessica into the tub that was filling with water.

"No!" Jessica yelled, waking.

"Shhh, Jess," Jim said grabbing her shoulder to keep her from getting up.

"It's cold!" she complained.

"You have a fever Jessica, we have to bring it down. Sit still," Riley said, and began scooping water over her head with his hand. Jessica began to shiver.

"Please ... "she said through chattering teeth, "it's freezing!"

"It's not that cold," Scott said, dipping his finger in the lukewarm water.

"It's the fever ... it's way too high. Jim, go out to the barn and get a couple of Advil. You know where I've been keeping the bottle right? Up in the loft where Jessica could never find it. Scott, go to my room and get the comforter. " Riley ordered.

As Jim and Scott left, Riley unplugged the tub. Grabbing a towel, he pulled Jessica to her feet. Her shirt and panties clung to her. He pulled them off and wrapped her in the towel. When Scott returned with the blanket, Riley wrapped Jessica in it also. He carried her back out to the sofa and laid her down.

"Here Jess," Jim said placing the Advil he'd brought in her mouth and bringing the glass to her mouth. Jessica's teeth chattered on the glass. Jim sat beside her and pulled Jessica onto his lap to help warm her. He wrapped his arms around her and rubbed. Jessica trembled against him.

"I'll be back in half an hour to take her temperature again," Riley said and headed for the door.

"Jessica, did you do something to Angus last night?" Jim asked once Riley had left and Scott had settled himself on the armchair.

"Do something?" Jessica asked through chattering teeth, her head lolling from one side to the other. "No. Was I supposed to?"

"No Jessica, you weren't supposed to, " Scott answered, "but did you?"

"I don't understand ... what was I supposed to do?" Jessica whispered, barely conscious.

"Go to sleep Jess," Jim said, and Jessica's head fell against him. He could feel her shivering.

"She must have done something bad," Scott said.

"Christ. Why can't she just play along?" Jim demanded. "Whoever she inherited that stubborn streak from must've been one hell of a pain in the ass!"

Scott laughed. "No fucking joke. I've never met anyone as stubborn except for maybe Riley and Angus."

"Yeah. That's just great." Jim replied pulling her tighter against him.

"What's going on?" Josh asked, returning with Baby.

"Jessica's got a fever," Scott replied.

"A fever!"

"It's real high," Jim added.

"You think it's because of what Angus did to her?" Josh asked.

"Guarantee it," Jim replied. "I wish he'd get up and tell us what the hell set him off ..." Jim recalled what he'd told Jessica the previous night. Could it all be related? If it was, was he to blame for her current state? He knew he should have kept his trap shut!

"Angus sure has a funny way of being less frightening," Scott observed. "If this is his and Riley's idea of how not to be scary ... I feel sorry for us all. Nothing is ever going to change."

"What the hell is going on?" Angus asked emerging from the hallway. He stood staring at Jim cradling Jessica.

"Jessica's sick," Josh replied, "what did you do to her, and why?"

"Sick?" Angus asked after throwing Josh a dirty look. "You sure she's not pulling a fast one on you?"

"She definitely has a fever. I don't think she's figured out a way to fake that ..." Josh replied throwing back an equally dirty look.

"Don't be too sure," Angus said stalking to the sofa and placing his hand on Jessica's forehead. "Feels legit," he said with a nod.

"Of course it's legit," Jim said through clenched teeth. "We have a thermometer and we know how to use it! What did she do to deserve this ... please don't tell me you were just being an asshole for the hell of it!"

"She was up to something. Everything she did was suspicious."

"Like what?"

"Like everything," Angus answered, not liking Jim tone.

"Can you be more specific?" Scott asked.

"Read my lips ..." Angus said slowly, "Jessica did some suspicious shit last night, ... she was up to something. Why the hell are you asking all these questions? Since when has it been a crime to punish her?"

"What's going on?" Riley asked as he came in the front door. He didn't like the look on Angus' face. He looked like he was going to lose it ... and Jessica hardly seemed able to have done much to make him angry.

"It appears, "Josh said, "that Jessica did some mysteriously suspicious things to warrant getting the crap beaten out of her ... and he," Josh said pointing his finger at Angus, "seems to think that beating Jessica up has become the new national pass time."

"Kicking your ass is going to be my pass time!" Angus yelled lunging for Josh.

"Cool it!" Riley ordered, stepping between Angus and Josh, and grabbing their shirt collars, he shoved them apart.

"You self-righteous son of a bitch!" Angus shouted as he shoved past Riley and reached for Josh.

"Angus, outside!" Riley yelled as he pulled him back.

"Fine, let's take it outside ..."

"No, you and me, outside, now!"

"You hear the way he's talking to me?" Angus demanded, pointing at Josh.

"Outside Angus. Scott, Josh, we've got work to do, so get to it. Jim, you got Jessica for a while?"

Jim nodded. Riley shoved Angus ahead of him toward the door. Without a word Josh stomped to the basement door, taking the pup with him. He disappeared behind the door, slamming it behind him.

"This is getting out of hand," Scott said listening to Josh stomp down the stairs.

"I'll say, Angus is doing a better job of trying to kill Jessica now, than he did when we actually intended to kill her!" Jim replied.

Scott nodded. "The worst part is that if Jessica was doing something suspicious I can understand being worried. I wouldn't employ the same tactics that Angus did, but I'd be trying to figure out what she was up to too."

"So, how are we supposed to know when we can truly trust her?" Jimmy asked as a sense of despondency washed over him.

"When I throw open the door, let her walk through it alone, and know that she'll be coming back ... of her own free will ... I'll be able to trust her. That may never happen." Scott said, his tone reflecting that he shared Jim's disappointment.

Jim dropped his chin to rest on the top of Jessica's head.

"You alright?" Scott asked.

"Nope."

Scott nodded, "Me neither." He looked at Jessica passed out in Jim's arms. He thought about the times he and Jessica were alone in his room looking through magazines, masturbating together. Somehow he had to find a way to trust her completely. "Going to work out my frustrations downstairs." He finally said, "Later."

Jim heard the door to the basement close behind Scott. He felt like shit. He knew Scott was right ... but he couldn't for the life of him think of how to get them to a point where she would return to them of her own free will.

That depressed him all to hell. It was true that the men were his family, the only family he had left ... and he loved them dearly, but he wanted, needed, Jessica in a way he couldn't describe even to himself.

Jessica murmured something quietly.

"I'm here Jess, what do you need?"

"I want to go home," Jessica sobbed quietly. The words hit Jimmy like a ton of bricks. So, she had been up to something.

"You are home Jessica," Jimmy whispered.

"Dad?"

"No, Jessica, it's Jim. You're not well right now. Go to sleep and you'll be better soon."

"Mom, Dad, Jeffery!" Jessica called as the delirium of the fever overtook her.

She began to thrash on Jim's lap. "Mom, Dad, Marcus! Cain! Jeffery!" she called out increasingly loudly.

"Jessica, shhh, Jessica, it's okay, calm down," Jim said restraining her and patting her cheek.

Outside on the front walkway, Angus paced before Riley.

"Josh talks to me like I'm some two-bit punk and you call me out!" he thundered.

"Forget about them for a minute, will you!" Riley replied. "What the hell did Jessica do that was suspicious?'

"He treats me like I'm the enemy when little missy in there would just as soon knock his block off as she would blink ... "

"Forget it for now Angus!" Riley said grabbing his arm as he strode by. "Tell me what you found to be suspicious."

"Everything. She just rolled over and took everything. Didn't fight, and did everything she was supposed to, and when I ... did it ... with her, she closed her eyes and lay there."

"Closed her eyes?"

Angus nodded "And just took it. She has never, ever, just taken it before."

"So you hit her for it?" Riley asked trying not to sound as incredulous as he felt about it.

"No ... you think I should have?" Angus asked clearly misunderstanding the Riley's tone.

"No I don't. Jessica closing her eyes isn't exactly a capital offense. You sure you didn't hit her? She had all those bruises and gashes."

"Those were from the other night. I didn't hit her but I fucked the shit out of her. Told her to hurry up and do whatever she had planned but she wouldn't. " Angus said.

"Let me get this straight, you fucked her into a fever?" Riley demanded.

Angus shrugged, "I guess. I did fuck her a lot. Pretty much all damn night that's why I was so fucking tired this morning. But don't worry Riley, she knows her place and even though she's scheming something I made damn sure she knew who was boss."

Riley was speechless. Angus was looking for Riley's praise. He honestly thought he was doing Riley's bidding. And why wouldn't he. Riley had made sure that Angus and the other men did just that without even having the decency to do so himself.

He felt an uncomfortable knot in his stomach. He never recalled having it before Jessica entered his life. He tried to formulate a response that let Angus know he needed to cool it with his abuse of Jessica while still praising Angus' loyalty and misguided sense of accomplishment but he was interrupted by a screech from the house.

"I want to go home, I want to go home!" Jessica's high pitch scream emitted from the house.

"What the hell?" Riley asked.

He and Angus ran for the door. They rushed in just as Scott and Josh came through the basement door. They found Jimmy trying to contain Jessica, who, eyes closed, head thrown back and dripping with sweat, screamed for her family.

"She's completely delirious!" Jimmy shouted as he tried to catch her arms in his and stop them from flailing.

"Run the water in the tub again!" Riley ordered Scott.

He scooped Jessica off of the sofa and followed on Scott's heels to the bathroom. While the water ran, Jessica fought against Riley as he held her in the tub.

"Mom, Dad, I'm sorry!" Jessica cried.

"Jessica!" Riley shouted as her nails caught him across his cheek.

It was on the tip of his tongue to repeat the phrase he'd used so often in the past, when they had aimed at torturing rather than nurturing her 'they're dead Jessica, D E A D, dead!' but he caught himself.

What to say instead?

From the corner of his eye he saw Angus move in behind him, and a moment later there was silence.

Angus stood back rubbing his hand, while Riley kept Jessica from sliding beneath the water. A red mound appeared on her cheek where Angus had struck her. He'd used enough force to cause her head to hit the other side of the tub, and make her unconscious.

"Christ Angus!" Scott said and quickly turned the running water off and unplugged the tub. "Is she alive?"

"Yup." Riley answered after feeling for her pulse. "Get me a towel."

When Jessica lay on the sofa again, partially covered by the towel, the men stood looking at her.

"I told you she was up to something!" Angus said triumphantly.

"She's always up to something," Riley replied, "that's nothing new. But this isn't the answer Angus. Once her temperature is under control, we're having a meeting. Do me a favor till then and sit on your hands ... "

"She was out of control ..."

"I know ... you did a great job Angus, just relax for a bit, will you?"

"You can't seriously believe she deserved any different ..."

"Angus ... I agree that she needed to be dealt with, you did great, we'll discuss this more at the meeting. " Riley said resting his hand on Angus' shoulder. "Why don't you go out and work on the corvette for a while? I'll call you in for the meeting."

"Right, okay," Angus said and moved for the door, shaking the hand he'd struck Jessica with as he went.

*************************************************************

Several hours later Riley stood looking around at the men. He had spent the time trying to think of a way to reel Angus in without making it obvious he was targeting Angus. In the end the reality of their situation lent itself perfectly to his needs.

"Her temperature's down. She'll be fine." He reassured them. Jessica had been moved to the sofa bed in the basement. Now Jim sat on the sofa in the living room, head in hands, Josh slouch with a dejected air beside him. Scott sat in the rocking chair, rocking a mile a minute, and Angus stalked back and forth behind the sofa. With his proclamation Jim, Josh and Scott were visibly relieved though clearly still pissed at Angus.

"I think it's time that we regroup a little." Riley began. "It's obvious that there are some of us who trust Jessica a little more, than others do. We also have different ways of dealing with her ... in the past it never really mattered. What happened to Jessica was largely inconsequential. Whether she lived or died, our cause benefited. But now, some of us care whether she lives or dies, and this is affecting us. Splitting us up. Does everyone agree?"

The men nodded.

"Fine. Then from now on, there will be no more individual administration of punishment to Jessica. We will meet and discuss any actions to be taken, and I will have the final word. Is that understood?"

"She's planning on escaping Riley, I don't intend to let her!" Angus said in a controlled voice.

"None of us intend to let her," Riley said. "but I intend to apply suitable punishment once she's actually tried to escape. I trust I won't get any argument from the rest of you?"

The others shook their heads.

"If she tries to escape, "Angus said, "just try to stop me from punishing her, my way!" and he turned on his heel and left the house, slamming the front door behind him.

"That went well," Riley muttered under his breath.

"He'll come around ... " Jim began.

"And you!" Riley said pointing at Jim, "There will be no more sniping at Angus about Jessica, am I understood? You have your opinion about her, he has his, and there is no proof that either of you are right, so you keep your thoughts to yourself ... that goes for you too Josh. Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes," Jim and Josh answered. He turned to Scott, who had stopped rocking and sat listening.

"Are you onboard?"

"Yes."

"Good. Josh, you take care of that damn dog, Jim you bring Jessica up here. Handcuff her to the sofa leg ..."

"She's in no position to move ..." Jim began.

"Handcuff her to the leg of the sofa, unless you'd rather we put her back on the leash ..."

"No, no, the sofa is fine,"

"I thought so. We have work to do, let's get to it."

Having brought Jessica's upstairs and lain her on the sofa Jim fastened the handcuff to the leg of the sofa, and then to Jessica's wrist. He looked at Jessica lying unconscious before him. A purple bruise staring at him from her cheek. He looked around. The men had all gone. He leaned in to Jessica's ear.