Chapter Sixteen.

Gabriela groaned as she slowly opened her eyes. The bright lights that had clicked on buzzed and assaulted her senses. She rolled over and placed her arm over her face and groaned once more.

Her head throbbed. Just moving her eyes sent a wave of pain that made her whimper a little. Slowly, she sat up and threw her legs over the edge of her bed. The loud jingle of glass hitting glass echoed through her ears.

“Shit.” Gabriela looked down at the empty beer bottles at her feet.

“Shit.” She said more earnestly as she rushed to her bathroom, making it to the toilet just as she retched. She gagged and heaved, wishing for it to all end. Finally, she slumped back, defeated in both body and soul.

She jerked up and moaned when her terminal rang. Gabriela held her head as she waited for the device to stop ringing. The moment it stopped it abruptly started again.

“Son of a bitch.” Gabriela whispered as she pulled herself to her feet, and stumbled out of the bathroom. Her studio was small. A bunk built into the wall and a kitchenette with a stool was the only furnishing she owned, save for her personal effects that were neatly stored away on a shelf in her bunk, and a drawer underneath.

Gabriela sorted through the orgy of discarded takeout containers and dirty dishes that occupied the entirety of the kitchen bar. The terminal continued to ring.

“Damnit.” Gabriela growled when she finally found her terminal and answered it. “What?”

“Morning to you too, Princess.” Brian said cheerfully.

“What do you want, Brian?” Gabriela put her back against the bar and slowly sank down until her rump was planted on the cold tiled floor.

“Making sure you were up before I headed over to get you.”

“Get me for what?”

“Your holiday ends today, remember?”

Gabriela rubbed her eyes as she struggled to remember anything. Slowly the last few days came to her. “I think I drank too much.” She admitted.

Brian’s laughter cut through the terminal, causing her to wince.

“I figured. That’s why I am calling you now. Make sure you are up and ready; don’t want you late for work.”

“I feel like shit.”

“We have all been there. I got an electrolyte pack and a coffee. Real sugar this time.”

“What’s the occasion?” She mumbled.

“Shit, Gab. You really did lay one on the past few days. It's Lottery Day.”

“I have told you: I don’t give a shit about the lottery,” she moaned.

“Everyone else does, Princess,” Brianian reminded her. “Get yourself cleaned up. I’ll be up in twenty.”

“No.” She groaned before she disconnected the call.

Gabriela rushed to the bathroom to vomit one last time before she returned back to her bunk. The blanket was still warm and welcoming, the soft mattres beckoning. She had just drifted back to sleep when she heard the lock on her door disengage. She looked up just as Brian entered. He opened the door with a coffee and cheesy smile, like he was part of one of those bad sitcoms from the turn of the century. Gabriela half expected a laugh track to play.

“Doctor’s in.” He said cheerfully.

“Remind me to remove you from the admission logs.” Gabriela mumbled as she pulled the covers over her face..

“Oh, come now, Princess. You’d still be passed out in your castle if it wasn’t for me.”

Gabriela looked up. “Can you drop the Princess shtick, just for the day? Please?”

“Okay, your highness.” Brian’s head bobbed up and down as he made room for her coffee on the kitchen bar.

She lifted the blanket from her face and shot Briain and menecing glance. “I mean it, Brian.”

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“I understand, Gab. Calm down. I meant no offense.”

“Why are you so Goddamn chipper, anyway?” Gabriele let her head roll back against her pillows. The LED lights in the room washed over her in a bluish light, stinging her eyes.

“I dunno.” He shrugged. “It’s lotto day?”

“Did you sign up?”

“Do you see me being a father?” He retorted with a small laugh.

“You don’t have to be in the child’s life. I never met my father.”

“No, but I don’t want my crotch fruit tracking me down in thirty years and telling me how my absence ruined their lives. I’m doing just fine fucking my own life up, thank you very much.” Brian knelt down by her.

“Come on kiddo, at least drink the coffee and let me use the electrolyte pack. You will be feeling chipper in no time.”

“Fine.” Gabriela grunted and held out her arm.

Brian sat the kit containing the electrolytes and began to unbox it.

“Coffee first.” Gabriela motioned for the cup Brian had sat down.

“Not yet.”

“You’re a tyrant.” Gabriela pouted.

Brian sprayed her arm with an antiseptic. Her skin tingled as the anesthetic in it started to take effect. Brian wiped away the excess spray from her skin before he wrapped a cuff around her arm.

The cuff inflated before it beeped. Gabriela winced, despite the anesthetic, when the cuff bit into her arm. The pack beeped rhythmically while its small LED screen showed a bar slowly ticking down. When it had finished the cuff deflated and beeped happily.

“All done.” Brian unstrapped the electrolyte pack and tossed it into the waste bin. “How are you feeling?”

“Better.” Gabriela said reluctantly.

“Good. Off to the shower with you. I’ll meet you in the car.” Brian scooped up the cup of coffee and headed for the door.

“Can you just leave the coffee? I’ll be down after the shower. I promise.”

Brian smiled and made a tsk tsk sound. “You know I don’t trust addicts, Gab. Hurry up; coffee is getting cold.”

Gabriela groaned and cursed when the door shut behind her partner before she pulled herself back up to her feet. She stripped as she walked back to her washroom, letting her shirt fall to the ground, pausing only to wiggle out of her panties, kicking them across the room.

“Shower!” She barked. The shower sputtered on, the screen in the shower displayed two minutes and began to count down. Gabriela steeped in and quickly showered while she brushed her teeth and washed her hair. She had just finished rinsing the suds from her hair when the shower shut off.

“Would you have exceeded your. Two. Minutes,” The shower informed her. “If you would like to add more time, please choose yes. Standard rates apply.”

“Nope. I will finish washing in the station bathroom sinks. You can go fuck yourselves.” The shower beeped ahppily at her abuse as Gabriela quickly dried her hair while she looked through her small closet. Most of the hangers were empty, the garments that they held lumped in a crumpled pile at the closet floor.

She chose the only unwrinkled outfit she could fine; a yellow blouse and brown pants.

After she was dressed, Gabriela picked up a small spray bottled and spritzed a heavy mist over an orchid. The flower was the only thing she owned that gave the drab apartment any color. It was bright purple patch in a background of grey.

Gabriela looked at her palm terminal when it started to vibrate. “Mother” was displayed across the screen. Gabriela quickly hit ignore as she reached out to grab her jacket.

She paused when her fingers touched the red leather. The dark stains of blood covered the sleeves. Gabriela swallowed a lump as she moved her hand away. The memories of the chop doc’s lair were still too fresh for her. She left the jacket and grabbed a clear plastic raincoat.

Gabriela took the stairs down to the lobby. The pocket terminal vibrated over and over again, each time Gabriela would check the screen, only to see that it was her mother calling again.

The sky was overcast, the gray clouds rolled overhead, threatening New Madrid with more rain. The deep boom of thunder cut through the noise of the city as Gabriela hurried to the car waiting for her. Her terminal buzzed again as soon as Gabriela had gotten into the car.

“Who's calling?” Brian asked as she checked her terminal.

“My Mother.”

“You going to answer it?”

“No. Where’s my coffee?” Gabriela demanded.

Brian held up the cup, and pulled it away when Gabriela tried to snatch it away.

“Answer your mom's call first.”

“You are such a bastard sometimes.” Gabriela glared and hit the answer button on her terminal.

“Gabriela?” Her Mothers shrill piercing voice caused her head to ache anew.

“Yes Mother?” Gabriela snatched the coffee from Brian’s hand and took a sip. It was still warm, but just barely, and the taste of real sugar caused her to let out a small sigh.

“When were you going to tell me?” Her mother demanded.

“Tell you what?”

“Don’t be obstinate, Gabriela.” Her mother snapped.

“Mom, I have no idea what you are talking about,” Gabriela sighed, “do you think I could call you later?”

“I am talking about the lottery. Your name and ID was called.”

Gabriela was quiet for a moment. She felt numbed at first, and then angry. Her Mother could be cold and distant, sometimes cruel, but not to this level.

“Is this some sick joke?”

“No. I just sent you a video.” Gabriela’s terminal beeped. She pulled the terminal away from her ear and clicked the video her mother had sent her.

“Is everything okay?” Brian asked before she sushed him.

A list of names and ID numbers scrolled across her screen. Her heart skipped a beat when she saw her name and ID. Gabriela quickly switched back to her mothers call.

“Did you do this?” She demanded.

“I don’t have that kind of political clout, Gabriela.”

“How is this possible?” Gabriela said as the terminal slipped from her hand.