Byron Forbes: Helping out

“6 to 8 hours?” Byron exclaimed when he heard the amount of time the ambulance would take to get there. “Rustic clods! A person is in dire straights and they have no way to reach us.” His anger rising he yelled at the phone. “Simians! Try 4 wheel drive!”

 Madison was coming around about then. He smiled at this development. He had been growing worried. The TV show he watched people receiving head injuries fell into comas and never recovered. You had to be very careful with head injuries. You needed to have plenty of towels and boil water….he shook his head…..no that was for giving birth. With head injuries you had to keep the patient awake and as alert as possible. Melissa was doing a fine job with that.

 She took command of the conversation. Normally Byron might have objected but Melissa had a cool head. She was always in control it seemed. Byron had once thought about running her to the local clinic for blood tests. He was quite certain that ice water rather than blood flowed through her vain. Of course if the clinic was as efficient ambulance service the tests would take hours to take, and the years to the results.

 He nodded as Melissa informed Madison of the situation. “That’s right Madison. We’re both going to help you through this. You can count us. If you are feeling up to it, I will fetch you some fresh clothes. Being the gentleman that I am I will then excuse myself from the room.”

Powered by ScribeFire.

Melissa watches too much ER

Melissa smiled broadly.  Bringing Madison back around was a rather big accomplishment.  She sank down in the chair and let out an exhale.  “Madison?”  she asked gently.  “Hey.  You hit your head, and it’s going to take a bit for the ambulance to get here.  So Byron and I are going to help you.”

She smiled gently as she looked over to Byron, hoping he’d also add something to keep her calm and collected.  “We’d like to change you into something that isn’t so wet.”  she pointed out.  “But we need you to be in enough possession of your head to keep you stable.”

Powered by ScribeFire.

Melissa: Panic sets in…

Melissa looked over at Byron. “It’s going to be a bit before they can get out here.” she told him seriously.”It would just be a big accident waiting to happen… and we can’t have that.” She took a deep breath and tried to calm down. “I’m going to need to try to do as much as I can. But I need you to stay calm and help me. okay?” she told him as she licked her lips nervously and felt the vertebrae at the back of Madison’s neck. “Okay… no serious damage to her neck, that’s good… that’s good. Um… I think…with the blankets… let’s…”

She gently laid Madison back down on the ground as she stood and started folding the blankets upon themselves to create a makeshift gurney. “Let’s get this under her and see if we can’t make it to the dining room table. A Hard surface to keep her stable, supported and out of the cold.” she explained as she sniffled and wiped away the tears that threatened to fall.

This was already taking a toll on Melissa. She really hated to see anyone in pain. How Byron could even conceive that she would be able at all to even have a fleeting thought of murder, was beyond her…

“Madison? Hey… hey there… can you hear me? Just wanted to let you know that we are going to get you out of the cold and the EMT should be here soon. Really soon. Okay? If you could answer me, let me know you’re okay… that’d be really good… and um… please wake up? I don’t want to do something wrong… please just be okay?”

Byron Forbes: Into Action

At first he thought it all an elaborate joke. Another crude attempt to fool him like the prank pulled in the kitchen minutes before. But then Melissa
went to great pains to express it was not. Madison was really hurt.

“Good lord!” Byron exclaimed as it dawned on him this was real. No more jokes or insipid games, this was a true emergency. He did not hesistate. First he handed her his hat as she requested so she could apply direct pressure on the wound. Then,without delay he rushed up the front porch stairs and into the house to get the first aid kit. Where did Mellisa say it
was… oh yes… by the stove. He searched a nearby cabinet and found it in short order. Quickly he bolted out of the kitchen and back outside. There he handed the first aid kit to Melissa.

“Here do what you can to control the bleeding. The snow will help. The cold weather will slow the blood flow. And direct pressure as you said. Good. But shock, yes…we need to keep her as warm as possible but we dare not move her.

He ran back inside to the bedroom. A moment later he emerged back outside once more with several blankets.

“I’ll cover her….try to warm her as much as possible. Oh yes, gently raise her head above her heart, it’ll slow the bleeding” As he proceeding to cover Madison, Byron did something he had not done since he was a child, he prayed, mouthing a silent prayer, begging whatever higher power might exist to give Madison the strength to see this through.

Melissa comes apart at the seams…

Melissa glared at him and held up a finger of the blood. “It tastes a lot more coppery than ketchup.” she spat at him before turning back to the phone. “Yes, my name is Melissa Phillips, I work for Byron Forbes at 223…” she turned her head and continued the conversation so no more of Byron’s disbelief wouldn’t be heard by the dispatcher.

“Please, just hurry, she’s got blood from the back of her head. No signs of shock yet, but it could start soon, we’re outside in the snow.” she explained as she looked back to Byron.

She sighed. “No… no you can’t tell me that.” she told them. “Okay, I know a little but she’s… no, she’s unconscious.” she said as her hands started trembling a little. “I… I’m not… I-I can’t do this on my own.” she said nervously into the phone. “Okay… okay… I can try.” she looked up to Byron.

“I really don’t care if you believe me or not.” she whispered. “Just please… trust me? Go get the first aid kit from by the stove please?” she said as she wiped the tear from her cheek quickly.

Byron Forbes: Fool me twice, shame on me.

Madison thought she was being clever. She grabbed a shovel to create a snow fort. It would protect her from a frontal assault but she made one glaring istake, she built it too close to the house. The front awning overhung her position. A well placed snowball or two would bring all that fresh snow down on top of her.

Byron chuckled under his breath. It was an inspired plan. One worthy of a genius. Byron in his heart of hearts believed he was a genius, so it all worked out well, at least to his quirky manner of thinking. It would be the perfect revenge. And then he could turn his attention to Melissa. He would devise something even more special for her. Byron would pick them off one at a time.

At this point he began to build his fort. His construct was dug out snow piled up eight inches high between he and his foes. It was not much protection, but then would not need much. A few shots to the roof and Madison would be down, out and frozen stiff. And he would make a beeline for the front door before the shock wore off.

He was in the process of building his modest fort when Melissa rose and went over to Madison’s fort.
Oh what was this, the girls sticking together? Two on one. Excellent. He would get two for the price of one.

From his location he could not see what was occuring….so he rose to check things out. The game had not started and they agreed not to begin until all forts were complete. Suspecting a trap none the less he armed himself with a pair of snowballs and came to see what was occuring.

As he arrived he saw Madison lying in the snow apparently bleeding from the head. Melissa called for his hat, Byron did not believe this was real for a moment, not after the prank they pulled earlier.

“Oh please ladies. Try something original.” He chuckled. “Do you think I don’t know fake blood after your previous jest at my expense. You insult my intelligence.

Melissa: Snowy Fortress of DOOM!

Melissa had spent a great deal of time solidifying her snowy
fortress. She knew after the stunt that she and Madison had pulled on
her employer inside would warrant heavy retaliation from him right
now.

It was at that point, that she decided she should warn Madison as
well (and also come to some sort of a truce so there would be less of
the cold and wet projectiles coming her way). But when Melissa poked
her head up to peer over at her, she saw her head disappear quickly
from view and found it to be rather odd. Since the time to begin
hadn’t been declared yet, she slipped over to investigate.

It was then that she discovered the increasing amounts of blood
pooling underneath Madison’s head and she gasped. She knew basic first
aid, but this was beyond her knowledge. “Byron! Give me your hat!”
she yelled as she pulled her own off and tried to apply pressure to the
wound to stop some of the blood loss.

With her other hand she dug inside Madison’s coat for the infamous
cellphone. Once it was in her possession, she dialed emergency
services. Someone HAD to be able to get out here!

Melissa: The winddown…

Melissa looked outside again and shook her head.”It’s still a bit icky out.I’m not ready to risk it just yet.” she explained with a soft smile. Madison wasn’t nearly as bad as she had originally perceived her to be, and that brought a great deal of comfort to Melissa. If Byron was looking to rekindle some old flames, she wasn’t going to stand in the way… Madison wasn’t going to take her job and they could continue on as they always had done–there would be nothing wrong with that.

“I seem to have forgotten…” she said as she turned to Byron, “Isn’t there one of those movie games around here? I know there are things in the closet upstairs. I’ve been meaning to clean it out but haven’t gotten around to it yet…” she admitted, knowing he hadn’t noticed at all.

“And be careful, I’ll get the ketchup cleaned up in a moment, but we don’t want you to fall in the meantime.” she said, looking over to Byron and smirking broadly.

Melissa and her Monologue

Melissa tried hard to contain her smile from her hiding place as she watched, but she knew Madison must be having a rough go of it as well.  But soon she sauntered out from her hiding place as she eyed him critically.

“This was all your doing, you know.”  she told him softly, gently and in a calm, controlled manner.  “It didn’t have to be like this…”  she explained as she moved toward him with her hands behind her back.  “But I do truly appreciate you giving me the opportunity… with the snow at all.  Cutting off escape routes for both of you.”

She stopped, tilted her head a little and continued to look at him.  “We could have been so happy, Byron.  I would have taken such good care of you like I always have.  It would have been nice for you to notice just once.  I really wish you could have realized just how well matched we really were before it came to this.” 

Her gaze shifted to Madison and she shook her head for a moment.  “No one will miss her much anyway…  I mean, I’m sure people will wonder, but when they eventually come look, well… things will be all over with by then, won’t they?”  she turned back to him and smiled.  “So what have you got to say for yourself?”

powered by performancing firefox

Byron on the rampage

He listened to Madison attempt to overwhelm Melissa with her fashion flair. Frankly, he was disgusted but not surprised. It was a typical response from the new overly commercialized, Madison. A woman with values that began at Fendi and ended with Manolo Blahnik. Byron found it a pathetic and unworthy manner of expression. Perhaps bringing Madison here was not such a great idea after all. Even Melissa, who Byron long maintained could be given a hotfoot and not complain was finding Madison’s rants impossible to deal with. And yet, Melissa’s comments seemed to be fueled by more than Madison and her shallowness. But what that something was eluded Byron at this time.
What did not elude him was that fact this rush of rage between these shrieking sirens was growing intolerable. Clearly, it would need the steady, guiding hand of the stronger sex to bring this arguement to a close. Logic and ploys had not work before. It was time for Byron to stand firm.

“D&G, Prada and Gucci.” He said to Madison. “Oh my word. We can’t have a world without those now can me? People might conentrate on important issues. Really Madison I find your attitude most unbecoming. Since when is does name dropping prove a point? In truth nobody cares if magic fairies spun your clothing from golden silk or turned a burlap sack into your oh so stylish purse. Good lord woman, you’re better than that. What happened to the clever, witty girl that poked fun at people who attempted to keep up with
the Jones, as it were? Did she drown in a Cacharel perfume bottle at Madame Soels? Grow up my dear and please stop attempting to impress us with your wealth and position in society. Frankly, we are not impressed.” He spoke loud enough for Melissa to hear despite her leaving the room. Then glancing back at Madison he said. “I apologize. I wanted you here because I care for you and thought maybe that girl I once loved so deeply was still
inside you. I see she has been replaced with spoiled drone that lives to impress and humble those around with her knowlegde of what is hot in contemporary society. It is a sad devolving of a once wonderful persona. You’ll be here a few more days. No Ritz for you, rich girl. Unless it comes from a cracker box. Deal with it.”

He then moved upstairs after Melissa. She was hurt obviously by Madison’s ravings but she was not going to get off scott free. Byron was not going to have this bickering for the duration. He came to Melissa’s door and knocked. He had let his guest have it, so to speak. Now it was time to straighten out the staff.