Page 4 of Bitsy
I dismount before pulling the woman into my arms and rushing into the building.
“In here, Viper,” Doc says in his British accent. “What’s going on?”
“She flipped her bike,” Blaze says. “Crazy woman was out driving in this rain going way too fast.”
“With no damn helmet,” I add, placing my bundle onto the waiting bed. “What the hell was she thinking?”
“Probably the same thing you two were thinking, son,” Ma says, walking to the woman’s side and moving the hair from her face.
For the first time, I get a full view of her face.
“She’s fucking beautiful,” I say.
“So young,” Ma says. “Did she have any ID with her?”
“What do you mean the same thing we were thinking, Ma?” Blaze asks. “We weren’t just out for a joy ride.”
“She means how you boys never wear helmets, son,” Pops says. “What’s the situation, Doc?”
“She’ll be fine,” Doc grumbles. “Not some much as a scratch apart from her head. She just needs a couple of stitches and she’ll be perfectly fine.”
“She’s unconscious, Doc,” I remind him.
“Just a little nap,” he replies. “She’ll be waking up in a little while.”
“Got her ID,” Blaze says, tossing her bag on an empty chair. “Say’s her name is Tiffany Renee Williams. Lives at least eight hours away.”
“She looks familiar,” Pops says. “Can’t quite place her face but I know I’ve seen her before.”
I look at her beautiful face and know for a fact that I’ve never come face to face with this woman before. I wouldn’t have forgotten her if I had.
“Give me your cut son,” Ma says. “You’ve got blood all over it.”
“I can clean my own cut, Ma,” I smile, but remove the leather anyway.
“If there is nothing else, I’ll be moseying to the back,” Doc remarks. “Next time, a simple request will do to fetch me up front, Viper. There’s no call for barking orders. You are well aware that I have no taste for folks acting all high and mighty.”
“Thanks, Doc.”
“Don’t make a fuss about it. I’m off.”
“I don’t think he likes you much,” Blaze says.
“Doc has been around since we were kids,” I remind him. “He’s never liked me because I always won at chess and he’s a sore fucking loser.”
Venom scuffs and I look over and smile.
“Doc says he always let you win,” he laughs. “But he’s more than happy to let you think whatever it is you want to think.”
I laugh as Venom cleans Tiffany’s blood from his hands and packs up his medical supplies. Ma and Pops adopted Venom when he was only five years old. His parents were killed right in front of him which is what his therapist thinks may have caused the personalities to emerge. To protect himself, he hid away. Ma fell in love the very second she saw him and he’s been our brother since.
Venom has Dissociative Identity Disorder. Or multiple personalities. There are three as far as we know. Apart from Venom, there’s Doc, the one who was working on Tiffany. Then there’s Xander. He’s the most put-together man I’ve ever met. And, of course, Miles. Miles is gay. Venom is not.
It’s a whole thing.
Venom has been through years of therapy and, for the most part, has control over hissystem.That’s what he calls his group of alters.
Doc is the alter that fronts, or takes charge, only when he’s needed. He could be a full-on brain surgeon if he wanted but Venom doesn’t know the first thing about first aid. It’s strange, but kind of cool when you think about it. Not to mention, Doc is British and speaks with the heaviest accent I’ve ever heard. Half the time I have no idea what he’s talking about.