by Pepper Pace
Nicole gasped. “I don’t remember…”
“Why should you? You’ve been unconscious. You have a really bad head injury Nicole. Had you been wearing a helmet perhaps you’d be out of here by now.” He gave her a stern look and the Marty that she was familiar with was back. “You can never do that again. If you ever crack your head in the same spot…” Her eyes grew wide.
Marty blinked and his eyes transformed from a dark storm to his more normal cold gray. “You’re going to be okay, Baby Girl.” He said with a sigh. “The police need to know about the women who hit you. I tried to give them some information…but I didn’t know very much.”
“I don’t know much myself. I just remember that she looked like a nice, sweet, Motherly type.”
“Anybody who’d hit a person on a bike then leave…isn’t nice.” He said with forced control.
Nicole noted how his face instantly darkened and how easily he angered.
“She was driving a red SUV. That’s all I know. She was a black lady, about fifty-five or sixty.”
Marty waited and when she didn’t continue he nodded. “Well the police took some paint from your bike-“
“Marty.” Something suddenly dawned on her. “Who’s watching the restaurant?”
He didn’t answer right away. “I closed it.”
“You closed it? You didn’t even close it for Christmas.” She knew first hand because she had worked it with him. Did that mean that he’d been here for the full two days? Somehow that idea made her feel awkward.
A nurse walked in then and was pleased to see Nicole awake. She wanted to take her vitals and when Marty moved to leave, the nurse assured him that she wouldn’t be long. She asked Nicole if she thought she could make it to the bathroom and she responded that she could. Marty stood back and watched the nurse help Nicole to the small lavatory, averting his eyes when her gown slipped open and exposed a bit of one milk chocolate butt cheek. Nicole quickly looked over her shoulder to see if Marty had caught sight of that but he had been quicker and was already pretending to watch the television screen that set suspended on the adjacent wall.
Ten minutes later she was in bed, settled and tucked in. Her head pounded like tom toms from the effort, though.
“Does your head hurt?” The nurse asked.
“Yes.” She said between clenched teeth.
“I’m going to put some medicine in your I.V. You’ll be sleeping like a baby in no time.”
Nicole watched the nurse inject the narcotic tensely. She didn’t want it, but she knew she needed it. This didn’t stop her from being afraid of the once familiar high. She never wanted to relive the nightmare of withdrawals again.
The nurse, misunderstanding her agitation, gave her hand a brief pat. “You’ll be better very soon. I’ll send the doctor to look in on you later.” Then she left.
“Nicole,” Marty leaned forward. “The other day when I asked you about family, you said that you had none. What about friends? Is there anybody that could take care of you when you get out of the hospital?”
“Take care of me?” Her response was surprised. The concept was foreign since she’d been taking care of herself her entire life.
“I don’t mean take care of you…I just mean somebody to keep an eye on you. You almost died…I’m not trying to scare you, Nicole, but I do want you to understand how serious this is.” Marty’s eyes looked distant. “You lost so much blood-“
Nicole carefully drew in her swollen lip. “Marty, I can take care of myself.” There was not another word spoken for almost a full minute.
Marty sighed. “I’ll be back later.” He got up and left without a backward glance.
Nicole felt a sudden emptiness. She knew that Marty was taking her response—or lack thereof--as stubbornness. It wasn’t. There just wasn’t anybody that Nicole could count on. She couldn’t go home to family that didn’t exist. Nicole felt fear. Not of what was happening to her, but of the familiar solitude.
***
Hours later she heard the door open. The drugs had put her into a fuzzy little cocoon. Since being admitted to the hospital, she had been re-acquainted with narcotics… and what scared her was that she was enjoying it.
Nicole surprised herself further when she was disappointment that it was a Doctor entering her room and not Marty. It gave her a moment of pause to think that she was actually missing Marty’s company. In a million years she would have never dreamed that would be possible.
The Doctor examined her, poking and prodding. They talked at length about her injuries and it seemed to Nicole that he was being intentionally vague. Every question she asked was met with the same response: ‘We won’t know until you heal’. In other words, I have no idea, just guessing here.
Her worst injury was the head injury that could have long terms affects on her health…of course when she asked what kind of long term effects, the Doctor rambled off a lot of technical terms until her head began to swim.
“I think you should be able to eat solids and drink liquids.” Her cracked and dried lips did appreciate that! Nicole suddenly put her concerns behind her at the thought of a cool glass of water.
She was eating stew when the door opened again. Marty walked in and Nicole felt herself smile cheerily. He was all cleaned up and wearing fresh clothes. For the second time in a week Nicole took a moment to admire his good looks, remembering the first time she’d seen him. She had stopped in the restaurant for a cup of coffee. Having just that day, moved into her small efficiency apartment, she was happy to see a restaurant within biking distance. Taking a seat at the bar she felt her stomach grumble as she sipped the coffee, enjoying the aroma that wafted from the kitchen and wishing that she had more than five dollars to spend.
Amid all of the pleasant chatter, stood one silent man that seemed absorbed in flipping one thing, deep frying something else, placing orders up on the pass thru. She watched as he yanked down one order, filling it with quiet efficiency. Big was her first thought. He was tall and thickly built with solid muscles, though not like a body builder, more like a sleek linebacker.
After finishing her coffee and breaking down to order a slice of lemon meringue pie that tasted like heaven and was obviously homemade, Nicole had asked the waitress if they needed any help. She had never worked in a restaurant before, but she knew what hard work was…and working backline with Marty was about as hard as it got.
After her breath jaunt down memory lane, Nicole curiously watched him enter the room, returning her smile. He had a shopping bag in his hands.
“How do you feel?”
She reached for the remote control of the television set and turned down the volume.
“Better. Sore. The doctor took out my I. V. And, I can eat and drink now.”
“Good. I talked to him a minute ago. He said that I should be able to get you out of here tomorrow.”
“That soon?” She asked, nervously.
“You’ll be okay.” He assured her. “I went home and showered and brought you some of my sweats and a t-shirt to wear home.” He gestured to the shopping bag.
Nicole’s brow went up in surprise. “Thanks, Marty. I wish I could get cleaned up, too...I still have blood all over me.”
“Maybe you can.” He buzzed the nurse. When she responded he asked about a shower. She didn’t see any reason why not.
Marty watched as the nurse removed the splint and brace. She carefully unwrapped the bandage from Nicole’s head. It was matted and tangled with dried blood. It disgusted her and she wished Marty wasn’t there to see it. He took his cue and eased out of the room making some vague statement about making a phone call.
The nurse wouldn’t leave Nicole alone in the shower so she made it a quickie. It still felt good, but it scared her to see all the blood pooling around her feet.
Painfully she got into a fresh gown and the nurse helped her to replace the brace.
“I’ll be back in a jiff with fresh bandages and I’ll have your boyfriend come back in.”
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“Oh…that’s not….” Nicole felt her cheeks flush. “Thanks.” She mumbled.
When Marty came back in he stared at her hair. It was washed and cleaned but a mess all over her head. What could she do about it, though? After all, she had forty stitches crisscrossing the back of her head!
The nurse had left her with a very inadequate hairbrush. Using her good arm she carefully dragged it through the tangles of curls.
Marty grimaced along with her. “Careful…”
“I’m trying-“ She replied, feeling her face grow hot.
“Here give it to me.” She looked at him uncertain but he took the brush out of her hand and tentatively began to brush the ends, gently gripping the length in his fist to avoid tugging the stitches. “Okay?”
She nodded and he continued.
Nicole was wide-eyed with shock. Kendall should be seeing this. This is truly unreal…Marty’s doing her hair. Maybe she was still unconscious and this was all a freaky dream…
“Marty?”
“Yeah?” He mumbled in deep concentration at his task.
“This is very weird…”
He chuckled. “Please don’t tell anybody at work.” She liked the sound of that chuckle. It wasn’t something he did often.
“Why are you being so nice to me?” She asked seriously.
He paused in his struggle with her hair. “Why would I be?” She turned carefully and looked up at him.
“I appreciate it, I really do. I just don’t understand…why you’ve stayed with me.” It embarrassed her to ask it in such a blunt way, but she truly didn’t understand. Marty was as cold and distant as they came; mumbling his greetings and finding fault easily. He was sarcastic and could curse a blue streak at the drop of a dime. On top of that he had a temper and was known to throw food, dishes, and spatulas when he was pissed. So, to see him brushing her hair with painstaking gentleness was – to say the least – disturbing.
His gray eyes stared into her brown ones. Something stirred in Nicole; a warmth, something she hadn’t felt in a long time.
“I feel partly responsible for what happened to you.”
That surprised her. “But why?”
“Because you’re on a bike--at night--alone.”
“Why would you be responsible for that?”
“Because…” He looked uncomfortable. Gently he turned her head back around so that he could continue brushing her hair. “Because you work for me and when you leave my establishment it should be safe for you to get home. I don’t think riding your bike in all weather, at night is particularly safe.”
“You’ve…thought about this before?”
“Yeah. I think about all you guys…even if you all think I’m just plain mean.”
Nicole turned back around. His face was its normal stern but she saw a twinkle in his eye. Did he always have that twinkle? Was that how it really was with Marty? He wore a cold mask but it was only hiding that twinkle?
The door opened and the nurse returned with fresh bandages. With an approving smile she nodded at the sight of Marty grooming Nicole. “You’re lucky, Sweetie, to have such a good boyfriend. He never left your side once when you were unconscious.” Marty put down the brush but didn’t so much as open his mouth to correct the nurse’s assumption. Nicole kept her eyes lowered, confused and uncomfortable.
The nurse cleaned and applied salve to her stitches. When she was finally finished torturing her poor scalp, she adhered a clean bandage by wrapping gauze around her head like a headband leaving her hair sticking out the top like a freakish peacock.
It had been a painful ordeal and the nurse finally left giving Nicole more painkillers.
Marty watched her as she grimaced trying to find a comfortable pillow arrangement for her head. Without being asked he plumped her pillow and adjusted her covers. Nicole stared at everything but him with a mixture of confusion and gratitude. For the first time the silence was awkward between them.
She was reluctant to meet Marty’s gaze, because he was just standing there looking down at her; all muscled out in his t-shirt and recently shaved head and face. It wasn’t far fetched; the nurse’s assumption that Marty was her man. He was acting like a very devoted boyfriend. Much more devoted then James had when she had last been in the hospital giving birth to their child. Marty cleared his throat and she finally looked up coming back to the present.
“Nicole, do you have insurance?”
She didn’t know what she had expected but it wasn’t that. The question had come out of clear blue and had shocked her so much that she had almost asked him if he offered health insurance because she sure missed that on the application for minimum wage backline cook! She caught herself in time.
“I have a medical card.”
“A medical card?” He asked confused.
She gave him a long look. Yeah she had been on welfare, and still continued to receive aid for college. She tossed him a half truthful answer. “I had to apply for it when I got the state assistance for college.”
“Like welfare?” She could feel his judgment of her, and it stung.
“Not like…is welfare.” She sank into her bed and pulled the covers up to her chin defensively. “Some people can afford college with their trust funds and good jobs.” She looked at him pointedly. “Most of us aren’t lucky enough to have those things.” A half beat passed in which she thought Marty was going to swoop down and bite her head off. Instead he blinked confused.
Instantly she regretted her words. How could she be so insulting when Marty had been so kind? But he never responded to her harsh words.
“I’ll take your medical card down to the billing office so that we can get checked out tomorrow with no hold ups.” That statement made her feel even more like a shit.
“It’s in my wallet, in my jacket pocket...wherever my jacket is.” She said contritely.
“Your jacket is pretty much ruined.” She watched him walk to a small closet. Her coat was stuffed into a clear plastic bag. He rummaged around until he came up with her wallet. Without even a glance in her direction he opened it and began rifling around in it. Nicole kept her mouth clamped shut. So what if there were pictures of her baby in there…she was not about to put her foot into her mouth again.
Her eyes began to drift close. She wanted to apologize for being so bitchy but couldn’t figure out how to do it without making an already tense situation worse. She’d just tell him thanks…
He glanced up from her wallet to her sleeping form. “Sleep tight, Baby Girl. I’ll be back tomorrow.”
She thought she might have said goodnight in return…but maybe not.
The next day was a bright and beautiful Friday. Nicole could not believe that she had spent most of this week in the hospital.
She dressed in the overly large clothes that Marty had left for her. Still not able to manage with the brace the nurse had to assist her. Neither was able to locate her bra and panties and she had a fleeting concern that Marty had taken them. But then she felt ashamed. More likely they had to be cut away.
Marty walked through the door right before noon.
“Sorry I’m so late-” Late? When everything he did was of his own volition.
“Did you open the restaurant?” She asked.
“Yeah. Fred’s holding the fort.”
Nicole made a humphing noise. “Good thing you didn’t fire him.”
“What?”
Again she felt a flash of shame. What the hell was wrong with her! Marty had been going out of his way to help her. “Nothing.” She got out of bed while he stepped out the door and returned with a wheelchair.