With breath like a sewer plant he said, “Whoops, I’m think I’m gonna need a-”
I gave him a vomit-catcher just in time for the next round. After I administered his IV and the CNA cleaned up his mess, he looked almost gray in color. He was also sweating.
His story was similar to the other ten-plus college students who had arrived here via car or ambulance. A Ping-Pong binge drinking game at one of the frat houses a few miles away had been their demise. Though this guy was still conscious and breathing, it was quite obvious he had consumed more than just a few shots. I hooked him up to the necessary monitors.
Trying to make him as comfortable as I could, I gave him an extra pillow. Time and fluids were the only antidote for him at this point. He was beyond any other intervention we could offer.
I checked in the hall for Bev a few times to ask where various supplies were located, but she was nowhere to be found.
I’m sure Dr. Thomas knows where she is…
I made do fine on my own though, as usual. Turning to leave so I could update the doctor on my patient’s condition, my wrist was yanked behind me. I stumbled to find my footing. In an instant, I was pulled to the bedside of my inebriated patient. My wrist ached under the strain of his tight grip.
“Nurse, you sure are a pretty little thing.”
He breathed hard in my face as his head wobbled left and right. His eyes were still glazed-over, but even still, they held in them a sickening focus.
“Thanks, now please release my wrist...Travis,” I said, trying not to agitate the look of aggression on his face.
I learned once that using a person’s name could shock them back into reality, but now I questioned if that logic worked on drunks. I doubted it. His grip didn’t loosen in the slightest. The strength of the intoxicated never ceased to amaze me. “If I wasn’t so attached to these ma-chines, I’d show you a real good time darlin’,” he said. His emphasis on the word machines sounded like rocks in a dryer—hideously annoying.
His face contorted as he spoke, not like that of a predator per say, but of a boy who had played the field at least a few dozen times and wasn’t used to rejection.
“I’m not interested, please let go of my wrist.”
My voice was stronger now—more intense. I pulled and twisted, fighting for release. Suddenly, he was sitting upright at full attention. His other arm came around my backside, bringing with it the monitor wires and his IV bag.
I was trapped—pinned-in—completely immobilized.
His arms were a vise, squeezing all life from my lungs.
“Let me go!” I growled with the last of my breath.
I dodged my head away from his sloppy mouth as it made a bee-line for somewhere between my neck and chest.
“Stop fighting me! You’ll like it!”
He was completely immune to my panic and my disgust.
As I made one last desperate attempt to break free, a large shadow passed over me. In the split second that it took for the man to burst into the room, my struggle was over. Kai threw Travis to the bed.
The quick release forced me backward. I caught my balance against the wall, sparing myself from the hard collision that awaited me. Kai pressed into Travis holding him down easily.
“I believe the lady made herself very clear. Touch her or any nurse again and you won’t be here for alcohol poisoning next time, capishe?” Kai’s voice was hard and unflinching. The contrast in his tone was shocking.
Travis nodded, stunned by the turn of events. I could see his mind trying to connect the missing pieces, but Kai didn’t wait for him to process. With a hard shove to the chest, he released Travis.
His eyes found me then for the first time. Whirling around with the speed of a superhero, Kai took my elbow and ushered me from the room. Together, we ducked into a hallway.
I leaned into the wall, trying as best I could to stand.
“Are you alright, Tori? Did he hurt you—touch you?” Kai asked.
Kai’s face was shockingly concerned for a man I had only known for a week.
“No, I’m...I’m okay I think, just kind of stunned,” I said, shaking my head slightly before resting it against the wall.
“That guy’s a real piece of work. I transported him and several of his buddies here earlier. I thought I heard a struggle when I walked by a second ago, I’m glad I came back to check...I’m sorry I wasn’t there sooner.” Kai’s voice was starting to calm to a normal level again, but his eyes still burned with outrage.
“Well…thank you. I was trying to break free when you came in. It just happened so fast,” I said, my face growing hot under the scrutiny of Kai’s gaze.
A puzzled look stared back at me while he processed my words. Then, he leaned in and softly asked, “Tori…why didn’t you scream for help? There are plenty of armed security guards all over this floor.”
“I...I don’t know. That didn’t even cross my mind.”
I was surprised at how easily the truth had slipped through my lips, completely unfiltered. He stared down at me for a few more seconds. A look I couldn’t quite place crossed over his strong masculine features.
“You’re a rare one, Miss Sales,” he said, a hint of amusement returning in his voice. “I’m gonna have to report this, though. You’ll probably be asked some questions. If anything like that ever happens again, please call for help. There is no reason you should ever be treated like that.”
I nodded, too stunned to speak. I was certain only caveman-like utterances would have escaped my lips if I had tried.
Why does he have to be so handsome?
He took a few steps to the side then, as if to release me back into my reality. I exhaled loudly, not realizing I had been holding my breath.
“Did you find the note I left for you?” His smile confirmed the ending of Intervention: Save-The-Helpless.
“Yes, I did...swimsuit?” I asked, giving him an I’m-not-so-sure-about-that look.
Amazingly, his smile grew even wider. “Well yes, but it’s most likely not for the reasons you’re thinking. It will be...a little more adventurous than a casual swim. Correct me if I’m wrong, but I doubt you’re the dinner-and-a-movie-type.”
That smile—the one that reached all the way to his eyes—was infectious.
Every witty remark I could have made was lost. Still unsure what exactly I was agreeing to, I nodded. Slowly, I peeled my body away from the wall and took a few steps toward the main hall. I needed to get back to work. He placed a hand on my shoulder as I moved to pass him. I followed his dark muscular arm up the eight inches or so to his eyes.
“I’m glad you weren’t hurt today, Tori,” he said, shifting his gaze away momentarily. “Can I pick you up tomorrow at eleven?”
My heart hammered against my ribcage.
How does anyone say no to him…ever?
“Sure.”
It wasn’t my most eloquent response, but it was the best I could do under the circumstances—Kai touching me.
“Great...see you then.” He turned, and started walking toward Security.
Ironically, it was in that exact second that Bev-the-socialite chose to “find me”.
“Oh, there you are!” She was looking at Kai, but speaking to me.
“I’ve been looking all over for you, Tori...I didn’t realize you two knew each other.”
Her voice was like a canary—a tone-deaf canary.
I opened my mouth, but Kai beat me to it as he walked back over to us. “Hey, Bev. Tori and I are actually family friends, she’s gonna make a great addition to the staff on this floor, don’t you think? We were just going over some safety procedures.” With that being said, he gave me a quick pat on the back before strolling away again.
“Hmm...Seems like that’s not all you two were going over.”
I gawked after him, unwilling to respond to Bev’s nosiness, or give her any more ammo to support what she thought she had seen. Something told me that if there was a romantic relationship going on within this
hospital Bev knew about it—all about it. But I wasn’t as bothered by her as I wanted to believe.
I finished out the rest of my shift irritable and testy, not fully realizing why until I laid my head down at the end of the night. It was then it surfaced, the line that echoed somewhere in my head like a clanging cymbal.
“Tori and I are actually family friends...”
I guess that confirmed my suspicions. I could stop wondering why Kai would be interested in a troubled girl like me. He was doing me a favor. He was simply being a friend because Jack and Stacie were his friends. It all made perfect sense now.
Well, I didn’t need any more friends. The solo life fit me just fine. At least it had, until about four days ago when some hot islander had checked me for a concussion.
Tomorrow is going to be a long day...
TEN
“Knock, knock!”
Stacie opened my door as she was knocking.
What a great sense of privacy I have in this house.
I met her inquiring gaze, refusing to give her the information she was seeking—unsolicited anyway.
“So...when is your date with Kai?” Stacie asked.
“First of all, it’s not a date. And he’ll be here around eleven.”
“Oh, well s-o-r-r-y Broom-Hilda. I didn’t know you would be waking up on the wrong side of the bed on date day...maybe I should tell Kai you’ll meet him there on your broomstick,” she said, laughing at her own lame joke.
I chucked a pillow at her, purposefully missing her rounded belly. She threw up her hands in mock surrender.
“Now, what ever will you wear my dear Tori?”
Stacie loved fashion. No, Stacie was obsessed with fashion. Whenever she spoke of it, her eyes lit up all crazy-like and she changed her speech to sound like she had been born a Brit. I sighed deeply, remembering my bathing suit dilemma.
I had one of course, but the body it fit was quite different than the body I had acquired with all my running over the last year. Downplaying the matter for my audience, I told Stacie of my issue.
“Oh my, now that won’t do! No one needs you losing any clothing on your first date,” she said, sounding far too much like Mary Poppins.
“Oy...Stacie, please!” I grabbed another pillow to chuck at her.
“Truce! Truce! Okay...fine. Come into my closet and let’s see what we can find for you.”
I followed Stacie into her gigantic walk-in closet. It was lined with the kind of shelving I had only ever seen in magazines. She had at least seventy pairs of shoes, all of which were perfectly organized. Her color-coordinated wardrobe boxed me in on all sides.
On the back wall were pull-out drawers, all evenly spaced with a hand-sized cut out for easy access. Inside one near the top, lay roughly ten bathing suits.
“Obviously, I won’t need any of these suits in the near future. This baby is not really helping my figure out these days,” Stacie said, patting her tummy.
Her fourth month of pregnancy had only accentuated her gorgeous figure, causing her to glow with what looked like a fairy-like sparkle. She was stunning, no doubt about it.
Oh Jack, I’m sorry you’re missing this.
“Your figure looks better than ever, Stacie. Stop being ridiculous,” I scolded. I put my hand on her belly like I’d done a couple of times this past week. Hugs might have made me uncomfortable, but touching this new little life—even just through the skin of Stacie’s tight abdomen—was simply amazing.
I wonder what you are little one?
Rifling through her drawers I found a suit that fit almost perfectly. It was a coral and lime tankini with matching board shorts. I could be comfortable in that. I put them on while Stacie raved in approval, complimenting my skin-tone and trim legs.
I pulled on an additional white tank and threw a change of clothes in a beach bag. Checking my face and hair in the mirror, I decided against eye makeup. Most likely it would have ended up everywhere but my eyes by the end of the day anyway; water and makeup didn’t mix so well. I’d never been a fan of the raccoon-eye. I pulled my hair up into a messy bun and met Kai downstairs. He had already made himself at home, talking to Stacie.
He is just a family friend, keep that in mind.
“Hey Tori,” Kai said as I hit the bottom of the stairs.
Stacie turned toward me and winked.
“Hey,” I said, ignoring Stacie as best I could.
“Have you recovered from last night?” Kai asked. The concern in his voice was unmistakable. My eyes screamed a warning at him, while Stacie looked at me inquisitively.
“What happened last night?” she asked me.
“Uh-”
“It was just a really busy evening. Lots of stupid college students drinking too much. It made for a bit of a madhouse in the ER,” Kai said.
At least he’s quick on his feet.
“Oh, phew! Don’t scare me like that,” Stacie said, swatting at his shoulder.
“Sorry, won’t happen again,” Kai said, his eyes never straying from mine.
I was grateful he had understood me. I didn’t need mother-hen-Stacie giving me any more grief on when, what, or how I lived. If she even knew half of all I’d been exposed to, she’d lock me away in a closet till I was forty.
“Ready?” Kai asked, extending his arm so I could walk out first.
I doubt it.
“If you are,” I said.
**********
The drive to Rockwall had always been one of my favorites. It wasn’t far from central Dallas, yet it felt like a world away. Surrounded by water and trees, the setting was simply beautiful.
I was definitely surprised to see two Jet Skis on a trailer behind Kai’s truck. I had never been on one before, and I hoped I wouldn’t make a total idiot out of myself. Kai, as usual, seemed confident, happy and relaxed.
“Sorry about that back there. I didn’t realize you wouldn’t want Stacie to know what happened last night with that college punk,” he said.
“That’s okay. The less she knows about my job hazards the better—for everyone.”
Kai looked like he wanted to say something more on the matter, but re-directed instead.
“So, ever been on a Jet Ski before?” he asked.
“Nope, this will be my first time.” I tried to sound nonchalant. I doubted I’d pulled it off, though. I wasn’t a very good actress.
“Great! It’s not hard to learn, I promise. Once you get the hang of it, it’s really fun. My buddy Briggs, from the station and I take these bad boys out several times a month. It’s kind of nice to operate something so compact every once in awhile.”
I looked out at the lake from my window as his truck slowed to a halt.
Before I knew it, Kai was helping me out of my seat. The skin he touched below my elbow seemed to radiate with heat as tingles crawled up toward my shoulder. I moved out of his grasp quickly, willing the sensation to stop.
I helped him untie the Jet Skis and get them into position, pointing them out toward the lake. I felt a flop of uneasiness in the base of my stomach, but tried to focus on the rush I would soon feel instead.
“So what do you think? Should we ride then eat? Eat then ride, or ride, eat, and ride some more? It’s ladies choice today.”
He laughed as he gestured widely with his hands. I couldn’t help but smile.
Lunch? He made us lunch?
“Hmm...Well, since you put it like that, I’m up for doing my first lesson before lunch. Lead the way,” I said.
“Now that’s what I like to hear!”
He threw me a life jacket.
In the mere seconds it took me to get my tank top off, he was already buckled-up, ready to go, and waiting. My fingers fumbled with the latches. Giving me much resistance with each tug, I tried in vain to pull the straps tighter. I bit my bottom lip in concentration. Hearing his low chuckle, I narrowed my eyes at him. Kai was unfazed by my evil glare. Instead, he leaned back casually on his Jet Ski and watched the show of my complete and u
tter failure at Life Jacket 101.
“What are you laughing at?” I asked, kicking sand in his direction. My stubborn determination was beginning to break down. I sighed heavily.
“May I?” Kai asked as he stepped toward me. With one quick draw of his arm, he cinched each buckle tight. Smiling, he tipped his imaginary hat to me and bowed.
“Is that your specialty move for all the girls you take to the lake, Kai?” I asked. Now that my pride had already been damaged, I didn’t feel an urge to repress my sassiness.
Kai busted with laughter, “Ha! Oh Tori, you kill me. First of all, I don’t take girls to the lake. Secondly, if I had a specialty move it wouldn’t be getting a girl into a life vest!”
His laughter continued and I found myself wanting to join in. Amused as I was by his response, I realized his admission only reaffirmed his thoughts about me. If he didn’t bring his dates to the lake, then his explanation to Bev had been quite accurate yesterday. I was just a family friend. The good news was that family friends shouldn’t make me nervous.
If only these stupid butterflies in my stomach would follow that same logic.
He just wanted to be a friend. Better yet, he wanted to befriend the younger sister of his friend, to be the nice guy—the hero. That was part of his genetic code after all, wasn’t it?
With new determination I sat down on my Jet Ski. Kai explained the four main points of driving. He leaned over me to demonstrate as he spoke, securing a safety lanyard to my life jacket. If I crashed, the Jet Ski would shut off immediately and the key would stay attached.
“First, plant your feet on the foot wells like this. Second, always keep your both hands on the handle bars whether going straight or making a turn. Third, you’ll want to ease into the throttle or it will take off from underneath you. Try and keep it at less than twenty miles an hour until you’re comfortable. Fourth, lean into your turns. Feel ready to try it?”
His instructions whirled around in my mind. I hoped they would come naturally when I was out on the water. I nodded in agreement as he pushed me in. Then he jumped onto his beside me. We sat afloat for a few seconds until he gave me the gesture to turn it on. The engine roared to life and all my senses came alive with it.
All For Anna Page 7