Mick'sology (The Flynn Family Book 2)

by Kayt Miller

  Emily: Where are you?

  Emily: Where did you go? You just disappeared.

  Emily: Mick keeps asking for you.

  Me and Lauren.

  Hank: Roni, it’s Hank Flynn. Where are you? Call me when you get this.

  The rest are similar, but I can tell that Emily’s seem to be getting angrier.

  Emily: Jesus, WTF Roni. Mick needs you!

  Emily: Some friend!

  Her last two texts make me wince. I am his friend. I did what he asked me to do. Yeah, I know he was unconscious, but you can’t tell me he didn’t mean what he said. I dread the voice messages. I hate voice messages anyway. I click on the phone icon and see that there are two messages from Emily; one from around the time I left and one from about thirty minutes ago.

  I click on the message from earlier, “Roni? It’s Emily Flynn. Where did you go? Jen just said you just walked out of his room and out of the ER without saying a word.”

  That’s a lie.

  She continues, “He’s still asking for you. Maybe you just went to grab something to eat. We’re all going to be here so come back as soon as you get this. Okay. See you.”

  My finger hovers over her second message. I know it’s going to be a bad one, but I need to rip the Band-Aid off. I press the message and listen.

  “Jesus, Roni. Where the fuck are you? Mick needs you. He’s more and more agitated. Lauren was here and he nearly coded, but the entire time he kept saying your name. Fuck! You don’t deserve to be his friend, Roni. Friends don’t leave like that.” I can tell she’s crying into the phone.

  She sniffles and then adds, “If you get this, please come back to the hospital as soon as possible. They’ve moved him to a regular floor. He’s in room 311.” She hangs up, and I’m in shock. I don't deserve to be his friend? I was a friend when I left. Or I thought I was. I suck in a deep breath of air and realize that I, in fact, do not deserve to be his friend.

  I don’t want to see any of the Flynn family right now either. They probably all hate me. I need to let that go, though and think of Mick. I reach for my purse just as my doorbell rings. I peek through the peephole and see my Thai delivery guy.

  I open the door and hand him the cash I laid out by the door. “Thanks.” Tossing the bag of food into the fridge, I turn and run out the front door. Luckily, I still have my rental car. “Shit! I still have my rental car.” It was due back today.

  I’ll call them in the morning. I hop in, start it up, and I’m off only minutes after getting Emily’s angry voicemail.

  Chapter 40: Roni

  Finding a parking spot at Northwestern Memorial Hospital is a combination of luck and fortitude. Oh, there’s a pinch of evil in there too. The trick is stalking people who are walking out of the hospital. I find one such woman make her way from the main entrance toward the parking lot. I weave in and out of the parking spots keeping one eye on her and one on driving.

  With luck, I’ll get to her spot before anyone is any the wiser. I snort out a laugh at this whole thing. Mick would think this was funny too. I feel like a damn spy. Finally, I see taillights flash from someone hitting their keyless entry. The woman I’m stalking is close by. I sit and watch her get into her car, start it up, and then nothing. I think I wait a good ten minutes before she finally pulls out which pissed off quite a few people who wanted the same spot.

  I pull into her spot and jump out of the car. I click my locks and jog toward the main hospital entrance. I walk directly to the elevator and hit three. My feet fidget as the box ascends. I feel my stomach flip and flop around, and it’s not pleasant. I feel like I might be sick. Nerves. I’m nervous to see Emily and the rest of the family and even more nervous to see Mick.

  When the doors open, I see a pair of restrooms on the opposite wall. I dash toward the women’s and make it to the toilet just as I start to retch. The only thing I’ve had today is water and a half-cup of coffee. It’s painful, to say the least. Once my body decides it’s done, I splash cold water on my face and wipe away the drops and drips with a paper towel.

  I exit the bathroom in search of room 311. I need to be a brave. I lift my head and pull my shoulders back. Half the battle is looking strong. The third floor is quiet. Since it’s after seven o’clock, most of the visitors must be gone. His door is ajar. I don’t hear any voices so I’m not sure if I should knock. I err on the side of caution and tap lightly on the door.

  “Come in,” says a woman’s voice.

  Sarah. I push the door open and walk down a short hallway into a relatively large room. I see Sarah first. She’s sitting in a recliner that sits next to Mick’s bed. She’s the only one in the room. It makes me wonder where the rest of the family is hiding.

  “Um, hi Sarah.”

  “Hello, dear.”

  She sounds curt and formal. “I just heard Emily’s messages. My, um, phone was dead.”

  “Well, I’m glad you’re finally here. They’ve given him a healthy dose of pain medication, so he’s out like a light.” She gives me a small smile.

  “Can I explain?”

  “No need. It’s none of my business.”

  “Please?”

  “If you need to tell me then I’ll listen.”

  I tell her about Mick and about Jen and about my feelings. I tell her I love Mick and hearing him say he loved Lauren was painful. I also explained that Jen thought it was best to let his family take care of him and that I wasn’t family.

  I honestly didn’t mean to throw Jen under the bus. Um. Yeah, I did. She lied to Emily, and I needed to set the record straight. Sarah remained silent as I finished my side of the story. Her expression, which started off as stiff, was now tense.

  She slaps both legs with her hands and stands up. “Well, that’s just terrific.”

  I’m sensing sarcasm.

  “Jennifer Flynn is the anti-Christ.”

  I let out a shocked laugh. What else could I do? “The anti-Christ?”

  “The flipping anti-Christ. Now I’m confident she called Lauren.”

  As soon as her name is mentioned Mick’s monitors start beeping. Sarah walks over and touches his arm. “Shhh, it’s okay, baby boy. Roni’s here.”

  He calms down, and his machines return to normal.

  She whispers, “Lauren was here today. She marched right into this room and announced to all of us that Mick wanted her there. We were shocked; to say the least, because he’s been unconscious since you found him. I’m pretty sure she isn’t telepathic. I suspected Jen was the culprit.”

  She sits back in her chair. “Lauren walked over to Mick and leaned down and announced her presence.” Sarah rubs her palms over her tired face. “He started to jerk about nearly pulling out his I.V’s. His monitors were going crazy and, I swear, the entire floor of medical staff ran in here. We were shuttled out fast. It took them half an hour to get him stable.”

  Sarah takes a deep breath. “Needless to say, my children got rid of her. I could tell by the look on Jen’s face she was shocked. Hell, I’m not even sure why Jen was here. David filed for divorce this week.”

  “She told me they were working it out.”

  This time it’s Sarah that snorts out a laugh, “Not a chance. Especially after he hears about the crap, she pulled today. She’s gonzo.”

  Gonzo?

  Sarah stands up from her chair. “Well, they said that one person could stay with him tonight. I think it should be you, Roni.”

  “Me?”

  “Yes. You. He’s been saying your name all day. The doctors think it’s just a matter of time before he wakes up and I think you should be the first person he sees.”

  “Alright. I’ll stay.”

  As Sarah gathers up her things, she leans over and kisses Mick on the cheek, “See you in the morning, Michael. I love you so much, but I’m gonna let your girl take care of you now.” She turns and gives me a tight hug and then she’s gone.

  I take a good look at Mick. In some ways, he looks worse than he did this morning. He’s
pale and looks almost frail. I don’t like it. My Mick is strong and charismatic. Pushing the chair closer to the bed, close enough to hold his hand, I sit and lean my upper body onto the bed. My head is resting beside his hip, and I’m rubbing my fingers over his palm and wrist again.

  “I love you, Mick,” I whisper. It may be the only time I get to tell him. Yeah, I know he can’t hear me, but I wanted to say it out loud.

  Next, I tell him about all of my phone messages, even the creepy ones. I also tell him about my meeting with Bill in the morning that I may have to cancel if I’m needed here. I pull my phone out of my purse and bring up my Kindle app. I keep a selection of books on there in case I’m ever waiting for an appointment or a bus.

  Since it’s between Fifty Shades of Gray by E.L. James and Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by J.K. Rowling, I choose the latter. I smile outwardly thinking of my choice. I wonder if he’s read any of this series of books. The Potter series is on my top ten list of favorites. I set the phone on the bed and begin to read.

  I’m awoken by the sensation of touch. I feel a finger running over my hand and palm. I blink my eyes and realize that I'm facing down on the side of a bed. Mick’s bed. And he’s touching me. I lift my head quickly and see that he’s awake. His eyes are open and looking right back at me.

  “Hey baby,” he says in a raspy, dry voice.

  “Hey, yourself. How are you feeling?”

  “Like shit,” he tries to laugh, but he winces. “I hurt everywhere. What happened?”

  “You were in an accident. You hit a…”

  “Deer. I hit a big-ass deer.”

  “You did. You’ve been unconscious for…” I look up at the wall clock. It’s two A.M. “…over twenty-four hours.”

  He blinks at me a few times. It’s obvious he’s still a little out of it. “Seriously?”

  “We were worried about you. Your family has been here all day. But they only let one person stay with you overnight.”

  “And you volunteered?”

  “In a way.” I look sheepish. “It’s a long story. I’ll tell you about it sometime. Right now, I think I should call a nurse in to check on you.”

  “Yeah. That would be nice. Everything really hurts. Do you think they could give me something?”

  I press the call button attached to his bed. “Yes?”

  “Hi there. Um, Mick’s awake. He’s in a lot of pain.”

  “I’ll be right in,” the nurse says excitedly.

  While we wait for the nurse, I grab my phone and send a text to Emily and Hank.

  Me: Mick is awake. Will you let your mom and dad know?

  I wait for a response from either or both of them, and it takes only minutes.

  Hank: Thank fuck. I will. How is he?

  Me: Good. Sore but he remembered a little bit about the accident.

  Hank: That is good news. Tell him we’ll see him tomorrow, will ya?

  Me: Sure.

  I don’t get a response from Emily right away but she eventually she replies.

  Emily: Thanks.

  That’s it. Just ‘Thanks.'

  Hearing his door slam open, two nurses race into the room. One about my age and another one closer to my mom’s age, “Oh, dearie, are we glad to see you, Michael Flynn!” They both smile brightly and the younger nurse giggles. The older nurse introduces herself first, “I’m Gladys, and this young’un is Maddy. She’s a nursing student from the University.”

  Mick gives them a weak smile and winces. “Everything hurts.”

  “It’s probably time for another dose of morphine. Let me check the orders, and I’ll be right back,” says Gladys. “Maddy will take your vitals.” She turns to Maddy and says, “Go easy.” Maddy nods and takes the blood pressure cuff from the wall. “I’ll be careful.”

  After Maddy has determined his blood pressure is a little high and so is his temperature, Gladys returns with a vial and a syringe. “I’m gonna shoot this right into your I.V., honey. It’ll only take a few minutes for you to feel better. Okay, sweetie?”

  Mick nods his head and watches her shoot the morphine into a special opening in his I.V.

  “Would you like some water? Crackers?” asks Maddy.

  “Water,” Mick says in his raspy voice.

  “Be right back,” the young nurse says as she sprints out the door. I smirk as she leaves. Even beat up and bruised, the ladies are running over themselves to please him.

  Gladys is straightening up his area, tucking him in gently. Mick has leaned back onto his bed, taking a deep breath. “It’s working.” He sighs.

  “That goes right into your bloodstream; that’s why it works so fast.”

  Mick smiles a dreamy little smile at Gladys. “Did you say your names was Betty? ‘Cause that’s cool. It’s old fashioned.”

  “Well, it’s Gladys, but it is old fashioned too. I was named after my...”

  He doesn’t let her finish, “Betty, have you met my girlfriend? Betty. This is Veronica. Veronica. This is Betty.” He snorts to himself. “Betty and Veronica? That’s an old-timey cartoon.” His eyes shoot skyward, and his left arm rises to point at the ceiling, “Look!” he shouts, “There are pixies flying around. Cool!” he says smiling.

  I giggle at him. “Is that normal?” I ask Betty. I mean Gladys.

  She chuckles. “Everyone reacts a little differently with pain meds. Some get angry, some get sleepy, and some act like they’re a little intoxicated. My guess is our Michael is going to be fun to watch.” She chuckles again.

  “Betty? Isn’t my girlfriend pretty?”

  Girlfriend? Oh, right. I’m a girl who is his friend.

  “Yes, she…”

  “I looooovvveee her.”

  He loves me? Yeah, like a friend.

  “Well, that’s nice.” She smiles at me. I know I must look surprised because of Betty, er, Gladys adds. “Does she know you love her?”

  “Shhh, I haven’t told her yet,” he slurs.

  Gladys laughs again. “I think she knows now.”

  “She’s not my usual type, you know, Betty. She’s bigger than the girls I generally, um, date.”

  “Uh, huh.” Gladys looks at me with sympathy in her eyes. She’s not a small woman either. She’s going to get why I look a little hurt.

  “Don’t get me wrong. Veron… Veron… Roni is stacked,” he says hold his hands out front showing the size of my breasts. “She’s got it in alllll the right places.”

  “Well, that’s great news, Mi…”

  “I want to take care of her and the baby,” he says interrupting Gladys again.

  The baby?

  “Oh, congratulations! I didn’t realize you were expecting.”

  “I’m not,” I interrupted the train wreck that is Mick Flynn’s conversation. I’m not pregnant!

  “You coooouuuullldd be,” he sing-songs.

  “What?” I say a little too loudly.

  “Yep,” he says emphasizing the ‘p.' “Expired condoms. Emily says there’s a good chance I knocked you up.”

  “Emily knows?” Emily knows before I know? “You talked to Emily about this before you spoke to me?”

  “Of course. She’s my best sister, and she’s gonna be a doc… a doctor,” he hiccups.

  “But…”

  “Shhhhhhhhhh,” Mick slurs again. “It’s gonna be fiiiinnnee. I’ll take care of you both,” he says sleepily. “I’ve got it alllllll figured out.”

  I stare at Mick as he drifts off to sleep. I look at Gladys, and I can tell she wants nothing more than to back out of the room as fast as she can. Before she can dash, Maddy returns with water and crackers. “He’s asleep. Just leave those on the tray table and let’s scoot. More patients to see after all.”

  Yep, she wants out, and she wants out now. I don’t blame her. I want to leave now too. I could be pregnant? And Emily knew before I did? My first instinct is to punch Mick in the jaw, but I can’t hit a man when he’s down. No, I’ll wait until he’s all better and then I’ll punc
h his lights out.

  My second instinct is to flee. That’s usually what I do, but I can’t leave him here alone. I’m already on Emily’s shit list so I wouldn’t want to make that situation worse than it is already. Not that I should care. Jeez. I could be pregnant?

  I lean back in the hard recliner and suck in a deep breath. I close my eyes and think. We had sex a little over a week ago. I’ve thrown up a couple of times, but that doesn’t mean anything. It’s too soon for that to start happening if I were pregnant. Right?

  I pick up my cell phone and see that it’s only at three percent again. I only charged it for a short time at home, so it makes sense that it’s about to die. I’ll have to research morning sickness when I get home. I lean back again and think about the Halloween party and the time at my place. He wore a condom both times. Can expired condoms be that unreliable? I reach for my phone again and remember it’s nearly dead. “Damn it.”

  I lay my head back, and without trying, my eyes flutter closed, and I’m off to sleep. It’s a restless, fitful sleep but I’ll take what I can get.

  Chapter 41: Mick

  I blink awake and attempt to re-acclimate to my surroundings. It shouldn’t take long. The staff around here has been waking me up every half hour to check my vitals and ask me question after question.

  I’m sure they’re gauging my concussion symptoms. I know I’ve got one. My head hurts like someone hit me with a hammer repeatedly. Bright lights hurt and I feel nauseous. I haven’t gotten sick or anything, but I suspect when I have to move around a little, I’ll feel the need.

  Honestly, what hurts the most is my leg. They told me I broke the right leg and fractured my arm. They also told me I cracked my ribs; plus I’ve got internal and exterior stitches on the right side of my head. I know they shaved some of my hair off because I’ve touched my scalp.

  I should probably be freaked out by the loss of hair, but I really don’t care. I was getting sick of long hair, so this is my chance to shave it off. I know the ladies dig the hair but I only care about one lady and something tells me that Roni will be okay with it. She doesn’t like me for my hair. At least I hope not.