by GL Chapple
I sighed and closed my eyes as I lay back against the pillow, trying to think about what had happened.
Clarissa broke into my thoughts. “How are you feeling? Do you want me to see if you can get more pain relief?” she asked, as I grimaced.
I shook my head, blowing out a breath as I opened my eyes. “What are you doing here?” I asked, watching her and Jonathan.
He smiled at me, looking like a predator sizing up his prey. He seemed more alert and energised today than at any time I’d seen him in the last few years, even including his own wedding. “I heard you were at death’s door, brother.”
“Come to gloat?” I asked wryly. I tried to pull myself into a slightly more upright position but hissed out a breath as red-hot pain shot through my abdomen. Screwing my eyes shut, I sucked in another breath between my teeth as the throbbing continued.
“Let me help,” Clarissa said, as she tried to help me to move, but I shook my head.
I’d have to be content to lie like this for a little while longer: it was too painful to attempt to move.
She sat down again, “We came to help, Nate, to check you were ok, but also because you’ve been seriously hurt. You’re not out of danger…”
“…You could still die,” Jonathan butted in and I turned to look at him. He was pulling some papers out of his pocket.
Out of the corner of my eye, I caught Clarissa glaring at him. The door opened and he pushed the papers back into his pocket. It was the nurse again.
“All ok?” she asked, addressing me directly.
“Have you called Lena?” I responded.
“I’ve just come to get her number from you, dear. You need to know, though, that there can only be two visitors at any one time. We won’t be able to have you all in here.”
I smiled tightly at her, my frustration growing by the second. “I just want Lena and Marcus here. I need you to call them right now, or I’ll get up and do it myself.”
She held her hand up, clearly resisting the urge to roll her eyes at me. I was well aware of what a ridiculous, lame threat that was, since I’d been unable to shuffle up the bed, but if I had to roll myself out of bed and crawl to my phone to speak to Lena, I would.
“Alright - give me her number and I’ll call her right now.”
I asked her if she could prop me up slightly, which she did before checking my temperature. She noted that it was slightly high and asked me a few questions, which I answered briefly. She recognised my impatience and clicked her tongue on the roof of her mouth. She advised me that she’d go and make the call, and that she would be back in half an hour to check on me again.
Once the door had closed, Jonathan began to speak. “Nate, you need to realise that you might still die. That temperature could be a sign of a post-operative infection. This place is probably swarming with things like MRSA and C-Dif….”
“I’m touched that you care - truly I am! To think I always thought you didn’t give a shit.” I muttered sarcastically.
“Oh, Nate - of course we care! There’s been some bad feeling, but we’re family. We’re the only family that you have, and family looks out for family.” Clarissa said as she squeezed my hand tightly.
I heard the rustle of paper as Jonathan pulled whatever it was back out of his pocket. “The thing is, Nate…” I turned back to look at him, Clarissa’s hands still clasped around mine like a vice. “We are the only family that you have, and as my wife has just said, family is supposed to look out for family. I mean, we’ve been here for hours just waiting about this hospital to see you. You need to think about what will happen if you die, Nate.”
I raised my eyebrow at him, challenging him to continue with his version of what might happen in the event of my demise.
“Are you really going to allow the government to take our parent’s hard-earned money?”
And there it was - the reason for them being here.
He held out the paperwork in front of me. His voice was eager; he was doing a piss-poor job of trying to hide his excitement at the thought of my death. “I’ve had it all drawn up properly. This states that, if you were to die, all the funds would automatically transfer to me. I’ve added a clause here,” he indicated with his finger, “that our grandfather would remain in his current housing and would be taken care of, and that I would pay for his funeral. There’s no point in the money just disappearing and nobody having it because you are being stubborn. You might feel ok, but you could be on your deathbed. Obviously, this wouldn’t tie you to anything if you were to be alright, but you have a dangerous job, and anything could happen to you and then nobody would get the money.”
His greedy eyes were glowing as he spoke. He looked pleased with himself, as if the reference to Gramps being taken care of would be enough to swing the decision for me.
To think that I’d ever felt guilt over this, worrying about hurting him and agonising about being fair and right. My own brother was hoping that I was on my deathbed.
I’d had my eyes focused on the paperwork in front of me. I raised my head to speak to him and was so shocked to see her standing in the doorway that I had to blink, staring at her for a moment to confirm that she was in fact real, and not a figment of my imagination.
She was pale, her hair drawn back in a ponytail and her face devoid of makeup. There were dark smudges under her eyes, and her clothes were creased, as if she’d been lying down in them, but she looked incredible.
She was the most perfect sight I could have wished for. I was stunned. I had no idea how she could have got here so quickly.
Her eyes weren’t on me, though. I didn’t know how long she’d been there or what she’d heard, but it had clearly been enough. Her beautiful face was twisted up in hatred. I’d never seen her so angry. I could see her fists clenching at her sides from my bed.
“How dare you!” Her voice was quiet, dangerously quiet.
I saw the expressions change on Jonathan’s and Clarissa’s face as they registered her presence. Jonathan sneered at her, and said in a mocking tone of voice, “This is family business, Sweetheart. I suggest you wait outside.” The derisory way he spoke to her made me want to jump up and knock his head from his shoulders.
“Jon!” I warned as aggressively as I could.
Lena stalked towards him, in spite of her obvious exhaustion, she looked magnificent - like a tigress protecting what was hers.
It couldn’t deny it made me feel good despite the situation. She stopped next to him, leaning in close, so that she was inches from his face as she said, her tone biting and her voice full of disdain and disgust, “Then it has fuck all to do with you. Sharing blood doesn’t make you family. You’re a parasite. You have 30 seconds to get yourself and your fuckweasel out of this room before I rip the both of you apart, starting now.” She stood to the side so that he could move.
If looks could kill she’d be facing two murder charges, pure animosity was radiating from her.
They froze for a second before Jonathan got to his feet and went to barge past her, but she’d anticipated it, standing firm and bracing herself for his shoulder charge.
I wanted to kill him, but clearly she had this under control.
He glared at her but carried on walking out. Clarissa turned to me and pleaded, “Nate, don’t do this. Think rationally! What’s the point in the money going to waste? Don’t be so spiteful and selfish!”
Lena lunged forward and I snapped my hand up, catching her fist, wincing as I did so.
Fucking hell! That hurt! I was surprised that my reactions were so quick.
Lena looked apologetic and upset, but I didn’t turn to meet her gaze, instead facing Clarissa. “It won’t go to waste. The money is taken care of; arrangements are already in place. Should I die, some will go to Lena, some will go to my brother…” I paused for a second, watching as the triumphant grin spread across their faces, ignoring Lena’s stunned expression, before finishing my sentence. “…my brother Marcus, my true brother.”
Their expressions changed in an instant.
“Fuck you! I hope you do fucking die!” snarled Jonathan as he stormed out of the door. I gripped Lena’s hand tighter as I felt her flinch at his words.
Clarissa glared at us both before following him. The room settled into silence for a moment as I turned to look at Lena. I could still feel her shaking, her chest rising and falling as if she’d run a marathon.
I squeezed her hand gently, trying to get her attention; she faced me, her face breaking into a relieved but sad smile, despite the tension she was still holding in her body.
I raised an eyebrow, “Fuckweasel? Really?” I asked, and she began to laugh manically, the sound tinged with hysteria as tears ran down her face.
“It was supposed to be fucking weasel, but I was too angry to speak!” She sat carefully on the edge of the bed, looking unsure as she took in the machines and wires around me.
I opened my arms, beckoning her in, and she leaned over onto me, resting her head carefully against my shoulder as she cried. I lifted my arm and draped it over her shoulders, savouring the feel of her body against mine. I breathed in the smell of her hair, shushing her and telling her it was ok, trying to comfort her the only way I was able.
The door opened just as she was settling down, and Marcus walked tentatively into the room. Lena raised her head and I reluctantly moved my arm as she stood up. “I’ll be right back. I’ll leave you guys to it.”
“You don’t need to leave, Lena,” Marcus said, but she moved around him, ignoring my silent plea to stay.
I didn’t want her away from me for a second longer than was necessary, even though I knew I needed to speak to Marcus.
“It’s ok.” She smiled. “Nate needs more pain relief, and I need a few minutes to calm down. I’ll come back in with Gramps in a few minutes.”
My stomach felt as if it was on fire; streaks of lightening pain and a pounding ache were making me grit my teeth, but I hadn’t realised that she’d noticed.
I was relieved that they’d thought to bring Gramps. I knew that Jonathan wouldn’t have bothered to inform him. Lena walked out, and the door closed behind her. I turned to Marcus, he looked dreadful.
“Fucking hell, man, I think you actually look worse than me!” I joked as he came to sit next to me.
“This is what a night with your girlfriend did to me!” he teased back, but his devastation was apparent.
“Marcus, I’m so sorry, bro…” I started and he shook his head.
“Don’t…You’ll have done everything you could. I know that.” His voice was broken, and I felt devastated for him.
I nodded, unable to speak. We were both silent for a moment. Marcus was sitting looking down at his feet. “There will be an investigation, obviously, since he died. But the initial assumption is that you were fighting for your life and it was self-defense, pure and simple. It should just be routine, open and shut.”
I swallowed. He raised his eyes to meet mine. “Was it?” he asked softly.
I knew that he was asking me more than if it was self-defense. He needed to know if I had been fighting for my life, or if I’d sought revenge. He wanted to know if I’d exacted retribution for Lena and Lindsay, if I’d gone against everything expected of an officer of the law and killed a man.
I shook my head and saw his shoulders sag. “I told him that it was for Lena and Lindsay.”
He bowed his head, and I saw a tear fall as he whispered to me, “Thank you.”
I waited a moment before adding on a rushed breath, “She wanted you to know something.”
His head whipped up, the anguish and pain in his eyes gutted me. My heart was shattered for him, the ache in my chest almost as painful as my physical injuries. I couldn’t imagine how I’d ever get through anything happening to Lena.
“She spoke?”
I nodded, wishing more than anything I could take away some of his pain. “I’m so sorry, bro. I begged her to hold on.” My own tears were falling now and I choked on my words as I struggled to speak, “She wanted you to know that she chose you, that it would always have been you. She loved you, man. I drove so fast and tried so hard, but I was too late, and then there was so much blood. I stabbed him. I uncuffed him, and I stabbed the fucker. Then I lay next to her and held her. I tried to keep her warm. I told her how much you loved her and that I’d never seen you so crazy over a girl. I begged her to hold on and tell you herself that she loved you. I’m so sorry.”
His shoulders shook as he sat next to me, my own tears streaming unashamedly down my face as I watched him fall apart, and wishing I could do something to help. I couldn’t even go to him, to console him, the guy who had been there for me through all the ups and downs in my life. I felt his pain acutely; the physical pain I had was nothing compared to his utter despair and heartbreak.
I caught movement by the door, but, when I glanced up there was no-one there. I presumed Lena had seen us and moved away and, as desperate as I was to see her, I appreciated her giving us the time we needed.
He took a deep shuddering breath and I waited on him. He raised his head slowly, his eyes red. There wasn’t a damn thing I could say to make him feel better, so I didn’t speak. Finally, he turned to me, his voice decisive. “It was self-defense, obviously. He stabbed you and you fought for your life. Is there anything I need to do?”
I hesitated for a moment. He noticed immediately and called me on it although I was reluctant to ask him for anything, he knew something was amiss, so, glancing at the doorway again, I said, “He was going to go after Lena…there were items on the bed…I don’t know if he was doing it alone or not. He was all kinds of fucked up, and I need to be sure Lena is safe. I can’t keep her safe at the moment.”
It hurt me to say the last words and he knew it.
“I’ve got her.” His voice was strong and confident and I trusted him implicitly, but I couldn’t put this on him, as much as I wanted to.
I shook my head and saw the hurt flicker over his face for a moment before he glared at me. “Fuck off, Nate. Don’t make me argue with you when you’re laid up in a hospital bed.”
“I can’t ask you to do that, not with everything…” I trailed off, and he looked away for a second.
I saw him take another deep breath before facing me. “You’re not asking; I’m telling. She’s safe with me. You know that. She can stay with Kelly and me until you get your arse home. Maybe it’ll be an incentive for you. I promise to sleep in my own bed tonight.” He winked at me, trying to lighten the mood, but he couldn’t hide the heartache in his eyes.
I noticed movement by the door again just as it swung open to reveal the nurse, carrying a small tray. Marcus stood up to leave. He clasped my hand, his eyes conveying everything that he didn’t need to say out loud.
“I gave the details to Byron days ago, but he’s not come back to me with anything.” I said, to distract him.
He nodded, looking determined. “Leave it with me.”
The nurse proceeded to check my temperature and provided me with pain relief. The door opened, and Lena walked in followed by my teary grandfather. He hung back by the doorway as Lena came to sit beside the bed.
Once the nurse had left, I beckoned him over. He came to the other side and looked me over, “You’re a nuisance boy! My first trip in six years and I come back to this!” he complained but I could see his eyes were full.
“I apologise if this was an inconvenience for you.”
He sat down in the armchair beside the bed and reached out to squeeze my arm. “Do you feel ok? I heard that waste of space was here making trouble!” His eyes narrowed, and I pulled a face before glancing at Lena, my lips twitching.
“No need to worry, Gramps. I had my Warrior Princess here to protect me.” I could feel my eyelids starting to get heavy and wondered what the hell pain relief the nurse had given me.
“If you’re tired, baby, close your eyes. I’m right here.” Lena said and I could feel my eyelids fluttering. I fought to open
them again.
“Go with Marcus.” I attempted to sound firm, but my voice was already heavy with sleep. I felt her hand brush my forehead before she placed a gentle kiss there.
“I’m not going anywhere. Close your eyes. I’ll be right here when you wake.” I felt relieved, as I drifted off.
The next few days were long and frustrating in hospital, each day like the next and Lena hardly left my side. I didn’t know what was going on with her business and, honestly, I was too selfish to ask.
I wanted her there with me. I needed her there with me.
Everything else around us could go to hell.
I was slowly getting stronger; everything was healing as it should; - but I needed to be doing more.
Marcus had come back in and told me that they had recovered information on Jason’s computer regarding plans for an abduction and blackmail plot. They had discovered a conversation between him and another party but were still trying to trace the other person.
I needed to heal faster.
I needed to be able to protect her.
I trusted Marcus, but being stuck in the hospital bed was frustrating the hell out of me, especially knowing there was someone out there who had been involved in a plot to do God knows what to Lena.
She was safe with Marcus; I knew that, and she was spending almost all of her time here with me, but I wouldn’t feel relaxed until this other person had been caught. Luckily, there was no information about the intended target, just plans about how to take her, but I knew in my gut that it had been Lena. There was no question in my mind that she was the intended target. He’d practically admitted as much to me. The last thing I wanted was for her to be dragged into this.
I felt sick thinking about his plans, but he’d already paid his price. He’d never lay a hand on Lena or hurt her in any way again.
Nobody on the force knew about the relationship