by NM Facile
And he had been right, pissing Ty off even more. Ty had lashed out at him without thought. “That’s right. You know all about hurting the one you love.”
Jack had glared back at him with the dual demons of loss and regret dwelling behind the anger. Ty, realizing what he had said, had thrown his arms up in defeat and turned away.
Yet as he had passed her table he couldn’t help but bask in the light of his angel, just this once.
He had been going crazy since that night with the images of Mary, her soft skin haunting him. What was it about this girl? Why did she have to show up in his life now? If it had only been a few months from now he wouldn’t have any worries. Now she had him questioning himself and his plans. He just needed to stay away from her, get her out of his head. She was just an ordinary girl. There was nothing special about her to have him so tied up in knots.
He had drunk himself into oblivion that night and had even been tempted to shoot up just to escape it all, but he wasn’t going to let himself go down that road. He’d seen too many lost and broken beyond repair once they started using, trying to hide from reality.
Never in his life had he used because he ‘needed’ to. He had used heroin and other drugs on Sara’s insistence. She had been a recreational user and liked to have those around her in the same altered state. He had been so infatuated with her that he couldn’t deny her anything. At first he had liked the rush, the immediate happy contentment that overcame him, the feeling that all of life’s distractions were gone. That didn’t last long. He didn’t like the loss of control he had over himself or the feeling that he was floating somewhere outside his body. Then the come-down and sickness it brought with it. It just wasn’t for him, although it wasn’t enough to stop him from joining her. She could be very persuasive.
It was different now. He was stronger than that and there was no way he was letting some girl pull him back into that. He was angry at himself for even having entertained the idea. He hated feeling weak. Ty resolved not to see Mary again, to forget all about her and just carry on with his life.
His newfound determination lasted all of a few hours. Once he was back at work and had driven by Safe Works on a delivery he felt the pull, the urge to see her. He wanted to know how their encounter had affected her. He was still contemplating approaching her. He had yet to hear her voice and wanted more than anything to hear her say his name.
He parked across the street and waited. There was only one car in the lot so he wondered if she was even there. The light was still on, shining out from behind the closed shades. He checked the time again; it was just slightly after midnight. Someone would be coming out soon. Ty killed the engine despite the cold, misty night. With May was less than a week away, he hoped it was the last cold spell of the spring. He lit up as he waited, letting the cigarette calm his nerves. He only had a couple of drags before the light went out. He immediately went on alert as he watched and waited for the door to open. Mary stepped out and looked around before turning to lock it.
He was momentarily confused because she was alone. The only one he ever saw there alone was Jack. Then anger seeped in. Why the fuck was she alone? Did she not know the things that could happen in this part of town to someone like her, alone at this time of night? Where was Jack with his overprotective bullshit now? He was seething inside as he watched her walk from the door towards an old blue car that he now knew was hers.
She moved slowly, carefully over the slick sidewalk. He watched her every step yet, in the blink of an eye she was down. Her feet slipped out from under her and she fell, crashing back onto the hard concrete. His hand flew to the door handle instantly, but he stopped. He didn’t want to scare her so he waited for her to get up. He counted his heartbeats as he waited, one, two, three…she wasn’t moving…four, five…fuck it. He was out the door and across the street.
He kept his eyes on her the entire way, monitoring for any sign of movement. Her hands pushed flat against the sidewalk and she bent her knees preparing to turn and roll up.
“Don’t move. You may be hurt.” He called out to her without thinking.
Her head snapped up and she looked fearfully in his direction. Ty was close enough that he could hear her groan when she did it. Her hand came up to the back of her head as she rubbed it gingerly.
“Sorry. I didn’t mean to startle you. Are you all right?” His heart beat furiously as he looked her over in the pale street light. She was so delicate, so fragile. He was concerned with how hard she had gone down.
He was next to her then, kneeling down to judge for himself how she was.
“I’m fine, just a little fall. I wasn’t expecting the sidewalk to be so slippery.” Her voice was a soft, lovely alto that warmed him. She started to sit up and he held out his hand to help her.
She eyed him with apprehension, trying to make out the figure in dark jeans and black jacket emerging from the dark like some savior of the night, her own personal Batman. She would have been less surprised to be met by a mask than by the obsidian eyes of her soulful enchanter from the bar.
Once recollection dawned on her, she stuttered a bit. “You’re him. I mean, you’re the guitar player from the bar…” She stared into his eyes as she reached out for his hand.
Her hand was freezing. Ty wrapped his large hand around her small one, hoping to transfer some of his warmth. He helped her to sit upright but refused to let her stand before he knew that she truly was unharmed.
“I’m…”
“Ty. Ty Jaden.” She said it so carefully that he was taken aback.
“Yeah, I guess Jack told you.” His heart dropped in bitter disappointment. Of course Jack had told her about him. She nodded and winced again. “Did you hurt your head in the fall?”
“It’s nothing.” She moved to get up and he helped her to her feet. She swayed slightly and he put his arm around her. He didn’t want to let her go, but having her that close was killing him.
“Are you sure about that? You must have hit your head pretty hard.” She stood frozen before him as he ran his fingers through her hair, gently feeling for any signs of injury and finally finding a bump that felt as big as a golf ball.
She winced and pulled her head away as he softly probed it. It was tender but she didn’t want him to know that.
“I’m fine,” She said quickly.
“I think you need to go get that checked.” Ty reluctantly pulled his fingers out of her hair, wishing he could entwine them deeper into the silky waves.
“No. It’s okay. I’ll be okay.” She said it almost fearfully.
“Mary…” he pleaded.
Her eyes went wide and for the first time he could see the unique colors. Blues, grays, and browns blended transversely, giving her eyes an almost catlike look.
“How did you know my…oh. Jack, right?”
“Um, yeah, he mentioned it.” Ty wanted to distract her from that line of thought before she started to question what else he had said to him. “We need to get you to a hospital.”
“No, really, I’m fine.” She took a couple steps away and swayed again. She met his gaze guiltily.
“You’re not fine. Is there anyone you can call to come and get you?” He wanted to take her himself but didn’t want to frighten her any more than he probably had. She shook her head slowly and he offered to drive her.
“I don’t want to keep you from what you’re doing,” she protested.
“Really, it’s no trouble. I was just on my way home from work.” He hoped she wouldn’t question how he happened to be there to see her fall.
Mary hesitated. She glanced over at his car. It seemed vaguely familiar and she was trying to recall where she had seen it before. She might have noticed it before she fell, but she wasn’t sure. Should she accept his offer to drive her to the hospital? She wanted to know more about him but wasn’t sure she should get into a car alone with him. He was, after all, a stranger who appeared out of the dark. Jack had said he was trouble.
“Really, Mar
y, I don’t mind.”
There was something in his voice, the tone of concern maybe. She wasn’t sure what it was, but she felt safe with him. Besides, she had her cell phone in her pocket. She curled her hand around it, ready to pull it out if needed.
“Um, I don’t normally take rides from a stranger.”
“Well, we could call a cab, but either way I’m not leaving you until I see that you’re all right.”
She examined his face carefully. His gaze never wavered, convincing her that he could be trusted. She nodded softly before shyly agreeing.
Ty led her to his car with one arm lightly wrapped around her and the other hand holding onto her elbow nearest to him. He wasn’t going to let her fall again. Once she was safely in the car he shut the door and strode around to the driver’s side, wondering if this would prove to be the luckiest or the unluckiest night of his life.
He started the engine before he even had his door shut. The horn solo from “In the Midnight Hour” came blasting out at them. Mary startled and winced before looking over sheepishly.
“Sorry,” he whispered as he turned the volume down, letting the music play softly in the background. They started the ride in silence; Mary wondering if she should tell him to take her to Faith’s hospital and Ty internally groaning at the irony of the soundtrack to their present situation.
They had driven a few blocks before either said anything. Ty kept shooting glances between her and the road, worrying that she wanted to get away from him as quickly as she could, and hoping she would. That would be the easiest way to deal with the attachment he seemed to have developed towards her.
Mary kept her face towards the window hoping like hell he didn’t know she was trying hard to erase the image of him walking towards her in the bar in jeans so snug and threadbare they left little to the imagination.
“Why were you alone?” Ty finally asked, hoping to break the tension and figure out who was responsible for leaving her to the sharks for the night.
“Where?” She stared at him in confusion, her thoughts still on the night at the bar.
“When you left Safe Works tonight? Why were you alone? Where was Jack?” He should have been there. If he wanted to keep her safe, where was he when she really needed him?
“He had the night off. I was there with Nikki but she had a migraine, so I told her she could leave early.”
Fucking Nikki, it figures it was her. Ty was willing to bet that she didn’t have a headache, she just had someplace else to be. “Why didn’t you call anyone in, or leave at the same time? Why did you stay there alone?”
“There wasn’t any reason I couldn’t stay until midnight. I didn’t need to lock up early. I can take care of things myself.”
“Including splitting your own head open.” He muttered under his breath.
“Yeah, including that.” She sarcastically snapped back.
They sat in silence again for a few blocks before Ty apologized.
She waved her hand dismissively. “That’s fine. I should be thanking you for the help.”
“It’s no problem.”
They were quiet for the rest of the trip to the hospital. Ty wondered just what Jack had told her about him. She didn’t seem afraid. Was she only here because she felt like she had no choice? Her silence only heightened his curiosity.
The sprawling hospital was lit up in front of them. Mary searched the passing lots for Faith’s little yellow car.
“My roommate Faith works here. I’m sure if you just drop me off at the door I can catch a ride home with her after her shift.” She was giving him an out.
“What time is she off?”
“Um, later.” Mary was being intentionally vague.
He arched an eyebrow at her “Later?”
“Seven.” She replied quietly.
“As in the morning?” Of course she meant morning. It was already close to one.
“Let’s just get you looked at before you decide anything.” Ty didn’t want to leave her alone until he knew how she was and that she would be able to get home safely.
He started to park in the first open spot by the door, then remembered that he still had his gun and a few bags on him. He backed out and pulled up in front of the main entrance instead. She looked at him questioningly; she wasn’t that hurt.
“I’m going to take you in and get some help, and then I’ll park. I don’t want you to have to walk too far.” Ty said firmly. Not giving her the chance to argue, he hurried out and around to open her door before she got out.
Mary assumed that he had decided to leave her there alone after all when he helped her in through the sliding doors. An attendant in blue scrubs behind the main desk looked up at them. Ty didn’t move any further than the doorway as they waited for the man to bring over a wheelchair.
“What can I help you with?” He was calm as he appraised the situation.
“I can walk.” Mary protested. If he was going to leave her there, she could at least walk away from him.
“She slipped and hit her head.” Ty spoke over her. The nurse nodded as he reached for Mary’s arm to help her into the chair. “I need to park my car. I’ll be right back.”
Mary’s polychrome eyes didn’t leave his until she was wheeled around the corner.
Ty hurried to the car, threw it in reverse and parked in a spot nearby. He slipped the gun from the back waistband of his jeans and slid it under the seat before he did the same with the heroin bags from an inner jacket pocket. He made sure it was hidden and the doors were locked before he rushed back into the building.
Ty paused to look over the few people in the waiting room, searching for his silver-haired angel. She was still sitting in the wheelchair in front of the help desk, not yet in the waiting area. The nurse was attaching an ID bracelet to her wrist. They both looked up as he approached.
So he did come back. Mary didn’t want to admit she was pleased. “You don’t have to stay, Ty. I’ll be fine.” She finally pulled the cell phone from her pocket. “I’ll text Faith and let her know I’m here.”
“That’s a good idea, but I’ll wait until we hear back from her.” As he said it he looked towards the man in blue, hoping that he would back him up and say she needed someone with her.
“Why don’t the two of you just wait right over here? We aren’t that busy tonight. It should only be a few minutes.”
Ty thanked him and wheeled Mary towards the waiting area before she could argue any more.
He settled them in the first row, near a large fish tank. It was so quiet that each little gurgle from the tank seemed to fill the room. He sat next to Mary as she tapped on her little phone. He wondered what she was telling Faith. Did she tell her how she’d got here? Would Faith take off early to come see her and take her home?
The door to a small glass room next to them opened and a young couple with a very tiny baby walked out, followed by an older, tired-looking nurse. She ushered the couple to the front desk and picked up a sheet of paper. Her eyes traveled over it before looking up. Ty wondered if she would call for Mary next. He realized he didn’t even know her last name. The nurse stepped away from the desk and headed over to a mother and her young son. She spoke quietly with them and took them to the small triage room.
Mary’s phone softly chimed. She smiled as Faith’s number popped up. Her thumb flew over the keypad as she typed out her reply. She assured Faith that she would be fine and had a ride home. She remained just vague enough about the ride that Faith didn’t question her again. She slid the phone back into her pocket and reached up to lump on the back of her head.
Ty didn’t pry about the text. Instead he opted to ask her how she was doing. She lowered the hand from behind her head and placed it in her lap, leaving her hair in a tangled mass. Before he could stop himself he reached out and smoothed it back down. Each felt the pull they were sure the other didn’t.
Ty brushed the back of his finger down along the soft skin of her jaw as he dropped his hand. Her eyes closed an
d she breathed in deeply. Her lashes fluttered briefly before they opened to take hold of his.
“Mary Flynn?”
She stepped behind Mary’s chair and explained that she was taking her in for an initial assessment as she wheeled her toward the triage room. Not wanting to intrude, Ty stayed where he was. The nurse paused at the door, turning back to motion him along.
He stayed put, not sure what the rules on privacy were. He was nothing more to Mary than a ride to the hospital so he didn’t think he belonged in there, even though he desperately wanted to stay with her.
“You were with her when she fell?” the nurse said impatiently. He nodded. “Then come on, so you can help fill in the information.”
Ty quickly got up and joined them in the room. The nurse took Mary’s vitals as she asked the routine questions. What, when and how did it happen? What symptoms did she have? Was she on any medications? How severe was her pain? Mary patiently answered all of them, hesitating only when she listed her medication, not sure what Ty would think if he recognized it as birth control.
With each answer, the nurse flicked a glance at Ty to see if he disagreed with any of it. He knew she was judging Mary’s cognitive abilities, but she was correct on everything. He was a little surprised that she only rated the pain at a three; a hit that hard would have to leave a bitch of a headache.
When they were escorted to the examination room, no one even questioned Ty’s presence. They just had him sign in and slapped a visitor badge on his chest. Once in the room in the exam room Ty felt as if he was intruding and wondered if it wouldn’t be better to just leave.
“Mary, do you want me to go?”
A soft knock came from the door before she replied. The door parted with a hello from the other side. Mary answered her and the nurse from the station we passed stepped into the room. She handed Mary a small wrapped pack that Mary immediately put to the back of her head. Ty mentally kicked himself for not having thought to ask for an ice pack for her. The new nurse asked some more questions and looked over the computer screen before telling Mary that someone would be back to take her to radiology.
