Wheels of Steel, Book 2

by Pepper Pace

  “I understand. I’m…I’m sorry about making anybody worry.” Her eyes flitted to the window. No one said anything and then Jason grumbled.

  “Robin?” After a moment she looked at him. “I know that I yelled at you and I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have done that. I’m sorry.” She nodded. Patty looked from one to the other of them and then rolled her eyes.

  “Patty, stay out of it,” Link warned.

  “Well they’re being stupid. Jason is still mad.” Robin peeked at him and saw by the tilt of his chin that, indeed, her words were correct. He was mad at her; specifically at her and not just at the fact that he hadn’t known where she had gone! She gave him a confused look.

  “Robin,” he said in a tight voice that reminded her of when they had first gotten together. “Why did you let yourself get so drunk that you were puking on the ground and sitting in the street? I mean, if you know that you get drunk like that-”

  “But I didn’t know!” She exclaimed. “I’ve taken a sip of my Dad’s beer before, but besides a glass of champagne on New Year’s Eve or a sip of my mother’s wine, I’ve never drank before!”

  Patty raised her hand in confession. “I gave her a couple beers.” But she hadn’t known that she would not know how to hold her liquor.

  Robin stared at Jason. “It seemed like the beer made everything nicer. So I tried the Hennessey and that made it even nicer. So I had another.” Jason frowned and Link’s mouth dropped. “I mixed it with Coca Cola and it tasted pretty good. But then I started getting drunk real fast.”

  “Damn Robin.” Jason said.

  “What?” She asked a little irritated. Patty smiled inwardly and looked at Link. Link shrugged slightly not sure why she wanted them to argue.

  “I mean, I know you got this nervous condition but getting drunk and going off with some guys is not the answer!”

  “Nervous condition? I don’t have SOME nervous condition. I just get nervous easy…that doesn’t mean I have a condition! I didn’t know I was going to get drunk and I didn’t GO OFF with those guys! I was just trying to help them get into the party-”

  “But you didn’t even know them.”

  “But…” She sighed and felt her throat tighten and her eyes sting. “When I was drinking it felt…like I did know them. It felt as if I was doing something good for friends.” She was breathing in deeply. “And then that guy at the door said he was going to call the cops so we left. I tried to call you Jason-!”

  “But if I’m on the freaking stage how can I answer my phone?!”

  “I don’t know!” She sat there for a moment. “I didn’t go with them. We just walked away from the house together. And then they wanted to take me home and I said no. I didn’t go so…” She looked at him. “Do you see what happened?”

  “What I know is…I just don’t want you to drink anymore.”

  “Well I don’t want to drink anymore.” She responded angrily.

  “Fine.”

  “Fine.”

  Patty didn’t seem happy with the way things had ended. “Robin, what does he mean that you have a nervous condition?”

  “Patty, stay out of this,” Link mumbled.

  Robin took a deep breath and hoped that she would stop feeling like she was about to cry. “I guess…it’s just hard for me when I’m around people I don’t know.”

  “Were you nervous Friday?” Patty asked with concern. Robin nodded. “Is that why you were vomiting blood?”

  Robin’s head swung in her direction and she gave her an accusing look. “You promised…”

  The muscles in Jason’s face seemed to slacken. “Robin? Baby, you’re vomiting blood?”

  “I’m okay now…” She tried to stand up but the van was too low. She reached for the door handle but it wouldn’t open. Oh yeah, Patty wasn’t going to unlock it until they cleared the air. “Will you let me out, please?”

  “You’re okay now? No more stomach pain?” Patty asked.

  “No more stomach pain.” Robin said firmly.

  Patty reached out calmly and poked her in the stomach. Robin yelped and doubled over in pain.

  “Oh my god,” Jason said. He pulled her down to his lap. “Robin, baby, you got to go to the hospital!”

  She tried to get up but Jason wouldn’t let her go. He gripped her tightly. “No! I’m okay. It goes away on its own! It only happens when I’m nervous.”

  “How often do you have this pain?” He asked.

  “I don’t know.” She was panting and couldn’t catch her breath. Her stomach was churning and she gripped her middle. “I just need some air…can you open the door, please Patty?” Jason nodded his consent and she released the locks and reached over and slid the door open.

  When the door was open she instantly relaxed and the sweat stopped forming on her brow. She began to regulate her breathing. Jason was rocking her in his arms and kissing her face. “Sweetheart, I’m so sorry. I’m not mad at you. I’m just mad! I’m mad because I can’t fucking…” He groaned and she felt hot tears splash her arm. She looked up to see tears dripping down his cheeks. “I just want to be like everybody else.”

  Patty rubbed her eyes and Link swallowed and felt tears forming in his own eyes. He stared out the window and Patty slid her hand into his. He looked at her and she mouthed the words; I love you. Link nodded and mouthed the words back to her. They leaned in and kissed.

  Robin reached up and gripped him by the back of his neck. “Why can’t you see that you ARE just like everybody else? You have friends, and you’re smart, you have a talent, and YES you have some fucked up problems…just like the rest of us.” He smiled past his tears.

  “I have a beautiful girlfriend that I love very much.” He murmured as he kissed her. She wrapped her arms around him. He put his hands on her cheek, pulling back enough to look steadily into her eyes. “Robin. I swear; I’ll never yell at you again; ever.”

  “We gotta argue. Everybody does honey.”

  “Not when it makes your stomach bleed. No! Never again.” The anger had returned to his voice. “You’re going to the doctor.”

  “I can’t.” She said. “I don’t have any insurance since I left the restaurant.”

  “You can go to University Hospital. If you can’t pay they will treat you for free.” Patty said.

  “We can go now.” Link spoke. Patty nodded.

  “What?! But you guys gotta go back to class.”

  Jason was staring at her. “You got friends, Sweetheart.” Robin looked at the three of them. It felt strange; the weight that was gone from her chest. For the first time since her father died Robin didn’t feel afraid and alone.

  She convinced them that she wouldn’t keel over if they waited until the end of classes, so they agreed not to skip out. Robin joked that they were just using her stomach as an excuse to get out of school and they all chuckled.

  Jason kept watching her and asking her if she was okay when she lifted something or bent over. He wanted to have her ride on his wheelchair but she wouldn’t have it. After class Jason and Robin went to Emergency. Link and Patty said they’d join them in a couple hours. University Hospital was notorious for having long waits because it was a free hospital.

  It did take a long time. Jason called Link to bring them dinner and they ate at nearly seven o’clock. Robin had seen a nurse that had taken her blood pressure and temperature and then she had sat for the next three and a half hours. She finally got called in to see a tired doctor who poked her, made her drink a foul tasting liquid and then took pictures of her belly. When he called her into the office forty-five minutes later he had a grim look on his face.

  “Are you on pain therapy? For instance, for back pain?”

  “No.” She gripped Jason’s hand.

  “Do you take a lot of pain medicine like ibuprofen or aspirin?”

  “No. Not a lot, just when I have a headache or something.”

  “Hmmm…” Oh no, the infamous hmmm…

  “It looks like you have a peptic ulcer; a
rather large peptic ulcer, especially for a girl your age. You’ve been bleeding internally for a long time. Haven’t you noticed it, maybe in your stool or maybe you’ve been vomiting it?”

  “I would have noticed a bloody stool. Sometimes it’s black, but never red.”

  The doctor sighed. “That’s blood. It’s black because it comes from your upper intestine and has been digested.” Robin’s face felt hot. Bleeding internally?

  “How long has it been like this, young lady?” She didn’t have to think long.

  “On and off for about two years.” It started after her Dad died.

  “What can you do to treat it?” Jason asked.

  “Well, she needs to see a specialist. I’m going to refer you to a gastroenterologist. It’s free. He’ll need to find the cause of it and then treat it. Luckily you don’t have an infection…but you do have a big hole in your stomach and a lot of scar tissue.

  “Oh…” And of course her belly began to churn. “A hole?”

  The doctor nodded. “So in the mean time stay away from cigarettes, alcohol and if you have pain it’s okay to take over-the-counter Tylenol. I’m going to give you a supply of antacids. Take them twice a day, every day until the specialist says otherwise.”

  The doctor gave them a folder filled with dietary tips, and brochures that had disgusting drawings of ulcerated stomach and intestines. She passed the folder to Jason and they went out to the waiting room to give Link and Patty the bad news.

  “That’s gross.” Link said. Patty poked him with her elbow and when she did it uncovered a white package that she was trying to conceal.

  “What’s that?” Jason asked. “You sick too?” Patty turned beet red.

  “It’s birth control, if you have to know! And for your information, you two better get some too!” Robin’s face flamed. Jason cleared his throat. He peeked at Robin.

  “Maybe we should,” he suggested. She nodded and then stood and walked awkwardly to speak to the receptionist. Jason and Robin didn’t get back to his place until close to ten o’clock. She followed him into the apartment and put away his things. She yawned tiredly, then bent down to kiss him goodnight.

  “Stay, baby.”

  “Huh?”

  “Stay, tonight. We don’t have to do anything. But it’s been a long day and I want to hold you in my arms and to sleep with you.”

  She closed her eyes settling against him. “Okay.” She was tired and couldn’t stop thinking how great it would be to snuggle into her boyfriend’s arms. Instead of heading for the bedroom Jason wheeled them to the computer. “I want to play something for you baby. It’s not long.”

  “What is it?”

  “It’s a song that I wrote about you.”

  “About me?”

  “Well…” He paused to look at her. “About how I feel about you. It’s called Sweetheart in Hamilton County.” She smiled in pleasure. The music began and it was like a lullaby. It was beautiful. She swallowed past the lump in her throat.

  “Jason, I’m so…I can’t even find words. I never thought that I’d have such a talented boyfriend that would do such beautiful things for me.” She swallowed and took a deep breath and then began softly singing I Am Ready for Love by India Arie.

  Jason was staring thoughtfully into her eyes. He barely blinked.

  “That was India Arie-” She said nervously when she finished and there was just quiet.

  “I know. It’s my favorite India Arie song.” He was very quiet; his muscles barely moved. She laid against him again, head buried in that sweet place that she loved; between his neck and shoulder.

  “Will you…sing to me every night?” She lifted her head to look at him again.

  “Yes. Every night.”

  “Can you sing that Phoebe Snow song?” She smiled and then sang to him again.

  She wasn’t as sleepy anymore and so they talked and kissed…more kissing than talking. “I’m going to take a shower, and you didn’t do your homework.”

  “I can do my homework in calculus after I finish my problem.”

  She gave him a doubtful look as she stood. “Are you sure?”

  “Yep. Go shower, sweetheart. I’ll power down the computer and lock up.” Robin carried her purse to the bathroom. She had a travel toothbrush and toothpaste. She took her antacid and then showered. Afterwards she wrapped the towel around her body and padded to the bedroom. All of the lights were already turned off in the apartment except for the lamp on the bedside table in Jason’s bedroom. He was propped up in bed with his covers over his bottom half and nothing up top. She had to take a few moments to admire his chiseled body. Did he realize how impressive he looked? She wondered if he was completely nude beneath that cover as well. He just grinned at her; perhaps knowing what her thoughts were…perhaps having the same thoughts about her. He patted the bed beside him.

  Robin took a deep breath and then lowered the towel, holding it behind her a moment before tossing it on the edge of the bed. She tried not to feel embarrassed as she felt Jason’s eyes scanning her nudity. There was no reason for her to feel embarrassed. His look made her feel beautiful; desired.

  “Turn around,” he said, voice filled with awe. She turned slowly and heard him whistle.

  “Damn…Baby got back!” She giggled and tried to cover her butt. Then she turned and hurried to the bed and dived in, lifting the sheet and concealing her body beneath it.

  “Whoa…are you trying to give me a heart attack?” He chuckled. Her bouncing boobs would be fodder for a year’s worth of fantasies! He reached over and turned off the light, then scooted down in bed and opened his arms for her to lie down within them. She sighed and snuggled up against his warm, hard body.

  “How does your stomach feel?” He asked hesitantly.

  “Better.”

  “Okay.” He was quiet for moment. She knew what he was thinking, or at least the tent forming in the bed covering was a good indication of his thoughts. She peeked up at him and saw that he was doing a good job of closing his eyes and trying to sleep.

  “No good night kiss?” She asked. He opened his eyes quickly then turned and placed his lips on hers. Robin leaned into his kiss, not making it easy for him to part from her. His body felt so wonderful pressed against hers; and incidentally, he was as nude as she was. Having her breasts pressed against Jason’s nude flesh felt very decadent.

  “So…” His fingers trailed down her arm causing her to shiver. “…no belly pain?” She felt his fingers move beneath the sheets to lightly graze her flesh above her belly button. She shivered.

  “No.” She sighed into the kiss. “That antacid did wonders for me, not to mention the Tylenol. I’m…good as new.” Jason turned toward her and then stopped. He suddenly had a serious expression on his face.

  “Robin…what we did the other day...”

  “Yeah?” She asked breathlessly, waiting for him to stoke the fire that was already igniting her body.

  “If we made a baby…” Her expression suddenly turned serious. “Please don’t…get rid of it.”

  She was shocked at his words. “Oh my god, Jason, I would never do that!” She touched his face. Did he think she’d be so low down that she’d get rid of a baby they’d create just because of his Cerebral Palsy?