by Oakes, Tara
“Have a good day at work, dear,” she jokes.
I roll my eyes. “Yeah, I’ll try.”
T.J.’s sitting on his bike, propping it up with a leg on either side, playing on his phone in the driveway. He speaks up without looking at me as I fumble with my car keys.
“You good to drive?” he asks aloud.
Great. Another person to whom I have to explain my life.
“Why wouldn’t I be?” I snap back.
His eyes peek up, assessing me. I shift, putting my hand on my hip.
“You got something to say, T.J.?” I’m harsh.
He purses his lips, shoves his phone in his pocket. “Sure do, but nothing I’d say to the Prez’s daughter.”
He starts his engine, drowning me out.
“Good!” I shout.
He revs the throttle and holds his hand up to his ear like a cocky asshole, insinuating that he can’t hear me.
Stupid biker.
I flip him off and continue to load my things into the car, peeling back out of the drive dangerously fast, but as soon as I check in my rearview mirror I see him, tailing me… following me on the orders of the club.
No matter where I go, what I do, I can’t seem to get away from people watching over me.
It’s getting old. Real fucking fast, too.
~*~
At least he has the decency not to follow me into work.
I wonder if it’s in the biker handbook to give the person you’re tailing the courtesy not to follow them into their place of employment, or if T.J. just happened to throw that little ditty in on his own.
A small bouquet of flowers was left at my seat in the cardio nurses’ station, with a little Welcome Back card from my co-workers. I make the rounds to thank as many of them as I can, but the halls are sparsely filled this time of night.
I know some of the other nurses don’t particularly like the overnight shift, but it’s a blessing to me right now. The floors are quiet with no nosy people around poking in my business. No people to make fake conversation. Only a few of the other nurses are close enough with me to have known about my relationship with Clink, and I’m glad none of them are around for me to have to explain everything.
Tomorrow morning when I get off my shift, I’ll be able to sleep away most of the day and avoid everyone that way, too. It’s a win-win situation and I’m so glad for it at a time like this.
A stack of charts takes up most of the early part of my shift, notating the prescription changes and procedural entries. Nothing like a little monotonous, mindless work to get your mind off your troubles.
“Good to have you back, Charlie.”
I lift my tired eyes up to the handsome baby blue scrub-clad doc with the sky blue eyes and short manicured chest hairs peeking from the deep v-neck top.
“Hey, Doctor Walker--”
“Harris,” he corrects me. “Please, call me Harris.”
He’s mentioned this a few times over the last few months, starting with the time we met in the ER on one of my first shifts. It was also the first time he asked me out.
I blush, feeling embarrassed. “Harris,” I give in.
There’s an unspoken protocol in the hospital. One that could lead to endless whispers and cattiness if broken. Act too chummy with a doc and it’ll almost certainly lead to rumors of you fucking him.
God help you if you actually are fucking one… the nurses treat you like a mistress after their own husband. Doesn’t stop most of these ladies, though, as some of these docs make it a personal mission to bag as many nurses as possible. Kind of like collecting notches on their stethoscope.
“How are you feeling? I was concerned when I heard you were still in pain.”
I look around to make sure no one is witness to our friendly exchange that could most definitely start some gossip.
“Pain?” I ask.
He folds his arms along the high counter and leans forward. “I had lunch with Dr. Jacobs yesterday and he mentioned that he called in a script for you. I hope you don’t mind, I asked him how you were doing.”
I set my pen down on the unfinished charts, silently thankful for the distraction.
“I-I’m fine, really. I would never take anything that could impair my thinking while working,” I’m quick to add.
Dr. Walker places his hand on top of mine. “Relax, Charlie. That’s not where I’m coming from. I really am just concerned about you.”
My eyes slowly lower to take in the sight of his large, manicured hand over mine. I’m too nervous to take back my own hand.
“Uh, thanks, Harris. It – it hit me a little harder than I though it would, but I’m fully recovered now. Just tired, is all, adjusting to the new schedule.” I try to sense if he’s being honest about his innocent intentions.
“Good to hear. Please, let me know if you need anything, anything at all. I’d like you to think of me as a friend… not just another doc around here.”
His perfectly symmetrical smile is worthy of a magazine cover, with his classic blue-blood looks.
“Thanks, Harris.” I blink to break the uncomfortable look between us. “I’ll try to remember that.”
He taps my hand. “Please do.”
We’re interrupted by the beeping of his pager, and my hand is finally freed as he holds the small black device up.
He looks disappointed. “Gotta run, Charlie. ER’s getting full.” He places the archaic yet medically necessary means of communication back on his belt clip. “See you later?”
I nod, smiling tightly, not willing to commit myself to actually seeing him later.
He winks at me, his gorgeously long lashes flirting their farewell. Once he’s gone, and I’m left alone with the unfinished work, I can’t help but appreciate the attentions of someone who isn’t covered in tattoos and leather.
~*~
CLINK
“Where you goin’, daddy?”
His plump cheeks are full, the little crumbs of his sandwich escape between his words.
“I’m goin’ to work, champ. You get to visit with granny for a little while and then you two are going to come home where I’ll be waitin’ for ya,” I explain as I toss the small pile of clothes into my duffel bag.
“I wanna go, too!” He pouts, his chubby little legs kicking at the air under his seat at the table.
I zip up the bag and toss it aside, landing with a soft thud on the ground closer to the front door. Bending down, I take his sticky little fingers in my hand.
“Bud, we talked about this. I need you to help me. Gran is up here all by herself. She gets lonely. Your visit makes her so happy! I need you to stay here and keep her company,” I can see I need to pad this a little bit.
“I need you to protect her, to watch things around here for me. Be the man of the house.” I watch as he absorbs my words.
His tiny face scrunches in contemplation, and his eyes lift hopefully. “Protect her?”
I smile, nodding. “Yup.”
He nods slowly, “I’ll stay here, daddy.”
I lean forward and kiss his forehead, mussing up his hair as he mulls over his new role.
Satisfied that my job is done, I pick Brendan up, swinging him round to my back where he holds on tight, squealing with excitement. I carefully balance him as I reach down to pick up the duffel and carry the two heavy objects out to where ma’s waiting next to dad’s old bike in the drive.
“Got a special delivery for ya,” I announce as I hand my son off to her.
He holds his arms wide for her to catch “Granny. I’m the man of the house. Daddy says.”
She laughs at his self-imposed title and nods to me, laughing. “Thanks, Bri.”
Tying the old army duffel of my pop’s to the back of his bike, I’m careful to secure the straps tight.
“I’ll call you guys tonight when I get to a motel.” I give each of the family members a kiss on the cheek and straddle the bike, kicking the start and bringing it to life.
The loud rumble r
oars and revs under me, igniting the excitement that only this bike is capable of. Taking off down the drive, I look back in the rearview and see Brendan waving wildly as mom hangs on tight.
~*~
I hand the twenty-dollar bill to the gas attendant.
“How’s the coffee in there?” I nod over to little luncheonette attached to the service station.
The young kid counts out my change from the pile of singles in his pocket. “It’s decent. The pie’s real good, though.”
I take back the seven or so dollars and crumple it in my pocket. Good pie and decent coffee… just what I could use after five hours of riding.
“Thanks, kid.”
My bike is left parked in front of the old-fashioned lunch spot. Almost every head in the place turns as I enter, worn from the road. This isn’t exactly home turf but the patches on my back have enough of a reputation to warrant the whispers.
The old, worn, vinyl stools are mostly abandoned, so I take one near the far end of the long counter.
“What can I getcha’?” The waitress is cute, in a small-town kind of way.
“Coffee. Black. And pie… I hear the pie’s good.” I place my phone down next to me on the table surface as I settle in.
The coffee is poured, sloshing around in the beat-up old mug. “Made the pie myself. It’s cherry in case you were wondering… real sweet.”
I watch as the black lace of her bra peeks through the open buttons of her tight waitressing uniform. The bright red lipstick is slathered on thick.
“I’ll bet it is, darling,’” I sip the hot drink and wince as the metallic tinge hits my tongue. Ehh… not great, but it’ll do the trick.
I drink my coffee black but in this case I’m willing to make an exception. I pour the sugar from the dispenser to make the coffee tolerable. Just as I replace the glass jar next to the napkin holder, the screen to my phone lights up.
“Yeah, bro,” I greet T.J. “’Sup?”
The reception’s not great. “Just your girl… high as a kite.”
I drop the mug down hard on the saucer, spilling some of the contents. “What’d you say?”
The speaker crackles. “Your Ol’ lady. Seems she’s picked up a little pharmacological hobby.”
I sit back.
“Shit.” I breathe deep. “You positive?”
There’s a small pause. “Found her myself, passed out on the floor. Pretty sure her baby sister is covering for her.”
T.J’s been around long enough for me to know his backstory. His ma was an addict back in the day. It killed her, too. If anyone’s qualified to spot the symptoms… it’s him.
“Thanks, bro. I’m on my way back to town, anyway. Was gonna stop, but I think now I’ll just ride straight through. Should be back late morning. You keep an eye on her till I get there.”
I push the coffee away, spilling some more in the process and balance the phone between my ear and my shoulder as I count enough bills to cover the tab.
“Yeah, Vince already put me on her tail days ago. She’s getting’ bitchy about it, though.”
I laugh to myself. I’ll bet she is.
The waitress saunters up, holding out a plate of pie with the fork rattling against the dish as she walks. I notice her top’s been unbuttoned a bit more, practically spilling her tits out on the whipped cream coated dessert she presents me.
“I’ll call you when I get back to town, bro.” I disconnect the call and slip it back into my pocket.
“Sorry, darlin’. Gotta bounce.” I stand, settling the bill.
She eyes the wad of cash in my hand and whines. “But you haven’t even tasted it yet.”
She tilts the plate back, purposely letting the massive pile of swirled cream drip onto her chest, melting and falling in between her boobs. I swipe my finger in the gooey, sugary, mess on the plate and lift it slowly to suck on it hard, arching my eyebrows at her as I devour it.
Her mouth drops open.
“Nah,” I decide. “I’m more of an apple pie kinda guy.”
The small amount of caffeine has helped a bit, but I find I have to concentrate on keeping my eyes open and on the road as I leave the rest stop behind. With all the thoughts running through my head right now, it’s not the easiest of tasks.
Charlie’s no saint by any means but this shit just ain’t like her. Sure we smoke up every once in a while, but the shit she’s into now….
I got a tip late yesterday from the orderly I paid off at the hospital, Enrique. He’s been keeping a close eye on things over there and tipping me off when things happen, like when she was released, her post-op appointments, when she was scheduled to return to work.
I wasn’t however, expecting to hear that she was shopping around for a refill on her pain meds. But, who’s to say for sure who is and who isn’t in pain? It isn’t like I’d ever had a spinal tap or donated bone marrow like she did.
But, that information combined with T.J. finding her passed out the very next day? Too much of a coincidence for my liking. If I hadn’t already been on my way back to Chisolm, this alone would have been enough to get my ass back on the bike to go home.
I glance down at the speedometer and calculate the distance and time. Then, I accelerate faster to cut it down. At this rate, I’ll be back just in time to catch her when she gets off work.
See what she has to say for herself.
CHAPTER FOUR
CHARLIE
“Have a good night, Maude.” I greet the large woman near the automatic doors on my way out of the building.
“A good morning, Charlie.” She laughs, nodding over her shoulder through the glass doors to the early morning sun outside.
I smirk, and shrug my shoulders. “Semantics. I’ve got to adjust to these night shifts, Mo.”
She chuckles. “Don’t we all… no more vacation for you, doll.”
Mo’s such a little firecracker. I salute her like a sailor and crack a smile. With Mo… you just gotta take it and shut up. She’s been here before most of us and kind of runs the show behind the scenes. She’s one person you don’t want to piss off. The woman got her nursing degree eons ago, back when nurses were nothing more than glorified orderlies. She doesn’t look kindly on us newer professionals showing her up, and I’ve found myself on the wrong side of her radar a time or two.
“Shit!” I stop in my tracks and turn my back quickly, nearly dropping the bag in my hands at the sight of the leather-vested man leaning up against the old Harley parked next to my Jeep in the small employee parking lot.
My heart begins to race uncontrollably, unevenly. My vision begins to blur and distort as I instinctively reach out for something to hold onto. I drop the large purse from my hands and feel my ankles turn to jelly, threatening to collapse as I reach for the larger, older nurse nearby.
Her sturdy hands grab hold of me and help to ease the fall as I lower to the floor, landing on my hip.
“Charlie?” she asks, her voice rising. “Nod if you’re having trouble breathing.”
I feel the heat creeping up, and claw and clammer at my neck to pull loose some buttons. Despite the quick, heavy, breathing I find only a small stream of oxygen entering my lungs… just enough to keep me conscious.
“Slow and steady, child. Even breaths.” She does her best to calm my sudden affliction.
I close my eyes and do my best to block out the image of the sexy son-of-a-bitch who’s waiting outside, stalking the lot.
How does he know I’m here?
I curse myself under my breath. How does he not know where I am? He’s got his network of spies. No doubt T.J. sold me out, all but giving him a printout of my daily schedule.
I’m not ready for this. I’m not ready to see him.
Not here, not now, not ever.
“I-I just need to catch my breath,” I try to excuse my little episode.
Ancient or not, the nurse in her tells Mo to grab my wrist and search for my pulse. Once found, the pressure is steady until she finds what she is l
ooking for. I can see her eyeing the clock on the wall while her lips mumble and move, keeping count.
My arm feels heavy as she holds it, heavy enough to fall hard when she releases. She squints her eyes and ponders something.
“All right, child. Let’s get you down to the E.R. and see what the problem is.”
I bite my tongue and hold back from putting up an argument. I’m not one to be babied or coddled, and I sure as hell am not one to bring attention to myself… but if playing along and pacifying her prevents me from having to walk out those doors and coming face to face with the man who ripped my world apart, then I’m on board.
I nod to the greying woman who tends to me.
“I think that’s a good idea.”
~*~
I pull at the thread-bare cotton blanket to cover just a bit more of my shaking body, but it provides no warmth. The hissing of the oxygen mask is low and steady, adding to my chill.
I breathe deep and let the pure medical-grade oxygen fill my lungs and rejuvenate me. I can finally think clearly… as long as I don’t think of him.
The lights in the E.R. are bright, unforgiving to the eye when lying back and forced to look up, but nonetheless necessary. I close my eyes to avoid them, and try my best to relax, relishing the crisp oxygen.
I get several minutes of peace until the curtain opening draws my attention as the sliding metal sounds swoosh across the track.
“Just when I think I can go home, one of my favorite nurses decides to pay me a visit.” Dr. Walker enters, carrying a clipboard.
I take the soft plastic air mask off, knowing that I won’t be able to speak without sounding like a fish as long as it’s on.
“Hey Dr-“ I stop as he tilts his head, anxiously waiting to see how I’ll finish the greeting. “Harris,” I finish.
He flips the top page of the chart. “Looks like everything’s within normal limits here. How are you feeling now?”
I sit up. “Much better. It was just low blood sugar, I think, and some back pain.”
His eyebrow arches at the magic word.
“Pain?” He asks. “I thought you’re taking something?”
