by Honor James
“He didn’t say that D, he said he never wants her to be like that, neither do I frankly. She’s got a good head on her shoulders, and a great mother backing her. That’s all it really takes to keep her from being one of the elitists,” Gareth said standing up. “If you really think we think that about Honey, why are you even letting us near her? Obviously we’re not what you want for her if you’d even consider that we’d think she was that kind of kid.”
“Let it go Gareth,” Mikhail said shaking his head. “She has a right to defend her daughter and her upbringing of her. We don’t know either of them and she doesn’t seem to know anything about us anymore. It’s not Daisy’s fault G,” he stuck the dishes into the sink and started the water, “Just let it be will ya? I’m too fucking tired for another battle today.”
“So am I.” Daisy took a breath and nodded. “I will see you guys later. Watch over and take care of our daughter will ya?” She turned and then looked to the men again. “I get defensive about her. I don’t hear everything when it’s said about her. I want to protect her from the world.”
“Just go Daisy, please,” Mik said quietly not looking at her.
Gareth just shot her a look and pushed past heading to another room.
Turning his head, Mikhail watched her from the corner of his eye until she left him alone in the kitchen. Shaking his head slowly he leaned on the counter and stared down into the filling sink.
Chapter Thirteen
Honey looked up when she saw her father’s approaching and grinned, “Daddies!” She shouted and raced toward them. She stopped dead in her tracks when a large man stepped out in front of her, blocking her from her fathers. “Who are you mister? You need to move or my daddies are going to be really angry with you.”
“Problem here?” Gareth asked.
The man shook his head and gave them an apologetic look, “Sorry, thought it was my daughter. My wife dressed her today but the backpack looked right, apologies.”
Watching him move off Gareth scooped Honey up in his arms, “Hi munchkin, how was your day?” he asked walking back towards Mikhail.
“It was good.” Honey hugged Gareth’s neck and smiled. “Did my mom get sleep today? And did you make her eat?” She rapid fired the questions one after another. “Daddy,” Honey went still. “Daddy that man doesn’t have a daughter here. I’ve never seen him before in my life.”
“I know that baby,” Gareth told her softly pressing a kiss to her cheek. “Don’t worry about it, Mik is watching him. Yes, she ate a big breakfast and she’s still asleep like we left her several times throughout the day. Did you know that your daddy Mikhail can cook? It’s true. He’s got a big dinner in the oven nearly ready for us to eat. We’ll have enough time to get home, get washed up and yank your mother out of bed before it should be about ready according to him.”
Honey’s eyes went wide and she laughed, “Really?” She looked to Mikhail and grinned, “I’m so glad you can cook daddy because mom can cook a little but she’s not good at some of the really good things like pies and cakes. She can do the box mixes, but they don’t taste as good.” She moved so that she was even closer to Gareth, “I’m scared daddy.” She whispered against Gareth’s ear. “He keeps watching us. Why?”
“I don’t know munchkin but I’ve got you and you don’t worry about a thing. Alright?” Gareth smiled at her and hugged her closer. Shooting a look to Mik he smiled down at her once more, “Daddy Mik has it all figured out darling. You just hang onto me no matter what.”
What came next was fast, over in mere seconds that felt like hours as time seemed to slow. The man got a vile look on his face and pulled out a gun, moving in fast. Gareth went one way with Honey tucked to his chest, Mik went at the guy and then there was a shot, a scuffle, fist hitting flesh repeatedly and then footsteps racing to a car that squealed up and away. “Fuck,” Mikhail said taking a jerky step before he hit the dirt.
Honey screamed as her father rolled over her. She heard other shouts coming towards them, but then when she looked up at her daddy Mikhail she sobbed, “Daddy!” She screamed and wiggled from under Gareth to run for Mikhail. “Daddy.” She sobbed. “You are bleeding,” she looked up to Gareth, “Daddy do something! Make him stop!”
“Sit by his head baby,” Gareth said shrugging out of his jacket before yanking off his t-shirt. “Talk to him and try and stay calm sweetheart,” he said pressing the shirt to Mikhail’s chest. Digging out his phone he hit 9-1-1, “Yes, I have a gunshot victim losing a lot of blood,” he looked around and gave the streets. “Unknown male shot my friend in the chest. Too close to the heart for my peace of mind and I need assistance now. I have my shirt staunching the entry wound and there doesn’t appear to be an exit. Yes he’s conscious at the moment but he’s having trouble focusing and breathing.”
Honey caressed her father’s cheek and cried, “Don’t leave me Daddy. I just found you and I can’t let you go okay? My mommy needs you too. My mommy needs you more than you need her. She’s gotta have you in her life, even when you are grumbly okay? Just please stay? Talk to me Daddy, please? At least blink your eyes to show me you hear me?”
“I hear you sladkaya,” he murmured with a groan. “Are you okay poppet? Why is your cheek scratched up?” he wheezed out before coughing and moaning.
“I tucked and rolled with her,” Gareth said cursing under his breath. “She’s fine but Daisy is going to kill us both for this. Some fathers we are. As soon as she see’s Honey’s face she is going to rip us both a new one.”
“No mommy is going to be more upset that you are hurt daddy.” Honey said as she stroked her father’s cheek and heard the sirens. “Here they are daddy. They are really nice. They work with mommy and they will make sure that you are all okay and everything, right?”
“Mik, I’m going to get Honey home and wake up D. We’ll be ten minutes behind you at most, maybe fifteen if Daisy decides to kill me and needs to hide the body,” Gareth said shifting as the paramedics came up. “Nine millimeter gunshot, close range but it may be hollow point or a soft tip since there’s no exit wound that I could see. He’s AB negative and allergic to morphine.” Digging in a pocket he handed over a card, “Any other medical info you need you call this number and ask for the Colonel, there’s only one there. I need to get my daughter home to her mother and then we’ll be hot on your tail.”
The paramedics nodded and began to work on Mikhail. Honey cried and shook her head, “No daddy, I can’t leave daddy. I don’t want him to be alone. If I promise to be really good can I go with daddy? Please?” She was terrified to leave Mikhail, afraid that he wouldn’t wake back up.
“Baby, you’re too young to go with them, and if your mother can’t see you when I tell her what happened what do you think she’s going to do poppet?” he asked gently. “Mikhail will be fine. They will get him to the hospital and straight to surgery. We’ll get there and it will likely be almost done,” not quite true.
Honey sniffled and nodded. She went to Mikhail again and gave his head a squeeze. “I love you daddy. Keep that in your mind when you are sleeping and they are doing surgery okay? I love you and my mommy loves you even if she is grumbly more than a little sometimes okay?”
“Love you too sladkaya,” he smiled slightly at her and then cursed as the medics got him on the gurney. “Go with G and let mommy know I’ll be okay and that you’re fine too. I will see you in a bit poppet. Give me a kiss and get home so that your mother doesn’t worry. And remind daddy G to turn the oven off will you?”
Honey nodded and kissed Mikhail, giving him another hug. “Okay daddy but don’t worry bout the oven. Jjust worry about you getting better, okay?” She asked softly and touched him once more before letting her father Gareth pull her away. Her arms wrapped around her daddy G’s neck and she held on, sobbing as she did so.
“I know baby,” he whispered as he watched Mik being loaded into the ambulance, “I know.”
* * * * *
“Daisy, I need you to wake
up, now,” Gareth said shaking her again. “D, this is serious, wake up now,” he said again. “Let me see your cheek baby,” he murmured, “Keep the ice on it and we’ll have it checked at the hospital. Yes, I’ll let them look at my head too,” he muttered when Honey gave him a pointed look. “Daisy, Mik’s been shot and he’s heading to the hospital, wake the hell up woman!”
Daisy lifted from her bed at that moment and looked at Gareth, “What?” She had always been one that could sleep like the dead, and this was the case; especially since she had taken a sleeping pill to go to sleep. “He’s what?” She then looked at Honey, and then Gareth, “What the hell happened?” She immediately jumped from bed and headed for the medical first aid kit in her bathroom. “Wait.” She paused mid stride, “Did you just say Mik was shot?” She whispered and felt her vision dim.
Getting up he went to her and caught her arms, “You cannot fucking faint woman. Yes Mikhail was shot. Too close for comfort in my mind and is on his way to the hospital and surgery. A guy was stalking Honey at the school and then followed us on our walk home. Mik got between the man’s gun and us and took the hit point blank. We need to get you dressed and we need to get the hospital, now.”
“Right, now.” She stepped into her house shoes, “I’m ready,” she was in her PJ’s but she didn’t care. “And don’t bitch about what I’m wearing. After we know that he’s okay I will change into my scrubs there at work but let’s go. Come on. Now.” She was in control now, even if her heart was seizing.
Scooping up Honey Gareth followed her to the door, “Shoes D. You can leave in your pajamas, but you have to at least wear shoes. Keep the ice pack on your cheek baby,” he murmured to Honey and kissed her other cheek gently.
“Right. Shoes, not house slippers.” She kicked off the house shoes and then stepped into her crocks. She then turned to Honey, “Oh sweetie, looks like you might need to have a good cleansing of that, but I don’t think you’ll need stitches.” She then looked at Gareth, “Where are you hurt G?” Because if Honey was hurt she was sure that Gareth was hurt far, far worse.
“Nowhere important, I’ll worry about it after I know Mik is golden,” he said heading for the door. “Crap, Honey go and grab me a shirt. I need to turn the oven off,” he muttered setting the little girl on her feet. “Quick like a bunny baby,” he said before dashing to the kitchen.
Honey did as he asked and Daisy followed Gareth. “You are limping.” She said softly. “How bad is Mik, really? You said it was a shot to the chest. Do you think...” She couldn’t say it, not really. She didn’t want to say it because it terrified her. “He’s too stubborn to let anything happen to him, right?”
“I was protecting Honey so I sort of threw myself around a bit to keep her safe,” he said turning off the oven and dragging out the dish inside. Looking in he moaned, “Such a waste,” he muttered covering it and leaving it sit there. “He took a round point blank to his left chest cavity, up high enough that if it missed an artery or the heart he’s fucking lucky as shit. His breathing was rough and there was no exit so I’m betting that damned bullet bounced around in his chest and did a lot more damage than I could see. He was conscious and woozy. He was talking and bugging Honey to keep her from freaking out. Other than that, I don’t know D, I’m not a doctor. I have basic medical knowledge. I was a fucking band aid and couldn’t do a damned thing for him.”
Daisy nodded, “There are great surgeons at the hospital.” She told him and touched her hand to his shoulder. “Come on, Honey has your shirt.” She whispered. “Let’s go and do what we need to do. We will do everything that we have to in order to keep him in our lives. We won’t let him go. Ever.”
Grunting at that Gareth followed her to the front door again and, shrugging out of his jacket, pulled on the shirt. “Thank you baby girl,” he murmured putting the jacket on once more and scooped up Honey. “Let’s go,” he looked at D, “I want to know what’s going on as soon as we get there.”
“I will find out, I swear,” Daisy assured him. “They will tell us what we need to know even though we aren’t his family, technically.” She sighed. “I really do want him to be our family but we will have to work on that later. For now we will just deal with this one step at a time okay?”
“In the truck Daisy,” Gareth said rooting out the keys. Unlocking the doors remotely he went to the driver’s side and let Honey slide across the seat. Climbing in, he cranked the engine, “Seat belts,” he looked at the two females. Reaching over, he cupped Daisy’s cheek and pulled her face in close, “He’s tough as nails D, he’ll be fine.” Kissing her he sat back and got them moving quickly.
Daisy knew that tone of voice though; she had heard it from him before. “Who are you trying to convince? Me or yourself?” She whispered and held Honey close to her side as they raced toward the hospital in town. “But you are right. He’s too darn hardheaded to let something as silly as a bullet take him from us. He’s a stubborn cuss and won’t leave us, not when he’s just found us.”
“Exactly,” Gareth said with a firm nod even as he shot her a worried glance. They both knew that one thing that went wrong, whether the bullet bouncing in his chest cavity or the surgeon could ruin the day right fast. Focusing on the road, Gareth had them at the hospital in record time. Throwing them into a parking spot he jumped out and lifted Honey into his arms. Racing behind Daisy into the sterile building, he let her do all the talking.
Daisy looked at the charge burse, “Brenda, Mikhail Rossov was brought in fifteen minutes ago with a GSW to the chest, close range. Where?”
“He’s in surgery with Dr. Smithers.”
“Good. Good.” Daisy turned to Gareth and explained, “Dr. S is one of the best that there is. In this county he is the best.” She said with a nod. Turning back to Brenda she said, “Which O.R.? I’m suiting up and going in. If only to hold his hand so he knows I’m there but I’m damn well going.” When the woman looked to argue, Daisy just gave her a look and was gratified with, “Number 3.” She turned to Gareth, “Will you two be okay out here without me? Honey knows where the cafeteria is, but if you need anything anyone here would willingly get it for you.”
“We’re good,” he said leaning in to kiss her. “Just go and be there with him love,” he whispered quietly against her lips. “I love you Daisy, be there for him. We’ll stay as updated as we can and be waiting when he gets out. I’m going to get the munchkin something to eat and then we’re going to haunt the halls.”
Daisy nodded, “If you need anything Brenda will get me.” She looked to her friend, “Please?” when the woman nodded she smiled and ran down the halls, racing for the operating room and one of the loves of her life.
Honey looked up with wide eyes and a trembling lip. “He’s going to be okay, right daddy? He was hurt cause of me. What did I do that made that man want to hurt me?”
Lifting her onto his hip he held her close to him, “It wasn’t your fault that he was hurt baby, never think that. He was hurt because someone thought to harm you and, like me, he would do anything and everything to keep you and your mother safe. Mik will be fine, he’ll need some time to recover but he’ll be his normal grumpy and snarky self in no time.”
“Why aren’t the police here asking the questions too? Shouldn’t someone else want to know why my daddy was hurt?” She asked softly and leaned into Gareth. “I don’t like it that my daddy is hurt. I don’t want either of you hurt. I love you and you are all my family. You will find who did this, won’t you?”
“We will baby,” he told her hugging her tight. “As for the local’s, I’m guessing the Colonel may have decided to run a little interference for us. I’m sure we’ll need to chat with them eventually, but I’m just thankful they aren’t here right now. I don’t think I could deal with them on top of everything else.”
“The Sheriff is a nice man,” Honey admitted. “I like him. He doesn’t look at my mom like he wants to gobble her up, so that is one reason, but he also doesn’t tolerate anyone being
mean to anyone else. He came to our school once and he talked about how it wasn’t nice to call people that were different by ugly words.” Like fag, retard and so on.
“Well that’s good love,” he said setting her on her feet. Taking her hand he looked down at her, “We need to feed you munchkin, so lead on to the cafeteria if you would please. Then we will come back and wait for your mom and Mik to see us.”
Honey nodded and slipped her hand into his and tugged at him for only a moment before leading him away from the front desk and down to the cafeteria. When they got in line one of the workers asked her why she was there tonight and she said, “My daddy was shot keeping me safe. He’s going to be okay though, right daddy Gareth?”
“He’ll be fine,” he said watching the woman. She seemed torn about saying something but wisely kept her mouth shut. “Get whatever you want poppet, whether your mother would approve or not,” he told her quietly.
Honey’s eyes went wide and she looked at the case, “I want the apple pie with the whipped cream on top; and can you put some chocolate over the top of it from the sundae bar, please?” She asked happily, “Oh and nuts, and ice cream.”
