by Tina Michele
“Morgan, it’s me. Morgan?”
“Freddy? Shit, Freddy, help. It hurts so freaking bad.” Morgan started to cry from both fear and pain. She couldn’t see. Morgan didn’t know if it was from the blood in her eyes, the searing pain, or something worse. She wasn’t sure.
“Morgan, calm down. Honey, please breathe. What’s wrong?” Freddy’s voice trembled.
“I tripped…fell…head blood…help…” Morgan tried to talk through the sobs. “I’m gonna throw u—” Morgan vomited.
“Call nine one one, Morgan. I’ll call for you. Shit, I can’t. How will they know it’s for you?”
“I’ll call…see you in a few.” Morgan hung up on him. For a second, she forgot what she needed to do, but the pain quickly reminded her and she called 911.
Morgan tried to tell the operator what happened, but she was getting weak and delirious. “I need to unlock the door.” She crawled to the door and managed to turn the lock before collapsing in a heap on the foyer.
*
Lee pulled into her spot in her complex and began to get out when she noticed a black lump on the passenger floorboard. She grabbed it and realized it was Morgan’s purse. Lee had never been so excited to have someone leave something in her car. Her first thought was to race it back to Morgan right away. Then she thought that would be silly since she would see her in a few hours at work. “I’ll just call her and tell her I’ve got it, so she doesn’t worry.” Lee dialed Morgan’s number, but it went straight to voicemail. She left a quick message telling Morgan that she found her purse. She started to get out, but something stopped her. She sat with the purse in her lap and felt that she really should take it to her now. “What would it hurt?” Lee started the car and made her way back to Morgan’s.
As Lee pulled up to the condo, her heart sank. Several emergency vehicles with flashing lights were stopped on the road before Morgan’s apartment. Once Lee realized that they were, in fact, at Morgan’s building, she felt sick to her stomach. This can not be happening. What did she do to deserve always having her happiness ripped away from her? Lee pulled over and leapt from her vehicle, running toward the emergency personnel. A police officer stopped her before Lee got to the door. “Ma’am. Can I assist you?”
“Morgan! Is it Morgan?” Lee asked. Before the officer answered, she saw the paramedics bringing out a stretcher with Morgan on it. Lee pushed her way around the officer and ran toward Morgan.
There was blood covering Morgan’s clothes and a blood-stained bandage covering nearly half of Morgan’s beautiful face. “Morgan.” Lee touched Morgan’s arm, but she didn’t respond. “What happened?” she asked the attending medics.
“The patient was found unresponsive with a large laceration to the right side of the brow and forehead. The area appears swollen and bruised with active, uncontrolled bleeding,” the paramedic answered mechanically.
“What? I just dropped her off…” Lee covered her mouth.
“Ma’am? Excuse me, miss?” The officer had returned. “Miss?”
“What?” Lee asked the offending officer.
“I’m Officer Kirkpatrick. You said you just dropped her off?”
“Yes.” She looked from Morgan to him. “Twenty minutes ago. She left her purse in my car.” She held up Morgan’s bag to show it to him. “I was bringing it back.” Lee was once again watching as they began to load Morgan into the ambulance. “Her ID…insurance…it’s probably all in here.” She showed him the bag again.
“I can take the—” the officer began to say.
“No.” She snatched it sharply back. “No. I’ll take it. I’m going with her. We…I’m her…I’m her boss.” Lee made her way toward the ambulance.
*
Morgan’s head pounded like a tympani drum. She was afraid to open her eyes because she knew any light might make her head explode. She tried to open them slowly, but one refused. Through the cooperating eye, she could see that the room was mostly dark so she opened her eye the rest of the way. She slowly turned her head to the side and realized she wasn’t home. She tried to focus through the pounding in her skull. It looked like a hospital room. Morgan could see a curtain and hear the steady beeping of machines. She turned her head to the other side and saw a familiar and sleeping face. She was no longer as nervous. She moved her hand toward her face, feeling the bandage that covered her forehead and right eye.
“You don’t want to touch that.”
“Lee?”
“Yes, sweetheart. It’s me.” Lee grabbed Morgan’s hand.
“What the hell happened?” Morgan asked.
“The medics said you fell and hit your head on the sofa table.”
“Wow. Are you serious?” Morgan was so embarrassed. “I have got to be the biggest damn klutz on the planet.”
Lee laughed. “Well, so far all signs are pointing that way.” Lee smiled.
“Hey!” Morgan winced from a jolt of pain.
“Sorry. Too soon?”
“Yes. Too soon.” Morgan stuck out her tongue at Lee. “Oh shit! Freddy!” I’ve got to call. He was on the phone when—” Morgan tried to sit up.
“Whoa. Wait.” Lee put her hand on Morgan’s shoulder to keep her down. “I talked to Freddy. Four times actually. He is persistent.”
Morgan chuckled. “Yes. Like a mother hen. I must’ve scared the shit out of him. Is he okay?”
“You scared both of us nearly to death. And he’s fine. Said you ruined his evening though.” Lee grabbed Morgan’s hand and held on.
“Of course I did. It’s what I do.” Morgan attempted a smile. “How did you know…know I was here?”
“You forgot your purse.” Lee brushed her thumb over Morgan’s fingers.
“I’m glad I did,” Morgan said as she closed her good eye.
Chapter Twenty-one
“When are they going to let me out of this place?” Morgan growled through her teeth. Morgan was getting more irritated every minute she had to stay in the hospital bed.
“Shortly. I have no doubt.”
“I fell, I cracked my head open, they stitched it up. Let. Me. Go!”
“Whoa, sweetie, calm down. They’re changing shifts, and once they’re done, I’m certain they’ll be in to release you.” Lee attempted to sooth Morgan.
“I’m sorry. I’ve just got so much to do at the office, and I’m so irritated at myself for being such a clumsy mess. I mean really? Who else but me could knock themselves out running to answer the stupid phone?”
“It happens. To you a lot, it seems.” Lee smiled.
Morgan laughed. “That was a good one, smartass!”
“Just trying to help.”
“Your time may be better spent trying to break me out of here. Don’cha think?” Morgan winked at Lee.
“Yes, ma’am. I’ll go get the nurse,” Lee said before she noticed the doctor come in behind her.
“Ms. Blake. I’m Dr. Gibson. Do you mind if we speak in front of your…guest?”
“Uhm, I don’t mind if she doesn’t.” She still had a pounding headache and would feel better if someone else heard and, more importantly, understood what she was being told.
The doctor gave her a quick rundown of her injury, prescribed her some medication for the pain, and advised her that it wouldn’t be a bad idea to have someone to help her. “The headache will no doubt stay for a few more days. Your eye isn’t damaged, but until the swelling goes down and you can open it properly, you should probably avoid driving or performing any tasks that require a great deal of depth perception. Any questions?”
When Morgan said no, the doctor signed her chart and told her the nurse would be in shortly to finalize the discharge.
*
Lee helped Morgan into the house and sat her down on the sofa.
“Okay. Do you need anything right now?” Lee asked.
“No. I’m okay. I just need to sit here for a minute. The ride and the walking have made me a little sick to my stomach.” Morgan looked toward the table she fell on
. “Wow! Look at all that blood! It looks like I was murdered.”
Lee came back from the kitchen with a glass of water and the bottle of pain pills from the hospital. “Yes. Head wounds are notorious for their excessive bleeding. Here, take this and I’ll go get some stuff to clean that up.” Lee handed Morgan the glass and bottle.
“No! I’ll do that. I’m fine.”
“Yea…no. I’ll do it. Where are your cleaning supplies?”
“Under the sink.” Morgan relented easily as she took her med and then leaned back into the couch.
“Good girl.” Lee smiled and went to gather the supplies.
When Lee returned, she looked toward Morgan who had fallen asleep on the couch. She was so beautiful, even with her gauze bandage and painfully swollen eye. Lee set down the cleaner and towels. She picked up a blanket from the chair and went to cover Morgan. She thought that if she could tolerate the pressure, an ice pack would probably help with the swelling. As Lee covered her with the blanket, Morgan opened her eye.
“You don’t have to stay. I know you have better things to do,” Morgan said and closed her eyes again.
“But not more important. Go to sleep.” Lee leaned down and kissed Morgan on the lips.
“Mmm…if you insist on staying, will you, lay with me?” Morgan asked hazily.
“Of course.” Lee gingerly sat on the couch and pulled Morgan into her arms. She ran her fingers through her hair. “For as long as you want.”
*
“Please! Make it stop,” Morgan said to anyone that would make her cell phone stop ringing. She’d forgotten about her headache until the shrill tones blasted her from sleep.
“Shhh. I’ll get it,” Lee said as she unwound herself from Morgan’s warm body. “Hello?”
“Uhh, hello? Morgan?” a woman asked.
“No, this is…Lee. Can I ask who’s calling?” Lee asked.
“Lee? Oh! This is Alex. I must’ve dialed you by accident. Sorry.”
“Hi. No, you didn’t. This is Morgan’s phone. I can get her if you want to—”
“Is everything okay? I’ve been calling her cell for hours and she wasn’t answering,” she asked anxiously.
“She fell and hit her head on the table. Gave herself a nice gash and one hell of a headache. But the doctor said she’ll be fine.”
“Are you staying with her tonight? She probably shouldn’t fall asleep, right? At least that’s what they say on all those TV shows.”
Lee chuckled. “Yeah, I’m staying. I don’t think her head is going to stop pounding long enough for her to fall asleep any time soon though.”
“Okay. Well, take care of her, and tell her I called when you get a chance.”
“I will, Alex. Good night.” Lee hung up.
“Who was that?” Morgan asked when she suddenly appeared next to her and touched Lee’s arm.
Slightly startled, Lee said, “Hey. It was Alex.”
“Oh. Is everything okay?”
“Yes. I told her what happened and that I’m taking good care of you.”
Morgan stroked Lee’s arm. “Yes. You are.”
Lee watched Morgan’s fingers softly caress her arm. “Are you hungry? We should eat. What would you like?” Lee rambled. She had no intention of either of them getting worked up in this situation.
“I think I could eat. But I need to sit back down. This may be the dumbest thing I’ve ever done to myself.” Morgan grabbed her head and went back to the couch.
“Okay. You sit. I’ll make dinner. We’ll eat and then I’ll get you into bed. How’s that sound?” Lee blushed at her inadvertent statement.
“That sounds fantastic, in every way possible.” Morgan winked. “But I really need to shower first.”
Lee felt her skin catch fire. She cleared her throat. “Right. Eat. Shower. Bed.”
*
Morgan was not a cook, and she had no earthly idea what Lee was possibly going to find in the kitchen to make for dinner. Morgan lived off of pasta, canned sauce, and frozen, pre-cooked chicken patties most of the time. It wasn’t long before she began smelling the aromas wafting from the kitchen. She found it unbelievable that anything to be found in her refrigerator or pantry could be what smelled so delicious. Morgan got up from the couch and made her way into the kitchen. Lee was standing at the stove hovering over a steaming pot on one side and a frying pan on the other. Morgan watched as Lee moved from cutting board to pan to pot and back again, maintaining an impressive control over each station. Even when Morgan experimented with her minimal culinary skills, she could never manage all those steps at once without burning the food, herself, or both in the process.
She inched her way closer and closer behind Lee. Morgan didn’t want to be in the way, but she wanted to be closer.
“Where’d you learn to cook?” Morgan asked when she got as close as she thought she should.
“Hey, you.” Lee looked over and smiled. “How’s the head?” Lee wiped her hands on the towel she had draped over her shoulder.
“Oh, ya know. It’s no doubt still attached, or someone replaced it with a bass drum.” Morgan lightly touched the bandages that covered the stitches above her eye and flinched.
“You can’t get that wet when you take a shower. Do you have a shower cap? Or if you want to take a bath, I can wash your hair for you.”
“Oh, no. I can’t let you do that. That’s silly. My hair will be fine until tomorrow, I’m sure.” Morgan actually thought the idea of Lee washing her hair sounded fantastic. She absentmindedly ran her fingers through her hair, imagining Lee’s hands massaging through it.
“It’s no problem. But whatever you want is fine.” Lee touched Morgan’s chin. “Hungry? It’s almost ready,” she said before she turned back to the stove.
They ate quietly. Unfortunately, in spite of Morgan’s hunger, the act of chewing did not help ease the pain in her head. Morgan was getting very tired and wanted nothing more than a shower and a bed. Having Lee in her apartment, so close, was enough to keep her blood pumping at a steady pace, unfortunately for her head.
“I think I’m ready for that shower now.”
“Yes. Okay. Let me clear the table and I’ll help you.” Lee put the dishes into the sink and returned to help Morgan down the hall to the bathroom.
“Could you get me a shirt from the middle drawer and a fresh towel from the closet? Please?” Morgan asked after she reached in to start the shower and began to lift her shirt.
“Of course.” Lee answered but didn’t move. She only stared as Morgan raised her shirt slowly over her head exposing a perfectly filled white lace bra. Morgan recalled how Lee’s hand brushed over it, making her nipples harden through the fabric. Judging by Lee’s distracted gaze, she assumed that she did as well.
“Lee?” Morgan laughed when she saw Lee still standing in front of her. “Are you okay?” She continued to laugh.
“What? Yes! Ha! Towels in the drawer.” Lee spun around and bolted from the room.
Morgan giggled as she removed the rest of her clothes and stepped into the shower. She let the warm water run down her body and thought about how Lee was there, taking care of her. She didn’t ask her to stay, to make dinner, or to help her with a shower…she just did. Morgan couldn’t think of anyone in the world that would do that for her except Freddy, and her family, of course. “Freddy. Shit. I need to call him.”
“What was that? Are you okay?” Lee said, suddenly appearing through the haze of the curtain.
“Oh yea. Just saying that I needed to call Freddy when I got out.” Morgan watched Lee’s shadow through the curtain and felt her muscles tense.
“Okay. We can do that. Are you almost ready? I’ve got your clothes.”
“Yea. Well, actually, do you think I could take you up on that offer for my hair?” What was she doing? Morgan scrunched her face.
“Now? Uh, sure. How do you…what would be easier?”
Morgan peeked out from behind the curtain. “I think maybe it would be easier if yo
u, well, maybe you could come in here?” Morgan felt her body ignite at the idea.
“Wow. I mean um, I guess…sure. Yea. Okay.”
Morgan got back in the shower. Her heart raced and her hands shook. She watched Lee undress through the opaque fabric. She covered her mouth for fear of releasing an audible moan or, knowing her, a squeak.
“Are you sure?” Lee asked.
“Yes. Get in.” Morgan feigned the confidence she didn’t actually feel. She had to for Lee and for herself.
Lee pulled back the curtain and slipped in. She stood cross-armed next to the wall.
Morgan nearly gasped. Standing naked just a mere twelve inches from her was the most beautiful woman she had ever seen. Her skin was perfectly pale from head to toe, a stunning and stark contrast from her midnight black hair. Morgan’s eyes followed a drop of water that landed on Lee’s collarbone and slowly slid its way down between her breasts. Morgan couldn’t prevent the moan that escaped, and her face flushed.
“Right. So…shampoo?” Lee asked with a sudden confidence.
“Shampoo. Right there.” Morgan pointed above Lee’s head to a shelf holding an assortment of bath products.
Lee turned around and reached for a bottle and Morgan’s eyes trailed the firm muscles from her shoulder blades down to the delicate dip of her back. She hesitated briefly before indulging herself in the smooth firmness of Lee’s ass.
Lee turned back with the bottle, and Morgan’s eyes snapped up, but she’d already been caught. Her face reddened and she covered her face. “What? I couldn’t help it. I think I’m delirious. Where am I? Who are you?” Morgan joked.
