Accidental Love

by BL Miller

  "I…I can write you a check for her food. She doesn't eat much. She's very friendly." The words rolled out of Rose's mouth and there was no way that the older woman could miss the desperation in her voice.

  "Don't worry about it. Please, I want you to concentrate on getting better. Tabitha will be fine with me. I live alone, I'm sure I'll enjoy the company."

  The dark haired woman was about to say something else when a firm knock on the door caused them to turn. Veronica's heart skipped a beat at the sight of the blue uniform and shiny badge.

  "Excuse me ladies. I'm here to take a report on the hit and run last night?" He stepped in and pulled a small notebook out of his shirt pocket. "You're Rose Grayson, right?" He continued on without waiting for an answer. "Now I understand this happened on Madison Ave. around midnight?"

  "I think it was more like twelve thirty," Rose said.

  "Yes, twelve thirty," he repeated. "Now is there anything you can tell me, like the make and model of the car that hit you, the license number, the color?"

  "No, I never saw it." She turned her head toward Veronica. "Do you remember?"

  "You were there too?" The officer queried. No one had told him there were any witnesses.

  "I um…I must have come upon her just after the accident. I didn't see anyone."

  "That sure was a hell of a storm last night. What were you doing out so late, Miss…?"

  "Cartwright, Veronica Cartwright. I had a business dinner with Commissioner Grace at Sam's and was heading home."

  "Cartwright, as in the car wash Cartwrights?"

  "Yes, among other holdings," she replied, annoyed that after all her hard work the most well known part of her company was the cousin's stupid car washes.

  "Well then…" He turned his attention back to the victim lying in bed. "I guess you're pretty lucky to have had her come up on you. Looks like they hit you pretty good. Probably a drunk driver. Hard to believe the bastard didn't have the guts to stick around and make sure you got help but I guess all that matters is that you're alive."

  "Yes, I was very lucky that Miss Cartwright came along when she did. Who knows how long I was lying there."

  "Well, if I could just get your address and phone number for the report, we'll be all set. I have to tell you that there isn't much to go on so don't get your hopes up. Unless this guy is stupid enough to be driving around with a lot of front end damage and admits to being on Madison last night, there's not really much we can do."

  "I understand," Rose said quietly. She didn't expect them to find the man that hit her. "I don't have a phone but my address is 98 Morris Street." Veronica's emotions alternated between relief at having such a disinterested cop investigating the accident and guilt at the fact that she was lying to protect her own skin at the expense of Rose's peace of mind.

  "Well, I guess if there's anything I missed, we can find you here. From the looks of your legs I don't think you'll be going anywhere for a while." Veronica bristled at the comment but Rose appeared unaffected.

  "Thank you," the young woman said. The cop turned toward the door and noticed a friend of his walking down the hall.

  "Hey John, wait up. Ladies, thank you. I'm sure I have all I need right now." He was gone before either could respond.

  "They're not going to find him, you know," Rose said quietly. "I know life isn't like television. They don't even know what kind of car to look for." She shifted slightly, grimacing at the pain that was now her constant companion. "Doesn't matter anyway," she sighed. "The damage is done. Even if they did find him it wouldn't make my legs heal any faster."

  Veronica didn't know what to say and was grateful when the television vendor walked in. "Good afternoon Miss…" She looked down at her clipboard. "Grayson. Would you like your TV turned on?"

  "No thank you," Rose said quickly.

  "Why not?" Veronica asked, although she was certain she knew the answer.

  "I don't like television."

  "Uh huh." The raven haired woman turned toward the vendor. "Turn it on and leave it on for as long as Miss Grayson is here."

  "It's three dollars a day, twenty dollars per week."

  "Fine." Veronica picked her attaché off the floor and pulled out her wallet. "Here." She handed the television woman two twenties.

  "Very well." She made a notation on her clipboard, then reached behind the TV and unlocked the attached box. A few seconds later the set hummed to life with Judge Judy yelling at the defendant on her courtroom style show.

  "There, now you'll have something to help you pass the time," Veronica said after the vendor left.

  "You didn't need to do that," Rose replied, feeling very uncomfortable. "I would have been fine without it. You were in my apartment. You know I don't own a TV." She sighed. "Besides, whatever they're giving me for the pain makes me tired. I don't know how much I would watch. Certainly not twenty dollars worth."

  "Let's make a deal here, okay? You need help and I want to help. Now the television is paid for. You can either accept it and enjoy it or you can leave it off and stare at a blank screen all day."

  The noise from the television interrupted their conversation. "…and if you think for one minute that I believe that some stranger broke into your apartment and stole everything that belonged to your roommate here and left all of your stuff behind then you're a complete idiot. I wasn't born yesterday, Mister Richards. Judgment for the plaintiff in the amount of six hundred fifty three dollars and twelve cents. Case dismissed." Veronica looked over to see Rose watching with complete interest.

  "It's like being in court," the young woman said, her attention never leaving the set.

  "It's a good show."

  "Is it on every week?"

  "Every day, Rose. You can watch it every day at noon." She smiled and whispered conspiratorially. "I'm too busy to watch it when it airs but I tape it and catch up on the weekends."

  "Thank you," the young woman said sincerely, her green eyes smiling at Veronica. "It will make it easier to pass the time here."

  "It's the least I could do." She leaned her arms on the railing of the bed. "So are you going to tell me who I can contact besides your job to tell them that you're here? Surely someone will miss you."

  The small smile that had been on Rose's face disappeared. "There's no one to contact."

  "No one? Not even a friend?"

  Rose gave a sad smile. "I haven't lived in Albany that long," she said, not wanting to reveal the truth, that she deliberately avoided making friends because friends liked to stop by and visit and she was too embarrassed at her meager living conditions. She shifted and a shooting pain burned up her left leg, making her cry out. "Oh god that hurts," she hissed. Veronica immediately reached over and pressed the call button repeatedly.

  "What is it?" Mary asked as she entered the room.

  "She's in pain. Can't you give her anything?"

  "She's receiving an appropriate amount through her IV but if she needs more I can give her a shot." She looked at Rose, who was trying hard not to cry. "Miss Grayson?"

  "Yes she is. Can't you see she's suffering?" Veronica answered testily.

  "Miss Grayson?" The nurse repeated. Rose reluctantly nodded, the pain too much to bear any longer. To her surprise, a larger hand enfolded her own. Another twinge of pain shot through her and she gripped Veronica's hand tightly. The nurse left and returned a minute later with a needle. She unceremoniously pulled the sheet and hospital gown back to expose Rose's right hip and stuck the needle in. "This will sting for a minute." The young woman gripped Veronica's hand even tighter as the medication was injected. "There, all done." The nurse looked up at the dark haired woman. "She'll probably fall asleep in a few minutes."

  "Fine, I won't be much longer." The nurse nodded and left, not bothering to pull the sheet back into place. Veronica used her free hand to reach over and cover Rose's hip with the stark white linen. "Do you want me to stay for a while until you fall asleep?"

  "No, that's…" She was unable to stifle
a yawn. "…that's all right…I'm fine…" The powerful drug acted quickly, causing her head to loll to the side and her eyes to take on a glassy look. "Are you sure you're not an angel?" She asked sleepily as her eyelids sagged. "You look like an angel…you…" Another yawn, "…act like…" Her eyes closed and the hand that had been holding Veronica's fell limply to the side.

  She waited several minutes until she was certain that Rose was asleep before standing up and tucking the blanket around the injured woman. "Sleep well, Rose," she whispered.

  Part 2

  Veronica opened the door and dragged the litter box, scratching post, and bag of toys inside.

  "Tabitha, come on you little fuzzball, I've got toys for you." She sat down on the floor and pulled out the various items. The orange and white kitten came buncing over to see what the tall human was up to. She sat back and watched as the packages were opened and fake mice, bagged catnip, and various toys were tossed into a pile. "There you go," she said, fully expecting the feline to dive into the pile and play. Tabitha did what any cat would do, walked past the pile of cat toys and started batting at the empty wrappers. "Hey, the toys are over here." She grabbed the little ball with the bell hidden inside and shook it to get the cat's attention. "See? Toys here, garbage there." Tabitha looked at it, looked at the wrappers, and went back to playing with the clear plastic.

  "Fine, be that way, see if I care," the dejected woman said, stuffing the wrappers into the plastic bag. "I got you a litter box too, think you'll use that?"

  "Mrrow?"

  "That's what I thought." She stood up, tucked the bag of litter under one arm, the cat box under the other, and headed to the kitchen. "Seventy five bucks on toys and the stupid thing wants to play with the packages they came in." She set the bag and box on the table. A note held to the refrigerator with a magnet told her Maria had left for the day along with instructions on how long to microwave the dinner she had prepared.

  Exhaustion begged her to stop and rest but there were just too many things that had to be done. She quickly set up the litter box and put it in the mud room, leaving the door ajar so Tabitha could come and go freely. That task done, Veronica strode out to the living room, picking up the cordless phone and dialing the familiar number on the way.

  "Cartwright Insurance, how can I help you?" The crisp feminine voice on the other end of the phone asked.

  "Susan Cartwright, please."

  "She's busy right now, may I ask who's calling?"

  "Veronica Cartwright. Interrupt her, this is important."

  "One moment." She heard a click followed by the most boring hold music she had ever heard. Flopping down on her soft brown leather couch and kicking her shoes off, she tucking her feet beneath her. Tabitha bounded out of the kitchen and climbed up next to her.

  "Mrrow?"

  "What do you want?" she asked, reaching out with her free hand to scratch the cat behind the ears. "Let's get something straight right from the start, okay? I bought a scratching post for you. The ten thousand dollar couch is off limits to your claws, got it?"

  "Mrrow." The orange and white feline laid her upper body across Veronica's thigh and began purring.

  "Ronnie, how are you?"

  "Fine Sis, listen, I need you to add an employee to the insurance rolls."

  "Usually Human Resources sends over their paperwork once they've reached the appropriate service mark." Veronica heard the clacking of the keyboard. "What's their social?"

  "She's not in the computer yet, Susan. I need you to add her and push the paperwork through."

  "She has to be in the system. All employees are added once they've filled out their I-9's and W4's."

  "She hasn't filled them out yet. She's a new hire." Veronica heard the clacking stop and the squeak of her sister's chair moving.

  "What department does she work for?"

  "Um…she's a clerk in the accounting office downtown."

  "An entry level? Ronnie, don't you know they have to have six months service before we give them benefits?"

  "I didn't realize that." She rubbed her forehead, drawing a protest from the purring pile of fluff on her leg.

  "What's that?"

  "I'm watching a friend's cat for a few days. Look, I hired her personally and promised her full benefits. Can't you push it through?"

  "It's so rare that my only sister asks me for a favor. Of course I can. Fax me her forms and I'll add her to the rolls."

  "Actually Susan, I need you to fax me the forms for her to sign. I also need you to give her the best medical plan we have and backdate it to the first of the month. Can you do that?"

  "It'll cost you," the younger sister said in a sing song voice. "Dinner with Mom next Friday?"

  "Can't I just buy you a new car or something?" the executive groaned.

  "Veronica Louise, you never spend any time with Mom. Jack and I are there every Friday night for dinner and Tommy is there on Sundays. She always asks about you."

  "She knows my phone number, Susan. I talk to her."

  "I know. We heard for two weeks about how you called her on her birthday. Funny, that was a month ago."

  "All right, all right. Fax me all the forms and I'll get them back to you later tonight."

  "So we'll see you next week at Mom's?"

  "Fine. I'll be there, but don't expect me to stick around after dinner while she goes through the scrapbook and tries to relive our childhood."

  "At least you'll be there. That'll make her happy."

  "Whatever. Fax those forms over, will ya?"

  "They'll be there in a few minutes. Wish you'd let me in on why you personally hired someone for an entry level job."

  "Sis, if I thought you needed to know, I'd tell you. Nice talking with you too, bye." Veronica pressed the off button on the cordless phone and set it down on the coffee table. "Well Tabitha, that's all set. How about you hop down and play with some of your toys while I take a nap, hmm?" She tried to nudge the feline but the purring pile of fur refused to move. "Fine, be that way." She adjusted the end pillow and closed her eyes. At first the rhythmic purring annoyed her but within a few minutes Veronica was sound asleep, as was a very contented Tabitha.

  ********************

  Rose was awake but very obviously in pain by the time Veronica returned to the hospital. "Hi."

  "Hi, Rose. How are you feeling?" She set the attaché on the floor and pulled the chair next to the bed.

  "Everything hurts but other than that I'm fine," she joked.

  "Doesn't the medicine they give you help?"

  "It puts me to sleep, but yeah. It's the only thing that touches the pain," she replied, smoothing the blanket covering her.

  "I brought some forms that I need you to sign. I filled them out as best I could but I didn't know all the answers." She pulled a manila folder out of the case and set it on the bed. "I never realized how many forms it takes to hire someone." She held the pen out and was surprised to see Rose take it in her left hand. "You're a lefty?"

  "Yeah."

  "Me too," she smiled. "The first three just need your signature. The others have some blanks that you have to fill in."

  "You know, I still can't believe you're just giving me a job, especially since I can't even work," Rose said, shaking her head. "It just doesn't make any sense."

  "I do a lot of things that don't make any sense, just ask my mother."

  Rose signed the forms quietly before handing the pen back. "Are you close to your mother?"

  "Not really. We have different opinions on how I should live." She hesitated for a moment before deciding to broach the subject that had tugged at her mind. "What about your family? Did you have a falling out with them or something? I mean, it seems strange that you wouldn't want them to know that you were in the hospital."

  Green eyes turned away to stare at the venetian blinds that covered the window. "I was a baby when they died. A car accident. A drunk driver ran a stop light and hit them. That's all I know."

  "I'm sorry, I d
idn't realize." She felt bad for bringing the subject up.

  "It's all right," the young woman said with a dismissive wave of her hand. "I don't remember them. I guess you can't miss what you never had." Rose tried to sound casual about it but Veronica suspected it was an act put on for her benefit.

  "Who raised you?"

  "The State. Sometimes foster families, but mostly I lived in state-run orphanages or homes. As soon as I graduated high school I got a job working as a cashier. I've been on my own since then." Not wanting to continue the topic of her past, Rose changed the subject. "So how's Tabitha?"