by L. Ann Marie
“Hi, Digs. I didn’t expect you to be so happy.” She’s smiling at Penny. There’s something about her smile that lights up her whole face. She’s always happy like Tess.
I stand up and pull the sheet up. “Hi, Mitch. Penny, this is Mitch Baxter.”
“Hi, Mitch, we met at CJ and Cloud’s wedding.” She looks at me, smiling. I want to laugh again but think better of it. I nod and move over to the other side of the bed.
“Danny tells me you have some scar tissue from acid. I have a doctor that helped me and Aleena with scars. They were different types and needed different procedures, but he took them away for me, and Aleena is very happy with her results. He’s the same doctor that worked on little Ben for the skin grafts. Jess said he did a really good job. Do you want me to make the appointment? He can meet you at the city hospital later today if you do.”
Penny looks at me. “It isn’t going to matter to me either way. Do what will make you happy.”
Mitch bounces and claps her hand and robotic. “Yay! That means you’ll get it done. I’ll call him on my way back downstairs. You won’t be sorry!” She turns and starts walking toward the door.
“Wait!” Penny says in that hoarse voice. Mitch stops and turns around with a puzzled look on her face, waiting for Penny to say something. “I need to know if he takes the insurance, but I don’t know the name of it.” She looks at me.
I look at Mitch and hope she gets this. “I’ve been with the MC since I was seventeen. I have Penny on my insurance. Jess handles everything for me.”
Mitch smiles and I know she’s got it. “I’ll talk to Jess and have everything straight before you get to the city. I’m so happy for you, Penny! Everyone deserves a future. I’m happy yours will be just the way you want it!” She claps and bounces again, making me smile, just like Tess. I know it takes all three of her men to handle her. She never stops. I look down at Penny and smile. She’s still looking at the door.
“Yeah, she’s just like Tess.” She looks at me and nods. Something is wrong. I can see the pain on her face. “What is it?” She tries to move the sheet. I take it and lift it off her. “Better?”
“It will be. It feels like salt on me when the sheet touches.” She looks more comfortable, so I tie the sheet back up and move her coffee to where she can reach it.
How the hell are we getting her home if she can’t dress? “You need anything?” She shakes her head no. “I’ll be right outside the door.”
“Okay.” So easy.
I kiss her head and walk out then down the hall, far enough that HS isn’t listening or broadcasting what I’m saying.
“Nancy, I need some help with clothes for Penny. Her arm, stomach, and chest have burns with shit on them and she can’t have anything touching it. She says it feels like salt is on her when the sheet touches. I need something to get her home in.”
She doesn’t say anything at first. Since she’s the least talkative old lady, I wait. “Does the burn cover her breasts?”
Shit. “No, he was stopped before it got there, it goes to just under.”
“I hope the son of a bitch is dead.” I’m surprised at her tone but don’t say anything. “I’ll make a call and get something up to you. They have a frame they’ll use to move her. It will keep anything from hitting her skin. I’ll make sure she has something pretty to come home in and I’ll send over some things for her to wear when she gets home. I’ll make it good for her, Digs.”
I blow out a breath, getting my emotions in check. “Thanks, Nancy.” I love the fuckin’ Brotherhood. When I turn around Cloud and the boys are behind me. Tess is standing to the side with tears in her eyes. Shit! “She’s going to be fine.”
I put my arm out and Tess walks into it, putting her head on my chest. “I know she will, but she has to do this all again to get there. Jeremy can help, Digs.” She cries. I’m not sure what to do. Cloud just watches.
Jeremy takes her hand and Jacob talks. “You have to be strong for her, Tess.” She nods and steps back, wiping her eyes. Thank God. Jeremy laughs then Tess does.
I look at Cloud, wondering if it’s just me or she really is like a ping pong ball, bouncing from one extreme to another. He shrugs. “Let’s get this moving. I need to see Jamie about getting Jake and Mitch home.”
We walk in and I’m relieved to see she’s sleeping because I have no idea how to explain this. Jeremy goes to her side and takes her hand. Tess and Jacob stand by his side. They have their hands under the sheet and I know they’re touching her too. I hope to hell it doesn’t hurt her.
After a few minutes she moans and I step forward. Cloud stops me with a hand on my shoulder. I look back. “Let him help her. She’ll feel less pain because of it,” he says quietly, but doesn’t let my shoulder go.
Jacob looks back. “Dad.” Cloud steps around me and stands behind Jeremy with his hands on his shoulders.
He’s saying something, but it’s not English. All I can do is stand here watching. What a fuckin’ helpless feeling this is. I pace back and forth, feeling worthless. Finally, Jeremy turns to Cloud and Tess hugs Jacob.
She has a sad expression on her face. Does that mean it didn’t work? I need someone to tell me something, all of a sudden my skin feels too tight. “Jeremy wants to see her again. He has to see Jake, but he can go to the City hospital for Penny,” Jacob says.
“He couldn’t take her pain away?” I thought that’s what they do.
Cloud smiles. “Relax, Brother, he took some, but he can only do so much. She’s in less pain than she was. I’ll have CJ bring him to the City tomorrow. He’ll nag her to death before that, but he needs to sleep.”
“Thank you. I just want her pain gone. I can’t focus on much else, it seems.” I look over at her. She looks so small in the bed. Her face is pale and she has machines beeping on the side of her.
I’m surprised by Jacob’s arms going around my waist. He looks up at me. “It will be okay. Jeremy says she’s strong.”
I smile at him. “Yeah, she is.”
Tess hugs me on her way out. “It will be good, Digs.”
“Thanks, Tess.”
Left alone, I continue pacing until the doctor shows. I stand on the side and watch. He smiles at the sheet even as he’s untying it. “We’ve learned the MC have their own way of doing things.” I just nod. I don’t want to get the nurse in trouble. He pulls the sheet and she opens her eyes.
“Babe.” She gives me her smile, throwing relief on me because there is no pain in it.
She watches the doctor pull the gauze down without reacting. Cloud was right. I let out my breath and smile. Fuckin’ kids.
The nurse comes in with a tray of bandages and shit. She’s changed them out a few times already and it always hurts Penny. I’m getting to where I hate seeing that fuckin’ tray. The doctor talks to her, telling her everything looks good and he’ll get the paperwork ready for the transport team.
Danny comes in and immediately spins around, looking at the door. “Colby said someone dropped this for Penny.” He holds a bag out to me.
“Thanks. The doctor will be done soon.” He nods and walks out. I take the bag and pull out a silky thing that looks like half a shirt. I put it back in and drop it on the chair, taking Penny’s hand while the nurse puts the stuff on her burns. The doctor is watching, but I don’t know what his deal is. He didn’t stay the last time. She’s not squeezing my hand, but she’s watching everything the nurse does and answers her questions in her normal voice. She tells the nurse about Mitch’s doctor. The nurse smiles, saying she knows a woman that had it done and she’s happy with the outcome. When she’s done she pats Penny’s arm and gives me a smile. The doctor is still here. I look at him, wondering why the hell he’s still looking at her. She’s not dressed and he’s staring. Since I’ve lost my fuckin mind, I want to hit him. “Everything okay, Doc?” I growl at him.
He looks at me but then right back at her. Fuckin’ guy! “She’s healing quickly.”
I relax. Jeremy. �
�That’s a good sign.” I throw out because I’m not about to explain Jeremy to him. I wouldn’t even know where to begin.
He looks at me again. “At this rate she’ll be home in a couple of days.”
I smile, seeing her face light up. “Good, my girl likes that idea.”
“I do,” she says, then blushes. I don’t get the blush, then I do. Thank God the doctor leaves.
“How do you feel, pretty Penny?” I bend and kiss her head, then move to the other side to tape the sheet back up.
“Can you wait? I have to go to the bathroom.” She’s looking at me and said it in her regular voice, but she’s embarrassed.
“Do I need to get the nurse?”
“No, but I need help getting up so it doesn’t hurt the dickens on my...the burns.” It takes everything in me not to laugh. I wait for her to take the thing off her finger, then pull the IV stand around the bed. I lift her up and put her on her feet. She steadies herself, then nods. I step aside and walk with her, pulling the stand.
“There are bars that she can use. The room is set up for her type of injuries. The bars will help keep her steady when she stands. Sometimes the skin stretching can make patients dizzy or light-headed,” the nurse says from behind me making me light-headed.
“Fuck, can you give her something for the pain?”
“I’m okay, Digs, the pain isn’t too bad,” she says, stopping in front of the toilet. She uses the bar to turn around and looks at the nurse.
“Why don’t you wait outside and I’ll call you when we’re ready to go back?” the nurse says with a smile. I don’t fuckin’ think so. I look at Penny but her head is down.
“Do you want me to go?” I ask, trying to keep my voice gentle. This is the first time she hasn’t looked at me while answering. She nods her head. “Look at me, Penny.” She lifts her head. “You fought to be here. You can look at me to answer, yeah?”
She smiles. Fuckin girl has me from pissed to happy in seconds. “If you don’t go soon I’m going to wet all over the darn floor and get to see your reaction to that too.”
The nurse laughs. I spin around and leave laughing because she’s fuckin’ cute. So far today I’ve heard dickens, darn and fiddlesticks, whatever the fuck that means.
The door opens and she comes out, followed by the nurse. “I want to sit up for a while.”
I nod and move the bag and my cut off the chair. “You won’t be covered in the chair,” the nurse tells her. I give her a look.
“Nancy sent something for you to get transported with.” I pull the thing out of the bag and show her.
“That is sweet and my favorite colors.” She sits on the edge of the chair and I help her get it on without hitting the bandage on her arm. It covers her top half perfect, hanging just below her tits. I take the sheet and cover from her waist down. “Thank you.” She slides back and looks comfortable. The nurse looks satisfied and leaves.
I tell her about Jake so she won’t be pissed I kept it from her. She looks sad but smiles when I tell her Tess is here with the twins. “I always wanted to see them do that healing thing.”
“You were sleeping when they were here.” I’m surprised she knows but with Tess as her best friend I guess she would. “I’d like to see Jake before we go. I won’t stay long, but he’s a Brother.”
“He’s waiting until he gets home to see everyone,” Danny says from the door. “Glad to see you up, Penny.”
“Is Jake okay?” she asks and I’m not sure if I should be pissed or not.
“He’s going to be fine. Half his face and the side of his head is covered in stitches and he has a broken arm and ribs, but he’s already up and moving like you.”
“Oh good.” That seems to satisfy her and I feel like a dick for being jealous.
I look at Danny. He’s smiling at me. Fuckin’ Brother sees too much. “Transport is on its way.” I throw him chin and sit at the edge of the bed.
Chapter Eight
Penny
I don’t want to be here anymore. I’m sick of the hospital, the nurses and the people coming in and out. “I want to go home.”
He looks up from his computer. “The doctor said possibly tomorrow.” He starts typing again.
Fiddlesticks! I don’t want to wait until tomorrow. “Will you help put the stuff on?”
He closes the computer. “What’s up, babe?”
“I want to go home. I never went to the hospital last time. I don’t want to be here anymore.” He smiles like I’m a little kid. Darn it all!
“If I take you home, will you rest?” He’s moving closer to me. I sit back and nod. “Will you stay in bed and only get up to use the bathroom?” He puts his hands on the chair’s arms and moves closer.
“No. I won’t do too much, though,” I say softly.
He kisses my nose and stands up. “I’ll get the nurse.” He starts walking to the door.
He stops and looks at me. “Babe, Danny called and said he could go up and make it good in case you wanted more than one kid. I said okay and he hung up. Since you were sleeping when he called I wasn’t about to wake you up to ask. It wasn’t and isn’t a big thing unless you make it one. You already knew he was putting an addition on. Does it matter how?”
Jiminy! “Not when you put it like that.”
“Good, let’s get your spunky little ass inside then.” He gets out and walks around the truck. Spunky little butt?
When he opens my door I ask him, “I’m spunky?”
He laughs, lifting me up. “Fuckin’ cute as hell when you’re pissed.”
He thinks I’m cute when I’m angry? I wonder if that’s weird but decide since I’m cute it’s a good thing. So far when I’ve been angry it’s been for stupid reasons and I’m not pointing that out.
When he opens the door I’m stunned. The living room is huge and I can see the dining room and part of the kitchen. Digs walks me all the way through to the kitchen. “He does nice work.”
Oh. My. Gosh. Is he serious? This is unbelievable. “It’s beautiful.” He carries me back to the living room that I can see the kitchen from and puts me on the couch so gently I smile. “I love it.”
“Good. I’m getting the stuff out of the truck. Do you need to change first?” He’s so darn sweet.
“No, I’m okay.” I don’t ask to help because I’m afraid if I do he’ll put me to bed. Not that I know where it is, but I know I’ll end up there.
I get up and look around. The computer room is still here, but it’s longer than it was before and there are shelves with books, pictures, and a couch. It’s a nice room. I look at the pictures with the MC and the kids as they’ve grown over the years. I look at the bathroom. It’s still the same. It looks different because there’s no hallway anymore. I like it. At the back door is where they’re working right now. I watch through the window. It’s a patio. On the left is the water and straight back is the garage. I thought it would be bigger. I’m glad they left my shed up. It looks cute with the garage next to it.
“They’ll pour the driveway so it goes up to the garage but that comes last,” he says from behind me.
“I like your computer room,” I tell him, leaning back. I like that he’s right here.
“Our computer room. Didn’t you notice the second computer? They put your program on it so you can work from here if you need to. Just so you know, I have a real graphics program you can use. I’ll load it on your computer.”
“No, you won’t! Mine has everything I need and it’s all where I need it. I did notice the computer, but I didn’t know it was for me.” That is such a nice thing to do.
He laughs and grabs my hand. “I have a purple bike but that light purple just isn’t me, babe. You said light purple and gray are your favorite colors.”
“Oh, they are.” I’m so happy he remembered.
He walks us back to the computer room and I look closer at the two computers. “I get to work in here with you?” He’s a computer genius and I can barely run my program.
“Yeah, babe, it’s for both of us.” He takes my hand and leads me out. “I haven’t seen upstairs. Let’s go see what they’ve done in three days.” He lifts me up and I feel it. I suck in a breath and wait for it to pass. When I open my eyes I notice he’s not moving. “We good?” I nod and he climbs the stairs. He puts me down gently and waits for me to be ready to move. I can’t believe how caring he is about these little things. We walk down the hall seeing the first room is empty and doesn’t even have walls. The second room is the same and I’m wondering where we will sleep. The bathroom has walls but nothing else. This isn’t a good sign. At the last room the door is closed. “I’m hoping for walls and a toilet. How about you?”
I smile. “Walls would be good.” He pushes the door open and I laugh. It’s our old room but bigger and it has dark purple pillows and a blanket on the chair. There’s a picture with dark purple, lavender, and gray right above the bed. It’s a perfect mix of both of us. “It’s perfect.”
He walks to the door across the room and opens it, then whistles. “Come look at this, Penny.” I try to see everything as I walk to him. Some is new and some is my old stuff. They did so much putting it all together and I think of making them thank you cards until I see the bathroom. My brain stops thinking about anything but how beautiful the bathroom is. It looks like it’s out of a book. It has the same colors but it’s all shiny. It’s absolutely beautiful. I walk to the center and look around at everything. There’s a huge shower with a ledge sticking out of the wall and a big tub that would fit three people. It has jets in it! “It’s a whirlpool tub.” I nod because I don’t think I can talk. There are candles, plants and flowers, a big cabinet with two sinks!
One wall has the same colors as the picture above the bed. I look at the bottom but can’t see it, so I walk closer. “There it is! Amanda painted the wall too! We have the best friends!”
“She did this? That’s sick. I had no idea she did stuff like this,” he says, walking closer. “Yup, that’s Bob’s web.” He laughs.
“Sick is the word for pretty, right? Bad, sick and bad...badass.”
