by Robin Hicks
"I'm just going to take a look around James, maybe take a few pictures. It wasn't tools in those crates they had, but I don't know what it was. I'll take a peek and then leave."
Dinner had been finished, and the kitchen cleaned hours ago. The three sat in the living room just talking and having fun.
Jamie sat back and watched the smile on her best friends face. 'It's so good to see her smile again. That Goddamn Tina really fucked with her mind.'
Jamie had missed Koty when she was trying to deal with Tina's deception. She had really worried when Koty stopped coming over, and even stopped going to her brothers. Koty had been so happy when she was with Tina. Her devastation over her break-up had really eaten at Jamie. She sometimes felt that it was her fault since Jamie had introduced them at one of her parties.
'I tried to tell her after a while that something was going on with Tina. Friends had told me that they had seen her out with other women, and I just couldn't make Koty believe me. I hope she finds something with this Kasey woman.'
Koty had given them hugs, and told them she needed to go home and get some sleep, that she had a long day ahead of her tomorrow. It was close to midnight when she finally showered and went to bed.
Chapter Eighteen
Thursday before Koty had left work, she had been thinking about Kasey. Again. She hadn't seen, or spoken to her since the night of the pig roast, and had wondered if Kasey was mad at her.
'Maybe I'll give her a call when I get home tonight.'
Koty slowly pulled up to the side gate of the construction site. Getting out of the jag, and standing by the front, she contenplated on going further. She recodnized the truck from the other evening, and a few others.
She thought about calling Jason then decided against it. She figured she was only going to take a quick peek and the leave. 'I'll just sneak around back and see if I can see anything through any windows.'
She never saw the truck pull in, just in time to see her go around the corner.
There were no windows for her to look through when she got around the back. She slowly walked to the door and tested the doorknob. 'Unlocked.' She started having second thoughts about entering when something cold and hard was pressed against the back of her neck.
"Don't turn around sweetheart. Just do as I say, and you will be just fine."
The man pushed her through the door into a large room where Coleman and four other men stood around a table, which held several bags of cocaine.
"Well, well. What do we have here Rich?" Roy Coleman said as he walked up to Koty. He lifted his hand and caressed Koty's cheek. Koty slapped his hand away, and stepped back. Coleman just laughed.
"Mighty feisty aren't..." He stopped mid sentence, and walked up closer to her and studied her face. "Holy shit fellows, do you know who this wild-cat is?"
He grabbed Koty by the front of her jacket, and pulled her to the table. "This bitch is Monty Silvers sister. And you know what else she is fellows? She's a fucking cop!"
The guy who had held the gun to her neck was once again behind her. Coleman raised his own gun, and pointed it at her face. "This changes everything boys."
"What are you going to do with her Roy?" One of the guys on the other side of the table asked.
"Yeah Coleman," Koty smirked. "What are you going to do? Monty already knows about your little scam here with all of your little playmates. Actually he's been onto you for a while now."
Coleman's eyes went dead cold, and Koty knew he was getting ready to pull the trigger. She kicked high, knocking the gun out of Coleman's hand, and with her left arm she slammed her elbow into the nose of the guy behind her, smiling when she felt it snap and heard him scream.
She heard a gun go off, and felt a hot burning pain in her ribs as she hit the floor. In a fog, she heard Coleman's voice. "Shit, torch this place now!"
"Hey man, we can't just leave her here!"
"I said torch this mother fucker now, and yes we can just leave her here. I'm not going down because some bitch cop knows everything."
That was the last thing that Koty heard before her world went totally black. She never saw, nor smelled the fire or smoke.
Pat Martin, a mechanic for the Ford Plant was on his way home from his shift when he saw smoke coming from the building, and some men running for their trucks. He quickly grabbed his cell phone and dialed 911. He stayed on the phone with them until the fire department showed up.
Firefighters had to use bolt cutters to get into the building. One of those firefighters was Jamie. She entered the room and saw boots behind the table. Unsure if there was a body attached to those boots, she went to investigate. When she spotted Koty, she dropped to the floor screaming for help. "I need help here Now!"
Crying, she reached for her best friend. 'There's so much blood! Oh God Baby, pleases, please be ok!' "Koty! Hang in there for me damn it. Don't you dare leave me!"
Two husky firemen lifted Koty, and rushed her outside with Jamie hot on their heels.
Jamie spotted Jason Price talking to one of the Patrolman. "Jason! Oh God Jason, it's Koty. Koty was the one in there, and she's hurt really bad. Please take me to the Hospital."
Hugging Jamie, and helping her into his car, he told her that Koty would be ok. 'Oh Jesus, I hope I'm right!'
Jamie was still crying when she asked to use Jason's cell phone. "Chris! Oh my God Chris. This is Jamie, look, Koty is being rushed to the hospital. We responded to a call about a fire, and when we got there I found Koty inside. Jesus Chris, she's been shot!"
Jamie followed Jason through the doors of the Emergency Room. A moment later she saw Kasey walking down the corridor.
Kasey turned as she heard her name, and saw Jamie running towards her. Seeing Jamie covered in soot, still in her jumpsuit, Tillamock boots, and her tear-stained face, the little hairs on the back of her neck stood straight up. Kasey reached out and caught Jamie as she stumbled into her.
"Jamie, what is it?"
"It's Koty. She's been shot. We pulled her out of a burning building, and she is in really bad shape."
Kasey didn't wait to hear anything else. She was already running to where the trauma team was frantically working on Koty.
Somebody yelled, "Call O.R. stat! We're loosing her!"
Jason handed Jamie a cup of coffee, and told her he needed to go back to see what he could find out. "You have my cell number Jamie, call me as soon as you hear anything. I'll be back as quick as I can."
Jamie had just taken a sip of her coffee when Monty and Chris came running through the doors. Chris ran to her and hugged her. "What's happening? Where's Koty!"
"I haven't heard anything since we got here, Kasey is with her. God Chris, I know it's bad though." She started crying again.
"Monty Honey, find out from Jamie what happened. I'm going to find out what I can about Koty." Chris kissed him and left.
Monty and Jamie held each other tight. He could not control the tears running down his face. He kissed Jamie's forehead, and led her to a chair. This woman in his arms couldn't be any more of a sister if she was his blood.
"It's going to be all right Jamie. Can you tell me what happened?"
Jamie had just finished telling Monty what she knew when the doors flew open, and Tina came rushing in.
"Jamie, what happened? Charlie came in and told us that you found Koty in a fire, and she had been shot."
At first, Jamie was pissed that Tina was even there. Then she softened when she remembered that she and Koty had been together for three years. It was somewhat understandable that Tina might be upset. "Come sit down Tina, and I'll tell you what I know."
An hour later, Kasey came up to them, stopping short when she saw Tina. She turned her attention to Monty and Jamie. "She's in stable condition now. She lost a lot of blood, but fortunately no major organs were damaged. The bullet hit her in the ribs busting a few, but that's probably what saved her life."
Kasey glanced at Tina once more, and then back at Monty. "She also inhaled a l
ot of smoke, but there isn't any physical burns, and there doesn't appear to be any damage to her lungs. Chris is still with her, Monty, you can see her in about another hour."
Jamie could see tell tell signs, that Kasey had been crying. She reached for her hand and asked, "She's gonna be alright then?"
Kasey squeezed her hand tightly. "We won't know for sure for another twenty four hours but yes, it appears that she is going to be ok."
Kasey reached up and pushed the hair off of Jamie's face. "She's going to be ok Jamie, why don't you go home and..."
"No way, I'm staying right here. Trish is coming, and she's bringing me something to change into. I'll clean up in the lounge."
Jamie hugged Kasey hard, and the tears started again. "You take care of her Doc. She's my best bud, ya know?"
"Yeah, I know, but Dr. Young is going to be her doctor, and he is one of the best." Kasey felt the tears threaten to start in her own eyes again. She turned to Monty as she still held Jamie's hand. "I'll come get you as soon as it's ok." Then she left.
Just then, it dawned on Tina who the doctor was. 'That's the woman Koty was having dinner with. The same woman she was dancing with at the club.' Tina wondered if they were lovers. 'Surely Koty wouldn't jump into bed with some one this fast. Nah, that's not Koty's style. No matter how beautiful that woman is.'
Chapter Nineteen
Jamie saw Trish come through the doors with a backpack flung over her right shoulder. Reaching for her lover Jamie cried once again. This time though, they were happy tears. Happy because her best friend was going to be ok.
As Koty awoke the next morning, she slowly opened her eyes to get them focused. At first she was confused at where she was, and it took a moment to realize that she was in the hospital.
Her chest felt like it had been crushed, and her throat was sore. She saw Monty asleep in the chair, and tried to call his name, but only a croaking noise came from her throat.
Monty opened his eyes when he heard the sound, and came to her side. "Don't try to talk just yet Koty, just relax."
Koty then remembered the shooting, and why she was here in the first place. She reached for Monty's hand and whispered. "Coleman."
"I know Koty. I talked to Jason last night, and it seems that the guy who called 911 got the license plate number from one of the trucks that just happened to be Coleman's. They found him last night with suitcases in his truck. He was getting ready to skip town. They don't know yet if he is the one who shot you, but they are pretty sure he will talk. He's not the kind to take the fall by himself."
Koty's eyes started to close so Monty kissed her on the forehead, told her to get some rest, and he would be back later to see her once he took care of some things at the office.
Much later when Koty woke again she saw Jamie and Trish sitting there smiling at her. Jamie came over and gently brushed her lips on Koty's. "Don't you ever do that to me again Dakota Silvers, or I will kill you myself. Do you hear me?" Once again there were tears in Jamie's eyes.
Trish leaned over and kissed her. "Hey Baby, you sure put the fear in us last night. God, if anything should ever happen to you, I would have to have this one committed. How do you feel?"
Koty laughed. Her throat was still sore, but not as bad as that morning. "I'm ok Trish, you guys can't get rid of me that easily you know."
Koty went to sit up but gasped when a shooting pain hit her in the ribs. "Christ that hurt, are my ribs busted?"
"Yeah, but you are lucky that was all that happened. They said that those busted ribs are probably what saved your life, even though you lost a lot of blood."
"Geez Trish, thank you for that bit of information." Koty laughed and squeezed her hand. "I really need to sit up."
"No Koty, you need to lay still before I have to sic the Doctor on you."
"Did someone say Doctor?" Came a voice from the doorway. Koty saw Kasey walking in, and her heart started to pound.
Kasey walked over to Koty, pushed the hair off of her face, and smiled that drop dead gorgeous smile. She gently brushed her thumb across Koty's cheek, and looked deep into her eyes. "And how are we feeling today?"
Before Koty could answer, Jamie told Koty that they would be back that evening to see her. They slipped through the door with smiles on their faces.
Koty looked back at Kasey, and in a deep croaky voice, said. "I'm alright, when can I go home?"
Kasey grinned, and with some of the tension now gone said, "Don't rush it Honey, you were hurt pretty bad you know. You had all of us pretty worried there for a while."
With a weak smile Koty asked, "Were you worried Doc?"
Kasey stared at her for a moment with a sad smile, and then in her low husky voice, said, "Yes Honey, I was very worried."
Kasey checked her vital signs, and glanced over her chart. "I'm going to get you some ice chips to suck on. We'll see if that will help soothe your throat a little. Is there anything else I can get you?"
"Yes, you can find out when I can go home."
Kasey was only gone from Koty's room for about ten minutes before she returned with the ice. When she walked into her room she stopped short when she saw the mysterious red-headed woman again, standing next to Koty holding her hand. She gave a quick glance at the red-head then back to Koty. 'Who in the hell is this woman?' She knew that she should just walk right back out the door, but couldn't make herself do so.
She was very uncomfortable with the red-head holding Koty's hand. The little green monster on her shoulder was kicking up a storm. 'Whoa, you don't have grounds to be jealous old girl. She doesn't belong to you.'
Kasey put some ice in a cup, and looked over Koty's chart again to make it seem like she wasn't paying any attention to them. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the woman tell Koty she would be back to see her, and then leaned down and kissed her.
"Bye Baby, you get some rest now."
"Alright Tina."
'Tina? This woman was Koty's ex? Why in hell is she coming around so much now.' Kasey felt herself tense with a rage she had never felt before in her life. Shocked at her own feelings, she turned her back until Tina left the room. She became very edgy, and turned to hastily set Koty's ice on her tray, then turned to leave.
"Kasey, is there something wrong?" Koty asked sensing the change in her.
Pausing, Kasey slowly turned to face her. "Koty, I...I've got a lot to do, I'll be by to check on you later."
Kasey walked out of Koty's room in a funk. 'I know that they were together for a long time, but sonofabitch! You're an ex Tina, you are the one who fucked her over so just go away.'
Kasey resisted walking back into Koty's room and telling her exactly that, but changed her mind and went to make her rounds for the morning. Koty needed to get more rest anyway.
Koty was released from the hospital three days later with instructions not to return to work for two weeks, and to get plenty of rest. She didn't know if she could stay still that long.
She had hardly seen Kasey since the morning that Tina was in her room. The few times that she did see her, Kasey was quiet, and seemed distracted.
Chris was there to pick Koty up the morning she was released, and helped her into the car. "Monty picked up your car honey, and dropped it off at your house. Jamie had followed him there to give him a ride home."
Koty leaned her head back against the seat, and wondered what she was going to do with herself for the next two weeks since she couldn't go back to work.
"Koty, are you alright Sweetie? Chris asked as she brushed some loose stands of hair from Koty's face. "You look really distracted hon."
"Yeah, I'm ok. I guess I'm just feeling a little sorry for myself right now. I don't know how to just hang around the house and not do anything."
Koty turned to gaze out the window. "Have you talked to Kasey lately Chris?"
She cast a sideways glance at Koty, and gave a puzzled look. "I talked with her shortly before I came to pick you up. Why?"
"Just curious."
&nbs
p; "Koty, is there something going on with you and Kasey? You don't have to answer that, I just thought..."
"No, there is nothing going on." Koty frowned and looked back out the window.
'Hmm.' "Do you want something to be going on?"
"Yes. No...I don't know Chris. I know that I can't stop thinking about her, but I don't think the feeling is mutual."
"Are you in love with her?"
"Come on Chris, I just got rid of Tina. Why would I set myself up like that so soon?"
Chris gently pulled into Koty's driveway, trying not to jar Koty too much, and turned to her after turning off the ignition. "Speaking of Tina Koty, what's going on there? She sure has been hanging around a lot lately."
"Nothing is going on there either Chris. I'm not sure what she is up to, but I'm not getting back with her. Is that why Kasey is mad at me?"
"She hasn't said anything to me about that Koty. Why?"
Chris was helping Koty get her things from the car. "Give me that Koty, you're not suppose to be lifting anything."
"Chris, I can carry something." Koty pouted as she handed Chris her bag.
"Not today you can't, now behave. Are you going to answer my question?"
"I don't know. I'm not really sure if she is mad, or not." Koty slowly sat down on the couch and pulled one of the pillows under her arm to help ease any pressure.
"That's ok though, cause I don't know what I want, so I guess it's no big deal."
Chris just smiled at her. 'Uh huh. I think there is a whole lot more going on that you don't even know my dear sister in-Law.' Chris couldn't imagine two other people, that she would love more than anything to see get together. After all, they were two of her favorite people.
Chapter Twenty
By Wednesday, Koty was feeling better, and was able to move around easier, so she decided to drive to Monty and Chris's for dinner. Monty met her at the door, and gave her a big hug.
"Ow."
"Sorry Sis, come on in and sit down. You look a little better. At least some of your color has come back. How do you feel?"
