I Knew You Were Trouble: Accidents Happen (8 page)

Chapter Twelve

I was still smiling from Adeline's movie night. It had been a few days ago, but still kept me warm at work. I thought it deserved some original thought on my part. I spent some work time surfing until I found a gourmet cooking convention in Indianapolis for the coming weekend. Adeline wasn't supposed to start her new job until Monday, so I booked a hotel room and purchased some tickets. I was anxious about my surprise when I drove into the garage.

For the first time since Adeline had moved in, there was no smell in the air. Nothing cooking. She wasn't there to meet me at the door. The house was dark except for the blue glow of the fish tank. I called out, receiving silence in response. She hadn't told me she would be out, not that we were married, but something didn't feel right. I flipped on the light and moved to the bedroom, thinking I had caught her napping.

My head snapped to the right before I felt it. The whole left side of my face exploded in pain and I lost my vision. My knees wobbled as I nearly dropped to the floor. A large form moved in front of me from the hall, and my stomach caved in response to a fist. I went down on all fours before my hands could come up. I tasted blood as I gasped for breath. A foot drove into my stomach, turning me over and driving bile into my mouth. Three men, none of whom I recognized, stood before me. One was smiling, one spit on me and the other had a knife at Adeline's throat.

"I got money," I spit out as much blood as words, "don't hurt her." The smiling one stepped on my wrist, putting all his weight on it. Only the carpeting was saving the bones.

"Listen, shit," the man who had spit on me said, "Mr. Gordinni doesn't appreciate you spending time with his woman." The statement was followed by a kick to my side. I felt my ribs give and all I could do was grunt. "Maybe we should spend time with yours," the man continued. I heard Adeline squeal in the distance. Anger filled me.

I gave up on my wrist and rolled into the leg atop it. I surprised myself by freeing my hand without breaking it. I rose slightly and twisted into the man's knee bringing him down. I kneed him in the stomach and drooled blood on his clothes. I began to rise; it was my house, and they were threatening all that I loved.

A knee caught my chin and drove my head back. That was followed by a fist that took my balance from me. I crumpled back to the floor, my head swimming in waves of tar. I tried desperately to rise again; my left eye was swollen shut and blood was pouring from my mouth. Two sets of arms pulled me to my feet. I tried to struggle, but my muscles weren't responding. I could hear Adeline crying out, perhaps a mile away. I suddenly picked up speed, my right eye seeing nothing but blue fish tank. My head hit sideways and water sloshed out of the top. I collapsed, feeling warm wetness run into my ear.

"Fuck," one of the men said, "the damn thing didn't break." I tried to raise my head. My neck wasn't responding to the command.

"No!" Adeline screamed. I heard glass shatter and a flood of saltwater covered me. I looked up and saw the smiler with one of the kitchen stools in his hands. He was laughing.

"Go near Ms.Simpson again, and you and yours are dead," the smiler said and threw the stool over the counter and into the kitchen where I heard something break amongst the clatter. The name was familiar, but my foggy brain couldn't identify it. I tried to say "Who the fuck is Ms. Simpson?" but only blood bubbled from my mouth. I began to choke on it, so I forced myself to roll onto my side to drain my throat. I saw a bleary image of Adeline held by the third man. I reached out for her. With no strength left, my arm collapsed on top of a flopping Mufasa. I felt a deep stab in my arm. 'Damn,' I thought clumsily, 'killed by my own fish.' Raging fire burned into my arm. A deep blackness swallowed me.

***

I heard my name in a fog. I tried to open my eyes, but they wouldn't respond nor would my hands when I tried to wipe my eyes. I tried to listen, to fully wake my mind.

"She blames herself" - "They say he will recover" - "She moves back..."

Only fragments. I half-recognized the voices. Like a radio that just won't fully grasp a frequency, my mind drifted.

"It's for the best." - "I'll watch him."

I wasn't sure how time flowed as I retreated back to darkness, unable to fight any longer.

***

"Good morning, Mr. Richardson." The voice was cheerful. I heard curtain rings being slid along their rail, and my eyelids brightened dramatically. I blinked slowly, my eyes feeling the light as pain. "The doctor will be in shortly. She hopes you will be awake." The voice moved closer. I made out a olive green shape, linear, without the curves I expected attached to such a pleasant voice.

I coughed as I tried to speak. My throat cleared what felt like a week of backup. My mouth was dry, but my eyes began working better. I looked up into a practiced smile, her blonde hair pulled tightly back away from her face. The eyes were intelligent, and saw none of the confusion I felt.

"Good morning," I gargled out. I sounded old and coughed again.

"I'm Julie, morning shift," she said clearly, almost like she expected me to be a little slow. "Do you know where you are?" My eyes glanced around. Hospital room. A couple of blinking consoles, basic white sheets and beige walls. A double window, curtains open, letting in way too much sunlight. My head began to pound.

"Hospital," I answered, a little more coherently. I waved my hand toward the curtains, "Can we close those damn curtains?" The light seemed to be burrowing directly into my skull.

"If you promise to stay awake," Julie said and moved to close the curtains without waiting for my agreement.

"How long?"

"Four days," Julie smiled, "rather, this will be your fourth."

"Adeline?" I asked as I looked around. The room was empty. A knife at her throat was the last thing I remembered. I tried to sit up, my chest protested with pain and my head swirled. "Is Adeline alright?"

"I don't know who that is," Julie answered, "you were admitted alone." She pushed me gently back into the pillow. "You're not going anywhere, but we do have a phone." Guilt racked my body, thoughts of Adeline being handled by those men I couldn't stop. Visions of what may have happened tore through me. I hated those thoughts.

"Police, I need the police," I pleaded. I tried to sit up again, but Julie had all the leverage, and a strong pain in my chest was fighting against my strength.

"The police will back again this morning," Julie said, applying more pressure to my shoulders. Four days. My God, she could be dead. I was worthless. I just let them have her. I reached up with both hands, my chest was tortured with a dagger-like pain on the right side. I ignored it and pushed Julie's arms off my shoulders. I sat up with an audible grunt.

"Please, Mr. Richardson." Julie lost all her confidence and took a step back. "You have to remain still." My feet got caught in the sheets as I tried to swing them off the bed. More pain as I bent over to pull the sheet out of the way. Everything hurt as I maneuvered my legs off the side. Julie had her arms outstretched, trying to stop me. I stood, and the world began to flip around in sweeping circles. Nausea filled my belly, and I lost balance. Julie grabbed me, pushing me back to sit on the bed.

"Slower, you have to go slower," Julie pleaded. I had no choice but to listen. My mind and body refused to follow my instructions.

"I need the police now," I demanded as Julie helped me lie down. The pillow cradled my head softly, and the spinning room began to slow. I was too weak. Then and now. Fucking worthless. Tears flooded my eyes, daggers piercing my chest as I sobbed. They should have just killed me.

"I'll call them," Julie sighed as I finally settled into the bed.

"I couldn't stop them," I blubbered.

"Relax, let the drugs wear off." She grabbed a cloth from next to the bed and began wiping my face. "Everything will be clearer soon." I couldn't stand up, much less walk.

"I need my phone," I said, looking at the white nightstand expecting to see it charging. Julie moved to the drawer and pulled it open. She retrieved my phone and handed to me. It was, of course, quite dead. "I need a charger," I said, lucidity appearing from the fog. A woman entered wearing the same olive green smocks the nurse was wearing, covered by a white lab coat.

"You're awake," the woman observed, "I'm glad to see that."

"Awake and anxious, Doctor, he tried to get out of bed."

"And how did that work out for you?" the doctor asked. I didn't like the humor in her tone. She wore brass rimmed glasses and looked over the top of them, waiting for my response.

"I need a damn charger," I replied, waving the phone. I never memorized any numbers, much less Adeline's. I needed my contact list.

"Julie, see if you can find a charger that fits his phone." She looked back to me as Julie took my phone out the door. "There, first problem solved," the doctor continued.

"Thank you," I shouted toward the door, suddenly remembering my manners. I doubt Julie could have heard it.

"You're going to be disorientated for day or so," the doctor said, while glancing at her tablet. "I've taken you off painkillers. If the pain gets to be too much, let me know and we'll talk about reinstating them." The pain kept me awake. I needed to stay awake. The doctor smiled, looking up from her tablet, "Sorry, I'm Doctor Jane White," she added.

"Hi, Damon Richardson," I responded.

"You're my first lion-fish poisoning," Dr. White said, "I had to consult a colleague in Florida to verify the treatment." Consultations meant money. This was going to cost. I shook the monetary thoughts from my head.

"Adeline Morrison was with me when I was attacked. What happened to her?"

"There was a woman here when you first came in," Dr. White said as she moved toward the head of the bed, "I didn't get her name, though the front desk should have it. She spent most of her time crying, though she was physically fine. If she isn't family, they wouldn't have let her stay." It must have been Adeline. No one else would be crying for me. I was partially relieved. Dr. White took a small flashlight out of her pocket and told me to stare at a spot on the ceiling. She flicked the light to and from my eyes.

"You've suffered a concussion as well as the effects of the pterois venom," the doctor continued. "I feared you might have cerebral edema, but we ruled that out; just a concussion. I don't believe you will have any lasting effects. You may want to stay out of fights for a few months." She smiled, thinking her obvious statement was funny. "You have a broken rib and bruising along your abdomen. That's going to make it painful to move about for a while."

She lifted my arm and showed me a large red splotch where Mufasa poked me. "I have been assured the discoloration is temporary." She examined it closer, like I was a lab rat. She let my arm drop. "We would like to keep you here until we are assured you gain adequate mobility or you have a caretaker at home."

"So, nothing permanent?" I stretched my back and felt the sharp pain in my chest again.

"No, though it would be wise to take it slow and seek medical advice quickly if you sense a problem. There's always a chance of an internal injury we may have missed."

Julie returned with a charger. "This is one of the nurse's," Julie said, while she plugged it in the wall. "He gets off in three hours, so you'll have to give it up then." I felt some of my helplessness leaving. I had my phone again.

"Thank you," I said honestly. Julie smiled and attached my phone to the cord. The telltale beep of the power connection being made was not there. The phone would need a few minutes to start charging.

"I'll get some food sent up," Julie said, smiling at my thanks. "I'm sure you're hungry." My brain sorted through the pain in my stomach and separated the bruising from the hunger pains. I realized I was famished.

"Sorry about earlier," I offered. My rudeness bothered me now. I wasn't sure how Julie put up with it.

"Forget it," Julie said, obviously pleased I apologized, "drugs have that effect. A detective Williams will be here in about thirty minutes." I nodded, feeling it in my chest. Even simple movements reminded me I was hurt. Julie held up a call button attached to a cord and set it on the nightstand next to the phone. "Push this if you need to use the bathroom. One of us will make sure you get there in one piece."

"Your dizziness will begin to fade today," Dr. White added, "tomorrow it should be manageable, though it's not unusual for it to stick around for a few days. I'll check on you in the morning; just try to relax as best you can."

"Thanks, Doc," I said. She left me with Julie who handed me the TV remote. I couldn't remember the last time I watched daytime TV. Julie left, promising to send breakfast. I put the TV control off to the side and grabbed my phone. It was responding slowly to my commands to turn it on. I waited impatiently for it to boot. When it finally came up, I found Adeline in my recent call list and initiated the call.