Tara
I wake up and open my eyes carefully. My head is still pounding but not as bad as it was earlier. I do feel the staples in my head now. I carefully put my hand to my head and I feel where they shaved my head to put the staples in. It’s a good thing I am not one that cares what others think of my looks. I would be out of luck.
What is today? I see Mildred laying back in the recliner with a blanket over her. She doesn’t look very comfortable. I try to focus on what day it is. If it is the same day as when I came in it is Monday. I missed class tonight. I hope there was no test. I can’t remember if there should have been. I don’t think so but I need to get a phone to call as soon as I can. I can’t afford to miss another class. My head throbs. I can’t tell what time it is, there’s no windows I can see out of and I am not about to move my head. I feel for my pain pump button and I press it. A little more sleep, just a little relief. I watch Mildred sleep until my head feels fuzzy again. I still feel the throb but it I has lessened. I let my eyes drift shut. Just for a few minutes.
It seems like I have only had my eyes shut for a few minutes when I open them again. Everything looks brighter. I look over at Mildred and I see Rome sitting there staring at me. He gives me a slow smile. He is one beautiful man when he smiles and apparently my mouth thinks he needs to know this. “You are beautiful when you smile.” Rome is shocked by my words but smiles bigger.
“When that nurse comes back we may need to get her to set you up for a psych exam.” He stops smiling and his face goes back to the stoic look I have come to expect from Rome. “How are you feeling, Tara?”
“Oh, I don’t know. Maybe like the back of my head has been beat in. I would kill for some water, though.” Rome stands up and walks over to me.
“I’ll go and ask the nurse. I don’t see one of those pitchers they usually have in hospital rooms.” Rome walks out to the nurse’s station. He leaves the door open and I can see him. The nurse says something to him and then leaves him standing there. He returns to my room. “The nurse is getting you some water.”
“Thank goodness. The last time I asked for water they swabbed my mouth with something, it was nasty.” I think about it. I wonder how long ago that was. I have an IV in and I feel a tube somewhere else. Uh, I have a catheter. I try not to move so maybe Rome won’t notice. Why is Rome here? “The last time I woke up Mildred was here. Is she still here?”
“I sent her home a couple of hours ago.” That doesn’t make sense to me. Mildred must have work. I don’t expect anyone to sit with me. This is my situation. I need to get out of here. I can’t afford time off work, time out of school, and the hospital room cost. I don’t even want to think about it.
“Do you have a phone I can borrow? I’ll keep it short. I promise. I need to call my professors and I need to tell Bud that I don’t know when I will be able to work. I guess I should find out when they will let me out first. Why are you here?” I know that was a rude question. It sounded rude. I didn’t mean for it to but my filter between my brain and mouth seems to be busted.
“We’ll take care of everything in time, Tara. The doctor will be here later when he does his rounds this afternoon and you can ask when you might get released. I am here because I want to be. We need to discuss a few things.” I think about what Rome said. It’s hard for me to concentrate.
“What do you mean we? I need to get out of here and get home. I can rest there better. I can’t afford this hospital bill. I don’t have insurance.” The nurse walks in and brings a water pitcher and a cup and sets it on my bed table. She fills the glass and puts a straw in it.
“Ms. Blount, I am Kitty and I am your nurse today. The doctor was in earlier this morning and checked your staples. Do you remember talking to the doctor?” I try to remember but I can’t recall seeing a doctor.
“No, I don’t remember. Did he say when I am getting released? I have classes and a job to get back to.” Kitty smiles at me.
“It is way too early to be talking about that but you can speak to the doctor this afternoon. I am going to be back in a little while to remove your catheter. They are still working on getting you a room upstairs. It shouldn’t be long now and then the floor nurse will get you up so you can start moving around.” The nurse keeps talking.
“When can she eat something?” Rome asks the nurse.
“She’s on a clear liquid diet for lunch and then a bland diet for dinner. The doctor will upgrade when he sees how her stomach reacts to food.” The nurse only has eyes for Rome. I don’t know why that pisses me off but it does. “Can I get you anything else?” I know Kitty is asking me but she is staring at Rome.
“That’ll be it for now.” Kitty gives Rome another glance and walks out the sliding door. She’s no more gone then another nurse in scrubs walks in pushing a blood pressure stand. At least this one is a man. I won’t be forced to watch this one eye fuck Rome.
“Good morning. I am going to be helping Kitty today. I am here to take your stats. Oh, I am Ned.” He shows me his security badge and smiles. He has a nice smile. He scoots the stand up close to my bed. I put out my arm and he wraps the cup around my arm and hits the on button and the cup starts tightening around my arm. “Open, please.” I open my mouth and he sticks a thermometer in my mouth and then clips something on my finger. The cup is tight but it loosens soon enough. He takes the thermometer out of my mouth and the clip off my finger. He’s writing in everything on some type of computer tablet.
“Is everything alright?” I ask him.
“All in normal ranges. Can I get anything for you? If you are still here in two hours, I will be back.” Something confuses me. Surely, I am not still in the emergency room.
“Where are they moving me? Am I still in the ER?” Ned stops and looks at me.
“They are moving you to the third floor. You are on the second floor right now which is critical care on this end. The other end is surgery. We are small town so the floors are split. You don’t worry yourself. You are in good hands.” Ned tells me. “Now, can I get either of you anything?” Rome doesn’t answer.
“No. We’re fine.” Ned pushes his stand through the sliding door and Rome walks over and makes sure it closes and pulls the curtain closed over the door. I wait until Rome is seated and take a drink of my water and I think it is the best tasting water I have ever had. I keep drinking. Rome gets up and walks to me.
“You need to slow down. It’ll make you sick if you’re not careful.” He puts his hand out to me and I hand him the cup. He puts it on the stand and fills it up. Then sits beside me on the bed. I try scooting over without moving my head. I feel the throbbing intensifying. “You might want to push that button again so your headache doesn’t get out of hand.” I do what he says but wonder how he knows. “You’re squinting your eyes like they are hurting you. I figured the pain was coming back.”
“You’re right, it was. You didn’t answer my question, why are you here?” Rome surprises me by moving closer to me and running his hand down my face.
“I am here because you need me. That’s the only reason why I can figure out I have done the things I have. You need me and I think, maybe, I need you.” Rome is talking in riddles and I don’t understand. “Do you remember anything else that Liam said to you when he was attacking you?” I think about it.
“All I can remember is Liam pulling me out of the diner and then throwing up against the side of the building while choking me. He said he was coming after Devil, my protector, and the Feral Steel club. He also insinuated that Sheila and mom were working for him but I think he meant Sheila sleeping with him. He said she was his piece on the side. He was insulted I called her his girlfriend. I wish I hadn’t blacked out so soon because he was yelling the whole time but that is all I heard. That and he said he would have me on my knees before long.” That freaks me out. Liam gives me all sorts of bad feelings.
“It’s alright, Tara. Don’t get all worked up.” I didn’t realize I was raising my voice.
“He called you my protector. That’s crazy. We barely know each other.” Rome smiles again.
“Liam is right. I am your protector. You are under my protection now.” Rome says it but it makes no sense.
“No one is my protector. I stand on my own. Sometimes I wish I had a protector.” Rome takes my hand in his.
“I’m going to let you in on a little secret, Tara. You have a protector now. A bunch of them. I claimed you.” I start to ask what in the hell that means but Rome puts a single finger on my lips to silence me. “I know you don’t understand what that means so I am going to put it in a nutshell for you.” I wait and he continues. “That means you are mine to take care of. All the Feral Steel motorcycle club will protect you like you are family. You just need to do what I tell you and we will keep you safe. The rest will come with time. Just trust me. Can you do that?” Rome looks sincere but I’m not sure.
“I pay my own way. No man supports me. I will not be like that.” I try to make Rome understand. I have fought for this one thing for so long. I will not let it go. Not this and not my education.
“I understand and when you get back on your feet then you make your own money and continue your classes but the rest you trust me and the Feral Steel to take care of. Can you handle that, Tara?” I don’t know if I should agree or not.
“I need to contact school and Bud about work.” Rome swallows and then looks away.
“The diner was damaged by an explosion last night. It’ll be a while before Bud can reopen so you have time to recover.” I can’t live without my job. “The gym had a fire, also.” Rome is leaving something out. This is too much to be a coincidence.
“Did Liam do it all?” Rome looks away.
“We’re not sure yet but we think he may have something to do with it. Therefore, you need my protection. Tara, trust me to take care of you.” I don’t know if I can and I won’t lie.
“I can only say I will try. I’ve never had someone to take care of me before.” Then a thought came to me. “What do you want in return and why are you doing this?” Rome almost laughs but it comes out more like snort.
“Right now, all I want is you safe. I know you do not want me to support you. I’ve only been around you for a short time but I can tell you are sincere about this and it is important to you. I do not want to take that away from you but this is a serious situation. You’re already in the hospital. I am trying to be nice about this but I am not one to talk a situation to death. It’s the way it is, so don’t fight me on it.” I don’t know what just happened. Rome was calm and explaining to me and then something flipped and he is short and to the point.
“I said I would try and that is all I can promise.” I am trying not to act upset but I am.
“If I am not here there will be a prospect or a Feral Steel member that will be around keeping watch. If you need anything just let them know. Bud is coming back when he is finished with the fire chief and Mildred said she would be back too.”
I just wish Rome would leave. I need time to process everything he has said. “If you will write down your professor’s numbers I will try to get your assignments or leave of absence, whatever you need.”
“Are you mad at me for some reason? I will get in touch with my school myself. One minute you are telling me that you are going to take care of me and the next you‘re mad. What did I do?” I just need to know so I can avoid doing whatever I did again and then I get pissed. I haven’t done anything to anyone and I get beat up against a brick wall and now Rome is pissed because I don’t say how high when he says jump. My blood is beginning to boil.
“I’m not mad. I’m just not accustomed to explaining myself. I am going to do what is in your best interest, so chill out babe. I see the wheels turning in that brain of yours. It’s going to take a little while for us to get used to each other and we can do that the easy way or if you insist, then the hard way. We will have a learning curve so you try to hold onto that temper you have simmering and I’ll try to have more patience. Has anyone ever told you that you are beautiful when you have sparks flying in those eyes of yours?” I don’t even know what to do with that. The things that are sticking with me is chill out babe or Rome saying I am beautiful. I just don’t know how to respond but I am saved by a knock on the door.
“Come in.” I say and the nurse steps in.
“Ms. Blount, I am here to remove your catheter. You may want your guest to step out of the room.” I look at Rome and he stands up to leave.
“I’ll go and get some coffee. I’m not going far.” Rome looks at me to reassure me. My pain meds are making my head spin anyway.
“We’ll talk more later.” I tell Rome. I am not letting this go so easy. Rome looks back at me.
“You can bet on it, sweetheart.” There he goes being sweet again. This man is making my head hurt worse. Rome walks out of my room and I wonder if it would really be that bad to depend on a man for just a little while. These damn meds are messing with my thinking. The nurse walks over and slides the door completely shut and pulls the curtain so no one in the hall can see. She pulls my blankets back.
“Ms. Blount, this will only take a few minutes.” Easy for her to say.