Axel woke in the dark. Memories swirled through his head, or were they dreams? He remembered the intense pain when Julie cut the bullet from his shoulder. Then later being too hot, Julie holding a cloth to his head, making him swallow cool liquid. He put a hand on his side where the bullet had gone through. The skin around the wound was cool. No infection. He felt his thigh. No infection there either. He was trying to reach the wound on his shoulder when the light clicked on.

Axel looked around the little room. He was in the only bed, barely wide enough to hold him. Julie was in an uncomfortable looking armchair next to the bed, her hand on the lamp, blinking sleepily. The only other objects worth speculating about were the two doors. One to the bathroom, the other one the way out, he supposed. The room was dingy and dark. There were no windows. It was the perfect place for him to hide while recuperating.

“How are you feeling?” Julie asked, getting to her feet to feel his forehead. “I was beginning to think that fever was never going to break.” She lifted his shirt and peeled back the dressing. “This is much better,” She said. “I couldn’t get you to swallow much, so I packed the wound with antibiotic powder. I didn’t know if it would help or not. Roll over a little so I can look at your back.”

He gritted his teeth as she poked at the wound on his back. It hurt like a SOB, but he’d be damned if he’d act like an ungrateful asshole. He was willing to bet she hadn’t been fully asleep the entire time he’d been healing.

“How long was I out?” he asked. She sat back in the chair and the light illuminated the dark circles under her eyes, her hands shaking. With fatigue or hunger, he wondered.

“A couple of days,” she said. “I was scared to death.” She ran her hand through her hair. “I need a shower.”

“You haven’t showered? What about food? Have you eaten? Slept?” He felt the anger start to flow but he stamped it down. He wasn’t angry at her, so much as the situation. There had been no one to help her.

“The manager brought me a sandwich, but there’s no shower down here – just a toilet and a sink, so I couldn’t shower.” She closed her eyes.

“I’ve got some money in my wallet,” he said. “Take it and my truck and get some food. You’ll be all right. Just go straight to the truck and lock yourself in.”

“I just want to close my eyes for a minute,” she said, squirming around in the chair, trying to get comfortable. An impossibility by the looks of the chair.

“Come here,” he said. “Slide in beside me.” He moved so his back was on the very edge of the bed and held the blanket up. For a moment she looked like she would refuse, but then she deflated and slid in with him. Whatever her hesitation had been, exhaustion had trumped it.

He stayed until her breathing was deep and even, then he slid his arm out from under her and got out of bed. He was a little unsteady on his feet at first. He went into the tiny bathroom and splashed some water over his face and the back of his neck from the dirty sink. He found his duffle under the end of the bed and pulled on some clothes, found his wallet and the key to the room and let himself out, locking the door behind him.

He hoped the thug who’d shot him thought he was dead, but hope isn’t an emotion to act on. He was slow to come out into the daylight, cracking the door open and scanning the throughway before emerging. When he reached the parking lot he stood in the shadows scanning the parking lot for unusual activity. But it was Monday morning, there was only one other vehicle in the lot and it was locked and empty.

He got in the truck and headed for food. The drug store beside the fast food drive through made him think of the oozing wounds. He stopped at the pharmacy first and picked up supplies, adding a box of condoms to his basket. He couldn’t believe he’d forgotten that. Julie had taken him by surprise.

He drove through the take out joint, bought just about two of everything and drove back to the hotel. He hadn’t been gone more than half an hour.

There was a second car in the lot when Axel drove in, but he didn’t think too much of it. This place had people coming and going at all hours. Axel grabbed the bags of food and first aid supplies with one hand and the drink carrier with the other, balancing the coffees and milkshakes with ease. He felt good. Happy for the first time in a long while. He liked that he was doing something for Julie now, it felt right to him.

The good feelings disappeared when he reached the basement room and the door was standing open. Martin was sitting in the chair with Julie on his lap. There was a bright red handprint on her cheek and a gun to her head. Rage threatened to overpower him, but he pushed it back. He needed a cool head to get Julie out of this.

“You all right, babe?” he asked.

She looked up and nodded; her eye swollen and purple, her lower lip cracked and bleeding.

“You should have never left her alone, boyo,” Martin said. “You made it easy for me. Move into the bathroom and shut the door.”

“I’m putting the food on the bed, bro. You should let her take it with you. It’s been a long time since she ate,” Axel said setting everything carefully on the bed, except the drinks which he balanced on the rickety bedside table. He moved into the bathroom but didn’t shut the door.

“What do I care if the whore is hungry,” Martin said. “That’s what she gets for leaving me.”

Martin pushed Julie roughly to her feet and shoved her toward the hall. When she reached the door, she grabbed the handle and slammed it hard on his gun hand. The gun dropped.

Axel exploded from the bathroom and grabbed Martin around the waist, pulling him away from the door.

“Run, babe! Run to the office and call the heat!” Axel turned his attention to Martin, who was attempting to elbow him in the gunshot wound in his side. They locked together, both trying for the upper hand. Axel used his height and weight advantages to fling Martin on the floor. He hit the bedside table and the coffee and milkshakes tumbled from the table and soaked him.

Martin jumped up pulling his soaking and obviously hot shirt over his head. His pants were covered in frozen dairy. He didn't seem to know which end to clean up first. Axel spotted the gun at the same moment Martin started to reach for it. Axel body checked him sideways, away from the gun sending Martin onto the bed and Julie's breakfast. For some reason, the ruined breakfast sent him into a rage. He slammed his elbow into Martins face, knocking Martin silly and causing a massive nosebleed.

"I've got the gun," Julie said from behind him. "You can get up, Axel."

He made a fist and slammed it into Martins face. The crunch of breaking nose made him grin. Take that you bastard, he thought.

"Axel! Stop!" Julie shouted. "You have to stop now!"

"He ruined your breakfast," Axel said. "That's why I went out, I knew you needed to eat and he's ruined it." He started forward again, the desire to smash in Martins face overwhelming him.

"I called the cops, Axel. You've got to get out of here," Julie said.

"I can't just leave you with this guy," Axel's mind was reeling. "I can hide in the bathroom."

"No. You can't. If you get caught here it will be my fault. I don't want you to go to jail. Please, Axel, for me. He's practically unconscious and I've got the gun."

The sound of sirens reached their ears and panic sprang onto her face. She looked at him, pleading with her eyes. He grabbed his duffle and ran up the stairs, out behind the motel and over the dusty field to the woods. He'd wait there until everything calmed down and he could go back to claim his truck. He watched as a stream of cop cars pulled in, sirens blaring. Soon the parking lot was full of flashing blue lights and there were cops stationed all over the place, guns drawn.

He couldn't see them pull Martin out of the basement, but pretty soon the cars started pulling away until only the forensics team was left. It was dark before Axel felt safe enough to make his way back across the field. He stopped in at the office and paid off the manager. It was the one way to make sure the motel stayed a good place to hide.

After that he got in his truck and drove. It was time for him to start making some changes in his life.