20
“He’s very lucky he didn’t break his neck or fracture his skull,” a voice spoke over the fog that had gripped me. It might’ve been medically induced for all I knew, or I might have passed out at some point. “Three cracked ribs, broken tibia, fibula,” the male voice sighed heavily. “Despite the precautions he took, he still sustained serious injuries.”
“How long is he going to be out?” the curt question came from the Captain.
That was enough to tug me from my sleep. “The fuck are you doing here?”
I caught them both off guard.
“Mister Miller you need your rest,” the doctor came to me and put a stethoscope to my chest. “Your accident was serious, and you’re lucky you survived it. Motorcycle accidents take lives every day.”
“Yeah,” I grunted. “Because this was an everyday accident.”
“Doc, if he’s stable,” Captain interrupted any lecture that the other man had at the ready. “Let me have a moment with him. I have some questions for him, and I’d like the opportunity to speak with him alone.”
“If you’re going to be questioning him about his involvement with a crime--” there was procedure that the doctor was interested in.
“I’m a cop,” I had to set the record straight. “Fuck off so he can talk to me.”
I watched as the older man floundered for a minute before he nodded his acceptance and walked out of the hospital room I’d apparently been left in. I took a shallow breath because my chest hurt. Of course it would. I looked to the man that had put me in this position, that left me to face a danger I wasn’t prepared for.
“It wasn’t an accident,” he said after a beat, though that wasn’t what I was concerned about.
I knew it wasn’t an accident. I might not be a pro rider, but something would’ve had to set me off for me to lose control like that.
“Care to tell me why you were wearing Kevlar and just where you managed to get ahold of a bullet proof helmet?” He continued.
“Gifts,” I grunted. “You know, from people that gave a shit about me.” I shifted, trying to find a comfortable position and failed. Everything protested. My left leg was propped up on pillows, and from what I could tell looking at it, I probably shouldn’t move around too much. “I was wearing them because law enforcement is more concerned about a group of vets than they are about a group of violent meth heads.”
“I’m surprised you sound angry,” he folded his arms and looked at me curiously. “Was I wrong putting you in that group?”
“Did you have another alternative come up? You should’ve said something sooner, it would’ve been helpful,” I licked my lips, my mouth feeling like a desert. “I’ve been with them going on two years now. How’s the evidence you’re getting from me? Anything useful to shut them down?”
“From your tone and from the fact that this is not a secure area, I’m going to elect not to answer that,” he cleared his throat and went to the oval window that took up one wall. “Was this orchestrated?”
“I didn’t willingly volunteer to be shot at or to get into an accident on my bike,” I grimaced not from pain, but because I knew the answer to my next question. “My bike was trashed, wasn’t it?”
“That usually happens in accidents, vehicles get damaged beyond repair,” he said without looking at me. “This other group did this?”
“We made no attempt to provoke them,” I closed my eyes, feeling so tired now. “If you listen to the conversation we had you’ll know that. It was just riding around for the sake of riding around.” I brought my hand up and frowned with how heavy it felt. I rubbed my brow as I spoke again. “Talk to Ricky. He’ll corroborate it.”
“I’m pulling you,” it was said in an even tone, like he was talking about the weather. “Not that you can do much while you recover. But there’ll be a post at your door so that no one but family is allowed in.”
“What about the Brotherhood?”
“You’re disappearing as soon as you’re able,” he informed me. I opened my eyes to see him walking to the door. “I’ll have the paperwork ready for that. All you need to worry about is making a speedy recovery.”
This was it. I knew eventually the lie I had been living would come to an end, I just didn’t expect it to happen so quickly or bluntly. My stomach twisted up, and I found the nurse’s call button. I pressed it as my head started to pound and I could only hope that she’d bring me something good to take care of it.