CARLI
Oh my God! What bus hit me? My tongue is fat, my mouth is dry like the morning after an all-night bender, and I’m so tired. Tired is too weak a word, but my mind is mush. I’d love to think up something more intelligent, but it ain’t happenin’.
Ugh! Even the act of opening my eyes is awful. Who replaced my mascara with sandpaper? Arguing against the lids, I push with all my might. The light here is so fucking bright.
“Good morning,” someone says in Japanese.
What the ever-loving fuck! Where the hell am I?
Clearing the gauzy feel, I look around the space. White walls, stark metal cabinets, a hospital bed, and me, with monitors attached.
Oh, yeah. Kato, Jamieson, Hiro, and my sisters!
Stretching out my hand, I see the IV running down the back of it. The needle makes it hard to move. Lifting my other one, I’m thankful there’s nothing on it. I pull slowly and gently on the cover. The need to get out of this bed and see my sisters is paramount.
Rushing to my side, a nurse halts my exit. “Whoa, whoa. Hold on, Ms. Katana. You can’t go anywhere. You’ve just woken up from major surgery. Let me get the doctor for you, he’ll explain it all.”
She reaches over and presses the button on the side of the bed. “I bet you’d like some water.” Reaching the side table, pulling over a glass of water in a cheap Styrofoam cup, she raises the bed slightly, angling a straw toward my mouth. As soon as the cool liquid hits my throat, I want to rejoice. My oh my, that’s lovely.
“How do you feel?”
Clearing my throat, I try to speak. “Tired. Where are my sisters?” My voice sounds like it was dragged through nails and gravel.
“They’ve been here night and day, waiting.”
Why does it sound like she’s talking about more than one day? Before I can ask, the doctor arrives. He’s no less than fifty, pretty short, with thinning hair and thick eyebrows behind wire rimmed glasses.
“Ms. Katana, I’m glad you’re awake. Good to see you.” His smile is bright and sweet. “Let me tell you what’s gone on. You came in from an apparent gunshot wound. We rushed you into emergency and found extensive damage to your kidneys. You’d already lost too much blood and failure was occurring. We needed a donor.” He pauses, checking a few of my monitors that start to beep. “Your sisters were not a match, but thankfully, one of the people that were here when you came in was. You were really lucky, Ms. Katana.”
The Crowns? One of the Crowns were a match? Who?
“Baby?”
His smile is wide. “The baby’s fine. You were both very lucky. Now, you need more rest.” Pushing something into the IV, I immediately feel groggy again. “Sleep. You’ll feel better soon.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I don’t know if hours or days have passed, but I wake up feeling less like a B52 bomber is dragging me behind it on the runway. The monitors still beep, the IV is still attached, and my body is sore, but it’s better. Looking around the room, I see that the nurse is different than the one I saw last. The room is dark, the lights are low, and the clock says eleven. Scrambling around on the bed, slowly, I search out the call button and depress it.
“Can I help you?”
“What day is it?” I ask.
“Saturday afternoon, Miss. Are you hurting?”
“No, not at all, but I could do with a bite.”
She looks slightly shocked. “You feel up to food? Well, that’s a good sign. Let me see if I can wrangle up something soft. How’s Jell-O?”
You have got to be kidding me.
“The red kind, please.”
Smirking, she leaves the room.
“Of course you’d want the red.”
I know the voice immediately. “Jamieson? Where are you?”
Pushing the curtain back, lying in the bed beside me, his smile is…
No beard? I didn’t think he could be more beautiful, but man, it’s amazing. Best thing I’ve seen all day. Or, at least, I think so.
“You helped me?”
He smiles and gives me a nod. “I can’t date the mother of my child if she dies.”
Laughing to myself, I take in the change. His grin was beautiful through the beard, as you knew it had to work itself through all that hair to be seen beaming as bright as it did. To see him smiling without a beard, is just...it’s extraordinary.
“You saved me, but I don’t get it? You’d already helped your sister before, so why would they let you do it again?”
“We didn’t let him do anything. He insisted once we knew your sisters weren’t matches. He was, thankfully,” the nurse states, bringing me a cute little cup of red goodness. I figure if Wyatt and Circe would wrestle after it, then it must not be that bad tasting. And right now, the ass end of skunk would be great.
“So you saved me, just for a date?”
“Maybe more, maybe less. But I couldn’t find out if you died now could I?”
“Sound logic, Crown.” Spooning a mouthful of the red goo, I touch my tongue to it before trying it. The texture is odd, but decidedly, it’s not disgusting. Being as hungry as I am, though, it’s like heaven to a starved man. Mouthful after mouthful until the cup is empty, I try to scrape the edges to get even the smallest amounts out.
“Would you like more?” the nurse asks.
“Keep it coming,” I say, handing her the empty cup, but keeping the spoon. With a smile, she turns and walks off.
Leaving us alone, it gives us a chance to talk. Thinking on all the things I should have said to him, my mind just explodes with every thought imaginable. “I’m sorry. I should have told you first when I found out I was pregnant. Then I shouldn’t have kicked you out, because I really wanted you to stay. Then, when my uncle was there, holding me hostage, I really didn’t want you there, but I did. I didn’t want to be alone and I knew you’d make me feel safe. And after you pushed me out of the way, saving me, I couldn’t tell you anything because I don’t remember a damn thing. But I’m glad you’re here.”
Pausing for a second, taking a deep breath, I ask the one question that’s been niggling in my mind since they arrived. “Why did you all fly out here? Didn’t you have your mother’s funeral?”
Grinning slyly the whole time I’ve spewed all that mental junk, the nurse returns with not one, but two bowls of Jell-O. “Sorry, only red and green left. I figure she’ll get first dibs as the mother.”
“Yep. You’re totally right.” Taking the offered cup and spoon, Jamieson smiles wide. “She’s going to win for years, and Jell-O is just a starting point. Ask my brother outside the door, he’ll tell you. When it comes to strong women, I don’t think we’ll ever win a fight, and I’ll be happy to lose.”