Caspien

I woke up in a hospital bed and all I could think about was the overwhelming pain. It felt like it was everywhere, but when I finally managed to sit up, I realized that it was because I had been shot. I started to remember everything that happened and as it came to me, I looked down to the wrist that I couldn’t move from the side of the bed.

It wasn’t an enemy that had shot me, or even the crazy bitch that I was dating, it was the cops. I had shot a couple of them, though I think I got the worst of it. I was hyped up and didn’t remember much, but I remembered the pressure and pain in my chest. The only thing good that I could make out of everything around me was the fact that at least I wasn’t hooked up to a bunch of wires and tubes. However bad it hurt, it didn’t seem like I was messed up too bad.

“Don’t move Caspein. It is good to see you awake. You have been asleep for a couple of days now.”

The nurse was short and round. She had a nametag that said Judy and a short, black bob that flipped under that fit her name. She was smiling at me, but I could tell at the same time she was worried about being alone with me. I could see her eyes flicking to the clock and then Judy made sure not to get close enough on one side to let me touch her. It was clear that my crimes were already known and it was going to make it a lot harder to get out of here.

Never once did I think that it wasn’t possible though. It wasn’t the first time that I had found myself in a jam before. It was half the reason that I had to get out of here. This wasn’t my first offense and I was not going to go down for this.

It was all Fran’s fault. She was the one that had called the cops. I wasn’t sure why, but it didn’t matter. All that mattered was that I was going to find her and she was going to pay. It had all started with her telling me about a customer that was getting fresh with her. It had escalated quickly from there and I would be the first to admit that the drugs coursing through my system had something to do with it. But she shouldn’t have called the police. She knows better than to do something like that and I was going to make sure that she knew what it was wrong that she had done.

“I want to speak to the doctor, find out what all is wrong in here.”

I motioned to my chest and the nurse nodded her head that she would do it. I knew that she didn’t want to come any closer to me, so she just kind of checked me from a distance. I couldn’t blame her because if she did get close enough, I would use her to get out of here.

“And do you think I can get something for the pain? This hurts like a son of a bitch.”

“You can talk to the doctor about it. He will be in here in just a minute.”

The nurse was gone and I was left to look around the room. I was looking for any kind of opportunity that I could find. I needed to know what kind of security the place had, but first I had to find out what the damage was. Guys in my line of work get shot on a regular basis. This wasn’t the first time I had been bitten by a bullet and sad enough, I doubted it would be the last. The only way that was going to happen was if I was sent to prison for shooting the cops. Those were charges that kept you in jail for a while. It was not something I was prepared to do.

I was guilty as sin and unless I got out of there before I was transferred to a hospital, I wasn’t going to be able to get out. After this place, the next one would be locked up for guys like me trying to escape.  A hospital was a little more trustworthy and if nothing else, I may just have a real shot of tasting some freedom.

Closing my eyes, I waited patiently for the doctor to get to the room. It took well over a couple of minutes, but when he came in he wasn’t alone. He had a police officer with him that wanted to ask questions. I feigned like I was in massive pain and wasn’t able to talk. I wanted to stay out of the cop’s clutches for as long as possible. Once he started asking questions and I was well enough to get transferred, I would be in a cell instead of at the hospital in a warm bed with a TV.

“Officer, this man is not in any condition to answer questions right now. You will have to try back tomorrow or even a little later in the week. I will not jeopardize his recovery on pressing him into a stressful interview. He is not going anywhere, so this can wait.”

The cop was pissed and gave me a look that could have melted plastic. I knew that I was in for it once they got their hands on me. I needed to make sure that it didn’t happen and I waited for the uniformed man to leave the room before I said anything else.

“Thanks Doc.”

“Don’t thank me Cass. You have some very persuasive friends that are hard to say no to. I can only do that for so long. You have no real life-threatening injuries. It went in and it went out. You are one lucky son of a bitch.”

It was good to know that I had more time. I didn’t think that I could run tonight, just not yet. I needed a little more time and now I had it.

“How much is this going to cost me?”

“Does it matter?”

I shook my head that it didn’t. If it was too much I would come back and get it from him. People never did make good deals when it wasn’t their money and I had to know who it was that had made it all possible.

“Who?”

“Katherine I think her name was. She wasn’t too friendly in that sort of way.”

“Alone?”

“No, she had a couple of lug heads with her.”

It made me smile and I asked him for something for the pain. “I will get it to you in a few. The nurse will come around. Please don’t scare her anymore.”

“Something for these cuffs?”

He looked down and then shrugged. “I am sure I can come up with something to do the trick. You do need a little rest. You were just shot and the cops can’t talk to you without my clearance. Rest easy Caspien, nothing is going to happen to you. The way out will be there when you are ready.”

The only reason he was worried was because payment was due when I was out of here. If not, there would be problems ahead for the good doctor. Dr. Weaver would either be happy that I showed up on his watch, or he would curse the day that he met me. It could go either way. That was his choice in the end.

Sitting back after Judy left, she was a little less skittish, but I didn’t think she was going to be getting any closer, any longer than she absolutely had to. I knew that it didn’t matter how they acted. I was going to be out of here soon enough. Everything was going to be fine and then I would have time to do what was needed. I needed to find Fran. We had a lot to talk about and that woman had some explaining to do.