Desires Unleashed (29 page)

“No, no, not an inconvenience at all,” she lied. She put the receiver back to her ear, “Mom-”

“I've already heard,” her mother sighed. She didn't mind helping out her fellow man, it was out of her way, but she'd do it. She did teach her daughter to help those in need. “I'll be there in a little while, okay? Probably about a quarter after twelve, is that going to be alright?”

“Yeah, perfect, bye Mom.”

“See you later,” her mom corrected her. “You know how I dislike the word 'bye'.”

“Yes Mom, see you in a few.”

“That's better,” her mother said, before hanging up the telephone. Natasha looked at the doctor.

“So what's up, Doc? I hear I can go home today, I was just calling my mother to tell her she could pick me up.” She smiled, happy to be getting out of the germ infested hospital and nothing anyone could say would make her think otherwise. The doctor nodded as he looked at the file then up at Natasha.

“Why are you taking Triadonex?” the doctor asked.

“Well, I've been taking it for as long as I can remember. I started getting these headaches when I was a small child. So, my family doctor put me on the medication. Why?” she asked, sitting up in bed, much more alert.

“Well, you put down that you take it for migraines, but Triadonex is a dream suppressant. Do you dream much, Miss Hemingway?” Natasha thought about it and shook her head. She had no idea the medicine she had been taking all her life wasn't what it seemed. Why the hell was she taking dream suppressants?

The doctor smiled as his calm, hazel eyes eased her mounting anxiety somewhat. She was going to have to talk with her doctor to see why she was kept on the medication. She felt at a loss all of a sudden. Had she been lied to for over twenty years, or was there some other reason why she had been taking the medication? She was starting to feel uneasy.

“Thanks, Doctor, for everything. I don't think I'll be taking any more of this medication until I know the real reason. And no, I don't normally dream, but since we're on the subject, I've been having a lot of random dreams, one after another,” she said, obviously frustrated.

“Like what? Can you remember anything? Any portion of these dreams? Would you like us to run a few tests?” he asked, hoping to gain more money. He took out his little medical light and was holding Natasha's head upward as he examined her pupils. “No, that won't be necessary, Doctor.” She didn't want to owe the hospital any more than she already had, she especially didn't want to add on any unnecessary costs. She had just landed a brand new job and her insurance plan hadn't even been established yet. She had mentally calculated the current cost of the ambulance ride over, the medication, the emergency room assistance and the hospital stay. In retrospect, she kind of wished they had left her in the back seat of the cab.
Sure, I'd be a bit woozy, but I would have gotten home okay, no worries,
she thought to herself indulging in a bit of inappropriate humor.

“Okay, well, you're free to go at anytime. Since you've called your mother, I'll just sign your release papers and you can be on your way,” he smiled. He gave a similar farewell to Mrs. Harnett.

Mrs. Harnett thanked them both for taking such good care of her. The doctor assured her it was nothing.

Natasha wanted to laugh.
Sure, it was nothing, but you'll still get the bill,
she thought to herself.

Then the nurse and the doctor left the room to allow the two ladies to get prepared to go home. Natasha combed out the tangles in her hair, she couldn't believe Xavier had been interested in her when she looked the way she did. Maybe there was hope yet for a relationship. She came out of the bathroom and Mrs. Harnett went in. While Mrs. Harnett was in the bathroom, Natasha had to put on her club outfit, there were some dried bloodstains on the clothes. She hoped her mom would bring her a fresh change of clothes. Her mom normally thought about things like that. Mrs. Harnett came out of the bathroom just as her mother came through the door.

“Hi, Mom!” Natasha said excitedly, giving her a big hug. “Did you remember to bring me a change of clothes?” she asked, keeping her fingers crossed.

“Yes, I brought you a change of clothes. I've noticed you've lost a lot of weight, honey. I'm so proud of you. Never let anything get you so down that you'll neglect yourself. Besides, there's a man out there who will know you for the treasure that you are, no matter what your weight is. Understand me, young lady?” her mother said sternly.

Natasha nodded. “Yes, Mom.” No point in arguing, her mom was right. She took the bag of clothes her mom had brought for her. She looked into the bag and thankfully saw a pair of blue jeans and a red, ribbed, turtle neck sweater. Her mom always had excellent taste. She turned around and introduced her mother to the older woman who needed the ride.

“Mom, this is Mrs. Harnett. She couldn't reach either of her two children to come and pick her up, so I offered her a ride home,” Natasha said as she walked into the bathroom to change.

“I hope I'm not causing a problem?” Mrs. Harnett asked sincerely.

“Oh, no, no. Not at all. I wouldn't feel right about leaving you here, stranded. Not in this day and age,” Mrs. Marian Hemingway told the grateful elderly lady. Natasha emerged from the bathroom, fully dressed. The pants were a bit large, but the clothes would do. She walked over to her bed and gathered all of her belongings, which weren't much, along with of all the free stuff she was taking from the hospital. She left the bed pan. The three women exited the room and headed for the elevator. Natasha remembered she was going to stop by Annette's room before she left.

“Mom, one minute. Annette's here too, I promised I'd say goodbye to her. I'll meet you downstairs.” She walked toward Annette's room without waiting for a response. She knocked on the door and heard a faint 'come in' and she opened the door. Annette smiled as she entered the room. She was looking a little better on this day than the day before. The dark circles under her eyes were lightening up, and her color had improved. Her arm was still in a cast, the cuts and bruises were still there, just like her own. She walked over to the bed and hugged her friend lightly.

“I'm leaving now, but I'll visit you tomorrow and bring you some real food, okay?” Natasha said.

“Your ass better, cause if you don't,” she held up her good fist and shook it to prove her point.

“You're not going do to anything,” Natasha mocked.

“I'll beat you in your sleep, that's what I'll do. You don't have to be awake for me to exact my revenge,” Annette said, trying to not laugh.

“Un hmm, well, I'm off. Talk to you later.” Natasha gave the other woman one last hug and a kiss on the cheek. She felt bad having to leave her friend in the hospital alone. Maybe she would surprise her and come back later that night. She thought about how sore her body was still and decided against the two bus rides and one train ride it would take to come back to the hospital on public transportation. She would stick to the plan. Tomorrow she'd visit. She left Annette's room and got on the elevator. She met her mom and Mrs. Harnett in the lobby. They walked to her mom's red 2003
Diamondback Sahara S4.
She liked her mom's car, it was perfect for her. They all climbed in, Mrs. Harnett sitting in the back, was thankful for the comfortable seat. Natasha's mom put the car into gear and headed toward the outer drive going northbound.

Mrs. Harnett gave directions the closer they got to her neighborhood until they pulled in front of her little, yellow frame house with the red brick foundation. Natasha helped her out of the car before she climbed back into the passenger side. They sat in the car and waited as Mrs. Harnett fished through her purse for her keys to open the door. She waved goodbye, then walked inside. The conversation on the way to Mrs. Harnett's house had been between her mother and Mrs. Harnett. The two women discussed the current situation with the supernatural race vs. the human race, the crime rate in this country and above all, the
good old days.
Natasha wished she could have tuned them out, but she couldn't. Her stomach growled. She had escaped the hospital in time to avoid eating the food, but now she was starving. She wondered how Xavier felt when he first woke up. Was he ravenous? Would he recognize her before taking a bite?

She let her thoughts run wild while looking out at the busy city streets as they drove on. They passed
China Town.
She had always liked going there. The buildings had the shingled, tiered roof tops, dragon statues and mini towers. She wondered if it really looked like a piece of China. She didn't know, but she loved the food. There was a particular restaurant she loved to frequent when she had the money. They made the best smoothies, bar none. Her mother continued to drive until Natasha asked her to pull into a supermarket so she could get some groceries. Her mother parked the car in the lot and the women climbed out. Natasha could move a little easier than before, the pain killers were really kicking in and making everything more bearable. They walked through the automatic doors and her mom grabbed a cart.

She assisted her daughter in reaching for items off of the shelf. Natasha had made a list and gave her mom half. Her mom took her half of the list and walked off to retrieve the items. Natasha moved further down the aisle looking at the directory signs overhead. She was searching for the canned goods section when she rounded the corner and collided into a boulder of a man. She lost her balance and would have fallen, possibly ending up back in the hospital had he not caught her. Her hands brushed the watch on his wrist and she felt a little shock through her fingertips. She looked up into his face as he steadied her. He was huge, standing at least six-feet-nine inches tall. He was the biggest man she'd ever seen.

He looked at her with cold blue eyes, his brown hair was cut short in a military buzz cur. His shoulders were almost as wide as the aisle itself and she could tell he was all muscle. In Natasha's opinion, he was a real man, no doubt about it. The kind that eats beef jerky he made himself from the cow he slaughtered with his bare hands. He held several packages of beef clutched in his right arm. His leather vest smelled new. His jeans were worn and had holes in the knees. When she was finally out of harm's way, she gave him a bashful smile.

“I'm so sorry, I didn't see you, I know that's probably something you've never heard anyone say,” she joked awkwardly, trying to make light of the situation. There was something in the way he looked at her that made her nervous. He gave her a wolfish grin, revealing rather sharp canines. They looked like little fangs to Natasha. She wanted to get away from him as soon as possible.

“No need to apologize,” he said as he walked away toward the check-out line. Natasha looked at him, the uneasy feeling was still close to her. He really freaked her out. She walked away with a slight shiver, finishing her shopping. Rejoining her mother, who had completed her half of the list, they entered the check-out line. She paid for the groceries, put them into the car and climbed back in. Less than fifteen minutes later, she was in front of her apartment building. Her mother helped carry the groceries into the apartment. She stayed around to see if her daughter needed any help.

“Mom, I'll be alright, you don't have to stick around. Thanks for everything,” Natasha said. She walked over to her mother to give her a big hug, as strong as her body would allow.

“Okay, you just call me if you need anything, alright?” she asked as she headed for the front door. Natasha nodded and waved. She loved her mother, but she didn't want to hear anymore motherly advice. She had heard enough on the way home. How she needed to get her own car, not to let people talk her into doing things she wouldn't normally do, such as getting drunk and so on. She was glad to be at home. After settling in, she remembered that she wanted to catch Xavier to let him know that she was no longer in the hospital. She reached in her pocket and pulled out the piece of paper with the phone number to
Desires Unleashed
on it, and dialed. The telephone rang several times before a female voice answered.

“Desires Unleashed,
where all of your fantasies can come true. How may I cater to your desires?” the voice asked seductively. Natasha wondered if she received a lot of calls from men who just wanted to hear that sexy voice.

“Hello, my name is Natasha Hemingway and I'm trying to get in contact with Xavier Richards.” She paused.

“Mr. Richards will not be in until tonight, you can try back after five or six p.m.”

“Well, can you leave him my number for him to call me? I'd really appreciate it.”

“Will do, what's the number?” She had taken on a more normal tone of speaking. Natasha wanted to chuckle, must be cool to work under a facade. She gave the woman her phone number, area code included. “Okay, as soon as Mr. Richards gets in tonight, I'll give this to him. Is there anything else?” the woman asked.