Hurt (20 page)

Julie stopped in mid-sentence as a loud buzzing noise sounded. Nicole pulled the hospital pager from her back pocket and stared as it buzzed and flashed in her hand.

Chapter Twenty-Seven

It was the snoring that woke her up. It wasn’t a loud noise, more of a soft droning sound, but it seemed to echo in the darkness.

Jamie blinked and tried to adjust her eyes to the darkened room. She felt incredibly lethargic, so just lay there as she considered her surroundings. The room was dark, but there was enough light filtering in from the long, wide window on the far wall to make out detail. She saw a tall monitor with blinking green lights standing beside the bed. Jamie tried to reach out to touch it, but stopped as the motion caused a sharp, stinging pain to radiate from the top of her hand. She winced and felt out with the other hand, finding a warm plastic tube taped to her wrist.

She shifted under the blanket that was pulled up nearly to her chin and curled her toes, wondering absently where her shoes had gone to. For that matter, where had
she
gone to?

Jamie turned her head to see Nicole standing alongside the bed. She stared up at her for a long minute, trying to decide if she was dreaming, or if Nicole was actually there in the room. The warm hand that reached out and pushed a strand of hair off her forehead told Jamie that she was very much awake.

Jamie opened her mouth to speak, but managed only a strangled croak. She ran her tongue across her dry lips and swallowed.

“Just a second,” Nicole said softly and then disappeared from view. Jamie waited for her return and then began to stare up at the ceiling when she didn’t immediately. She frowned, trying to push the cobwebs out of her head so that she could think where she was and how she had gotten there. It was there, just at the edge of her memory, but she couldn’t quite get to it.

There was the sound of a door opening and then Jamie blinked painfully as the overhead lights were switched on. Nicole appeared beside the bed again. She glanced down at Jamie and then over her shoulder. Jamie followed her gaze and saw a slender woman in light green scrubs walk into view.

“Hello there, Miss Tate,” the woman said as she began to turn knobs on the monitor beside the bed. “My name is Karen. I’m your nurse again tonight, okay?” She started to type on an electronic tablet in her hand, and then sat it down on the edge of the bed. The nurse picked up Jamie’s hand, gently moved the IV tubing back into position, and then placed a soft clip of some sort onto one finger. Karen reached in the pocket of her scrubs and pulled out a small roll of white tape. “I’m going to tape this to your finger so that you don’t knock it off again, all right?”

Jamie nodded her head slightly, although she didn’t really think she had much of a say in the matter.

“Your oh-two numbers look good. I’m going to check your tube.” The nurse pulled back the cover and Jamie felt a sudden chill as the nurse lifted her left arm and pushed aside a loose fitting gown. Jamie followed the nurse’s hand with her eyes and was surprised to see a rather large plastic tube running out from under her armpit and back toward the head of the bed. She closed her eyes as her memory came flooding back all at once—the retirement home, Reynolds slamming her against the wall, Nana missing, the car crash, not being able to breath.

“Wha…” Jamie croaked again, frowning as she looked from Nicole to the nurse.

The nurse reached behind her and picked up a white plastic cup. She adjusted its thick straw and put it to Jamie’s lips.

“Sip slowly,” the nurse advised. Jamie complied, trying to stifle a moan as the gloriously cool water ran down her throat.

“Thanks,” Jamie whispered.

The nurse nodded and then pulled the cover back up.

“Let me go get you a heated blanket, okay? I can see you’re shivering.” Jamie nodded, realizing that she was. She gazed up at Nicole as the nurse stepped away from the bed. Nicole smiled down at her, but didn’t say anything. A moment later the nurse returned and covered her with a wonderfully warm blanket.

“What?” Jamie breathed, motioning with a nod to the tube running out from her side.

“You know, every time you wake up you ask that same question,” the nurse smiled. “But you seem to be more with it tonight, so maybe you’ll remember this go round. That’s your chest tube. You had a
simple pneumothorax. A collapsed lung,” the nurse explained at Jamie’s confused expression. “That’s got to stay in for the next few days, so don’t mess with it, okay?”

Jamie nodded.

Picking her tablet up from the edge of the bed, the nurse looked at Nicole and smiled.

“Just hit the call button if you need anything.”

“Thanks Karen,” Nicole called out as the nurse left the room. She looked back down at Jamie and smoothed back her hair with one hand. “You scared the shit out of me, I want you to know.”

Jamie chuckled and then groaned as the ache in her side stirred.

“Don’t make me laugh,” she murmured. “It hurts.”

“I’m sorry,” Nicole said. “Is your head feeling any better?”

“Better than what?” Jamie inquired. “What’s wrong with my head?”

“The last time you were up you said your head hurt.”

“I don’t remember that. No, my head feels fine.” Jamie looked around the room and over toward the window. “What time is it?”

“It’s around nine, I think. I can check my phone, if you want. The clock in this room doesn’t work anymore.”

“Why doesn’t the clock work?” Jamie asked with a small frown.

“Samuels,” Nicole answered, grinning. “He took the batteries out while he was in here last night. Said the ticking was keeping him awake.”

Jamie took a moment to absorb what Nicole had said.

“How long have I been here?”

“A few days,” Nicole answered, running the back of her hand tenderly along the side of Jamie’s cheek.

“What?”

“Mm-hmm. They moved you in here from ICU yesterday. You’ve been in and out of it, but the doctor said that it wasn’t unusual. Between a collapsed lung, the internal bleeding, and a couple broken ribs, you’re just lucky to be here. You scared the shit out of me.”

Jamie smiled.

“You said that already.”

“I may say it a few more times.”

Jamie turned her head into Nicole’s hand and brushed her lips against it. Jamie inhaled, sighing softly as she caught the faintest trace of Nicole’s perfume.

“I missed you,” she whispered. “But, Nicole, listen…I don’t want you here.”

Nicole stiffened and drew her hand back.

“What?” she asked sharply.

“I don’t…” Jamie shifted in the bed and then winced as the movement tugged at her side. She took a small, strained breath before continuing. “I don’t want you to be here.”

“Jamie, I don’t understand what you’re saying,” Nicole said, shaking her head. Jamie could see Nicole’s eyes beginning to mist up.

“I know how you are about things. I don’t want you to be here out of some sense of obligation. I want…”

“Jamie, sweetie,” Nicole said, leaning in on the side of the bed. “Stop talking.”

Jamie arched an eyebrow, but said nothing.

“I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t want to be here.” Nicole dabbed at her eyes and then reached down to push back Jamie’s hair from her forehead. “I got your package,” she said in a quiet voice.

“You did?” Jamie responded, more a statement than a question.

“I did,” Nicole said nodding. “Once you’re out of here, we’ll have a nice little discussion about Gina Southerland.”

“Oh, will we?” Jamie asked grinning.

“Yes.”

“Still, I really…”

Nicole brought a finger down, placed it softly against Jamie’s lips and shook her head.

“You don’t know what you do to me. There’s no one that has ever made me feel the way you do. You’re the only one that I want, have ever wanted, will ever want.”

Jamie swallowed, feeling her eyes sting as Nicole spoke.

“So, you did hear what I said at the restaurant,” she murmured.

Nicole nodded.

“I did. You don’t need to be talking so much, so let me.” Nicole licked her lips and then gave a little sigh. “I’m a dumbass. When I walked in and saw you with that other woman, my mind just stopped working. All I could think of was that it was happening again. It was Carol all over again, laughing at me behind my back while…” Nicole’s voice broke off.

“Nicole—”

“No,” she interrupted. “Let me finish. My past is just that and I should have let it go a long time ago. My life began the moment you walked into it.” Nicole bent down and lightly kissed Jamie on the forehead. “If you’re willing to forgive me, when you get out of here I want you to come home with me. To
our
home.” Nicole sat back on the bed and smiled. “And, if you would have me, I’d like to make an honest woman out of you.”

Jamie reached for Nicole’s hand, blinking back tears.

“You’ve been talking to Samuels,” she whispered, feeling a warmth spread across her chest.

“I have,” Nicole said, nodding. She tightly grasped Jamie’s hand with her own, weaving their fingers together. “I know…I would…understand that if what’s happened over these past few weeks has changed—”

“Nicole?”

“Yes, sweetie?” Nicole smiled, dabbing at her eyes with her free hand.

“Stop talking and kiss me.”

Epilogue

“Sit your ass back down.”

“I feel just fine. I can carry something small, at least.”

“Jamie…” Nicole warned, narrowing her eyes. When they’d agreed to go ahead and start the move while Jamie was still out on medical leave, Nicole, knowing Jamie, had stipulated one condition—that Jamie in no way, shape, or fashion would assist with the actual moving. She wasn’t due to go back to the doctor for her next follow-up for another two weeks and Nicole didn’t want to risk Jamie re-injuring herself, no matter how much she protested.

Jamie pursed her lips at Nicole and then crossed her arms.

“Fine,” she growled. “I will continue to
supervise
, then.”

“That’s more like it,” Nicole said sweetly and then turned to walk back outside to the moving van, almost running headlong into her next door neighbor. “Oh my goodness, Mr. Martin, I didn’t see you there.”

“Oh, no harm done. And don’t forget we agreed you would call me—”

“Bob. I remember,” Nicole grinned. “I appreciate all your help, but really if it’s too much…”

“Nonsense,” he interrupted. “That’s what neighbors are for. Now if you’ll show me where this needs to go.”

Nicole pointed to a sullen Jamie leaning against the couch.

“Jamie can show you.” Nicole headed back out the door. Just as she reached the front porch stairs, a thought occurred to her. She took two steps backwards and glanced over her shoulder into the house to see Bob handing off his box to Jamie.

“Jamie!” Nicole called out, storming back into the house. “If I have to tell you one more time, I’ll handcuff you to the couch.”

“Really,” Jamie said, flashing a grin at Nicole. “To the couch?”

Nicole twisted her lips and glared at Jamie as the other woman waved Bob off with an apologetic shrug.

“All right then…if not the couch, how about the bed? I’m serious Jamie.”

“Well now,” Jamie drawled in low tone, sliding up to Nicole. “Darlin’, I don’t know if that’s a deterrent…” She leaned down and brushed her lips across Nicole’s, “…or an incentive.”

“Jesus, can’t you two go get a room somewhere,” Samuels barked as he strode into the living room. Jamie looked at her partner and smiled as Nicole blushed. “Where do you want this box?” he asked.

“Put that one on the couch,” Jamie told him. “Most of that will go in here.”

Samuels dropped the box unceremoniously onto the tan leather couch and then wiped his hands on his faded blue jeans.

“Jesus, Tate, what the hell do you have in there, lead bars?”

“Oh give it a break, Samuels. You’re the one who volunteered to help move, remember?”

He blew out a breath and shook his head.

“Last time that happens, believe me. Oh,” he said, stopping abruptly and turning to Jamie. “The station just called. They picked up Nathan Reynolds just outside of Knoxville. He’s been hiding out with an old army buddy. According to what the Knoxville P.D. is saying, he’s already asking for a deal.”

“I got a deal for him,” Jamie said under her breath, stepping over to the couch.

“Nathan Reynolds?” Nicole asked frowning. “Is that…”

Samuels nodded and scrunched his nose.

“That jackass’s brother? Mm-hmm.” He turned back toward the door. “Don’t worry Tate, I’ll get this case wrapped up all by my lonesome while you’re out playing house with your girlfriend.” He began to rub his lower back as he walked. “Gave myself a goddamn hernia,” he muttered, stepping onto the front porch.

Jamie smirked as she eased down onto the couch and began to open the box.

“Don’t forget to lift with your legs,” she called out after Samuels.

Nicole looked at Jamie suspiciously as she began to rifle through the box.

“Jamie,” she warned, “remember our agreement. No more than two pieces of Johnny Cash per room.”

“I know, I know,” Jamie said. Nicole tried not to cringe as she saw Jamie pull a small, black velvet canvas out of the box and begin to glance around the living room. Noticing the look on Nicole’s face, Jamie shot her a sly grin.

Nicole shook her head and smiled.

“Here sweetie,” she said, walking to the couch and holding out a hand to Jamie. Accepting it, Jamie allowed herself to be pulled up into Nicole’s arms. Nicole kissed her softly. “Let me help you find a place to hang that.”