Cravings

Sold! Go Figure.....

"Wait... What?" I asked in utter shock.

Life has a way of turning you on your head in a heart beat and the last fifteen minutes of my life would be what I could only consider fodder for some B rated horror movie screen writer who was clearly out of ideas.

"Hold on....repeat what you just said, please." It wasn't a request.

I woke up surrounded by machines and the horrid smell of an overly clean hospital room, strapped down to an uncomfortable hospital bed, connected to tubes and wires and all sorts of paraphernalia that would suggest I was almost dead when I got here. The only problem is.... I don't remember how I got here.

I remember a lot of things. I remember my name, my age, my address, who the president is and all of the other annoying questions the doctor peppered me with but when they asked me how I got here, I drew a blank and maybe I slightly started to panic. Just a little... not like I was throwing a full blown hissy fit but it was close. About that time, in walks a well dressed woman I had never seen before. Her sheer presence commanded the entire room like an Army General only with amazing red hair and red bottoms to match. Slowly, as if the woman is a living bomb, the nurses and doctor slipped out of the room, trying not to be noticed. She not only cleared the room, she also managed to blow my mind in only a short paragraph.

(17 minutes ago, after the room had cleared out)

"Hello, Harlow . After the events of Thursday night, I'm sure you have some questions and Don Lorenzo wanted to make sure that you're well taken care of. I'm Francesca, and I'll be your personal assistant from here on out. What can I do to make your transition easier?"

That was it. The paragraph that broke my brain. So many questions shot through my brain at the speed of lightening I don't think any of them were full sentences. You do what? For who?

"Ok..... slow your roll there, Red. What transition? Wait. Wait. Wait. Let's start off with how did I get here? What happened to me? Is that the beginning? We need to go back to the beginning of this giant ball of yarn please cause this kitty is confused." My throat was raspy and dry and just as I noticed this, she's handing me a bottle of Evian. Still cold. From her purse. Great. She's an Eskimo medicine man as well as a personal assistant.

"You have three broken ribs on your right side which resulted in a punctured lung. Your right shoulder was dislocated. You have a two inch split in your skull resulting in a small skull fracture and you were shot through your upper thigh. It was a through and through; missing the bone but tearing some muscle. Those are the extent of your injuries." The Red headed Eskimo fired off like she was reading from a medical journal.

"Well thank you for telling me why it feels like I've been hit by a car. Wait.... Was I hit by a car? And then shot? How did I get here?" I was being way too calm. I felt the panic but I couldn't seem to express it. So goes the story of my life. All calm demeanor on the outside, all melty, gooey falling apart on the inside.

"You were found in an ally outside of the King of Spades club by, Javier and from the security video obtained from the back door camera, Carter Pauricci is responsible." This lady was a robot. Firing off information like an encyclopedia of bad news.

I laughed. Yes, sounds like a crazy thing to do when you find out that your father is the reason you woke up on life support but I laughed out loud like a crazy person.

"And you work for Don Lorenzo Luciano? Am I correct? How did I warrant an assistant from the the Don of the Italian mafia?" My voice was unsteady as I giggled my way through the questions I had to ask.

"Yes. Mr. Luciano sent me to ensure you have whatever you need and are released into his care so his private doctors can mange your recovery. I am to assist you in anyway you request. Mr. Luciano takes care of what is his." She informed me with an uncasual office vibe. This news sent me into a fit of laughter that almost broke through the amazing drugs I had to be on because I could feel a deep pressure in my broken rib cage.