Four

Wynne

My brain wakes up as the smell of strong cleaning chemicals assaults my nose. I hear a steady beep, as well as a sound like a vacuum whirring to life as something squeezes both of my legs. My eyelids flutter open to a cork-tiled ceiling with bright florescent lighting tiles interspersed throughout.

As I blink against the sudden brightness, I sense shuffling to my side.

"Oh good, you're awake," an older blonde woman in rainbow scrubs chirps. "Your harem of gorgeous men in our waiting room will be so relieved." She laughs at her own joke as she fiddles with the IV bag hanging above my head.

Slowly, the morning comes back to me. Spilled coffee. Zephyr calling. The diner. The shooting. Summer. Poor Summer. Tears pool in my eyes at the thought of the woman that so often served us breakfast laying face-down, covered in her own blood.

"Don't cry, love," my nurse coos. "We'll get you more pain medication in a few moments. The police need you to wake up for a bit first, though. They have some questions for you. If you like, I can stay and make sure you get relief as soon as they are gone."

While my arm does throb from wrist to shoulder, my tears are for Summer, the image of her over the diner counter burned into the back of my retinas for all eternity. "Thank you..." I begin, looking for a name tag or badge to identify my caregiver.

"Shannon," she supplies, pulling her ID badge out from her shirt to show me her credentials. "I'll be here for the evening, and I'll be taking care of you. Let's get you cleaned up a bit, and then I'll bring in the officers if that's okay with you?"

I nod my consent, even though I know I won't be of much help to Shannon or the police. Sully shoved me so hard and fast that I didn't have a chance to see anyone or anything outside of the diner. He was going to be impossible to live with once he realized that his actions saved my life. With as many bullets as I heard flying, any of us could have ended the morning in the same fashion as our favorite waitress.

One sponge bath later, and I'm feeling the pain a bit more acutely, but my mind seems clearer and my thoughts more coherent. The police come and go. I explain to them that I saw nothing, my gut forcing me to leave out the fact that Zeph, Brock, and Sully were all armed and returning fire. While I don't know what they are involved in that made them think that was a necessary precaution, I do know that I won't be the reason any of them lands in jail over this. The lead detective, Seargent Kirk Davies according to his business card, tells me they will be in touch if they need me, wishing me a speedy recovery as he and two of his men exit the room.

As promised, Shannon injects something into my IV tubing shortly after they leave, which makes me slightly drowsy, but definitely takes the edge off the pain that only increased as the officers asked their questions.

"You did a great job, Wynne," she approves as she adjusts my pillow beneath me. "You can be alone if you would like to rest, but I should warn you that those hotties taking over my waiting room are driving the entire hospital to drink with their demands to be allowed to see you."

"You can let them in," I smile. While I had no doubt that Zephyros would not leave me here alone, I am completely shocked that Sully and Brock would stick around. Their apparent concern causes a flash of warmth through my chest and cheeks that I don't want to acknowledge, let alone consider. "I'm sorry if they've been trouble. It's been a rough day and I'm sure they're just worked up."

"Mmmhmm," Shannon murmurs, a knowing look in their eye. "Which one of them is yours? Or is my harem theory the winning bet in the nurse's pool?" She winks at me over a wide grin, making me smile in return.

"None of them, actually. Zeph and I have been friends since we were toddlers," I explain. "The other two are friends we met here in Seattle when we started college. I'm so single that stray cats are searching me out these days."

"In my experience, no man harasses an entire hospital staff over a minor injury unless he's deeply in love," she quips. "But you keep your secrets." Another wink tossed over her shoulder, she exits the room to go gather the guys and bring them in to me.