Nightly Confusion

Chapter 4

Chapter 4

I was pacing the damn waiting room as they worked on Joey. I sat then paced then sat again, I was very nervous and scared he was going to die. I should’ve called for help when I first saw him bleeding but I didn’t, idiot!

Nikki came to the hospital as well, she left a few minutes ago to take care of the case, and she understood why I had to stay at the hospital. I was glad she didn’t ask a lot of questions for now but they were bound to come after the dust settled. Alissa would also have a ton of questions, which is why I hadn’t called her. As long as someone handled the case and it made the paper that was all she cared about anyway. So far it was under control but the sister side of Alissa; the nosy side would come out and question everything.

It was inevitable she’d find out seeing as our city liked to talk and by sunrise everyone would know Joey was in the hospital and he was found in my apartment, worse yet; my bedroom. I groaned and sat back down. This was taking forever.

“Hey talk to me.”

I looked up and suddenly Zack was sitting beside me. “What do you want to know?” I had expected him to show up sooner or later. Earlier I had wanted to see him badly to help me through this and now after realizing how messy this could get, I didn’t want to see him as much.

“Everything Sam.”

Zack knew me better than I wanted or liked to admit, the tone in his voice was a warning, don’t lie, he knew something was going on. I guess his cop senses were tingling. “Zack---”

He cupped the side of my face bringing me to look into his bright blue eyes. “Talk to me.”

He was sending a flush through out my body. “What do you think looking at me like that is going to me make talk?” I knew what he was doing and I wasn’t sure I liked it even though I was responding to it.

“I could do a lot of things to make you talk.” Zack said, right there in front of me I saw his eyes turn darker with desire. Damn he was too good at this.

“I’m going to hold you to that.”

“I’m sure you will.” He softly said as he traced the outline of my mouth. “Was Joey the one I the phone with you when I was there?”

“Yeah and he showed up when you left. He was bleeding from the gunshot and son passed out.” I was weak I had to tell him, that and I was worried about Joey. I left out the me in a towel part, seeing as it didn’t do anything to help Joey’s sticky situation.

“Did he tell you anything?” There went sexy I’ll-do-you-right-here-on-the-floor Zack and here came cop Zack. Zack who knew what questions to ask and what thought patterns to follow when it came to figuring out the truth.

“No, I asked but he said he didn’t know anything.”

“Did Joey want you to ask around the station for what was going on?” Zack asked next and I believed he knew the answer and chose to ask anyway just in case he was wrong. Fat chance.

Saved by the doctor, as he walked toward us I jumped from my seat and asked about Joey. “He was shot in the arm.” The doctor began. “It didn’t hit any major arteries but it did nick one. If you would’ve waited a few more minutes he’d be dead from the blood loss.”

That didn’t help my frayed nerves any. “Will he be ok?” I felt extremely guilty for not trusting my instinct and calling for help sooner.

“He’ll be fine in a couple of days. We stitched him up and pumped him full of blood. He’s awake now and he asked to talk to you alone.” The doctor said. I left Zack in the waiting room and the doctor led me to the room. the ER was slow and he wasn’t rushing to save any other lives.  “You can stay for a couple of minutes, he needs his rest.” He warned before walking away.

I walked inside and saw Joey lying on the bed with his arm bandaged up like the doctor had explained. He looked pale but much better than he had when I found him passed out. “Hey.”

He opened his eyes and looked at me with a grimace. “I hate hospitals.”

“Well it was either this or die.” I was trying to be upbeat and normal with stupid jokes but my insides were shaking from fear that wasn’t going anywhere even though I was here with a very much alive Joey. “Zack’s here, he asked me about you and I told him everything from the call to you passing out in my bed.” I confessed.

“Of course you did kid, it’s ok.” Joey said, it wasn’t as if there was anything major for me to have revealed behind his back.

“I have a question for you.” Joey groaned, these men can’t handle a question. It was sad really.  “Why do you call me kid? You can’t be more than two or three years older than I am.”

“It’s not about age it’s about maturity level.”

“What you’re saying I remind you of a kid?”

“No…you’re all woman.” Joey said, he was looking at me like he had earlier with sultry darkness.

“And you’re drugged up. I get why you don’t like hospitals; you get loose. I saw you looking at that nurse when I walked in and she was about sixty.”  I was rambling from fear that he was hurt and embarrassment he was badly yet affectively flirting with me. 

Joey laughed softly before the room fell into silence and not the comfortable kind either. It was a good minute before he placed his hand over mine. I I hadn’t been expecting that. Our eyes met and he said, “Thanks.”

“Yeah no problem. The doctor said if more minutes had passed you’d be dead so I saved your life. You owe me.” I said with a smile, it was easier to joke than be serious; at least it was for me.

“How do you plan on collecting?” Joey said those words as if he was worried.

“How do you think?” He groaned again. “That’s right I have tons of questions and you know which one that’s been bugging me since we met right?” oh this was going to be fun.

“Sam there’s cute pain in the ass and then annoying pain in the ass, you’re annoying.” Joey felt the need to tell me about this like it might make me want to become a less annoying person and someone more pleasing. Ha.

“So? You’re going to answer my questions but I am a nice pain in the ass. I’ll wait until you’re better.” I’ve been wanting to know what Joey did for a living since we met helping Zack except I didn’t want to be unfair and pester the guy while he was down.

Zack stepped through the hospital room and didn’t look pleased in any sense of the word “You know gunshot wounds are reported back to the station. He said to Joey. “I have to ask you some questions.” They had worked together in the past but it was obvious they didn’t like each other. I had a feeling it was because of job differences. Joey helped the cops for some unknown reason but he was the only son of a crime lord, he had to be involved with something dirty or at least Zack thought so.

Zack pulled up a chair near the bed and I felt Joey let go of my hand; I had forgotten he was holding it. Both Zack and Joey gave me a look. “You’re kidding! Just ask your questions, I could stick around.”

“Sam, it’s against the rules.” Zack said.

“No it’s not; you just like being an ass to me. But that’s ok I’ll get you back for this.” I stood from the edge of the bed where I had been sitting and walked toward the door. “Both of you will pay this time for leaving me in the wind.” I hoped that sounded as menacing as I intended.