The Death of a King

Chapter 5

Morning - 9:17 - Luke King
   

    I would like to say that I didn’t wake up in a hospital bed, that I was in heaven...or hell. However, I can’t say that because when I woke up, the girl from the bar was sitting in the chair across from the bed asleep. I hear Krista outside talking to someone, maybe the doctor. I take in my surroundings, looking over everything. I’m numb, I can hardly feel my body, whatever they used, it gets the job done. That’s when I finally hear the second voice, the one talking to Krista, it’s.. Ashter.

    “Ashter?” I croak out, realising my dry throat, “ Ashter is that you?”

Krista and Ashter both stop their conversation and rush into the room, they start talking fast. Their questions bombard me, exiting their mouth faster than I can comprehend. I can tell they were worried, asking what happened. The commotion from this outburst of sound wakes the girl in the chair. She looks started, like she was in a nightmare and finally escaped whatever had their grasp on her. She looks at them, and then me, that seems to calm her nerves.

    “Oh my..I’m sorry I..we didn’t mean to wake you.” Krista looks at me, “Luke how are you feeling? When I got the call, I didn’t know what to think. I rushed here immediately.”

    “I’m...fine I think. Uh..how long..was I…” Ashter interrupts,

“It’s been a few days, they didn’t know who to call, when the home phone rang, I thought it would be you calling but it was one of the hospital staff. You were shot twice. The wound in your calf wasn’t nearly as bad as your chest. It fractured one of your ribs, and a fragment hit your left lung. You’re lucky she was there to help.” Pointing to the girl. “If she didn’t get here any quicker, you would have been dead.”

The girl shies away from this praise, playing it off like she did nothing but just drive me. She’s the only one besides me that knows why I got shot, I saved her from what ultimately happened to me. The split second decision of noticing what was about to happen, choosing not to stay and hide, rather that I saved her from possibly getting killed. I look at her, and she mouths the words that I didn’t need, but accept them anyways. I give her a slight nod and a look in my eyes that reply back ‘You’re welcome’ and turn my attention back to ashter and Krista.

“Lucky me huh? What about the owner of the bar? The bikers?”

“They...well when the police arrived, the owner bled out, he didn’t make it. The bikers are a different story. They weren’t there, their bikes were gone. They have no idea where they went. Which brings us to the next topic...the cops want to speak with you, get your story, maybe you can I.D any of them. They spoke with Jax already, but anything helps.”

“Okay, I can speak with them now..just let me get up..” I go to move the covers off of me,

“No luke, you need the rest. We asked them to come back later once you woke up, but only after you rest up. But as of now,” Krista puts the covers back on me. “You stay in bed. Got it?”

I agree to her demands, not easily but after some convincing I decide there’s no point in continuing it. I had not only Krista and Ashter telling me to get rest, but the girl, Jax, was telling me to lay down too. Once I do what they want, they seem to relax some, sighing in relieve. They promise to return tomorrow, as the nurse brings me breakfast, checking my vitals before I can eat. I tell them goodbye, and they leave. I sit there wondering what I can tell the cops tomorrow, whatever I tell them in no way will I be able to do as good as Jax. Speaking of Jax, she is an interesting case. I can’t help but think of what is going through her mind. The way she looked at me, the gratitude in her eyes, it wasn’t something I was use to. The fact that she stayed at my side the entire time I was out, is surprising to me. I can understand it though, I saved her life but harmed myself in the process. I assume I will tell the cops that I don’t remember much, it’s a blur really. Maybe a tattoo, a scar on his left cheek. Besides that, nothing more I can tell them. Well, there’s something I do remember, vaguely when I first arrived the bikes, one of them looked brand new, custom paint and everything. I would know, the same style paint and artist worked on one of my cars a few months back. That has to give them a way to track the other bikers if they find the leader.

I notice some flowers in the corner, along with some get well cards. Odd, I wouldn’t figure anyone to do that for me. They even managed to get my favorite flowers, sunflowers. It’s a nice touch, gives me a weird feeling in my chest. Just then my phone goes off, I can tell it’s my phone because the ringtone for Alyssa goes off, I groan, not her. Not now please, but I get up anyways, and walk towards my pants, that are surprising not as soaked in blood as I would imagine. My phone slightly covered in dry blood, I wipe off and click answer. “Yes...what do you want?”

“Ah you finally answer Luke.” she pauses to let it sit in, knowing I hate her calling me Luke, “I was afraid that we would have to do something drastic, like get a new CEO, but alas you pulled through...we are just….so relieved by that. We were worried to death. On another note, I feel the need to inform you that the contacts in Atlanta and Miami have both agreed to our expansions so that’s good news. We’ll need someone to go and meet them in both places, I would go but well, that’s up to you. After all, you are in control. Daniel Polovo, from Atlanta, has scheduled next tuesday. He’ll contact you with more information on the meeting. Then there’s the other meeting, she’s wanting to meet on the 17th, I would suggest a sooner time but that’s just me…”

“Yes thank you Alyssa, I’ll take it from there. You just get back to doing what you do best, and continue to get in my way. I know Daniel personally from back a few years. He’ll certainly love to see me after our last time talking. Now if you have any other information before I gladly hang up, please do so now, otherwise goodbye.”

“Actually, now that you mention it. I do, your father continues to call your office, he left a message. I quote ‘Luke please, see me. It’s important. I think you’re in danger.’ whatever that means. Maybe he predicted your little issue with the bar. Maybe there’s something even worse to come, who knows. Ta-ta.”

She hangs up, leaving me standing in pain and now annoyed. She has been a thorn in my side for what feels like forever, and she’s only been working for me a few months now. Well, I say working for me but that’s only technically true because she does what she feels like doing while staying under the radar of the board members, I play along though, this whole game she plays. Wait, no one is allowed in my office, it’s on the top floor, locked. I have the only key. How did she get in? Why?