Princess & the Player

forty: cheese!

Steam alert! 

Scottie's POV:

It was the second ambulance I'd met in less than a day. The back doors popped open and there was Maggie. And Marco.

"It's only a flesh wound," Maggie was arguing with the EMT. "Hey be careful with the shirt, please? It's my boyfriend's favorite. Charlie Parker. They called him Bird..."

"F*ck the shirt," Marco grunted. "Get that knife out of her!" 

Anxiety had been twisting in my chest and it faded immediately. 

"Puncture wound, upper left chest. BP 90 over 70, pulse 90, pulse pressure normal..." I nodded as we transported Maggie into hospital building. The surgical resident met us and began looking at the wound. She'd been stabbed with a Swiss Army Knife, which the EMTs had been instructed to leave in her chest. They began moving her directly to an emergency bay.

A second team transitioned Marco past us towards the surgical unit. He had a nicked artery in his arm and significantly more blood loss compared to Maggie.

Behind me, a cab pulled into the entrance and Mary and Laurie popped out. I held out my arms for Laurie. 

"JJ," she clung to me tightly. "I don't like your work place."

"I'm a fair way to agreeing with her," Mary gathered up her purse and a little book bag.

"Understandable," I breathed into my sister's hair. 

Marco's POV:

My parents arrived in the night. I blinked my eyes open and there they were, at the side of my bed. 

"We didn't mean to wake you," Mom whispered.

"Wasn't really asleep," I yawned. 

"They say you're doing well," Dad squeezed my good hand. "Back in a sling, I see."

"Same arm, too."

"Two transfusions, though," Mom bit her lip. 

"Look, Mom, about what happened...it isn't Maggie's..."

"Shhh, mijo, we know," Dad squeezed again. "You did well. We're proud of you."

"We're proud of you both," Mom added. 

Maggie's POV:

I begged Scottie over and over but he didn't want to leave the hospital. Jacob was in the ICU and in bad shape and I understood but still, Jeb was alone at the police department. 

An hour after they'd removed the knife, Scottie found me again. He dragged over one of those stools on wheels and took my good hand. 

"Shay and Queenie are at the police station and the social worker is on her way there. At least Jeb knows Shay from the times he came to the house. It was the best I could think to do."

"It's good," I nodded. "Shay and Queenie are good. When they're not fighting, anyway. Queenie's dad is a cop, right?"

"Yes. They aren't going to charge Jeb wth anything, Maggie. And they won't even ask him any more questions until a guardian can be present, OK? The social worker said something about returning Jeb to camp but I asked her to bring him here. You'll be discharged in a few hours so there's no reason you can't take the kids home. Laurie's asleep in an empty room we found. Your grandmother is with her."

"Thank you," It was inadequate but I didn't know what else to say. 

"I'm sorry, Maggie. You're right, I never really paid attention to what was going on. I thought I did but the moment I'd get on that plane to head back north, I'd...well...not forget about you but, just not feel connected to your situation. You always seemed so together to me. My quiet and cute sister who could cook like a chef."