This Cat Has Claws

2: The Hospital

"Can I get your name and age, first?" Tommy asked me as we sat in the emergency room waiting for someone to to become available to dress my wound.

"Marley Parker. Eighteen," I replied.

"Okay Marley, what exactly happened? How did you know your coworker Brianna needed to call the police?"

"Well, I just got a really weird feeling from the guy when he first walked in. At that moment, I was the only one out in the store; everyone else was either in the break area or in the bathroom or something. So, I kept an eye on him, and when Bri came out to give me a break I told her to leave and call the police."

"Did you see him do anything?"

"Well, no not at first. Like I said, it was just a feeling. So I figured it's be better to be safe than sorry, but after Bri left and the man came to the counter I saw he had a gun in the back of his waistband. He was looking for his wallet, which he then told me he lost. When he pointed the gun at my head I kinda freaked out and I guess he wasn't expecting that and lowered the gun and shot my arm. It really was all so fast. He dropped the gun after shooting me or something and I just grabbed it."

I looked pleadingly into Tommy's eyes and decided to play up the victim so he wouldn't ask me too many more questions. I didn't need them poking around in my business anymore than this. It would just be a huge bother if they start asking why I wasn't the least bit scared when they got there. My family situation really prepared me for these kinds of things.

Tommy looked like he wanted to ask more questions, which I really didn't feel like answering. I'd already have to call my parents later and have them cover my medical bills and then explain everything that happened to them in real detail, and that sounded like a real pain.

"God, my arm really hurts, what's taking them so long?" I ask, looking at Tommy like I was in a lot of pain. I mean, I was but it was nothing I couldn't handle, I was just trying to get his mind off asking me more questions. I could see in his eyes that he wanted to ask more.

"I'll go talk to them again. Wait here," Tommy said sympathetically.

"Thank you."

Tommy came back with a doctor and we all walked together to a patient room and the doctor tended to my arm. I was lucky that the bullet went straight through, otherwise I would've been in a lot more pain as the doctor took the bullet out. But, all she had to do was clean it and then wrap it up in some gauze and bandages. The old woman looked at me sympathetically while she cleaned my wound. I was happy she didn't ask many questions, but Tommy did. Just a few clarifying questions, so I didn't have to disclose anything other than what was directly related to the attempted robbery.

As the old lady doctor cleaned my gunshot wound, I watched what was happening outside our room. The blinds were open so I could watch the people who passed by. This was taking longer than I expected. If I was at home and my parents were dressing this wound, I would've been done and even using my arm already. As Tommy wrote down my answers to his questions a familiar face walked by the window. And then into the room. Lo and behold, it was Assface. I wonder what he's doing here.

"Hey, Grams... oh, sorry, I'll just wait for you outside," he said once he saw me and Tommy.

"Don't worry, dear. What do you need?" Grams said. "You two don't mind do you? He's my grandson."

"I don't mind, I'm done with my questioning for now," Tommy said and started to get up to leave. "You all good then, Marley?"

"Yup, all good. Thanks Tommy," I said with a wave as he walked out of the room. "How much longer will this be Grams?" I asked, directing my attention from the door to the doctor at my arm.

"Another five minutes. I just need to wrap this up, now. Landon, honey, what did you need?" Grams asked her grandson. I hadn't decided yet whether I was going to call him by his actual name or his nickname.

"Uh, I was just going to see when you'd be off. I wanted to visit you and Grandpa," Landon said awkwardly. I guess he didn't like that I was in the room, too.

"I'm off once I'm done here. Tell me again how you got this wound, dear?" Grams asked me this time.

"Oh, some whackjob decided he wanted to try and rob the store I work at and shot me by accident," I answered giving as many vague details as I could. This was my third time explaining after re-explaining everything to Tommy, and I'd still have to talk to my parents later.

"How did he just accidentally shoot you?" Landon asked.

I'll admit I was surprised he was the one who asked. I honestly thought he left after getting the answer to his question from Grams.

"The safety wasn't on and this guy did not know his way around a gun. Accidents are bound to happen under those circumstances, especially when you aren't right in the head and want to rob a small convenience store at gunpoint. And I may or may not have broken his nose because of it," I stated. Grams was done tending to me so I got up off the patient's bed I was sitting on. "Thanks, Grams. I don't have my insurance card on me, dammit." I said the last part more to myself than to either of them before walking out of the room and towards the front desk.

I didn't have my phone either. I kept all my things in my bag, which was in a locker at the store. And I didn't know any of my coworker's numbers by heart so I couldn't ask any of them to bring it to me. That meant I'd have to call my parents now. They didn't care for hospitals much; the people here could always tell that something was off about them. Just when I was about to ask the guy at the front desk to use his phone, I heard my name called.

"Marley! Are you alright?" Bri asked as she ran up to me.

"I'm fine. How's everything at the store?" I asked, placing my left hand on her shoulder trying to calm her down.

"All good. That creep was taken down to the station. Oh, I brought your purse."

"Oh thank God. Now I don't have to call my family."

I took out my insurance card and handed it to the guy at the front desk and used the credit card connected to the family account to pay whatever the amount was that needed to be paid for this unexpected visit. After that was all taken care of, Bri and I walked back to her place and parted ways. Her house was on the way to my house, so I usually walked home with her after our shifts. Somehow, it was already ten at night and I was tired. Luckily, my manager had messaged me saying that I could take the rest of the week off, and the next if I needed, but I told him I'd be fine to work next week. I'll gladly take these few days off though. That meant I could sleep in tomorrow. And now that I think of it, this'll be a rough night since I won't be able to sleep on my right side at all.

When I got home I couldn't tell if anyone else was there or not, so I brushed my teeth and got into my bed. I go over to my parent's place tomorrow morning before my classes and deal with all this shit then. It was too late for my brain to function enough to recount the story for the fourth time today. I was honestly a little worried about how they'd react. Like, they wouldn't find this guy in jail through their many connections and kill him would they? I worry about this because it's totally possible.

I didn't dwell on it too much and just played on my phone before finally getting some sleep.