Page 4 of The Sidekick

She hands me a packet, and I leave a smear of not-quite-dry blood on it as I take it. My sweaty hands are turning this into a messy affair. I can’t even look at the sheets as my hand drops back down like an anchor looking for sand.

“If you would come with me downstairs for just a minute, I’ll help you through all that as soon as we’re done. I’ll be with you the entire time.” She wraps an arm around my waist with a slight squeeze, unafraid of the blood staining me.

This woman should get a raise. This is the best service I’ve ever received.

What a horrible thought!

“Can we go with her?” Andi insists from behind me. The rest of her guards have formed a half circle surrounding her, eyeing the innocent people milling around as if one of them will rush her with a knife if they stop.

“I’m afraid not,” the nice nurse says softly. “Unless you knew the deceased?”

“Why would we know some drunk pervert?” Blaze asks with a cringe.

He isn’t a pervert. He has a dark sense of humor.

“He died?” Andi’s eyes widen with shock as her hands go to her mouth, and she stares at my wan face.

“Isn’t this the guy that sexually harassed her all the time?” Felix mutters, not entirely under his breath, to his twin Blaze. Brody reaches out and slaps the back of his head, causing him to wince.

“Go home.” The words burst out of me. They’re weak and shaky, but I mean it. I want them gone.

“Tera,” Andi tries to say something, but I turn away from them and nod to the nurse.

“We’ll wait for you downstairs,” Ira calls in his no-nonsense voice as we walk away. I can hear Andi’s harpy shriek as she assures them that Joe was harmless and the harassment was a joke between us. I don’t know why she’s bothering. They’re only going to see whatever they want to. It’s a little late to defend me now, isn’t it?

I hope they don’t wait. Maybe they will get called away to some epic main character emergency and forget all about me. If I draw this out, they’ll get bored and leave. They have to eat sometime.

I cringe at the horrible thoughts running through me. Joe deserves better than me acting like a jerk. Deserved.

More tears come up and spill out quietly as that numb sensation gets thicker around me.

The identification portion shocks me so much that the monotony of the paperwork isn’t that bad. He looks waxen, and still, not a shred of what made him Joe is left in there. Over money. All of this over stupid paper that means nothing. It wasn’t even a good haul. It was a slow night.

When they hand me his belongings in a clear plastic bag, I start crying loudly this time. It makes everyone uncomfortable except that one nurse.

The only things left are a set of keys, a chapstick, and the picture of his wife, which he dragged out when he felt sad. He always keeps it folded in his pocket because he loses his wallet too often to keep it there. I always tease him about the possibility of wearing the same pants daily and how unhealthy it must be. Lots of mold jokes.

I ask if I can take the picture with me, and they tell me I can’t have any of the belongings because I’m not related to him.

A pair of police officers arrive to take my statement as we’re finishing up, and it takes another hour and a half for them to run out of questions.

You would think I’d hate cops after my arrest when I was younger, but I don’t hold it against them. They’re just stuck in a crappy job, dealing with the dregs of society like the rest of us. It isn’t their fault we’re criminals.

When I leave the hospital, I make the mistake of using the front doors. You would think I would have found a side exit, but I’m too numb. The sun is so bright after the hospital lighting that it startles me. It was dark when I arrived, and now time has fast-forwarded to midmorning. I never peed.

“Tera,” Blaze waves at me as if I can’t see him standing on the sidewalk by the valet booth.

So much for them getting bored and going home.

I decide to knuckle under and get this over with. I don’t want to fight. I’m too tired to deal with calling a ride, and even if I got to my car, I don’t know if I’m in any shape to drive. I don’t have any money either. Where is my head right now?

He moves smoothly towards me, and I stand there watching him. Of course, he’s gorgeous, but under the good skin and sexy muscles, he’s a jerk. I used to think he was swoon-worthy. Now, I can’t stand him.

He takes my elbow in a gentle hold that I frown at and begins guiding me into the crowded parking lot. I don’t want him touching me, ever. What if being a jerk is a disease, and they all have it? Like a stomach bug that makes you heartless instead of nauseous. I don’t have the strength to pull away, the numbness washing back in like a tide.

They have VIP parking close to the building, and that’s where they parked. At least the walk is short. I’m starting to lose that numb feeling as quickly as it came. All the double-takes people give my appearance make me more aware of my current state as a horror movie victim.

Blaze opens one of the rear doors, and I slide in quickly so I’m out of everyone’s sight. He gets in on the other side, pushing Felix to take the center. He stiffens as his side brushes mine and leans away. Brody and Shade are in the back-back seats, with Ira driving and Andi in the passenger seat. It’s weird because usually, she sits between the twins back here, and Brody is up front.

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