Page 11 of Thor
Ace hit quick-dial and put the phone to his ear.I could hear him talking to Daryl as he headed out the door.
I hung the chart up and headed back to Thor’s bedside.He reached out for me when I entered the cubicle, and I took his hand.He looked tired.Exhausted, actually.“Did you think I deserted you?”I teased.
He squeezed my hand, his mouth curving up in that sensual smile I could never resist.“Nah.I’m so incredibly sexy you’d never be able to stay away.”
I laughed, even though the sight of him so weak terrified me.I could have lost him.“Don’t count on it.”
He let out an exaggerated sigh.“Are you saying I have to keep you locked up and chained to my bed?”
Someone behind me cleared their throat loudly.I turned, feeling my face go red with embarrassment.
Thor just grinned.
“We need to get your boy toy up to his room.”Madison, one of the on-duty aides, came into the room.“He’ll be in 211, so maybe you could get anything he might need and meet us there?”
Translation -- get out of the way and let me do my job.And get the guy a toothbrush.
I turned to drop a quick kiss on Thor’s forehead and gently extracted my hand from his grip.“I’ll call Ace and have him send someone over with your stuff.Anything you want?”
“My cut.”He looked around the room as if he’d just realized it was missing.“I had it at the pub.”
“Joker took it when they started cutting stuff off you in the alley.I’m sure he kept it safe.”
Thor relaxed.“Can you check to make sure?And see if you can find my phone?Not sure where I left the damn thing.”
“Oh, right!It’s in my purse.”I’d picked it up off the table when I’d gone out to find him.In the chaos that followed I’d totally forgotten about it.“I’ll bring it right up.”
Madison made little shooing motions with her hands, and I blew Thor a kiss as I left the room.
* * *
The police had come and gone, and both Daryl and Ace seemed to be happy with the outcome.They were leaning toward labelling the killing self-defense, especially since Thor’s story was backed up by the bartender and a couple of the other bar patrons along with a rather grainy image from the security cameras.No one knew the identity of the second man, and the officers promised to look into that.The woman they’d used as bait was wily enough that all you could see of her was the back of her head as she left the area.The dead man was a lowlife who was well-known to the police.He’d been up on murder charges a couple of times, but there was never enough evidence to convict him.They didn’t seem overly concerned at his demise.
I’d been allowed to stay in the room during the interview, mostly because Thor refused to cooperate unless I was present.He sat up in bed and held onto my hand for the entire interview.I was starting to feel like his emotional support girlfriend.Or maybe he was just scared I’d disappear while he was too weak to chase me.
Fat chance of that.After this fiasco he’d be lucky if I let him out of my sight.
The interview was short, almost as if it were a forgone conclusion.Thor followed the lawyer’s instructions, only answering what was asked and adding as little description or detail as possible.Daryl had pointed out that the less he said, the less chance there was of the police tripping him up on some obscure point at a later date.
Joker was waiting downstairs and as soon as the officers left, he came up.He had Thor’s cut with him, along with a plate of brownies baked by Beast’s twin daughters.
“You didn’t bring him a toothbrush or comb?”I asked.
Joker shrugged.“You didn’t ask for those, just his cut.The twins added the brownies.”
I rolled my eyes.I’d just said his cut and stuff.I didn’t realize I needed to be specific.“It’s okay.I’ll just slip over to the pharmacy and get him a few basics if you’re going to be here for a bit?”
“Sure.I’ll stay until you get back.”
I grabbed my purse and headed out.The same two prospects were lounging just outside his room, and they nodded to me as I left.Just the fact that Riptide felt the need to place a guard on Thor’s room made me nervous all over again.Montgomery had assured me my family had nothing to do with the attack, but that still left anyone who’d ever felt they had a beef with Riptide in general, or Thor in particular.
Or maybe my wannabe fiancé felt Thor was a threat to the continued falsehood that we would someday be a couple.I made a mental note to give him a call as soon as I could.
There was a pharmacy attached to the hospital, and I picked up a toothbrush and some other basic items for Thor.I added a bag of potato chips and a couple of chocolate bars for good measure.Hospital food had a reputation for a reason.
I was on my way back into the hospital when Dr.Murphy intercepted me, indicating he wanted to talk to me in his office.
Great.He might be an amazing trauma doctor, but he was a terror to the rest of the staff.He seemed to regard us as some type of lower life form that needed his constant negative remarks to keep us in line.
