Page 9 of Bazooka
My first day here. It was my first day here, and already I got mixed up in a big, fat mess. I barely set foot in Smitsville, only to step into a metaphorical pile of shit that only one person could create. Who? Easy question.
Lucius Zablonsky, called Luz, was a pain in my ass from the moment I met him. He couldn’t do what he was told if his life depended on it; he listened to no one but himself, and he couldn’t take no for an answer. I kept saying it repeatedly, but he wouldn’t listen. And now I had his blood on my hands—literally.
When John Smith joined me in the kitchen, I handed him a cup of coffee. I would have offered him a seat, but I didn’t have a table or chair since I’djust gotten here.
“It’s not as bad as I thought,” John Smith said, taking a sip of coffee. “But it’s not good either. His face looks awful, but it will heal. I glued the cut on his eyebrow, so it shouldn’t bleed anymore. His rib is cracked but not broken. If he rests, it should heal by itself. His upper body is covered in bruises, but they’re superficial. He told me he couldn’t stand on his left foot, so I checked his ankle. It’s not broken, but someone probably stepped on it. As far as the internal organs are concerned, I can’t say for sure. We would know by now if he had internalbleeding, but I can’t guarantee it. Living people are not my field of expertise.”
I nodded, mulling it over.
“He needs to be monitored tonight,” John Smith continued. “If he gets a fever, nausea, or starts vomiting blood, take him to the ER straight away. Other than that, he needs painkillers, ice packs, and a comfortable bed. Do you have those?”
“Yeah. By the way…” I cleared my throat before continuing. “I spotted a used condom at the crime scene. Did they…?”
John Smith made a face. “I don’t know. He wouldn’t let me examine him, but he claims he’s fine. I took a swab from his mouth, though, so I’ll do the STD test.”
“Good. Please let me know when you have the results.”
“Okay. Bazooka… what the fuck happened to him?”
I let out a heavy sigh. “I have no idea. He called me out of the blue, and I tried to get it out of him, but he was barely conscious. He refused to go to the hospital, so I called you. But it’s Luz, John. When is he not in trouble?”
John Smith nodded in agreement. “I’ll drop by tomorrow to check up on him. Don’t let him out of your sight tonight.”
“Is he allowed to take a shower?”
“If he won’t change his mind about having a sexual assault exam, then yes.”
After John Smith left, I returned to the bedroom. Luz smiled when he saw me, although I wasn’t sure because his lips were swollen and busted. His turquoise eyes seemed weird, too.
“You’re here,” he said, sounding puzzled. “Huh!”
“Do you feel any better?” I asked him, wondering what kind of medication John Smith gave him because he looked high as a kite. He also looked as if he’d been put through a meat grinder.
“Oh, much better. I can’t feel a thing.”
I didn’t want to smile, but it sounded funny.
“I’ll change the sheets, and you can take a shower if you wish,” I said, rubbing the back of my neck. “But only if you’re sure you don’t want to be… examined further. There’s no going back on that. And I firmly recommend that you get examined.”
“I want to shower. Nothing happened.”
“Can I change your mind?”
“No, but can you please text my friends? I was supposed to meet them at the club.”
I reached for his phone. “What do you want me to write to them?”
“Find Alain’s number and just write ‘I’m with Bazooka’. I don’t want them to know what happened, at least not yet. They would worry.”
I did what he said, frowning when I got a reply.
“Did he text back?” Luz asked me.
“Yeah, but it’s just a bunch of question marks, exclamation marks, and… eggplant emojis? Why eggplant?”
Luz chuckled. “You’re not big on social media, are you?”
“I’m not a social person,” I grumbled. “Wanna take that shower now?”
