Wednesday Briefs: One Night Part 11

Here's this week's installment of my flash story! I chose the prompt, "Coffee, tea, or me..." for my inspiration. I hope you enjoy this update.

One Night Part 11

 “You need to leave.”

Bear looked up at Kameron. “No.” He wasn’t moving from Jimmy’s side until his brother woke up. He couldn’t go in often, but he didn’t want to miss a chance to touch Jimmy’s hand and tell him to wake the hell up. His face looked as pale of the pillow under him and he was too still. Jimmy was never still.

He didn’t like it.

Scrubbing at his eyes didn’t relieve their burning. His ass was numb from sitting in the uncomfortable chairs. He yawned. “I just need some coffee.” He remembered his last cup of the slurry he’d gotten. He’d held on to it, but only drank half. “Maybe I’ll have some tea.”

Kameron crouched in front of him and put his hands on his knees. “You’re tired, and you’re still on pain medication—which you haven’t taken.”

Bear shook his head. “And if we leave will we be able to come back? You’re going to drag me off to a safe house again, aren’t you?” He knew Kameron wanted him out of there. The big man had been shadowing him every second they were at the hospital. “Then you won’t let me come back. I have to be here, Kameron. I need to be here when he wakes up.” Bear couldn’t consider that Jimmy wouldn’t wake up.

“I know, Bear. I got us a room in one of the staff areas. We’ll have a guard on the door. You can rest here but when Jimmy wakes up, you have to come to the new safe house with me.” Kameron’s face was deadly serious and he didn’t look away from Bear’s eyes. “These guys are not playing around. We can’t take any risks.”

Exhausted didn’t begin to cover how tired Bear was. They’d been waiting all day but Jimmy was still unconscious. He was restless and his hands felt empty. He was used to working, either at the bar or on the computer. Sitting made him twitchy. “A cup—”

Kameron leaned forward. “You could have me; I’ll let you hold me.” He pushed Bear’s hair back. “Coffee, tea, or me?”

Bear could feel his face heat up. “I … This is a hospital!”

The grin across Kameron’s face lightened something in Bear as the big man tried to cheer him up. “The door locks.” He rolled his eyes when Kameron winked, then winced. His black eyes were multicolored and he looked like he had a disease but the swelling around his nose was down. “You need rest and a change of scenery.”

“Okay.”

Bear let Kameron pull him up by his good arm. He groaned and massaged his shoulder. “Pain pills and sleep,” Kameron said firmly.

***

A light knock on the door woke Kameron up. He was curled around Bear’s small body, holding him close. He winced at the pain in his abraded arm where it had been pressing against Bear’s stomach. He should get his bandages changed.

He rolled over gingerly and went over to the door. He wasn’t on duty, but he was armed anyway. Not knowing what could be on the other side of the door made him cautious. He palmed his handgun and stood to the side when he opened the door. The black uniform of the officer standing outside reassured him.

“Yeah?”

“Jimmy’s starting to wake up,” Loren said. “They just came out to say he opened his eyes.”

“Jimmy?” Bear was sitting up. The small man was rumpled, his hair standing up and his face covered with stubble as he yawned. He stood up and walked over to the door. “Is he okay?” he asked urgently.

“They don’t know. All they know is that he’s sleeping now and no longer unconscious.”

Bear wiped at the crust in his eyes. “Okay. We’ll be right up.”

Kameron was glad Bear said we. Maybe he was beginning to accept that Kameron was not going to leave him alone. He suggested Bear wash up and then asked Ted, the officer at the door, to go grab them some coffee. Kameron was pulling his shoes back on when there was another knock at the door.

“That was fast,” he said as he unlocked opened it, his coat in one hand. The door shoved into him and he was unable to move out of the way in time. The edge slammed into his nose with a nauseating crunch and then, as he stumbled back, it hit him again. Kameron fell to the ground, tears spilling alongside the blood streaming down his face from his nose. Blood splattered all over the floor when he tried to call out to Bear to hide.

Cops did not wear shoes like the ones in front of his face.

Pain shattered him as the foot slammed into his cheek.

***

Bear had no chance as the man grabbed him by his sore shoulder, spun him around, and punched him in the jaw. He was groaning, unable to stand up. He collapsed into the man’s arms. He stank of garlic and something bitter.

“What are you …?”

“Boss wants to talk to you.”

The sudden spin as he was slung down from the man’s shoulder and into a wheelchair made the room swirl. Bear thought he was going to vomit and he gagged. The man held a cloth over his face. “Nighty night now.”

TBC

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