Chapter Eight
Marco
“I feel fine,” Penny insisted. “I wanna see Kai.”
“He’s currently being X-rayed. The nurse said he’s awake and talking but we can’t be there.
We’ll see him in his room. I know he’d want me to take care of you.
Please, Penny.” Marco hid his smile as Penny let out an exasperated sigh but nodded and let Vince get on with his examination.
It took all of Marco to not burst into the room and demand to know what was going on and how Kai was.
Unfortunately, he didn’t have that right, yet.
He needed to talk to Kai. Seeing him in danger tonight made everything clearer and Marco decided that Kai was going to be his. There would be hurdles but he’d clear them and he’d woo Kai. As it stands he wasn’t sure whether or not Kai even liked him more than an employee liked their boss.
“Why are you still here?” Penny asked, making Marco startle.
“Huh?”
“You did the good samaritan thing. You made sure Kai and I were ok, called the cops, and got me to the hospital. Bullied me to accept an exam. You should be gone. Why are you still here?” Penny winced slightly as Vince cleaned the cut on her head and bandaged it up.
“Because…” Might as well just tell her. “Kai is mine.” Penny’s eyebrows raised and even Vince looked up, surprised.
“Well, that was direct. I like that.” Penny smiled.
“Does Kai know?” Vince asked.
“Oh, pish posh, Kai’ll be fine with being yours. He likes you!”
“Is Penny okay?”
“She’s fine, just some scrapes. Put some disinfectant cream on the worst ones. Got it, missy?”
“Yeah, sure,” Penny said flippantly. “Back to the more important thing. You and Kai are perfect together! Workplace romance, so sweet!” Vince chuckled and shook his head.
“Its not a romance novel, you know?” Before Penny could make a retort to Vince the curtain opened to a nurse and Barry.
“Are you done, Dr. Black? The officer said he needs to take their statements.”
“Yes, I’m done. I’m going to check on Kai. I”ll let you two know when he’s moved to a room. Good luck.” Vince clapped Marco on the shoulder and left.
“Please tell me in your own words, what happened, Penny. Take your time.”
“Well, we were driving home after spending some time in the club. Kai was driving. He stopped at the stop sign and no one was coming so Kai decided to drive through the intersection. All of a sudden a bright light illuminated the car and smashed into us going full speed. I must have passed out or something, I’m not sure but next thing I remember is shaking Kai and crying cause he was bleeding.
I got out of the car and that was when Marco pulled up.
” Penny hugged herself and Marco gently patted her shoulder with a gentle smile.
“Could you tell if there were other cars at the other intersections?” Barry asked while writing in his note pad.
“It was really dark. All I could see was what the head lights illuminated. I didn’t see any other headlights at the other intersections.”
“Alright, thank you, Penny. That was very informative. What happened when you arrived, Marco?”
“At first I didn’t see anything but my headlights illuminated the car.
I got out of my car to see if I could help the occupants.
That’s when I saw Penny. There was some blood running down her face but she was talking and I asked her what happened.
That’s when she said that a car had crashed into them and that Kai was hurt.
I ran to the driver's side of the car and called for him but he didn’t make any outward signs that he could hear me.
I ran back to my car with Penny after I ascertained she hadn’t called an ambulance and called 911 myself.
I then climbed into the passenger side and was able to feel Kai's pulse. The ambulance arrived soon after that.”
“Officer Barry? Can I ask, what happened to the other car? I was a little out of it so I didn’t think to ask if the other driver was okay?” Penny asked. Barry and Marco shared a look and Barry said, “By the time Marco and the ambulance arrived there wasn’t a car.”
“What?”
“From the amount of glass on scene and CSI techs found some paint transfer on the car there definitely was another car involved. I believe that you and Kai were the victims of a hit and run.” Marco nodded, frowning.
Who would want to hurt Kai? Or maybe Penny? Both are so sweet.
“What? Who would want to hurt us like that?”
“Do you know if you or Kai had any enemies? It could also just be a random event.”
“What, no, neither of us has… wait. Todd.”
“Whose Todd?” Barry asked.
“That’s Kai’s ex-boyfriend. Kai broke up with him a month or two ago.
They dated for almost a year but Todd was a major red flag.
Super full of himself, super manipulative.
He tried to convince Kai that I was ruining his life.
That’s when Kai had had enough and broke up with him.
Todd was pissed, I think it hurt his fragile male ego that Kai ended things and not the other way around.
Really soon after that Kai found out Todd and his old boss were having an affair.
Sera, his old boss, fired him after that.
Kai thinks it was because she thought he was going to tell her husband. ”
“I’ll look up Todd, do you have a last name for him?”
“No, I never cared enough to remember it.”
“I’ll ask Kai once he’s awake and able to answer my questions.”
“I hope I can see him soon.” Penny’s warm brown eyes teared up and Marco wrapped one of his arms around her and squeezed lightly.
“It’ll be alright, Penny. Kai’ll be fine. You’ll see.” Penny smiled up at him and nodded while wiping the tears from her eyes.
“I’ll go ask Vince when it’ll be okay for you to see him. Thank you, Penny.”
“Thank you for looking into our accident, Officer Barry.”
“Its a good thing I didn’t call his last job for a reference,” Marco remarked and Penny chuckled.
“D’you mean that you hired Kai based on Landon’s reference?”
“That and his very impressive resume and his responses in his interview. Did you ask Landon to ask me to hire Kai?”
“No, I didn’t remember you until recently. I forgot you are friends with Landon.”“We served in the same platoon together when I was with the Army.”
“Ah, well Landon found me searching for jobs one day and he got worried that I was looking for a new job. After I reassured him I am very happy I explained I was trying to help my brother find a job. Like, Marcus pays me very well.”
“Well enough to support the two of you and all the expenses?” Marco asked as he stepped back. Penny appeared to be pulling herself back together.
“Yes, it was tight, I didn’t have much money for anything else but I could do it.
Kai felt guilty that he wasn’t able to help as much and that he’d stayed with Todd for so long especially as he knew neither of us liked the other.
Landon said he knew someone looking for a new waiter and that’s when he called you. ”
“Well, Kai is a very good hire.”
“Marco, I don’t mind if you go after Kai. You might have a hard time convincing him that you two dating would be a good idea but if you hurt my brother I will make sure that you’ll be hurt in the process. Okay?”
“Okay. It’s not my intention to hurt Kai.
I’ve tried to deny my feelings over the last couple weeks since I hired him.
But seeing him tonight… I lost a lot of good friends during my time in the Army so I try not to waste the time I have left with if’s and’s or buts.
I take what’s mine and I firmly believe Kai is mine. ”
“Good.” The same nurse from before came and announced they were moving Kai to a room.
“If you promise to be quiet Dr. Black said that you could wait in the room with him until Kai wakes up. He might be very groggy for a couple hours.”
“Thank you so much, Nurse. Is he okay?”
“Is he okay?” Marco asked at the same time. The nurse smiled at the two of them while she led them through the hospital.
“Dr. Black is waiting in the room. He’ll be able to let you know more.
” Soon they were outside a wood door with a tag of ‘Kai Jackson’ on the front.
Penny rushed in and Marco was close on her heels.
She stopped suddenly and Marco stopped suddenly to avoid running her over.
Kai was asleep on the hospital bed, very pale.
There was a bandage on his head and his right arm was wrapped in a cast.
“Welcome back,” Vince said quietly. He put Kai’s chart at the end of his bed and walked over to Penny.
“He looks worse than he is. Kai suffered a clean break in his ulna and a laceration in his head. He was in pain so I gave him a pain reliever. I was able to cast his arm fine and his head required five stitches.”
“He doesn’t need surgery for his arm does he?” Penny asked.
“No, all it needs is approximately six to eight weeks in the cast. I’m going to have Kai see his primary physician in six weeks to check how it's healing. Depending on the results he might have the cast removed then or it might be extended another couple weeks. Penny, Kai will be fine.” Marco looked over and Penny was very pale and tears were leaking over her cheeks.
Working on instinct Marco pulled Penny into a hug.
“It's okay, Kai is okay,” he repeated and Penny hugged Marco back and he could feel her shaking.
“Is it alright if we stay in here until Kai wakes up?” Marco asked.
“Stay as long as you like. I’ll let the charge nurse know that you can stay past visiting hours.
“Thanks.”
“Any time. You, Penny, Kai, and my Little girl are good friends. Our community is small but we have to stick together.” Vince left and Marco led Penny to a chair.
“Do you want to stay here tonight or do you want me to give you a ride home?”
“Here. I wanna stay here. What about you?” Penny sat and Marco knelt in front of her to wipe her tears away with his handkerchief.
“I’ll also be staying here. I told you, Kai is mine. I’m going to look after him.”
“Good luck convincing Kai,” Penny snorted with a smile.
“I imagine I’ll have a fun time doing that.
” Marco arranged himself on a sofa that was against the opposite wall, facing the bed.
There wasn’t a lot of room but at least there was enough sitting room for both of them.
Settling in and staring at Kai and listening to the steady beep of the heart monitor Marco started making plans on how to convince Kai to be his.