Chapter Five
Candy
I'm so fucking embarrassed. Of all the people who could have found me it had to be Storm. I could have regained consciousness moments before and no one would have ever known how bad that fall really was but no, I had to wait until Storm was standing over me to come back to.
It doesn't help that the entire ride here he had to keep me from falling asleep. I'm so achy and confused and sleepy that all I want to do is lay for a minute with my eyes closed. And Storm won't let me. I'm well aware it's not a good thing for me to sleep right now but that doesn't make the urge any less desirable.
Then once we're at the hospital and are taken back to a room, the stupid doctor starts hitting on me.
"And who do we have here? Such a lovely patient."
I roll my eyes but regret it right away. I have to grab my head and lay back on the propped-up pillows or risk being sick.
"She's taken and you need to keep your stethoscope in your pocket."
Wait, did Storm just tell this douche nozzle I'm taken? Thinking hurts my head too bad to actually process that statement through. I'm sure I'll be pissed once I can think about it but for now, all I want to do is not think.
"And you are...?" God what an absolute bastard of a human being this guy is.
Storm turns back to me and leans over me, "Hey baby, I need you to stay awake for me while I step out for just a minute and talk to the doctor. Can you promise me you won't go to sleep?"
I would nod but I'll throw up if I do so I just agree with him. "Sure."
He yanks the doctor out by the arm. Something tells me he’s not just going to talk over what happened to me. I listen hard to try and hear what’s being said but that just hurts my head more. I have no idea how long Storm was gone but when he comes back he has a new doctor with him - a female doctor.
"Hello Candy. Storm tells me you had a fall. Can you tell me a little about what happened?"
Storm? Since when does a doctor call someone by their first name? Well, who’s not the patient of course? Is she one of his many train cars? I don't need this shit. Not when I feel as bad as I do right now.
"Where’s the first doctor?"
The doctor looks a little uncomfortable and slides her eyes over to Storm. "Oh well, he had other patients who needed his immediate attention."
I bet he did. The thought of Storm going to find this woman so she could come be my doctor just makes my stomach roll. If he wants to see his boxcars, he needs to do it on his own time. I can't even believe that he would go hunt someone down to flirt with after spending two weeks flirting with me. What a dog! What a bastard!
"Can we just get this over with?" I hear how snippy my voice sounds. I try to tell myself that it’s not her fault. She can't help it that Storm is a complete dick. Hell, she might not even know.
"Of course," She goes for my chart.
"Can he step out?"
That stops her and she turns to look from me to Storm. What did he tell her? That I was a sister? A friend? What lie did he use to make it alright for this doctor to come in here and have the chance to be with him?
"Can you give us a minute, Nancy?"
Nancy! As much as I don't want to be that woman - the one who turns catty around other women - I am. Nancy doesn't sound like a very attractive name. Oh fuck, who am I kidding? Nancy is a beautiful name. It is elegant and fits this woman perfectly. Okay, so maybe I'm not one of those catty women after all. She gives us both a smile and walks out shutting the door behind her.
"There’s no way I'm leaving you."
My temper flares. "Why? Are you afraid I'll tell Nancy what you've been doing for the past two weeks?"
He gives me a look that shows only confusion. No fear.
"Oh please. If you wanted to hit your doctor friend up for a booty call why not just show up at the hospital and stop pretending that you're here for me."
I cross my arms in front of myself and try to hold in the anger as best I can. Once I go home I'll rant and rave about what an asshole he is. Not here. I wouldn't give him the satisfaction of being able to see how upset he's made me. Fuck him!
His lips start to tip up. "Are you jealous?"
"Why would I be jealous? I'm not one of the many who seem to have taken a ride. There’s nothing for me to be jealous of."
"You are. You're jealous." I've had enough. I get up and swing my legs over the side of the bed. I'm not to sit here and listen to him spew bullshit at me. "Hey, hey, hey, where do you think you're going?"
He's there when I become a little dizzy and have to grab a hold of something to keep myself upright.
"Somewhere you aren't."
He takes my chin in between his fingers and holds my face still so I have to look at him. No matter how hard I try not to.
"I’ve never touched that woman. The only reason we know each other is because...," he pauses. Probably searching for an excuse. "I sit on the board."
What now? It has to be the concussion that is making me slow to figure out what he is trying to tell me.
"I sit on the board here at the hospital, Candy. I promise it’s the only reason I know her. I have never been with that woman, nor do I ever want to." His lips come down on mine in a soft light kiss that is over quickly.
Before I can say anything or respond to him kissing me, a throat is being cleared. "Sorry, I should have waited another minute."
"No, she needs to see someone now." Storm puts me back in bed and the doctor, Nancy, goes through the exam, shining lights into my eyes, probing my head, and poking at the cut on my brow. I go over the events leading up to my fall one more time.
She leaves for a little while but comes back shortly after, "Okay, the way I see it you have two options. You can stay here overnight. Let us observe you and make sure everything is alright." I curl my nose up at the thought of having to stay overnight in a place where I'm not going to get any rest. "Or," she goes on but pauses before she continues.
"Or?"
"Or you can go home with Storm."
"What?" Maybe the concussion that we have all established I have has left me hard of hearing.
"Well, not necessarily Storm."
"I'm the only other option." Storm steps up on the other side of the bed.
"You can stay with someone who will continually check in on you and make sure you are easily roused and that nothing happens to you during the night." She looks me over and then glances at Storm and back to me again. "It doesn't have to be him if you have someone else you can stay with. But you do have to be watched."
"I could, um...call Bon Bon."
"It's late, doesn't she have a little sister."
Shit. She does. I glance at the clock hanging on the wall. It isn't very late, but I don't want to be a burden on Bonny and her mom either.
"What about Lolly? I could stay with Lolly?"
He hands me the phone like he already knows what will happen when I call her. A wisp of a memory comes back to me about her telling me she's had to go to her family's farm. I'm not sure if she will even pick up or not.
"I...," I think maybe I better stay here. It seems like the safest way out of this.
"She's coming home with me. There she can get the most rest and she has two people that will look after her, me and Aunt Mini."
I...I think I'm going home with him.