3. Chapter 3
Glenda
After Sofie cuddled with me for a few minutes, I was beat. Sam returned and kept asking me questions and poking at me.
“Can you stop?” I asked, my tone less sharp since Sofie was still sitting with me.
Sam sighed. “Can you stand?”
Linny grabbed Sofie. “Here, sweet girl. Hop down so we can help her up.”
My head was heavy and holding Sofie was a chore. “I’m not sure I can really sit up.”
Sam motioned to Bama. “Go on that side, please. Glenda, can you grab my hands and help pull yourself up?”
Sam held his hands out, so I reached up and grabbed them both. It took all the effort I could muster, but with his help, I pulled myself to sitting. Bama had his hands on my back, just enough to keep me upright, but it was mostly Sam holding me up.
“Can you swing your legs over?” Sam asked.
The muscles in my abdomen strained. Sam let go of one hand and helped move the catheter as I moved my legs to the side. Bama helped guide me sideways.
“Shit,” I said. “I’m winded.” I wasn’t sure I could manage being on my feet. Everything hurt.
“I got you, okay?” Sam pushed a button and the bed lowered some. “I’m gonna slide you off, but don’t let go.” He held his hands back out so I put my hands in his, bracing myself for what happened when my feet hit the floor.
As soon as the balls of my feet hit the carpet, my knees buckled and I started to stumble.
Sam was in front of me. My arms scrambled for purchase on him, but more hands were grabbing me from behind. Looking down, I mumbled, “Get your hands off me.”
“I don’t know if you’re talking to him or me, and I kept you from face planting, so I’ll just keep my hands in place,” Leigh said.
“Help her back to bed,” Sam told him.
“You’re hurting me,” I said as Leigh lifted me.
“No worse than you already are,” he said as he got me back to the bed.
I batted his hand away once I was settled.
“You’ve been out a while. Your body is weak. Leigh, she’ll need plenty of fluids, food, and she’ll need to do some exercises.” Sam grabbed my hand so I looked up at him while I caught my breath. “You’re gonna have to let him help you.”
“I wanna go to the clubhouse.”
Sam squeezed my hand. “We can’t keep moving this equipment around, Glenda. Plus, you need to rest and recuperate. You won’t do that at the clubhouse.”
“I’m not an idiot. I can take it easy just as good there as here. Better there, actually.”
Bama cleared his throat. Linny shoved him but didn’t say anything.
“Miss Glenda, have you met Bruce? He can help take care of you,” Sofie said.
“I know Brucie. He’s a good boy, but I don’t think a doggie can help me.”
Sofie’s big blue eyes sparkled. “Yes he can. And he can keep you company.”
“Like I said, we can’t move all this again. And you can’t go far without assistance. For now, you need to hang tight,” Sam said. “How’s the pain level?”
Everything was sore, but I’d had worse. “I’m alright.”
“I can give you a shot now and leave some pills–”
“No. I’m fine. I just need some food and rest.”
Leigh pulled out his phone. “Tell me what you want.”
“Fuck off.”
Linny came over. “Sweetie, I need you to eat. He’ll get whatever you want. So go nuts.”
“It’s fine. I know what she likes,” Leigh said before he left the room, looking at his phone.
“Linny, you gotta break me out of here,” I pleaded. I wasn’t ready to dredge up everything, but I couldn’t be near him, much less stuck at his house.
She sat on the edge of the bed. “Well, for now, you have a tube hanging from your peehole so you’re stuck. Just do what Sam says and we’ll see about getting you out of here once you can walk.”
“Why is there a tube in your peehole?” Sofie asked in almost a squeal.
I hung my hand over the bed and she took it. “That way I don’t wet the bed since I can’t stand easily. Nobody wants to sit in a peepee bed, right?”
“I’m sorry your legs hurt,” she said, squeezing my hand.
“I’ll be okay soon, and we will be back to playing in no time.”
“I can come play with Bruce with you after school,” Sofie said before her lips thinned and she nodded.
“Can’t argue with that,” Bama said.
I shot daggers at him with my eyes before I turned back to Linny. “I can’t believe you’re gonna let them make me stay here.”
She turned around. “Can y’all give us a minute?”
Bama reached his hand out for Sofie but she leaned closer, patting my cheek. “I’ll see you tomorrow. I’ll be good at school so they let me come after. But you have to be good, too, or they won’t let me come.”
“Okay, I promise.”
She whispered, “I’ll try to get you some chickie nuggies.” Then she took off, grabbing Bama’s hand and they left.
Sam stepped closer. “You sure you don’t want anything for the pain?”
Shaking my head, I answered, “No. I’m good.”
“Alright. I’ll be back tomorrow. I need to take that catheter out so you’ll need help getting to the bathroom.”
“What? Why can’t you leave it in?”
“Once you eat, you’re gonna need to go anyway. There’s not enough tubing to make it to the bathroom.”
“I’ll wait to eat, then.” The thought of having Leigh help me get to the bathroom made me ill.
“We can’t afford to have you end up at the hospital.”
“Doctor, can you give me a minute?” Linny asked.
Sam nodded and left.
“Would you let any random member help you to the bathroom?” I asked.
Linny shut the door and turned. “Listen, I know there’s some kind of history there, so he’s not some rando. Plus, he’s a biker. A Bastard.”
Rolling my eyes, I said, “Semantics. And that makes it worse.”
“Which part?”
“Both.”
“I’m not going to push you to hash this story out with me now. But I've been here every day waiting for you to wake up. Whatever there was between you, he’s in love with you, Glenda.”
My chest tightened and my stomach churned at the same time. “So he thinks.”
“Well, I know he’ll take care of you. And I’ll be back after we drop her off in the morning. But you gotta just let him help you until then.”
I didn’t want to burden Linny with taking care of me. “You have your own shit to deal with.”
“I do, which is why I need to leave for a while. But I’ll be back in the morning. Until then, you gotta promise you’ll suck it up and let Leigh take care of you.”
“Fine.”
She leaned down and kissed my cheek. “Hey, I didn’t say you had to be nice. I just said you needed to let him help you.”
“Don’t make me laugh,” I said, fighting off a cough. My ribs hurt like hell and so did my throat.
“Sorry. I’ll send Sam back in. Do you need anything from me before I take off?”
“Just a hug.”
Linny sat on the bed and leaned down. I lifted my arms to her sides and she grabbed my shoulders.
Tears squeezed from my eyes and I let out a huge sigh. “Thank God you’re alive.”
“Same to you. I was sure you were dead when they dragged me away,” she said, her voice cracking as her hands shook.
“I’m too stubborn to let some Scorpions kill me. I guess I should have known you were, too.”
I still didn’t know what happened to her. I’d get that story eventually but now wasn’t the time. I was just happy she was alive.
“I love you, Linny,” I said as I squeezed as hard as I could.
“I love you, Glenda.” She kissed my cheek again. “I’ll be back in the morning.”
“Okay. Tell Sofie goodnight for me.”
She nodded as she headed out of the room. Then Sam came back, closing the door behind him. “You gonna let him help you?”
“Sure.” I sighed. “I’m starving, so I guess I don’t have an option. Let’s get this tube out.”
Couldn't be any worse than being here.