Chapter 4 Crutches
Nicki grabbed her purse and rushed toward the front door of the Compound.
“Tico’s waiting for us in the car, come on,” she said to Tommy, putting on her white bomber jacket.
“But the doctor said that no one will be allowed to visit him until later this afternoon,” Tommy said from the kitchen, clutching a coffee mug in his hands.
“I don’t care! I want to be there when he wakes up! Let’s go!” Nicki quipped.
She tossed her nearly dry hair to the side and tied her winter boots tighter.
Tommy didn’t budge.
“What are you doing? Come on!” Nicki shouted, now getting impatient.
After a brief pause, Tommy put his mug down on the counter and said, “I’m not going.”
Nicki shot him a look of surprise, almost light-headed from the speed at which she stood up straight. “What do you mean you’re not going?”
“I’m not going, Nicki. I can’t go to the hospital. I hate hospitals and I can’t see Tyler there, lying like that, post-op. I just can’t do it,” Tommy said, firm but embarrassed.
Nicki felt a small whirlwind of anger twirl from the base of her stomach, but it was quickly suppressed by the look on Tommy’s desperate face. The shame he felt of being unable to see his brother hooked up to multiple machines for taking a bullet that was meant for him.
“I’m sorry, I’m a coward,” Tommy said quietly. “And, I’m an asshole.”
Nicki sighed loudly from hearing his absurd claims. She put her purse down on the floor and walked up to Tommy slowly.
Reaching for his hand, she led him over to the couch.
He plopped down defeatedly.
“Tommy, why would you say something like that?” Nicki asked quietly.
“Cause it’s true. I’m a coward cause I can’t see my own brother in the hospital. Even though I’m alive because of him.”
“Honey, how on Earth are you a coward? You took Tyler out of the house as fast as you could after he got shot and then you ran back in to find me! With guns pointed at you! And I understand why you feel the way you do about hospitals. Your dad after his car accident. Your mom with her drug issues. The stabbing with you and Tyler that night at the group home. Your hand surgeries… Such horrible experiences to have to live through as a kid. No one is judging you.” Nicki tilted her head to get a deeper look into his wet eyes.
She took his right hand and traced the scars on his palm. “It’s OK…”
“But I’m an asshole. I was so happy to see you, Nicki, and so angry to see your face bruised like that.
And I wanted to kiss your bruises. The way you had kissed my scars.
But I ventured down to your lips. While you were handcuffed.
And crying. You couldn’t have slapped me away if you wanted to.
That was really uncool of me, Nick, and I’m sorry. ”
Tommy’s eyes flooded.
“Oh, honey, it was just an affectionate expression of relief! You almost got shot! You were pumping with adrenaline and you had just seen your brother get shot!” Nicki explained compassionately.
Her voice was soothing and she laid it all out nicely so that Tommy didn’t beat himself up about it anymore than he had already.
“I was so happy to see you, Tommy! You have no idea how relieved I was! You didn’t do anything wrong, OK?”
Tommy nodded, pressing his lips together. Her aloe vera forgiveness soothing his burned, guilt-ridden heart.
Nicki wrapped her arms around him and held him tightly.
Tommy’s tears released from the shutting of his eyes and he held her tightly, turning his face into her neck.
“Thank you,” he mumbled. Why are you so kind to me…
“It’s OK, honey. We are all exhausted. Now, I’m going to go and see Tyler. Please eat something and get some sleep, OK? You need to get some rest.”
Tommy watched her go; the girl he selfishly kissed. His heart deflated and the exhaustion he felt compounded in his sore body. He fell asleep right there on the couch.
The machines beeped annoyingly; loud and systematic, but Nicki was happy they were beeping at all.
She caressed Tyler’s hand and watched him sleeping motionlessly for the third hour, with an oxygen tube in his nose. His face was pale in contrast to the light blue hospital gown. The IV drip needle was tiny against the size of his arm and his left leg at the thigh was heavily bandaged.
Nicki’s eyes drifted back to Tyler’s tired face and down to his neck.
And there, under his hospital gown, was her gold lion’s tooth necklace, kept safe until she was ready to wear it again.
A tear pierced her eye and fell down her cheek.
Nicki leaned in gently and kissed his hand.
Finally, Tyler’s eyes twitched and he woke up, opening his eyes slowly. The heart rate monitor beeping sped up as he looked at her. The machine gave him away.
Nicki smiled wide. “Hey, you,” she said, getting up to give him a kiss on the cheek.
“My angel,” he growled in an unused voice.
“Don’t move, don’t say anything. You’re all hooked up to the machines. But the surgery went well,” Nicki said. “They got the bullet out, and it didn’t hit any bones, so that’s really good.”
“When can I leave?” Tyler asked.
“Ha! You’re so funny,” Nicki quipped. She leaned in again and kissed his lips. “I’m so happy to see you,” she said.
Tyler squeezed her hand and pulsated it flirtingly. It was all he could manage in the moment.
“I’m going to get the doctor,” Nicki said.
“Wait. Are you OK?” he asked, looking at the bruises along her face.
“I’m fine, my darling. Thanks to you guys.”
“Who’s here? You can’t be here by yourself,” Tyler said, too exhausted and sore to hold his head up, but trying.
“Don’t worry! Put your head back down on the pillow. Half the crew is here, they’re waiting just outside the room.”
“Good,” Tyler said approvingly. “You can’t go anywhere by yourself.”
“Aww, I missed that stubborn attitude,” Nicki teased. “I’m so happy you’re going to be alright, my love.” Her smile pushed the tears out of her eyes.
“Is Tommy OK?”
Nicki sighed and sat back down, grabbed his hand again. “He’s alright, honey. Everyone is fine. He wanted to be here, but he just couldn’t see you like this, you know?” Nicki explained.
“I know. He hates hospitals. But as long as he’s OK,” Tyler replied.
“He’s alive because of you.”
She leaned over and kissed his lips. He kissed her back softly, squeezing her hand tighter.
The doctor interrupted their reunion.
By Thursday of the following week, Nicki’s bruises had healed enough that makeup covered them pretty well; just in time for her brother’s return from his business trip.
Tico and the guys had replaced his smashed windshield and front headlight at the garage and it was towed back to Nicki’s apartment parking lot, good as new.
“Darek!” Nicki yelled out from the porch of her apartment down to her brother getting out of the airport taxi.
They greeted each other happily and Darek spun her around by her hand.
“Finally, you have a boyfriend!” he teased.
“Hey!” Nicki replied. “Unfortunately, he is in the hospital so you won’t be able to meet him this time, but you’ll meet his brother and our business manager,” she said.
Darek took a closer look at Nicki’s face.
“Hey, what’s that? Is that a bruise?” he demanded. The sharp sunlight unveiled the makeup layer effortlessly and lifted the blue onto the surface of her skin.
“Oh, yeah, heh, long story. But it’s OK, I’m fine,” Nicki said.
Darek’s face hardened.
“Nicki, are you in an abusive relationship? Tell me, now,” he pressed seriously.
“No! Are you crazy? It’s nothing like that! I promise! Let’s go to lunch. You’ll love the guys. Come on!”
Nicki rushed him into the truck, eager to change the subject.
At the steakhouse restaurant, Nicki, Darek, Tommy and Jake sat at a booth and enjoyed some much-needed casual banter over proper burgers.
Tommy explained to Darek that at this time, their warehouse needs were suspended, but they were happy to meet someone from Nicki’s family. They enjoyed Darek’s light-hearted jokes and slight jabs at his little sister, who was happy to see him. He brought a little piece of home with him.
As she took a sip of her soda and watched Jake and Tommy laugh out loud at Darek’s stories, she had an overwhelming feeling that her brother’s visit was very welcome, but that this was her home.
Guns, kidnappings, gang wars, and a man running it all who she was madly, stupidly, head over heels in love with.
There was no place she would rather be.
As soon as Darek’s truck was out of sight, driving away from Nicki’s apartment after the late afternoon coffee visit, Nicki raced to start packing her things.
By the time Tyler had been released from the hospital two weeks later, Nicki had moved out of her apartment and into his house, as he had asked her to. Rather, begged. This way, she was able to help take care of him like she wanted, and he knew she was kept safe, like he wanted.
Tyler moved around pretty well with the crutches, and had a physiotherapist come by four times a week for his rehabilitation.
Tyler kept a stern discipline with his exercises in order to get back to work as soon as possible.
Nicki made a large bed in the main floor living room out of the couches, and arranged for all the things he may need within arm’s reach so he wouldn’t have to use the stairs.
Tyler and Nicki were both under each other’s watchful eye and they wouldn’t have it any other way, lying low at Tyler’s house and taking it easy. Together.
During a late March rain storm, Nicki was making her chicken stir fry. Tyler’s third favourite thing he loved to have in his mouth. He limped over behind her and put his arms around her waist.
He kissed her neck and rested his chin on her collar bone, looking down at her cooking.
“Do not even come near me without your crutches! You’re not supposed to be putting your full weight on your leg yet!” Nicki stated.
“Yeah, but you’re taking such good care of me, I’m healing fast!” Tyler hit back. “Smells so good, baby. I love it when you cook,” he added to ease her disapproval of his cavalier crutch-free excursions. It had been six weeks post-surgery and he was feeling good. His leg was much stronger.
The doorbell rang.
Tyler sneaked another kiss onto Nicki’s neck as she stirred and he limped over to open the door for Tommy, invited over for dinner.
His mood these past few weeks had been gloomy like the weather.
Even Tyler tried his best to cheer him up by being nicer than he usually was and eased up on the beat downs.
Tommy entered and gave Tyler a longer than normal hug hello at the door.
“Tommy, could you please tell your brother not to walk without his crutches?” Nicki asked.
“How about I just shove a crutch up his ass and then he will have no choice?” Tommy quipped.
Nicki shot him an unimpressed look with her hand on her hip.
Tyler messed with Tommy’s unkempt mullet and put his arm around his neck, almost like in a choke hold, but leaned on him instead as they walked to the kitchen.
“The meeting is confirmed,” Tommy said. “With Chase and Leeman.”
Nicki dropped a metal spoon that crashed onto the plate.
“Don’t worry, baby, the meeting was going to happen sooner or later. We have to get it over with,” Tyler said in her direction. “When is it?” he asked Tommy.
“Symbolically, April 1st. April Fool’s,” Tommy answered.
Tyler smiled widely. “Perfect.”
Nicki approached the brothers and placed their plates of dinner in front of them on the island counter.
“This looks amazing, thank you, sweetheart,” Tommy said.
“Can you please refrain from calling my girlfriend sweetheart all the time?”
“Only if she stops being one. I’ll start calling you shit-head, though,” Tommy quipped.
Nicki rolled her eyes. “Stop, please. Eat! I feel like I’m taking care of children!”
“Get used to it, honey,” Tyler said, then kissed the air at Nicki before he dug in.
She blushed and joined in on the meal.
The boys ate quickly and asked for seconds. From the outside peeking in, it would seem that the boys continued their brotherly banter, like always. But whenever Tommy was alone, or Tyler left the room, his face would fall and he couldn’t hide his melancholy from Nicki anymore.
“Tommy, what’s wrong?” she asked quietly when Tyler went to the bathroom.
“Nothing,” he answered plainly.
Nicki walked around the island and gave him a hug, again feeling a hopeless sadness radiating from him.
“Did you eat enough?” Nicki asked, trying to distract his mood with a juvenile question.
“Yes, honey, it was delicious.” Tommy’s eyes dragged onto her as soon as she picked up his plate and walked back to the kitchen sink. She managed to ooze femininity from her cashmere clothed body and her silky hair now touched the small of her back.
Tommy’s eyes fell down to her back side and up again, loathing himself. The images in his head of what he wanted to do to her only getting more sexual.
His dirty gaze was interrupted by Tyler limping back into the kitchen.
“OK, seriously, guy, crutches!” Tommy shouted.
“Fuck the crutches. I need to get back out there,” Tyler quipped.
“Ha! Good one!” Nicki said.
Tyler approached her at the sink and kissed her lips.
It made Tommy look away, nauseated.
“I’m leaving. Thanks for dinner, Nicki,” Tommy said.
“Tommy, don’t go yet! I thought you were staying for the game!” Nicki shouted.
“See you at work, sweetheart,” Tommy quipped, before closing the front door behind him.
A silence fell when he left.
“There’s something off with him. Has he even had any of the girls over at the cabin?” Tyler asked.
“No, he hasn’t. You know, he’s having a really hard time ever since you got shot. Be nicer to him,” Nicki said softly. “These things are so scary for him. It reminds him of your childhood. It’s trauma revisited. He can’t help it.”
“No. There was something off before this happened. Ever since we landed in the Bahamas. You saw it yourself, at the bon fire. It’s like… something got a hold of him there and he hasn’t been able to shake it off since,” Tyler said.
Nicki’s stomach turned. She had a sunken feeling that she was forcing to keep down. The intuitive belief that Tommy was having a hard time not only with his brother’s injury, but with feelings for his girlfriend too. It was breaking Tommy’s heart in plain sight.
“I’m so lucky you are here with me, my angel. Thank you for taking such good care of all of us,” Tyler whispered to Nicki. “I love you so much,” he added.
“I love you too, my Lion. So how about we make a deal? You keep walking everywhere with your crutches until your big meeting on April 1st. That’s one more week.
Otherwise, you can sleep by yourself down here and can forget about me massaging you or doing anything else for that matter,” Nicki ordered.
“Oh, come on, that’s not fair,” Tyler replied. “And yes, of course. Where are those damn crutches?” he shouted out playfully before grabbing Nicki closer to him and kissing her all over her face.
She laughed in her triumph and they quickly forgot about dessert. Tyler had her instead.