Chapter 6 #2
“ Take them away.” He looked in her direction again and asked Mae what she was going to be doing.
When she stood up, Olivia was worried that she was going to tell them that she’d have nothing to do with them.
Instead, she told them that she’d do what was necessary to get her brother out of prison.
“ I thought you’d say that. So, in the interest of keeping Ms. Marsh safe as well as myself, I’m going to have you sitting in a jail cell just like your brother. Take her away, too.”
She was still sitting there when her aunt pulled out a gun.
How she got it in the courtroom was something that she’d think about later.
But right now, she had it pointed right at her.
When Zander stood up and punched Aunt Mae in the face, it was all she could do not to run to him.
But he was wrestling with getting the gun from her aunt when it went off.
Olivia didn’t move. She was sure that someone had been hurt by the shot, but she didn’t know who.
Getting up and walking slowly to the two of them lying on the floor, she knelt down just as the police in the room started scrambling.
She was knocked away from them and fell back on her ass, but she wasn’t going to give up that easily.
As soon as she saw the blood pooling under her aunt’s body, she just knew it was going to be Zander.
When the police rolled Zander off of her aunt, she feared the worst. There was blood all over his shirt, and things just blacked out.
She must have been out for a while because when she woke up, she was lying on a gurney still in the courtroom. Zander was sitting in a chair, and he looked all right but for the blood all over his shirt. She said his name, and he looked at her and smiled.
“ I’m all right. I can’t come to you right now because I’m covered in evidence.
I so want to hold you.” She started crying.
“ Don’t love. Please? It’s been hard enough just sitting here while you were out.
I’m just fine. Your aunt is dead, but I’m just fine.
I promise you that nothing happened to me other than I got blood all over myself. ”
“ Is any of it yours?” He laughed that laugh that made her think she’d caught him off guard. “ So long as you’re safe, I am too. Why am I on this thing when I could be sitting next to you?”
“ You fainted, and they were worried because you hit your head when you went down. They’re going to run you in for some tests just to make sure that nothing happened.
The police are taking full blame for you being hurt, too, so do what they want.
They’re a little on the nervous side right now.
” She asked if her aunt was really dead.
“ Yes. She was trying to kill you when I jumped up and stopped her. The gun went off when she pulled the trigger. I think she was hoping that she killed me, then was going to get you. I don’t know how she got in here with her gun, but people are going to be fired for this. ”
“ Good.” He laughed again and was asked by one of the officers if he needed anything.
After assuring them that he was all right, he turned back to her.
“ Are you really all right? I have to tell you something. When I heard that gun go off, I thought for sure that she’d killed you, and I decided that I love you very much. ”
“ I love you as well. It just took us a bit longer to get there than it did the others. I’m all right with that. I love that we became good friends before we became husband and wife. You will marry me, won’t you? I need to know that you will be my wife.”
“ I will. Not terribly romantic right now, but it will be a story to remember for our children. ‘Dad proposed to me covered in blood while I was rushed to the hospital for possible head injuries.’” She pretended to be thinking on that.
“ Maybe that’s why I said yes. You’ll have to ask me again in a few days.
I might have a head injury that is making me think that I love you enough to become your wife. ”
“ I’ll ask you every day for the next month if you’ll continue to say that you love me.” She said that she could handle that too. “ I love you, Olivia. So very much.”
“ And I love you. And will for the rest of my life. Hopefully, there won’t be any more people carrying guns around us for a while.
” He said that he’d like that as well. Then he was asked if he could change his clothing into something else.
When he was given a pair of scrubs to put on, she wondered what sort of evidence he might have on him that they’d need his clothing.
She realized that she didn’t care so long as he was all right.
She was taken to the hospital a few minutes later to have some tests done.
She didn’t want to leave him but knew that he was going to be all right. She was still nervous about leaving him, but with all the police around, she wasn’t too worried. He’d be just fine, she kept telling herself.
~*~
Getting to the hospital just as they were taking her down for an MRI, he sat in the room that had been hers in the emergency department and waited.
He’d already talked to Locke, who was the doctor seeing that Olivia was all right, but he wanted to see her and touch her now that he was no longer being detained.
“ She’s going to need a few stitches in the back of her head.
The officer who pushed her out of the way feels bad about it.
The department is going to pick up the tab for the two of you, and I’d let them.
They’re still trying to figure out how Mae got into the courtroom with a loaded gun.
Someone will get their asses handed to them if I don’t miss my bet.
” He said he was just glad that he’d been there, or there was no telling what would have happened to her.
“ Mae will be tried for attempted murder. I know that she’s dead, but that’s what I heard from the officers. ”
“ Yes, for the estate to pick up the billing for other things that will come from this. She’ll also be charged with having a gun in the courtroom.
Also, the fact that she threatened the judge.
He will be put in protective custody until such time as the Marshes are put in prison.
I have a feeling that that’s where they’ll end up after all this.
” Locke told him that he was going to keep Olivia overnight just to make sure that her head wasn’t going to cause her any pain.
“ I’m going to be right here with her. I hope you understand that.
I’ve fallen in love with her, and she has me as well. ”
“ Good. It’s about time.” They both laughed. “ I have some clothing in my car if you want it. Those can’t be all that comfortable to wear when they don’t fit you right. I have to wear them so I’ve gotten used to them, but you don’t have to.”
“ I’d love that, but I want to wait until Olivia comes back here.
I need to make sure that she’s all right.
I’m sure that she wants to make the same about me.
” Locke told him that she shouldn’t be much longer; he’d go get the clothing for him.
“ Thanks. I owe you one. Just make sure that she’s going to be all right, big brother.
Now that I’ve found her, I find that I can’t be without her. ”
“ That’s wonderful news, Zander. I wondered if she would be the one for you.
We’ve all been hoping that you and she would be a couple.
Alex really loves her already.” He said that he did as well.
“ I can tell. All right. As soon as you get changed, I’ll make sure she has a room with a recliner in it for you.
They’re not the best to sleep in, but it’s better than a hard chair to sit up in all night. ”
After his brother left him, he heard from the rest of the family.
They were making sure that he was really all right, and he couldn’t believe how sobby he was getting because they cared enough to talk to him.
As soon as Olivia was in the room with him and the nurses were finished with her, he went to the bed and kissed her.
“ How’s your head?” She said she was much better now that he was there with her. “ Locke is getting me something else to wear, so I’ll be out of these things. He also told me that he was keeping you overnight, so in the event your head hurts or something.”
“ They told me down in the MRI department that I’d be staying.
I only wanted to see you, so I didn’t pay too much attention to what they were saying.
” He told her what Locke had told him about Mae.
“ She was going to kill me. I keep thinking about that, and I’m terrified all over.
She actually pulled out a gun and was going to use it on me. And would have if not for you.”
“ I told you that I had you.” Holding her hand, he kissed her again. “ Will you still marry me? I’m counting on you having to be asked a great deal.”
“ I’m hoping that you don’t change your mind and stop asking me.” He said she didn’t answer him. “ Yes, I’ll marry you. I still have a crazy family left to get to us.”
“ I’m not worried about them anymore. I have a feeling that they’ll be in prison before the end of the day.
The judge will not take too kindly to being in the room where a gun has gone off.
He’ll have them put away for a good long time after what was said in there today.
” She held tightly to his hand and said her head was hurting.
“ Something that I learned from Locke is not to let the pain get ahead of you. If you need something for it, ask so that it doesn’t take longer for the meds to help you. ”