Authors: Cassandra Cole
“He could have taken Dale apart, you know,” Tessa felt a little boastful about Cal now, “He's a Navy SEAL.” Gemma stared at her friend,
“Wow, gurl you got it bad.” She held one finger up and waved it from side to side in a bad impersonation of a Hollywood stereotype. Gemma checked her watch, “Where is he anyway? He's been gone for ages?” She laughed drunkenly, “You don't suppose he met up with Dale after all, do you?” Tessa smiled.
“No, he went back to the bathroom, there's nothing down there but the bathrooms and...” Her stomach dropped.
“A fire escape!” Gemma supplied.
The two women managed to get out of the booth and hurried back to where the bathrooms were located. Sure enough there was a door leading to the outside. It stood open.
CHAPTER FOUR
A light rain had started to fall since they were in Hurley's reflecting the streetlights and dazzling her eyes as Tessa held Gemma's hand to walk outside, not knowing what they might find. What they did find was a pair of dumpsters a pile of cigarette butts and Cal's t-shirt crumpled on the wet ground.
“Cal!” She shouted, picking up his shirt and pulling it tight to her, “Calvin!” Fright made Tessa abandon caution and she shot off towards the back of Hurley's, looking for Cal.
Be alright. Be alright.
The words rolled over in her mind as she trotted down the alley, past garbage cans and the back doors of other businesses, all closed at this hour. Tessa slowed and wondered what the hell to do next, go back to Hurley's or carry on looking for him? The pitiful whine she heard from up ahead made her choice for her.
A stint in the ER as part of her nurse training had exposed Tessa to a whole range of sounds people in pain could make but the heart rending howl Cal was making was a new one on her. Reaching the end of another alley, which intersected the one she was in, Tessa found out why.
The sound was being made by a bedraggled Labrador puppy. Its massive brown eyes pleaded with her to save it from the rain but before Tessa could do or say anything the dog padded off into the blackness of the new alley.
“Pup? Come here, baby!” She called into the dark, her spirits flaring when she saw the gleam of its brown eyes a little way up the alley. She stepped forward and the lab backed away, drawing her into its world. She was shrouded in blackness now and her mind created a hundred scenarios where she ended up dead, raped and dead or tortured, raped and dead. Her foot tripped on something and connected with something else bringing a scream from her throat as she landed on something warm and soft. Tessa stayed completely still until she had recovered her wits enough to grab her cellphone and turn on the light, the sudden glare from it blinded her for a second until her eyes adjusted and she could see.
Cal. Lifeless and still. She had tripped over him in the dark shadows, his blood still spreading around him. Beer, shock and fright at her own emotions made Tessa freeze, all her training and experience wasted as it was forgotten in a heartbeat.
Heartbeat. Heartbeat. Check for a pulse, Tessa!
As if on autopilot now, she pressed her fingers to his neck. Her own heart leaped as she felt his pulse beating shallow in his neck. She screamed as loud as possible for Gemma who had had the forethought to borrow a flashlight from Hurley and was making her way down the dark alley behind her friend. Tessa grabbed the light and thrust her phone into her friend's hand.
“Ambulance. Now.” She commanded and turned back to Cal. “Where is it? Where is it?” She whispered as she ran her eyes, hand and torch over his body. There!
Down low on the right side of Cal's abdomen was a small hole.
GSW! He'll have internal bleeding, maybe a punctured or lacerated colon and it might have even punched through a kidney.
Even as she thought this, Tessa was putting Cal in the recovery position, counting on the fact he didn't have any spinal injuries. As she lowered his head to the pavement, the Labrador emerged and licked Cal's ear, looking at Tessa with a nervous glance.
“Did I do good?” The dog seemed to ask, “Is he going to live?”
“Good boy!” Tessa said, flapping the dog's ears even as she looked down at the bloodstained mess on Cal's back. “Jesus!” She said. With nothing to use except what little she had with her, Tessa wadded up Cal’s beer soaked shirt she had found just outside Hurley's and pressed the clean part against his back where the exit wound looked like a tiny, angry volcano. Unable to rip or take off Cal's new shirt, Tessa stripped off her own and bit through the hem to make a long section of material. She was just finishing the knot which she had made sure was over the entrance wound when she felt something warm and dry cover her back.
“Step back, ma'am.” A male voice told her.
“No! He needs me. I'm a nurse!”
“Okay, ma'am, and you've done a real good job. But we need you to step back so we can take care of him now.” Tessa looked up into the concerned, caring eyes of a paramedic. He smiled as he gently pulled her away from Cal.
Semi-naked, soaked and freezing, Tessa felt more helpless than she ever had as she watched strangers working to save Cal's life. Gemma came to stand beside her and she felt something brush against her leg – the Labrador. Eventually they were ready to drive him to the nearest ER.
“Is one of you coming with him?” The second paramedic asked, looking from Tessa to Gemma.
“I'll come,” Tessa said immediately, “Gem will you...?”
“Of course, babe, leave it all to me.” Gemma said as she watched her friend climb into the back of the ambulance.
CHAPTER FIVE
As a nurse Tessa knew hours could pass between arriving at hospital and getting any news. That knowledge did nothing to make the time pass. Sometime after she'd got to the hospital, her mother had arrived and hugged her tightly, rubbing her back and soothing her. She'd also brought a bag of fresh clothes which Tessa was grateful for as she was covered in dried blood and wore an ill-fitting, oversized Hurley shirt.
“What happened, honey?” Her mother asked. Tessa told her mother the story, her eyes snapping up every time the door opened. A nurse approached them as Tessa finished her tale,
“Excuse me, did you come in with Calvin Hughes?” Both women stood up.
“Yes, I'm Tessa, what's wrong?” The nurse smiled.
“Oh nothing, I just need you to talk to someone, follow me, please.” Tessa left her mother behind and followed the woman to the nurse's station where a phone was handed to her.
“Hello?” She asked nervously.
“This is Captain John Dimitrioles. I was Calvin Hughes commanding officer at the time he served with us.”
“Okay...” Tessa said uncertainly.
“The medical staff there has asked me for permission to operate as I am his currently nominated next of kin.” His voice had a commanding tone and the way he spoke was all business, “Needless to say I gave it immediately, however, once he recovers sufficiently it would be worth his while transferring this right to someone else. Possibly yourself?”
“Me? Why me?”
“Because you're there with him and I assumed you were together.”
“No. No we were neighbors as kids but then he...left.”
“Oh... I see, we’ll sort it out then” Dimitrioles' tone got a little more friendly, “Were you aware of his...achievements?” He asked.
“What achievements?” Tessa asked in confusion. The captain went on to fill her in regarding Cal's past.
Tessa shuffled back to where her mother waited, her mind rolling over the facts which had been revealed to her.
“Is everything alright?” Her mother asked with a worried expression. Tessa looked up into her eyes, nodding slowly.
CHAPTER EIGHT
She had been expecting him to be riddled with tubes, breathing apparatus and oxygen. When she arrived at Cal's bedside, however, he was remarkably unencumbered by equipment. He was breathing on his own and even looked at peace. His abdomen was covered with large bandages – needless to say – and his impressive chest rose and fell steadily as she watched. Irene Williams also watched as her daughter took Calvin Hughes' hand as tenderly as a baby's, massaging his fingers with her own.
“Cal?” Tessa asked gently. His eyes fluttered but stayed closed, “Cal, wake up.” His chest heaved as he drew a deep breath in and eventually managed to open his eyes, taking a second or two to focus on Tessa.
“I was dreaming about you,” He whispered hoarsely, sending warmth up through Tessa's whole body, “Water?” He asked, Tessa held up a beaker and guided a straw into his mouth, watching his mouth work and recalling their hot kiss in Hurley's.
“The police have arrested Dale and his cronies; they want to take a statement from you when you feel up to it.” Cal offered her a puzzled look.
“Why they got Dale and his friends?”
“Because they shot you.”
“I got shot?” He asked, surprised, “Bastard!” His eyes flicked to Tessa's mother, “Sorry, ma'am.” He apologized. Irene gave him a smile,
“Don't you worry about that, Cal, I expect I'd be cursing if I got shot too.”
“Cool. Uh...it wasn't Dale and his friends.” Cal told them.
“What? Then who was it?” Cal shrugged in the bed.
“No idea. He was a junkie looking kid, looks like he had been out shopping in someone’s house with a buggy full of stuff.” He grinned when Tessa just looked at him, “Dale did want to have a reckoning with me,” He said, “But I saw them three off in the alley at the back of that bar, when I noticed the guy with the buggy full of recently stolen presents.” He frowned as if remembering was hard, “Then I could hear this sound...like someone whimpering.”
“The puppy!” Tessa said, “I came looking for you and heard this puppy.” She added when he looked confused, “It led me to you in the dark.” Cal nodded.
“Well you better get the cops. They got the wrong guys for this. It appears I interrupted a thief going over his loot.” Tessa looked towards her mother who nodded and left. Tessa started to speak but Cal interrupted her.
“Funny how life works, ain't it? I been to a whole bundle of different countries, seen active combat in any number of places and I had to come back to this little town to get shot.” He grunted a laugh.
“Cal,” Tessa began, “They've had to cut out a section of your colon.” His eyebrows shot up, “You'll be fine,” She added when she saw his face.
“Does that mean I can leave?” He asked.
“No,” Tessa laughed, “But you’re going to need some serious R and R time and TLC to get well! I ought to get shot more often.” His voice had got stronger since he had sipped the water and he reached for it again. Tessa grabbed it before he got there and offered him the straw.
“I can manage,” He said.
“I know,” She told him, “But I like helping you.”
“You do?” He asked, sipping his water, “I got a house needs clearing up, if you feeling up to it.” Tessa smiled.
“Oh, I just remembered, I have this thing that I have to do for the next few weeks. So, yeah, no sorry.” Cal chuckled making Tessa smile. “I spoke to Captain Dimitrioles.” She told him. Cal's eyes snapped towards her.
“Why?” He demanded.
“He was, is, down as your next of kin. They needed to get authorization for surgery and he asked if it might be better if someone else local took the role instead.” Cal searched her eyes for something, relaxing when he didn’t find whatever it was. Tessa wanted to continue this conversation but at the same time as she was about to speak, a police officer in a black uniform entered the small room.
“Calvin Hughes?” His deep voice rumbled off the walls, Cal just nodded. “I'm Officer Owen Navarro, Drillington P.D. can I speak to you?”
“Come on in,” Cal said, “have a seat”.
“So you're sure you weren't shot by Dale Valters or either of his associates.” Cal smiled,
“Yes sir,” He said respectfully, “Like I said, Dale had one of his buddies go and open the fire door next to the bathrooms and they waited for me to use the head. When we took things outside, they realized I could take care of myself and after I rolled 'em about in the alley for a few minutes, they turned tail and ran away.” Officer Navarro scribbled a few final details in his notebook and looked satisfied.
“Thank you for your cooperation and information, Mr. Hughes. If we have any further questions we know where to find you.” Cal gave the cop a cheeky salute and he left. Cal yawned and Tessa knew she should let him sleep.
“I'm going to go,” She told him, “See you tomorrow?”
“Not quite sure where I'm gonna' be.” He joked. Tessa stood and Cal's eyes went wide, “What the hell?” She looked down to see her clothing, soaked with his blood.
“It's yours,” She told him, “You were bleeding quite badly when I found you.”
“You found me?” Cal asked in confusion, “So you saved my life.” He added with a sly smile.
“The paramedics must...”
“No,” He cut her off, “I remember hearing them talking in the ambulance, they said something like, 'He'd be a goner if she hadn't got there and stopped the bleeding.' They must have been talking about you.” Pride flooded Tessa as she stood looking into his eyes.
“I'm a nurse, it's what we do.” She leaned down and kissed his forehead, “Besides which, I hear you've saved a few lives yourself.” Cal turned his head away and let her hand drop,
“Night, Tessa.” He said coldly.
“Bye.” She whispered, a cold fist clamped around her heart.
“I just don't understand.” Tessa said to her mother as they sat in the kitchen, eating toast and drinking coffee. Tessa had scrubbed the filth and blood from her body, thrown her clothes away and had a pitifully short night’s sleep after returning from the hospital. This was in part due to the small, cold, invasive nose which belonged to the Labrador.
“Some people get embarrassed when you bring up their good deeds, honey.” Her mother explained, “They like to hide their light under a bushel as the saying goes.”
“Yeah, but it was as if he was angry with me for mentioning it and we were getting on so well at the bar and hospital, until then.” Her mother smiled,
“I'm sure you were. I've seen the way you look at him.” She raised her eyebrows at Tessa, “The exact same way I used to look at your dad when he was younger.” Tessa gave her mother a look, “Just saying.” Her mother added.
“He asked me to help him with his house.” Tessa murmured abstractly.
“Hmm?”
“He asked me to help clean his house out.” Tessa repeated.
“Oh. Are you going to?” Tessa wondered over this for a while before standing,
“I'm just going to make a few calls.”