Chapter 4 – The morning after

Steph's POV

I woke up in a hospital bed with my right leg in a splint. I had a brief recollection of getting to the hospital and being told my leg was broken in six places and I would need the cast for three months. After Ranger's shooting attack (I named it that because is really freaked me out), paramedics had flown into the room like a whirlwind. I was sitting my Morelli putting pressure on his stomach wound where he had caught two bullets. I hadn't realised at the time my leg was broken, I had just felt something heavy land on it. I remember freaking out as they tried to get me onto a stretcher; I was so scared I couldn't see Ranger anywhere. As the two male paramedics tried to pull me on without hitting my shattered leg (one of the hostiles had laded on it and before his wound had killed him he had bashed the shit out of my leg with his gun), the assistant who was around 21 and female was trying to get me to calm down to make her partners jobs easier. However, I could remember being hysterical as I swung round looking for Ranger, I had to know if he was alive.

Eventually, the paramedics had sedated me. Just before I had slipped of to dream land I saw Tank approach. He mumbled something to paramedic in charge of me and walked away.

I had woken up in this hospital bed an hour later to be told about my leg. Tank had been watching from the doorway as the nurse finished up. Smiling at me she had told me she would be back in fifteen minutes with a sedative to help me sleep. I wished now that I had told her not to bother but the pain was excruciating. After the nurse had left, not before giving Tank a final wishful glance, Tank approached my bed. 'Ranger is he…?' I managed to mumble before Tank cut me of by holding up his hand.

'He'll live, he's been worst.'

'And?' I asked shooting him a glance; for once I was determined to get more than five words out of him.

'Caught three bullets; two in the shoulder, one in the stomach, he also broke three ribs when he black out.' Tank stopped to take a breath and I butted in.

'Is he still in the hospital?'

'No, they discharged him once they were sure there was no internal bleeding from when they took the bullets out.' OK, I think that's the most Tank had ever said to me at one time and by the look on his face he didn't like it.

'Thanks Tank,' I replied just as the Nurse returned.

'OK mister, visiting hours are up. You can come back for her in the morning.'

Tank just nodded and left my room. The nurse smiled one of those secretive girl smiles at me and put the sedative into my tube. My last though that night was how unfair it was, Ranger got shot and I got a broken leg. Yet he got discharged and I had to stay in this cruddy place.

Now as I lay here I was suddenly taken by a major guilt attack. I can't believe I forgot to ask about Morelli. I mean we were meant to be boyfriend and girlfriend yet all I could think about last night was Ranger.

The same nurse from last night walked in an interrupted my thoughts, 'Good morning Ms Plum, I saw that big man in the reception area so as soon as I finish putting the finishing touches on the cast, I'll get you a chair and we'll get you out of here.'

'Thanks,' I nodded, god I was glad to be out of here soon. Have I ever mentioned hospitals stink, well they do, they have this horrid smell of too much disinfectant mixed with smells of medication that always upsets my stomach.

Ten minutes later I had my cast on my leg and was wheeled out to the waiting room. Tank was standing next to Ella who was holding a bakery bag, my angel. Ella smiled at me as the nurse stopped the wheelchair in front of them. 'Ms Plum will need to remain in the chair for the first four weeks, I hope I can count of you to enforce that Ella.' The nurse smiled and kissed the Ella on the cheek.

'You know I mother them badly but I always enforce the rules.' The nurse smiled again and looked at Tank.

'I don't mean to be forward or anything but some of the nurses are wondering if you have a girlfriend?'

'Mia!' Ella explained covering her mouth with her hand.

The nurse blushed slightly, 'sorry aunty but I had to know, are you?' She asked again directed the last part at Tank.

Tank nodded slightly and pushed me towards the exit door. I was smiling as I saw him blush when Ella smacked him lightly on back of the head, 'what did you say to that girl?'

'Nothing Ella, I was only being polite.' Ella shook her head sadly as she turned to me.

'I'm taking you to RangeMan so I can make sure you behave yourself, no arguments or you don't get the Boston Cream's I made Tank pick up on the way over.'

I nodded slightly and Ella handed the Boston Cream's over.

Ranger POV

I was stuck in my apartment on bed rest for twenty-four hours. How on Earth was I meant to find the men that hired Damien and his idiot co-workers if I couldn't leave my apartment?

And what about Steph, Ella had told me as she drove me home last night that Steph hadn't been shot but had broken her leg in six places when one of the hostiles I had shot landed on her. It seemed the hostile hadn't died immediately and as he couldn't get to me he took his anger out of the nearest person he could reach, Steph.

I had been upset last night I hadn't been able to sleep, Ella who somehow was able to read my mind better than my own mum knew right away and made me promise not to leave the apartment whilst she went out.

The damn woman wouldn't tell me where she was going either, but I had finally agreed when she pointed out I was no good to anyone when I was half asleep.

So, here I was lying on the lounge with my laptop wishing like hell I had done better last night and Steph hadn't been hurt. I remembered being shot by my Scounge and a smile slid to my fast. Steph had come over with a birthday cake that time, only Steph would have though of that and only she would have stayed and made sure I ate it all (with some help from her)

I wondered if she hadn't been hurt, would she be here now or would she be with the cop. Thoughts of the cop caused me to grip the laptop more tightly, they had been on a date last night. Fuck, I really wanted to hit something now. Sighing, I put the laptop down and turned on the TV.

Morelli's POV

I had been kept in the hospital overnight and was released in the morning once they were sure I had no internal bleeding or lasting injuries. Every nurse I had seemed had been unable to tell me anything about Steph and it was driving me nuts. I knew she had been hurt as I was giving my statement when she was put in the ambulance but I didn't know how. I had checked her thoroughly for injuries whilst she was putting pressure on my stomach and from what I could see she was unharmed.

Big dog picked me up at the hospital and was giving me a lift home. 'Do you have any news on Steph?' I asked finally breaking the silence.

'Yeah, she broke her leg in six places after one of the terrorists who got shot took out his anger on it.'

'Is she OK?'

'Yeah, the nurse said she went home.'

I nodded but my thoughts were wondering what home she went to.

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