Fractured in Two Places
I'm am going bazzurk! Having my arm in plaster is bad enough but I am so totally bored out of my mind. The whole abduction thing hasn't been spoken of since I left hospital and I think I can say that things are returning to normal, slowly but surely. You know when you can tell that someone is different but you can't figure out what it is about them? Well, that's all I can say regards to my father. It's almost like he's trying to everything to make me happy but he's trying too hard and it's freaking me out a little.
I wake up this morning and I hear the most unusual thing I wonder if I'm dreaming. I climb out of bed with difficulty and this chunky sling on my arm is nothing but a nusence. I'm amazed to see my father, sitting at the piano playing some smooth jazz. I creep into the lounge, trying not to disturb him but he hears me and stops. He looks up waiting for me to say something.
"You never told me you could play!" I say trying to remember if I've ever heard him play before, I heard him play bass but never the piano.
"I can" he says getting up. "But I chose to stop" he says, I don't need to ask him why.
"How's your arm?" he asks changing the subject and I let him.
"It's fine. Danny keeps asking me if he can sign my cast" I say, he laughs. He's doing that more and more. Things are changing for the better so quickly I sometimes think that I've woken up in a parallel universe.
"What did you say?" he asks.
"I said…that maybe you would take me down there today so I could say hi to everyone" I say trying to pursuade him to let me out the house. Seeing as I still don't have a car (damn insurance) let alone drive it.
"Are you sure you're up to it?" he says. I'm bouncing off the bloody walls, I need to go out! I nod.
"Fine, but Stella's picking me up" he says. I frown, not in a bad way, in an intriuged way. She picked him up yesterday, and the day before that. If something's going on I think I should know about it. I don't question him now. I'm merely going to wait till the car jouney and observe.
There is a knock at the door. That must be her. I rush to answer it.
"Hey, Stella!" I say, I think it sounded strangely exited. She looks as pretty as ever. She smiles as soon as I open the door.
"Hey, Morgan. How's the arm?" she asks.
"Fractured…in two places" I say.
"I know that, I meant, how are you?" she asks. I shrug.
"I'm fine. Trust me to be abducted by idiots" I say. I'm sorry but the whole incident with those guys has not turned me into a nervous wreck. Maybe it should have, but in a way, those guys turned my life around. If I hadn't have been abducted, things would have just carried on as they were.
"Those idiots, you speak of…where arrested at 4pm trying to rob a jewellary store. They told Flack they wanted to know what it felt like" she said, I smile to myself. Doesn't that sound familiar.
My father puts down his coffee mug and strides over to her, a would-be grin on his face if I hadn't been there he'd have probably hugged her.
"Morgan's gonna pop into the lab for a little while to say hi to the guys, is it ok if she comes with us?" he asks. Stella nods her head.
"Sure" she says.
The journey is silent. I was expecting more action than this. I don't know if Stella's a fast driver but we get to the lab pretty quick. I manage to get out of the car un-aided but my father helps me slip on a coat because it's starting to rain.
"Morgan T, long time no see" Danny sing songs his riddle as he sees us enter the lab. His antics attract the attension of Lindsey and Hawkes who also come out to say hi. Stella and my father manage to disappear during this.
"Can I sign your cast?" Danny asks, like a kid in a candy shop.
"Sure, if you find a pen" I say, he digs deep into his lab coat pocket. He finds one and I lift my arm out of the sling so he can write on it.
"Please don't write anything rude on it, I have a hospital appointment tomorrow" I say sternly.
"Sure thing, m'lady" he says concentrating hard. Lindsey pats me on the other shoulder.
"So, how's things?" she asks me.
"Fine, things are good, I'm going back to school next week" I say.
"When can you start playing again?" Hawkes asks. Come to think of it, I don't actually know.
"I'm not sure, I'll ask tomorrow" I say looking around to see where my father went. What is going on here? Danny brings me out of my trance.
"So, what's the deal between Stella and your dad?" he asks coyly.
"You guys need to get some new stories" I say pushing him away lightly, he's finished writing on my cast. I lift it up to inspect it.
Hey, Morgan T! Thanx 4 letting me write on ur cast! Danny x Very original Danny, I think.
"Come on? Surely you'd know. They've been getting rides to work with each other. Tell us the office romance of the year is gonna happen" Lindsey pleads. I shake my head. I know my father and Stella, both as stubborn as each other. I don't want to get the guys hopes up, nor mine.
"I'm not really sure, you know I would tell you, honestly…" I say slowly "I've got my suspicions" I say smiling, the team smiles back.
As if on cue, my father comes round the corner. We didn't mean to make it so obvious we'd been talking about him but we did.
"What?" he says observing our grins.
"Nothing" I say, trying to think of an excuse.
"I was just saying that…" I say, god I need to think of something quick.
"Stella gave us a lift today" that was pretty good I thought, it wasn't a lie, I was telling the truth, sort of. He raises his eye brows, the way he does when he knows people are keeping secrets from him. If anyone's keeping secrets from anyone around here…it's him. I do get my sneaky jean from Mac Taylor.
When I look around the rest of the team has dispersed. Great, leaving me to handle him.
"Where's Stella?" I ask. He suddenly takes me by my non-plastered arm into a corner and whispers.
"I was thinking about inviting Stella over for dinner tonight, you know, you ay thankyou for everything she's done with your accident, you know" he's stumbling, and it's the cutest thing ever imaginable. He's using me as an excuse to invite her over for dinner but really he just wants to spend more time with her.
"Sure, you've got my blessing" I say skipping off before he can question what I've said.
My cell phone vibrates in my pocket, it's Robbie, my stomch flip flops.
"Hey!" I say, trying to sound casual.
"Hey" comes his reply, "How are you?" he asks.
"Fine, I'm fine" I say.
"Look, I know you can't do any playing but there's a fab jazz pianist playing at the jazz club tonight, if you're up to it maybe we could go. I got given two tickets and I don't wanna go by myself, I immediately thought of you" he says. My heart melts. I can't say no. Maybe dad can have Stella all to himself after all.
"Sure, that would be great!" I say,
"I'll pick you up a 7. Is that ok?" he asks. I nod, realising I'm on a phone.
"Yes, great. See you then!" I say snapping my cell phone shut. 7pm? It's 10:30am, I've only got 8 and a half hours to get ready! I rush home, there's so much to be done!
I poke my head around my father's office door.
"Erm, change of plans, I'm going to the Jazz club with Robbie tonight, so it will just be you and Stella, is that ok?" I ask, he certainly doesn't look dissapointed. He gets what he wants, I get what I want, we're both happy. I wait for the realisation to cut across his face. With the worry and realisation that their postion as most important man in my life is under threat.
"Who's Robbie?"
"Oh, he's just some guy I know" I say trying to wind him up…it's seriously working.
"Some guy? How old is he? How long have you known him? What's his surname?" Ha, as if he think's I would tell him that! I know exactly what he'd do.
"He goes to my school, he's in my choir, he's 3 months older than me I've known him since I joined the choir and I'm not telling you his surname because you'll only put his name throught the data base-I'm not stupid. I'm not a baby dad, I know what I'm doing, ok?" I lecture him. He backs down, knowing that I'm not gonna change my mind.
"Where are you going now?" he asks,
"To buy a new outfit" I say.
"With one arm?" he asks. That never stops a woman from doing what they do best…he has so much to learn.
"It is possible to shop with one arm…I'll see you later, what time will you be home?" I ask.
He looks at his watch, as if that's gonna give him the answer!
"About 5.30" I can't answer, he's NEVER home before 9 o clock.
"Wow, you've got your heart set on this!" I say, very impressed. He looks mock hurt.
"I just want to show Stella how much I…" he was gonna say, I know he was, "care" he finishes. So close! Well, he's got himself over the first hurdle so that's a start…and to think I thought I might have to help him!
I smile, noticing him blush, it's the most sweetest thing I've ever seen him do…under all that cop-ness and marine-ness. He's the biggest softie anyone could ever imagine.
"I'll see you later" I say, heading out of the lab.
Dead on 5:30, he walks in the door. I'm in my room trying to cirle my hair when I hear the door open, cirling hair with one arm is impossible to I give up and just leave it as it is, giving it a quick brush. I slip into my silk turqouise dress that I bought earlier. It comes just above the knee and has thin straps. I also bought some matching turqouise satin pumps.
"Hey!" I hear him say.
"How do I look?" I say, I think I scrub up quiet well, having done it all one handed. It's just a shame the ugly cast ruins it all.
"You look goergous"
"What time is Stella coming over?" I ask.
"6:30" he says putting down his keys.
"You've got an hour to get ready" I tell him, the flustered look on his face tells me he knows this.
"I know, I'm just gonna get changed then I'll put the dinner on" he says rushing off to his bedroom.
"What are you having?" I call into his room.
"Lasagne…do you think it will be alright?" he asks. Aww, he's nervous!
"Sounds nice, what else are you gonna do?" I ask completly innocent.
"Morgan!" he says sternly.
"Alright, alright!" I say laughing.
"Be home by 10:30" he says, my jaw drops. He's got to be joking.
"11.30" I argue.
"11" He says back, emerging from the room with a clean shirt and tie on. Nah, the tie won't do, he's always wearing a tie.
"Done" I say. "Take the tie off, you look better without it" I say reaching for it and giving it a tug, I can't take it off myself but he gets the hint.
6:30 on the dot and she's here, and he's more flustered than ever, I would offer to help him but I can't, I answer the door for him instead.
"Hey" I say…she looks stunning. I let her him and watch for my father's reaction. I need a camera, the look is pricless.
My father can't seem to speak and an awquard silence falls. This can't do.
"If you want, you can watch a movie!" I pipe up. My father wonders over to the DVD rack.
"What do you fancy?" he asks, she turns to me.
"What do you recommend?" she asks, I think for a second.
"Stigmata is a good film" I say.
"Is it scary?" she asks me. I laugh, shaking my head.
"Nah" I say. My father snorts.
"Don't ask her that. She doesn't find any horror film scary" he says.
"The only thing I find scary is you're cooking!" I laugh, hearing the smoke alarm go off as the poor meal ends before it even begins. He races over to the oven and pulls out the charcole dish. I've never seen his face so red.
"Stella? Do you fancy a take out instead?"
My father is a hopeless romantic.