Untitled 13
By Heidi
Previously
I was trying hard to be strong. I didn't want to cry, he was going to be fine but… "Shit" I whispered as the tears started flowing down my cheeks.
I bowed my head wiping my eyes with my sleeve, sniffling. When I looked up again, I found Ranger gazing back at me, his look serious.
"Babe" he whispered, his voice hoarse.
Chapter Eleven
"Ranger" I breathed and threw myself on top of him, wrapping my arms around his neck. I realized a moment too late that I might hurt him. I went to jump back off but Ranger wrapped his arms around me, holding me tightly to him.
"I'm sorry" I said, tears streaming from my eyes. I rubbed my cheek against his uninjured one and placed kisses on the side of his head. "I love you" I whispered, gently kissing his lips, looking deep in his eyes.
Ranger kissed me tenderly in return. "No Babe, I'm sorry."
"We don't have to talk about this now Ranger. I'm just so glad that you're alright."
I laid my head on his shoulder, snuggling closer into him. I never want to be without this I thought to myself. I need him.
We lay together for a few minutes just holding each other.
Ranger cleared his throat before speaking again.
"Babe, I have a question. What the hell happened to me? I feel like I got hit by a truck."
I sat up so I could look at him, leaning my arm across his legs to prop myself up. Ranger draped his arm across my hip, caressing my lower back with his bruised fingers.
"You got hit by a truck Ranger."
"My Turbo?" Ranger asked looking pained.
"It went to car heaven." Ranger just shook his head slowly. I saw him wince at the movement.
"Hey, just think, your Turbo has been reunited with the Boxster I blew to smithereens" I said with a playful smile.
"And your blue pickup and your CRX and your Civic and the 3 CRVs and my 4x4 and your Saturn. Should I continue?" Ranger said with a smile of his own.
"You're just lucky that you're injured Mister or you'd be in for a world of hurt for that comment" I said with a mock scowl.
After a few seconds I felt my face grow serious.
"I'm sorry about the way I treated you this morning. Twelve hours into our relationship and already I screwed it up" I said looking down at my hand on the bed. "And I didn't mean to pull away from you. I just felt like I didn't deserve to be comforted" I finished on a whisper, still not meeting his gaze.
"Babe" Ranger said pressing his hand beneath my chin to lift my gaze to his.
"You have nothing to be sorry about. You asked an honest question that deserved an honest answer. I'm sorry I didn't give you one immediately, I just wasn't prepared to answer you" he said, his expression serious.
"It's ok Ranger. I don't need an answer. I don't regret anything that we've shared, other than it hurting Morelli. If things had happened differently we wouldn't be who we are now. I told you before that you're the best man I know, and I meant it."
Ranger reached out and tucked a curl behind my ear that had escaped my ponytail.
"Thank you for thinking so, even if I don't agree" he said quietly.
We were both quiet for a moment.
"Do you want to tell me what happened now?" Ranger asked.
"Do you mean from the time you ran out on me or from the accident on?" I asked, annoyance at his stupidity creeping into my voice.
"I just needed some air and some time to figure out what I didn't know how to explain to you. When I saw how upset you were in the bathroom, I wanted to comfort you. When you pulled back I saw disgust in your eyes and I realized that I haven't exactly treated you the way you deserved to be treated. That was a hard realization for me, so I ran. I'm sorry." He finished.
"Will you at least admit that leaving was stupid?" I asked.
"I try not to do things that are stupid Stephanie, but I've been known to make mistakes now and then where you're concerned" Ranger said sheepishly.
I had a feeling he was talking about more than running out today.
"I told you once that I expect you to talk to me if you have a problem with me, to not run away. I did exactly the opposite. It was stupid to run out on you, not only because it was the cowardly thing to do, but because something bad could have happened given the threat right now. I will try hard not to let it happen again. I haven't had much practice with this relationship stuff. This is a learning experience for me."
He gave me a small smile then reached out and ran his thumb across my lower lip. Ranger pulled me to him for a passionate kiss. When I noticed myself getting hot and bothered I remembered that he was injured and we were in a hospital room, even if it was a cushy homelike one.
I pulled back with a grin and said "Hey, you're concussed and need to take it easy."
Ranger just smiled and kissed me again. His hands were roaming down my back, approaching my ass.
The sound of a man's voice made me jump back guiltily, sliding off the bed and into the chair.
"Ah, Carlos, I see you're awake and from the looks of it not feeling too bad" Dr. Wright said with a laugh as he and Tank entered the room.
"Jason, it's good to see you" Ranger said with a smile.
I looked at Ranger confused.
"Babe, this is Jason Wright, he's married to my sister Celia."
Ranger quickly cut his eyes back to Jason "By the way, you didn't call her did you?" Ranger almost looked nervous.
"You don't even have any bullet holes, I didn't see the point" Jason said grinning.
"So what's the damage Doc?" Ranger asked.
"Minor concussion, two decent size cuts on your head. Doctor Phelps used Dermabond to glue them closed. You've got lots of bumps, bruises and scrapes but all in all, you're pretty damn lucky Carlos. I've seen pictures of what's left of the Porsche. How are you feeling?" Jason asked beginning to examine Ranger.
"Got a hell of a headache, a little sore all over, I feel like I got hit by a truck, which Stephanie tells me I did. Kid's stuff" Ranger said with a shrug of his shoulder.
"Do you remember what happened to you?"
"No, I remember waiting for a light out on Bear Tavern Road and then the next thing I remember is waking up here about 15 minutes ago."
"What the hell were you doing way out there? Were you going to the house?" Jason asked.
My first thought was house, what house. My second thought hit me like a brick. Ranger doesn't know about Scrog.
Tank had the realization at the same moment. We exchanged a look which of course Ranger didn't miss.
"Tank, what am I not remembering?" Ranger asked sternly, asserting his position as Tank's boss.
I looked at Tank again and decided that I should be the one to explain.
Dr. Wright said "I'll give you guys some privacy, ring the buzzer if you need anything" as he walked out the door.
"After you left Rangeman I got a call on my cell from Scrog. I don't know how long you'd been gone at that point, I think maybe 20-30 minutes."
I took a deep breath and continued.
"Anyway, Scrog said that he had some exciting news, that I'd never guess who he just ran into. Then he said he had work to finish and he'd be in touch again soon."
"About half an hour or so later Tank got a call from the police. They said they found your Turbo crashed but they had searched the site and you were missing. We left immediately for the crash site and while we were on scene Scrog called me again. This time he said that he saw you by chance waiting at that light and he knew that it was fate. He rammed you with his truck, pushing the Turbo until it rolled down the embankment into the ditch where it settled upside-down. Then he cut you from the wreckage and took you."
"He had you cuffed, shackled and sedated in a barn belonging to the Forestry Service within Washington Crossing Park. We got you out and you were airlifted here by a MedEvac helicopter. You were missing for about 7 hours." I finished quietly, my stomach sick from replaying the story.
Ranger wasn't saying anything. His expression was barely controlled fury. He was struggling to maintain his composure.
"Steph was great Ranger, she's the only reason we found you. If she hadn't picked up on a couple of tiny details, who knows where you'd be now. She put the rest of us to shame" Tank said.
Ranger had not said a word since I started recounting the tale of his accident, capture and rescue. He had settled into his blank face but after listening to Tank his look softened.
"Proud of you Babe" Ranger said is a quiet voice. My heart soared at his words. Of course he didn't know that I was planning to meet Scrog alone tonight to try to save him had we not gotten him out already.
"She was the one who noticed the floor boards in the picture, she knew that you were being held in a barn or shed. And she was the one who realized that you had to be near by" Tank continued.
"What picture?" Ranger asked through clenched teeth.
"While we were at the accident scene my cell rang again. Scrog asked me if I was impressed with the damage, with his work. That was when Scrog told me that he had cut you loose and was keeping you drugged. He said he would be sending me a message in a few minutes. When I got the message it was a picture of you" I said. I didn't really want to show Ranger the picture, I knew it would be hard for him to bear.
"I want to see it."
I reluctantly pulled out my cell phone and powered it back on. As I worked to pull up the picture I noticed that I had two new voice mails. I didn't want to know, so I ignored them.
I passed the phone to Ranger. I saw his jaw tighten then his look again passed from one of undisguised rage to his emotionless blank mask.
"Status?" he bit out between clenched teeth.
"No sign of him and nothing of use at the scene" Tank said.
"He'll contact me again Ranger, he always does. We'll deal with it when he calls. Right now you need to get better" I said pulling the phone from Ranger's death grip and discreetly turning it off as I slipped it into my purse.
"You should get some sleep Boss. Jason said it's ok to sleep but they'll be in periodically to check on you because of the head injury. You need to sleep too Steph, it's been a long-ass day." Tank said with a yawn.
"Tank, bring Stephanie back to my apartment. I imagine I'll be cleared to leave in the morning. I'll have Les and Bobby pick me up so you can stay with Steph at Rangeman" Ranger said.
"No" I said firmly.
Ranger tried to raise an eyebrow at me but wound up hissing in pain because of his injuries.
"I'm staying here with you."
Ranger looked at me considering. "Are you sure? It would be safer at Rangeman and certainly more comfortable."
"I'm positive. I don't want to let you out of my sight for at least…two months" I said with a sad smile. He probably had no idea that I was serious.
"Alright Babe. Tank, let the nurses know on your way out that Steph is spending the night. She'll need bedding for the pull-out" Ranger said.
"Will do Boss. Woody and Ram are on guard. Call me when you get the all clear to come home. Get well, we've got some major ass to kick" Tank said to Ranger bumping fists with him.
Tank looked at me. "Steph, Lula said to tell you to call anytime, day or night" he said with a smile.
"Tell her thanks Tank. I've been awful the last few days. I haven't even talked to my mother since the day before Scrog showed up, she's probably ironing the toilet paper" I said feeling guilty.
"I called her yesterday while you were upstairs with Morelli" Ranger said. "She was worried. She just wants to know that you're safe, so I called to reassure her. I told her not to worry, that I was taking care of you" Ranger said.
I couldn't believe that Ranger had called my Mom. It was just another example of Ranger realizing my needs before I even know what I need. There was a time that I would have been upset by someone wanting to "take care" of me. I'm not some helpless puppy after all. But that has changed. I knew that when Ranger said he wanted to take care of me, he didn't mean because I couldn't take care of myself. He just loves me and wants me to be happy and to show me how important I am to him.
I gave Ranger a warm smile to say thanks.
"Tank, get some sleep buddy and be careful. Thank you for everything" I said, excusing myself to the bathroom.
I looked at myself in the mirror and stifled a shriek. My hair, which had been pulled into a ponytail now had curls spilling out and sticking up everywhere. I had mud on my face and straw in my hair. I had dark circles below my eyes and the whites of my eyes were bloodshot.
"Sexy" I said to myself as I washed the mud from my face and picked the straw from my hair. I let down my ponytail and gave my head a shake. Oh boy, I looked like I'd been electrocuted. Not much else I could do, I needed a shower and a change of clothes.
As I stepped back into Ranger's room I saw a nurse checking his vitals. She turned to me about to say something but the words died on her lips at the startling sight of my hair.
She stuck out an arm, pointing to a bag on the pull-out. "Shower" was all she managed to say.
"Go ahead Babe, I'll be fine" Ranger said. "I want to check in with the Comm. Room anyway."
"No, no work, rest!" I said adamantly.
"Ok, ok Babe, don't worry, I'll lie here and do nothing while I wait for you, really."
I took the bag and padded back into the bathroom. I pulled out the contents and set each item on the counter. There was a pair of grey and white cotton pajama pants, matching white t-shirt, white cotton bikini panties and white ankle socks. There was a lightweight grey cotton robe and white terry cloth slippers. At the bottom of the bag I found a plastic zippered case containing shampoo, conditioner, tooth brush, toothpaste, a bar of Dove soap, disposable woman's razor, shaving cream and a bottle of moisturizer for my face. Wow, if all this stuff came from the hospital they really go all out. I might as well be at the Ritz.
I peeled off my grimy clothes and the ankle holster and gun from my leg. I had left the loaded utility belt in Ranger's night table drawer. I turned the water on scalding hot and stepped under the spray. I spent about 10 minutes washing away the dirt, grime and horror of the day. By the time I was washed, conditioned and shaved I was also a wrinkly prune. My body felt much more relaxed after the hot water therapy but my mind was still abuzz. I dressed in the night clothes that were provided and toweled my hair as dry as I could get it. I wiped the steam from the mirror, brushed my teeth then stepped out of the bathroom turning off the light.
The pull-out loveseat had been made up with cream colored sheets and a robin's egg blue down blanket. Wow, they even have turn-down service here.
I looked at Ranger and at first glance thought that he was asleep but then I noticed his eyes were open just a tiny bit. It looked like the nurse must have given him some pain medicine. He didn't seem to notice me approaching him though so maybe he was asleep after all.
I walked over and took his hand in both of mine, he didn't move. "Goodnight Ranger…I don't know what I would have done if I lost you" I whispered and bent over to kiss his lips softly. Quick as lightening he pulled me down against him and rolled on top of me deepening the kiss. I couldn't help the muffled squeal that escaped my lips.
Ranger pulled away with a devilish smile. "Gotcha" he said rolling to lie beside me. It was then that I noticed he was no longer connected to an IV. He still had the heparin lock in the back of his hand but no more tubes.
I snuggled into him with a contented sigh, his arms wrapped fully around me. When I spoke it was little more than a whisper.
"Today was really, really hard for me. I'm sorry for all the times I put you through the same thing. I hope we never have to go through it again" I said, really, really meaning it.
"I'm sorry too Babe."
I went to get up and move to the pull-out but Ranger held me tight against him, nuzzling my hair. "Stay with me Babe, please. If I can't make love to you let me at least hold you."
"Ok" I said not wanting to let him go either. "I really do love you ya know" I whispered.
"Yeah, I know and I love you too. Thanks for saving my life Stephanie."
"It's the least I could do. I owe you my life more times over than I can count."
"Remember Babe, there's no price for what we give each other."
I made a happy sound and rubbed my cheek against his.
"Sweet dreams Babe" Ranger said as I fell into a peaceful sleep.
A/N - Thank you for contuining to read and review. This chapter has been ready for days but there were issues with getting it posted. Hugs, Heidi