Thanks everybody for your patience. I know I've been just terrible about posting.
I rewrote this chapter two or three times and I'm still not necessarily happy with it, but it's as good as it's gonna get right now.
Coincidentally, I realized I misspelled "Huey, Duey, and Luey," so that's been changed. Sorry for any confusion it may cause.
Ch. 41 - Tomorrow
In the end, I did manage to convince Christian to let me go with him to the hospital to visit Taylor. When we arrive, Gail is already there holding his hand, kneading it as though she's worried he'll disappear before her very eyes. As I understand it, he cracked two of his ribs with the seat belt and got knocked out by the side curtain airbag. He's got a huge black eye, but thank god for safety equipment. And thank you, Christian, for insisting on the highest crash test rating available for all our cars.
Taylor smiles when we come in, probably glad for the distraction from Gail's tears. When she turns to us, I realize I've never seen her without makeup before — she looks old enough to be my mother. I give her a big hug, vaguely aware that she never lets go of Jason's hand, then I lean over and give him a big sloppy kiss on the cheek. Christian grunts beside me, but I see the relief all over him. He is so glad his friend is alright.
Huey, Dewey, and Louie, who escorted us here, wait outside, though I notice that this time none of them sit, pick up a magazine, go to the bathroom... They stand at attention, sunglasses on, scanning the surroundings for any possible threat. I'm sure they were all reamed for what happened, even though we all know it wasn't their fault.
I realize I still don't know their names. Just like I didn't know the names of the men who had been in the car with Taylor and me. I now knew them. I would never forget them. We'd already been to visit Martinez, who broke his leg in five places. Humphries is dead.
This is all my fault. All this pain, this death. It seems like hardly anyone I've ever met will get away unscathed.
"What are their names, Taylor?" I ask, seemingly out of the blue. The conversation I haven't been listening to stops and the three of them look at me. I jerk my head towards the door to indicate the trio of bodyguards.
"Flores, Brechner, and Samuels," Taylor replies. He smiles wryly. "But I call them Huey, Dewey, and Louie." He gives me a wink. I'm sure I've flushed red as a beet.
I smile and try to shift the focus off of me. "Christian, why don't you 'debrief' Taylor or whatever you came here to do? I'm going to go get some water." I can see he wants to come with me. "I'll be fine. I'll take, uh..." I stammer.
Taylor smirks again. "Flores."
"Flores?"
He laughs at me. He must be feeling a lot better. "Huey. His name is Flores, ma'am."
I nod and step out of the room.
The three bodyguards all stare at me and stand just a little bit straighter.
"Flores," I bark.
"Ma'am."
Damn, I thought that was Louie. "Will you come with me to the vending machines, please?"
"Of course, ma'am."
We amble down the hall, somewhat lost. You'd think I'd have a full working navigational knowledge of the entire hospital from all the time I spend in it, but I'm rarely ambulatory, much less allowed to wander while I'm here usually. Besides, we're in a regular ward, not the emergency room or the ICU, and clearly my injuries are generally more dire than this floor can handle. I scoff at myself.
We make another left but wind up in another nondescript, boring hallway that smells like old men's diapers and Febreze.
"Ma'am, are you lost?"
I look to my right and see bathrooms. There has to be a vending machine near the bathrooms, right?
"No, not yet. I know exactly where we are," I lie.
I scurry down to the bathrooms and turn the corner, only to be faced by a linen closet and a laundry room. Behind me is a supply closet. Yep, I have no idea how we got here or how to get back, never mind finding a bottle of damn water.
"Okay, fine, I'm lost. Flores, would you mind asking for directions to a water fountain or something?"
He nods with a smile and walks back the way we came to the nurses' station two hallways back. I briefly consider following him, but then realize I'm next to the bathroom, I might as well seize the opportunity.
"I'm just gonna go to the ladies' room!" I yell after him and duck into the bathroom.
While I'm washing my hands, Flores knocks on the door. "I have the directions, ma'am. Just come on out when you're ready."
I decide to freshen my makeup, which looks a total mess, before heading out. "Alright, thank you, Flores." I'm trying to impress upon myself his name so I won't forget it. "I'll just be a minute."
I reach in my purse to pull out my lipstick when I see my new replacement Blackberry blinking. I must have a text message. I fish it out and check my messages.
*I hope you enjoyed your little road trip today. Can't wait to see you tomorrow. -J*
I immediately start hyperventilating. I drop the phone and it clatters on the tile floor, echoing in the shiny bathroom. "Flores!" I shout.
He's by my side almost instantly, holding my shoulder. "Ma'am?"
I point at the Blackberry on the floor.
"We have to tell Christian," I say before passing out.
Oh crap, seriously, not again.
I wake up in a hospital bed, but when I look over this time, I see that I'm not hooked up to anything, I'm not even under the covers. I'm wearing my own clothes and I don't feel sick or drugged. My hands are still bandaged, but I'm fine.
I'm in Taylor's room in the spare bed. It comes rushing back to me in a blur as I sit straight up. Christian, Gail, and a now-upright-and-dressed Taylor stand around me.
"He's planning something tomorrow, Christian."
"I know." He sounds so despondent. "Today, actually."
"But his email said," I start.
"It was sent eight hours ago, Ana. It was Monday. He was talking about today."
I look at my watch. It's nearly 6 a.m.
"Is it safe to drive home?"
"I should've just taken you away when I got you from the hospital yesterday." He shakes his head. "I shouldn't have told you about José. We shouldn't have gone to Portland. We could be in Thailand by now."
Gail looks like she wants to rub his back but I shake my head silently at her. He would just react badly to her touch.
"No. Christian, you were right to tell me. We needed to go to see him. And Taylor." He looks unconvinced. "I don't know if I'd have been able to forgive you if you'd lied to me like that."
I see anger flash across his eyes but it's quickly replaced by understanding and then fear. He nods.
"I can't lose you," he whispers.
"We can go now, Christian. Let's go to the airport, grab a flight to wherever. Let's go, just the two of us. We can still get away. Take a fifteen-hour flight somewhere. It'll be Wednesday by the time we land!"
He looks at me hopelessly then at Taylor. They share a look that seems and awful lot like pity.
"What?" I yell.
Christian takes my hands in his. "Baby, there's no way to know what he's planning. He could be expecting us to go to the airport. He could be planning to ambush us at home. We don't know and I can't risk it. We're just going to stay here."
"But what if he's expecting us to be here?"
Christian's face falls. Maybe he hadn't considered that, though somehow I doubt it. He just seems so out of ideas. His tenuous grasp on control is broken and I see him crumbling in my hands.
"Christian, we have to do something. We can't just wait for him." I say. "We have to do something he wouldn't expect, right? So what's the stupidest course of action?"
He thinks, quietly. Taylor finally volunteers, "You could go for a walk."
"A walk?"
Taylor smiles and Gail follows suit. "Yeah, go for a long walk and then go see a movie. Maybe go bowling or get some pizza."
"I don't get it, how is that stupid? It sounds like a lovely day."
I look to Christian and he's smiling, too. "They're all things I'd never consider doing. I don't do those things. It's genius, Taylor."
Christian stands up then helps me to my feet. "What do you say?"
There's a long pause before I muster the courage to speak. "Alright." I take a big gulp of air. "But we should leave the security here."