Jane Oberon glared at the man seated across from her and slammed her fists on the table even as the door opened and the guard stepped inside. She pulled at the chain linking her cuffs to the leg of the table, but stopped when the guard moved closer.
"That's enough, Oberon, or you'll lose privileges," the female guard vowed.
"Hell…"
"Not yet, but it could be. On your feet!"
"It's okay, Ms. Shelby, Jane was just letting me know how badly she wanted out of here," the lawyer offered.
"I bet," Shelby said and pressed the baton against Oberon's chest. "Behave yourself or…"
"Yeah, yeah, I lose privileges…" Oberon said and glared at the guard's back as she left her alone with her lawyer.
"Jane, I'm doing everything I can, but…"
"There are no buts, Stefan, you get this done before the end of the week or I swear you'll find out exactly what I can do even from in here," Oberon warned.
"Do not threaten me, Jane," Stefan Oppenheimer ordered softly. "I may be your lawyer, but I have contacts in Al-Qaeda…"
"Those bastards turned their backs on Carl and me. You should watch your back."
"I'm not the one in here, Jane. You should be spending your time finding out who your friends are."
"I don't need any friends in here, Stefan, but I do have friends out there and I swear if you try to fuck me over I will make damn sure you…"
Stefan was used to Jane Oberon and understood that the woman and her husband were marked for death because of the screw up with Standish and Tanner. Al-Qaeda didn't like it when their people took things into their own hands and now this woman was threatening him. "Jane, relax…but watch your back…"
"Is that a threat, Stefan?"
"Perhaps, but you won't know until it is too late," Oppenheimer said, smiling before he shoved the papers back in his briefcase and signaled to the guard that he was ready to leave.
Jane Oberon had seen something in the man's eyes and understood she'd really fucked up. So much so that she needed to keep her back against the wall or she might just find a knife sticking out of it. Somehow she doubted she would ever see the world outside prison walls again.
M7M7M7M7M7M7M7
Chris woke to the sound of the door opening and stared at the woman who entered. He knew it was early and silently cursed the fact that hospitals preferred to do blood tests before sunup.
"Mr. Larabee, I need to take some of that precious red stuff," the woman explained.
"I thought they said I'd already given my quota," the blond said with a hint of a smile.
"Yes, I'm sure you have," the tech said and quickly took several vials of blood before leaving the room.
Chris ran his fingers through his hair and tried to find a comfortable spot, but that seemed an impossible feat considering the bulky cast on his left leg. He hadn't slept very well and continued to fight the dreams, nightmares images of JD with the knife ready to strike, as the chanting grew louder around them.
"Chris, how are you feeling this morning?"
"Hi, Rain," Larabee said. "If I told you I was fine would you believe me?"
"Fine…no, but getting there…yes," the pretty woman answered. "I know you don't like being in here, Chris, but for now it's where you need to be. Has Stacey given you any idea how long you'll be in here?"
"Not really. My guess is a week, but I'm not the one making that decision," Larabee told her.
"Glad to hear you say that," Goines told him. "I have rounds in a couple of minutes, but if you need anything just have me paged."
"Thanks, Rain, I could go for one of those pepper omelets you make."
"I'll see what I can do about bringing you one for breakfast tomorrow morning."
"Sounds good to me," the blond said and settled back against the pillows as she left. He knew he must have drifted off because when he opened his eyes again he found Nettie Wells watching him.
"Good Morning," Nettie said and placed a container and a coffee cup on the table before pushing it toward him.
"Morning, Nettie, what time is it?"
"A little after nine," the woman answered and plumped his pillows once he'd raised the head of the bed. "I believe I promised you lunch, but I made tea biscuits and thought you would like a fresh coffee as well."
"Thanks, Nettie," Larabee said and opened the container and smiled when he took out the warm biscuit. "How's Vin?"
"He's feeling better, but Nathan's sitting on him and making sure he stays put while I brought you breakfast," the elderly woman explained.
"This is good," Larabee told her.
"Thank you…have they told you when you're getting out of here?"
"Not yet, but…"
"Chris, don't go fighting your doctors," Nettie warned.
"I won't."
"Yeah, right, this is me you're talking to, son, and we both know you've probably already decided when you're getting out."
"Well, I was hoping to be home by the weekend. JD is going to stay with me."
"Are you sure that's a good idea?"
"I think so, Nettie. JD's been through a lot and I'm hoping staying with me will show him I trust him," Larabee said.
"What about you, Chris?"
"What do you mean?"
"Are you sure having JD stay with you is what's best for you? I know you think you're okay with what JD did, but you're not fooling me, Chris."
"I never could," Larabee said and took a deep breath. "I think this is what I need as much as JD, Nettie. I need to know I can trust him and this is the best way to prove that to both of us."
"I hope so, but if you change your mind the spare room at my house has clean sheets on it," Nettie told him.
"Thanks, Nettie, but I really believe this is the right way to go," Larabee said.
"Okay, but if it's too much I'm only a phone call away."
"I'll remember that," the blond said.
"Good, now I have a few things to do today so I'd best get these old bones…"
"Old, Nettie…"
"Okay, maybe ancient is more like it."
"I don't think you'll ever be old, Nettie," Larabee said and smiled when she kissed his cheek.
"That's what I love about you, Chris, you know how to make an old lady feel young," Nettie said and hurried from the room.
Chris smiled and lay back against the pillows and was soon drifting toward sleep, but the sound of the door opening brought him fully awake. He smiled thinly at the woman who now stood beside his bed. "Morning, Doc."
"Good morning, Chris, how do you feel?"
"Probably as bad as I look," the blond answered honestly.
"Yes, well, that's what happens when you don't ask for the medication we prescribed for pain. It's there for a reason, Chris, and not using it just makes you feel miserable and uncomfortable and that translates into making the staff's job that much harder," Midland explained.
"You know me, Doc, I hate feeling like my head's stuffed with cotton."
"I know, but it's better than being in misery. Now, how do you feel?"
"Like someone beat the hell out of me," Larabee answered honestly.
"I bet," Midland said and studied the morning's test results.
"How does it look?"
"Better than I expected…"
"So I can go home?"
"I said better, not cured, Chris. Your temperature is still a little high and your blood pressure is a little low, but all things considered I'd say you're on the mend."
"How long before I can get out of here?" Larabee asked hopefully.
"Give it a couple of days and ask me again, but if you continue to improve you might just be out of here by the weekend," Midland said.
"By the weekend," Larabee repeated.
"If you do what you're supposed to."
"I've been doing everything the nurses tell me."
"I know…that makes me wonder if there's something going on we're not seeing," Midland teased.
"Hell, Doc…"
"You're so easy, Chris," the physician said as the nurse entered the room.
"Oh, I'm sorry, Dr. Midland, I didn't know you were here."
"That's okay, Kathi, we were done," Midland said, closing the chart and leaving the injured man to his nurse.
"Chris, how would you feel about a sponge bath?" Kathi asked.
"I'd rather get a shower," Larabee asked hopefully.
"Well, we might be able to arrange something, but are you sure you feel up to being out of that bed?"
"Hell, yes," the blond told her.
"Okay, let me see if I can arrange a few things and get a wheelchair for you," Kathi told him.
"Thanks, Kathi," Larabee said. He closed his eyes and listened as she moved around the room and blinked awake when a hand touched against his shoulder.
"Are you ready for that shower, Chris?"
"Yes," Larabee answered and allowed the woman and the orderly to help him into the wheelchair. It took some doing, but his leg was soon covered and the wound to his abdomen sported a waterproof bandage. The shower was designed with a special chair and he allowed his helpers to guide him onto it.
"How about we start with your hair," Kathi asked.
"God, that sounds like heaven," Larabee told her. Twenty minutes later, sporting clean pajamas, Chris was helped back into his bed and asked for something to help manage the pain. It wasn't long before he slept and Kathi smiled when she looked in on him half an hour later.
M7M7M7M7M7M7M7
Two days later Chris looked up from reading a sports magazine to find Ezra and Vin standing in the doorway of his room. Both men had been under orders to stay home and rest and had been unable to fight their 'jailers', but today they'd managed to escape and headed straight for the hospital.
"Hey, Cowboy, ya look like shit."
"Thanks, Vin, but have you looked in a mirror lately?" Larabee asked of the pale man.
"I believe he's had an aversion to such devices," Standish said.
"Ya ain't been lookin' so suave and deb'nair yerself lately, Ezra," Tanner griped.
"Yes, well, we have been under constant surveillance lately," the conman explained.
"Has there been any news about the Oberons?" Larabee asked seriously.
"It seems the Oberons were not as tight with Al-Qaeda as they believed," Standish said and sat on the chair by the window while Vin sat on the edge of Larabee's bed.
"What happened?" the blond inquired.
"They's dead…both of 'em were found strung up in the showers. Ain't no witnesses, but if'n I was a bettin' man I'd say they ain't ones ta commit suicide," Tanner explained.
"No, but if Al-Qaeda decided they were no longer of use it would be simple for them to find a way to get rid of the Oberons," Standish said.
"They could still come after you and Vin," Larabee observed.
"Why? I doubt they believe we are any threat to them now that the Oberons are out of the picture," Standish observed.
"Word on the street is there's no new contracts put out," Tanner offered.
"That's a good sign, but you and Ezra should be careful and keep your eyes and ears open," the blond said.
"Careful is my middle name," Standish said.
"I thought it was persnickety," Tanner teased.
"Very funny," the gambler griped. "Is there anything new on your release, Chris?"
"Hopefully tomorrow…Nathan said he'd pick me up as soon as Midland signed the release papers," Larabee said.
"Ya sure havin' JD stay with ya is a good thing?" Tanner asked.
"I think so, Vin, besides you're only a phone call away if there's trouble," Larabee answered.
"Ezra's stayin' with me fer a few days," the Texan said.
"You're kidding…Ezra staying in your guest room when he has a feather mattress at the penthouse," the blond said with a grin.
"It was either that or I stay at his place and ya know how fussy he is 'bout puttin' my boots on his table," Tanner said.
"I am still trying to buff out the scratches…"
"Don't ya mean yer maid's still tryin' to buff out the scratches?" the Texan observed.
Chris relaxed in the company of the two men and was relieved to know the Oberons were no longer a threat where they were concerned. He closed his eyes and listened to the two men talking softly and allowed himself the sleep his body and mind needed.
Author'sNote—- Thanks to everyone for reading and reviewing...Winnie
