Disclaimer: Ok, I have been writing this damn thing for the past seven
chapters. If don't know it by now please refer to one of them.
A/N: Ok, It's a new week lets see if I can finish this before it's out.
Hope and Memory
Chapter 8: Reunion
Redbud pulled the van slowly into the small ally that ran behind Gabe's building. The streets were dead in this part of town. Not even the commando shits that Gabe mentioned. Getting out of the van he went to the brick wall next to the door. The loose brick was right where he remembered it and so was the spare key. Perfect. He unlocked the door and used one the garbage cans to hold it. Going back to the van he started to gather some of the supplies for his first trip.
Redbud walked into the empty bottom floor of the run-down club at a hurried pace. The place hadn't changed at all. Up the small stairway to his left that led to the loft apartment that made up the entire top floor was his destination.
The urgency of the situation kept him from dwell on the memories of the past and he made his way up the stairs and to the door of Gabe's main living quarters. Hands full he gave the door a couple of sharp kicks.
"Gabe it's me! Open the door dude!" Redbud was shifting the awkward weight of the box.
He heard shuffling inside from outside the door and then Gabe's voice, "I'm come hold on."
Gabe opened the door in a fury. The past fifteen minutes had been hell. The young woman was out again but he wasn't sure for how long. "Hey Red." He grabbed the from his old friends arms.
"I have another load down in the van friend." Redbud replied to the greeting. I will be right back with the rest of your order than we can catch up."
With that Gabe watched him spin around and head back down the stairs. Leaving the door open he turned and walked back into the bedroom and sat the books down next to the bed. Pulling out gauze antiseptic and bandages. Also in the bottom of the box was the invaluable surgeon kit.
Gabe set the supplies out methodically.
Redbud walked into the room carrying a small cooler and an IV stand. The severity of the young woman's condition shocking him into dropping the cooler with a loud thump as it hit the wood floor. "Holy shit! You were fucking Gabe! Oh my god!" He rushed or to give Gabe a hand.
The two quickly fell into a patter not talking except to ask for a particular item or piece of equipment. It was almost like watching one of those medical shows on TV.
Time passed quick as they worked. The progress was slow and tedious, but they managed. The bullet fragments in her shoulder the biggest problem. It took about thirty minutes to get all the fragments of metal and bone clear of the wound. The leg wound was bad but they both managed a sigh of relief that no tendons were severed.
It wasn't till about 10 o'clock a.m. that they both collapsed onto the old worn couch in the living room holding steaming cups of dark rich coffee.
The young woman sleeping soundly in the next room with an IV in her arm had pulled threw the trauma and would make it. And that made both men content.
"Shit Red!" Gabe was exhausted the words came out slow shallow. "That took a hell of a lot longer than I thought it would."
Redbud just watched Gabe as he spoke. Completely understanding the fatigue that the Gabe felt because he felt it to. "You're telling me." He leaned his head back into the couch slowly. "And you were right you were she needed help."
"Yes, she did." Gabe rubbed his eyes trying to remove the sleep from them. "I just want to know why. A young woman like that would need it."
"Your guess is as good as mine!" Redbud took a sip of coffee. "But I intend to find out; But to do that I'm going to have to fuck up my home life bad. I don't know if Dree is going to be happy. Hell I know he won't."
"I sorry I drug you into this Red." Concern showed on Gabe's face plain as he stood up and walked into his kitchen to get a coffee refill. "But I didn't really have a choice."
Redbud got up and followed him into the kitchen. He put a hand on his friends shoulder. "I know and I don't blame you. It was really good to be able to see you again." He gave a quick comforting squeeze. "I never blamed you for Stephen, Gabe. He was a big boy and new the dangers of going after those bastards." Removing his hand he walked around Gabe to look him in the eyes. "I also know that Dree wasn't really mad at you. He just needed an out. He shouldn't have swung at you, but you shouldn't have ducked and then knocked him threw that window."
Pain was what Redbud saw in Gabe's eyes after the last comment. A pain that he himself had. One of a mistake you couldn't ever forget, only live with.
"I know I shouldn't have done what I did." Gabe's voice was shaky and strained. "I have gone over it in my mind a hundred times. If I had been just a split second quicker, Dree wouldn't have had a reason to take that swing. If I hadn't let Anita go to the club alone that night, she wouldn't have needed Stephen and me to come and get her away from those bastards. If I would have just taken the fucking punch and let Dree cool down after." Anger was there now. A seething thing that seeped into every pore of his body causing him took shake. And then as quickly as it had appeared it dispersed into sorrow. "But none of those things matter now. What's done is done and I can't change the past." And with that Gabe turned and walked back to the bedroom to check on the girl.
Redbud stood quietly not sure he should fallow. Gabe's little speech had hit him hard; his eyes wet and his mind shaken. Instinctively he reached for the coffee pot and a so needed refill. Then after another second he went back to sit down and relax, at least for a little while longer.
The moment Redbud closed his eye's sleep grabbed at him, seduced him, taunted him. But he fought it with caffeine and pure will and determination to see this night turned morning threw to the end.
Moments later Gabe walked back in to the room and sat down on the chair next to the couch. He noticed the fatigued look on Redbud's face. He felt it as well but he couldn't sleep not yet. "Red if you're tiered feel free to crash if you want."
"I am Ok." It was a lie and a pitiful one at that. "How's are patient doing?"
"She's still asleep. And I don't think she will be up anytime soon."
"That's good. She needs the rest."
"That she does and so do we." Gabe stood and set his coffee on the wooden table in front of the couch. "I'll go get you some blankets and a pillow." He walked quickly back into the bedroom.
Gabe returned in a few moments with the blanket and pillow. Redbud silently praised him for it.
"Where are you going to sleep?" Redbud asked as he stood and started making up the couch into a bed.
"In the bedroom. I want to be able to keep an eye on her." He grabbed the comfortable recliner and walked it into the bedroom next to the bed.
Redbud watched for just a second; then he laid down slowly onto the makeshift bed and closed his eyes and let sleep win.
Gabe walked slowly back into the living room for one last check on his friend.
Red was out cold. Good. It was his turn now. With that Gabe moved back to the recliner in the bedroom. He just sat there for a few minutes and watched the small figure on the bed; and then with out him noticing his eyes shut and didn't open back up.
A/N: And he pulls it off. Only Wednesday. The next chapter should be up by the beginning of next week.
A/N: Ok, It's a new week lets see if I can finish this before it's out.
Hope and Memory
Chapter 8: Reunion
Redbud pulled the van slowly into the small ally that ran behind Gabe's building. The streets were dead in this part of town. Not even the commando shits that Gabe mentioned. Getting out of the van he went to the brick wall next to the door. The loose brick was right where he remembered it and so was the spare key. Perfect. He unlocked the door and used one the garbage cans to hold it. Going back to the van he started to gather some of the supplies for his first trip.
Redbud walked into the empty bottom floor of the run-down club at a hurried pace. The place hadn't changed at all. Up the small stairway to his left that led to the loft apartment that made up the entire top floor was his destination.
The urgency of the situation kept him from dwell on the memories of the past and he made his way up the stairs and to the door of Gabe's main living quarters. Hands full he gave the door a couple of sharp kicks.
"Gabe it's me! Open the door dude!" Redbud was shifting the awkward weight of the box.
He heard shuffling inside from outside the door and then Gabe's voice, "I'm come hold on."
Gabe opened the door in a fury. The past fifteen minutes had been hell. The young woman was out again but he wasn't sure for how long. "Hey Red." He grabbed the from his old friends arms.
"I have another load down in the van friend." Redbud replied to the greeting. I will be right back with the rest of your order than we can catch up."
With that Gabe watched him spin around and head back down the stairs. Leaving the door open he turned and walked back into the bedroom and sat the books down next to the bed. Pulling out gauze antiseptic and bandages. Also in the bottom of the box was the invaluable surgeon kit.
Gabe set the supplies out methodically.
Redbud walked into the room carrying a small cooler and an IV stand. The severity of the young woman's condition shocking him into dropping the cooler with a loud thump as it hit the wood floor. "Holy shit! You were fucking Gabe! Oh my god!" He rushed or to give Gabe a hand.
The two quickly fell into a patter not talking except to ask for a particular item or piece of equipment. It was almost like watching one of those medical shows on TV.
Time passed quick as they worked. The progress was slow and tedious, but they managed. The bullet fragments in her shoulder the biggest problem. It took about thirty minutes to get all the fragments of metal and bone clear of the wound. The leg wound was bad but they both managed a sigh of relief that no tendons were severed.
It wasn't till about 10 o'clock a.m. that they both collapsed onto the old worn couch in the living room holding steaming cups of dark rich coffee.
The young woman sleeping soundly in the next room with an IV in her arm had pulled threw the trauma and would make it. And that made both men content.
"Shit Red!" Gabe was exhausted the words came out slow shallow. "That took a hell of a lot longer than I thought it would."
Redbud just watched Gabe as he spoke. Completely understanding the fatigue that the Gabe felt because he felt it to. "You're telling me." He leaned his head back into the couch slowly. "And you were right you were she needed help."
"Yes, she did." Gabe rubbed his eyes trying to remove the sleep from them. "I just want to know why. A young woman like that would need it."
"Your guess is as good as mine!" Redbud took a sip of coffee. "But I intend to find out; But to do that I'm going to have to fuck up my home life bad. I don't know if Dree is going to be happy. Hell I know he won't."
"I sorry I drug you into this Red." Concern showed on Gabe's face plain as he stood up and walked into his kitchen to get a coffee refill. "But I didn't really have a choice."
Redbud got up and followed him into the kitchen. He put a hand on his friends shoulder. "I know and I don't blame you. It was really good to be able to see you again." He gave a quick comforting squeeze. "I never blamed you for Stephen, Gabe. He was a big boy and new the dangers of going after those bastards." Removing his hand he walked around Gabe to look him in the eyes. "I also know that Dree wasn't really mad at you. He just needed an out. He shouldn't have swung at you, but you shouldn't have ducked and then knocked him threw that window."
Pain was what Redbud saw in Gabe's eyes after the last comment. A pain that he himself had. One of a mistake you couldn't ever forget, only live with.
"I know I shouldn't have done what I did." Gabe's voice was shaky and strained. "I have gone over it in my mind a hundred times. If I had been just a split second quicker, Dree wouldn't have had a reason to take that swing. If I hadn't let Anita go to the club alone that night, she wouldn't have needed Stephen and me to come and get her away from those bastards. If I would have just taken the fucking punch and let Dree cool down after." Anger was there now. A seething thing that seeped into every pore of his body causing him took shake. And then as quickly as it had appeared it dispersed into sorrow. "But none of those things matter now. What's done is done and I can't change the past." And with that Gabe turned and walked back to the bedroom to check on the girl.
Redbud stood quietly not sure he should fallow. Gabe's little speech had hit him hard; his eyes wet and his mind shaken. Instinctively he reached for the coffee pot and a so needed refill. Then after another second he went back to sit down and relax, at least for a little while longer.
The moment Redbud closed his eye's sleep grabbed at him, seduced him, taunted him. But he fought it with caffeine and pure will and determination to see this night turned morning threw to the end.
Moments later Gabe walked back in to the room and sat down on the chair next to the couch. He noticed the fatigued look on Redbud's face. He felt it as well but he couldn't sleep not yet. "Red if you're tiered feel free to crash if you want."
"I am Ok." It was a lie and a pitiful one at that. "How's are patient doing?"
"She's still asleep. And I don't think she will be up anytime soon."
"That's good. She needs the rest."
"That she does and so do we." Gabe stood and set his coffee on the wooden table in front of the couch. "I'll go get you some blankets and a pillow." He walked quickly back into the bedroom.
Gabe returned in a few moments with the blanket and pillow. Redbud silently praised him for it.
"Where are you going to sleep?" Redbud asked as he stood and started making up the couch into a bed.
"In the bedroom. I want to be able to keep an eye on her." He grabbed the comfortable recliner and walked it into the bedroom next to the bed.
Redbud watched for just a second; then he laid down slowly onto the makeshift bed and closed his eyes and let sleep win.
Gabe walked slowly back into the living room for one last check on his friend.
Red was out cold. Good. It was his turn now. With that Gabe moved back to the recliner in the bedroom. He just sat there for a few minutes and watched the small figure on the bed; and then with out him noticing his eyes shut and didn't open back up.
A/N: And he pulls it off. Only Wednesday. The next chapter should be up by the beginning of next week.