Four hours later, I was still on a mission, although my current one involved finding a bathroom and not Marquez. Duo and I were sitting in his big black SUV and staring at the front door of a smallish clapboard house in one of the less desirable neighborhoods in the colony. The door opened and closed unceasingly as what seemed like hundreds of people came to welcome Marquez's nephew into the world. But, as far as we could see, there was no Marquez. I squirmed in my seat and Duo threw me an amused glance.
"You should have gone before we left." He admonished, sounding eerily like my mother.
I frowned at him. "I didn't have to go then." I replied. Great, now I sounded like I was ten. Stupid Maxwell.
He shrugged and reached into one of the plastic bags that littered his floor, remnants of convenience store junk food that he had purchased for the stake-out, and pulled out an empty Pringles can. "Wanna pee into this?"
I glared at him. "I'm not a guy, moron. I don't have anything to aim with."
That seemed to amuse him even more. "You could like, you know…squat." He said, trying to keep a straight face.
"I am not going to squat on a Pringles can in the middle of a well populated neighborhood." I said flatly.
He started laughing then, his strong shoulders shaking as he doubled up.
"Jerk." I muttered, which only seemed to make him laugh harder.
Things might have deteriorated into open violence if a small green sports car hadn't pulled up to the curb in front of the house. The car matched the description of the one Marquez was supposed to own. Duo immediately stopped laughing and stared intently at the car, all business.
A man got out, a man with brown eyes and black hair. He seemed to weigh around 158 lbs., was around 5'7 and in his early thirties. Jesus Marquez. Duo glanced at me. "Looks like your man." He said, all traces of humor gone from his voice. I nodded, suddenly nauseous.
He cocked an eyebrow. "You look like you just got a hold of a bad burrito." He said.
I let out a shaky breath. "I've never done this before." My voice was a tad on the defensive side.
His expression softened. "Everything's always hard the first time." He said. And for a moment, he was kind and very appealing. Then that damn lascivious smile came back. "Well…not everything." He said with a twinkle in his eye.
I rolled my eyes. "All right, let's go." My nervousness was suddenly replaced by irritation.
Duo put a hand on my arm. "Let him see his nephew. We'll have less crap to deal with if he's not with his family."
I nodded.
Jesus Marquez visited with his family for an hour. As soon as he came out onto the porch, Duo stopped teasing me and issued a few last minute instructions. "Remember to keep one hand on your taser so you can pull it out fast if you need to. Be firm but polite and don't give him the opportunity to run. If he tries anything, hit him with the taser. Don't hesitate to use it."
My mouth went dry and the queasy feeling came back. What the hell had I gotten into?
Marquez was descending the porch steps and heading towards his car.
"Now." Duo said, opening up his door. I followed him and we approached Marquez with matching grim expressions.
"Jesus Marquez?" I asked, one hand on my taser. I knew it was him, but Duo said we should always check. The man stopped and did not answer. I took that as a yes. "Mr. Marquez, you missed your court date. We're representatives of Chang's Bail Bonds and…" He never gave me a chance to finish. He turned and ran, heading towards a nearby alley.
Next to me, Duo cursed and we both took off running. I don't know if you've ever had the occasion to run wearing a bulletproof vest, but those damn things are heavy!
I was huffing as we closed the distance between us and I barely noticed the shouts coming from the house. Duo cursed again, this time louder. I turned and saw several people coming after us. Marquez's family was rushing to his aid.
"Keep chasing him. I'll deal with the family." Duo said and turned towards them.
A stitch formed in my side, but I kept running, the thought of all the twinkies I had eaten in Duo's car giving me the motivation to continue. I could hear Marquez in front of me, wheezing. Obviously, he was in no better shape than I was. He finally tripped over a rock and went down. I came trotting up to him and stopped, pausing to take a few deep breaths before I addressed him.
"Why did you run?" I asked, my words coming out in gasps. He didn't reply.
I sighed. "Jesus Marquez, I have been authorized by Chang's Bail Bonds and the colony courts to bring you in." I reached behind me and unhooked my cuffs. "If you won't come peacefully, then I will have to cuff you and take you by force."
I'm not exactly sure when he got his wind back, but quite suddenly, he was on his feet and aiming a punch at my midsection. There was no time to dodge it and I ended up taking it square in the gut. My vest absorbed a portion of the blow, but it still knocked the wind out of me and dropped me on my ass. Marquez cried out in pain and cradled his hand, obviously he had not expected me to be wearing a vest. He pulled back a foot to kick me and I used his momentary vulnerability to grab his leg and pull him down. He landed next to me with a thud. "Bitch." He wheezed.
I would be lying if I didn't admit that that pissed me off.
He tried to hit me again, but I blocked him, thanking the gods that I had taken those two self-defense classes in college. I twisted his arm and he yelped and tried to push me away. He finally succeeded and tried to get up, but I was having none of it. I pushed him over and landed on top of him, trying to get at least one wrist into the cuffs. The damn guy was as squirming worse than a weasel and we ended up rolling around on the ground, fighting for dominance.
I finally won and Marquez was on his stomach, his arms pulled behind him as I cuffed him. I stood up and admired my handiwork, resisting the urge to dance with glee. I was a number one bounty hunter. I was invincible, I was…
I probably would have continued to congratulate myself if not for the person who snuck up behind me and hit me on the back of the head.
I woke up god knows when on my back, my head cushioned on something soft. I was still in the alley and my head felt like…well, like it had been split with a two-by-four, which was probably not to far from the truth. I raised a hand to my forehead and winced, quite suddenly, Duo swam into my field of vision.
"Are you okay?" He asked, his face creased with concern.
I tried to nod and then decided that answering might be easier. "I think…" I managed.
Suddenly, everything came back to me. "Where's Marquez?" I asked.
Duo waved his hand towards where Marquez lay, still trussed up like a turkey. In the shadows, I saw another figure lying prone. "Who's that?"
"The guy who hit you, apparently, he's Marquez's cousin."
Duo rested a hand on my forehead. "How's the head?" He asked gently.
I tried to sit up and failed. Duo placed one strong hand in the small of my back and helped me sit up. Gingerly, I felt the back of my head for blood and all I found was a large lump. "There's no blood." I said with obvious relief. "Just a bump the size of a grapefruit."
"Good." He said, mirroring my relief. He helped me stand and then retrieved something from the ground. I realized that I had been laying on his jacket.
I wobbled a bit and he was immediately by my side, grasping my elbow to balance me.
"You go get in the car." He said, pointing to his SUV, which was now parked at the mouth of
the alley. "I'll drag Marquez's worthless butt into the back." I nodded and carefully made my
way to the car.
Duo wasn't the least but gentle with Marquez as he dragged the protesting man to the car. My
bounty sported a bloody nose and a split lip, neither of which was my handiwork.
"What about my cousin?" He whined as Duo shoved him into the back of the SUV.
"He'll wake up in a few hours with one hell of a headache." Duo said. His expression was dark and
angry as he glared at Marquez. The look silenced the man and Duo slammed the door. He came around
to the driver's side door and slid in, glancing at me again. "Do you want to go to the hospital?"
He asked, still looking concerned.
I shook my head and instantly regretted it. I swear I saw stars.
"Bullshit." Duo said firmly. "We'll take Marquez to the station and pick up your receipt and then
I'm taking you to the hospital."
"I'm fine, really." I protested.
"No, you're not." He argued back. "I'm taking you to the hospital even if I have to taser you
and drag you in."
I pouted and he knew that he had won.
Marquez said nothing as we drove to the police station. He sat in the back and stared out the
window at the passing buildings. Duo was equally silent, but I kept catching him looking at me
with some unreadable expression.
When we finally arrived at the station, Duo drove around back to a loading area where several
police officers loitered, smoking cigarettes. "Go and ring that bell over there." He said, pointing
to a small button next to the large metal doors. "I'll get Marquez." I nodded and slipped out of the
SUV. The policemen stared at me openly as I made my way to the door. I looked down at my clothes
and realized that I was covered with dirt and god knows what else. My hat had been knocked off
and was probably still laying in the alley, so my hair stuck up at all sorts of strange angles.
I looked like hell. I could feel a blush begin to creep up my neck as I pushed the doorbell. No
wonder Duo kept looking at me, I was a car wreck.
The small intercom by the door crackled. "Yeah?" A disembodied voice said.
"Umm...I've got a bail jumper." I said, hoping it was the right thing.
"Okay." Mr. Intercom replied and the door buzzed open.
Duo dragged Marquez inside and I followed, still mortified by my appearance. Duo came to a stop
in front of a surly looking policeman who was sitting inside a wire cage near the door.
He filled out a body receipt and motioned for two uniformed officers to take Marquez into
custody. I accepted the receipt and turned to follow Duo out when who should appear but
Quatre and Heero.
"We heard you just brought in your first FTA." Quatre said with a warm smile. "Congratulations."
"I had help." I said modestly, jerking a thumb in Duo's direction.
Duo and Heero were glaring at each other, but Quatre seemed undisturbed. "How much was this
bounty?" He asked, as though we were discussing the weather and not dangerous criminals.
"I get $2,000.00." I said, glancing nervously at the silent pissing contest that was going on
between Heero and Duo.
"Very nice." Quatre said pleasantly. "Well, we've got to go, but it was nice seeing you."
I blinked and nodded. Quatre sketched a wave at Duo who nodded and then steered the still
pissed looking Heero towards the doors.
"What was that all about?" I asked Duo, quite puzzled. He frowned.
"It was a warning." He said. He shook his head and looked at me. "Never mind that. Let's get
you to the hospital."
My protests fell on deaf ears.
St. Patrick's Hospital occupied an entire block. The ER was at the far end, lit up with bright
lights and signs, like Las Vegas for the injured. Duo parked his car and helped me from my seat,
lightly grasping my elbow as he steered me through the automatic doors and into the
empty waiting room.
The nurse at the admitting desk cheerfully ignored me as I signed in and continued to talk on
the phone. I handed her the clipboard with my personal information on it and she slid it through
a slot into another room.
Duo guided me to a seat and I gave him a dark look. "I'm not infirm, you know." I said peevishly.
"I was just hit on the head."
He raised an eyebrow at me. "I guess you're tougher than you look." He said, giving me an
appraising glance.
I stuck my tongue out at him and turned my attention to a very old gossip magazine. He chuckled
and seemed content to sit and do nothing, occasionally glancing at me when he thought I wasn't
paying attention.
I was flipping through the magazine and had just settled on an interesting article when a door
banged open and a woman marched in.
"I don't believe it!" She said angrily, pointing a finger of doom at me. "If your mother finds out..."
It was my cousin, Sally Chang, nee Po.
"I thought you worked in the maternity ward!" I exclaimed, feeling my face pale. Sally could blow
everything for me. She could tell my mom.
She shook her head. "Pregnant women are whiners." She said. "But don't change the subject. What
the hell are you doing here with a concussion and Duo Maxwell?" Before I could answer, she
threw up her hands. "I don't know which is worse! I'm going to kill Wufei the second I get home!"
"I can explain..." I said nervously. Duo, meanwhile, was watching the entire episode with a look
of extreme amusement on his face.
"This is the last time I ask that little weasel to do me a favor! What would happen if you got
killed? Your mother would kill me, or worse, mine would!" She continued to rant. She waxed
eloquent on the many ways she was going to kill Wufei until she ran out of ideas, and then she
focused back on me. "You got hit on the back of the head with a blunt object?" She asked, suddenly
assuming her clinical nurse's attitude.
I nodded. She didn't bother taking me to an examining room. Instead, she threw my chart on the
chair next to me and immediately began feeling my head for bumps. When she found it, I let out
a squeal of pain. She gave the lump an extra poke, just to be an asshole, I'm sure, and then
took a small flashlight out of her smock pocket. She switched it on and pointed the light into my
eyes, looking for god knows what.
"How do you feel?" She asked.
"I have a nasty headache." I replied.
"Nausea?"
"No."
"Faintness? Drowsiness?"
"No."
"Was there blood?"
"No."
She pursed her lips together and stared at me for a moment. Finally, she sighed. "I think you
have a mild concussion. You really shouldn't sleep for the next couple of hours, I guess you
could stay here..."
"No, that's okay..." I said, not wanting to be around in case she got her second wind.
She looked ready to argue when Duo intervened. "I can take her home and keep an eye on her."
He offered.
Sally looked at him and raised an eyebrow. "Like I'd trust you with my cousin." She said, irritably.
Duo gave her a look of innocence. "I swear, I'll only make sure she stays awake." He said sincerely.
Sally snorted. "I know how you'll keep her awake, you...you...manwhore!"
Duo blinked. "That, Sally, is the pot calling the kettle black."
Blood rushed to her face and she seemed taken aback. "So I was a bit wild as a teenager..." She
muttered. Finally, she shook her head. "Fine. Take her home, but keep your hands off, Maxwell.
She's too good for you."
Sally gave me a look and then spun on her heel back towards the nurse's station. "Oh, and Hilde,
as far as I'm concerned, you were never here." She said over her shoulder.
Duo, despite Sally's warning, did not keep his hands off of me. He grasped my elbow and led me
out of the waiting room. "So," he said in a tone that could only be described as sexy, "your
place or mine?"
I sighed. "Mine, I guess. I have a big ass bottle of Advil in the medicine chest."
"Your place it is." He said as he helped me into the SUV. I would never admit this, but I couldn't
help feeling a little, well...excited. I was beginning to wish that he would try and have his way
with me. I wouldn't resist, too much, anyway. My conscious suddenly kicked in.
Ack! Hilde, you slut! I yelled at myself. You've barely known this guy a day and
already you're primed to jump his bones? Where are your morals? Where is your dignity?
Duo slid into the driver's seat and smiled that oh so sexy smile at me. "Let's go, babe."
Where are my birth control pills? When was the last time I shaved my legs? What...dammit!
"You should have gone before we left." He admonished, sounding eerily like my mother.
I frowned at him. "I didn't have to go then." I replied. Great, now I sounded like I was ten. Stupid Maxwell.
He shrugged and reached into one of the plastic bags that littered his floor, remnants of convenience store junk food that he had purchased for the stake-out, and pulled out an empty Pringles can. "Wanna pee into this?"
I glared at him. "I'm not a guy, moron. I don't have anything to aim with."
That seemed to amuse him even more. "You could like, you know…squat." He said, trying to keep a straight face.
"I am not going to squat on a Pringles can in the middle of a well populated neighborhood." I said flatly.
He started laughing then, his strong shoulders shaking as he doubled up.
"Jerk." I muttered, which only seemed to make him laugh harder.
Things might have deteriorated into open violence if a small green sports car hadn't pulled up to the curb in front of the house. The car matched the description of the one Marquez was supposed to own. Duo immediately stopped laughing and stared intently at the car, all business.
A man got out, a man with brown eyes and black hair. He seemed to weigh around 158 lbs., was around 5'7 and in his early thirties. Jesus Marquez. Duo glanced at me. "Looks like your man." He said, all traces of humor gone from his voice. I nodded, suddenly nauseous.
He cocked an eyebrow. "You look like you just got a hold of a bad burrito." He said.
I let out a shaky breath. "I've never done this before." My voice was a tad on the defensive side.
His expression softened. "Everything's always hard the first time." He said. And for a moment, he was kind and very appealing. Then that damn lascivious smile came back. "Well…not everything." He said with a twinkle in his eye.
I rolled my eyes. "All right, let's go." My nervousness was suddenly replaced by irritation.
Duo put a hand on my arm. "Let him see his nephew. We'll have less crap to deal with if he's not with his family."
I nodded.
Jesus Marquez visited with his family for an hour. As soon as he came out onto the porch, Duo stopped teasing me and issued a few last minute instructions. "Remember to keep one hand on your taser so you can pull it out fast if you need to. Be firm but polite and don't give him the opportunity to run. If he tries anything, hit him with the taser. Don't hesitate to use it."
My mouth went dry and the queasy feeling came back. What the hell had I gotten into?
Marquez was descending the porch steps and heading towards his car.
"Now." Duo said, opening up his door. I followed him and we approached Marquez with matching grim expressions.
"Jesus Marquez?" I asked, one hand on my taser. I knew it was him, but Duo said we should always check. The man stopped and did not answer. I took that as a yes. "Mr. Marquez, you missed your court date. We're representatives of Chang's Bail Bonds and…" He never gave me a chance to finish. He turned and ran, heading towards a nearby alley.
Next to me, Duo cursed and we both took off running. I don't know if you've ever had the occasion to run wearing a bulletproof vest, but those damn things are heavy!
I was huffing as we closed the distance between us and I barely noticed the shouts coming from the house. Duo cursed again, this time louder. I turned and saw several people coming after us. Marquez's family was rushing to his aid.
"Keep chasing him. I'll deal with the family." Duo said and turned towards them.
A stitch formed in my side, but I kept running, the thought of all the twinkies I had eaten in Duo's car giving me the motivation to continue. I could hear Marquez in front of me, wheezing. Obviously, he was in no better shape than I was. He finally tripped over a rock and went down. I came trotting up to him and stopped, pausing to take a few deep breaths before I addressed him.
"Why did you run?" I asked, my words coming out in gasps. He didn't reply.
I sighed. "Jesus Marquez, I have been authorized by Chang's Bail Bonds and the colony courts to bring you in." I reached behind me and unhooked my cuffs. "If you won't come peacefully, then I will have to cuff you and take you by force."
I'm not exactly sure when he got his wind back, but quite suddenly, he was on his feet and aiming a punch at my midsection. There was no time to dodge it and I ended up taking it square in the gut. My vest absorbed a portion of the blow, but it still knocked the wind out of me and dropped me on my ass. Marquez cried out in pain and cradled his hand, obviously he had not expected me to be wearing a vest. He pulled back a foot to kick me and I used his momentary vulnerability to grab his leg and pull him down. He landed next to me with a thud. "Bitch." He wheezed.
I would be lying if I didn't admit that that pissed me off.
He tried to hit me again, but I blocked him, thanking the gods that I had taken those two self-defense classes in college. I twisted his arm and he yelped and tried to push me away. He finally succeeded and tried to get up, but I was having none of it. I pushed him over and landed on top of him, trying to get at least one wrist into the cuffs. The damn guy was as squirming worse than a weasel and we ended up rolling around on the ground, fighting for dominance.
I finally won and Marquez was on his stomach, his arms pulled behind him as I cuffed him. I stood up and admired my handiwork, resisting the urge to dance with glee. I was a number one bounty hunter. I was invincible, I was…
I probably would have continued to congratulate myself if not for the person who snuck up behind me and hit me on the back of the head.
I woke up god knows when on my back, my head cushioned on something soft. I was still in the alley and my head felt like…well, like it had been split with a two-by-four, which was probably not to far from the truth. I raised a hand to my forehead and winced, quite suddenly, Duo swam into my field of vision.
"Are you okay?" He asked, his face creased with concern.
I tried to nod and then decided that answering might be easier. "I think…" I managed.
Suddenly, everything came back to me. "Where's Marquez?" I asked.
Duo waved his hand towards where Marquez lay, still trussed up like a turkey. In the shadows, I saw another figure lying prone. "Who's that?"
"The guy who hit you, apparently, he's Marquez's cousin."
Duo rested a hand on my forehead. "How's the head?" He asked gently.
I tried to sit up and failed. Duo placed one strong hand in the small of my back and helped me sit up. Gingerly, I felt the back of my head for blood and all I found was a large lump. "There's no blood." I said with obvious relief. "Just a bump the size of a grapefruit."
"Good." He said, mirroring my relief. He helped me stand and then retrieved something from the ground. I realized that I had been laying on his jacket.
I wobbled a bit and he was immediately by my side, grasping my elbow to balance me.
"You go get in the car." He said, pointing to his SUV, which was now parked at the mouth of
the alley. "I'll drag Marquez's worthless butt into the back." I nodded and carefully made my
way to the car.
Duo wasn't the least but gentle with Marquez as he dragged the protesting man to the car. My
bounty sported a bloody nose and a split lip, neither of which was my handiwork.
"What about my cousin?" He whined as Duo shoved him into the back of the SUV.
"He'll wake up in a few hours with one hell of a headache." Duo said. His expression was dark and
angry as he glared at Marquez. The look silenced the man and Duo slammed the door. He came around
to the driver's side door and slid in, glancing at me again. "Do you want to go to the hospital?"
He asked, still looking concerned.
I shook my head and instantly regretted it. I swear I saw stars.
"Bullshit." Duo said firmly. "We'll take Marquez to the station and pick up your receipt and then
I'm taking you to the hospital."
"I'm fine, really." I protested.
"No, you're not." He argued back. "I'm taking you to the hospital even if I have to taser you
and drag you in."
I pouted and he knew that he had won.
Marquez said nothing as we drove to the police station. He sat in the back and stared out the
window at the passing buildings. Duo was equally silent, but I kept catching him looking at me
with some unreadable expression.
When we finally arrived at the station, Duo drove around back to a loading area where several
police officers loitered, smoking cigarettes. "Go and ring that bell over there." He said, pointing
to a small button next to the large metal doors. "I'll get Marquez." I nodded and slipped out of the
SUV. The policemen stared at me openly as I made my way to the door. I looked down at my clothes
and realized that I was covered with dirt and god knows what else. My hat had been knocked off
and was probably still laying in the alley, so my hair stuck up at all sorts of strange angles.
I looked like hell. I could feel a blush begin to creep up my neck as I pushed the doorbell. No
wonder Duo kept looking at me, I was a car wreck.
The small intercom by the door crackled. "Yeah?" A disembodied voice said.
"Umm...I've got a bail jumper." I said, hoping it was the right thing.
"Okay." Mr. Intercom replied and the door buzzed open.
Duo dragged Marquez inside and I followed, still mortified by my appearance. Duo came to a stop
in front of a surly looking policeman who was sitting inside a wire cage near the door.
He filled out a body receipt and motioned for two uniformed officers to take Marquez into
custody. I accepted the receipt and turned to follow Duo out when who should appear but
Quatre and Heero.
"We heard you just brought in your first FTA." Quatre said with a warm smile. "Congratulations."
"I had help." I said modestly, jerking a thumb in Duo's direction.
Duo and Heero were glaring at each other, but Quatre seemed undisturbed. "How much was this
bounty?" He asked, as though we were discussing the weather and not dangerous criminals.
"I get $2,000.00." I said, glancing nervously at the silent pissing contest that was going on
between Heero and Duo.
"Very nice." Quatre said pleasantly. "Well, we've got to go, but it was nice seeing you."
I blinked and nodded. Quatre sketched a wave at Duo who nodded and then steered the still
pissed looking Heero towards the doors.
"What was that all about?" I asked Duo, quite puzzled. He frowned.
"It was a warning." He said. He shook his head and looked at me. "Never mind that. Let's get
you to the hospital."
My protests fell on deaf ears.
St. Patrick's Hospital occupied an entire block. The ER was at the far end, lit up with bright
lights and signs, like Las Vegas for the injured. Duo parked his car and helped me from my seat,
lightly grasping my elbow as he steered me through the automatic doors and into the
empty waiting room.
The nurse at the admitting desk cheerfully ignored me as I signed in and continued to talk on
the phone. I handed her the clipboard with my personal information on it and she slid it through
a slot into another room.
Duo guided me to a seat and I gave him a dark look. "I'm not infirm, you know." I said peevishly.
"I was just hit on the head."
He raised an eyebrow at me. "I guess you're tougher than you look." He said, giving me an
appraising glance.
I stuck my tongue out at him and turned my attention to a very old gossip magazine. He chuckled
and seemed content to sit and do nothing, occasionally glancing at me when he thought I wasn't
paying attention.
I was flipping through the magazine and had just settled on an interesting article when a door
banged open and a woman marched in.
"I don't believe it!" She said angrily, pointing a finger of doom at me. "If your mother finds out..."
It was my cousin, Sally Chang, nee Po.
"I thought you worked in the maternity ward!" I exclaimed, feeling my face pale. Sally could blow
everything for me. She could tell my mom.
She shook her head. "Pregnant women are whiners." She said. "But don't change the subject. What
the hell are you doing here with a concussion and Duo Maxwell?" Before I could answer, she
threw up her hands. "I don't know which is worse! I'm going to kill Wufei the second I get home!"
"I can explain..." I said nervously. Duo, meanwhile, was watching the entire episode with a look
of extreme amusement on his face.
"This is the last time I ask that little weasel to do me a favor! What would happen if you got
killed? Your mother would kill me, or worse, mine would!" She continued to rant. She waxed
eloquent on the many ways she was going to kill Wufei until she ran out of ideas, and then she
focused back on me. "You got hit on the back of the head with a blunt object?" She asked, suddenly
assuming her clinical nurse's attitude.
I nodded. She didn't bother taking me to an examining room. Instead, she threw my chart on the
chair next to me and immediately began feeling my head for bumps. When she found it, I let out
a squeal of pain. She gave the lump an extra poke, just to be an asshole, I'm sure, and then
took a small flashlight out of her smock pocket. She switched it on and pointed the light into my
eyes, looking for god knows what.
"How do you feel?" She asked.
"I have a nasty headache." I replied.
"Nausea?"
"No."
"Faintness? Drowsiness?"
"No."
"Was there blood?"
"No."
She pursed her lips together and stared at me for a moment. Finally, she sighed. "I think you
have a mild concussion. You really shouldn't sleep for the next couple of hours, I guess you
could stay here..."
"No, that's okay..." I said, not wanting to be around in case she got her second wind.
She looked ready to argue when Duo intervened. "I can take her home and keep an eye on her."
He offered.
Sally looked at him and raised an eyebrow. "Like I'd trust you with my cousin." She said, irritably.
Duo gave her a look of innocence. "I swear, I'll only make sure she stays awake." He said sincerely.
Sally snorted. "I know how you'll keep her awake, you...you...manwhore!"
Duo blinked. "That, Sally, is the pot calling the kettle black."
Blood rushed to her face and she seemed taken aback. "So I was a bit wild as a teenager..." She
muttered. Finally, she shook her head. "Fine. Take her home, but keep your hands off, Maxwell.
She's too good for you."
Sally gave me a look and then spun on her heel back towards the nurse's station. "Oh, and Hilde,
as far as I'm concerned, you were never here." She said over her shoulder.
Duo, despite Sally's warning, did not keep his hands off of me. He grasped my elbow and led me
out of the waiting room. "So," he said in a tone that could only be described as sexy, "your
place or mine?"
I sighed. "Mine, I guess. I have a big ass bottle of Advil in the medicine chest."
"Your place it is." He said as he helped me into the SUV. I would never admit this, but I couldn't
help feeling a little, well...excited. I was beginning to wish that he would try and have his way
with me. I wouldn't resist, too much, anyway. My conscious suddenly kicked in.
Ack! Hilde, you slut! I yelled at myself. You've barely known this guy a day and
already you're primed to jump his bones? Where are your morals? Where is your dignity?
Duo slid into the driver's seat and smiled that oh so sexy smile at me. "Let's go, babe."
Where are my birth control pills? When was the last time I shaved my legs? What...dammit!