(Sorry, I took a short "holiday" break. Actually, I spent most of the time reading other fics and getting ideas, and I thought of a better one than I was already using, so I had to back track alittle. Hope it doesn't confuse anyone...
Esentrik)
I woke up to the droning noise of all the machines around me. Constant, loud, and annoying. I opened my eyes and looked around the room the best I could without moving my head. I was alone and the room was dark. There was a curtain partially pulled around the dinky little bed I was laying it.
I had three IV's in my arm. There was a tube down my throat and I could feel it. It didn't hurt, but I could feel it. Drugs were a miracle at this point. There was a button on the wall with a plate above it that read; "Push for nurse assistance"
Slowly, I broght my arm up from under the paper thin blanked that was wraped around my chest and over the bed guard rail. I pounded the button with all my strenght, and noticed the stitches incircling my wrist. I gingerly laid my arm across my stomach and in a few seconds, and Nurse popped her head into my room.
"Ahh, the bombshell bounty hunter, back in action." She commented and walked over to my bed. "What can I get for you dear."
"Ru rube" I managed to say.
"What? Oh, the tube." She said, and with one quick motion, she yanked out the tube.
"OUCH!" I yelled, surprised that I could talk now.
"Be gentle. She's tough, but she's no Ric." Tank commented as he came into the room.
"I can imagine..." The nurses voice trailed off, and she left.
"Bombshell, do you remember what happened?"
"I remember the explosion." I said wearily and closed my eyes.
"Anything before that?"
"What are you playing at Tank? I'm medicated and as stupid as a friggen rock."
Tank smiled and continued. "Ranger's convicted of murder. Did either of them say anything about that?"
I thought hard. "Yeah, Carver said they had framed them, I think. I did a lot of dreaming though."
"Ranger's in deep shit. No one can make bail for him, and he can't make it for himself. He's screwed until we can prove him innocent. Now, get some sleep and I'll see what I can do with what you said." Tank got up and pushed something on the wall above me. The beeping stopped.
On his way out he said, "Our only wittness was toasted. Great." and he shut off the lights.
I fell back asleep in a drug induced coma.
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Tank went back to check on her one last time. Her forehead was taped shut over the stitches above her right eye. Everything else was battered and bruised with a few scrapes and what the doctors though was a bullet hole. Tank made a mental note to ask about that later.
From there, he b-lined it for the cop shop. Ranger was sitting with both feet on the floor and his head between his knees looking as vulernable as ever. He was silent, and if it weren't for the light in the hallway, you'd never know a soul was there.
"I have some good news, and some bad news." Tank said blankly when he got close enough to the bars.
Ranger turned his head to look at the door. Tank's shadow enveloped the tiny little cell. "What's the good news?"
"I found her, and she's doing fine in the ICU." Tank smiled a little, but Ranger returned a grimace.
"The bad?" Ranger had a happier edge to his tone, but he was still talking in a monotone.
"I can't spring you. The bails too high."
"Shit." Ranger stood up slowly and streached his stiffened muscles. "How is she?"
"Recovering."
"I need to know more than that."
"She might be the key to get you out of this mess. Junkman blabbed before he got torched."
Ranger couldn't hide a small grin. "Torched?"
"Bombshell blew the Bronco while Carver was caged inside."
"Well that sucks." Ranger sat down again.
"Listen man, I'm sorry..."
"Save it Tank. You tried, and that's good enough. Now, get your ass back to the hospital. If I can't be there, atleast someone should. I don't want her waking up alone."
"Yes Boss." Tank gave a two fingered salute and turned to leave.
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I woke up to a darkened room. Again, I wasn't alone. I lifted my head off the pillow, and it hurt more now than it had the last time.
I shifted my arm under the pillow and felt something cold. I grasped it, and realized it was my gun. The intruder shifted in the chair and I could feel a shiver run down my spine. "Chill out," I told myself. "It's only Tank."
"Morning Cupcake." Shit! Not Tank.
I flipped the safety on the gun underneath the pillow, and managed to scoot myself in a position where I could use the gun. "USE THE GUN!" I mentally screamed. I was heavily medicated and had too much to deal with in the last few days.
"I know your awake. You're afraid of me?" He read my face like the back of a book.
"You locked me in a cellar for three days with bottom line food." I said hoarsly. My entire body hurt more than last time.
"That would be a good reason." I heard more shuffling, and then a cold hand began to rub my face.
That's when I pulled the gun. I had enough. Joe took a few steps back, and then laughed dryly. "You'd never shoot me. You can't even shoot a damn skip." He said, and he was laughing so hard he was close to tears.
How much did I really want to smack that smirk off his face? Mindlessly, I pulled the trigger. Joe jumped away, but not fast enough. The bullet tore through one of the ligiments of his hand. "What the hell was that!" Joe's voice was up an octive. Maybe because his hand was waving infront of his crotch.
It hurt to smile, but I did anyway. "Reflex."
"Fuck." He said and wrapped his hand in a towel and headed towards the door.
Tank's huge figure crowded the doorway, blocking any enterance or exit. The hall light cast a shadow over his face, but I could tell he was looking from the gun to the blood soaked towel. "Anyone mind filling in the pieces?"
"I need to get this looked at, and file an accident report." Joe said and shoved Tank far enough out of the way for him to get by.
"Bombshell, you ok?" Tank asked, and pulled away from the door. He closed it behind him, leaving us trapped in the darkness.
I nodded, and then realized he couldn't see me, so I answered, "For now."
"What the hell happened?" The blinds were pulled up, just enough to let in a little light. I could now completely see Tanks face, and part of me whished I couldn't.
"He was here when I woke up. So I shot him." I said.
Tank smiled, and his face lightened up. "Good job."
"He really pissed me off. First he had the nerve to be here, and then he asked if I were afraid of him. Then he started laughing like a hyena bacause, quote, 'You can't even shoot at a damn skip,' unquote. So I shot him."
Tank smiled even bigger. "Proud of you."
I carefully tucked the gun back under the pillow where I found it, and for the first time, I actually felt well enough to look around. The walls were insanely white with a flowery border. The curtains were paper-thin and white too, like the bed sheet. I was still caged in by bars on either side or me.
"Ranger's in deep shit." Tank said, just as a random statement.
"I know. I've been thinking about that. Where was I, anyway?" I shifted my position so that I was sitting upright.
"An old Motel on Comstock." Tank was looking at me strangely.
An old Motel. Ok, everytime I woke up, when I was in the "dungeon", they knew that I was awake. That would have to meen that there was a video system. And there was only one way to find out if they had taped it or not...
"Don't suppose I'm gonna get out of here anytime soon?" I asked.
"Shit. I hear gears grinding Bombshell." Tank sighed. "I dunno. They haven't said."
"They knew when I was awake. Everytime."
Realization hit Tank's face. "You're saying they possibly had a video camera?"
"Not possibility, Tank. I know they did."
"Only one way to find out." Tank stood up, and I was a little heart broken because I wasn't going along. "Cheer up Bombshell. Comstocks a dangerous place, and Ric would kill me if I took you. Nothing personal. Besides, you need your rest."
I scooted back onto the bed and Tank pulled the covers up to my shoulders. "Need anything Bombshell?"
"Something greasier than hospital food."
"I can swing for Pino's after all this is done."
"Thanks Tank!" I said and almost wanted to hug him. But that would have been too wierd.
"Yeah, that would have been wierd." Tank muttered. Great. He could do it too...