Disclaimer: I own nothing. Except the nurses and the doctor.

Another little medical note: As said last chapter, I know pretty much nothing about medical-ness. So, I don't know how long it would take before Stephanie would be allowed to leave the hospital, but, since I don't want to just sit around for five days, I'm releasing her right away. So…yeah. Also, I don't remember what those little counter things are where you sign people in, but I think it's a nurse's station, so that's what I'm calling it. Sorry to any nurses, doctors, and what have you out there who are horrified at my ignorance.

Thanks to my reviewers. Mufassa-Thanks for the great review and for adding me to your favorite authors list. It makes me feel very loved :)

Chapter 5

Around midnight, Stephanie woke up. She reached out one hand and brushed my knee, which woke me up abruptly. "Ranger?" Her voice was soft and it was pretty obvious that she wasn't all the way awake.

I leaned forward. "What's wrong, Babe? Do you need more pain meds?"

It was very dark, but I was able to make out that she shook her head. "Just checking."

Having checked whatever she was checking for, she promptly fell back asleep. I watched her for a while longer, thinking. Had she just been checking to see if I was there? If so, why? My eyes had adjusted by now and I could see her features more easily. She'd been cleaned up, so her face no longer had blood all over it, but the bruise over her eye still looked really bad. Anger boiled up in me again. I reminded myself that the man who'd done this had been arrested, but it didn't help much.

Since I was now totally awake, I leaned forward, resting my forearms on my legs, and watched her sleep, like I broke into her apartment so often to do. I don't know why it was so soothing, but somehow, it was. Maybe I should ask Tank if he likes watching Emily sleep, or if I'm just weird. As soon as I thought that, though, I changed my mind. Why was he suddenly my source of all relational info? I'd been married once before. Of course, it had only been because my ex-wife came and told me she was pregnant and so I didn't really have a choice.

I wondered absently what would happen if I got Stephanie pregnant. Probably, she'd have to marry me. For a second, I imagined seducing her and accidentally-on purpose not using protection. But only for a second, because the next second I was disgusted with myself. Not only was that manipulative, I wanted her to love me, not feel forced into a marriage she didn't want.

I sighed and sat back in the chair again, forcing myself to sleep. Just as I drifted off, I decided that I would need to talk to Tank, after all. I had no experience in this whole 'marrying people that you love' thing.

When I woke up, it was because a nurse cleared her throat. I opened my eyes and discovered, based on the amount of light that blinded me momentarily, that it was morning. Stephanie, with the aid of a bunch of pillows, was sitting up.

I smiled at Stephanie, ignoring for the moment the nurse. "Feeling better, Babe?"

She returned the smile. "Yup."

The nurse spoke to Stephanie now. "I need to change your bandages, so your uh—" She looked at my left hand and it didn't take ESP to figure out that she was trying to figure out how I was related to Stephanie.

"I'm not her husband." Not yet, anyway. I smiled at Stephanie, standing up and ignoring the stiff muscles that protested. I brushed a light kiss on her lips and then pulled back. "I'm going to see how soon I can get you out. I'll be back in a bit."

I walked out and, just before the door closed, I heard the nurse ask, "Is he single?" with definite longing in her voice. I shook my head, my feelings a mix between amusement and exasperation, and then went to the nurse's station.

"How soon is Stephanie Plum allowed to leave?"

The nurse looked up from her computer. "She's going to get checked over one last time, but probably she can leave today."

I nodded. "Thank you."

I returned to Stephanie's room and got there just as the nurse was leaving. "Can I go in?"

The nurse nodded, then looked at me curiously. "So, what are you? She said co-worker, but it seems like there must be more."

I raised an eyebrow. I definitely couldn't see how that was any of her business. Knowing it would stop her from asking any other questions, and because I was bored and had nothing better to do (pathetic, I know), I flashed her a smile and said, in a confiding voice, "I'm her sex slave."

Then, I turned to the door, opened it, and went in, but not before I'd heard her quick intake of breath and say her eyes darken. Women are so predictable.

Stephanie looked up at me as I came in. "Did Tank actually describe you as 'that bounty hunter with the great package'?" Ok…not the greeting I was expecting. Scratch that comment about women being predictable.

"Uh, Babe?" I sat down in the chair I'd moved to her bedside last night.

"Last night, when Grandma Mazur came in, she asked for all the details because all she'd heard was that I was hurt and 'that bounty hunter with the great package' had brought me to the hospital. So I was wondering if Tank actually said that, or if she was coming up with that on her own."

I grinned. "I'll give you two guesses which one it is."

She laughed. "I thought it was her, but you never can be sure."

"Do you think Tank would actually ever say that?" She shook her head. I remembered why I'd been kicked out of the room and I frowned. "What bandages needed to get changed?"

"Some of the kicks broke the skin and so I had a few cuts on my side."

I frowned. "What exactly happened last night?" I knew now would be a good time to find out since, judging by her question about Tank, she was still on a lot of drugs and, thus, probably wouldn't get too freaked out recalling last night.

"I got home and went into my apartment and then someone grabbed me as soon as I'd closed and locked the door. It was one of my old skips and apparently, he was intent on revenge for me sending him to jail. He told me that no one would be able to hear me, because all my neighbors were either deaf or gone. Clearly, he was right. Anyway, for whatever reason, he hadn't cuffed me or anything, though he did take away my purse. My cell phone was in my back pocket, so I used it to call you."

I raised an eyebrow. "You can call me without looking?"

She shrugged. "You're speed dial one. It's not that hard. So, I called you, but then he punched me, and I dropped the phone. It went under my bed and I wasn't sure I'd gotten through. But I started calling your name in case I had called." Despite the drugs, I could see that she was going to start crying, so I leaned forward and took her hand, not really sure how else to offer comfort. She gave me a small smile and then continued. "Eventually, he hit me so hard that I fell down and then he started kicking me in the ribs and the back, over and over. I'm not sure how long it was, but after a while I just stopped feeling anything except pain. Like, I couldn't feel the individual kicks, I just knew that my body was hurting. And then he stopped kicking me and you put your hand on my shoulder and then the paramedics brought me here."

She had tears on her face and I reached out and carefully wiped them away, careful to avoid the cuts and bruises on her face. I was trying to figure out what to say when the doctor came in.

"You can go now, if you just sign out."

I stood. "I'll sign her out." I left the room and went to the nurse's station. I quickly did all the paperwork and, by the time I was done, Stephanie was dressed in some clothes that her mom had dropped off; a loose shirt and some sweatpants.

The doctor gave me a bottle of pain medicine for her and explained that she needed to take one pill every 6-8 hours.

Because most of her wounds were from the waist up, Stephanie could walk, so I led her out to my truck, which Tank had dropped off at the hospital last night. Once I had her settled in, I got in on my side and turned on the car.

"So, where are we going?" I could see that Stephanie didn't want to go back to her apartment.

"My place."

She looked over at me. "You're apartment?"

"No." I grinned. "The Batcave."

A/N: Ok…so. About the whole Ranger saying he was Stephanie's sex slave, I really have no clue why I put it in, it just seemed amusing at the time. So…yeah. Please review.