A/N I do not own these characters. I am simply borrowing them for my own amusement, and hopefully that of my readers. I mean no harm and am gaining no profit from the use of these characters so please, please don't take me to court! Thanks Ya'll...
Chapter 4John was once again awake. This time he had to use the bathroom, badly. He swung his legs over the side of the bed and, putting a hand on his wound, started towards the open bathroom door. He felt lightheaded and shaky but he made it to the toilet just in time. After he was done he shuffled unsteadily back to the bed and lay down carefully. The small effort of going to the bathroom exhausting him.
As he lay there on the bed his brain was working overtime. He tried to remember how he had ended up beat up and shot but it was a blank. He remembered being undercover in the Mal Noche gang. Or rather mafia. They called themselves a gang but they ran their operation like a cartel. It was as if someone had just taken the memories out of his head and replaced them with a blank space. He knew that he couldn't stay here much longer. They had obviously found out he was a fed. He was putting Natalie in danger simply by being here!
At the thought of Natalie his head swiveled around to look at her. She was sleeping peacefully in the overstuffed armchair next to the bed. She must really be tired; she hadn't even stirred when he had gotten up to go to the bathroom.
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"You want me to what?" Fritz asked Mickey.
"You heard me! I want you to go to every house on this mountain and see if anyone has seen McBain!" Mickey told him, speaking like he was talking to a small child.
"And what are you going to do?" Fritz demanded, like a sulking child.
"I am going to the hospitals and ask around. Maybe he was picked up and taken to a hospital."
Fritz grumbled as he got in the 4-wheel drive truck he had rented that morning and started the drive up the mountain. He was stuck checking the cabins of the frozen mountain while Mickey got the cushy job of going around to the hospitals!
After Fritz left Mickey shook his head, "Idiot!" he mumbled to himself and then got back in his rented car and headed to Llanview hospital.
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Bo Buchanan was at the hospital taking accident reports. It seemed like no one ever knew how to drive in a storm! There had been at least 15 accidents due to the weather! He was coming out of one of the rooms when he noticed a shady looking guy walking around talking to people and flashing a picture.
He walked up to the guy and said, "Anything I can help you with, sir?" He could feel the bad vibes pulse off this guy. His very look screamed thug.
Mickey looked at the older man and knew immediately he was a cop. He pasted on his best Good-old-boy smile, "Yes. My...Brother was on his way to town and it seems he never made it. I was asking if anyone had seen him..." He showed Bo the picture and flashed a fake worried look.
Bo looked at the picture and shook his head. "Sorry, I haven't seen him." He said thinking 'and even if I had I wouldn't tell you!' It was obvious that what ever they wanted from the guy in the picture it wasn't good. He looked at the man sternly and said, "I have seen every accident victim brought in here in the past two days, and this man wasn't one of them." He flashed his badge, clearly indicating with his tone that he thought the man should move on.
Mickey took the hint and nodded. Thanking Bo and offering another fake smile he then left the hospital. Leaving Bo wondering just who this man was that the thug was looking for and why the thug was looking for him.
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Natalie woke slowly, her body aching from sleeping in the chair. She looked over at John and saw that he was awake and watching her. She blushed at his intense stare, "Morning. How are you feeling?"
John smiled at her blush and winked at her. Then he answered her question honestly, "Like I got hit by a bus and then dragged across a stretch of rough pavement."
Natalie looked at him closely, "Do you remember anything about last night?"
He thought a minute and then said thoughtfully, "I remember you stitching me up, and then I vaguely remember you putting something cold on my face." He paused and said, "Thanks for taking out the bullet, by the way."
Natalie stared and then started to laugh.
"Ok, What's so funny?" John asked, somewhat annoyed. Here he was thinking her and she laughs?
"It's just that I didn't take out the bullet, you did!" She said, sobering up as she thought about HOW he had taken out the bullet.
John frowned, trying to remember. He couldn't. "I did?"
"Yeah, You just yanked it right out before I had a chance to stop you." Her voice filled with awe. "I couldn't believe you did it!"
John was about to answer when his stomach growled. He flushed a bit and then laughed. "Guess I'm a bit hungry. You got anything to eat?"
Natalie laughed too and got up. Suddenly thinking of something she started to ask, "Do you...umm... have to...umm..." She broke off, embarrassed, motioning towards the bathroom door to get her point across.
John caught her meaning and shook his head. "No, I went while you were sleeping." He carefully kept his amusement inside so he wouldn't embarrass her further.
Natalie nodded and then quickly left the room. She went to the kitchen and looked through the cupboards. Sighing she extracted a box of Kraft Mac. And Cheese. That was about all she could cook and she silently hoped he liked it. Boiling some water she proceeded to make the Mac and Cheese. When it was done she got two bowls, dished it out and put the bowls on a tray. Adding some coffee she then took the tray into John's room.
As John waited he silently cursed the weakness in him. He wanted to be out there helping her but his legs felt like wet noodles. The trip to the bathroom before had took a lot out of him. He wasn't used to being confined to a bed, unless he had someone to keep him company in it! The inactivity chafed his independence and he didn't like it one bit. In his mind, if he was awake then he shouldn't be lying in bed!
He was still grousing when Natalie came in with a tray full of food. He sniffed the air and smiled. "Is that Mac and Cheese?" he asked hopefully. It was one of his favorites.
"Yeah. It's about all I know how to cook." She told him nervously.
"Not exactly Breakfast food." He teased.
Natalie took offense and said tartly, "Well if you don't like it you don't have to eat it!"
"Hey, Hey calm down. I was just kidding." He said holding out his hands in peace.
Natalie sighed, feeling bad that she had snapped at him. "Sorry, I'm just a little defensive about my cooking. My family teases me a lot about it." She set down the food on the bed and handed him a bowl of mac. and cheese.
John took the bowl and was surprised at how heavy it felt to him. He knew his weakness was from the fever and blood loss but he still cursed it. It made something as simple as eating a chore! He took a bite of the food and smiled. "Mmmm" he said.
Natalie took hers and took a bite as well. "Yeah, it is good." She studied him a minute as he ate and then asked, "So you're FBI?"
John was startled and glanced at her, "How did you know that?"
"When I found you I found you wallet and badge." Natalie explained. "Were you undercover?"
John sighed, "Yeah."
"With who?"
"You know I can't tell you that." He said, "What do you do?"
"Right now I am a forensic Tech. Last year I was a secretary and the year before I was a bartender." She laughed. "I have a lot of interests."
He looked her over again; he remembered her saying her last name was Buchanan... "I thought you were a Buchanan?"
Natalie frowned, "I am."
"So why did you work as a secretary and bartender when you didn't have to?" He wanted to know.
"My family might have money but I need to work to pay the bills. Most people do you know." Natalie told him defensively.
John tried to grin and said, "I bet you have a million dollar trust fund. That is hardly strapped for cash..."
"You know I thought that you would know that you can't judge people by their last names. As it happens I DO have a trust fund but I set it up for any children I might have. And for your information I didn't grow up as a Buchanan! I grew up on the streets of Atlantic City in poverty so don't you dare think I am some Pampered Princess you can look down at simply because my name happens to be Buchanan!" With that she grabbed the emptied dishes and stalked out of the room.
To be continued...