Munkustrap got home around five o'clock dripping wet from the rain outside. He set his briefcase down on the table and peeled off his wet clothes and put on some warm dry ones then went to his briefcase. Unlocking it he took out some papers then glanced at the unopened envelope. He did wonder what was in it and it did have his hand on it but did he need to worry about it?
Setting the papers from work down he grabbed the letter and opened it then read what it said. You think you know you're girlfriend? Think again. Ask her and you will find out the truth.
Munkustrap's brows came together in confusion. He didn't know who gave the letter to him and he didn't know what it meant but he did know he was going to find out.
Alonzo walked Demeter to her apartment complex then gave her a quick kiss goodbye. When he turned to leave Demeter pulled him back and gave him a proper goodbye. She let him go and with a smile walked up to the door and went inside heading to her apartment. Alonzo looked at the apartment a moment then walked down the sidewalk to his complex.
During his walk home he didn't hear the footsteps behind him as the rain crashed down on nearby rooftops, car windows, and forming puddles. Stopping momentarily to get a cab was his tragic mistake. The person that had been following him came up behind him and grabbed him. Putting a strong and stiff hand over his mouth and the other that was holding a knife to his side. Alonzo moaned in pain his words muttered by the hard hand that covered his mouth.
The person behind him shoved him into the nearest alleyway and continued the assault. Alonzo hit the wet ground painfully and gripped his bleeding side in immense pain.
"What do you want?"
"I was told to take care of something." The man said as he cleaned off his blade. "I was told that I needed to teach a lesson."
Alonzo didn't say anything but started to sit up and tried to stop the bleeding. The man walked towards him and knelt down and looked at him, "You see I have two options. One, I could kill you and have done with it and get paid in full. Or two, I could beat you and leave you to be found by someone nobody and get half my pay and beat you again when you're all healed and better." He brought the blade down into Alonzo's collarbone and ran it down his body, "I choose option two."
Alonzo tried to hold onto consciousness but the pain was too much. The last thing he saw was the man standing over him with a grin.
As the day turned to night the clouds that were once bright and white turned gray and foggy. Anyone outside or anyone who looked out their window knew it was about to rain and sure enough at exactly seven o'clock that evening the rain came. Alonzo still lay unconscious in the alleyway as the rain hit his body and left him wet and in pain.
Bombalurina was walking down the street and happened to look down the alley as she past. She continued on her way not thinking anything of it then stopped and turned around. She looked more closely into the alley and saw that someone was laying in a small puddle of water. She walked towards them then jogged once she realized it was Alonzo.
She knelt by his side and the smell of blood and rain filled her nostrils. Her nose wrinkled in disgust and her eyes teared up at the sight of her friend. She carefully pushed against a shoulder and made it so he was laying on his back and not side. Now that his body was laying so she could see everything she saw that he had cuts and scratch marks on his face and chest and a long and deep cut along his side.
Bombalurina brought a hand to her nose as she tried to hold back the tears. She had to get him to the hospital but she couldn't carry him there and from Alonzo lay wounded calling a taxi was impossible. She hoped that Alonzo had a cell on him and reached into his right front pocket and didn't feel anything. She then reached into his left front pocket and with a quick sigh of relief pulled out his cell phone.
Dialing 911 she waited for someone to answer.
"911 what's your emergency?"
"I need an ambulance quick."
"What's the address miss?"
"19th avenue on Burlock. I'm in an alley."
"Help will be there soon. Please stay where you are and we'll find you."
"Thank you." Bombalurina said shaking as she hung up the phone. She looked down at Alonzo's body and cried into her hands.
Bombalurina now sat in the hospital lobby with her cell phone in hand. She needed to get ahold of Alonzo's family, but the only family he had was Admetus. His parents died years ago and he was an only child. The only problem with getting a hold of Admetus was – he didn't have a cell phone. Who could she call? Then it hit her. She scrolled through her contacts on her phone and once she had a number selected she waited for someone to pick up.
"Hello…?"
"Deme thank god you picked up."
"Bomba? What's wrong?"
"I need you to come to the hospital asap."
"Why what's wrong?"
"Alonzo's here. He's pretty bad off."
There was a silence on the other end. Bombalurina thought maybe Demeter hung up on her but she asked, "Deme?"
"…I'm here." Her voice sounded strained and distant.
"Are you going to come and see him?"
"Of course I am." Demeter spoke clearing her throat and whipping away some lonely tears quickly, "I'll be there shortly."
"I'm in the lobby when you get here."
"Alright. See you soon." Demeter hung up her phone and headed for the door of her apartment. Munkustrap was sitting at the table and asked, "Where you going?"
"To the hospital."
Munkustrap stood up, "What? Why?"
"Alonzo's there. I need to see him." She threw on her jacket and slipped on her shoes.
"I'll drive us there."
Demeter stopped in the middle of tieing her shoe. Munkustrap used the word 'us'. It suddenly hit Demeter that she no longer thought of her and Munkustrap as a couple. Just two friends living together. Of course Munkustrap thought he and Demeter were still dating. Nothing happened, and nothing was said to tell him otherwise.
Demeter straightened up then said, "Of course. Are you ready to go?"
Munkustrap walked to the coat rack and slipped into his jacket then said, "Yup." As he held open the door for Demeter then followed her out.
Demeter rushed through the hospital lobby doors and saw Bombalurina sitting at a table with a coffee in her hand. She set it down as she saw Munkustrap and Demeter coming at her.
"How's Alonzo?" Demeter asked with worry spilling out of her voice.
"He's in room 402 if you want to see him."
Demeter looked back at Munkustrap, "Are you coming in?"
"I'll see him when you're done. It might be hard for him to focus on more than one person at a time."
Demeter was thankful about that anyway. She left Munkustrap and Bombalurina and walked into room 402 and saw Alonzo laying on his back with his eyes shut and his chest rose and fell so little Demeter could barely see it without focusing on it.
She walked to his side and ran a hand over his face and through his hair then leaned down and kissed him softly on the lips.
His eyes flickered open when she pulled away and he smiled weakly cracking his lower lip open again, "Demeter,"
"Shh," Demeter crooned gently, "You need rest."
"You came?"
"Of course I came. I am your girlfriend aren't I?"
Alonzo nodded his head the best he could and then said, "I want to tell you something."
"What's that Alonzo?"
"I can do better. I swear by my favorite shirt I can kiss better."
Demeter giggled lightly, "I know hun." She ran her hand through his hair again, "I know."
Demeter walked out Alonzo's room after a half hour of spending time with him and trying to get him to laugh and smile. After little success she left feeling slightly better that he was able to move a little on his own. When she came out she saw Bombalurina and Munkustrap sitting next to one another holding hands and comforting one another.
The sight should have bothered her, but Bombalurina was her best friend and she did like Munkustrap and Demeter didn't feel like comforting Munkustrap right now. So she was happy that Bombalurina was doing that job for her.
Munkustrap looked up and when he saw her, he removed his hand from Bombalurina's and walked to her and gave Demeter a long and tight hug. Demeter returned the hug but had no idea how badly this was affecting Munkustrap. She never thought Munkustrap as the mushy crying type. Demeter finally pulled away from him and said, "Why don't you go in and see him? I'm sure he'd like that." She smiled up at Munkustrap's silver face.
Munkustrap's eyes went to the door then down at her, "Are you sure? If I were him I'd want to be left alone."
"Well you're not him so go in and see him. At least say hi." Demeter said gently pushing Munkustrap towards the door.
Munkustrap stopped cold at the door and breathed in deeply then let it out slowly then pushed the door open and walked in.
Now that Bombalurina and Demeter were alone, Bombalurina had a chance to ask the question that was running through her mind ever since Demeter and Munkustrap had arrived.
"So," She began lifting one leg other the other and looking at her friend. "Is there anything I need to be aware of?"
Demeter hid her guilt and surprise by taking a drink of her coffee that Munkustrap had left her. "No, why would you ask me that?"
Bombalurina shrugged her shoulders lazily, "I was just wondering. You were in there a very long time with Alonzo and while you were in there Munkus and I had a chat."
"A chat?" Demeter asked, resisting the urge to scream. "What kind of chat?"
"Oh the kind of chat one has with another person when they are deeply concerned about another person."
Demeter set down her coffee, turned to Bombalurina, looked her in the eyes. "Bomba, please, just tell me what you're talking about."
"Munkustrap got a letter oh I don't know a day or two ago and it said something about you. It was a short letter but the words were pretty clear. You think you know you're girlfriend? Think again. Ask her and you will find out the truth." Bombalurina paused a moment while she eyed up Demeter with her blue glaze. "Do you want to tell me what that was all about?"
Demeter's mind was spinning so fast she thought she might vomit. She knew right away who the letter was from, there was only one person who had seen her and Alonzo together. She couldn't believe that Munkustrap confided in Bombalurina and didn't come straight to her. It would have been easier to call it quiets then.
"He's not mad you know." Bombalurina said snapping Demeter out of her panic.
"He's not?" Demeter asked as if she couldn't believe it. Well, she couldn't believe it. She thought Munkustrap would be yelling and screaming for her to leave and never come back. But then again, the letter never said what exactly she did. Just that he doesn't know her.
"No," Bombalurina shook her head. "A little confused is all."
"Oh," Demeter breathed out not realizing that she'd been holding her breath. "Did he say if he wanted to talk to me or not?"
"We didn't get that far Deme." Bombalurina said unfolding her legs. "I'm going to go into Alonzo's room, tell him that I'm happy he's doing alright, then I'm leaving because I have to work in the morning and having two hours of sleep is not something that will raise my tips."
Demeter smiled faintly and nodded her head, "Alright."
Bombalurina stood up from her chair and walked into Alonzo's room. Munkustrap came out a few seconds later. He stood in the middle of the hallway looking at Demeter with red eyes. He'd been crying, Demeter could tell, but crying because his friend was hurt or crying because he was hurt?
"Hey." Demeter said weakly. "Come sit down."
Munkustrap walked over to the now open seat on the other side of Demeter and sat down with a deep sigh. He took her hand in his and looked at her with his sad blue eyes. Demeter could see some tears on the verge of falling and she felt terrible about seeing him like this.
"Is everything alright?" Demeter asked carefully.
Munkustrap squeezed her hand tightly and nodded. "Yeah, I just got done talking with Alonzo. He'll be fine Deme, just a couple more days here then home rest and pain killers."
"That's good." Demeter tried not to sound too happy. "But I was talking about you. Are you alright?"
Munkustrap didn't move for the longest time that Demeter thought he'd fallen asleep with his eyes open or that he was in some mind trance, deep inside his brain thinking of different things. His grip loosened on her hand and Demeter looked down. He was pulling away. She looked up into his eyes and they were burning with all sorts of emotion.
"Munkus…"
"I want to know what the letter meant." His tone was flat with no emotion.
"I don't know what letter you're talking about."
"The letter where it says I don't know you."
Demeter wasn't going to tell him right then and there at she and Alonzo were dating behind his back. It would kill him. So she lied. "Oh that letter." She smiled like realizing an old friend's face. "I sent it to you."
"You did…?" Munkustrap's voice was returning to its normal powerful yet gentle tone.
"Yes. I did. I sent it because I don't think you and I spend enough time together."
"I have been working a lot." Munkustrap nodded.
"So I sent it saying that you don't know me because I wanted to spend time with you and get to know you. Munkustrap to tell you the truth I feel as if we're a couple of strangers living under one roof."
Munkustrap continued to look at her without saying anything.
"I'd love to spend time with you Munkustrap. Get to know your past, future, and now. Your friends, your family, your job. I want to feel like your girlfriend not your distant cousin."
Munkustrap's lips formed a small smile then he leaned over quickly and kissed Demeter's lips. Demeter should have been expecting it but she made a sound of surprise anyway. Then the kiss deepened and Munkustrap held her where she was with his arms. One on the back of her neck and the other on her waist. Demeter thought that this wasn't the place to be doing this. And she was right. This is a hospital not some fling house where whoever can together and make out until their lips turn blue.
She pulled away and was thankful Munkustrap didn't try to pull her back. His eyes were clear of tears now and his eyes held the emotions of a loving boyfriend. "I'm going to go say good bye to Alonzo and then we can head home."
Munkustrap nodded and leaned back into his chair and waited for her. Demeter noticed while she walked to Alonzo's door that Bombalurina hadn't come out and said good bye. Maybe she'd fallen asleep in one of the chairs in his room. It was late. Opening the door she slipped in quietly not wanting to wake Bombalurina.
What she saw surprised her. Bombaluirna had fallen asleep but she was laying next to Alonzo with her head resting on his shoulder. A small smile curled on her lips and his. Demeter felt sick by the sight of them. Bombalurina was her best friend and she was in bed with her wounded boyfriend.
She walked carefully over to them, making as little noise as possible, then gently placed a kiss on Alonzo's cheek.
When Munkustrap and Demeter arrived home Munkustrap shrugged off his jacket. "You were pretty quiet on the way home. Everything alright?"
"Yeah I'm fine. Just tired and sore."
"Sore?" He asked as he walked over to where she sat on their couch. After he sat down and put an arm around her he said. "Well why don't I treat you with a little massage."
Demeter looked at him with a spark of arousal. If she was going to make this relationship with Munkustrap work, she had to play the part of a loving girlfriend not the part of the friend whose jealous of her best friend because she saw them in bed together. Even though she knew nothing happened, it still bothered her.
"Oh really?" She purred rubbing her cheek against Munkustrap's.
"Yeah," Munkustrap breathed out. Demeter knew he was turned on. It was very clear and she was becoming turned on as well. She stood up and took his hand. "Come on then."
Munkustrap looked up at her at first with an expression like he couldn't believe what he was hearing then it changed to happy and excited. He sprang up and led her to the bedroom.