Thank you for the reviews. The story is approaching it's end, so, hope I can keep yopu enterteined!
...and I do not own the main characters...
MR MONK MEETS THE REDEEMER
CH18
They remained close together for another few seconds. Monk's embrace was the best place where Natalie had been in the last few days and she didn't want to let him break it.
Monk raised his head and looked up, then gave a deep sigh and moving his hands aside, laid them on Natalie's shoulders. She placed her hands on Monk's chest near his shoulders also, squeezing them a bit. He lowered the head and found Natalie's eyes looking intensely at him. His breath trembled a bit.
"I … guess they're gone," whispered Monk, relieved in a way that she was not leaning on his chest anymore, for she had certainly noticed the irregular beats of his heart which betrayed his cold words.
In the beginning, Natalie was unable to say anything. It might have been the sudden swirl of love that she felt for him. Or had she always loved him? It was likely. Deprived of speech as she was, she wanted him to kiss her. She wanted him to drag his hand across her back again and pull her toward him. No matter where he kissed her, on her mouth, on her neck, on her face she was ready. Her skin was empty for the kiss, waiting.
They heard the noise of the train down the hill. Natalie could not pull her eyes from Monk. He gently pressed her shoulders; she closed her eyes and slightly raised her chin, hoping that he would pull her closer.
Monk did the opposite.
He pushed Natalie away slightly and bent down to pick up his jacket. Natalie felt a little embarrassed by her thoughts, and wished that Monk had not noticed her desire.
"Yep, I guess they're gone." she said, stepping back without disguising the disappointment in her voice.
"Here, let's get outta here and check that leg of yours, Natalie." Monk said, offering his arm to Natalie.
"That was the last train, Mr. Monk. I do not want to scare you, but I guess the park is closing now." Natalie said, picking up a large stick from the ground to use as a support to walk.
They stopped right before approaching the train tracks. Watching the building from a safe distance, they saw the three men talking by their car, which was stopped in front of the building. A park patrol car appeared down the hill. It parked in the street near the building and, after a few seconds of talk with the officers, the men nodded their heads and got in their car. They drove down the street, passing the patrol car which had continued on its routine tour of the park.
"Yes, the park is closing, Natalie. That's good. "
"Huh?" said Natalie, standing besides Monk and supporting herself with the stick.
"That means the bad guys had to leave. We have more time now. "
"More time for what, Mr. Monk?" Natalie had thought twice before asking the question, but she was very tired, also in pain and too confused to think of something else.
"C'mon, Natalie, you know," said Monk, as if the answer were obvious.
They were crossing the train tracks, when Natalie gave up. She didn't want to feel or think anything else, "Mr. Monk, can you please say clearly what you're thinking about, because I'm very tired, in pain and I will not take part of this game, not now."
"What are you talking about, Natalie?"
Natalie was exasperated. She dropped Monk's arm and walked to the side of the building where the dumpster was. Monk followed her. She passed by the dumpster, by the wooden boxes, and went to the back of the building. She put her good knee on the ground, picking up her bag that was hidden there. Then she stood up and hopped to Monk, handing him her cell phone. "Here. Call the Captain and play your crazy game with him. I'm done with you; I'll take care of my leg now."
And she sat on one of the wooden boxes, looking into her bag, searching for something to put on her leg. She was very emotional; she couldn't help herself, so she dropped her bag on the ground and hid her face on her hands, placing her elbows on her knees. She was terribly confused; she wanted to understand why she was that upset, why she was so vulnerable and why she had wanted to kiss Monk only a few moments ago. But mostly, she did not want to cry in front of him.
Monk approached Natalie at her first sob, "Oh, please… Don't ... just don't... cry, Natalie," He pulled a wooden box forward and sat in front of her. "Here, I have some medicines with me, for your leg, Natalie."
Natalie took a wipe from her purse and cleaned her face. She took a deep breath and swallowed the tears.
"So that's what you had in the jacket pockets then," said Natalie, trying to smile, but unable to pull it off because of the crying spasm that still controlled the muscles of her face.
"Yes. Here, hold this, please." Monk handed Natalie two bottles of antibiotic ointment and four bandage rolls.
He opened a bottle of antiseptic that he had in his pocket and washed his hands with it. Then taking a towelette, he dried his hands. Natalie had a plastic bag opened to receive the used materials. He took a pair of surgical gloves from his pocket and placed them on both hands. Opening a roll of bandages with care, he folded it four times and placed it on his leg, just above his knee. Thoroughly folding the package, he deposited it in another plastic bag. Natalie observed his job, calming down .She was still fond of the curious Monk mannerisms.
He adjusted his position on the box, looked at Natalie and said, "Okay, we are ready now." Natalie couldn't help smiling. She took off her shoe and put it aside. Her shoe was stained with blood, as was her leg and her foot.
She imagined that Monk would pull back, so she motioned as trying to remove the piece of cloth that was around her leg, but Monk prevented her, "Leave it, I am the one with gloves around here!" and winked at Natalie.
Natalie was definitely lost on Monk's ambiguity. She decided to change the course of conversation, and also the course of her thoughts, "So, Mr. Monk, I understand that you know who the bad guys are, right?"
"Yep." He poured a bit of ointment on the cloth, wetting it. Then, carefully began to remove the cloth, continuously wetting the wound to make the cloth come off easily.
"So, have you figured out everything already?" asked Natalie, holding her leg stretched out in front of Monk, avoiding touching his leg.
"Nope," he then picked up another swab, and wetting it he began to clean the dried blood off of Natalie's leg. He also cleaned her foot, taking care that she did not lay it on the ground again. After finishing the whole cleaning procedure, he finally placed her foot on his leg. As he was finishing with bottles and cotton, Natalie was depositing the used items in plastic bags and throwing them like a ballplayer into the dumpster, to her delight and Monk's despair.
"So, can you tell me what you have figured out so far?"
"Yep," Monk finally withdrew a last bottle from his pocket, and held it up. It was an antiseptic spray. He spread it over the cut, making her pull away with the stinging pain. Monk instinctively blew softly over the wound.
Natalie reacted immediately, "Hey, why don't you fuss about spreading germs all over me now?"
Monk looked at Natalie, surprised. "Oh, I…that was ... Pass me the bandage, please."
"Now I got it! It was not about the germs at all, Mr. Monk." Natalie said, smiling.
Monk remained silent, focusing on opening the bandage package. Natalie was still grinning.
"Can you wipe that smile off your face and focus here, Natalie, please?" he said, pointing to her foot, which she was shifting causing the bandage to fall off of Monk's leg.
"Okay, I can focus, but this smile will take a while to remove, Mr. Desperate to Hide His Feelings."
"Cut it out, Natalie." Monk tilted his head to the side and adjusted his chin, while wrapped Natalie's shin.
"Okay, I'm sorry. I will not do that again, Mr. Feelings Hider,' teased Natalie again.
"I do not understand how you can figure out nicknames like those ones so quickly, and still do not see that Gilbert was playing me on the video," Monk shot.
Natalie's smile immediately faded.
Monk continued wrapping Natalie's foot.
"Gilbert? Him? Oh, God," said Natalie, picturing him wearing Monk's stolen clothes.
"Oh, no!" she said once again, remembering all about Gilbert's false generosity.
"Ohhhhh!" continued Natalie, remembering that she had told Monk she felt attracted to Gilbert because he looked so familiar. Monk had realized why there was a familiarity sooner than she had, and that's why he had run to the suite and locked himself in there.
"Mr. Monk, I did not mean I was attracted to you…" Natalie realized what she had just said, and tried to make it sound better, "No. I mean… I… but not… oh, God!" She knew the mess was just getting bigger. She had no idea on what to say to Monk at that moment.
Monk finished fixing the bandage on Natalie's leg, and lowered her foot to the ground. Without looking up, he said, "Yes, I know…people around me usually don't mean…. don't want to mean what they say." He folded the remains of the bandages and placed them in a plastic bag.
"Oh, no, no, it's not like that, Mr. Monk. I was saying I…," Natalie still could not find the right words.
Monk looked at Natalie, stood up and stretched his hands to her, with the palms turned up. Natalie was completely lost. Was Monk really offering his hands to her? Was he finally showing he needed someone comforting him? Was he asking for a hug? Or was she the one who wanted desperately to believe in all of that?
She was afraid of making the situation even more distressing for herself, so she chose the most harmless option; she stood up and calmly said, "Here, let me take off your gloves." Monk kept looking at her while she removed the gloves.
"There you go!" said Natalie, rolling up the gloves and throwing them into the dumpster. "Thank you, Mr. Monk. For the leg." she said, looking at him.
Monk looked at his hands still in front of him with the palms turned up, then looked back at Natalie and said, "Yes, and people around me usually don't believe in what they see," and he closed his hands, lowering his arms.
Author's note: I had to repeat the kiss passage, but you've noticed I adapted it a bit... And I guess this is the end of the 'cheesy' part. let's focus on the mistery. Yes, there is something out there...I guess...
Thank you, Kathy!