**Not mine….still no clue about what is going on. Bear with me. Don't worry about Grimly, he's going to be addressed soon enough.**
Chapter Four: Why does waking up suck so bad.
I knew the moment I woke up by the presence of pain radiating all over my body. I laid still; eyes closed trying to figure out what was going on, where I was and what happened. I could hear a faint beeping sound, and a constant whooshing of air. The smell finally hit me. I was in the hospital. Why was I in the hospital?
'Shit.' I thought back to the last memory I had. Ranger and I had had McDonald's. Which was weird? Why did he want to eat there? Diesel. Memories flashed through my mind. Me lying naked with Diesel kissing him, begging him. Then….oh fuck. Ranger. I want to die. I don't understand what happened.
"Steph." A voice broke through the humming and beeping. I knew that voice, it was Bobby. "Open your eyes, hon."
My eyes fluttered open before slamming shut again from the insanely bright lights. I made a sound between a groan and a gurgle.
"Sorry." Bobby whispered. I heard clicking and the scraping of what I assume was a heavy curtain. "Okay, it's not so bright. Let's try it again."
Slowly I opened my eyes again. Bobby was leaning over me, a smile breaking across his face. He cupped my cheek in his hand and rubbed his thumb across my chin. I tried to speak, but yet again it was only a weird gurgling sound.
"Shhh." Bobby said, pushing back my hair. "You can't talk right now. You had to be intubated. There's a tube down your throat." The moment he said that I felt it. The thick tube began to suffocate me. My eyes widened and I looked at him in horror. "Shh. Shh. Just take some deep breaths. You aren't choking. I know it feels like it, but trust me. Breath in and breath out." I followed his instructions. He repeated it over again, me breathing in and out on his command. The restricted feeling calmed, and while I could still feel it I was able to calm down.
He took my hand in his and I squeezed it. I had so many questions. I raised my eyebrows and squeezed his hand again, hoping that he would be able to understand my attempts at communicating.
"Steph, I bet you have a lot of questions about what happened." He pulled up the fake leather chair that he had obviously been using, and sat down. I nodded very tightly, unsure of exactly how much I should be moving with this giant tube. "You were poisoned. We don't know what kind of poison, or by who, or even how the fuck they did it. Your body temp rose too high and your temporal lobe was firing off randomly. We think that is why…well…why you were the way you were when Ranger found you."
I closed my eyes, my chest tightening. I could feel the tears threatening to pour uncontrollably as my stomach twisted into knots. Ranger saw me molesting Diesel. I sexually assaulted Diesel. Oh my god! Did Ranger kill Diesel? My eyes flew open and I pulled at Bobby's hand. His face was solemn and I could feel the pity roll off of him. I smacked his hand.
"Ouch. Geeze." Bobby rubbed his hand. "What was that for?" I began waving my hands trying to mimic writing. After a second Bobby jumped up and dashed over to his backpack laying on the windowsill. "I have a notebook and pen here."
He pushed the pen into my hand and held up the notebook in front of my face, as I was still laying on my back and unable to really sit up.
'Where are they?' I wrote. 'Diesel. Ranger.'
"Ummm..." Bobby ran his hand over his head nervously.
'BOBBY!' I wrote quickly, underlining what I had written for emphasis.
"Steph."
I reached around and felt the bed and side rail, desperately searching for a call button. After a moment I found it and began pressing it over and over again.
"Steph, come on. Don't make me the bad guy. I can't." Bobby stopped as I began writing again.
'Get this thing out of me. Now.' I pointed at my throat. And began writing again repeating the same question again. 'Where are they?'
The door burst open and a heavy set middle aged nurse came in smiling.
"Ms. Plum!" She said, checking the monitors and tubes. "I'm so glad to see you awake. Is everything okay?" She looked towards Bobby and raised her eyebrow questioningly.
"She wants the tube out." He held the notebook tightly to his chest.
"We could probably manage that. Let me get the Doc down to check on you and sign off." She smiled again, patted my hand and strode out of the room.
"Steph…They are fine, I think." He wasn't making me feel any better. The tears flowed down my face. "I'm sorry, Bomber. You're breaking my heart, please…You know Ranger. He would have my ass."
I jumped as the door swung open again. This time it was a handsome man in his late 30s wearing a light blue button up shirt and a navy blue tie. He carried a large folder under his arm that had my name in the top left hand corner. This must be my doctor.
"Ms. Plum." He smiled, reaching out for my hand and cupping it between his own. "I'm Matthew O'Neil, the attending physician. I'm so glad to see you are awake." He set my hand back down and began looking over his notes in my folder as well as checking the monitors. "I hear you want to get rid of that tube?" I nodded, trying to wipe away the tears.
He slipped on a pair of gloves and patted my hand. "You have been weaned off the ventilator and I don't see any trouble with you breathing on your own. So, let's get this thing out."
He called the nurse in and within a few minutes and an insanely uncomfortable moment followed by a coughing spell I was free of the tube.
"Thanks." My voice was gravely, like a veteran smoker. Dr. O'Neil pulled up a chair next to me and leaned forward.
"I am sure that you have many questions." He said, his blues eyes twinkling. He was a good looking guy. Dark blonde hair that was thick and curled slightly against the nape of his neck. He was tall, but not as tall as Joe or Ranger. His built was lean but definitely maintained a good physique by the way that his dress shirt tightened in all the right places. "Did Robert tell you anything about what happened?"
I nodded, feeling my face flush with embarrassment. "I don't understand why it happened though?"
"We aren't quite sure yet." He picked up my hand. "Your body temp was really high. Honestly, we were surprised that you survived. We were able to lower your temperature, but the long term effects are not known."
"Bobby said that they think I was poisoned?"
"There was something that caused your body to do what it did, and it isn't natural. We have tested you for hundreds of toxins, both known for the symptoms and not. We did find an unknown substance, but we are still trying to figure out exactly what it is. Luckily, we were able to flush it out of your system."
"How long was I out?" I pulled at the sheet with my other hand. "And what exactly did you do to me? I hurt everywhere and nothing feels right." Bobby handed me a glass of ice water, and I sipped it before handing it back to him.
"You were brought in 22 days ago." He bit his lip inside his mouth, making it barely noticeable. "Your brain was swelling and you were seizing. Once we got that under control your liver started failing. We were desperately trying to get the toxin out of your system. We found a donor for not only the plasma you needed, but who was also willing to give you part of their liver. You have been recovering quickly after that. The toxin was flushed out, and you have been resting."
"Someone gave me their liver?" I couldn't believe it. "Who?"
Dr. O'Neil looked from me to Bobby and back.
"Steph…it was Diesel." Bobby smiled. My jaw dropped open.
"Where is he?" I turned to Dr. O'Neil.
"He was discharged two days ago. I have been trying to reach him for a follow up but he didn't have us a good contact number." Dr. O'Neil shook his head. "That man was a miracle. I have never seen someone heal so quickly from a donation like that."
"He is." I nodded; glad that at least he survived that first night. "I'm really tired."
"Get some sleep, and I will be back in to check on you." Dr. O'Neil got up and motioned for Bobby to join him. "I just have to have Robert look over some paperwork."
I watched as Bobby followed him, closing the door behind him. I took a deep breath.
'What the ever loving fuck.' I thought. The chirping of a cell phone startled me. Looking around I found the phone on the table beside my bed. 'Oooh…silly Bobby.'
I reached, wincing at the pain it caused, and grasped the phone. I swiped the screen and a picture of a Minion flickered onto the screen. I smiled, clicking on the phone icon and dialing Ranger's number. It rang once before he picked up.
"Brown!" Ranger shouted into the phone. "What the fuck did I tell you!?"
"Ranger?" My voice still gravely and quiet. There was silence. I waited for what seemed like way too long before speaking again. "It's Stephanie."
"Babe." Ranger's voice was different. He wasn't angry but not happy or amused like he usually was when I talked to him. He sounded almost disappointed and disgusted. I involuntarily sobbed, quickly covering my mouth. There was a click and the line was dead.
The phone slid out of my hand as huge sobs wracked my body. I didn't stop them. I hurt everywhere. I was confused and alone. I was embarrassed, regardless of whatever was supposedly wrong with me, for doing that to Diesel. I was grateful that Diesel had giving me part of himself to save my life, but guilty for making him suffer and do it at all. My heart was breaking. Ranger had seen me. He had stopped me. And for the first time since meeting him, he wasn't here.
Bobby rushed in, took sight of the phone lying next to me on the bed and took to my side.
"Steph, it's okay." He wrapped his arm around my shoulders and stroked my head softly. "Everything will be just fine. I promise. Oh God, Steph. It breaks my heart seeing you cry." He kissed the top of my head. "He's a fucking cock sucker. He knows it wasn't your fault. I know it isn't your fault. You are the most amazing beautiful person that I have ever met. You don't deserve any of this bullshit. I swear I will find whoever did this and rip their spine out and beat them with it."