After the Fall Chapter Seven
Wowsers, thank you so much for the great feedback, you guys are awesome. I'm really enjoying getting back into writing again.
Also have loved reading the fics that I've missed. Special mention must go to OzQueen, Miss Mango, LouiseX, Becks7 and Mudget whose work has kept me thoroughly entertained over the past month.
Linka?
Her eyelids fluttered but she remained still, blissfully unaware of the voice attempting to break through her subconscious.
Linka, can you hear me?
She turned over onto her side, pulling herself into a foetal position; her body snug and warm under the heavy quilt.
Linka? We are worried about you. Please answer me?
The voice was more urgent now, and it was enough to rouse the Russian from her previously undisturbed sleep. She stretched her arms above her head, in the process knocking an unknown object off its perch. Linka heard the thump as whatever she had bumped hit the floor.
LINKA!
She jumped in fright, momentarily forgetting her surroundings. The blonde sat upright, blinking in confusion as the room slowly came into focus. The first thing she noticed was her ring, glowing bright blue in the dim light.
The events of the previous night came flooding back and she paused, looking down at the inconspicuous item of jewellery. She glanced towards the hallway, before raising her ring to her temple.
"Da, I am here Vishaal."
She's here! I've got her! Linka, we've been worried sick about you! Are you okay?
Linka frowned, genuinely surprised at Vishaal's panicked tone. She rubbed her eyes in an attempt to wake herself up, before crossing her legs and leaning against the headboard.
"Da, I am fine, just a little sleepy."
Where are you? Do you need Kwame to pick you up? I've been trying to contact you for several hours, my friend.
Linka scratched her head, before running her fingers through her tangled hair. She had left them all under the impression that she was spending Christmas Eve with Grant, then spending the rest of her short leave at her late grandmother's house. With this knowledge in mind, she was rather confused as to why her colleagues were so worried.
"Nyet, I am fine Vishaal, I…"
Grant is worried sick, he has rung Gi several times… said you guys had a fight, that you were missing. You haven't been answering your phone. Can you ring Gi? She's out of her mind.
The penny dropped. Linka sat up, fuming at how Grant had twisted the truth in order to locate her. Her eyes narrowed, aware that her ex-boyfriend was probably now in damage control mode, in light of the physical nature of the previous evening. She sighed, glancing again towards the quiet hallway.
"I am fine, Vishaal, I promise. I do not have my phone with me but tell Gi I will be in contact soon."
All right, are you sure you're okay? I feel that something has happened.
Linka sighed, aware that the Heart Planeteer was attempting to probe further into her mind for answers. She shut her eyes tightly, concentrating on blocking any further access. Years of practice had left her quite adept at closing her mind against thoughts she wished to keep private. He seemed to respect her wishes and backed off immediately.
"I'm safe, I promise. I just need some time to sort through some things. Merry Christmas," she said. "Tell Gi I will ring her later."
Okay. Be safe! Happy Diwali.
The connection was broken, leaving Linka alone with her thoughts. She glanced towards the nightstand, noting with surprise that she had slept through until 10:46am. The blonde girl smiled, wrapping her hands around her knees. She leaned forward, looking around the room and recognising many of the items scattered throughout Wheeler's bedroom.
Stifling a yawn, she swung her legs over the edge of Wheeler's bed. She quickly stepped into the jeans she had borrowed from Janet and padded barefoot down the hallway.
She entered the living area, sweeping a curious glance around the apartment now that it was bathed in gloomy daylight. It was small but homely, with a modern kitchen and warm, neutral tones.
Linka's eyes glanced towards one of the leather lounges. Her lips curved into a grin, noting the American's bare feet hanging over the edge of the armrest, the rest of his body hidden from view. She folded her arms and leant over the back of the lounge, peering down at his sleeping form.
Wheeler was on his back, the covers having pooled on the floor beside him. His mouth was open and he was snoring softly, his right arm flung over his forehead and his left hanging at an odd angle over the floor.
She suppressed a giggle, reminded of countless missions where he had slept in an identical fashion. The familiarity warmed her heart as she looked down on him with a surge of affection.
Linka moved around to the front of the sofa, lifting his legs momentarily before taking a seat beside him. She swiftly resettled his twisted limbs over her lap, noting that the American had now woken and was regarding her with one eye open.
"Mornin'," he said, his voice still thick with sleep. "Thought I dreamt you for a moment there."
Linka dug her fingers into his side, eliciting a chuckle from him, before placing it on his chest. "Nyet. Definitely here," she confirmed, as the American grabbed her hand and held it, turning her palm over and lightly running his touch down the length of her fingers. Linka sighed, leaning her head against the leather head-cushion, enjoying the contact.
Wheeler's gaze darkened as he held her hand up, inspecting her bruised wrist with closer scrutiny. The American bit his lip, concern clouding his handsome features as he met her eyes.
"He do this to you too?"
Linka nodded
He sat up, rubbing his face with his free hand. "Okay," he said, tossing his arm around her shoulders and pulling Linka in for a brief cuddle. She readily returned the hug, tucking her head beneath his chin. "You got anywhere you need to be today, babe?"
Here with you.
"Nyet, no set plans. Why?"
"I think we need to get showered, dressed and outta here in a pretty timely fashion."
She regarded him with a concerned look, suddenly aware of where the conversation may be headed. "What's the plan?" she asked softly.
Wheeler sighed, knowing she would be reluctant to go through what he was about to suggest. "Babe, we gotta' go file a report and get you checked over."
She grimaced, depressed at the thought of spending Christmas Day within the confines of both a police station and an overcrowded hospital. "Can we not do it tomorrow, Yankee?" she asked, a touch of desperation in her voice. "I do not wish to be ruining your Christmas, too!"
He gave her thigh a reassuring squeeze and stood, shaking his head. "Nope. No. Puttin' my foot down. Foot is down." Linka rolled her eyes as he winked at her and disappeared into the bathroom.
The pair managed to dress, scoff down a few pieces of toast and vacate the apartment within 45 minutes. They took a short subway ride to the nearest hospital, waiting in the emergency department for around two hours before they were finally seen.
They passed the time by catching up on lost time. Linka filled him in on the missions he had missed, Gi's boyfriend, Greedly's health problems, and their successes and failures over the past few months.
She couldn't help but laugh as he intermittently engaged their fellow ER guests in random conversation. The American had always had a knack for social interaction and today was no exception. Linka marvelled at how easy it was for Wheeler to chat to random strangers. She had always struggled to maintain conversations with unknown people. Often her shyness around others could be misconstrued as seeming cold and distant, or aloof.
She leaned over, listening to Wheeler chatting to a middle-aged couple seated behind them. His arm was casually slung behind her back, resting on the back of the seat as he discussed baseball scores and the current cost of living within Manhattan. Her attention drifted elsewhere and she watched, amused as his foot tapped restlessly on the polished floor.
"I'm gonna' raid the vending machine. Want anything?"
She did. He brought back 2 cans of Coke and an assortment of chips and chocolate. Linka's mouth watered as she realised just how hungry she was. They tucked in, while the American continued to keep her entertained by providing a running commentary on the imaginary injuries and maladies of each new addition to the waiting room.
"Miss Petrova?" A nurse with a clipboard finally called her name and Linka stood, gathering her jacket in her arms. She glanced at Wheeler, unsure of his intentions.
"You want me to stay here?" he asked, seeming to leave the decision up to her. She smiled at him nervously, before extending her hand. He took it and together they made their way to the heavy double doors, which led into the examination rooms beyond.
The wound was checked and given a precautionary clean, however very little needed to be done due to Janet's expert diligence in treating the Russian the night before. The hardest part of the process came with the arrival of two uniformed officers, who took her statement as a result of the assault.
Unbeknownst to Linka, one of the reception staff at the hotel had also called in and reported a woman matching the blonde's appearance, exiting the main foyer area and bleeding from the head.
The officers had recommended that she press charges against her assailant, but Linka was reluctant. Wheeler sat, his jaw tense as she refused to commit to going through with it.
"I will think about it," she offered as the officers bade them goodbye and exited the room, one tucking his notepad into his pocket, the other reaching for his CB radio, presumably to contact base. Linka could hear the sharp static noise from the receiver as the officers retreated.
The pair stood, gathering their coats and belongings. Wheeler turned to her, a sentence forming on his lips but he seemed to think twice. Linka could see that he clearly unhappy with her decision regarding the assault but he remained silent.
She sighed, placing her hand on his shoulder. "I'm not saying no, Yankee. I am simply saying not right now."
He nodded, seemingly appeased and offered her his arm as they strolled back through the heavy doors, passing through the waiting area together. They exited through the front entrance of the ER department and out towards the gloomy street.
Wheeler's phone begun to buzz and he quickly answered it, holding his palm up in a silent request to wait. She did, descending the sandstone steps and waiting on the footpath below.
It had started to snow, a fine layer of flakes covering the cars and boardwalk outside. Linka looked up, delighted at the light touch of the elements upon her face. She closed her eyes, feeling strangely calm and at peace, devoid of the constant restlessness that had permeated her thoughts of late.
Linka tucked her hands into her pockets, glancing back at her companion who seemed to be answering a range of questions with rapid one-word answers. She raised her eyebrows and he smirked, mouthing the word Mom and rolling his eyes.
She grinned, waiting patiently as he ended the call and bounded down the steps to join her, steeling himself against the sudden temperature drop.
"Okay," he said, reaching forward and wrapping his scarf around her neck, his fingers lingering for a moment on the soft skin of her neck. "My Mom was rather insistent about bringing you over for Christmas dinner while you're here. You up for it?"
Linka nodded, her breath lingering in the frosty air. "Da, she mentioned that last night. If that is okay with you?"
He scratched his head, before tilting his head to the side in a manner that Linka found wholly adorable. "Yeah babe, but I can't guarantee you wont regret it. Mom burns anything she touches, including water."
She giggled, playfully kicking out at him with her foot. "That is not nice, Yankee. Your mother is lovely."
"Yeah, she's a good ol' bird." He shrugged good-naturedly. "Stubborn mule at times, though."
The blonde raised her eyebrows. "Must run in the family," she teased, leaning forward to brush the light collection of snowflakes off his broad shoulders. He gently took her wrists and pulled her towards him, sliding his hands beneath her coat and wrapping his arms around her warm waist.
She sighed, wrapping her own arms around his neck, craving the close contact. He nuzzled her nose, neck and cheek affectionately, before pressing his lips against the top of her head. She smiled up at him, seemingly lost in his unwavering blue gaze.
"Missed you babe. Tried damn hard not to…"
"I missed you too, Yankee," she breathed, hugging him tightly. "Thank you for being here with me."
He squeezed her in response. "This Grant thing isn't over though. I really think you need to…"
Linka caressed his face and before he could finish, she drew him forwards; snow melting on the tips of her eyelashes. She felt his lips touch hers, softly at first, then gaining in an intensity she'd never experienced before. She felt him grip her hips and she shuddered, their bodies crushing one another in their desperate need for close contact.
His left hand moved across her bottom, then upwards, wrapped tightly around her waist again. She felt herself arching backwards as his other hand tangled itself in the loose hair at the base of her beanie.
It was Wheeler who tore himself away in the end, his cheeks flushed and seeming uncharacteristically flustered. "Geez Lin, we're in public," he teased as he glanced around, noting an elderly couple passing them, studying the pair candidly.
"I… Can we go and get my things? My bag is still at the hotel," she asked, her face hot and still buried in his shirt. "I'll need some clothes and my phone."
He tossed an arm around her shoulders and they left the hospital sidewalk at last, disappearing into the white fog.
Rating is changing to M next chapter guys.
Cheers, Sarah xxxx