Chapter 6

I knew that I was waking up because I could hear a faint noise in the background and a smell that seemed familiar that I didn't like. My head felt like a ton weight, and I became more aware of how much it was throbbing, worse than anything else that I'd ever experienced. I tried to move but my muscles hurt too much, and I was sure that a new sound was of me moaning with the pain.

Images. That was all I seemed to be able to see. Fleeting shadows that held no detail or substance. Hands reaching out to me that had me freezing with fear. People, whose faces seemed blurred and unrecognizable. Voices that were mumbled or so soft that I couldn't recognize who they belonged to or what they were saying. The emotions that waged through me brought both a feeling of fear and of panic that I just couldn't control. Periods of darkness became a friend that seemed to blank out any awareness of what was around me or where I was.

My mind seemed to be trapped with no sense of control and somewhere I just knew that I didn't like it. I had to focus on something, anything to enable me to break through that unseen barrier. Flashes of scenes went through my mind, fleeting and unsubstantial not giving me anything to grasp hold of, until I thought that I could hear someone calling my name.

"Stephanie. Stephanie. Just open your mouth a little so that I can give you a drink"

I knew that voice, so was determined to concentrate on it and could almost imagine the face that went with it. My mother was with me and with that recognition, memories sparked through my mind, all of them from when I was a young kid. I could remember the times when I'd been ill, and she would sit on the side of the bed and force me to take medicine that she swore would make me feel better. Was that where I was now? Ill in bed with my mother taking care of me. It just didn't make any sense or feel right and besides she knew how much I hated to take the foul tasting medicine.

"Stephanie Michelle Plum. Do as you're told. This will help you to get better"

I expected to feel a spoon at my lips so was surprised that when I opened my mouth, that I felt two solid bits on my tongue before a liquid ran into my mouth forcing me to swallow.

"Good girl. You need to get better. Poor Joseph is so worried about you"

My last thought was me asking myself, why would Joe be worried about me.

Time became illusive and I was sure that I was sleeping far more than necessary. Had I been that ill that I needed my mother to take care of me? As my mind banished the kaleidoscope of images from my head and as I shook away the warring feelings that were threatening to consume me, I knew that I needed to wake up properly. Even as I thought it, I felt more lucid as though the smoke that had been clinging to me was slowly dissipating. What surprised me was that I was hurting, my head throbbed, along with my chest and my muscles ached. I really didn't want to open my eyes afraid that the light would be bright and be painful on my eyes.

I knew my name, Stephanie Plum, aged 33 and that I lived on my own in a one bedroom apartment on the first floor of a red brick building. It was a bit of a dump, but the rent was cheap, and it was mine, somewhere that I called home. Were we in my apartment now?

It was the sound of voices growing louder that caught my attention, a conversation that became clearer as it moved toward me, making me wonder who else was with me.

"Has she eaten?"

I recognized the voice as belonging to Joe Morelli and could picture him in my mind as I remembered how he would look. Brown curly hair that fell to his collar and brown eyes within a face that looked so handsome. He had a good body that he looked after but maybe didn't always dress that well. Blue jeans that hugged his arse and hips, with a shirt over the top of a T-shirt. Yeah, in my mind he was a particularly good looking man, so why was I feeling a little off kilt with him being here talking to my mother?

"Of course, she has. I fed her some soup like you suggested"

"What about her tablets, has she had them?"

Tablets, that must have been what I remember my mother giving to me before, but why did I need to take them and why was Joe demanding to know?

"Why of course Joseph. I know how important it is for her to have them regularly"

I was pleased when they must have left the room, their conversation continuing but too quiet for me to hear. I lay there trying to work out what the hell was going on. To be honest sleep seemed so close but there was an underlying fear of allowing it to take over. I hated some of the images and voices that seemed to penetrate my mind when I was asleep, so I tried really hard to keep myself occupied in order to at least have some control over my thoughts. What the fuck was going on, what had happened for me to feel like crap and have to have my mother looking after me?

I needed to open my eyes even if did seem so difficult to do and struggled to focus on doing just that. I really had no idea where I was because it didn't feel like my bed in my apartment, or even my old bed at my parent's, though it did feel familiar with the softness of the pillow and mattress underneath me and the slight smell that permeated the room. As I opened my eyes, I was aware of the darkness surrounding me but was comforted by the small amount of light coming in through an open door. Blinking rapidly to try to bring focus to anything that I was seeing took some time and I found myself looking up at a ceiling before turning my head slightly to take in the rest of my surroundings. I knew that I was probably frowning because the result of doing that created a throb across my forehead. I'd expected to see the familiar wallpaper and drapes of my childhood room but what I was seeing looked to be the inside of Joe's bedroom.

That sure cleared my head for a few moments as I tried to work out why that was so wrong. I knew that Joe and I had been in a relationship, if that was what you would call it, because we were constantly falling out and then making up. As far as I could remember I'd told Joe that him and me just weren't working out and that I felt that we needed to call it quits. I sank back down into the pillow because I had no memory of changing my mind and going back to him, so I couldn't understand why I was here in his house.

As I'd laid in the bed ready to continue with my run through of the time following that night, I was aware of footsteps coming up the stairs. My heart had started to beat faster, and I had an awful feeling flood through me. My eyes were closed, and I was still laid down in the bed, but I knew without a doubt who it was. I couldn't understand why I was feeling as I did because there was a feeling of panic slowly engulfing me. Then it came to me, how Joe had attacked me in my apartment so I knew that I had to pretend to still be asleep.

The feel of something on my cheek was really hard to ignore but I must have pulled it off because I heard a sigh just before his touch disappeared. Inside I was congratulating myself for deceiving Joe so easily and just as I thought that he was leaving me alone I felt the bed dip down next to me.

"You need your tablets Cupcake, to make sure that you're a good girl"

Shit, how the hell was he going to do that and what did he mean when he'd said to make sure that I was a good girl? I didn't have long to wait until I felt my mouth being opened by Joe pushing down on my chin. As I felt the weight of something on my tongue, I was ready to jump up but realized that I couldn't do it. My muscles just wouldn't work. As the pressure from my chin was released, I used my tongue to move those pills to my cheek, before I was having water forced down my throat. I was almost choking before I swallowed the water and then felt Joe's lips were over mine.

"Good girl. Just tell me what I need to know"

As his lips crushed mine, I felt his hands slip underneath my top and slide to grasp one of my breasts and was sure that I shuddered with the touch.

"You're so responsive Cupcake, even when you're asleep"

Oh God, what the hell was happening, why was he touching me like this?

"Shit. You're mother's here Cupcake"

I'd never been so thankful for my mother arriving because the hands immediately withdrew from my body. He was still sat on the bed even as I heard the footsteps coming into the bedroom.

"How is she Joseph?"

"She's good, sleeping"

I felt as he stood away from the bed and then felt the softest of touches across my forehead. I knew the touch, the feel of a palm running across my head, this was my mother.

"I need to go into work, something's cropped up and only I have the background on it"

"Oh"

Was my mother's immediate response. I was close to sighing out loud with relief but managed to stay perfectly still. What was worrying me was the state of those tablets still in my mouth and much as I was tempted to feel for them with my tongue, I knew that I couldn't without arousing suspicion.

"Joseph you're such a good man. Will she be alright?"

I couldn't help it, my eyes shot open at hearing my mother say that. Thank heavens my mother was facing away from me and was blocking Joe from seeing me. I quickly shut my eyes as I strained to hear what Joe was going to say.

"Yeah, she was awake this afternoon and we talked. Every day she's getting better"

I tried so hard to calm down my breathing so afraid that one of them would notice. I had no recollection of having a conversation with Joe. Was I that ill that there was something really badly wrong with me? As I heard them talking and the sound of footsteps on the stairs my tongue was desperate to push those damn tablets out of my mouth. As I pushed them through my lips onto the tip of my tongue, I lifted my hand to remove them and lay there looking at my arm. How the hell had I hurt myself that necessitated a cast? I had no memory of hurting myself but then again, the way that my body ached maybe I just couldn't remember. The cast was an ideal place to hide the slimy tablets though, but I wasn't sure just how much of them had dissolved. Even as I lay there, I had no idea what was happening or what had happened. I felt so tired and couldn't fight the drowsiness that came over me. I had no idea how long I had been asleep for before I was pulled back to reality by the sound of my mother's voice.

"Stephanie, you need to eat something. Why do I have a daughter who is such hard work when she's ill? Mrs. Dobrinski's daughter doesn't ignore her mother, she's happy to have the help"

If a spoon wasn't being pushed against my lips, then I would probably have rolled my eyes at what my mother had just said. Janey Dobrinski had to accept her mother's help seeing as she was so ill with the onset of muscular dystrophy. Was I that ill? No, I'd know wouldn't I, I wouldn't have all the thoughts that were going through my mind, and I was pretty sure that I'd have a nurse here every day like Janey did.

"I'm going to get you some hot chocolate, maybe that'll help"

I heard something being placed on the table next to me so as soon as I was sure that my mother was walking down the stairs, I opened my eyes to look at what was there. Soup by the looks of it and chicken from the smell. What caught my attention were the two blue tablets sat next to the bowl and a glass of what looked to be iced tea.

Turning my head to the side I procrastinated for an age as I stared at that tray. Was I so ill that I really needed to take those tablets, hadn't Joe just given me some? I knew from just moving slightly that my body was hurting. Was it better to just lay back and allow my mother to look after me? I might have thought so if it hadn't been for where I was. I hated being here, I felt trapped. I had totally lost control of what was happening around me. I had no idea what had happened to me. A shiver went through me as I sifted through my memories because the last thing that I remembered was what had happened after I'd stepped inside that bank. I shuddered just thinking about that and decided I wasn't even going to go there just now. I had to get out of here and regroup myself in familiar surroundings. I needed to get back to my apartment. I could think there, and I would damn well make sure that I got better again. Even now I felt more lucid and minute by minute I was more aware of what was happening around me.

Those two tablets that were on the tray, I just had a feeling that maybe they just weren't doing me any favors. I already felt more alert than I had done for hours, and I knew how some of that medication could affect me by making me feel drowsy. I didn't want that drowsiness to take over again because I wanted to know what the hell was happening to me. It took some doing but those two tablets ended up on the floor behind the bed, but I decided to play nice with my mother so as she entered the room, I made an effort to open my eyes, blinking as though trying to focus.

"Stephanie. At last. I was beginning to think you were sleeping on purpose when I was here"

I watched as she placed the mug of what I assumed was hot chocolate onto the table. Of course, she noticed that the tablets were missing straight away.

"Have you taken your tablets?"

She muttered as she continued to move the bowl and plate around.

"Yeah"

I replied with a very scratchy voice. At least she noticed that and held the mug to my lips. I'm sure that I moaned as the sweet milky chocolate hit my tongue and slid down my throat. It tasted wonderful as it coated my mouth and throat.

"Joseph said that you were much better. He's been so worried about you. He really cares about you, you know, and he'll make a marvelous husband"

Had I been feeling better I would have responded to her comment but to be honest I didn't have the energy. No way was that going to be happening regardless of the fact that I was somehow being looked after by him. It gave me the creeps just thinking about it and made me even more determined to get back home. I was not going to bend to Joe Morelli just because he had me here at his house. I watched as my mother drank her iced tea, as she made herself more comfortable in the chair and as her head dropped back against the backrest. To be honest I was nearly horrified at how quickly she fell asleep until I heard her lightly snoring. Thank God for that.

I might have felt mentally more alert but moving myself from that bed was hard work. My arm hurt pulling the covers down and my ribs sent a sharp pain through my chest. I was almost afraid that I was going to pass out when I sat up because the dizziness was intense to the point of being painful and that hot chocolate did not taste as good when my stomach ejected it all over me and the sheets. I was sweating profusely and stank of vomit so very slowly maneuvered around where my mother was sat and headed to the bathroom. Leaning over the sink I knew that I needed to get a grip on how I was feeling so splashed cold water onto my face. A look at the reflection in the mirror had me longing for a shower but I knew there was no way I was up to getting in it. My skin was pale with dark shadows under my eyes making me look as bad as I felt. I stripped the pajamas from my body, dropping them onto the floor and used a towel around myself deciding that I needed some clothes. There was a chance that there might be the odd pair of joggers in the spare bedroom that I'd left here when I had stayed here before.

Once in the back bedroom I opened the closet seeing a selection of jeans and T-shirts that I was sure were mine. I hadn't realized that I'd left that many clothes here at Joe's, I shook my head and then regretted it as the pain shot across my head again and picked out some black joggers, a T-shirt and a hoodie. Underwear wasn't an option because there weren't any to see so I picked up some shoes and socks instead.

Going downstairs was a real struggle so I literally shuffled down on my bum. In some ways I was pleased with myself that I had managed to do that simple task, but it certainly had me realizing just how weak I was. The lights were on in the living area, and I actually looked twice at how neat and tidy the place was. No beer bottles left on the table or empty pizza boxes and the sink was empty of any dirty dishes. The only possible answer was that Joe's mother or even mine had cleaned up. I searched around looking for my bag spotting it on the floor by the couch and was soon looking through it for my phone. I sat down on the floor tipping out the contents desperate to find it only to realize that it wasn't there. Shit, I thought, I didn't have it because I hadn't replaced it after it had gotten broken.

I wanted to call Lula or Mary Lou and ask for a ride but even as I thought that I knew that wouldn't be happening. Joe didn't use a land line because he depended on his mobile, so I had no way of calling anyone. A look at the clock on the wall told me that it was nearly 4 o'clock and I was beginning to worry when Joe would be back. That deep seated need to get out of this house was overwhelming, so I decided that if I went out through the back yard to the street behind, then I should be able to walk to Mary Lou's.

I threw everything back into my bag and pulled it over my shoulder. Decision made, so that was where I headed.