A/N: Enjoy!
Chapter 25: 2FNSXY (part 2)
"Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!" That Piece of Shit Shane groaned.
Oh my God.
"Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!" he groaned again.
Oh my God!
"Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!" he continued groaning.
Oh. My. God.
That Piece of Shit Shane was sitting on the other side of the ER's waiting room with a five-inch shard of glass sticking out of his side, and he wouldn't stop groaning.
"Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!" he groaned again.
Oh!
My!
God!
Yes, there was glass sticking out of his side. Yes, there was blood gushing from the wound. Yes, he was very pale and sweaty. Yes, he was sporting two black eyes. Yes, there were tiny cuts all over his face and neck. And yes, his bottom lip was busted.
But he really had no legitimate reason to be making all that noise right now.
"Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!" he groaned again.
OhmyGod!
"Maybe we wouldn't be here right now if you hadn't dismissed me from the table!" Andrea seethed.
I guess she wasn't in the mood for That Piece of Shit Shane either. She was sitting three chairs away from him and was very aggressively pumping her crossed leg up and down.
"They were listening to me, Shane! I was making a diff—"
"Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!" That Piece of Shit Shane groaned louder, cutting her off.
I rolled my eyes.
"Andy," he panted, "can you get me some help?"
Andrea pumped her leg even more aggressively and stared at That Piece of Shit Shane like she gave zero point zero fucks about the pain he was in.
"Andy… please, baby," That Piece of Shit Shane panted. "I think I'm bleedin' out. I need… help."
"The nurse said a doctor would see you when one was available!" Andrea snapped.
"Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!" That Piece of Shit Shane groaned.
"Cherry Cokes," Andrea angrily muttered. "You dismissed me like I was a child to go get Cherry Co—"
"Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!" That Piece of Shit Shane groaned again.
One of the nurses at the check-in desk slammed the receiver of her desk phone down and stomped over to That Piece of Shit Shane. She looked like she gave zero point zero zero fucks about the pain he was in.
"Sir, I'm gonna need you to hold it down!"
"Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!" That Piece of Shit Shane groaned. "Miss… I need some… help," he panted heavily.
"It's nurse, not miss! And you'll be seen when a doctor is available! I already told you that!"
"Nurse… I need… a doctor… now. Glass… is in… my… side."
"I can see the glass, Mr. Walsh! I also hear how you're disturbing the staff and all our other patients! Keep it down or find a new ER!"
She curtly turned away from That Piece of Shit Shane and returned to the check-in desk.
"Andy," That Piece of Shit Shane panted, "can you… ask… the nurse… to come… back?"
Andrea looked like she gave even less of a fuck than before. "I'm going to find a vending machine! I suddenly have a taste for Cherry Coke."
"Andy," That Piece of Shit Shane groaned, watching her walk off in a huff.
When she turned a corner without looking back, he dropped his head back and barked out, "Fuck!"
"Warning number two!" the nurse shouted from the check-in desk. "One more disturbance, and you're out!"
That Piece of Shit Shane scowled in her direction before squeezing his eyes shut, gripping the arms of his chair and pursing his lips together to hold in his groans.
That Piece of Shit Shane.
I truly hated everything that was happening right now. I hated everything even more when something warm and wet dripped onto my forearm. I didn't need to look down to know what it was.
"You're bleeding on me," I said to Richard through gritted teeth. "Move."
That little eye squint and head tilt of his still had me livid AF, and he'd added fuel to that fire by sitting next to me in the ER.
I didn't want him anywhere near me.
I wasn't even supposed to be here.
After the ambulances arrived at the café, my plan was to drive Richard's truck to the farm to pick up the babies and take them back to my condo. I'd get Daryl or Glenn to pick Richard up from the hospital, and then I'd meet him here tomorrow for the DNA test. Once we received the results, I'd go back to acting like he didn't exist until I was no longer livid AF.
But Tammy Rose and Earl made me promise to call them with an update once Richard was seen by a doctor. If I broke my promise, Tammy Rose and Earl might do something drastic and petty, like claim they were out of my favorite meal when I ordered it. I couldn't jeopardize smothered pork chops, greens, mac & cheese and cornbread. I just couldn't.
"Shit," Richard mumbled. "Sorry."
From the many side-eyes I'd given him after he sat down, I knew that his right hand was bleeding pretty heavily, even with the towel from Tammy Rose wrapped around it. Since he was keeping his right hand elevated above his head and using his left hand to hold the towel in place, I grabbed the bottom of his shirt and used it to wipe his blood off my arm.
"Sorry about what, Richard?" I asked through gritted teeth.
I could hear him silently digging into his anger.
"The blood," he answered.
The blood.
Not the eye squint and head tilt.
Richard Arthur Grimes was very, very lucky that my phone started vibrating. It was Mika, and I had to take her call.
"Be sitting somewhere else when I get back, Richard," I warned him. "And once you're patched up, I'm gone."
I could feel his fiery glare on me as I walked out the waiting room to the parking lot, and I gave zero point zero zero zero fucks. I took a breath to cleanse myself from the bullshit wafting around the waiting room, and then answered my phone with a smile on my face. If Operation P.M.P.M. was still on track, then I knew exactly why Mika was calling, and I was going to have to put on a performance.
"Hi, Mika." I greeted her with just the right amount of enthusiasm.
"Miss Danvers… hi," Mika said hesitantly. "I'm so sorry to bother you on your day off."
"You're never a bother, Mika," I said truthfully. With just the right amount of concern, I asked, "Is everything okay?"
"No, Miss Danvers. Something happened in the office this morning that you should be aware of. It involves Mr. Anthony."
"Something happened with Mike?" I asked, sounding slightly more concerned.
"Miss Danvers, Mr. Anthony was fired."
"Fired?" I asked, sounding shocked.
"Yes, and the firm is closed for the rest of the day."
I waited a beat. "Closed?! But the firm never closes," I said, sounding more shocked. "Mika…" I paused dramatically, "tell me exactly what's going on."
"It's bad, Miss Danvers. About an hour ago, everyone's computer was infected with a virus. The entire network is down. It's because of Mike."
"Because of Mike?" I asked, sounding confused.
"Yes, because of all the porn he's been watching on his computer at work."
I gasped dramatically. "Porn?"
"Yes, his porn started playing on every computer in the firm, including the computers of the partners. The IT team is still trying to get it to stop… And it was the weird porn," she whispered. "I saw things that shouldn't be seen."
Jesus, Eugene.
I had no idea what porn he used to set Mike up with, and I didn't want to know. Judging by how Mika sounded, I never wanted to know.
"This doesn't sound like the Mike I know," I said, sounding skeptical. "Are they sure this is his doing? If we're losing one of our best environmental attorneys, the partners better be goddamned sure he's guilty!"
I cringed. I may have overdone it with that last line, but I blamed Pasión de los Cuerpos. Every character was extra dramatic when they were scheming. Fortunately, Mika didn't seem to notice how extra I was being.
"They're sure, Miss Danvers. The IT team traced it back to him."
I sighed, somewhat stoically.
"There's more," Mika said. "The FBI was called in."
"The FBI?" I gasped dramatically.
"Yes, IT discovered something suspicious when they first started trying to stop the porn virus. I overheard the FBI agents talking, and they think Mike may have been part of a money laundering ring."
I threw out another dramatic gasp, but I already knew all about the money laundering accusation. Agents Yumiko Kitamuro and Luke Miller, who was Eugene's cousin, were here for phase 2 of Operation P.M.P.M. They would be presenting "hard evidence" to the firm partners to prove that Panty Man was laundering money, in case the porn wasn't reason enough to fire him. When Panty Man was being questioned by the agents, he would be convinced to make a deal to give the agents time to "sort things out to clear his name." This deal would "ensure he avoided jail time" and would require his immediate relocation to Bouvet Island, which just so happened to be located near Antarctica and was considered to be the most remote island in the world.
I initially thought a two-year banishment was fair, but Eugene pushed for five years. I thought that was a tad excessive for a grudge over a parking space, so we compromised on three years. Panty Man's name would be "cleared" in three years, and he would be allowed to return to civilization at that time, except he couldn't come back to Georgia. He could never come back to Georgia.
That was the price he would pay for ruining my son's first birthday.
"I just can't believe this," I said, sounding distressed. "I broke up with Mike over the weekend, but I never thought he'd…" I trailed off dramatically. "Mika, is Mike in the office?"
I knew he wasn't. Eugene's intel placed Mike at his condo, recuperating from his broken nose.
"No, he didn't come in this morning. I overheard the agents say they'll be going to his home to talk to him."
Bye bye, Panty Man.
"That's probably for the best. I'm sure when they see Mike in person, he'll be able to clear this all up," I said, sounding hopeful. "Mika, give the agents my business card and let them know I can be contacted at any time to answer any questions they may have."
"I will," Mika promised.
"And you go ahead and take the rest of the week off," I told her.
Giving her time off was the least I could do. I truly felt terrible that she could never unsee whatever weird porn Eugene found.
"Thanks, Miss Danvers! I'll let you know if I hear anything else."
I did a little happy dance when our call ended but stopped mid-wiggle when it dawned on me that not one Greene had called me to break the news about Mike's apparent computer porn problem… Not one Greene had called me to tell me about FBI agents being in town... Not one Greene had called to yell at me for not telling them about Richard and That Piece of Shit Shane fighting in the café…
I also hadn't heard from Daryl, which meant Glenn hadn't called him yet to spread gossip.
The silence on all fronts was unsettling. There must have been one hell of a barn situation happening at the farm. I'd get to the bottom of that when I left the hospital.
I finished my wiggle and went back to the waiting room.
Richard's chair was empty.
Good.
I glanced around and saw that he wasn't sitting in the waiting room at all.
Great.
If he was being treated by a doctor, then he was that much closer to being sent home, and he and I were that much closer to going our separate ways for the day.
Wonderful.
I ignored That Piece of Shit Shane as I walked to the check-in desk to find out Richard's whereabouts.
"Excuse me," I said to the nurse who had threatened to boot That Piece of Shit Shane from the ER. "Can you tell me if Richard Grimes is being seen by a doctor?"
"You mean Mr. Blue Eyes? With the chip on his shoulder, the cut-up face, the bloody hand and that walk?" She grinned, fanning herself. "He was just taken back to be seen by Doctor Khalil." She grinned bigger, fanning herself faster.
I let out a little sigh of relief. Richard was in good hands if Siddiq was treating him.
"Forgive my sister," the other nurse at the desk said to me. "She's newly single."
"Get it right, Tara. I'm newly and fantastically single!" the newly single nurse retorted, raising her hands in praise. "Asshole-free for the last thirty days, with no tolerance for assholes of any kind."
She shot a glare at That Piece of Shit Shane. We both rolled our eyes at him.
That Piece of Shit Shane.
"Way to keep it professional, Lilly. But thirty days without that psycho Blake does get you a fist bump," Tara said, holding her fist out.
The sisters bumped fists and shared a laugh.
"If you'd like, I can go back and check on the patient," Tara said to me.
"I would. Thank you."
As much as I couldn't stand Richard right now, I was still worried about him. I walked back to the waiting area, hoping Siddiq had no problems patching him up.
Andrea must have still been on that Cherry Coke hunt because That Piece of Shit Shane and I were the only two people in the waiting area. His eyes were still squeezed shut, and he was now taking short, quick breaths.
That Piece of Shit Shane.
He and I would never have another one-on-one opportunity like this, so it was the perfect time for the two of us to have a little chat. I sat down in a chair across from him and crossed my arms and legs.
When That Piece of Shit Shane opened his eyes and saw me, he scowled and squeezed his eyes shut.
"I got nuthin' to say to you, 'Chonne," he panted.
That Piece of Shit Shane.
He had no business addressing me like that, but the "'Chonne" wasn't enough to get under my skin. I stared at him, waiting for him to stop acting like a child and to open his eyes.
Minutes passed. I continued staring.
"Go ahead and keep sittin' there like you're the Queen of Sheba," he panted with his eyes still closed. "I could care less, 'Chonne."
That Piece of Shit Shane.
I continued to stare at him. More minutes passed.
"And you know that jackass is wrong for keepin' my babygirl from me!" he panted, opening his eyes. "Y'all are tryin' to punish me for what you think went down between me and Lori. You have no idea what we had."
That Piece of Shit Shane.
I continued to stare at him.
"And I never disrespected Rick in King County! You tell Rick that! You tell him bros before hoes meant somethin' when I was in King County. You let him know!"
I wasn't letting Richard know shit.
I continued to stare at That Piece of Shit Shane, but I could feel my left eye starting to twitch.
"You want the truth about me and Lori? Here it is," he panted. "Me and her were real amicable-like when I was in KC, but that's all we were. After the Academy didn't work out, I moved to Florida. I didn't talk to or see Lori for years. And then one day, I'm at a party for one of my Uncle Bubba's lady friends, and there Lori is. Uncle Bubba's lady friend ended up bein' Lori's aunt. She won fifty thousand on a scratch-off, and Lori came out to celebrate. I couldn't not speak."
That Piece of Shit Shane.
"We get to catchin' up over a cup of Uncle Bubba's swamp punch," he panted. "Lori's downin' it like a champ! We're havin' a real good time laughin' and shootin' the shit. Next thing I know, she's showin' me her panties."
Fucking Lori Grimes.
My left eye started to twitch.
"I am a one hundred percent, red-blooded, American man, 'Chonne. You offer me poontang on a platter, and I'm eatin' it up and lickin' my fingers clean when I'm done!"
That Piece of Shit Shane.
"That's when me and Lori started," he panted.
Fucking Lori Grimes.
Three years. She'd been fucking with That Piece of Shit Shane for three years.
I remembered the epic fit she threw when Richard wouldn't drop everything last second to fly to Florida for that scratch-off win celebration.
I also remembered how Fucking Lori Grimes never threw another fit when Rick couldn't fly to Florida with her after that.
My right eye started to twitch.
"Thangs started weighin' on me when you were pregnant with Lori and Rick's baby," That Piece of Shit Shane panted. "I ain't a homewrecker when a kid is involved. I broke it off with Lori."
That Piece of Shit Shane.
"She flies out to visit me one last time, and we said our goodbyes. She calls me a few months later, cryin' and tellin' me she had to see a doctor. The next day, she pops up at my front door tellin' me she's three months pregnant. Happiest day of my life," he panted. "I didn't know 'til later it was the same day you went into labor."
Fucking Lori Grimes.
That Piece of Shit Shane.
Both my eyes were twitching.
Breathe, Michonne.
"We started havin' problems a few months ago when I hired Andy to work with me," That Piece of Shit Shane panted. "Me and Andy were real amicable-like on account of us workin' so close together, and Lori didn't like it. We started havin' those irreconcilable differences you always hear about."
Fucking Lori Grimes.
That Piece of Shit Shane.
"After we split, we decided I'd get my babygirl every other weekend. Lori didn't bring me my babygirl on Friday night like she was supposed to," he panted. "And now you're all up to speed, 'Chonne."
Breathe, Michonne.
"And me and Rick? We're even now. This glass in my side makes us even," he panted. "And now I wanna see my babygirl."
That Piece of Shit Shane.
"I know you know Judy is mine! You want me to take a DNA test to prove me right? Let's do it," he panted. "I just need to see my girl."
"Not my call," I growled.
That Piece of Shit Shane scoffed. "But it is," he panted. "If you said the sky was purple and the grass was red, Rick Grimes would swear on his life it was true."
That Piece of Shit Shane.
"Not. My. Call."
He gave me what I'm sure he thought was an intimidating look, but my Nugget was more terrifying when he was hangry.
"You need to think real careful about this," That Piece of Shit Shane panted. "You and me… we have common interests when it comes to Lori. I'm bettin' the both of us need to find her, ain't that right?"
That Piece of Shit Shane.
"The thang is, when I find Lori, she's gonna be arrested, shipped back to Florida and charged with kidnappin'. I doubt she'll feel like conversatin' when she's sittin' in a cell," he panted. "That'd be a real shame for you and for Rick… Cuz those two ain't divorced yet, right? I'm bettin' that's a reason you'd wanna see her."
That. Piece. Of. Shit. Shane.
"A boy scout like Rick don't seem like the type to make you a side chick," he panted. "But if Lori ain't willin' to talk to you and sign papers, what more will you ever be, 'Chonne?"
A deep, dark red started to eclipse my vision.
That Piece of Shit Shane was under my skin.
"But if you play ball and bring my babygirl to see me today, I'll guarantee you get time with Lori before I haul her ass back to Florida," he panted. "So, what's it gonna be? We gotta deal?"
A deal?
I felt the tremors of rage growing.
"Hey there!" a peppy voice coming from somewhere nearby said. "Dr. Khalil's finishing up with Deputy Grimes and says you can come on back."
A DEAL?!
My hands balled into tight fists.
"I… uh, I can wait for you at the double doors. The ones behind you," the peppy voice said.
A GODDAMN DEAL?!
"Okay, yeah… I'll be... whenever you're ready," the peppy voice said.
After everything That Piece of Shit Shane had said and done, he was threatening me?!
Threatening my future with Rick and Nugget?!
Threatening my last first kiss?!
Threatening my punches to Fucking Lori Grimes?!
THAT
FUCKING
PIECE
OF
SHIT
SHANE!
The only thing that kept me from losing my shit was Nugget. His daddy had just gone through a glass window. My son needed me to be smart right now.
BREATHE!
I forced a breath out and rolled my shoulders. I tilted my head to the left then the right. I uncrossed my legs and stood.
Nugget needs me. Nugget needs me. Nugget needs me.
I slowly walked over to That Piece of Shit Shane and leaned down until our eyes were level. My fists were stilled balled tight.
"Third floor. Nine AM. Tomorrow," I growled.
I glared into his eyes until he looked away.
Before he could do or say anything to piss me off even more, I walked to the double doors that peppy voice mentioned and opened them with a hard shove that made my palms burn. I immediately started to pace as the doors swung shut behind me.
FUCK!
I needed to find Fucking Lori Grimes before That Piece of Shit Shane did.
"That dude is a primo piece of shit," peppy voice said as I paced past her. She was leaning against the wall and flipping through a chart.
"Yes. He is," I grumbled.
FUCK!
"A friend of mine works at the King County Inn. She said he's a total dick."
"Yes. He is," I grumbled.
FUCK!
I paced back toward the double doors…
FUCK!
I turned and paced in peppy voice's direction…
FUCK!
I turned and paced toward the double doors….
FUCK!
"We can make him wait for treatment a little longer," peppy voice suggested when I turned and paced in her direction.
I stopped pacing and looked at her.
"Yeah?" I asked.
She smirked. "Oh yeah. Lilly wasn't lying. We have zero tolerance for assholes."
Tara. Peppy voice's name was Tara.
Tara held her fist out for a fist bump, but we heard a loud thud followed by a louder thud followed by a bone-chilling scream. The scream made Tara jump. It made me roll my eyes. It sounded like it came from That Piece of Shit Shane.
I was hot on Tara's heels when she rushed past me to the waiting room. I wanted to see why That Piece of Shit Shane was screaming like his soul was being ripped from his body.
I gasped in delight when I saw the reason.
Daryl!
He was standing over That Piece of Shit Shane with a disgusted scowl on his face and his hands balled into fists. That Piece of Shit Shane was sitting in an overturned chair and screaming.
It was exactly what I needed to see to take my scorching rage down to a simmer.
I greeted one of my favorite people in the world with the biggest smile, which collapsed the second he narrowed his eyes at me.
What the fuck?!
I tilted my head and put my hands on my hips when he stormed over to me.
"What the hell, Michonne!" he shouted over That Piece of Shit Shane's screams. "That asshole had you first? You and him were together? And what the hell happened to everythang bein' under control? Why's Rick in the hospital?"
What in the actual fuck?!
"Daryl Vernon Dixon, you need to dial it back, and dial it back right now, before you and I have a serious problem!" I shouted over That Piece of Shit Shane's screams. "I'm not dealing with anymore of anyone else's bullshit today! And not that it's your business, but That Piece of Shit Shane never 'had' me! He got to second base at most! He knew exactly what to say to get under Richard's skin because Richard has no fucking chill! And I did everything I could to get him to walk away from a fight, but he made the choice to hurl his body through a glass window! He is why he's in the hospital right now! That's not on me, D!"
"Lilly, page Dr. Carson!" Tara shouted over That Piece of Shit Shane's screams. She left his side and rushed over to me and Daryl. "The glass went in another inch! Sorry, but we can't make him wait any longer for a doctor! Dr. Khalil and Deputy Grimes are in 6B!"
She dashed back over to That Piece of Shit Shane when medical staff rushed in with a gurney. I had to plug my fingers in my ears while they were transferring him to it because of how much louder his screams got. After he was whisked away through another set of double doors, I rolled my eyes and unplugged my ears.
That Piece of Shit Shane.
"Goddamn asshole," Daryl grumbled.
I gave Daryl a side-eye. "I certainly seem to be surrounded by them."
A beat passed before he grunted softly and put his arm around my shoulders. "Hey, it ain't on you, 'Chonne," he mumbled. "Sorry."
I shrugged his arm off, but his apology was appreciated.
"You ok?" he asked.
"No, Daryl. I'm not ok! I'm in the ER… again! And you attacked That Piece of Shit Shane!" I hissed, poking him in his chest.
"You gotta problem with that?" He looked ready to fight about it if I did.
Oh my God.
"No, I don't have a problem with you attacking him! I have a problem that you stopped me from attacking Fucking Lori Grimes, you hypocrite!"
He grunted softly again. "Yeah, guess I shouldn'ta."
Oh my God!
"I want a box of Big Kats by the end of the day, Daryl."
He rolled his eyes and looked down at his hand.
"I'm serious! A box of thirty-six Big Kats!"
While he was clenching and unclenching his hand, I noticed how red and swollen his knuckles were.
"One punch or two?" I asked.
"One. That asshole fell back in his chair before I could get in another."
That Piece of Shit Shane.
"That nurse said Rick's in 6B?" he asked.
He was already walking to the double doors behind us before I could answer. I stayed right where I was.
"Come on, 'Chonne," he grumbled, holding one of the doors open for me. "You know you wanna see him, so quit playin'."
I walked over to the double doors, but I walked over with attitude.
"How'd you know what That Piece of Shit Shane said about having me first? Glenn called you?" I asked, keeping up with Daryl's swift stride as we walked to 6B.
It made sense that Tammy Rose heard what That Piece of Shit Shane said and told Annette, who would've told Maggie, who would've told Glenn, who would've told Daryl. It was comforting to know the Rumorville was back up and running.
"Nah, I ain't heard from Glenn yet. Heard it from Rick."
Huh?
"What? When did you hear from Richard?"
The only time we were apart was when he was in the ambulance.
"When he was in the ambulance. Alone. Without you," Daryl told me.
I gave him a side-eye. I wasn't about to feel guilty for not riding with Richard in that ambulance.
"You're telling me he called you… in an ambulance… while he was receiving medical attention… to gossip?" I asked.
Normally, I would find Richard's insatiable need to run his mouth hysterical, but I was fuming.
"You go," I growled when Daryl and I were standing outside of 6B. "I'll wait."
He grunted, pounded on the exam room's closed door and entered without waiting to be invited in. "Doc, I need a minute. Close the door behind you," I heard him grumble.
Siddiq quickly exited the exam room and closed the door behind him.
"Michonne, hi!" he said when he saw me standing off to the side. "I heard you were here. It's good to see you."
He gave me a warm hug, which I returned.
"Good to see you too, Siddiq!"
I could hear Daryl's raised voice, but I couldn't make out what he was saying.
Damn.
I was tempted to put my ear to the door, but that would probably be rude since Siddiq and I were having a conversation. Daryl sounded pissed though.
"Nora and I were so disappointed when we found out Carl's party was canceled. Will you be rescheduling?" Siddiq asked.
Now I could hear Richard's raised voice, but I couldn't make out what he was saying.
Damn!
"I think we will," I told Siddiq. "Maybe in a few weeks once everything settles down."
Now I could hear both Richard and Daryl's raised voices, but I still couldn't make out a word either of them were saying.
FML.
"We'll be there," Siddiq promised. "We have a mountain of birthday gifts for Carl, and with the twins coming in a few months, Nora's desperate for your motherly advice."
"I'm happy to share it!"
The exam room door was flung open, and Daryl stormed out. "Doc," he grumbled, nodding goodbye to Siddiq. "Walk me to my bike," he grumbled to me. "I'm on my lunch break and gotta get back to work."
I gave Siddiq a little wave and walked with Daryl to the parking lot. Neither of us spoke until he was on his bike.
"Rick's gonna apologize, and you're gonna forgive him," he informed me.
I tilted my head and gave him a very unimpressed look.
"'Chonne, Rick's under a lotta stress right now."
"Of course! Of course you're taking his side," I complained.
"I ain't takin' anyone's side," he grumbled. "But cut him some slack, Michonne. His skank wife, that asshole, and a baby all poppin' up has him stressed the hell out, you know that. He wanted a lot of stuff to happen over the weekend that ain't happened yet, and I don't just mean Lil Asskicker's birthday."
I rolled my eyes, but I was listening.
"He's entitled to make a mistake."
"A mistake? I got a full-blown eye squint and head tilt, Daryl. Me! He eye squinted and head tilted me!"
"And he was wrong. But you've made mistakes before too, Michonne, and Rick and me have always forgiven you, haven't we?"
I rolled my eyes again.
Daryl was being ridiculous. I barely ever made mistakes.
"Rick's gonna play his temporary insanity card, you'll accept it and you'll move on."
I grunted, refusing to agree or disagree with what he was suggesting.
"Squash this before it gets outta hand, Michonne. 'Cuz I don't wanna deal with yours and Rick's bullshit anymore either."
Rude.
"And next time Rick goes through a window, call me!"
"Anything else?" I asked sarcastically.
"Nuh uh, that's it."
"Good. Where's your helmet?"
He shrugged. "Forgot it."
I gave him a look.
"That's what happens when y'all act a damn donkey in the middle of my workday!" he grumbled.
Rude!
"Bye, Daryl," I deadpanned.
"Love you, 'Chonne," he said, smiling. "I'll stop by the house later."
"Love you too, and please be careful. And don't forget my Big Kats, D!"
He mumbled something under his breath that sounded an awful lot like "greedy damn donkey," but he backed out of his parking space before I could question it.
"Hey! Don't freak out when you see Rick's face!" he told me before riding off.
I sighed and walked back to 6B. Siddiq left the exam room door open, so I lingered in the doorway, not wanting to interrupt the talk he was having with Richard. Siddiq must have sensed my presence because he looked over his shoulder and gestured for me to come in.
"Michonne, we were hoping you'd be back. I was just telling Rick he's on strict doctor's orders not to hulk out for the next six to eight weeks."
I gasped and gripped the M charm of my necklace when I saw Richard sitting on the exam bed. He was wearing a hospital gown and his face was covered in so many little white bandages.
"You came back," he silently said to me.
I rolled my eyes and ignored him.
His face may have been a hot mess, but he was not yet forgiven for that eye squint and head tilt combo.
"His face looks worse than it is," Siddiq told me. "Those bandages can come off in a couple of days, and there should be very minimal scarring left behind. His hand is a little more concerning. There's a very deep gash that required stitches, but those will come out in a few weeks. I don't believe there's any nerve damage, but we won't know until the stitches come out. His bruised ribs will take about six weeks to heal, and he has contusions on his chest, back, torso and both thighs. I expect those to clear up in a few weeks as well. Hulking out jokes aside, he will need to take it easy and allow his body to heal."
I swallowed hard.
He was so banged up and bruised.
Don't cry. Don't cry. Don't cry. Don't cry. Don't cry.
I looked into Rick's eyes.
"Don't cry, Michonne," he silently told me.
I rolled my eyes and ignored him.
"Give me a few minutes, and I'll give him the all-clear to be discharged," Siddiq said. "I just need to write a prescription for some pain meds, and then we can send him off with some dressing for his wounds."
"Thanks, Siddiq," Rick said quietly.
He sounded so tired.
"Thank you," I said to Siddiq. "And I'll give Nora a call later this week."
"I'll let her know. You two take all the time you need in here." He gave my shoulder a supportive squeeze on his way out. "He'll be fine," he whispered.
When Siddiq was gone, I crossed my arms and stared out the exam room's window, trying to figure out my next move. I was conflicted between cussing Richard out and comforting him.
He made my decision for me when I heard a small gasp of pain.
"What are you doing?" I asked, rushing over to him.
"Tryin' to get up so I can talk to you," he said.
"You're not getting up."
"I can stand, Michonne. My legs are workin' just fine."
"You're not getting up," I repeated sternly.
I stood between his legs and blocked him.
Rick and I were roughly the same height since he was sitting on the bed. My eyes darted from one bandage to the next bandage to the next bandage to the next.
"Jesus," I sighed, delicately cupping his face with my hands. "Your face," I whispered. "Your beautiful face. Look at what you did to your face."
"It's not that bad, Michonne. It's worse than it looks, like Siddiq said."
"You haven't seen yourself. Nugget will be terrified." I was worried he'd start wailing in terror when he saw his daddy.
"He'll be fine," Rick said with a little eye roll.
I sniffled. "He won't."
"He will."
"He won't."
"Michonne, Carl will be fine."
He wouldn't. He'd be scared.
I sniffled again.
My poor Nugget.
"Does your face hurt?" I asked, still worried that Rick's face was in worse shape than it looked.
"It stings more than anythang," he replied, shrugging nonchalantly. He immediately winced because shrugging must have been painful.
"Oh, Rick," I whispered.
I gave his face a soft, loving squeeze before releasing it.
"Let me see your hand," I demanded.
"Michonne, it's just a cut. It's nuthin'," he said, holding his right hand up.
"Mmhmm," I hummed dismissively.
I examined the way his hand had been wrapped with gauze and gave a nod of approval. After I gently placed his hand to his side, I started to lift his hospital gown to check his bruising, but Rick stopped me.
"They had to cut my clothes off."
"Ok," I replied, not understanding what the issue was.
"All my clothes, Michonne. I'm kinda commando right now."
Oh.
Oh!
OH!
With burning cheeks, I let Rick's gown go before I accidentally saw his big Rick.
"I can check the bruises later," I mumbled.
Don't look at his lap. Don't look at his lap. Don't look at his lap.
"You talkin' to me again?" he asked.
I took a quick peek at his lap before looking into his eyes. They burned bright with hope, coming very close to warming my heart.
But not close enough.
"No," I deadpanned. "I'm leaving."
I tried to turn away, but Rick crossed his ankles behind my legs and trapped me in place.
Fucking legs of steel.
"Where're you goin'?" he asked.
"To Hershel's. I'll be spending the rest of the day with my son and his sister. Goodbye."
Rick sighed. "You're still pissed."
"But why would I be pissed, Richard?" I asked, feigning ignorance.
"Michonne," Rick groaned.
"Don't 'Michonne' me," I said with narrowed eyes. "Why would I be pissed, Richard?"
He gripped the side of my waist with his left hand. "Because I'm an idiot," he murmured.
"Yep," I agreed. "See ya."
I tried to get out of Rick's hold, but unless I used jiujitsu on him, I was stuck.
"Rick," I growled.
"Not 'Richard.'" He smiled. "That's progress."
Rick had the most lovely smile, even with his face hidden by all those little bandages. If I was a weaker, less principled woman, that smile would have warmed my heart. It's a good thing I was so strong and so principled.
"Michonne, I'm sorry," Rick said, sliding his hand from my waist to my lower back. "You are the very last person I should've gotten an attitude with."
Stay strong. Stay principled.
"Keep talking," I mumbled.
"I was completely outta line. It's just… the thought of him with his hands all over you… doin' stuff… thangs to you… it made me a little crazy, Michonne. And findin' out that you two were together… but you never told me… it made me crazier. That's no excuse, it's just the truth. But I apologize. I was wrong for bein' an ass to you."
"A huge ass," I corrected. "And what about the other thing That Piece of Shit Shane said? About being with Fucking Lori Grimes last? That seemed to make you pretty crazy too."
"Michonne," Rick said softly, pulling me closer, "I'm always gonna be sore about Shane and Lori bein' together but not in the way you think."
"Keep talking," I mumbled, staring at one of the curls resting on his forehead.
"Lori was my wife. Shane was my friend. My wife and my friend betrayin' me is always gonna make me feel some kinda way. That shit should never have happened. And now there's a baby involved in this mess. It ain't right, Michonne. But me bein' upset about thangs doesn't mean I have unresolved, underlyin' feelin's for Lori. I don't. There's only one woman who occupies space in my heart from here on out, and it ain't her. If I have to tell you and show you every day for a thousand days in a thousand different ways, I will."
Well, shit.
My heart was warmed.
It may have even started to melt a little.
"Just a thousand?" I asked, smiling.
"Ten thousand." He smiled back at me.
God, I loved his face.
I loved it and could see the toll the past few days had taken on it. It wasn't just the bandages that said things had been rough. It was also the way the spark in his eyes had dimmed a little.
Daryl was right. I was going to cut Rick some slack. I was going to forgive him for that eye squint and that head tilt. And I was making a promise to myself to stop doubting where Rick stood with Lori.
But I was still highly perturbed.
"Hmm," I grumbled.
"And she's still pissed," Rick murmured to himself, pulling me a little closer.
"And why else would she be pissed, Rick?"
"Probably 'cuz I'm the reason you're in the ER. You hate the ER."
"I despise the ER, but it's not just that, Rick. You could've been seriously injured today. What if the glass that's stuck in That Piece of Shit Shane got stuck in you?"
He sighed. "I know. You're right."
"You have got to stop letting your anger get the best of you," I lectured. "You have to learn to let things go… like I do."
Rick stared at me and blinked slowly.
"Like you do," he slowly repeated.
"Yes, Rick, like I do! When I get my moment with Fucking Lori Grimes, I may punch her once, twice, three times, maybe five, no more than six, and then I'm walking away. Why? Because I have self-control."
Rick stared at me and blinked slowly.
"Do you?" he slowly asked.
"And that leads me to the next reason I'm pissed," I said, ignoring his question. "How many times have you stopped me from dealing with Fucking Lori Grimes? And yet you flew over a table to tackle That Piece of Shit Shane, and then you tackled him again and went through a window! How is that fair?"
Rick stared at me and blinked slowly. "I can see how it's not."
"It's not! You owe me another apology!" I demanded.
"I apologize, Michonne. I apologize for stoppin' you from runnin' barefoot through glass to deal with Lori," he deadpanned.
I ignored him.
"I need you to not interfere when I get another chance with Fucking Lori Grimes, Rick."
I waited for him to say something.
He stared at me and blinked slowly.
He blinked slowly again.
Oh my God.
"Rick, do I have your word you won't interfere?"
He blinked slowly again.
Oh my God!
"Rick!"
"Sweetheart, I'm not sure we have the same understandin' of what self-control is."
I narrowed my eyes at him, but he just pulled me closer and planted a soft kiss on the tip of my nose.
"Do you forgive me?" he asked.
"You're so annoying," I mumbled.
"Yeah, but do you forgive me?"
"And your face is hideous," I grumbled.
"Nah, you still love my face. Do you forgive me? Say yes."
"Extraordinarily annoying," I told him.
"Michonne, tell me you forgive me or tell me what I need to do for you to forgive me. I'll do anythang. I just want us to be good again."
I sighed and wrapped my arms around his neck. I wanted us to be good again too.
"Yes," I told him.
"Yeah?" he asked, raising his eyebrows.
I smiled at the surprised look on his face. "Yes, I forgive you."
Rick did a little happy dance wiggle and winced. I tried to pull away from him to assess what was causing him pain, but he held me firmly in place and carefully wrapped his right arm around me. I could tell he was disregarding the pain he was in.
"Michonne, can I ask you somethin'?" he asked, glancing at my lips.
The butterflies in my stomach were instantly awakened.
Holy shit!
Was this it?
Was Rick about to give me my last first kiss?
It wasn't exactly ideal timing for a last first kiss… Being in the ER repulsed me… Rick's face was a beautiful hideous mess… I was still on edge from my conversation with That Piece of Shit Shane...
But if this was our moment, I was ready.
"Yes, Rick," I breathed out, giving him the green light to give me my last first kiss.
I tilted my head back, positioning my mouth perfectly for his perfect pink lips. I closed my eyes…
"When you say Shane got to second base, do you mean he was safe on second or he was leadin' off the base and tryin' to steal third?"
Huh?!
My eyes snapped open.
"'Cuz there's a difference," Rick continued. "One base is over the bra..."
Oh my God.
"The other base is under the bra."
Oh my God!
Daryl Dixon had the biggest mouth!
I was making it a top priority to find new friends this weekend.
"Was Shane—"
"Stop talking, Rick."
"Ok, but did he—"
"Rick. Stop. Talking. I cannot believe you're asking me how far That Piece of Shit Shane got fifteen years ago! You had actual sex with Fucking Lori Grimes fifteen months ago! You have a whole ass maybe baby!"
I gave him the mother of all eye rolls. I couldn't believe he just ruined our last first kiss.
"I'll stop talkin' now," he said.
"Please do," I grumbled.
I started counting the little bandages on his face to focus on something other than my annoyance.
One, two, three, four…
"Michonne…"
Five, six, seven…
"Michonne…"
Eight, nine…
"Michonne…"
Oh. My. God.
I stopped counting bandages and looked into his blue eyes. His heavenly sky-blue eyes.
"What, Rick?!"
"Hi," he whispered.
Something about that "hi" melted my heart into an ooey, gooey mess.
"Hi," I whispered back.
He tenderly kissed my forehead with his incredibly soft lips.
"Can I ask you somethin' else?" he asked.
The ooey, gooeyness of my heart was going to allow another question.
I nodded.
"Can we go home now? I'd really like to go home now."
Home.
Where he and I belonged together.
"Yes, Rick," I said. I grinned and rubbed my nose against his. "Let's go home."
He needed his rest, and while he was resting, I needed to track down Fucking Lori Grimes.
A/N: Thank you for reading! Please take the time to leave a review. It's appreciated!