Page 73 of Ride the Lightning
“The weapon wasn’t on the scene when I arrived,” said another voice he didn’t recognize. A cop? A paramedic?
“Can you get Detectives Locke and Key here?” Avery asked.
“Sure thing,” the man said. Footsteps echoed and Jonah caught a glimpse of him as he passed Jonah’s bed. It was a patrolman.
The machines in the room beeped and whirred to life as the nurses moved around Dr. Sheridan hooking him up to things. A new sound joined the medical equipment. Ringing. A phone?
“Hi, Commissioner Rigby. It’s Avery. Jonah’s been injured,” he urgently said, then rattled off the hospital. “Someone hit him on the head. The doctor said something about a concussion, but they’re running more tests.” How had Avery found him? Jonah vaguely remembered Avery calling him when he woke up.
“Doc, radiology is ready for him now,” someone said.
“Let’s move him,” Dr. Sheridan said.
Wait.He needed to tell Avery to get far, far away from him. It wasn’t safe. Jonah opened his eyes and realized the hospital bed was moving again. Big mistake. He began dry heaving, sending jolts of pain to his brain every time his body tensed in preparation.
“Poor guy,” someone on the team said. “Let’s get moving again. The sooner they assess the head injury, the faster they can pump medications into him.”
The bed started rolling once more, and Jonah tried his best to relax into the thin mattress. He prayed for the blissful darkness to swallow him up again and got his wish.
The atmosphere was drastically less chaotic when Jonah resurfaced the next time. He was also in far less pain, and his stomach wasn’t in turmoil. Jonah remained still, assessing his surroundings. He could tell by the antiseptic smell, uncomfortable mattress, and beeping machines that he was still in the hospital. God, he fucking hated hospitals. Jonah mentally slammed on the brakes before his brain could take him down memory lane. He didn’t want to think about the field hospital where they’d stabilized him for the long flight to Ramstein Air Force Base in Germany, then on to Landstuhl Regional Medical Center. Jonah had stayed there for a while to heal and recover before heading home to the States, where they began reconstructive surgery on his face. Jonah would give almost everything he possessed if someone could erase the memories of the emotional trauma and physical pain he’d endured during those long months of recuperation.
Hushed whispers snagged his attention. Jonah cracked open his eyes. Avery, Royce, Sawyer, Ellen, Rocky, Felix, and Marla stood in a small huddle, talking quietly. Jonah only had eyes for one of them. He raked his gaze over Avery’s face, noting his puffy, red eyes and pale face. Regret and guilt squeezed Jonah’s heart like a vise grip. He must’ve made a sound of distress because all eyes turned on him.
Even though his arm felt like it weighed two hundred pounds, he raised it enough to crook his finger.
“Which one of us is he beckoning to?” Royce asked.
“Doubtful it’s you,” Sawyer said. “It was probably your big mouth that woke him.”
“You love my big mouth, asshole,” Royce said softly.
Sawyer glared daggers at Royce, but Jonah saw his mouth twitch.
Avery shushed them and hurried to Jonah’s side. “Hey,” he said softly. “How are you feeling?”
“Like roadkill,” Jonah replied. His mouth felt like sandpaper, and his throat was as dry as a desert. “How’d you find me?”
Avery removed a reusable plastic water bottle and straw from the cellophane, then filled it with ice water from a pitcher. “Here, drink this.” Avery placed the straw against Jonah’s lips, and he complied. “Some guy named Hank picked up your phone after you passed out. He gave me a general location, and I got in the car and drove around until I found you.” Avery’s eyes watered. “Hank stayed on the phone with me until I got there. He told me what you did for him and Buddy.”
Jonah let the straw slide from his lips when he was done. Avery pressed the back of his hand against Jonah’s cheek. He couldn’t resist leaning into his touch, soaking in his warmth. After a few moments, Jonah wrapped his hand around Avery’s wrist and pulled his hand away. “Avery, I think you should leave. Get as far away from me as you can.”
Avery sucked in a sharp breath and recoiled, almost dropping the water bottle. He set it down and fell into the seat beside Jonah’s bed. He looked dazed for all of three seconds before he straightened his shoulders and crossed his arms over his chest. “The hell I will,” he said.
“It’s time for us to step out and give these gentlemen some privacy,” Marla whispered.
“But,Mom,” Royce whined, “we’re just getting to the good part of the show.”
“Out now, before I drag you out by your ear,” Marla said forcefully.
“Will there be spankings if we’re really naughty?” Royce asked.
Marla giggled. “You’re too eager. Come on, now,” she said, herding them all out the door.
Once alone, Jonah reached out and caressed Avery’s face. The firm press of lips and determined expression let Jonah know he was facing a losing battle. To be honest, his attempt was feeble at best. “You know that tattoo on my back?”
Avery nodded.
“It’s to honor my four friends who died in combat because of a horrible mistake I made. I can’t let this go until I solve what really happened to Earl Ison. I couldn’t live with myself if something happened to you because of me.”