Page 23

Ash: Just had a phone call from Chloe (Nurse). Carl is worse, she wants me to hurry. Not sure when I’ll be back xx

That’s not what I wanted to see when I opened my phone. I know they wouldn’t have called her if it wasn’t serious. Not five minutes later, my phone dings again.

Prez: Everyone, close the businesses and get to the hospital. Flakey’s not doing well. You’re all asked to help. Meet me at the downstairs reception.

Holy shit, this must be serious. Everyone simultaneously drops their tools with a lot of grunts and cussing. Concerned faces everywhere, it takes all of a few minutes until we’re on our bikes and on the way to the hospital. Several others joined us on the road, coming from different directions. By the time we reach the parking lot, it’s heaving with bikes. We make our way into the reception area and group around Raven.

Raven looks apprehensive and on edge. So many bikers in one place and no one dares to even breathe. You can hear a pin drop. Finally, Raven clears his throat.

“There is no easy way of saying this. Flakey is not good. He’s been diagnosed with advanced acute myeloid leukemia, which stops his blood from clotting. He’s had another big bleed, so he’s in surgery right now.”

Stunned whispers are making the rounds. I obviously knew it was bad, but hadn’t recognized how bad, even though Ashley told me.

“We can all try to help him,” Raven continues. “He needs a bone marrow transplant. We know there’s no blood family, so it is up to us to try to stand by him. There is a bone marrow donor center here in the hospital. I’m on my way there to give a blood sample, to be tested, as they’re trying to find a suitable match for him, and that is difficult. I will register now. Does anyone want to join me?” He looks around at each and every one of us. Not that it was needed, as we all nodded almost as soon as he finished his sentence.

“Lead the way, Prez,” declared Clusseaud.

We all agreed, and as one, followed Raven to the registration office. We sit, fill in what seems like never-ending forms, and finally, one after the other, are called to give a small blood sample. Raven goes first and everyone else follows when called. As I come out and join Raven, I can’t help myself and I have to ask.

“Where’s Rusty? I haven’t seen him in a bit.” I try to sound concerned, but I guess I haven’t quite hit the right tone, since Raven looks at me quizzically.

“He’s taken two weeks off. He had to look after Ellie. She got herself into some bother. He’ll join us at the Slayers rally.”

Oh, how convenient, Is my first and only thought. I know better than to voice it, though. Instead, I ask, “Is Ellie okay? Do we need to help get her out of trouble? She always was such a great girl. Shame she left.”

Raven nods and sighs. “I don’t think it’s that bad, I offered, but Rusty was convinced he can handle it on his own. Whether or not she lives here, she’s part of our family. I worry about her sometimes.” Raven sounds uneasy.

“Brother, I’m sure if she needs us, she’ll reach out,” I try to reassure him. “I’ll ask Ash if she has heard anything from Ellie lately. I know those two were as thick as thieves.”

“Talking about Ashley, brother, I will remind you again. I will bury you in a hole so deep, no one will find you if you hurt my sister.” He hisses at me.

“Whoa, calm down, man! We have talked and sorted shit out. We are together and I will claim her at the table on Sunday. I’d never hurt her knowingly. Sure, I will fuck up once in a while, but I’d never knowingly hurt her,” I promise Raven, and I hope my voice reflects my sincerity.

“I can’t say I’m happy about this Vegas. I’d be lying if I did, but for Ashley’s sake, I will try to get used to the new situation. It’ll take time though for me to not want to rip your fucking head off, so tread carefully, brother,” he warns me, and I nod at him. I get it. If it was my sister, I would react the same.

“She’s in the cafeteria,” he grouses. “Best take care of her, don’t ya think? I’ll wait for the others, and we’ll meet you there.” I nod at his request, turn and make my way into the cafeteria.

I see her sitting at a table by the window, her shoulders slumped and hopelessness is cast like a mask over her beautiful face. My chest aches to see her like that. My strong warrior princess looks so fragile, I want to scoop her up in my arms and be her knight in black shining armor. I’ve never seen her look so defeated before. I quietly make my way to her table, sit down next to her, and wrap her in my arms.

“Hey, princess,” I whisper in her ear, and she melts against me. I can see how hard she’s fighting her tears.

“Let it out, baby, just let it out. I’m here. I’ll keep you safe.” That’s when the first sob breaks free. She buries her face into my cut, grabbing it with both hands, clinging to me like a monkey, bawling her eyes out, and all I can do is let her know I’m here for her, strong for her, and comfort her. My hand rubs her back and strokes her hair. I move my chair back and she climbs into my lap, clinging to me for dear life.

Slowly, her sobs become quieter and are interspersed with hiccups. When she sits up a little, I hand her some napkins, which Raven quietly put on our table before he walked away to sit with the brothers, giving us some space. I look at her red, swollen face and my heart breaks for my woman. I wish I could take her pain away but know that’s impossible. Instead, I hold her close, kiss her hair, and let her know I’m here for her. It is all the reassurance I can give her right now.

“Hey, babe, I know you’re upset, but I need to ask you something. Well, several things actually. Are you still in touch with Ellie?” Ashley looks up at me with her tear-stained face and nods.

“Yes, Vince, why do you ask?” she inquires between hiccups.

“I’m sorry, sweetheart, I don’t mean to pry. I just wondered if you could call her and make sure she’s okay. Maybe let her know about Flakey as well. I’m sure she’d want to know.”

“Oh my god, yes, of course, I had completely forgotten she knows him as well as I do. I need to get some fresh air, collect my thoughts. I’ll go outside for a bit and call her from there. Don’t wanna sound like a complete mess when I do. Then I’ll register for the donor search as well and get my blood taken.” She went from blubbering to insisting in under ten seconds. My warrior princess is getting her composure and shows her steel backbone. No one could be prouder of her than I’m right now. Letting her up out of my lap, I watch her stride with determination toward the cafeteria doors, nodding at the rest of the brothers on her way.

I meander over to the brothers. Raven is pointedly ignoring me, so I sit down with Pennywise.

“Pen, a word later, please?” I quietly ask him.

He looks at me, surprised, but nods. I’m surprised myself. I’ve had concerns for a long time, but never actually voiced any of them, so why now? An hour later, we still haven’t heard any news about Flakey. Raven calls the nurse, who tells him that the operation is nearly over. She’ll call him as soon as Flakey is back on the ward. Sparks called Ally, who is now sitting with us, and Dawg picked up Caroline. Debbie has made her way to the hospital, and Ashley must have called Sarah, because she’s here sitting by Dougal. All the old ladies and Sarah have registered and given blood samples. Sarah phoned work, and all of her and Ashley’s co-workers are going to turn up over the next couple of days to get tested. It looks like the ball is rolling.

Raven approaches our table. “I called the Slayers and let them know what’s going on with Flakey. Most of them have known him for years and asked how they could help. They’ll all get tested at their end too and have a collection for Flakey at the rally. They asked if we would like to man a stall for Flakey? You know, telling people about bone marrow donations and have registration forms. I said yes, but I’m not sure how that would work?”

Ferret looks at him and suggests, “Why not ask his nurse, the one who seems invested and explains everything to you and Ashley? She might be able to help. And we could raise some money for the hospital cancer unit at the poker run after the Slayers rally.”

“Great idea, Ferret, thanks. I’ll ask Chloe and put the fund raiser on the agenda for Sunday.” Raven looks relieved to have gotten so many offers of help and suggestions already. Ally must have overheard because she pipes in.

“Hey, the Wild Pixies are at the rally too, camped next to you reprobates. We’ll man the stand for you and charm the pants off the peeps. You’ll have lots of registrations,” she half teases, but her eyes show she’s genuine and eager to help. She’s a diamond.

“Oi, woman, your wily charms are just for me, remember that,” jokes Sparks good-naturedly. He knows she loves him truly, madly, deeply. She’s been putting up with him for nearly ten years, after all. I see Dawg with pen and paper, jotting things down to put on the agenda and also taking notes of offers and compiling a planning list. Everyone is doing their bit.

I hadn’t noticed Ash coming back, but suddenly, I feel her hands on my shoulder and her warmth transfuses into me.

She leans down, kisses my cheek, and whispers in my ear.

“I spoke to Ellie, babe, she’s fine. She’s upset about Flakey, but insisted she was absolutely fine. Well, other than moaning about Rusty taking up residence and not being able to get rid of him.” Ash visibly shudders.

Others notice her affectionate way of approaching me and there are catcalls. Ashley smiles sweetly at everyone, then shoves her middle finger at them, making everyone chuckle. That’s my girl.

Suddenly, Ashley’s phone goes off. “Hi, Chloe,” I hear her answering. “He is? Oh great! Can we come up? Yes, there are lots of people here. Okay . . . .okay, I’ll let them know. See you soon, Chloe.” Ash turns around and looks at everyone. “Okay, he’s out of surgery and back on the ward. He’s exhausted and still groggy, so only two people at a time, and five minutes only.” We all walk to the elevators, taking us back up to the ward.

Chloe, the nurse, is waiting for us outside Flakey’s room. “He asked for you, Ashley.” Ash nods and lays her hand on the door handle. I grab her other hand. There is no way will I let her go in there on her own. She’s been through enough. Raven approaches Chloe.

“May I have a word, please? I need to ask your advice on something.”

“Sure, follow me. We’ll use the relatives’ room again,” she assures him. Before she walks away, she looks around at everyone. “Don’t forget, two people at a time, five minutes only. Don’t make me come in there and throw you out. And no whiskey or beer are to be smuggled in.” She winks, and everyone chuckles. She seems okay and is good-looking at that. Not my type, but beautiful. She’s curvy, tall—I’d guess about five-foot-eight or nine—with blonde, slightly wavey hair with red highlights. She wears her hair in a messy bun, so I can only assume it to be long. She’s down to Earth, open, and honest. I like her.

Ouch! Ashley slaps me around the back of the head and glares at me. Shit, she must have noticed me assessing Chloe. Damn it!

“You go, girl. Knock some sense into him,” Sarah teases. I put my arm around Ash, draw her close, and kiss her temple.

Flakey is awake as we enter, but only just. He looks like death warmed up. White as a sheet, with dark rings under his eyes, his face looks thinner than last time I saw him. It’s quite a shock to watch him sagged in his pillows like that, clearly exhausted.

Ashley moves to his side and sits on his bed, careful not to disturb all the cables and lines they attached him to.

“Hey.” Flakey smiles at her, then looks at me and states weakly, “I see you dragged the riff raff in with you.”

“Giving me lip already?” I banter back. “Operation must have done the trick. How are you, brother?” I ask, my tone turning more serious.

“Honestly? I feel like shit. I’m sure they let Tyson pound me while I was under.”

“You in pain, man? Want me to call the nurse to get you some pain relievers?” He shakes his head at me. “No need. I have my magic box here. I push the button and get a little hit, makes me as high as a kite.” He grins at me.

Ashley smiles at us, looking reassured. She looks at Flakey. “You asked for me?”

“Yes, honey, I did. I need to talk to you about some things. You know, in case I don’t make it. I’ll give it my all to fight this shit, but I need to be realistic here and cover all angles.” I see Ashley’s eyes moisten up again, but she nods bravely.

“We’re only allowed to stay five minutes. The others are outside and want to see you, too. You gave us quite a scare. Is it okay if I come back tomorrow and we talk about it all, then?” she queries softly. Flakey sighs and nods his head. He’s struggling to keep awake. We say our goodbyes and leave to let the next couple of people go in. I nod at Raven and Pen. The chat with Pen can wait until tomorrow. Getting my woman home and chilled out is the number one priority right now. It was a hell of day.

I follow her back on the bike and overtake her just before we get to my place. My bike triggers the gate and garage doors, allowing her to drive straight into the garage. She shuts off the truck, jumps out, and locks it. I meet her at the door and hold it open for her.

“Shit,” she mumbles.

“What’s up, princess?”

“Damn it, Vegas, I forgot to do the shopping. I was going to cook.” I smile at her. She’s cute when she’s irritated with herself.

“Hey, never mind baby, it’s been a monster of a day. Let’s just order something in. What do you fancy? Pizza?” She smiles brightly at me, making me feel instantly lighter.

“I could eat pizza. Could I have ham and pineapple, please?” she asks innocently, and I look at her in horror.

“Pineapple? On pizza? Are you insane? Pineapple is a fruit and has no business as a pizza topping!” I shudder in disgust, making her laugh out loud.

“I beg to differ,” she contradicts me. “Pineapple is one of the most delicious pizza toppings ever.” Oh yuck, if that crazy woman thinks I’ll kiss her after pineapple pizza, she can think again. Vile, vile, vile! I call in the order and put on some coffee while we wait. The shit in the hospital was more like dish water than coffee. I think we could both do with a pick me up. We grab our cups, move to the living area, and flop onto the sofa. I switch the TV on with the volume turned low.

“What would you like to do tonight? After the pizza, obviously.” I look directly at her, waiting for her to answer.