“Ma"am I am looking for information on Jolly Vincent. I have his family outside, but they are a mess right now. Can you please tell me if he is still alive at least?” Dallas asked.
The nurse looked at him and read the desperation in his face. She sighed and shook her head. “Give me a minute. Who is listed as his next of kin?”
“Steve Wade and Calli Bergen.” Dallas responded because he knew Jolly was a stickler when it came to keeping his insurance info up-to-date. He watched the woman go into the emergency room, hoping she would at least be able to tell them something. He felt a hand slip into his, looked over and saw Ginny next to him.
“I have Calli"s Nextel. Noah and Bailey are waiting.” She whispered and squeezed his hand in encouragement.
They stood in front of the desk stiffly, waiting for the nurse to come back. He saw a doctor come out of the corner of his eyes and go into the waiting room filled with police officers and agents. After a few moments of silence, he saw the doctor walk back out again. He could not tell if it was good or bad news though because there was no other noise in the waiting room. He crept to the corner and looked around the wall. He could see, all the men struggling to keep control, they looked pissed and sad. He did not know whether that was a good or bad thing. He whispered to the man closest to him. “How is she? My friend was with her.”
“Surgery, she was hit three times and her seat belt caused internal bleeding. We have to wait. Yours?” He asked and Dallas told him they did not know yet.
Dallas felt Ginny pull against his hand and he turned in enough time to see the same doctor come out toward them, his eyes refused to give them any indication of what was to come. He shifted from one foot to the other waiting for the news his friend was dead.
“Mr. Vincent made it to the hospital alive. He was rushed to surgery because the damage was so extensive. I will tell you what I know, but before I do, I have to warn you it does not look good. He was shot at least five times at close range. His arm and leg on his right side are broken from the collision. He has lost a lot of blood, and was drifting in and out of consciousness. When he had a brief moment of lucidity, he asked the nurse to write a note to a Steve and Calli.” The doctor handed it to him and Dallas closed his eyes when he saw it was covered in blood. “I am sorry, the surgery team is doing what they can, but it will be a long time before we know anything. It would be best under the circumstances if his next of kin are close in case they have to make a decision. Mr. Vincent signed a DNR with his insurance agency. So no one will not have to make that decision, but there are many other things they may need to be decided.” Dallas nodded and lowered his head, trying to gather himself to be able to speak.
Thankfully, Ginny was here and she was amazingly calm and in control. She asked questions of the doctor and wrote the answers down. She then went back to the desk and gave them a list of numbers to call. She explained she was taking the next of kin across the street to the hotel, until they had more news. Ginny walked into the waiting area and extended an invitation for the agents to set up a staging area across the street at the hotel with them. She explained that Jolly had requested the female agent be taken care of like family. She then turned and led him out to the car. Steve never turned to look at them but Calli was staring at their faces, looking for any hint of hope.
Ginny put Dallas in the seat behind the driver and she took the wheel. She started the engine and stopped before pulling out, so she could tell her two devastated friends what was going on. “Steve, Calli, listen to me. Jolly made it here alive. He is surgery right now. He has a long list of injuries and the doctors are going to be working on him for a while. I booked a suite across the street, let"s go over, and get ourselves together before we come back. Jolly will be in surgery for a long time so they can fix everything.” She said softly and pulled out. Calli cried louder and leaned against Dallas. Steve still did not respond and Dallas was being to worry when the man finally released his grief, it was gonna be an explosion.
They made their way to the top floor of the hotel and Ginny took turns leading the two who had yet to speak. She knew Dallas was in shock too and soon he could crash because of the adrenaline rush. She talked to Noah; assuring him, she would take care of the three of them, and told him to take care of Bailey who was beside herself with guilt. Dallas spoke to Bailey softly, trying to assure her it was not her fault and Steve and Calli did not blame her. He focused on the positive. Then told her to work with Noah to get clothes and food delivered to the hotel for them, and the rest of the people who were keeping vigil at the hospital.
When they finally reached the room, Ginny took Calli gently into the bathroom and Dallas could hear her crying but finally talking to Ginny, he needed to get Steve to snap out of it. He watched as his friend went to the wet bar and pulled out all the bottles and started pouring them into glasses. He emptied the bar and had four glasses in front of him. Dallas watched as the man drank one after another quickly.
“Dude, Jolly is gonna kick your ass when he hears you drank that much alcohol. It is not even free Friday.” Dallas said quietly. The group discovered a long time ago none of them were much into alcohol; they liked wine and champagne, but hard liquor they stayed away from. Once a month they had what they dubbed Free Fridays. A day they would go out and drink a little of the hard stuff. Jolly liked to keep all of his friends on a healthy diet. He insisted they eat well and exercise together. It was one of the reasons when Noah was shot he made such a quick recovery, Jolly took pride in reminding them of that fact too.
“I hope he does, man.” Steve responded and looked up at Dallas. “You know what?
Last night I was going to come down and relieve Jolly from guard duty. He told me to get a good night sleep because I had been working so hard lately. I should have been the one at the loft and made the plan. I should have been the one to go with Bailey this morning.” He said louder with each word until he was yelling. “FUCKIN" A, I let him because I was too tired to drive the thirty minutes back into town! Thirty FUCKIN"
minutes and it would have been me, damn it, it should have been me!” He finished by throwing the glass against the wall. Steve had been up at the new cabin they had built.
They were planning to unveil it to their friends next weekend, but had plans to take Calli up there and hold her hostage, until she agreed to give their relationship a shot.
“Jolly always had all the answers, when it came to planning and keeping people safe that is what he prided himself in. He never would have let you go this morning, you know him. Jolly would have thought of another reason you should have stayed behind and waited with us. He knew you liked to monitor the Nextel; he loved to be the one in the mix of things. He never would have thought to let you go in his place.” Dallas said quietly to the man hoping to soothe him.
“Jolly thought he could do anything because of his size. When Noah was shot, he almost quit, did I ever tell you that? He said if he could not keep his friends protected and safe, what the hell good was he? It was the one time I saw a crack in the super hero mask. I had to get in his face and set him straight. We ended up brawling in the office lobby.
We broke every table and chair that was in the room. When all was said and done, Ginny said we redecorated to the tune of sixty grand.” Steve said grimly. “What are we gonna do if we lose him?”
“You can"t think like that man. We gotta hold it together for Calli. Did you see her? She is holding on by a thin thread.” Dallas said hoping the man would focus on something else besides Jolly for now. There would be time enough, if they called with bad news.
Steve looked at him in surprise. For the first time he thought the man realized Calli was with them. He looked around and turned his head listening to the sounds coming from the bathroom. Dallas watched and sat down as Steve walked to the bathroom door. He did not even knock; instead, he pushed the door until he had it wide open. Ginny came out of the bathroom and Steve reached in and pulled the sobbing female into his arms.
He
was murmuring in the ear as he buried his face in her neck. Dallas could see the man shake and he knew he was crying with the woman he loved.
“Baby, I cannot lose him.” Steve said over and over to her.
She shook as she sobbed into his chest. There were only a few men that made her feel small and delicate. She hated that it was one of the reasons she did not tell the boys how she felt, because it made her vulnerable. Finally, after a while they both had shed as many tears as they could, they stood in silence holding each other for strength.
All four of them jumped when the phone on the counter rang. No one wanted to answer it in case it was bad news. Ginny being the strongest of the group at that point, went and picked up the nasty machine. She nodded, turned and shook her head at them, letting them know it was not the hospital. A rush of air sounded in the room as they all released the breaths they were holding.
Dallas stood, took his cell and went out to the terrace and called Noah. Steve and Calli clung to each other and went to the sofa to sit down. They did not break their connection at all. When Ginny got off the phone, she motioned for Dallas to return to the room. She opened her purse and pulled the bloody note out and said, “Jolly had the nurse write you a note before he went into surgery.” Steve and Calli,
Now then, guys, I know about right now you are sitting there thinking that I am going to die on you. Man, have I ever let you down? Steve, if you take a drink I will kick your ass and Calli dry your tears baby, you know how pissed you are when your makeup is smeared. So down to business. Steve, the Hummer that cut me off was not alone. The Crown Victoria from the other day was behind me and the license plates were the same.
The driver was different „cause he sure knew what he was doing. The driver of the Hummer was a hired gun, he came out shooting regardless of who he hit, I am betting someone from the family"s payroll, watch your back. Bailey, Dallas, and Noah need to have round the clock protection, even in the loft. I think this guy will find a way to get to her. He seemed very determined.
Now finally, the elephant in the room needs to be dealt with. Calli, I love you and when I wake up, I want you and Steve to be there together, but only if you are ready to stop the hiding. You know what we want, it is time to put up or shut up. The nurse is telling me I have to go to surgery. I will dream of you, Calli, and Steve I won"t dream of your ugly mug, but take care of our lady while I am asleep.
Jolly
Ginny stopped reading the letter and set it on the coffee table in front of them. She smiled gently, and kissed Steve and Calli both on the cheeks, then went into the other room, dragging Dallas along with her.
“Well, even from a hospital bed Jolly is trying to tell me what to do.” Steve said and stood up and went to the window.
Calli stood and went and wrapped her arms around him, pushing against his back and said into his shoulder blade. “Steve,” she said whispering, afraid to actually say the words aloud but she forced herself to finish the sentence. “What if he dies before I tell him I love him too?”
“Not gonna happen, didn"t you hear him? He said he would be fine.” Steve choked out; trying to make himself believe Jolly was not lying.
“I love you both,” she said loudly, like it was surprise she had not acknowledged with herself.
They stood together for a long time before they heard Ginny come back into the room and tell them they had to go to the hospital to fill out a few papers for insurance. Steve nodded and turned to Calli and kissed her lips lightly.
She grasped his hand and held on to his arm as they walked from the room and headed across the street. The emergency department had cleared a little since they had been there last, but there were still a lot of men with suits on pacing and wandering the halls.
After they finished with the paperwork, Calli and Steve went up to the surgical waiting area, while Ginny and Dallas tried to find out any information about the female agent and Jolly.
When they entered the waiting area there, it was filled with a lot more suits. Steve nodded to a few of the men he knew and smiled encouragingly at them. He asked how their friend was and they were happy to say she was holding her own. The agent had many broken bones, and her spleen had been removed but she was in recovery. The doctor told her friends as long as she did not develop an infection she would be fine.
Steve nodded and led Calli to the corner and they set up vigil there. They talked lowly about Jolly, and how he would make it because he was so strong and what they would do when he woke up. One time a nurse came in, and gave them an update. Jolly had flat lined on the table a short time ago, when they removed a bullet that was lodged in his lung. The doctors had been quick and brought him back within seconds. They repaired all the damage done by the bullets, with exception to the one in his lungs. Jolly was lucky they had missed all the important organs, the doctors were now setting the breaks in his bones. The worse was the leg, it had been trapped under the steering wheel, but Jolly had pulled it out to get to the female agent. Steve was relieved the injuries, though life threatening for most people, seemed to be superficial for the big man. There was a lot of muscle mass in his friend and for once, it had worked to his advantage instead of against him.
After a few more hours and too many bad cups of coffee to count. The doctor appeared before them; the feds came and stood next to them, preparing to help if the couple received bad news. Being in the waiting area for so long together, they had developed a bond with some of them, especially the agent who had been dating Teri, the female agent who was with Jolly. He told them how she had jumped at the chance to help Bailey. She had obviously been excited to work with the legend they all thought Jolly was. Over the years, he had developed a kind of a following of admirers in the federal building. When Jolly shot the stalker who tried to kill Noah, he had been dubbed a hero.
When he stormed in the Federal Security Guards offices, and demanded they all be trained by him for free, in case it happened again, he had gained the praise of the Marshalls and the FBI. Steve had been surprised when they told him that story. He knew Jolly was working with a few of the men in the federal building but they had no idea that Jolly was doing so much. He thought when his friend went out at night he was looking after all of their interests, but he had been training the bailiffs on his own time.
His feeling for his friend grew and pride filled him when he was able to say Jolly was, his best friend and partner.
Calli sat silently they entire time listening and learning more about the man she loved.
How could she have been so stupid? She pondered as she sat a listened to the men who came and went from the waiting area, checking on not only Teri, but Jolly as well.
Dallas and Ginny had heard all the stories and had called and told Noah and Bailey what they had been told. Bailey cried when Teri"s boyfriend talked to her over the phone, assuring her that Teri had been proud to be able to help her. And would be pissed if she found out Bailey was feeling guilty. Eventually, Dallas was escorted home; Steve agreed the hit man could try to get to Bailey through him. Ginny held her place next to Calli, getting up every once in a while and finding food to shove down their throats, so they would not pass out from hunger.
Finally, after eight hours in surgery, the doctor came into the waiting room to talk to Steve and Calli. They were both so terrified of what he was going to say, they remained in their chairs clinging to each other"s hands. All the men in the room, once again rushed to their sides waiting for the news.
Chapter 3
“Mr. Vincent is one lucky man.” He started out by saying. “We dug out four bullets from his body, and repaired all the damage. The right side of his body was a cornucopia of broken bones. We set his leg and arm in casts. His ribs are taped tightly. He will have a long recovery but I am hopeful he will make a complete recovery. There are concerns of infection, but I think considering the man is still alive it is a miracle. I do not think I have had another patient with these extensive injuries survive. He will be in recovery for a few hours t
hen moved to the ICU where he can be monitored.” When the doctor finished, a collective sigh of relief sounded around the room, Calli fell into Steve"s arms sobbing with relief. Ginny who had been the rock throughout the day fell into a chair and sobbed with an emotional release. There was a lot of clapping and cheering when it finally dawned on the group that both of their friends were going to be okay.
They were told by the nurse to be quiet, or they were going to have to leave the floor.
Steve and Calli sat together silently both of them thankful Jolly had made it, but too overwhelmed to speak. They waited for the nurse to come and tell them they could see him. After what seemed like ages, the nurse finally came in and told them the doctor was going to allow both of them to go in together for about fifteen minutes. Then they would have to wait until morning to see Jolly again.
Steve held Calli as they walked into the small curtained area Jolly was in. Thankfully he was holding her, because if he had not been, she would have fallen down when she saw the big man she just admitted to loving with tubes and bandages all over his body. He looked like a big mummy; she thought and then giggled a little hysterically.
“Baby?” Steve muttered in her ear.
“He looks terrible. What if I never have the chance to tell him I loved him? He could have died not knowing. I am such a bitch.” She sobbed into Steve"s shoulder.
“No you are not, honey, you just were not ready, now you are, Jolly will be the happiest man in the world when he opens his eyes and you are there. Trust me, we have talked about this, and he will just be happy to see you.” Steve said softly to her.
Calli went to Jolly"s side, and looked for somewhere to touch him that was not covered with a bruise or bandage. Seeing none, she had to settle with leaning over and kissing the man on his cheek. When she drew back, Jolly"s eyelashes began to flutter. Calli grinned at Steve, waiting to see if her giant hero was going to open his eyes. Steve grasped his friend's hand and waited. After a few minutes, Jolly"s eyes popped open. He had a tube still in his mouth, so he could not talk and Steve saw that the man was about ready to start freaking out. He leaned down so Jolly could see him.