at his face and drew in a surprised gasp. His face was not smiling, nor was he in pain. No, she could have written a book with all the things his eyes said to her. Hunger, and not for food. Desire. Sex. That was what his eyes were saying.
Elizabeth quickly set his gown right and pulled the sheet up to his chest. “I think everything looks great,” she said. She left out the part about how even with the scar, his muscled chest and ripped abs looked good enough to lick. “I may come back and check on you again,” she said as she quickly left the room without further explanation. Ash watched her go.
“You really have to quit scaring that woman,” Lele mused from beside him.
“Didn’t mean to,” he answered, still watching the door she left through.
Leanne glanced from her brother’s face to the door and back again. “Oh,” she laughed. “I see.”
CHAPTER EIGHT
Ash had no idea how long he had been sleeping. All he knew was that he was awake and still in the hospital. Lele had left, probably to get some food. Ash’s stomach growled and he wondered if that fateful burger was the last thing he had eaten. The pain medication kept him loopy and he was missing large pieces of the past few days.
On the good side, the pain had lessened in his chest and he could actually move without feeling like there was a buzz saw ripping through his torso. How many days had it been? Three, he thought. He pushed up in his bed and reached for a cup with water in it. The liquid was room temperature, but felt good going down his parched throat. He looked for the call light and pressed the button.
“Can I help you?” the disembodied voice of one of the nursing staff asked a moment later.
“Food,” Ash grunted.
“Ok, be there in a sec,” the nurse answered.
A few minutes later, a large woman with short, curly hair entered his room. She had a tray in her hands and set it on the bedside table. Ash looked at her like she had gone nuts.
“Well, I know it isn’t much,” the woman said in a jolly tone, “But we gotta make sure your tummy can tolerate food before bringing on the steak and potatoes.”
Ash looked skeptically at the tray. It had two packets of crackers, some red jello, and a sprite on it. “Really?” he asked.
“Yes, really. Eat this and if it stays down, we’ll talk about getting you a sandwich or something. I know you’re a big guy and this is nothing for you, but rules are rules. We can’t have you getting sick and throwing up all over the place. Besides, wouldn’t want to rip those staples out now, would we?”
Ash wanted to say something snarky to her, to be his acidic self, but the woman was just so happy. He just couldn’t bring himself to do anything to upset her; instead, he picked up the packet of crackers and began munching down on them. Had Saltines ever tasted so good before? He thought not. The same with the jello. In a matter of minutes he had cleared the tray while his nurse watched. To his own amazement, he felt full.
He leaned back against his pillow and rested. “Sure does take it out of ya, doesn’t it?” the nurse asked with a smile. “I’ll be back in a bit with something better for you.” She picked up the tray and left his room without another word. Ash sighed and wondered what his doctor was up to. He thought since it was dark outside, she was likely working her shift in the ER.
“I don’t recall giving you permission to take a little vacation,” a deep voice chuckled from the dark corner of the room. Ash knew without even opening his eyes that it was that piece of shit demon.
“Figured I was due,” Ash said, nonchalantly.
“Well, as it turns out, I got a change of plans for you,” the demon said, coming out of the shadows to stand at the foot of Ash’s bed. “Rashaan has gone into hiding,”
Elizabeth quickly set his gown right and pulled the sheet up to his chest. “I think everything looks great,” she said. She left out the part about how even with the scar, his muscled chest and ripped abs looked good enough to lick. “I may come back and check on you again,” she said as she quickly left the room without further explanation. Ash watched her go.
“You really have to quit scaring that woman,” Lele mused from beside him.
“Didn’t mean to,” he answered, still watching the door she left through.
Leanne glanced from her brother’s face to the door and back again. “Oh,” she laughed. “I see.”
CHAPTER EIGHT
Ash had no idea how long he had been sleeping. All he knew was that he was awake and still in the hospital. Lele had left, probably to get some food. Ash’s stomach growled and he wondered if that fateful burger was the last thing he had eaten. The pain medication kept him loopy and he was missing large pieces of the past few days.
On the good side, the pain had lessened in his chest and he could actually move without feeling like there was a buzz saw ripping through his torso. How many days had it been? Three, he thought. He pushed up in his bed and reached for a cup with water in it. The liquid was room temperature, but felt good going down his parched throat. He looked for the call light and pressed the button.
“Can I help you?” the disembodied voice of one of the nursing staff asked a moment later.
“Food,” Ash grunted.
“Ok, be there in a sec,” the nurse answered.
A few minutes later, a large woman with short, curly hair entered his room. She had a tray in her hands and set it on the bedside table. Ash looked at her like she had gone nuts.
“Well, I know it isn’t much,” the woman said in a jolly tone, “But we gotta make sure your tummy can tolerate food before bringing on the steak and potatoes.”
Ash looked skeptically at the tray. It had two packets of crackers, some red jello, and a sprite on it. “Really?” he asked.
“Yes, really. Eat this and if it stays down, we’ll talk about getting you a sandwich or something. I know you’re a big guy and this is nothing for you, but rules are rules. We can’t have you getting sick and throwing up all over the place. Besides, wouldn’t want to rip those staples out now, would we?”
Ash wanted to say something snarky to her, to be his acidic self, but the woman was just so happy. He just couldn’t bring himself to do anything to upset her; instead, he picked up the packet of crackers and began munching down on them. Had Saltines ever tasted so good before? He thought not. The same with the jello. In a matter of minutes he had cleared the tray while his nurse watched. To his own amazement, he felt full.
He leaned back against his pillow and rested. “Sure does take it out of ya, doesn’t it?” the nurse asked with a smile. “I’ll be back in a bit with something better for you.” She picked up the tray and left his room without another word. Ash sighed and wondered what his doctor was up to. He thought since it was dark outside, she was likely working her shift in the ER.
“I don’t recall giving you permission to take a little vacation,” a deep voice chuckled from the dark corner of the room. Ash knew without even opening his eyes that it was that piece of shit demon.
“Figured I was due,” Ash said, nonchalantly.
“Well, as it turns out, I got a change of plans for you,” the demon said, coming out of the shadows to stand at the foot of Ash’s bed. “Rashaan has gone into hiding,”
Similar Books
