Possessing Morgan:
A Matter of Conviction
by Aurelia
Part 14
See Part 1 for Disclaimers
Chapter 14
Morgan knew that sound and it sent a chill through her. Was that a gunshot? Here? Pale eyes searched out her partner, an understanding passing between them in a look. Chairs scattered even then as the sound of panicked voices finally reached their ears.
Her initial reaction was to reach for her gun. Chaos erupted as she battled through the mass of bodies trying to get through the door. Something had happened and she felt a cold finger touch her soul, her need to get out the door overpowering. Galvanized, she shoved, pushing those in front of her through the heavy double doors of the station house in an effort to get out. “Move it! Come on, come on.”
But getting out the door only put her on a crowded stoop. “There are too many people up here. Spread out.” But her voice was lost in the multitude of voices already being heard.
It was like a war zone. Police were scattered along the street, guns drawn, taking refuge behind parked cars, fire hydrants, garbage cans and cement blocks. Morgan’s revolver was in her hand instinctively sweeping the area. Excited voices yelled instructions to anyone who would listen. “Where the hell did it come from?” “Check the roofs! Check the roofs!” “What the hell???” “Come on, spread out!” “Get those civilians back… NOW!”
Time had slowed down. Voices became sluggish and unrecognizable as Morgan’s mind attempted to process the chaotic scene in front of her. Her fellow officers moved up and down the street in slow motion, the heat of the day rising from the hot sidewalk casting an eerie haze over the block. “Whhaaaattttt’sss goooiiiinngg oonnnn???” Henry’s voice was deep and rich, the words coming out as a slow drawl.
Morgan could feel the blood pounding in her head, pulsing strongly in a slow even beat, like a metronome beating out time. Her eyes swiveled to her partner standing behind her before returning to the police operation on the street. She sensed something, a vague feeling that something was out of place. What was it? It took only a split second for her soul to finds its twin, her eyes drawn agonizingly down to her feet.
Her heart skipped at the shock of finding the prone figure she instinctively knew was Andrea, her blood slowly spreading in an ever-widening circle next to her body. “No…” No one heard the word that she uttered, escaping her lips as no more than a sigh. “Oh God, no.” She found her voice, this time the words expressing an emotion she was not prepared to examine just quite yet. But it was an epiphany. Time stood still and life halted as she looked down at the injured woman.
There was just so much blood. Andrea’s white blouse had a blossoming splash of red which left Morgan wondering if she was alive. Several tracks of red flowed down the white cotton to the ground, the sticky residue already pooling there. There was just so much blood. Too much.
“Henry!” she yelled. “Get an ambulance! NOW!” Her own pain was completely forgotten as fear spiked through her. Morgan slammed to her knees next to the counselor, checking her carotid pulse first and then pressing her hand against the wound. Her hand was not enough. Not nearly enough. She frantically stripped down to her t-shirt, balling up her shirt to staunch the flow of blood.
Morgan looked up to see a mass of bodies, all vainly searching for the shooter. “Move it. I can’t work. Give me some room here.” When no one moved, she shoved the legs of those around her. “Get the fuck out of here! I need room!” In those few words she warned those near her that she meant business. For now, she dismissed them. “Hey… hey… Andy. Hang in there, hon. Stay with me here.” The visage of the prone woman swam in her eyes as she returned her attention to her.
Henry stepped in. “Anyone see the shooter?” He looked down to the tableau in front of him and the concerned eyes looking up at him. “The paramedics are on their way. They should be here in a couple of minutes.” A couple of minutes? It was too long. So much could happen in a matter of seconds. “Mo, if I could make it sooner, I would.”
“I know!... I know. I… I can’t stop the blood. I can’t stop it. There’s so much…” Morgan’s voice broke.
Morgan was starting to lose her composure and Henry was at a loss to how he could stop it. He really liked Andrea, not only for what she was doing for his partner but she was a nice woman. It was a damned shame. “Ah God…” he whispered, looking at the pallor of the counselor. Gathering his wits about him he yelled to anyone who would listen. “Anyone found where the shot came from yet?”
One of the young recruits spoke up. “Man, I didn’t see a thing. It wasn’t like there was somebody on the street waving a gun.”
“Hey, Lowenstein…” Henry yelled over the crowd, “…grab some uniforms and start your search of those buildings. Floor by floor. Fredericks, you take the rooftops.” There was a hesitation. “What’s your problem? Get moving. NOW!” It wasn’t until they spread out over the pavements that he looked over his shoulder to see the captain behind him.
“Chang! That shot sounded more like it came from a rifle. You catch anything?” The captain was concerned not only for his ADA but that it was in his piece of the city.
“No sir, I was inside at my desk at the time.”
There was just not enough room on the stoop for everyone. “Will you BACK THE HELL OFF! We need room here!” Anger was warring with fear within Morgan. “Go do your jobs!” The volume of her voice drew attention to the human side of the scene. Andrea was down and losing blood rapidly.
“O’Callaghan ... God. I was standing next to her. I didn’t even see her go down. Jesus.” The dying cigarette discarded on the ground next to the injured Andrea was still steaming a wisp of smoke. The thought that he was so close to being shot finally hit him sending a shudder through his body, the tremor in his hand jostling the sleek black automatic revolver.
Markham stepped into the chaos, grabbing the officer. “Talk to me man! What did you see?”
“Huh? Err… oh God, I don’t know. I don’t know…”
He was disappointed with the lack of control of his troops. “Ramirez! Maybe I can get an answer out of you. Did you see a damned thing?”
“Nada, Captain. We were standing here one minute and the next there was a loud crack and the counselor went down.” Yelling and screaming echoed up and down the street and the traffic was stopped from entering the crime scene. A blocked-off street in rush hour was going to cause a nightmare but that was the last thing on the officer’s mind.
“Extend the search area. I want this entire block covered, you got me? Don’t come back without something.” Someone with a rifle couldn’t disappear that quickly. “Morelli.” The short detective just stood there staring at Andrea. “Morelli! Back to work.”
“Huh?” Muddy eyes tracked to the captain, looking at him as if he spoke Hungarian.
“Back to work!”
“Wow. What a friggin’ trip. Boom… bang… right in front of the shop!” He almost seemed to be enjoying the carnage.
“Get out of here, you freak!” Morgan spat the words at him, incensed at his insensitivity. The man was a goddamed asswipe.
“But O’Callaghan, this is kind of exciting!”
“Morelli, if you don’t get the fuck outta here, I’m gonna rip your nuts right out through your nose.”
“Spread out and find him! Search each and every building, you hear me? Find that fucking shooter!” The captain’s voice was barely heard over the cacophony of sound as many voices offered as many suggestions. The crowd dissipated, each one of them taking one final look at the small woman lying still on the ground before scattering into the street to check nearby buildings. Morgan looked down with concern, watching the color slowly draining away from Andrea’s face with each drop of blood lost.
Morgan struggled to lean in, taking her weight on her bad arm as her free hand kept up the pressure on the bloody hole in the small woman’s upper chest. She leaned in close and whispered, “Come on, Andy. I know you’re in there.” Her head lifted at the sound of the wailing siren. “They’re nearly here, honey, hang in there.”
Fluttering eyelids finally gave way to tiny cracks of brown. Barely a sound emerged from pale lips. “Hey. You called me honey…”
“You’re hallucinating.” She looked deep into those eyes. “Hey… how you doing?”
“Not too good, I think.”
“Don’t you leave me… you hear me.”
“No. Too much to live for now…” Brown eyes disappeared as her body succumbed to the darkness.
Morgan could feel the eyes of Henry and the captain on her, but somehow she couldn’t find the energy to fight it. Hopefully, the whispered words were lost in the wind.
A shuffle of feet drew Morgan’s attention to her partner standing over them. The look on the redhead’s face stunned Henry. He had only ever seen her as distraught as this once before, and he had spent weeks picking up the pieces of what was left her after the death of her father. The depth of emotion that was there surprised him. Inside, he cheered that finally she was starting to feel again, but soberly he hoped that the small woman stayed around long enough to knock some sense into his stubborn partner.
The siren wail became a roar in her ears as the ambulance pulled up at the bottom of the stairs. Two young paramedics rushed out, swiftly moving to grab their equipment.
“Up here! Quick!” Morgan mentally slapped her forehead. What a moronic thing to say. Of course they would hurry. Maybe if she waved her gun they’d move faster. She was starting to lose it here and she knew it.
“We’ll take it from here,” came the reply and she was unceremoniously pushed out of the way. The two men moved over the counselor, disposing of her shirt and cutting open the material to get to the wound.
Morgan was stunned and virtually immobile as she watched them work. It hurt. Oh God, it hurt. A hand reached down and offered a lift. She extended her good hand, allowing Henry to haul her to her feet. “Hey,” he murmured.
“Hey.” What could she say? Anything more and she would be a blubbering idiot. Better to say nothing at all. But there was plenty to be said, so she pressed on.
“Cap…”
“Just go.” Markham figured it would take more than him to stop her going.
“This is the second time now...”
“I know.”
“We need to notify the D.A.’s office immediately.”
The paramedics quickly loaded Andrea for transport. “Just go, Morgan. I’ll contact the D.A.’s office ASAP. I’ll be there as soon as I can. Tell her for me her work’s piling up and we need her back soon, okay?”
“Yeah, sure. She’ll probably want me to bring the work to her in hospital.”
“Heh, it wouldn’t surprise me.” He looked up to fearful eyes. “Get going.”
“Later.” Morgan followed down the steps to the waiting ambulance, climbing in back while one of them attended to Andrea. What she desperately wanted was to be holding her in her arms and willing her back to health. She watched nervously, her breath catching as she awaited each beep of the heart monitor. Suddenly, the murder case didn’t matter any more and they could all go to hell.
* * *
Come on, come on. The vehicle was going way too slow for her liking, knowing that every precious second counted with a bullet wound. Morgan’s legs jiggled anxiously. She was glad to see that the paramedic was only monitoring her, which meant that for the moment Andrea was holding her own.
The constant wail was getting on her nerves. What should have been a five minute dash to the hospital had now spread out to twelve minutes, the last two crawling through a traffic jam.
“Get out of the way, you morons…” she muttered, drawing a chuckle from the paramedic sitting next to her. “Does this happen to you often?”
“All the damned time.”
“Well, if they don’t move soon, I’m gonna get out and start cracking heads.”
“We’re sort of busy with this one and you want to give us more work to do?”
“It’d make me feel better.” At that precise moment, traffic started shifting, albeit slowly. By the time they finally reached the emergency room, Morgan’s temper was hanging on by a thread. The stress and strain of the trip was cutting through her medication and her wrist was slowly throbbing in time to her pounding heartbeat.
She recognized the triage nurse. “Twice in two days, detective? You know, it’s not necessary to literally put your life on the line every day!” Morgan scowled at her, the comment tweaking the last calm nerve in her body. “Fine.” The nurse followed the two paramedics with the gurney, resting a hand on the detective as she tried to follow. “Stay put. I’ll let you know what is happening as soon as I know.”
“No, I’m coming…”
“No, you’re not! You stay here! Go for a walk, go get something to eat, or stay put, I don’t care, but you do not cross this point, you got me?” They had their hands full last night with a cranky detective and a drunk blonde with the wandering hands, and she was not in the mood to cross verbal swords with her again.
“Fine. But if you’re not back within half an hour with something, I’m coming in after you.” She was not going to be denied, bossy nurse or not. This was Andrea they were talking about, and she was not going to be kept in the dark.
She paced, she drank hot water that passed for coffee, and she would have smoked half a dozen cigarettes if she had taken up the nasty habit, but nothing made the time go any faster. One minute seemed like five, and five seemed like an hour, and still nothing. She hated waiting, and with something this important, even more so. It brought back too many bad memories. She took her impatience outside, looking for somewhere and someone to vent her anger on. This was not good, not good at all.
“Ah, there you are. I thought I told you to stay put.”
Emerald eyes sparked with anger, the large cat residing within her having found its victim. “You told me not to cross the line. What’s the news?”
“She’s going into surgery now. It may be a couple of hours or so before she’s out.”
“What’s the prognosis?” The older woman just looked at her. “Please,” her voice softened. She would beg if he had to. “How bad is it?”
“The bullet passed in just under her clavicle into soft tissue. They really won’t know the full extent until they go in. If all goes to plan, she should be out of the hospital in a week. She was a lucky woman. If the bullet had hit her fractionally one way or the other she could have had a shattered shoulder or a punctured lung.”
“Yeah, lucky…” Somehow lucky was not a word she would associate with Andrea right now. “So, what now?”
“There’s no point in hanging around. Go home, get changed, have a shower, eat. Phone the hospital in two hours. We should know more by then.”
Morgan blew air out forcefully through her pursed lips. “Thank you.”
A small hand rested gently on her plaster cast. “You’re welcome. She’ll be fine.” Oh God, I hope so…
* * *
Morgan had never thought she would ever think such a thing but she was alone and at loose ends. Pulling her cell phone from her pocket, she phoned the one person she could turn to in a situation like this. “Henry?”
Fifteen minutes later he found her anxiously pacing in the ER waiting room. “Thanks for coming, Henry. I’m sorry to drag you away from work.”
“Nah, we were just finishing up. It gave me an excuse to get out of there. What’s happening?”
“She’s in surgery. Looks like the bullet hit muscle. Pretty lucky shot. I… I don’t know what to do. I… damn.” Morgan was barely hanging on. She ran her hand through her hair in frustration, her anxiety at least making her forget the discomfort of the broken arm.
“How about we get a cup of coffee?”
“Andy’s still in surgery and I can’t…”
“Suzie would kill me if I let you wait here alone. Come on, just a quick coffee
then we can come back. I saw a Starbucks on the next corner.”
“Henry…”
“Do you want it to go?”
She sighed and relented. “No, but let’s make it quick.” As Morgan walked past him out the door she didn’t notice the slight smile cross her partner’s lips.
* * *
They took a seat at a booth after they got their coffee. Morgan certainly needed the caffeine at this point to clear her mind. “When she’s out of danger, you’re coming home with me for dinner. You haven’t seen the kids in a month. They miss their ‘Auntie Morgan’.”
Morgan let her eyes rest on her partner. “Thanks, Chinatown,” she whispered.
“You’re welcome, Red.” He looked over to catch her expression. “C’mon, cheer up. She’ll be fine.”
“Yeah, I know.” Morgan looked over at the man who had been her savior. “Henry… you know you’ve been like a brother to me. Sometimes I don’t think I deserve you.”
“Yeah! You owe me big time! Don't you forget it either!" Adding, with a big toothy grin, "And we will be expecting you for Thanksgiving... and Christmas!”
“Okay, okay. You’re on.”
“Of course, that invite will include Andy as well.”
“Since when? You really need to get a grip on your imagination there buddy.”
“Uh huh.”
“Will you stop saying that? For crying out loud, nothing is going on!”
“That’s only because you haven’t had the opportunity.” There was silence beside him. “What happened?”
“Nothing happened. Why do you say that?”
“Because that silence says a lot, Mo. Just what is going on with you two?”
“Nothing… something… everything. I don’t know.”
“Talk to me.”
“She kissed me.” Henry grabbed her wrist, drawing her attention to his stunned expression. “Last week, after I broke my arm and took her home,” she mumbled.
“And…”
“And?”
“The rest. You just can’t say she kissed me and leave it at that.”
“That would be kissing and telling.”
“Maybe you need someone to listen. Talk.” Maybe she did at that.
“Ah... wow, I don't know where to begin. Henry, I’ve just never talked about this to anybody.”
“You and Andy? Of course not.”
“No, me. Who I am. I’ve kept it locked away, knowing who I am and not able to share it with anyone. Do you know how hard that is?”
“Pretty hard, I imagine.”
“That’s an understatement, and now you want me to express my feelings about another woman? You’re a guy, for Christ’s sake!”
“Who else do you have?” Who else are you gonna talk to? “Just tell me what happened. If you don’t want to talk about the extra stuff, then that’s fine. Just give me the facts ma’am.”
“I took her shopping for gym clothes, Henry, and it was sheer torture.” He looked at her inquiringly, so she continued. “She was standing there in this pink leotard. God, what a sight!” He laughed at the desperate tone of her voice. “Have you ever been tempted, Henry? It was like standing in the Garden of Eden with that damned apple shoved right into your mouth. Anyway, after that we came out and it was rush hour. She suggested dinner so we ate at Vittorio’s. She had a little too much to drink and I had to make sure she got home okay.”
“Uh huh.” The redhead growled at him, cursing his smug expression.
“Do you want to hear this or not? Then no more cheap shots. On the way home from dinner we had the hit and run. I knew I had to get to the hospital so I ended up taking her with me. Three damned hours we had to wait and the entire time she was worse than a four year-old. Anyway, long story short, I finally got her back to her hotel room, got her undressed and into bed. Before I could get out of her way she grabbed me and flipped me on my back. Then she kissed me.”
“And?” Morgan twisted her fingers over her mouth, locking the information inside. “Aww, Red, come on. You get to the good stuff and then leave me hanging.”
“There was nothing more. I tucked her in and we both slept in the hotel room.”
“Together??” He was hopeful.
“She was in the bed. I was in the chair. The end.”
“So, what’s the problem then?”
“Ding! Ding! She’s still engaged!” Why was she feeding into his argument? Maybe she was in the mood for a little punishment.
“That argument is getting kinda old, Morgan.” The woman knew that, and she was fast running out of new ones. “But, she expressed an interest.”
“She was drunk, Henry. She didn’t know what she was doing.”
“Did she remember what happened the next morning?”
“Yes.”
“Then she knew what she was doing, the alcohol only loosened her inhibitions.”
“Why are you encouraging me to split up a perfectly healthy engagement?” But she knew better. Last weekend had opened up a life she had given up on.
“Because even I can see that you two are a perfect match. Why are you fighting this so hard?”
“Because I can’t. She engaged and she’s not, well... she's just NOT!"
“That’s bullshit, and you know it!” Morgan blinked at her partner. Wow. Henry never curses. “She is perfect for you, and you are deliberately trying to ruin any chance of happiness that could come your way. Why?”
“I am not…”
“YOU ARE. What is it? Why are you running?”
No…”
“Don’t you ‘no’ me. Tell me why you are avoiding this.”
“Because it will never happen again!” Her one good hand came to her face, hiding the moisture pooling in her eyes.
“Again? You said ‘it can’t happen AGAIN’. Talk to me. What is going on in your head?”
“Nothing, Henry. Nothing’s going on in my head. It’s empty.”
“You know what I think?”
“No. And I don’t want to know either.”
“Well, you’re gonna listen. Andy is the best thing that has come into your life and you’re running scared. You are pushing her away because she makes you feel, and you don’t want that. You want your life dull and gray, as it was the day your dad died.” Morgan looked out the window to the world outside, wishing she were out in it rather than hearing some home truths.
“It’s the intimacy, isn’t it? And I’m not talking sex here. It’s someone to share that piece of you that you have locked up inside you like some fairytale princess in some high tower guarded by this dragon. She’s got to slay the dragon before she even has a chance of rescuing you.”
“You really should put that imagination of yours on a leash. Look… whatever you say. Won’t Suzie be wondering where we are?”
“Don’t change the subject! We’re not moving one single inch until I find out what has made you like this. What happened, Red?”
Misty eyes turned to face him, the mind behind them battling hard to keep the secret. He grabbed her hand gently, “Come on, Morgan, tell me…”
”Someone I trusted implicitly destroyed my life… destroyed everything I loved.” Sad eyes looked up at him. “Never again, Henry.”
“Why, Red.? Come on, you have to let it out sometime.”
“No, I don’t! Stop sticking you nose in my business!” As soon as the words crossed her lips she realized her mistake. Henry backed away stony-faced, his mask hiding the hurt underneath. “Oh God, Henry. Please! I’m sorry. I… I didn’t mean that.” There was only one thing that was going to save this. “Alright, you want to know? Anyone I have ever loved has abandoned me. I always end up alone. Why start something that is gonna end up with me broken and alone again?”
Henry watched her, putting aside the sting of the cutting remark, trying to absorb the inner thoughts of a complicated woman. “But you don’t know that.”
“Oh, yes I do. I’ve seen it first hand, Henry.”
But she couldn’t tell him the whole truth, an unspeakable truth that had shamed and humiliated her. So many times it had sat on her tongue, so many times she wanted the cleansing effect of telling someone… anyone… but each time her own secret stood in the way. The revelation of one truth would reveal another.
“Red, you can’t spend your whole life alone. It’s not healthy.”
“It’s not worth the heartache, Chinatown.”
“How do you know it won’t work? I think it’s got a lot of potential.”
“You would. Is it worth my career?”
“Hmmmm…” He couldn’t answer that one. “Is it?”
“I didn’t help my case by making that scene on the front steps of the precinct earlier today.”
“Stress does that to you. It has a habit of revealing your true feelings even if you won’t acknowledge them.”
“So, Doctor Chang. What treatment do you suggest?” Levity was the answer, or so her mind thought. All this serious conversation was dragging her down. She had her hands full with Andrea’s injury without adding misery over missing her dad on top of it.
“Let’s see. Take two Tylenol when you get home, get a good night’s sleep and call me in the morning.” He got a chuckle out of the tall redhead for that one.
“Can we drop it now? Please? I know, I do. It’s all a matter of trust, I guess.”
“But you trust me.”
“Yes I do, more than anyone else. But my personal life is not up for debate.” She stood up ready to return to the hospital. “Never again…” she murmured. Yes, it was a matter of trust......better yet, it was a matter of conviction. Any chance she thought she had for a relationship of any kind was in ruins. The intimacy that she longed for was gone. Love had died for her. Sex had died for her. All destroyed by someone she trusted. Morgan had convinced herself that she didn’t need or want it, content with her life as a cop… until now. Andrea had confused her almost to the point of insanity. She had dreams of her. Long, slow, erotic dreams, inciting feelings and desires that she thought had long gone. Will she? Won’t she? Could she afford not to find out if she was still alive inside?
“If you say so, Mo, but I think we both know that our little Andrea is armed with a very sharp sword and a stout heart, and I think she’s intent on storming the castle.”
* * *
Morgan had been worried that something would happen while they were away but her fears were unfounded. They still hung around for another hour before the surgical nurse returned. The operation had been successful. The round had luckily missed the vital organs and buried itself into soft tissue.
She went and stood in the corner while Henry questioned the nurse. So close… How much more was this person going to push this vendetta? Could she afford to find out?
While Henry was questioning the nurse Morgan wandered over to the window. Looking out into the darkness she tried to get a handle on the events of the last couple of days. So close… How much further was this person willing to go with his threats? Could she afford to find out?
Henry found her in thought. “The nurse will allow us to catch a glimpse of her tonight. They’re about to move her so if you want to see her, now is the time.” They wouldn’t let her approach but she watched as the small woman was wheeled along the corridor. It was little but it was enough.
“Come on, Red. Come home with me. No excuses.” She just didn’t have the fight any more.
“Okay, okay, you win.” Morgan took a deep breath, releasing it slowly to bleed off her anxiety. Andrea was safe. She was safe. “Let’s go see those kids of yours before they graduate.” Maybe the youthful exuberance of his kids could lift her spirits.
* * *
“Where have you been stranger?” Suzie was just so right for Henry. Vivacious and pretty as a picture, her wicked sense of humor complemented her partner’s own razor wit so perfectly.
“You know, here and there.”
“Hey, kids! Auntie Morgan is here!” Three tiny whirling dervishes arrived in front of her, tiny cherub faces grinning with glee.
“Hey, my monsters! C'mere!” The disheveled detective allowed herself to be attacked then dragged into the living room, where she ungraciously fell onto the sofa. Suzie looked with concern at her husband who waved her off. He mouthed ‘later’ to his wife, who nodded quietly.
“What happened to you?” The eldest, Sophie, was the smartest of the three at seven and also the most direct, and not afraid to ask straight out what the problem was.
“I had a little accident, honey. I broke my wrist.” The other two, Jacob aged five, and Lucy, aged three, both scrambled up her long legs in an effort to take center stage on her lap.
“Easy kids! Auntie Morgan's got an owie.”
“It’s okay, Suzie. They’re fine.” She struggled with her one arm and pulled Lucy onto one thigh. Henry helped with Jacob, placing him on her other thigh. “So what have you guys been into since I last saw you?” Morgan had to admit that she had zoned out after a minute of two of the detailed description of what kitty had done yesterday. Somehow, kitty just didn’t seem very important at the moment.
Morgan didn’t know how she got through dinner, with the food fight erupting between the kids in the middle and all. She sat back watching the two parents trying to wrestle forks and other throwing implements off the combatants, right before removing the offending food when hands were substituted. Family. She sobered at the thought that she would probably not get to experience it.
At the end of the meal she excused herself, eagerly seeking out her cell phone to call the hospital. She returned to relative calm, the kids quietly sitting in front of the television watching some cartoon or other while Henry and Suzie sat on the sofa, battle scarred and shell shocked. They looked up expectantly at her return.
“Everything is fine. She’s still in recovery and it should be another hour before they move her to the ward. Um, thank you so much for the company. I have to get home to do a couple of chores.”
“What needs doing?” Suzie chimed in. “Can we help?”
“No, its fine thanks. I’ve gotta go wash my hair. It's really starting to.....well, you know…" She grimaced as she reached up a long finger to scratch a spot behind her ear.
“Stop right there. You can’t do that one-handed and we have a bath upstairs.” The small woman reached down to grab Morgan’s hand, pulling her upright with some strength and dragging her up the stairs before she could refuse.
She had to admit that Suzie’s help was a godsend, finally acknowledging that she couldn’t do it alone. Luxuriating in being pampered so, Morgan relaxed into the hair washing, enjoying the strong fingers massaging her scalp as they washed away sweat and dirt, maybe not as sensual as Andrea but pleasant all the same. This could be Andy, you moron.
Half an hour later her hair washed, dried and re-braided. Promising not to be a stranger she left Suzie and the kids, Henry driving her home to finally collapse into exhausted sleep. She intended to visit the counselor first thing and she was prepared to run the gauntlet of doctors and nurses to do it. She needed to touch, to see, to… be in the counselor’s presence. She had to be there.
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