Page 8 of Flyboy's Nightingale
FOUR
Flyboy
I watchRiley with an eyebrow raised. I don’t know what has happened, but fuck me, this new attitude of hers is intoxicating. I wait her out, knowing that she is a talker and will incessantly babble to fill the silence around her.
After a few, long moments later, I break the silence, and ask, “You think you’re brave enough to do that? Hell, you think my brothers would do anything you tell them to do? A nobody to the club. A little ER nurse, whose specialization is physical therapy?”
I have no idea why the asshole in me is clawing his way out, vicious words slithering out of my mouth. I couldn’t stop the shit spewing from my mouth if I wanted to. I want to hurt someone right now, and she happens to be the easiest target. The doctors did in fact come by and talk to me about what happened, what they had to do, what I’m to expect and to say I’m not in a good place would be a fucking understatement.
I need someone, anyone, to feel half of an ounce of what I’m feeling right now.
I watch Riley closely as I deliver those menacing words, not at all feeling the satisfaction I thought I would. Riley takes a step back as if I’d struck her. I watch the color drain from her face and watch as her eyes fill with glistening tears. I want to reach out to her, to take it all back, and apologize profusely. Fuck, I’ve really fucked things up this time.
“Riley, I’m just. I—” She holds her hand up, silencing me.
“No, you are absolutely right. I’m fucking nobody to any of you. What I do know is that I donothave to stand here and be spoken to as if I’m less than gutter trash. I always knew that deep under that playboy, funny, and charming prince was nothing but a complete, fucking asshole.” She takes a long, shuddering breath before leveling a glare on me that would cause a blind man’s blood to run cold. “This will be the very last time that I come here to visit or see you. I hope you recover well and have a great life. Goodbye, Flyboy. It was a pleasure,” she sarcastically says.
Each word is like a punch to the gut, only that would hurt less than this does. Riley pivots on the balls of her feet, and with a calm, poised composure unlike anyone I’ve ever come across, turns and exits the room. I watch as she leaves, wanting to get up and go after her, but what kind of man am I for her when I can’t even fucking get out of this goddamn bed? This is for the best—for both her, and for me.
At least, if I tell myself this enough, I’ll believe it—eventually.
What really tells me that this was a very bad choice, is the condemning look on not only the Ol’ Ladies’ faces, but the sneers on my brothers’ faces. They all look shocked, disappointed, and even angry. That last one throws me for a loop, as I wasn’t wrong, Riley isn’t anything to the club, and has no bearing on any of what’s going on.
“You want to explain to me why one of the best people I’ve ever known, just walked out of this room, looking as ifeverything they had been told in life was a lie?” Vixen demands, hands dug into her hips.
“If it was your business, then I would have said it to you, and not just her. So you want to mind your own shit?” I snap.
It’s like my mouth has a mind of its own and its goal is to get me fucking killed.
“You want to say that again, motherfucker? I get you are not happy about what the doc said, and are lashing out, but you willnotdisrespect an Ol’ Lady, much less your VP’s Ol’ Lady. Do I make myself very fucking clear?” Torch glowers in a way that promises a slow, and agonizing death.
I give him a sharp nod. Before I can respond, the older nurse walks in with a tall blonde strolling in behind her. “Mr. Holloway, I’ve got some good news for you. This young lady right here is going to be your night nurse. Also, I spoke with your doctor, and as long as everything stays like it is and you don’t have any major medical setbacks, you will be moved out of ICU tomorrow, and into a standard room. I hope you have a great night, and I’ll see you in the morning,” she says.
The older nurse walks over to the white board that’s hanging on the wall which is situated at the end of my bed. For the first time, I notice that Riley’s name and number are scrawled on it. There is also a note that says, “Call with any changes.” The nurse erases all of it before writing the new nurse's name on the board.
“Umm, whose number do we need to put up here?” the nurse asked.
Everyone in the room glares at me unmoving.
“I’ll put mine on there,” Duck says, moving to do just that.
The new nurse does her check and asks her questions before reminding everyone that there are, in fact, too many people in the room and reiterates that it’s the end of visiting hours. Everyone nods at her and she turns to leave. Now that it’s just the club and Ol’ Ladies, I ask my questions.
“Someone want to tell me why Riley's name and number was up there instead of one of you guys’?”
“Let’s see. She was the one that called the club to let us know what happened to you. She was the one that has been here every day to make sure you get the best care possible. She was closer to the hospital, so if there was a change or someone needed to be here in a hurry, she could be. Oh, and let’s see, I don’t know, because she is the reason that you are still here.” Lil’ Red’s nearly shouting by the time she’s done speaking.
“What are you talking about? She was no one other than a coworker that I loved giving a hard time to. Why would she have a say in anything?” I’m still not understanding what is going on. It’s as if there’s a huge part of the story I’m missing, and that, plus the shit the doctor laid on me has me ready to scream.
“That woman has been at your side, and fighting for you to have the very best of everything since the night you rolled through the ER. She has studied every available paper, research article, and lecture given. For fuck’s sake, that woman called in every favor imaginable to make sure that no one gave up on you. She has refused to believe for a second that you wouldn’t wake up.” Lil’ Red is getting madder and madder the more she speaks.
I’m shocked, if I’m honest, that she is saying anything at all. She has always been so quiet and just watched what was going on around her. I start to say something in rebuttal, but the little red-head glares at me, daring me to speak.
“If you say anything right this second, I just might end you, right here and now. Whatever crawled up your ass and died to make you treat one of the most amazing people I know that way, better find its way out. Or I swear—” Duck slaps his hand over her mouth, just before she oversteps and threatens a brother.
“She isn’t wrong, brother. That woman has spent so many days and hours taking care of things while keeping everyone coming in and going out taken care of. Fighting throughwhatever has happened to her in the past in order to stand in a room full of rough and rowdy men, so scared that if one of us spoke to her she would shatter into a million pieces. Yet she was here, and did it,” Pretty Boy says. “I don’t know why you did that, but, man, you need to fix it.”
Now I’m fucking angry. How dare anyone say a fucking word about anything. None of these fuckers know a fucking thing about what I’m going through, or how I fucking feel. If they don’t like it, they can all kick mother fucking rocks.
