It's Complicated Ch. 02

My Dad steps out and his 357 roars out twice into the air. He slowly lowers the big magnum pistol down towards Mike's truck. Where it's pointed is my first clue they're running. The big gun barks twice more as the tires on the truck leave two huge black marks up the road.

I lay on the sun warm road and pant for breath.

River is kneeling next to me. I look up into her eyes they are awash with tears. I hear sirens in the distance.

"Oh god, oh god," she is saying in a whisper as she lifts my head off the road.

Looking past her, I see Jeff standing over me with a smoking cannon in his hand. His eyes go from his sister to me and then back. Then he tucks the gun into his belt in the back. Kneeling down on one knee he takes my bloody hand.

"Son?"

I take a breath that's half wheeze; I taste copper pennies in my mouth. The sirens are getting closer.

"Yeah Dad?" I whisper.

"You look like hell," he says his eyes running over me.

"I look better than the other guy." I tell him turning loose of his hand. I don't have the strength to hold it any more. River catches it as it drops and pulls it to her chest. She's still repeating her mantra.

My dad grins a little

"That all you can ask for." He stands up and turning towards the approaching blue lights. I hear different sirens when the near one shuts off. They sound familiar. I watch him walk over to talk to the officer. I look up at River.

She crying incessantly, rocking a little while she's doing it. Even with all the places I have hurting seeing that is by far the most painful thing.

"River I'm alright," I tell her, giving her fingers a squeeze.

"This is my fault, this is my fault. Oh god, oh god."

"River!" She stops and looks at me. "I'm going to be okay."

"Maybe you should let a professional judge that." I hear a familiar voice say. I look up as Jason, my driver, kneels down next to me. I see William, the other E.M.T. that normally rides with us, coming around to my other side. I watch them starting to break out the normal gear.

"So this is what you do on your off days. You look like shit you know that right?" he starts doing the checklist on me. "How you feel? What's hurting?" Before I can answer he looks up at River. "So this is the beautiful lady you were taking about. Yeah, she looks like she would be worth getting the shit beat out of you for." He grins at River. "He's okay, Miss. He wouldn't be talking if he wasn't"

River nod slowly. I turn my head hearing Jack truck pull into the gravel near by. I know it's his from the sound of jazz music coming from the windows of his truck. I'm vaguely away of the sound of Granny's voice. Jack's deeper baritone. Jeff answering them.

I see William roll the gurney next to me.

Jason is running fingers under my neck gently.

"There's no pain there, just my ribs," I tell him when he starts checking the neck vertebra.

"That's cause you have at least four broken ones." He tells me still checking my neck.

I hear a car coming at speed with a siren going full out. It roars past.

"What's his hurry? They running out on coffee and donuts back at the station," I say in a whisper. I feel my words tumble on my tongue. "Oh fuck you gave me something, Jason you prick!"

"Of course I did. I'm not putting up with you backseat driving me all the way to Saint Mathews."

"You're taking me to Mathew's? Montclair is closer," I tell him in a growing drug fog.

"See what I mean? You're going to ride with him right Miss? Either that or I may have to amputate his arm to get his loose from you," Jason asks River.

"Don't tease her she's had a rough day," I tell him slurred.

"Would your drugged ass go to sleep already," he tells me, as I feel the gurney lift up and slid into the back of the ambulance.

"Okay."

** ** ** ** ** ** **

I wake feeling an oxygen tube under my nose. I can also tell there is an IV in my arm. Only one eye wants to open though. Trying to open the other hurts, but I finally mange it. Looking to the side of the bed, I see my Mom in one chair ... but River is in the closest to me. Both women are asleep. River's hand rest on my arm through the handrail of the bed. I reach over and touch her fingers.

Her eyes pop open.

Getting up, she leans over me and kisses me.

"Don't do that," I tell her softly when she stops.

She looks concerned "Was I hurting you?"

"No, my breath must be horrible."

She smiles at me and gives me a second kiss. This one hurts, but I can't say I want her to stop doing it.

Ever.

** ** ** ** ** ** **

In the end, they only keep me for a couple of days. The broken rib they thought punctured my lung just nicked it. The rest would heal in time. Luckily I got to sleep through them resetting my broken ribs and taping me up.

I wish I could be asleep for the untaping.

When I sign the last of the papers they want me to sign Jason is there in his street clothes to roll me out the hospital. River walks beside me carrying the small bag with my stuff. I see her little blue car under the covered loading area.

I haven't asked about my car yet, but I know it can't be good.

Jason helps me into the little car. I tell him I'll see him as soon as I can get up and about. He nods knowing, like I do, that it will be a few weeks.

River is very quite with me. She has been like that for the last couple of days.

"What is it, my dear? I know you have something you want to say."

She looks over at me, then back at the road. After a mile or so she nods.

"I love you. I'm sorry."

"It wasn't your fault," I tell her.

"Yes, it was!" she insists.

I sigh. I can see this is going to be one of those kind of arguments if I pursue it. I notice then the direction she is driving. "My place?"

"Yeah," she answers me without looking around.

I sit in silence trying to figure some way of convincing her that having a psycho for an ex-boyfriend isn't her fault. I still haven't figured it out when she pulls us into my driveway.

"Great my grass needs cut," I tell her as she shuts off the engine.

"Jeff's coming to do it tomorrow." She gets out and comes around to my side of the door.

Getting out is far more painful than getting in was. She opens my front door and I smell the cleaning products.

"Let me guess, my Mom came over?" I can see the floor shinning under a coat of polish.

"Your mom, my mom, and me," She helps me through the front door.

"I don't remember you leaving my side." I tell her as she guides me towards my bedroom.

"Well I did. For a little while."

As we step into the room, I see two suit cases by my closet door. I look at them then at her.

"You've got a room mate till you heal," she tells me with a grin. Slowly she lowers me into the bed. I lean back feeling every little twinge from my ribs. I settle myself into the pillows with a sigh. She then crawls into bed next to me. I turn my head to look into her eyes. Slowly she smiles at me.

"I love you," she tells me in a whisper.

"I love you too, River," I say back just as softly.

"I don't want you hurting yourself in eagerness to get better, but I have something for you." She runs a finger across my chest.

"What?" I ask when she doesn't say.

"Me ... just as soon as you're healed enough to have me. I'm yours." She leans up softly kissing me. Then she kisses my chin, my neck, my chest. She lays her head down and listens to my heart beat. "And I want to be yours forever."

My hand comes up to brush her hair.

"I would like that ... a lot." I swallow past tears that threaten to close my throat. I rest my hand on her head for several minutes as I think my way through several thoughts and then make the decision. "Would you do something for me?"

She lifts her head up off my chest and looks down into my eyes. Maturity beyond her years has come to her face in the last few days.

"I would do anything for you," she tells me with her eyes shining.

I brush her face.

"Would you open the top drawer of that dresser and get out what's in the corner please?"

She nods and slides out of bed slowly so as not to jostle me. I watch her walk to the chest drawers and pull open the top drawer. Her hand stops as she reaches inside.

Only when she lifts out the small ring box do I speak.

"I know traditionally I'm supposed to be on my knee to give you that but that may be a few weeks."

She turns to me and at my nod opens the box. The little silver ring glows under the fresh jewelers polish. The diamond sparkles. She looks up from it.

"It was my Grandmothers ring. Would you marry me River?"

I watch her eyes as twin tears run down her face. She slowly nods then comes to me in a rush that I try not to flinch from.

She crawls into bed with me again and I hold her as tight as I can as she laughs and cries at the same time. Her lips meet mine in a salty kiss.

I finally can't take the pain in my ribs anymore and make her lay down next to me. She snuggles into me.

At some point we drift off to sleep.

** ** ** ** ** ** **

I slowly wake to the unfamiliar but so very right presence next to me. My moving wakes her and she looks at me and smiles.

"Here's to many more mornings like this," she says in a whisper.

I nod my agreement then my eyes focus on the dog-headed cane standing in the corner by my stereo.

"What's that doing here?" I ask just looking at it.

River looks over to see what I'm talking about.

"Oh, that. Mom said you might be able to use it since your ankle is twisted. To help you get around. She said it would help."

As the dog winks at me, I nod.

"It just might at that."

*

(I would like to thank jaycox for his time in helping me get my older stories corrected and placed into some semblance of order. Thanks again. As always any mistakes you see now are all on my own head.MST)