It was the next morning and I awoke to a dark room and Joe sitting in the chairs next to the end of my bed. The door was closed and so was the long blue boring curtains along the wall of hospital windows. I looked around slowly moving my head, then I stopped as I saw Joe. I watched the steady up and down movement of Joe's chest as he breathed. I began to move my toes, then my arms and slowly bent my knees. I must have been in the same position for awhile because I felt as stiff as a board. I began to feel some soreness, but kept moving. Then Joe woke up to my moving. I froze. I payed still with my eyes open while he woke up, rubbed the sleep out of his eyes, and turned to me and say up. He looked into my eyes and stood up slowly.
"Hey how are you feeling?" he asked leaning over me.
"Not bad, I'm hungry though, can I move?" I asked as I turned halfway on my side right as he said no.
I felt a sharp pain in my stomach and went back to the position I was in.
"Oh god, what happened?" I asked as I squinted as the pain recited.
"You were shot 2 times." he said sitting on my bed next to me. "You also said before you were knocked out that it was "him?" he said looking at me weirdly.
I thought, and thought for a long time.
"the man who shot me, is the one we are looking for." I said to him wide eyed.
"Are you sure?" Joe asked.
"yes, don't you believe me?" I asked with a little stiffer tone than I meant.
"I do, just calm down and get some rest." he said holding me in a long passionate kiss. "I am going to get us food so sit tight and I will be back." he said getting up and heading for the door.
I turned over and the beeping of the monitors slowly got annoying and I fell asleep tuning everything out. It felt like I was asleep for 2 minutes, then I opened my eyes to the click of the door to my room closing. I looked up and starred over to a man in black, he looked like the guy who shot me. I froze and I felt my heart beat faster and my blood rise to a boil. I was filled with fear and rage. If I wasn't injured I would get up and kick the son of a bitch's ass. But I cant. I looked at his hand and saw a shiny blade with a black handle. It shone in the hospital LED lights. My breath got stuck in my throat, like I choked on a pill the size of a grape. He moved toward me and raised the knife upward. I tried to move but I was tied down. I couldn't scream or move. He opened my gown going from my stomach and In between my breast up to my neck. The opening was wide enough for him to place the tip of the blade between my breasts and draw a perfectly straight line down my stomach. Small but wide enough for blood to come gushing out all at once. He suddenly vanished and people outside my room kept passing, like my room was sound proof. The monitors were going hay wire and......
Then I awoke and saw joe run to me throwing the food on the table. We stared at each other in silence and complete and utter horror. I was so pale and shakin up that my monitor showed increased heart rate. I sat up rather quickly and ripped open my gown, only to reveal my 2 bullet entry wounds parched up. I closed after I had already basically flashed joe and layer back down slowly. I could still feel the cool blade slide against my warm skin and blood.
"what the hell was that!?" he asked as he watched the monitor go back to beeping normally.
"bad dream." I said flatly.
"do you want to talk about it?" he asked as he brought me some plain chicken.
So I told him about it.
"did he have a face? Did you see it?" Joe asked
"no sorry. Did you catch my shooter?" I asked curiously.
"no, but we will catch him, I promise." he said taking a bite of his loaded burger.
It looked so good, why the hell do I get plain chicken!?
"why do you get that?!" I asked pointing to his food.
"because the doctor said you can't have it." he said looking at me and swallowing.
God damn it he's taunting me now.
"one bite?" I asked leaning over to him.
He held it out as I took a bigger bite than I thought and had trouble swallowing.
Joe laughed at me and almost made me choke. I put the chicken on the table and wrapped my arms around Joe. I kissed him repeatedly while I sat in his lap with my legs around his lower back. He held me at the waist gently and kissed me back.
"ah...(kiss) ali ...what if...(kiss) the nurse comes in?" he asked pulling away to look at my face and pull strands of hair from my face.
"fine..." I said dropping my hands dramatically.
We both laughed and I gave him my chicken.
Before I knew it it was Monday morning and I was aloud to be released. The pain wasn't as bad but they gave me medication and ran a few more tests before I left.
Joe stood next to me while I sat cross legged on the bed. A doctor came in with a clipboard to do one more test.
"hi my name is Dr. Charlie Oroscoe, I just need to run one more test before you leave." he said
He looked in his mid 30's with a start of a beard and tab skin.
"ok just look at me while I pass this light past your eyes." he said flicking it on and I looked into his eyes.
He ran it past my eyes again and this time I saw my attacker and the gun shots and they hit Joe this time and the voice saying I told you not to say anything. I keeled over onto my side screaming and crying.
"STOP! Please!" I managed to spat out.
"what the fuck happened?" he said to the doctor almost yelling.
"I don't know she must still be in shock. Just keep a close eye on her and maybe wear some sun glasses." the doctor said and gathered his things and made the sign outside the door say released.
"is that supposed to be a joke?" Joe yelled at him.
"hey, you ok come here." he said wrapping me in a hug.
"I want to go home." I said with a sob.
He got me some sweat paints and a tank top.
"here, go change and we can leave." he said.
I changed rather slowly looking at myself, well my two scars on my stomach. It's been almost a week since I was shot. I walked out running my fingers through my knotted hair
"let's get out of here!" I said. He put his arm around my waist and walked me out of the room and down the hall out of this dreaded place.
Joe put the bag into the back of the car and opened the door for me. He started the car and we went home. Me and Joe sat on the couch for awhile and watched storage wars.
The phone rang and I answered it. It was the apple grill calling and telling me that I got the job and to start on Friday at 3.
-------------- 5 hours later Joe's POV
I was laying in bed watching tv while Ali showered and began getting dressed. She left the door open halfway and I was tempted in so many ways to walk in and...
I walked in with my hand over my eyes but cracked enough to see she was in shorts and her bra.
"oh, sorry, just looking for..." damn it I didn't know what to say."Ahhhhh"
"oh get over here already." she said pulling my hand off my face and holding me close. She smelt amazing and her wet hair against my chest as she kissed my neck.
I picked her up and pressed her against me. She gripped me with her legs and one hand in my hair and one on my upper back. We kissed over and over while making our way to the bed. My hand sliding down her spine and her taking my shirt off. We were kneeling on the bed her head on my chest and me reaching for the hook in her bra. Then I paused.
"do it." she whispered temptingly.
It unhooked and slid to the floor as I kissed her up against the head board of the bed. She is mine now and no one will take her I thought to myself as she worked on taking off my jeans.
---------------------------------
I woke up around 8:30 and I was almost sweating. Damn does Joe have some body heat. I slid almost motionless out of the bed and dressed. I straightened up most of the kitchen and went to the bedroom to wake Joe up. I layer on top of him gently putting my head on the back of his neck. His eyes fluttered open as he turned over on his back and I sat on the top of his thighs. My finger tracing his abs.
"time to get up, Tim will be here soon." I said as he caught my hand and pulled me onto his chest and our lips held together.
How convenient, The door bell rang.
I let him go and closed the door so he could change. I fixed my pony tail and opened the door.
"hi, Tim how are you." I said shaking his hand and letting him in. He sat on the couch as I got waters and Joe introduced himself.
"ok this won't take too long so first question are you two together, and how did you meet?" he asked filling out more paperwork.
I told him about the motel and how he took care of me and it went uphill from there.
"did you get a job miss Ali?" he asked.
"yes I start on Friday at 3" I said a little peppy.
"how long have you been a paramedic?" he asked Joe looking up from his notes.
"for about a year." he said.
"and you are ready to become her guardian?" he asked
"yes, yes I am." he said like a man.
"ok, just sign her and here." he said giving him the pen.
"thank you two very much, I will see you at your trial in 3 weeks." he said and we led him out the door.
"well this will be fun!" said Joe hugging me as the phone rang.
"hello?" joe said as I went into the kitchen to sit down.
"hi this is Sean Gray. I have some news on your girlfriends case." he said
Joe looked at me......
"I need you to come down as soon as you can." he added.
"she's innocent." Sean said......."hello, Joe?"
Silence.