This announcement was met with stunned silence, which was only broken when Kevin muttered, "Shit, I was afraid of that."
Cody wheeled on his cousin, his expression incredulous. "What the hell do you mean, you were afraid of that? Then why didn't you say something? Damn it, Kev!"
"Whoa, dude, roll it back a notch!" Kevin responded. "I said I was afraid it might happen, I didn't say I was sure. Yeah, I'm a medic, but I'm not an actual doctor, so I was hoping that I was wrong. So I didn't want to worry everyone more than they already were unless I had to."
"Hey, Cody," Ashley called, turning the teen's attention toward him. "Trust me, I get where you're coming from, but I have to be honest here, I'm not sure how I would have held up if I'd had to sit here and think about that for the last few hours."
"I hate to admit it, but he's right," Wiley grudgingly acknowledged. "If we'd known that might be on the table, I probably woulda gotten kicked outta here hours ago."
"You would have completely freaked out, huh?" Sanger queried.
"Not exactly, Lieutenant," the other man retorted. "More like I would have probably gotten my ass arrested for finding where you've got that walking shit-stain hidden and doing the same thing to it."
Removing himself from the conversation, Ashley turned back to the doctor. "Can we see her now?"
"I'm sorry, but no, not for probably several hours yet," she said. "She's in recovery right now, and under the effects of the anesthesia, so she won't be in any condition to talk to anyone for awhile. So my recommendation would be for you to go home for now and get some rest, take care of your own injury, and come back tomorrow."
"I can't fuckin' go home, doc, I live in LA!"
"Ash, calm down," CC interjected. "Hold up a second, and we'll figure something out."
"Right, just try to relax, man," Jake added. He then turned to the doctor and inquired, "Would you happen to know if there might be a hotel nearby? Or a motel, even?"
"Yes, there's actually a Quality Inn about three blocks west of here, we frequently refer folks there in situations like this. It's on Truman Avenue, if you'd like to look it up in the directory."
"Thanks, that sounds good," Jake replied, as Blasko pulled out his phone and started punching buttons. "Okay, so if we can get a couple of rooms, we'll go there tonight, and you can actually maybe have a chance to get comfortable and rest a little bit. Then, as soon as visiting hours start in the morning, we'll bring you back. Do you think you can cope with that?"
"Does anybody really give a shit if I can or not?" Ashley snapped. "I'm getting a little fucking tired of everybody trying to run me off when I've already told you I'm not going anywhere until I know how she is. What part of that is so goddamn difficult to comprehend?"
Everyone stared at him, startled by the hysteria edging into his voice. Finally, after several seconds, Jinxx recovered himself enough to reply, "Ash, we totally understand where you're coming from, don't think for a second that we don't. But the doctor already explained that you can't see her until tomorrow, and you really do need to get some sleep. You're not gonna be any use to her when she comes around if you're still laid up, you know that, right?"
"We're just gonna be a couple of blocks away, buddy," Blasko reminded him. "And I'm sure we can persuade someone at the desk to give us a call if anything changes."
"But what if she wakes up?" he asked, obviously still resistant to his friends pleas. "I don't want her to be here all by herself. She didn't leave me when I got hurt, so I don't want her to think I'd do that to her."
Wiley and Cody moved to stand by his chair, and the older man placed a hand on his shoulder. "Ash, lemme tell you right now, the last thing you need to worry about is her not having somebody here, 'cause Cody and I aren't going anywhere. I pretty much have to be here, in fact."
"What do you mean, you have to?" Ashley queried.
"Has she talked to you any about her family?" When Ashley nodded, Wiley reached into his jacket and produced a sheaf of paper, which he handed to the younger man, saying, "Then you shouldn't have any trouble understanding this."
He fumbled with the paper, smoothing it out on his lap. As he scanned the words on the pages, he realized that he was looking at a legal document authorizing Wiley to make decisions regarding medical procedures and financial matters in the event that she was unable to do so herself, and barring her family from having any input on those matters.
He refolded the document and handed it back, looking sharply at first one, then the other, before slumping back in the wheelchair. "Okay, I'll go. But only if you promise to call me if anything changes."
"Absolutely! If she wakes up, you'll be the first one to hear. But you go get yourself some rest now, because I'm pretty sure we're gonna need you when she does come around. I mean, we're gonna have to...," the burly mechanic faltered, unable to force himself to say the words.
"And if she does wake up, it would probably be better if we can tell her that you're okay, and that she doesn't need to worry," Cody pointed out, causing Ashley to wince slightly. The teen then turned to the others, inquiring, "You guys are gonna be with him, right? Cause if you are, I can call you if anything changes."
"Damn straight we're going to be with him, call anytime you need to," CC assured him.
Turning to Sanger, Ashley asked, "Is there any chance of getting my phone back? You guys took it when we went to the safehouse, remember?"
Pulling his phone out, Sanger began to send a text. "I've got someone coming out to take over for me in the morning, so I'll see if I can get ahold of the chief and ask him to send it along."
"I thought you worked days, Lieutenant. shouldn't they be sending somebody now?"
"When you're the supervising officer in the department, you don't really have set hours," Sanger told him. "And even if I did, I wouldn't be going anywhere tonight anyway. For one thing, I have no intention of just dumping that miserable excuse for a human being on anyone else; he was my responsibility, and he still is until they formally fire him, and toss him in a cell. Plus, I'd like to see for myself that she's going to pull through, so I've already called my wife and let her know not to expect me tonight."
Realizing that he had no more excuses for delaying, Ashley sighed and inquired, "So were you able to get rooms, then?"
"I booked a suite, plus an extra room right across the hall," Blasko replied. "That way, everybody gets their own bed. I've reserved it for the next three days, because I figured that should probably give you time to figure out what's going on with your friend, and then we can take it from there. So should I go ahead and call the taxi, then?"
"Yeah, go ahead. I guess I could probably use a shower or something before I come back."
"I wouldn't recommend that unless you have a shower that allows you to remain seated, Mr. Purdy," the doctor stated. "You should be fine to remove the brace long enough to wash, but attempting to stand, especially in slippery conditions, is basically asking for trouble."
Seeing that the bassist was preparing for another outburst, Blasko quickly interjected, "Hey, no worries. After we get settled, I was planning to go hit up a Wal-Mart or something, since you probably need some clean clothes. So we'll check the shower, and if there's no seat, I'll just grab a lawn chair or something while I'm there."
Blasko called for a cab, and after being reassured once again that he would be called immediately if Briar's condition changed, Ashley allowed himself to be wheeled to the exit. Once the van from the taxi service arrived, they helped him inside, placing the wheelchair in the back for the short drive to the hotel. After checking in, they made their way to the suite and allowed Ashley to relax on the sofa, while CC went to check on the shower. "We're good, it has a seat!" he called from the bathroom. "You might wanna pick up some shampoo and stuff for everybody when you go out, though, all they have here are a couple of the miniature fuckers!"
Andy also noted that there was a Target less than a block from the hotel, so after a brief discussion, it was decided that Jake and Jinxx would accompany Blasko to acquire clothing and other necessities for everyone, as well as food, while Andy and CC stayed to make sure Ashley didn't further injure himself in the shower. So, while the others left for their shopping trip, they helped their injured friend rid himself of his torn, muddy clothing, stayed nearby as he showered, and guided him back to the couch once he had dried himself off.
When the door opened to admit Blasko and the two guitarists, Ashley was sprawled on the couch, a towel over his groin, and CC was attempting to open the bottle of pain medication they had been given, while Andy filled a glass with water. They piled several bags on the floor, and Jake carried others to the small kitchenette as Jinxx brought one to Ashley, setting it on the floor beside him.
"Okay, I think we've got everything covered here, dude," he announced. "Boxers and t-shirts for sleeping, a couple of Henleys, a hoodie, and three pair of what they call tearaway sports pants. You shouldn't have any problem getting these on, even with the brace."
Ashley pulled a pair of the pants from the bag and looked them over, realizing that the garments could actually be unsnapped down either side, allowing plenty of room for them to fit over the thick brace. "Yeah, these should be fine," he replied, placing the pants on the arm of the sofa and reaching out to accept the water from Andy. CC finally managed to open the pill bottle and handed it to his friend, who pulled a tablet out with his finger and tossed it into his mouth, gulping water until the glass was empty.
He then closed his eyes and leaned his head back against the cushion, silent for several seconds before he finally said, "Thanks, guys. I really do appreciate everybody coming out here, and I'm sorry I've been snapping at you so much. I'm just..."
"It's okay, man, we understand," Andy reassured him. "You're worried about the girl, we know."
"She's not just 'the girl', her name is Briar," he whispered.
"All right, then, you're worried about Briar. My bad, I'll remember from now on. But why don't you help us out a little here, and explain what the hell happened up there?"
After pausing for a moment to gather his thoughts, he began to relate the events of the previous seventeen days to his bandmates, who listened intently as he did his best to make them understand the measures that they had resorted to in order to stay safe. Which, in the end, had failed miserably.
"So you're telling us that she was actually planning on trying to haul you through the woods under her own steam after you hurt your knee?" Jinxx inquired. "How big is this girl, anyway?"
"Roughly about the same size as Juliet, maybe a few pounds heavier," Ashley replied. "But she's been a gymnast since she was a kid, and she's a trained stuntperson, so she's stronger than she looks."
"And she bluffed this nutjob out of shooting you, too?" CC blurted. "She's definitely not short on guts, that's for damn sure!"
"You got that right. And she's smart as hell, too." Inching himself up on his elbows in an attempt to sit up a bit straighter, he noticed his friends casting concerned glances at each other, and said, "Okay, spill it, guys! What aren't you saying?"
Everyone turned toward the bassist, appearing somewhat hesitant to speak, until Andy finally sighed, "Oh, for fuck's sake, guys! By this time we shouldn't have to tiptoe around things like this with each other, so I guess I'll just jump right into the volcano, since nobody else will."
He stood up and turned the chair he was using, so he was straddling it, arms folded across the back, gazing directly at Ashley. "Let me say right off that I'm not trying to piss you off or anything, and if I do, I apologize. But some things you've said today, and the way you've been acting, might kind of lead people to think that... Well, that maybe there was a little more going on than just hiding out from that guy. Maybe it's none of our business, but we can't help but wonder."
Ashley dropped his eyes, and the color that rose in his cheeks gave Andy his answer even before he spoke. Finally, almost in a whisper, he said, "Yeah, but not the whole time. Just for the last week. I mean, yeah, I kind of wanted to before then, but I didn't know until then if she was interested."
"And apparently she was," Jinxx stated calmly. "But I think the question that Andy's trying to get answered is this: Where do things go now that you're not being... forced together, I guess is what I'm trying to say? Obviously, you're an adult, and nobody can tell you what to do, but are you sure you two weren't just sort of getting sucked into all of the...?"
"Uncertainty of the situation?" CC supplied.
To their surprise, Ashley didn't lash out at their words, seeming instead to seriously consider the question. After a time, he replied, "Okay, I guess that's a fair question, but right now the only answer I can give you is: I don't know. I guess the circumstances could have accelerated things a bit, but one thing I know for sure is that I like her. She's smart, and independent, and not afraid to say what she thinks, and she'll go to the mat for you if you're her friend. And those are the kinds of people I like to have around me, you know that."
Jake reached out to squeeze his shoulder, saying, "Yes, we know. But is there actually enough between you to hold up when you get back to... normal life, I guess?"
Ashley gazed at all of them in turn, allowing everyone to see the mix of fear, worry, and uncertainty passing across his features. "What I do know is that she's my friend, no matter what else does or doesn't happen, and we'll always be part of each other's lives. Anything else is going to have to wait until she gets better, of course, but after all the shit we've had to deal with over the last three months, I think we deserve the chance to find out. Am I wrong?"
"No, man, you're not wrong," Andy assured him. "Just take it slow, okay? It won't be fair to either of you if you jump into something and then figure out the friendship is all you really have, so just take the time to actually get to know each other a little better."
Ashley nodded, then yawned hugely, and CC rose from his chair, announcing, "Okay, on that note, I think it's time you got some sleep. Anybody wanna help me get him to bed?"
Blasko stood and helped Ashley from the couch, and the two led him first to the bathroom, and then to one of the bedrooms, helping him change into clean boxers before he laid down. As they prepared to leave the room, CC paused in the doorway and queried, "Hey, Ash, do you happen to have a picture of your friend? I'm just kind of curious about what she looks like."
"I think there might be a couple in my phone, I'll show you if I get it back tomorrow," Ashley mumbled sleepily. "Or you could pull up 'Dead In The Water' on your phone or something, she actually had a part in that, not just stunts."
"Which character was she, so we know who to look for?" Blasko asked.
"She's the pole-dancing cop."
Neither could think of a response to that statement, so CC turned off the light and they rejoined the others. After recounting their conversation, Blasko powered up his laptop and found the movie, fast-forwarding until he found the strip-club scene. They watched it twice, and after the second viewing, Jake remarked, "Well, she's... flexible, I gotta give her that much. I can see that getting his attention, but otherwise, she's definitely not his normal type."
Nodding in agreement, Jinxx said, "Which means one of two things; either he really was just sort of caught up in the... intensity of the situation, or there's more to this girl than meets the eye."
Andy lifted his head, fixing them with his piercing-blue stare, and no one disagreed when he said, "For his sake, I hope it's the latter."