Read Story: SEASON 1 EPISODE 174

Victoria's Secret models I seemed to surround myself with. I blinked at him, and he looked down at me and huffed, his bushy, iron-grey mustache fluttering.

"Looks like the patient is awake," he said in the gravely voice that was probably inherited from decades of smoking. He reached down and ripped the velcro cuff off my arm. "Welcome back. Glad you're not dead. I'd have only been paid half my rate"

He turned and strode over to a table where a gym bag lay open, its contents half spilled across the surface a stethoscope, a white case marked 'first aid, a large bottle of hand sanitizer, a few masks, and a few other small-to-medium-sized instruments. He dropped the blood pressure monitor on top of a box of gloves and started shoving his tools back into the gym bag.

"So?" a woman's voice said from just behind me. I slowly looked back and saw Erin leaning against the wall, biting on a black- painted nail as she eyed the doctor with her dark brown eyes.

"So?" The Einstein lookalike repeated, still packing his equipment. "So, young lady, it looks like your man here will make a full recovery in a few weeks. Nothing's broken. He has several contusions on his fibula and tibia, as well as his ribs." He stopped packing to look at the pair of us. "That's doctor speak for your shins and ribs are bruised." Despite sounding like our presence annoyed him, something in his eyes gave me the impression that it was at least partly an act.

He turned, got in my face, and flashed a small pen light in my eyes, watching them closely as he continued, "He has a concussion. In fact, that's the worst of it. I wanted you awake so I could check your responsiveness."

"That's what was in the needle?" Erin asked.

"Yes. Just something to wake him up. It should wear off in about thirty minutes to an hour. He should be fine to sleep after that. In fact, I'd recommend it." Seening satisfied with my pupil activity, he turned off the perilight and pocketed it.

"Besides that, you have a couple of loose teeth and lots of bruising. That should go away in a few days. All-in-all, I'd say you got off pretty lucky, considering what they told me you went through."

"Lucky," I said and tried to sit up. "You're not the first to tell me that." Erin immediately laid a hand on my chest. "Hey, Just stay lying down. I'll get whatever you need."

"I'd listen to the young lady, Mr. Upton," the doctor said as he zipped the gym bag closed. "Women. They're usually right." He wagged his eyebrows at me. Erin looked over at him, then back at me with a self-satisfied smirk. I rolled my eyes and laid back down, the last thing I needed was Erin with more self-confidence than she already had.

"My whole body was screaming earlier," I said. "Why does it feel like a dull roar now?"

"That would be the painkillers I gave you, son. Something new, fresh off the FDA's radar. Costs a small fortune, but I'm told you're good for it."

"Oh," I said, unsure how I felt about being given drugs that were still hot off the presses of government regulation. "Well, they work."

"I'll let the attorney general know," he said, standing next to me with gym bag in hand. "Don't be a fool though, bay. You may not be able to feel it, but you can still damage yourself pretty badly if you're not careful. So don't try doing handstands or anything. One more thing. Your cholesterol is a tad high. It's not much, but I'd recommend getting a jump on that."

"Thanks, uh..."

"Doctor Samuels," he said. "Now, there's a young lady in similar condition to you that I need to look at, and then someone with a bullet in her shoulder. I've done all I can. The rest is up to God and time."

He exited the bedroom without waiting for a goodbye.

"What time is it?" I asked Erin.

"Nearly four."

"In the morning?"

"Yes," she said quietly, sitting on the bed next to me.

I looked around at the walls and furniture. "We're on the plane?"

She nodded. "We took off as soon as you arrived." Her face grew grim. "Boss, you and Natashya..."

"Is it as bad as it feels?"

"Probably worse since you're drugged up." She looked around the room and muttered, "If only I had a mirror."

"Don't worry about it," I said, placing a hand on one of hers.

She looked down at it and bit her lip. Then she looked up at me, and I could have sworn her eyes looked a little brighter than usual.

"Hey," I said. "We made it out."

She nodded. "I know. It was just really scary. You were missing for three days."

"Does anyone know what happened or why?"

"No," Erin said, brushing her dainty fingers through my hair. "We must have shown up 10 minutes after the police did. I don't know how Chloe did it, but she and Jon managed to get into the crime scene. Ashlee, Shea, and I were going insane the whole time. About thirty minutes later, they came back with John. The other John is in the hospital." I started to say something, but Erin beat me to it, "He'll recover and should be back in New York in a few more days. It's being handled."

"Ray," I said, the image of his lifeless body dropping in front of me was something I'll never forget.

"Yeah," she said. "I've already called Mack and gave him the news. The body's back in New York, and we're working with him to arrange the funeral. We're paying for it... I thought you would want that."

"Yeah, I would," I said, swallowing the lump in my throat. "They were going to adopt."

She was quiet for a long moment, then said, "I didn't know that."

"I offered to help."

"That was very kind of you."

I didn't say anything. He died because of me. I didn't feel like I deserved the praise.