Something Like That

Wounded

Lia worked the rest of her shift with ease, avoiding any alone time with Dr. Wallins.  Nathan had arrived not long before her shift was over and taken Cody home.  She couldn’t help but wonder why Cody had no one to call, when she looked at his emergency contact it was indeed Nathan. 

Excited to put her first day behind her, Lia grabbed her bag and turned to leave and ran into the chest of Dr. Wallins. 

“Nurse Morgan.” He smiled. 

“I was just heading out.” She huffed. 

“I would love if you’d join me for dinner this evening.”  He handed her his card.  She fought the urge to throw it away in front of him. 

“Dinner is the furthest thing from my mind.  I’m sorry Dr. Wa. . . “ 

“Please, call me Trevor.” 

“Trevor.  I’m just getting started here and dating, or dinners, I’m just not interested.”  Lia sighed. 

“Hmm.  Well perhaps that will change in time.  You have my number; my personal cell is on the back.”  He turned and walked away. 

Lia shook the gross feeling off her and left for home. 

When Lia walked in the house, she immediately saw Cody fast asleep on the couch.  Nathan was sitting at the kitchen table while Dani was cooking presumably breakfast. 

“Morning all.”  She said in a sing song voice. 

“How was your first shift?”  Dani asked looking over her shoulder. 

“Why. . . Why did you not warn me about Dr. Wallins?!”  she growled. 

“How is he?”  Lia asked Nathan, nodding toward Cody before Dani could answer. 

Nathan smirked.  “he’s fine.” 

“Dr. Wallins is an ass but I didn’t think he was that bad as to need a warning.”  Dani laughed handing Lia a mug of coffee. 

“He’s an ass and then some.”  Lia took a sip.  Nathan raised an eyebrow at her. 

“Cody said he had to put him in his place.  I thought it was the meds talking.”  He questioned. 

“No, he gave him a few words for being a jerk.”  She giggled. 

“Do I need to go talk to this guy?” 

“No.  He’ll be gone in a month or two.  These Doctor’s never stick around here.”  Dani slide a plate in front of Nathan before serving Lia and herself. 

“Thank you.”  Lia side hugged Dani, she was so glad to have her in her life and for Nathan to have her as well. 

“I’ve got to get back to work in a bit.  I assume you ladies will nap for work.  Can you keep an eye on the baby over there?”  Nathan laughed between bites. 

“I’m heading home.  Laundry to do and lots of sleep.  It’s up to her to keep him alive.”  Dani winked. 

“I was just filling in last night.  I doubt Cameron will need me again with you back.  I’ll be on shift with you tomorrow though.”  Lia bit into her bacon.  “I suppose I can keep him alive.”  She laughed. 

“Yall realize I can hear you?  I can also smell the breakfast no one bothered to offer me.”  They heard from the couch. 

Lia’s eyes went wide as the others laughed. 

“How you feeling man?”  Nathan asked Cody as he tried to sit up. 

“Like I’ve been grazed by a bullet from a crackhead.”  He peeked over the couch. 

“A likely story.”  Dani teased. 

Lia made a plate of food and took it over to Cody then went back to begin cleaning the kitchen.  Nathan and Dani both heading out, leaving them alone. 

“Feeling okay?”  Lia asked quietly sitting next to Cody on the couch. 

“Yeah, I’m good.  No thanks to Dr. Jerkface.”  He laughed finishing his food.  “Thank you for the grub.”  He smiled. 

“Ha!  Well, thankfully you had an awesome nurse who possibly saved your life.”  She kicked off her shoes and leaned back. 

“Yes, I’m very thankful.”  Cody attempted to stand but his side was just not quite ready for that much movement yet.  “Ok, guess I’ll just stay here.”  He chuckled. 

“It’s okay.  I’ll get it.”  Lia grabbed his plate and took it into the kitchen.  She was feeling tired but wanted to enjoy Cody’s company a little longer. 

“Can I ask you a question?”  Lia asked softly as she returned by Cody’s side. 

“Sure.” 

“Do you...  Do you have family around?”  she spoke. 

“ahhh, tired of the wounded man already?”  he smiled. 

“What?!  No!  I was just surprised that Nathan was your emergency contact.  Your only emergency contact.”  Lia explained. 

“Oh yeah.  Pretty sad isn’t it?”  he ran his fingers through his hair. 

“No, I’m sorry.  I was being nosey and rude.”  She felt bad for prying. 

“It’s okay.  Actually, my parents split years ago and my Mother lives out west no and my Father, well he passed about a year or so ago.  My family isn’t that close with one another, so my friends are family.”  He explained quietly. 

“Oh, I see.  I’m sorry to hear of your father passing.” 

“Thanks.  It’s ok.” 

“I’m sorry for prying.”  Lia felt bad for being so intrusive. 

“It’s really fine.”  He laughed patting her knee.  This time he felt the spark when he touched her.  His eyes went to hers to see if she felt it too but if she did, she didn’t show it. 

“I’m going to freshen up and change, then I suppose I can keep you company.”  She smiled. 

“I’d like that but I’m sure you’re tired.  Silly cops keeping you busy all night.”  He joked. 

“I’m good, for now at least.”  She said heading to change. 

When Lia came back through, she noticed Cody on his phone.  Trying to stay quiet she fixed herself a glass of juice and stood at the kitchen island. 

“I’m fine seriously, it’s like a bad scratch.”  She heard Cody groan into the phone.  He listened for a minute then sighed.  “Yes, yes sir.”  He hung up sitting there staring at the wall. 

Lia cleared her throat and made her way back to the couch. 

“Sorry, didn’t mean to interrupt.” 

“Oh, it’s fine.  Just your brother being my boss.”  He laughed with sadness in his eyes. 

“Oh?  Do I need to have words with him?”  she raised her eyebrows. 

“Ha!  I think I’m going to like having you here.”  He smiled and Lia felt that flutter in her belly again. 

“It’s fine though, just rules, protocol, whatever.  I hate being off.  I feel useless and get bored.”  Cody shrugged. 

“Ah, desk duty after your recovery?”  Lia asked knowingly. 

“Yep.  But enough about all that.  What fun are we gonna have couch surfing today?” 

Lia laughed.  “You’re going to be loopy on pain meds soon and I’ll be slap happy from lack of sleep. What’s more fun than that?” 

“No pain meds for me.  I’m good.  We’ll still have fun though.”  He winked and Lia raised her brows.  “Innocent fun.”  He corrected and Lia laughed.  Cody loved hearing her laugh, it made him smile from the inside out.  He watched her move to turn on the TV, scrunching her nose up trying to figure out all the remotes.  He couldn’t help but giggle. 

“He has it like a space station!”  she cried. 

“No, he has it like an awesome surround set up.  The basement, now that’s like a space station.”  Cody smiled as she looked over her shoulder at him, making his heart skip a beat. 

“Of course.”  She handed the remotes to him. 

Cody got everything on and turned on a random sitcom. 

Cody leaned back propping his feet on the coffee table, hands behind his head.  Lia took in his body head to toe.  In sweatpants and a plain black t-shirt he was just gorgeous and she could see one of his tattoos peeking out under his sleeve.  Her eyes lingered too long and he could feel her staring though he didn’t mind at all. 

“Any story behind your tats?”  she finally asked breaking the silence. 

“Ahh, more prying?”  he laughed. 

“Sorry!”  Lia whined with a laugh. 

“I’m just joking.”  He pulled his sleeve up.  “This was just a tribal design I liked, and this” he pulled his shirt up revealing his beautifully sculped abs covered in perfectly colored skin and just a hint of chest hair.  His fingers ran over the tattoo of roman numerals. “my sister’s birth and death date.” 

Lia noted that he hadn’t mentioned a sister earlier. 

“I’m sorry” she whispered as he continued. 

“And this, just another design I liked and your brother has a similar one.” He chuckled. 

“Matching tattoos?” she questioned. 

“No, not matching.  Similar. . . Similar.”  He corrected. 

“Ah, Okay.  Similar.”  She nodded with a smirk. 

“You have any?”  Cody asked. 

“A few small one’s” Lia smiled with a little twinkle in her eyes telling Cody there location wouldn’t be revealed to him, any time soon at least. 

“Ah, I see” He returned her smile. 

Lia picked up her phone seeing several texts.  She quietly checked them while Cody dozed off next to her. 

10a.m.- Sooo, how’s it going?-Dani 

-10:30a.m.- Fine?  What’s up?-Lia 

10:15a.m.- Cody still alive?-Nathan 

-10:31a.m.- Yes. *eye roll* -Lia. 

10:05a.m.- Your first day was great! So glad to have you on our team.  I’ll see you tomorrow evening. -Cameron. 

-10:32a.m.-Thanks so much. -Lia 

10:32a.m.-I miss you! -Meg. 

-10:33a.m.- I know! Miss you too!  I’ll come visit and you can too!-Lia 

-Definitely.  I’ll get some cowboy boots and find me a cowboy to love!-Meg 

-I don’t doubt that for a second, though Todd would get jealous. Lol.-Lia 

-Call me later?-Meg 

Sure-Lia. 

Lia was already missing her NYC friends.  Meg had become one of her best friends during her time there.  She hated to leave her but too much sadness and bad memories for Lia so she decided it was time to go home, only having no real home she decided it was time to make a home close to the only family that mattered, Nathan. 

Since Cody was resting and she herself feeling tired she rose to go to bed.  As she stopped to put her coffee mug in the sink, her phone rang.  She smiled thinking it was probably an impatient Meg, but a number she didn’t recognize appeared instead with New York City underneath. 

“Hello?”  She answered cautiously. 

“Ms. Cali Morgan, please?”  The lady spoke. 

“Yes, this is she.” 

“Good afternoon.  Your name and number are on the Victim’s Notification list.  I’m calling to notify you that offender . . . . . “ 

Lia felt like she couldn’t breathe.  This is seriously happening, right now she thought.  She steadied herself against the counter, turning away from the living room so even in this moment not to disturb Cody. 

“I’m sorry Ma’am.  Can you repeat that?”  Lia whispered. 

“Yes, sure.  Offender 117800591, Brett Brosen will be released from the Queens facility on Monday morning.  We’re notifying you as part of the Victim Notification program.” 

Lia felt the fear filling her up and the tears poured out without her even realizing it. 

“Do you have any questions?” 

“No, No Ma’am.”  She laid the phone on the counter and looked up to see Cody staring at her, holding his side, standing next to her. 

“I realized you got up.  Then I saw you frozen in here.  I’m sorry.  You’re obviously not okay.  Do you wanna tell me what’s going on?”  He spoke soft, looking at her with pure concern. 

Lia did not want to tell him.  She did not want his pity or to be seen as a victim and she sure as hell didn’t want her brother or even Dani to know and she couldn’t ask Cody to keep her secret.  Realizing she was taking too long to respond and Cody was clearly in pain standing, she spoke in barely a whisper. 

“You need to sit.”  She held his arm, leading him back to the couch.  Cody went along waiting for her to explain the scene he had borne witness to. 

“I need sleep is all, exhausted.”  She laughed nervously.  “You rest.”  And with that Lia hid away in her room before Cody could say a word.