Stupid o'clock at night, St Martin's hospital
Emily sat in an examination room alone, sniffling a little since she felt completely miserable, while the doctor had gone to get her X-ray results. She had a feeling that there really was a thing like karma - she had been all too successful and happy lately so naturally something horrible had to happen to even it out. The pain in her left shoulder was constantly in the back of her head even after it had been popped back on its place and the arm was held in a triangle sling. She was certain she had never felt anything as painful as dislocating a shoulder and then also returning it back - she had not held back the screams on either times. Like the shoulder would not have been enough, she also had scrapes on her left cheek from when her head had hit the ground, and on her leg from when it had been trapped under the scooter. Her jeans were ripped and the new trench coat was ruined - not to mention that her dear Vespa needed attention as well.
That was the least of her worries, however, since the muggers had taken her bag, and along with it all her keys except for the scooter key - including the keys to her apartment and the restaurant - her wallet with her cards and ID and some money and her cell phone. She did not even want to think about all the trouble losing them would bring her - and she did not get a chance to either since the doctor returned to the room.
"Good news," he said and held an X-ray picture of Emily's shoulder against the light, "it's not broken. There's no fractions so it should heal alright if you let it rest and see the orthopedic for further treatment."
"That's, that's good," Emily said quietly. "Does that mean I need sick leave from the kitchen or something?" she asked as if it was the worst thing she could think of.
"I'm afraid so, I wouldn't go whisking and stirring with that arm," the doctor answered. "I suggest you stay out of work for the rest of the week."
Emily nodded silently feeling now double as miserable as before.
"I believe the police will want to talk with you soon, but didn't you say you wanted to make a phone call first?"
"Y-yes please, since I did lose my cell phone too," Emily said weakly.
"No problem at all. You can call from the reception."
The doctor helped Emily out of the room and took her to the reception desk where he explained her situation to the nurse, who took one of the phones on the desk and moved it further away to give Emily some privacy.
With a word of thanks, Emily picked it up and dialed the only number she could think of in a situation like this - Vincenzo's. As she held the phone by her ear she looked up at the clock in the lobby - it was already 1:30AM. She had a feeling that Vincenzo would be at work but at least she would not be waking him up.
Frank actually took the call but put it through to the office where Vincenzo was tinkering with one of the security cameras.
"Emily?" he said. "Hey, love, whassup?"
"Hi honey," Emily sniffed and wondered how to put it without giving him a bad scare. "I know you're at work but, um, I'm at the hospital."
"You're what?" Vincenzo said, dropping the screwdriver. "Why are you in hospital? Are you badly hurt? What happened? Which hospital?""
Emily shook her head and sighed with a dry smile. "Vinnie calm down, I'm fine - well, not fine, but... um, at least I'm standing on my own two feet. I, I got," it was surprisingly hard to say it out loud, as if it would make her experience real instead of a bad dream, "I got robbed. After I left work. And, and mugged."
"Mugged!" Vincenzo's voice rang around the offices. "What the fuck! Oh honey. How badly are you hurt?"
"Mostly bruises and scratches, really, because I fell with my scooter. But my shoulder got dislocated, it's popped back now," Emily said trying to sound like it was nothing. "I'll be alright, don't worry. Mostly I'm just, just, still really shocked," she said on a quieter tone and wiped her eyes.
"Shit," Vincenzo said then looked up as Jason cleared his throat.
"Take one of the pick-ups," Jason said. "I'll cover the cameras."
"Oh, thanks," Vincenzo said. "Thanks, boss, that's brilliant. Emily, which hospital are you in? I can be there in a few minutes."
Emily sighed of relief. "St. Martins. Thank you, Vinnie, and thank Mr Abrams too. The police want to talk with me first I think, so please don't drive like a maniac and get yourself killed, okay?"
"I promise," Vincenzo said. "You take note of what the doctors tell you. I'll be there shortly. Bye hun."
"By sweetie," Emily said and put down the phone feeling a tiny bit better now that she knew Vincenzo was going to come and take care of her.
*
Chad waited until he was told he could go in and talk to her. Being a cop and asking questions was his job, he just took it personally when it happened to involve somebody he knew. He knocked on her door gently. "Emily? Are you okay with answering some questions for me?"
Emily looked up and for a moment she did not understand what Chad was doing in here - until she realized he was in uniform.
"Chad! Oh my God, I didn't expect to see you," she said with a weak smile as she sat on a chair in an empty examination room. "Yeah, I'd rather talk with you anyway than some stranger."
He smiled brightly at her. The responding officer had called as soon as Emily said she lived at Morningstar, and Chad was relieved the only thing these muggers got was her purse, as per the already pending report. "I figured it might help some. How about telling me about what went on?" He asked gently as he opened a notepad to write things down.
"I don't know, there isn't much to tell. It happened so horribly quickly," Emily said and ran a hand through her hair trying to think back while her left arm rested against her chest in the sling. "I left work, you know, La Fee Verte, before midnight I think. I walked to my scooter that I had parked just down the street on the little parking slot by the bank, and I was already on it and starting the engine when I noticed these two men walk towards me." She took a long shivering breath. "I tried to get away as quickly as I could, but I suppose I wasn't quick enough."
He'd heard that helplessness tone out of too many women in his opinion. People like this needed to be stopped and he was going to do everything possible to help. He wrote down the time and place, and that she was attacked by two men by the bank. "You're sure it was men? Do you remember anything about either of them?" Not that he didn't doubt her but it helped reaffirm the details.
"Yes, they were men," Emily nodded firmly. "I remember that they were both sort of big, or at least tall and sort of, broad shouldered, gruff? One of them had some sort of a jacket, I don't really remember, and the other one had a jacket with a hoodie underneath it. I remember that because he had the hood on," she said and narrowed her eyes, looking at her hand on the table as she tried to think. "The other one had a baseball cap on. I didn't really see their faces or anything, I couldn't say how old they were or anything."
Chad bit his lip as he wrote the new things down. "Any estimate on a height? My height or taller?" He asked, knowing it wasn't proper technique to push for details right away since most times just after an incident left the memory cloudy. He just wanted to figure out who it was and get them off the streets into a squad car. "Sorry, Emily, take your time. I want to get these guys caught."
Emily tried looking at Chad and thinking back, but eventually she shook her head sadly. "I'm sorry, I really can't say. I was sitting on my Vespa and they came at me really fast."
He nodded as his lips formed a line across his face. It wasn't much to go on, but maybe she'd remember something else later?
"Thanks, Emily. If you remember anything later on or just want to talk come see me." That was one advantage of living in the Manor. Plus if Chad wasn't home and she wanted to talk Logan was there after school.
"There's, there's one more thing that might help," Emily said hesitantly. "I just hope I heard right, I was in a lot of p-pain."
"Go ahead, if it's not right we can change it around later." He wrote in his book pain factor but possibly heard: then waited.
"Well, after I had fallen wit the scooter and the other one had taken the bag... the other, he, c-continued. Hit my head and k-kicked me. But the first one shouted at him, "Bob, we gotta go," or something like that." Emily looked up at Chad hoping that it would be of some help.
Poss. name Bob he wrote down, then underlined and turned the page for practical matters. "Names are good leads, even with as common a name as Bob." He told her reassuringly. "Did you have credit cards in your bag? A bank card or anything?" The companies would have to be called and notified, but maybe they could cooperate and help track the criminals if the guys tried to use her credit.
"I had my wallet with all of my cards, both credit and bank, and my ID card and a little bit of cash in there," Emily groaned. "Plus my cell phone and my keys. Oh God we have to change the locks at the restaurant..."
Chad wrote down a quick description of things her purse contained and nodded. "We'll have to call the card issuing companies as well. Let them know there was a theft, but in the meantime if the guys use your credit we have a trail. Or if they use your phone." He scribbled keys to La Fee Verte down then drew an arrow and wrote patrol heavily after closing. "The restaurant just got flagged to be patrolled, more heavily after dark and closing hours."
Emily nodded. "I'll let the managers know first thing in the morning and I'm sure we'll arrange a change of the locks as soon as possible," she said and then rubbed her red swollen eyed feeling tired and teary.
He patted the back of her uninjured hand. "I'll be using as many resources as I can to try nabbing the bad guys. You just relax and get better, Emily."
"I will, thank you," she said. "I think Vinnie will be here soon to take me home. Is there something else you need?"
Chad shook his head. "Not that I can think of. I'm glad though that Roberts called me. Get better and let Vinnie take care of you, okay?" He said with a smile as footsteps echoed in the hall.
Emily stood up carefully. "I will. Let me know if you find out anything, please, and I'll let you know if I remember something," she promised as they left the room and Emily looked around hoping to see Vincenzo.
Vincenzo was on a chair, barely, but bounced to his feet as soon as he saw Emily with the police officer. "Hey," he said, hurrying to her side. "Hell, honey, you look ..." He shook his head - telling her she looked like shit was scarcely going to be a comfort. "I'm so glad to see you on your feet. I was imagining all kindsa things."
He glanced up to thank the police officer then realised that it was Chad Kennard. "Oh, hi, Mr Kennard," he said.
Emily leaned to Vincenzo's side with a relieved sigh and a weak smile. It was amazing how only his presence could make her feel safe. "Thank goodness you're here. Just so you know," she carefully touched her left shoulder that was supported with the sling, "this is where it hurts so be careful when you squeeze me. I would very much like to just go home now, if that's alright?" she turned to look at Chad then.
Chad nodded a hello to Vincenzo, realizing that the guard would definitely be able to take care of Emily, should some crazy muggers show up again. At the question of if she could come home though, he shrugged. "I think that is up to the doctors, Emily. But if they've cleared you I don't have any more questions."
"Let's go home then, please," Emily sighed taking Vincenzo's hand at her side.
"I've got a pick-up outside," Vincenzo said, "and we'll be at the Manor in fifteen minutes." He took her hand to his mouth and kissed the back of it. "Come on honey - let's get you home."
With a final bye to Chad, Emily very thankfully followed Vincenzo. She remained quiet all the way to the car and barely looked at where she was going but under Vincenzo's arm she felt safe enough not to pretend to be strong and alert.
With his arm around her waist, and carefully avoiding putting pressure on her shoulder, Vincenzo led her out to the parking lot and along to where he had left the car. The lights blinked and the locks clicked as they approached and Vincenzo took her to the passenger side and opened the door. "In you get," he suggested, "and I'll do up your seat belt."
Emily got in and reached to tug on the seat belt but as expected, it was very difficult to do with one hand. She gave it up to Vincenzo, mumbling quietly, "What an invalid I am. Thank you."
Vincenzo leaned across to fasten the belt then touched her cheek and gave her the gentlest of kisses. "You sit there, and stop apologising," he advised. "I want to get home and reassure myself that you're safe and not TOO badly hurt."
Emily smiled a little sadly at him and touched his hand before he pulled away. "I want to get home too," she said.
Vincenzo got the car going and pulled out of the parking lot before peaking again. Once in the stream of traffic he took his hand off the wheel and reached across to touch her thigh lightly. "Do you want me to pick up your Vespa tomorrow?"
His touch seemed to wake her up from her thoughts, and with a small jerk she turned to look at him. "Oh, that would be - no wait, I think..." she paused looking confused, "Ricky took it back."
"Ricky?" Vincenzo said. "That long haired hippy type? What was he doing there?"
"Yeah him. He called the police for me, and helped me up from under the scooter," she said. "I always thought he was a little goofy and weird but... at least he means well."
"Yeah, I'll have to remember to thank him," Vincenzo said. "Jeez, when I think how you could have ended up like Ms Gonzalez - or worse ..." He shuddered.
Emily stayed silent looking out of the window for a while until she sniffed audibly and wiped her eyes. "I know. It happened so fast, I had no time to - there was n-nothing I could do..." she went on on a very teary voice.
"Oh hon," Vincenzo sighed and drove a little faster. "One thing you mustn't do - no 'if only's! It wasn't your fault. If you'd left earlier or later, then maybe they'd have been earlier or later too. It's probably just as well that you didn't have time to do anything because they just robbed you rather than beating you up. It's over - and we'll be careful from now on. Any night I'm off I'll pick you up. Other nights - well do you think Thomas might give you a lift home. He must be useful for something."
"That might be an idea," Vincenzo agreed. "I can take you out for practices if you like." The Manor was approaching so he slowed to take the corner into the street. "Especially for the winter. A Vespa isn't a good vehicle in the snow."
Emily nodded silently, a little too tired and confused to think about the car any further, and let out a shivery sigh as they drove down to the dim garage. "Do you need to go back to work?"
"Nope," Vincenzo said. "The boss told me to take you home and keep you company. He's covering my shift until Jackson can get in." He halted the pick up in one of the assigned spots and cut the engine. "Do you want to come back to mine? It's closer. Or would you sooner go home to yours?"
"I don't mind," she said honestly - she felt quite at home at Vincenzo's anyway, and if he was to be there with her as well, she would feel safe as well. "I don't want to disturb Amarie," she continued being apologetic and struggled with her seat belt.
"We'll go up to yours and see Wayne," Vincenzo said with a smile. He unclipped the belt and got out of the car and went to help her out. "I'll make you an ice pack for your bruises and some tea to help you sleep."
"Ohh, where would I be without you," Emily sighed and got out of the car, but winced as she turned and her shoulder moved. "I don't know how I'm going to sleep with this shoulder..."
"You might have to sleep propped up," Vincenzo warned, "so you don't put pressure on it. What did you do to it, by the way?"
"I got robbed, that's what I did to it," Emily said and nudged his side with her elbow. "I don't know, there were two men... one held my right arm - I checked, there's some... bruises - and the other took my bag. Somehow my arm got twisted back when he pulled it off and..." Emily shuddered. "I felt it just pop out. Horrible. Hurt like... like... well I don't know. Most pain I've ever been in."
"Eurgh, dislocations are awful," Vincenzo said. "But if they've popped it back in it should heal fast."
"That's what they said at the hospital," Emily said. Her eyes were red and swollen from crying and they were starting to feel heavy of tiredness, but she felt like she could never get sleep with the robbery and the pain very present in her mind.
The elevators weren't far away, and one was mercifully fast to arrive. It wasn't many minutes more before they were at Emily's door and Vincenzo got out his passkeys to let them both in.
Once inside he gave her a gentle hug and said, "Shall I make you a warm drink? Hot chocolate or something? And where do you keep your painkillers?"
Emily opened the belt of the now ruined trench coat she had bought just a month ago and turned around in front of him so he could help it off of her. "Yes please... and they're in the bathroom cupboard. Hope you don't mind if I... if I just go and sit down for a while."
"Why don't you go to bed?" Vincenzo suggested. "I'll get the drinks started then come and help you get your things off and some nice warm PJs on. Then once the chocolate and painkillers start to work you won't have to get up and move."
Emily smiled at Vincenzo for the good idea and nodded. She took a step to turn and go to the bedroom, but she changed her mind feeling she needed something else first. Before Vinnie could go to the kitchen, Emily took his hand to stop him. "Just, just for a moment longer," she said quietly as she came closer and wrapped her good arm around his waist and rested her head on his shoulder looking for comfort.
Vincenzo chuckled softly and wrapped his arms around her. "Why don't you come with me?" he said. "We can make hot chocolate together. Oh look - Wayne's woken up."
The little cat was stretching and yawning as he made his way towards them.
Emily glanced down at the cat circling their feet, and after a final little squeeze for Vincenzo she let go. "Hey kitty," she said and leaned down to stroke Wayne's fur. The cat's back arched every time and he purred happily and mewed as an answer. "I know I'm really late home, you must be starving."
She stood up straight again and nodded towards the kitchen. "Yeah I'd... rather not be alone now," she said and followed Vincenzo to the kitchen with Wayne darting between and around their feet as they tried to walk.
Vincenzo reached out to grab a chair and took it along with them to the kitchen. "Here, you sit on this, and I'll feed Noisy. Wayne, if you get trodden on, it'll be your own damn fault." He placed the chair so she'd be able to see him and began to make the drinks and get cat kibble from the cupboard.
Emily sat down with a heavy sigh and carefully adjusted the sling holding her arm against her chest. "It's funny really. Nothing's ever really happened to me even though I've traveled around the world on my own, moved to a big City to study alone when I was very young, and I've been to Europe and everywhere," she talked on a low tone. "And now suddenly, in the one place where I finally feel at home, like I want to stay here..." she shook her head.
"I think you've been very lucky, hon," Vincenzo said as he put food down for Wayne. "I got mugged in Hamburg and had my pocket picked in Atlanta airport. The scum are everywhere. Just that you can avoid them most of the time."
"Well once in Nice my hotel room had been robbed while I had been gone, and I've lost luggage once at an airport... somewhere in UK, might have been Edinburgh, but this is the first time something this... forward and, and, scary and personal has happened," Emily said. "What happened in Hamburg, was it bad?"
Vincenzo shrugged. "Not really. Some druggie waving a knife and demanding our wallets. We let him have them because they were mostly empty by that time of night. I was more concerned with stopping my friend Carl from trying to take the kid apart. We were in uniform and it woulda looked bad. So, no, not really scary after Iraq, but without that comparison it would have been nasty."
"I keep forgetting how much you've been through," Emily smiled a little. "Are your brothers as cool-headed and sweet as you are after military training? I still haven't met them," she said. Talking about other things made her forget her shoulder and the scrapes all over her body, at least for a while.
Vincenzo snorted. "Cool-headed is part of the training, hun. Can't be too random with a gun in your hand."
He swirled a little cream over the top of her chocolate and poured a little into a dish for Wayne. Once the little cat was lapping, he picked up both mugs and said, "Let's go to bed? Huh? Get you nice and warm and let you relax."
"Yes please," Emily said and heaved herself up from the chair. She glanced at the cat that was very satisfied now with food and cream, smiled a little, and turned off the lights when Vincenzo had walked by. She followed him to the bedroom where she in turn put the lights on and started taking the sling off from around her neck.
"If only I could sleep and stay in bed late... but I have to get up early to phone work and cancel my credit cards and bank cards and figure out which keys I lost and what to do about the phone and changing locks..." she sighed. "Yeah. I lost all of them."
Vincenzo put the mugs down. "Let me," he said and began to adjust her sling so she could get undressed. This was made a little easier by the damage done to her clothes in the hospital. Most of her things were pinned around her shoulder and easily undone. He supported her elbow. moving it as little as possible, and eased the clothing away from her sore arm. "I'll put the sling back on in a moment," he said.
Emily helped as much as she could, at least until she winced of pain and got a glare from Vincenzo. When they were slipping her bra off from the hurt arm, Emily looked down and finally noticed the nasty looking dark blue spreading across her ribs under her breast, an angry red in the middle of it where the the kick had landed. "Oh God," she breathed going a little pale in the face.
"Sshhh," Vincenzo whispered, a gentle finger under her chin turning her face away from the injury. "That just shows it's working to get better. I'm going to make you an ice pack."
"It, it wasn't that bad in the hospital yet," Emily sniffed. "No wonder it hurts... the ice might be a little too late, and only make me feel cold. But thank you."
With his help she continued to strip and reveal more injuries - broken skin all over her left leg and some more bruising - and eventually get on warm and comfortable PJ's. She sat on the edge of the bed with a shivery sigh and reached for her hot chocolate. "Mmh, cream and everything. I, I think I'll need the pain killer though if I want to sleep."
Vincenzo was busying himself with pillows but looked up at that. "I'll fetch them," he said. "Did they give you anything in the hospital? Vicoden? If not I've got some at home."
"No, I got something..." Emily frowned as she did not remember the name of the drug, "something that helps the swelling and healing of the shoulder. They're in the pocket of the trench coat," she said.
"Well, you lie down then," Vincenzo said, "and try to get as comfortable as possible. I'll fetch the painkillers. Is there anything else you'd like?"
She shook her head and shifted on the bed to lift her feet on it as well. "As long as... as you'll stay with me, please..." she said and sipped the hot chocolate looking up at him over the rim of the mug.
"I'll be right back," Vincenzo promised and indeed he was only out of sight for a couple of minutes. He returned, packet in hand, walking slowly as he read the instructions. "Hmm, two of these should do the trick." He seated himself on the edge of the bed and popped two pills out of the packet and offered them to her.
"I'm sure they'll knock me out good. Promise you'll wake me up in the morning if I don't wake to the alarm?" she said - she had been putting the alarm on for 8 o'clock when he had walked in, and the time was already 3AM. She sighed looking at the clock on the night table wishing she could just sleep until she was better, but she put out her hand to take the pills from Vincenzo, and downed them with what was left of her hot chocolate.
"I promise," Vincenzo said, and kicked off his shoes and lay down beside her propped on one elbow. "Do you want the radio or tv on to help you drift off?" He asked, taking her unslung hand.
Emily brought his hand to her lips and kissed it. "No, I'll be alright..." she said said on a quiet tone looking sleepy as she settled better under the duvet. "You really think of everything, I really appreciate that you go all this trouble, sweetie."
"I'm glad to be here," Vincenzo murmured, watching her eyelids droop. "You sleep, love. I'll be right here."
Emily drifted to sleep comforted by her lover's presence. She did not sleep well, however, the pain and the shock too fresh on her mind to get proper rest, but at least Vincenzo was there to ease her back to sleep.