Huh? I’d blinked, so my eyes were open. I could see the roiling clouds and the lightning in the sky. Why was Al asking me to do that? Nothing made sense. Carefully, I reached out and grabbed a cloud and sat.
Sitting here and now steady, I could concentrate on this distant pain. My left leg burned to fuck, my right arm hurt, and so did my head. My stomach felt like I’d been speared and hung out to dry, and my shoulder hurt. There was so much pain I shied away quickly, unwilling to manage it. Strangely, there were two pains in my belly. I wondered why. But if the answers made me deal with that agony, forget it. I’d float here quite happily instead.
???
I was choking; something was down my throat, suffocating me. And no, it wasn’t Al’s cock. Angry and panicked, I struggled against the sensation in my throat. Big Al was roaring, and behind him, I could swear I heard Drake yelling. There was pressure, and I gagged before the object was removed. Desperately, I heaved in a deep breath, one so great that I tumbled off my cloud and floated again. Fuck that! Whatever that had been could take a running jump straight to hell. In the far distance, flashes of light flickered, and I thought I was seeing the sunrise.
Furiously glaring at the darkness behind me, I drifted forward, grabbing clouds as I headed to what I assumed was a beach. Maybe Big Al was waiting there? I could hear Al calling but still couldn’t find him, and this shit was getting old.
“Tati, baby, you fluttered your eyes, fuckin’ open them!” Big Al demanded.
Hey, I was floating in the correct direction, at least. Big Al sounded much closer now. That was great! I kept heading towards the beach, wondering if it would involve naked time with Big Al. That man may be over sixty and smaller than he once was, but Big Al rang my bell and would forever be the love of my life.
Sadly, I tried to obey. I hated the pain in Big Al’s voice. My husband should never suffer such agony, but I couldn’t quite grasp what Al wanted. After all, my eyes were open. I was witnessing the storm and the bright little streaks of sunlight. But I had to reach Al and kept floating towards the sun, where I could see Big Al lying on a beach. And bitches eyeing him up. No fuckin’ way was any bitch going to eye my man up without me getting my money’s worth.
???
“Doc, why won’t Tati open her eyes? You said her brain activity was normal, and you’ve taken Tati off the meds. So, what the fuck is wrong with my wife?” Big Al demanded, breaking into my quiet. Blast, I’d been floating happily along on a cute little fluffy cloud and was slowly getting closer to the sun.
“Mr Gates, Tati’s body had a traumatising experience. Naturally, she’ll take time to heal,” a strange voice said.
Traumatising event. What did that mean? I had a sharp stabbing pain in my stomach and cried out. Then there was a flash of shrieking metal, screeching brakes, and a heavy slam. Pain shot through my belly in two places, and my shoulder was on fire. As quickly as the flashes hit me, I shoved them away. They freaking hurt like fuck. I didn’t want to deal with that shit.
“Did you hear that?” Big Al asked with hope in his voice.
“Yes, Mr Gates. It appears Tati is returning to us. Don’t give up and be patient,” the strange guy said sternly.
Amused, I snorted and listened to Big Al yell my name. My husband be patient? That would be the day. Big Al had no idea what patience was. Well, not recently, anyway. The most patient I’d known Al was when they took back Hellfire. They’d waited nearly two decades, but it had been worth it. Hellfire was ours and was an ideal of beauty and love. I had helped create that.
Even at our ugliest, when I’d taken out three old ladies, Al had never looked at me any differently. I’d been there when Chance was deep in despair and lost those we loved, and I was there at the end. Although I’d not witnessed Zeus’s killing, I’d been there in spirit, urging them along and then cooking a pot roast for the guys as a celebration our shit had ended.
“Tati-fuckin’-ana, I’ll withhold sex for a year if you don’t open those eyes of yours soon,” Big Al warned, and I heard Chance and Drake laugh in the background.
What! How dare he? I seethed. Angrily, I kicked my legs and began paddling towards those flashes that were getting brighter. Nobody threatened me, especially my husband. Steal my sexy time, indeed! I’d cut Al off from the blow jobs he loved so damn much!
???
Anguished, I groaned as I felt immense pressure on my eyes. The bright light was closer now, and it hurt. My entire body felt like it was on fire, and I was screaming silently in pain. It was like I’d been in a car wreck, but the pain in my stomach was unbearable. The cloud disappeared, and I fell towards the sand with a scream. The light swallowed me, and I screamed.
“Tati, baby, it’s okay!” Al said, holding my face as sobs burst from my lips.
“Pain, pain,” I cried, trying to curl into a ball.
“Get the damn nurse!” Big Al yelled at Shee’s ass, which was rapidly disappearing through the door. It slammed shut as I gasped through the agony encompassing my body.
“What the hell happened? Why so much pain?” I moaned as I clung to Al’s hand and squeezed. Big Al winced, but I couldn’t let go. A nurse bustled in and scurried around, checking several things, and then she pressed a button. An icy feeling swept through me, and the pain began to ease.
“Better?” the nurse inquired, peering into my eyes as I relaxed slightly.
“Yes, the pain’s still there, but it’s not burning through me anymore,” I replied. I coughed and licked my lips. Big Al held a glass of water to my mouth, and I drank from the straw. God, that was like nectar. After a few sips, the nurse moved Big Al’s hands away, and I glared. Unbothered, she smiled and patted my hand.
“Not too much at once, Mrs Gates. We need to get the doctor to check you over first,” she replied as the door opened and the doctor entered. He asked several questions, which led to me getting grumpy, and then asked if I remembered what had happened. When I shook my head, he and my husband exchanged sad glances and said he’d leave Big Al to tell me. The guy explained how to use the button for pain relief and then left. As soon as the door closed, I speared Al and Shee with a dark look. Shee was attempting to creep out.
“Tati, you need to be alone with Big Al when he tells you,” Shee said, sadness leeching his voice. Blowing a kiss, Shee disappeared through the door and closed it softly.
“What happened, honey?” I asked as Big Al shunted me carefully to one side and climbed into bed. I instantly curled into his arms, and it was then I noticed a cast on my right lower leg. Huh, I’d broke my leg and not acknowledged it until now. Showed how much pain my stomach had given me.
“You had a terrible accident, Tati,” Big Al said, wrapping me tightly in his arms. I felt him breathe me in deep and sigh in satisfaction.