Saving her from herself (closed)

(closed--please send me a PM if you want to write this with me.)



*****
She had worked too hard to get where she was while undercover. Now...now someone had to go and fuck that all up for her...which explained the reason Nicole was now holding her side and huddled in the dark alley as snow fell, giving the all peaceful affect it usually did while falling in the middle of the night.

The only thing tainting the whole picture was the blood that seeped between her fingers as she tried to apply pressure to her side where she was shot.

But fuck...it fucking hurt. She had been shot before but nothing this seriously. And yes, she knew it was serious and it could get a lot worst if she didn't get help. But there was no one she could call...at least not anyone she worked with in the department. But then...Nicole had a crazy idea...extremely crazy. She slumped against the dumpster and grabbed her phone, which she thankfully still had. It took a few tries but she dialed the hospital to which she remembered where he worked...

Voicemail. She had gotten his voicemail but hell, she knew he'd come help her. He owed her.

It took a moment to realize that she needed to leave a voicemail, so Nicole cleared her throat, "Hey Cowboy, it's Raven...I'm in a shit storm and need your assistance..." with that, Nicole only gave out directions as to where she was and then she hung up.

The man she called was a member of her recon squad back when she was in the military. He was the medic...after they were done with their mission, they had gone their separate ways with Nicole staying one more year in service while he went out and continued his education as a doctor. They had met once...ran into each other and caught up... in more ways than just talking...

Nicole did her best not to pass out but the pain.. she was safe here..at least for now. Now, all she had to do was wait...

It was another long night in the Emergency Room at Mercy General. Michael O'Shea sat down for two seconds to make notes on the last patient he had treated. He savored those seconds, because they were rare. The Emergency Room at Mercy General was one of the busiest in the country, and he was one of the best ER Attending Physicians around.

His time in the military had prepared him for work in the ER. After going back to medical school, there was no doubt where he wanted to work. He could have gone into any field he wanted; his colleagues and his advisors thought he was crazy for going into emergency medicine, but, he wanted nothing else.

His phone vibrated in his pocket. As he reached for it, an ambulance crew burst through the doors with a man on a gurney. Another GSW, how many was that tonight, 5? 6? It didn't matter, he was off to save another life.

When Michael's shift ended, he sat in the locker room for a minute. He contemplated showering, but decided to wait until he got home. He put on a fresh pair of scrubs for the ride home and headed out. As he walked to his car, he took out his phone and saw that he had a voicemail. What he heard, had him breaking every traffic law. He raced to the location that Nicole had given him. She had used their code names in the message... she was in trouble.

She was shivering. How long had it been? No one had come looking for her...that was both good and bad. Her phone had long ago died so she estimated the time to be around 4 A.M.

The bleeding had stopped and she was way beyond tired. It took a lot to keep her eyes open but she was getting weak and she was cold. But being cold was a good thing, right?

She closed her eyes momentarily...at least she thought it was because she could feel herself moving..someone talking to her. Did he just curse at her for getting into trouble? Probably. She was good at getting herself in trouble, that was for sure.

Then she heard other voices around her and that was the last thing she heard as she slipped back in unconsciousness.

***
The beeping of a machine woke her up and she opened her eyes carefully... a hospital... it had to be. The smell was what confirmed it--the sterile smell of a hospital. Well, it was better than being dead, that was for sure.

Michael found her sitting in an alley behind a dumpster. Her phone was in her hand. She was bleeding and unconscious. After scooping her up and carrying Nicole to his truck he drove back to Mercy General. He sat outside for a minute wondering whether he should take her inside. Once the staff saw GSW, it would mean that the police would be involved.

For a minute Michael considered taking Nicole to a doctor friend who was in private practice and treating her there. He decided against it because he wanted to make sure that Nicole had the best treatment possible. He would treat her, but he needed the resources of the hospital.

Carrying her inside, Michael began to shout orders. People reacted, because they knew how good he was and that he knew what he was doing. He laid her on a gurney and began treating her. Once he had her stabilized, he backed away for a minute. That was when the police started asking him questions. His story was simple.... he found the woman on the street and picked her up and brought her here. He was certain that Raven would not blow his story, because the team members had developed this story just in case something like this happened.

It had been over 2 and a half weeks and Nicole was still in the hospital. She hated it. There were visits from her Captain and of course, others from the department wanting her to explain what had happened exactly.

She had given them the exact story... she was out on a date and had been walking to her car when someone tried to mug her.

They had been amazed in the fact that someone found her just in time and brought her to the hospital. And as far as she knew, no one put together that her and Michael knew each other.

What idiots.

Although she had wanted to speak with Michael personally, they really couldn't get time alone. There was a cop at her door at all times... for 'protection' they had said. Yeah right. They wanted to keep an eye on her because they knew this had all been a lie. Well, her story that is.

Luckily, she wasn't ask critically injured as she had thought. Sure, she had lost a lot of blood and had surgery to make sure no major damage was done, but other than that, she was ready to be released tomorrow. Hell, she needed some time off to heal, that was for sure. But right now, she would play along and bide her time...

Michael monitored Nicole's progress from afar. He saw them coming and going. He saw them asking questions. He knew they were trying to figure out if the story Nicole told them was the truth.

They had come to Michael several times asking questions. They repeatedly asked him to tell them the story about how he had come upon the woman with the gun shot wounds. Every time he told the story, it was identical to the first time. They tried to trip him up by pointing out that he lived in the opposite direction from the hospital and wouldn't have gone past where she was found on his way home. He reminded them that, as he told them right from the beginning, it had been a tough night at work and he was just driving around to decompress before going home. "You should give me a medal for saving her life instead of constantly bothering me and asking me the same questions. If you keep forgetting my answers, maybe you should record them."

He spent his free time trying to figure out a way to get Nicole out of the hospital when she was released without getting caught. It wasn't going to be easy. She had the 24 hour guard on her door, and he was certain they were going to follow her closely once she was discharged. He decided that he would follow her also, and then figure out how to get in to see her.

Nicole looked at the clock.

2:35 A.M.

The cop outside her door was sleeping so it was now or never...

Last week, one of the nurses had been kind enough to get her some clothes to wear for when she was going to be released and so Nicole grabbed them and took them with her as she quietly slipped out of her room. It was a perfect timing only because she had been watching the staff and their habits. It was that time of night when the nurses and doctors were doing their rounds with other patients.

Nicole quickly escaped to the stairwell where she quickly changed from her hospital gown to the clothes she had been carrying. She zipped up her hoodie and kept heading down the stairs until she reached the bottom floor. She had quickly been out of breath only because she hadn't been as active as she usually was. Her wounds were all healed and she only needed another week before she was sure she'd be back at 100%... Nicole's breath caught as she was hit with a sudden cold blast as she stepped outside and had forgotten about the snow. That and she had to catch her breath before proceeding to the front of the hospital where an uber had been waiting.

She wasn't even going to stop at her place to get anything. Her destination was the airport and all she wanted to do was disappear for a bit, rest up and get to 100% before coming back to take care of those who hurt her.

As she rode to the airport, she thought of Michael and how she was sorry she didn't get to thank him for what he had done. It couldn't have been easy with the constant questions she was sure he was put through. That was another part of the reason she was needing to leave. They needed to lay off of him and this would be the only way... She grabbed her old phone and sent him a text:

Thanks for what you've done. I'm sorry to have put you through this.

She sent it and made sure it went through before taking her phone apart and taking out the sim card and destroying it. Her uber driver gave her an annoyed look when she put the window down and tossed out the card.

Fuck, she was tired. Her strength wasn't up to par but she needed to keep moving. Once at the airport, she bought a different set of clothes and quickly changed into them before putting her hair up into a baseball cap. It would be another 2 hours before she would be able to board...

This is a great roleplay.

(What’s up with that?)

Michael was awakened by pounding on his door. He looked at the clock next to his bed and it read 3:15..... that was a.m. Who the fuck could be at his door and why were they banging? He reached into the drawer of his nightstand and pulled out his Glock 20 and headed for the door.

Looking through the peephole, he saw several uniformed officers standing there along with the detectives that had already questioned him several times. He placed his weapon on the table next to the door and then he opened the door. “Well officers. This certainly does take your harassment to a new level.” He stood in the doorway and did not invite them inside.

They asked him when the last time was that he saw Nicole. “Last time I saw her was in the ER when I saved her life. I was not allowed to see her after that. I tried to check on her but you had a police officer stationed at her door to act as a bouncer.”

Neither of the detectives acknowledged his response. They just went on to their next question which involves looking around his apartment and checking his cell phone. “We are done here; that is unless you have a search warrant for my home and my phone. Also, I will be hiring an attorney to deal with all of this harassment. I will forward you the name once they have been retained so that all of your future communication can go through him or her.”

With that, Michael closed the door and locked it. He paused for a few seconds, picked up his gun and went back to his room. After putting his weapon away, he grabbed his phone and saw the text. “Damn it Nicole. What are you doing?” He knew she would head out of town. The airport is where she would go. Michael wanted to go looking for her, but he knew there would be a tail on him.

2 months later

She was back. It was after midnight and Nicole knew that Michael was working...so... she stopped by the hospital and waited for him in the shadows just to make sure no one was watching. Hell, she knew no one was watching for her now. She had lost her tails a long time ago. There were too many dead ends for the police to keep following so, it died down.

Nicole had kept some contacts in her favor and cashed them in, she was sure that Michael had found out with what she was doing because, he had the same contacts also...and word did get around within their circle.

So now, she was waiting for Michael... making herself comfortable in the backseat of his car.

She only had to wait a few more minutes as she heard him approaching--the voice of another female giggling at something he said. It took a few more minutes but finally he entered the car and thankfully, the woman he was with didn't. When he started the car, Nicole cleared her throat, "Hi Michael."

There were rumors, but nothing he could confirm. It was typical of Nicole. She was good at what she did and would never give anyone enough information to confirm anything. It was one of the reasons she was still alive.

Michael put his mind back into his work. It was the one thing that he enjoyed... saving lives. He was good at it, which was something that definitely worked in his favor. He constantly had offers to go to a new facility. There was always the lure of more money, but Michael never bit. There was always the thought in the back of his mind that Nicole would return here, and he wanted to be here if she did.

At the end of the shift, Michael went into the locker room and decided he wasn't going to change. He grabbed his wallet and keys from his locker and headed out. Getting onto the elevator in the parking garage, Michael heard someone call out for him to hold the elevator.

Holding the elevator, he looked to see who was coming. It was a doctor who he knew from some of the hospital-wide staff meetings he had been to. She was very attractive, and they had actually flirted a little. They made some idle talk as they rode up and walked through the garage together. He asked her if she would like to get a drink, but she declined, saying she had to get home to her daughter, since the babysitter needed to get home. He joked with her and said, "well, next time you ask me to hold the elevator for you, you better be available to pay me back for it." She laughed and said it was a deal.

Michael watched her get into her car, and then he got into his. When he heard her voice, he didn't react. He looked carefully into the rearview mirror. "Welcome back."

Nicole smiled at Michael's reflection, "Thanks, miss me?"

She rolled her eyes at his response and reached over and gave his shoulder a squeeze before settling back against the seat, "Take me to you place.. I have a favor to ask."

Of course she could have questioned him about the other woman but why? She knew Michael had a life to live and by all means, he was free to do so. While away, she couldn't but keep tabs on him and she was sure he did the same. It was all well and good because despite his new life, they still had the same connections and that was something that would never change.

They finally reached his place as after he parked in the underground parking, she got out and surveyed her surroundings... damn old habits were hard to break. She knew there wouldn't be anyone at this time of night but hell, one could never be too careful.

Once upstairs, she made herself at home, still not saying anything to him. Nicole knew Michael was extremely patient and would wait until she was ready to talk. But she didn't want to do that to him now, he didn't deserve it. "About that favor..."

Michael’s mind raced throughout the whole ride home. “What is it that she wants now?” He wondered. Michael tried to assess Nicole through the rear view morror; wondering if she was wounded again and needed his help to tear her injuries.

When they arrived at his home, they both got out of the vehicle and surveyed the surroundings. Michael did not have a clue of what he was looking for, but he would be able to identify anything that was out of place.

Inside, Michael headed immediately for the refrigerator. This developing situation was goi g to require him to have a beer; he was certain if that. He took two cold bottles from the refrigerator and headed back into the living room. He extended one to Nicole as she began.

"I've had time to think..." Nicole begin before taking a sip of beer and then continuing. She knew she had Michael's full attention and for once, she wasn't sure how to begin.

"And I think it's time I go after them." She was ready... she hadn't spent these past few months doing nothing. Hell, most of it had been spent getting what she needed to put these guys away once and for all. "So, what I want to do is cash in one last favor and although I'm not sure what that is right now... when it comes time, I want to know if you'll do what I ask without question. And after that... I swear, you won't hear from me anymore for the rest of your life."

"Of course, you can say no and I'll completely understand... no hard feelings."

He drank his beer and looked at her as he listened to what she was saying. He was certain that his look said, "are you out of your fucking mind?" He nodded his head a couple times, took another drink of his beer and chuckled a little.

"So, let me get this straight.... what you want to do is have me agree to something that I have no idea what it is. I am not supposed to question you; just simply do what you ask me to do. Oh, and I am supposed to do all of this after you disappeared for months after I helped you out of your last situation. Do I have it right?"

Michael stood up and walked back into the kitchen; finishing his beer as he did. Placing the empty bottle in the recycle can, Michael said to himself, "I must be nuts for not throwing her the hell out of my house." He opened the refrigerator and got another beer out. He opened it and drank half of it.

Walking back into the living room, Michael looked at Nicole. If she wasn't so damned hot, and if he didn't care about her so much, she definitely would have been shown the door. However, she was still here, and he actually found himself considering listening to what she had to say.

Nicole finished her beer also and set the empty bottle on the coffee table in front of her. She could only watch Michael leave and head into the kitchen. She knew she had upset him but seriously, she had made more outlandish requests before. Maybe that was why she had come to him last.

When he came back, she crossed her arms and looked at him before walking up to him and wrapping her arms around his waist, "I don't suppose adding please would help?" She asked, resting her chin on his chest, "Come on Cowboy, more than likely, I might not need you at all..." she didn't want to add that it would probably be because she'd be dead.

"You know I appreciate you doing what you did last time. And like I said, this is the last time and you'll never hear from me again...."

He wrapped his arms around her and placed his hands on the small of her back. Looking down into her eyes, he was reminded of just how frustrating she could be. He also was able to read her comment about maybe not needing him, and it frustrated him even more.

"So, what you are telling me is that you are going to put yourself in harm's way again. That means you are going after those who hurt you and you are going to extract revenge on them." He shook his head and then kissed her forehead.

"I always knew you were not the settling down type, but do you really have to be as out-of-control as you are? Why can't you just be happy with being safe and moving somewhere that nobody knows you and settling down and having a family? Would that be so bad? I should just kidnap you, take you to somewhere in the Caribbean and live on the beach. A place where nobody knows our past and we could just fuck all the time without a worry in the world."

He smiled at her and laughed while playfully smacking her ass.

Nicole shrugged, her arms still wrapped around his neck, "Someone's got to do it, right?" She leaned up and kissed his cheek before pushing away and walking back to the couch and finishing off her beer. She was silent for a few moments as she thought about what he said...the part about starting a family, well, yeah, that was always on a woman's mind... but who would want her?

"Do you know anyone?" She said, winking at him, "Come on, Cowboy, you know, no one wants me. Like you said, I'm out of control."

"How about you show me a good time before I have to leave?"

He looked at Nicole. He could not believe what he heard her saying. Did she really think so little of herself? He was disappointed to hear her say that.

"Yes, actually I do know someone Nicole. I think you know that there is someone who wants you. You just never take the time to stop and recognize it."

Michael watched Nicole go back over and sit down and drink her beer. He shook his head at her question.

"So, that is what I am for you. I am just somebody for you to come and see when you need something; whether that is taking care of you when you need medical attention or you need to be shown a good time. And, on top of that you want me to agree to something without knowing what I am agreeing to."

He stood and stared at her. "I still think we should go live in a hut on a beach in the Caribbean."