Nikki Finds A Sound Guy

CHAPTER 1

Nikki's laptop battery was dead, failing to recharge. She decided to go into Alaine to get it tested and buy a replacement if necessary

Her mom Veronica West warned her not to go.

"There was a big dump last night and it's started snowing again," she said, having just come in from feeding the dogs.

The 28-year old blonde medical research technician, recently fired for insubordination and now home for the winter, whined, "I'm bored, I want to go."

"This is stupid. Dan tell her so."

"Take my pickup. Don't forget to use the winch if you get stuck. Make sure your phone is fully charged baby and get me my newspaper. Oh fresh bread. This stuff we had at breakfast is crap."

"You two are totally irresponsible, Veronica snapped. "It's just like dealing with two kids."

As Nikki dragged on her wool-lined hip-length cowhide coat, already in heavy jeans and boots and wearing her black Stetson, her mom called, "Oh darling we could do with a couple of cartons of eggs and my monthly magazines might be in."

"Right mom. Your irresponsible child-like daughter will see to that."

There was no reply.

A mile down the flat highway, with no snowplow yet being through, Nikki drove the 4WD diesel GMC Sierra pickup gingerly, keeping an eye out for road markers and she was driving through snow two feet deep in places. Then she saw a black sedan half- upturned in a ditch on the other side of the road. It had been approaching from Alaine and she could see the remains of tire tracks in the snow ending in a big sideways skew.

"Some mug shouldn't have been out drinking and the attemting to drive," she laughed. The laughed stopped abruptly when she saw a body almost covered in snow just feet from the vehicle.

"Ohmigod."

She stopped and thought she should call the Sheriff's depot. But no it would be best to check the driver and for other occupants first as the office would ask for details. She walked beyond the dead guy and checked the vehicle. There was no sign of other occupants. She rolled the winter-dressed guy over and his eyes fluttered. That almost scared the crap out of her.

"Hi," he said. And fell unconscious again.

Fighting rising panic Nikki slapped his ice-cold face.

"Wake up, wake up. You'll succumb to exposure," she yelled and then panicked thinking what if he had a severe neck injury. She could be killing him.

She held his head and tugged an ear hard. "Wake up, wake up. You'll die if you don't wake up."

He stirred.

She blew her warm breath on to his face.

His eyes fluttered again then he said, "You're not my mom."

She could have killed him!

He then seemed to focus.

"Oh hi. Have we been in an accident?"

"You have. Now listen to me. Is anything broken?"

"Like what?"

She almost spluttered like your fucking neck but caught herself just in time.

"You have been in a car crash. You appear to have hit your head despite the air bag activating."

"Oh that would have been because I wasn't wearing my seatbelt."

"Thank god, a rational response at last."

She said, "Now you stay resting where you are. I'm taking off my jacket to give you extra warmth and I'll call the Sheriff's office."

"I don't want the Sheriff, I want you."

Nikki smiled, taking off her jacket. Wasn't that so sweet?

"God you have great tits."

"What planet are you from?" she yelled, wrapping her jacket over him and over his head.

She made the call.

The ambulance arrived without escort because the sheriff's tribe or whatever they called them were dealing out assistance all over, including from little old ladies wanting snow shoveled away from their front doors or the path out the back to the dog kennel.

The medics took over and Nikki was told a broken neck was unlikely but concussion was possible.

"Right I have to get mom's eggs and I'll call at the hospital on the way home," she said vaguely.

"Call at the Sheriff's Office and make a statement," one of the medics told her.

When they'd gone Nikki loaded all of the guy's possession into her vehicle and then went shopping and then called into the Sheriff's Office and made a statement. She was told they would secure the vehicle, whatever that meant. The doors and windows were already closed.

Nikki was blocked from entering A&E because she was not a relative of the person she wished to see.

Uncle Rex was her mom's brother.

"Please call Mr Rex Moore, chief superintendent, and tell him Miss Nikki West wants him down here immediately to kick ass."

The officious woman smiled like a dying swan. "Please follow me miss."

"Thank you ma'am. Much obliged."

"Here is Mr Nicholas Lancer miss."

"Thank you ma'am."

Mr Lancer eyed her balefully. He was in a thermal suit being treated for mild-hypothermia.

"You can take your religion elsewhere sweetheart. No way will I become a Bible-basher," he said.

"Ohmigod, Nick and Nikki," Nikki said almost swooning.

"Eh?"

"I'm Nikki and you're Nick. I rescued you."

"Oh you're the women with great tits?"

"I can easily strangle you," Nikki said, squeezing her hands like pinchers.

"That's no problem. All I have to do..." The poor guy found he was barely able to move, cocooned in his heated recovery suit.

He counter-attacked. "Where's my hire car?"

"Where you left it."

"Oh. You mean wrecked."

"I wouldn't think so. Just some dents and a broken windscreen in the shape of your head."

"Oh Christ, I remember now. I was tired, having been working and traveling for thirteen hours without sleep apart from a brief nap on the aircraft and I saw an angel and swerved to avoid her and everything went blank."

"And then I found you and saved you from dying from exposure."

"What?"

"Never mind. I'll make arrangements for your early release from here."

"What."

"Never mind. Just remember the name Nikki West from out west of here."

"And please don't mention my tits again until you're ready to kiss them."

"What?"

"Goodbye Nick."

Nikki went to admissions, provided identity, and asked that Mr Nicholas Lancer be released into her care.

"You're Mr Moore's fiery niece aren't you? We've been told you were in the hospital ready to bite butt."

"I think the term is kick butt. We have to be careful where we put our mouths. Please remember to consult with Mr Moore about the early release of Mr Lancer into the care of me, a former registered nurse. My mother with whom I am living is Mr Moore's sister."

"Yes Miss West. Very well miss. Not a problem miss."

Well thought Nikki, after filling in a declaration she accepted responsibility as Nick's caregiver. As they say, it's not what you know but who you know. Driving home with the eggs, two magazines, newspaper and three types of bread because her dad could never recall what bread he really liked, she wondered why had she taken responsibility for Mr Lancer.

She shrugged. Was it mothering instinct? She decided there are some things one is not meant to know. It just seemed the right thing to do. The guy appeared too lovely to be confined in a hospital that was for sick people. He'd much prefer to have her fussing over him. Hopefully they would be snowed in.

"Thank goodness you're back safely," called her mom. "Did you see anyone you knew?"

"Mr Charles, Mrs Roberts and three people I didn't know."

"Sensible people stay at home in weather like this."

"They were all store owners or store assistants mother. Oh I found myself a man."

"That's good."

There was silence. Nikki waited, grinning.

Her mom came bustling out of the kitchen. "What did you say?"

"You heard. I found a man. His name is Nick."

"Ohmigod, Nick and Nikki, it was meant to happen. Only you can't take to the men who relate to you. What is the record... a month?"

"Roger lasted an incredible three and a half months."

Veronica sniffed and said thank god for that close shave. She'd never liked him.

"He was too groveling and he kept looking at my breasts."

"He was shorter than you mom."

Her father arrived from the barn after checking on the horses. Removing his outer clothing and boots he called, "Coffee". Coffee was always available from 6 am to 10 pm but he liked it being poured for him.

"Your unlucky-in-love daughter has just told me she's found herself a man."

"That's a turnaround. Usually they find her but her problem is she's too finicky. She's heading to become the first old maid in the 3000-year history of the West's.

"That's bullshit dad. You don't even know your family history before your grand-parents and if you go back anything like 3000 years you'd have to check up on them in the trees."

"I'll not have bad language in my house."

"God you're a poor loser dad. Get a life. Well this guy is coming to recuperate with us. On my way into Alaine I found him almost extinguished lying beside the road. He was thrown from his vehicle. Another driver like you dad who doesn't buckle up."

"He's coming here," gasped her mom. "I'm using the guest room as my sewing room."

"He can sleep with me mom."

Veronica rumbled, "Not in my house he won't young lady, not a total stranger."

"I thought dad just said it was his house?"

"Well you know what you father is like and stop stirring."

Dan said someone's coming.

It was a reporter and photographer from The Telegraph newspaper.

Dan asked suspiciously, "What do you guys want? The West's pay their bill for The Telegraph monthly on auto payment."

"We're after your daughter the heroine sir. We need her picture out in the snow leaning against her car."

"You've got the wrong homestead. My daughter's not heroine and she doesn't have a car."

The photographer said. "Let me handle this Joe. Mr West, I was two classes ahead of your daughter Nichol at school and know she's home. Earlier today she saved the life of a big shot businessman from Chicago. When she found him thrown into the snow from his crashed vehicle he was advancing into hypothermia."

"And that makes her a heroine? Listen lady it's our military ladies in combat units overseas who are heroines."

"Dan, where are your manners. Invite the press in. That's Sally, Muriel Wake's daughter and the reporter is Joey Sutherland."

"Hi Mrs West. I'm now only known as Joe."

"That's fine Joey. Now get yourselves in here for coffee and cookies. I'll call Nikki."

Nikki entered the kitchen and said 'Hi Joe' and she and Sally hugged and kissed.

Afterwards Nikki drove the GMC out and leaned against the front for the photograph with only snow and fences in the background.

Joe said Mr Lancer was a vice-president of an insurance company and had been heading to Avoncourt to see his grandmother's grave on her 100th birthday that would have been today."

"Ohmigod," Nikki said. "We can't allow him to fail his mission. Mom phone Uncle Rex and get him to authorize Mr Lancer to be taken by ambulance to the cemetery at Avoncourt. Then they may as well drop him off here on the way back."

"Jeepers, what a wonderful idea," Joe beamed. "It will make a great story."

It was all arranged and Dan drove Veronica and Nikki to the cemetery at Avoncourt as soon as they had finished preparing the guest room and switched on the bed's electric blanket. They sat in a coffee shop until they saw a deputy from the Sheriff's Office lead the ambulance through followed by a Land Cruiser with The Telegraph's name on it.

"Only the Land Cruiser and the GMC will get up to Boot Hill Dan predicted, and was proven correct.

Nick Lancer on a stretcher was loaded on to the Land Cruiser and the two male nurses went up in the twin-cab GMC. The deputy, driving a Ford Crown Victoria, returned to Alaine, probably to continued snow shoveling duty. Mr Lancer told everyone to call him Nick

Near the grave Nick was placed on a wheelchair but it was immediately bogged in soft snow.

"Those front wheels are useless in snow," Dan the practical rancher said. Turn it around and pull."

That worked fine.

Nick, warmly wrapped and supposedly still under observation for possible concussion, was left alone for five minutes. The others withdrew and one of the nurses said to Nikki, only in a rural area would a hospital get away with allowing this. The hospital manager demanded the superintendent give his instruction in writing in case anything went wrong."

"You mean a blood clot?"

"Yes or internal bleeding. He took a hard head knock. But Mr Moore examined him personally and said he was confident Mr Lancer was in no danger. He'd gone through the night with all vital signs indicating no problems. He will be ready to go home in another 24-hours but will be prohibited from driving or flying for another forty-eight hours after that."

Sally, who had Mr Lancer's permission to take his photo at the gravesite, was hard at work, keeping her distance. It was snowing and the photograph published next day would later win her an award in the Midwest Region news media awards.

When the nurses and Dan had the patient back to the vehicle Nick called, "Nikki. I want you."

She went to him and hissed, "Well you can't have me."

He looked startled but recovered. "Not only did you rescue me but you initiated this and have managed my early release by taking me into your custody."

"The term is into my care."

"Oh yes. Well just my heartfelt thanks. A big kiss please."

"Okay," she said without hesitation and kissed him.

"I'm now fully recovered," he grinned.

Back down at the ambulance the nurses checked their patient's temperature and pulse rate and one of them contacted the hospital to report mission over and all was well.

The ambulance followed the GMC home. The press duo had already raced off to hand in photos and for Joe to write his story.

* * *

Veronica took over and fussed over the patient who was under hospital orders to remain quietly in bed for another twenty hours apart from going to the toilet. The guest room had a bathroom so Veronica said to call her when he wanted to visit the little room.

"You may talk to my patient now Nikki but only for ten minutes at a time."

Nikki sighed and said yes.

After Veronica had gone to make broth as she called it Nick grinned. "I was told I was being released into your care as an ex-nurse?"

"Correct but even a charging bull couldn't stop mother when she feels she'd doing her god-given duty."

"I admire you for not telling her to butt out."

"Well she is my mother and this is her house and she feels she's wanted."

"My mother would admire her."

"Well they're not likely to meet."

Nick grinned. "Can you be sure about that? Please hold my hand."

"No way."

"I feel faint."

"Oh god, tell me the symptoms?"

"My heart feels it's breaking after your rejection and I really do believe I have no reason to continue living."

"Oh you idiot. You gave me quite a start. Here, hold my hand."

Nick asked why was the room was so dark.

"To keep you restful. You suffered a frontal head blow and there could have been damage but it appears not so, as least so far. I can't understand why the airbag didn't cushion the impact."

"The guy from the Sheriff's Office who interviewed me said there would have been two impacts. The first was when my vehicle thudded into the ditch, stopping abruptly and then my door flew open as I slammed into it when the vehicle half turned and I was thrown out but fortunately landed on thick snow. He said even though I was wearing thermals and a thick winter hat it was surprising to him that I survived because on my reckoning the accident happen seven hours before you came along. The car will be examined for tire failure and why the door burst open when it's supposedly designed not to do that."

"So your thermals and thick outer clothing saved you. I found you practically buried in snow and although the hood of your jacket was not over your head some of it was twisted around under you so may have substantially covered most of your face, stemming heat loss and you were wearing gloves. The chill factor wasn't great last night but in blizzard or near blizzard conditions you may well have died."

"That's what the cop said. He also said practically everyone was at home because people are sensible and I was very lucky to have been found so early in the morning. But he said when he saw your name as reporting the accident he said he smiled because telling Nikki West not to go out in bad weather was like talking to a fence post because you always were stubborn and some would say a little stupid but he always knew it as being without fear. He said he once body surfed three miles down the Alaine River on a flood 'fresh' with you, the craziest and more exciting thing he'd ever..."

"Oh Scott McDonald."

"Yes."

"Scottie was a high school pal. I'm godmother to Julie and his two-year old Skye. Well my ten minutes is up. I'll be back later. Please rest and please don't vomit up mom's broth; she has not idea how to make it. She began making it as soon as she knew you were coming and probably grabbed a bacon bone set aside for dog feed and added chopped liver and oats from the barn to the mix, but it will be stained."

"Gee thanks."

Within two minutes Nick was asleep.

Nick awoke at 11:00 and saw Nikki on a bedside chair maintaining vigil.

"Hi," she smiled.

"Hi."

"We didn't want to wake you. I called the hospital and spoke to a doctor in A&E and after I told him your breathing and skin temperature appeared normal he said that was fine, you would just be exhausted. He did advise me to wake you at midnight just to check you weren't in extra deep sleep."

"A coma?"

"I said extra deep sleep."

"Oh very evasive. Actually I feel fine. I decided to sleep soundly to escape the broth."

"Mom burnt the bottom of the pot and tasted it and said it was ruined but saved it for the dogs."

"God that's three miraculous outcomes within forty-eight hours."

"Oh, what was the third one?"

"Meeting you."

"God you are a clown," Nikki said, looking anything but displeased.

"No I mean it. I've been divorced for three years and haven't been able to find the right woman. And suddenly there you were, telling me to wake up."

"Well that adoration will pass quickly, I assure you."

"Okay, help me to the toilet. You won't have to hold it for me."

"Oh shy are we?"

He smiled and said, "In these circumstances yes. Are you married or going steady?"

"Never married and rarely have gone steady. Apparently I'm too unpredictable, strong-willed and argue too strongly for men and for some reason I don't fancy women."

In the morning Nikki went into town for supplies. As she walked into the general store Mrs Roberts began clapping and when three other people in the store saw who it was she they joined in the applause as did store owner Robbie Charles who came out of his office to see what was going on.

"Oh our heroine," he smiled. "Milly give Nichol three complimentary copies of the newspaper."

"Dad says the only heroines are women abroad on military service Mr Charles."

"Well we all know your father is one-eyed about the military. Well done young woman. Communities need good citizens like you."

Nikki almost died when she unfolded the front page to see what Joe and Sally had produced and almost died when she saw the entire front page to the story. Beside the great photo of Nick looking at the gravestone, alone and surrounded by snow, was a big black heading, 'Local Lass Saves Chicago Man From Certain Death'.

She hurriedly refolded the newspaper and asked Mrs Roberts for six cans of chicken soup.

That afternoon Nick had an appointment at the hospital at 2:00 and expected to be cleared to return to Chicago.

"Your mother will take me but she's agreed to drop you off at the biggest car yard. I want you to buy a car, register it in your name and drive me to Chicago and the car will then be yours, as a reward for saving my life. He's my credit card and number. Spend around $10,000. No one will be buying cars right now so drive hard for a good deal. And please don't hassle me and say you can't accept. If you think you deserve a $20,000 vehicle then present your case. Your father said you lost your company car when you lost your job."