I was in the hospital for five days. I probably could have been discharged after three days, but Alicia wanted me there, so I stayed. I was lucky: It was only a flesh wound after all, and I didn't get infected. I would probably need some physical therapy afterwards, though.
Alicia made herself officially my doctor, and supervised every aspect of my care. She came in daily and changed my dressing. It wasn't that she didn't trust the nursing staff, it was simply that she wanted to do it herself. I suspect she felt at least partially responsible. I honestly didn't blame her. Alicia had simply been being herself. She wasn't one to be pushed around, and that young punk wasn't going to do it, gun or no gun.
By the way, the young man who shot me was never apprehended. The gun was never identified. The bullet passed through my tricep and impacted on the sidewalk, damaging it so much that ballistics tests could not be performed. Oh well...
Of course, by the time I was discharged from the hospital, the secret of our marriage was out. I came in for some pretty good ribbing from the other guys in the Respiratory Care Department.
Tom came by to see me. I asked him if he'd told about our wedding. "No way, man. I didn't tell anybody. But you know how this place is, everything gets around eventually. By the way, Twyla and I have dated a few times recently."
"Yeah?" I said. "How's it going?"
"I'm not really sure. Sometimes she acts like she's really interested, other times, she seems like she could care less."
"You know that she's a 'companion' of Kathy Stone, don't you?" I asked.
"Yeah. I kind of got that idea. But I don't think they're getting along very well right now."
"How do you feel about her, um, leanings?"
"Not really my business," Tom said. "I'm just taking it day by day with her. She's a pretty nice girl, but kind of bossy."
"Yeah? In what way?" I asked.
"Well, she's always telling me what to wear when we go out, and she always picks the places we go. I don't really care, but I don't want a steady diet of it either."
All in all, I was out for four weeks with my injury. Once I was home, Alicia changed my dressing, gave me my medicine, and arranged for my physical therapy. And, to my immense relief, she resumed my corporal punishment.
I had to ask her for it, though. Although she had promised me in the hospital, she hadn't made a move towards me in that way since I'd come home from the hospital. We had had sex once, but no spanking. Finally, I had to let her know what I wanted in no uncertain terms.
We had just gotten into bed one night about three weeks after the mugging. I was feeling fine, and I wanted a spanking and sex, in that order. I cuddled up to her and began caressing her through her silk pajamas. She responded by kissing me, and running her hands up and down my body. I had on only a tee shirt; no underwear. We were starting to get into it good when I sat back, took off my tee shirt (grimacing a little), and trembling, crawled over her lap.
"Oh Phillip, are you sure?"
"Yes Mistress. I need it. Besides, you promised." I looked at her reprovingly. "Don't be afraid. Just do what you always do." I reached under my pillow and brought out my wooden-handled hairbrush. Handing it to her, I said, "Don't forget this."
I sighed, relaxed, closed my eyes, and waited for my punishment to begin.
"Do you know how much you scared me, Phillip?" she asked quietly.
"No, Mistress."
"Well, it was a hell of a lot!" Then, WHACK! The first blow with her hard, bare hand landed. "Don't ever scare me like that again!" WHACK! "Do you understand?"
"Yes, Mistress," I said, arching upward a little.
WHACK! WHACK! WHACK! WHACK! WHACK! WHACK!
Suddenly, all Alicia's former reluctance was gone, and she was spanking me as hard as ever. At first, it warmed me, then smarted, then began to hurt for real, as Alicia struck me again and again.
I moaned and groaned, yelped and squirmed, and even tried to get away. But she held me firmly, grunting slightly with each blow, giving it all she had. As she spanked, she whispered fiercely to me: "I'll show you how to be brave!...Scared the shit out of me!...Spank the living hell out of you!...Don't you try to get away from me!...Next time it'll be even worse!"
Eventually, she tired. I could hear her panting a little. My ass felt like it was on fire, but in the midst of the pain was the warmth I had been seeking. I curled up in it, and said, "Don't forget the hairbrush."