20

Chapter 17

They reached the edge of the lake and hauled the gear down to the edge. Charlie was already digging out the PowerBait, and Nathan had finished setting up both of their lines. She handed him the container of his favorite color to use, neon green, and he handed a pole to her. She occupied herself with attached a chunk of her rainbow bait to the hook. They casted their lines and stood watching the water. After a few minutes, she laid down her pole and grabbed a thermos. She filled the lid/cup with coffee for her and handed the actual thermos to him.

Time rolled by quietly. Neither of them talking, just standing with their poles and consuming liquid warmth. Finally, there was a tug on her line. She set down the thermos lid. Charlie reeled it in and dragged a rainbow trout out of the water. Without having to say anything, she swung the line over to Nathan. He propped his own pole between his legs, holding it with his knees. He snagged the swaying fish and began to unhook it. Yes, Charlie would go fishing. She would bait her own her line, PowerBait or worms, but she had a thing about touching an actual fish. She would make a gagging sound and give an icky dance if she put her hands on one. Nathan finished with the fish and tossed it back into the water. She pulled her line back and proceeded to bait it again.

After a couple hours of catch and release, Charlie announced it was time to eat. She left Nathan by the water and grabbed the picnic basket. She sat down on a large rock that was only a few feet away. As she rummaged through the basket, he heard some snickering and turned to see what she was doing. A beam of light had caught her dirty blonde hair, making it look golden. Her face was lit up by the sun and her smile. Nathan blinked hard for a moment, admiring just how awesome she looked in a large sweater shirt and jeans covered with rainbow colors of fishing bait. Charlie was holding up two baggies. One with a peanut butter and jelly sandwich and another with a gaggle of jelly beans.

"Yes, it is strawberry jelly," Nathan said as he recasted his line. Charlie opened the baggie and snatched the sandwich from inside. She crossed her legs on the rock and began to eat. She watched Nathan carefully for a few moments and then cleared her throat.

"What do you want now?" he asked playfully.

Charlie picked at the crusts he left on the sandwich, depositing small bits of them in her mouth.

"Why don't you have a girlfriend?"

Nathan's head snapped around to look at her. Nothing in her posture or demeanor told him that she was being manipulative or crafty. She merely sat on a rock, eating a sandwich. The look on her face was more inquisitive than anything.

"What did you say?"

"Why don't you have a girlfriend?"

"Don't need one," he replied as he slowly reeled in the line. It was a good thing that his back was to her. She couldn't see the constipated look that had come across his face. His brows were scrunched together. He wasn't really interested in having this conversation with her, but if he got defensive, then there was the possibility that he would give his feelings about her away.

"Come on, Nathan. I've seen the line of women at your door. Pick one already."

Nathan shook his head, "Not interested in them."

"You are interested enough to screw them. At some point in time, the whole male whore thing will start to look bad when you enter your forties."

Nathan snorted and replied, "Men age gracefully. I figure I can pull off the student playboy thing for at least a couple more years. By then, I will have my doctorate and will be teaching at a college. Then, I can chase the young girls around my classroom."

"Helluva plan. Better than the one I have." Charlie took a full bite of her sandwich and scrambled off of the rock. She put her hand on Nathan's back and leaned down to grab the thermos of coffee. She could feel him tense up as soon as she touched him.

"Jumpy much? You need to lay off the coffee, bud," she stated as she patted him on the back and then moved back to the rock.

"So, what's your plan then?" Nathan continued to watch the water. Something in the back of his mind desperately hoped that his name would come out of her mouth as she explained her future.

"I plan on writing a few more smut books. Then, I am going to jump into a full blown American novel. It will be the toast of the New York Times best reading list. I'll go on a book tour, have intense but brief affairs with men named Armando and Billy Bob. Then, I will retire to a villa with three cats and wear funky purple hats while I garden."

Nathan turned to look at her. The serious, but comical, expression on Charlie's face was too much. He sputtered and then began laughing. She watched his shoulders shake as he tried to hold onto the pole. She too chuckled and kept eating.

Once Nathan caught his breath, he responded, "Cats and gardening? What about me?" He inhaled and small breath, waiting to hear how he might fit into her plans.

"You? Ohhhh, you! Well, based on the solid life strategy you developed and just shared, we will continue to live as neighbors in side-by-side villas. I will have you over for dinner in order to help you grade student papers. We'll talk on the phone when I am flying back and forth from London and Paris promoting my novel."

"Will we still have Chinese comfy movie nights?"

"Definitely. The only difference is that I will organize your Viagra pills while you make me a glass of Metamucil."

Deal.

Chapter 18

Charlie finished her sandwich and moved back to the water front. This time, she had the bag of jelly beans in tow. She resumed the proper fishing position right next to Nathan. She dug into the bag and popping the tasty candies into her mouth. Whenever she got to a black one, Nathan leaned over, and she fed it to him. He knew how much she despised the black ones. The truth was that he wasn't that fond of them either, but it meant that she was feeding him. Yes, it drove him crazy to feel her hands brush his face or lips when she put the candy to his mouth, but it was these little things that kept him going.

Another fish on her line! She popped the red bean in her mouth and started to pull in her new treasure. This fish was a bit of a fighter, causing her to strain with the line. She let loose some of the line in order to keep it from breaking. Only when the fish zigged or zagged did she begin reeling. After five minutes of a pushing and pulling dance, the trout came to the surface. It was a big mother. Nathan set his pole on the ground and captured her fishing line in his hands. Drawing the fish out of the water, he was impressed. It has to be at least a five pounder. He looked back over his shoulder at the amazing grin that had spread across Charlie's face. Mission accomplished. That smile was the whole goal for this fishing trip.

It took an extra minute to get the fish off of the hook. Its constant wiggling and weight made it a bit more difficult than usual. Just as he was about to throw the fish back into the water, a pain seared through his hand. Charlie had started to reel in the excess line, not knowing the hook was so close to his hand. As the hook jerked forward, it embedded itself in the flesh on the side of his palm.

"Fuck!" Nathan yelled as he jerked his hand back.

"Shit! Shit! Shit!" Charlie dropped her pole and rushed over to Nathan. He stood up, showing her the hook that was now buried into his flesh. Charlie bit her lip and turned his hand backwards and forwards, trying to see how deeply embedded the hook might be.

"Don't you even think about it. You are not pulling that son of a bitch out," he growled under his breath. "Leave it where it is."

Charlie gazed up to his face. No, he wasn't angry with her. That would be a different expression on his face. This expression was one of more frustration.

"Okay, Grizzlie Adams. What do you want to do now?" she inquired as she put her hands on her hips.

"Let's get to the urgent care just outside town." Charlie felt like crap. There was Nathan, hooked and bleeding. Knowing that Nathan always carried a pocket knife, she started to reach into the front pocket of his jeans. He jumped back like he had been zapped with electricity. Charlie stepped forward again for his pocket. He quickly reached into his own pocket and pulled out the knife. He handed it to her. She popped it open and cut the line away from the actual hook. Just as quickly, she popped the knife closed, and Nathan held his pocket open. She dropped into the empty space.

"Okay, go get in the jeep." She scrambled around the area, gathering their supplies. Nathan made a slow walk over to the jeep and climbed into the passenger seat. Critical life and death situation, this was not, but no one could tell that by the way Charlie was moving. Charlie loaded the boxes and poles into the back of the jeep in record time. She hopped into the driver's seat, gunned the engine, grinded a gear and peeled out. The jeep slammed into a bump, jostling Nathan.

"Slow down, speed demon!"

Charlie focused on the back road, driving as carefully as possible even though she wanted to floor it. Once she was back on paved ground, she slammed the jeep into fifth gear and pushed it up to 85 miles per hour.

"You aren't going to like the ticket you are going to get. Slow down!"

She ignored his pleas for less speed only to change lanes to get around a slow driver. One hand on the steering wheel and the other on the shifter, Nathan had the distinct impression that she would use a sixth and seventh gears if they were available. As she reached the outskirts of town, she spotted the entrance to the urgent care facility. She was still going too fast when she made the left turn in to the parking lot. With a bit of a steep incline, the jeep gave a jump, and Nathan's ass actually left his seat. He grabbed on jeep's railing as she made a wider turn and screeching halt in front of the facility's front door.

"I'll park. You get inside." Charlie was breathing heavily. Her eyebrows squashed together in concern. Nathan wanted to tell her that everything was going to be okay. A fishing hook in the hand was not life threatening, but based on her driving, he knew that she felt bad enough for what had happened. He climbed out of the jeep and walked through the sliding doors. Charlie cursed under breath as she jammed the shifter back into first. She whipped out of the driveway and into a parking spot near by. She laid her head on the steering wheel and took a deep breath. You can't cry yet!

Chapter 19

By the time she made her way into the clinic, she noticed that Nathan was already being taken into the back exam room area. As she moved to take a seat in the one of the always uncomfortable waiting room chairs, she heard a low whistle. Looking up, Nathan was motioning for her to come along. She jumped up and followed him and the nurse through the door. She stood by as he was weighed and measured. He smiled at her as the nurse stuck the thermometer gadget into his ear. All was well so far; they progressed down the hall into one of the small exam rooms.

Nathan leapt onto the exam table, resting his hand palm up on his knee. Charlie moved to the far corner and wrapped her arms around herself. She looked at the fishing hook that jutted out of his skin and cringed.

"Hey kiddo," he said. Her eyes lifted and met his. By now, his look of frustration was gone. It was his regular set of smiling Nathan eyes. He patted the empty area on the exam table next to him. Charlie stepped across the room and climbed up on the table next to him. He leaned against her in a show of solidarity. She leaned back and put her head on his shoulder.

"I'm sorry" she whispered. Nathan put his hand on her thigh and nodded. They waited in silence for the doctor to arrive. It seemed like another hour before there was a small knock on the door, and the doctor entered. He carried a small file and was flipping through the pages as he entered.

"Nathan Devereaux?"

"That's me." Charlie sat up and shifted a couple inches to her left, giving the doctor more space to deal with Nathan. The doctor began his preliminary questions, and Nathan held up his hand to show him the hook. Charlie started to zone out the conversation, dropping her head to stare at her shoes. She still felt horrible for Nathan having to be where he was.

"Doc, she tried to kill me. She figured a slow round of tetanus from a fishing hook would be enough to do me in." Charlie snapped back to attention. Her eyes hugely wide. Her mouth dropped open as she turned to look at Nathan.

A smirk was playing on his lips as the doctor was probing the flesh around the hook. Charlie mouthed the word, "fucker." Nathan nodded and kept smiling. The doctor chuckled for a moment and told the pair he would be right back with the needed supplies. He left the room, closing the door after him.

Charlie reached out and punched Nathan in the arm.

"Owww! Wounded, dying man here!" He rubbed the spot where the punch has landed. Charlie jumped down off of the table and started for the door. Using his good hand, Nathan pulled her back to him. She ended up standing between his legs facing him. He held her chin.

"Where are you going?"

"I . . . I'm sorry," she breathed as some tears started to well up in her eyes. Before she could blink them away, a few of them escaped and ran down her cheeks.

"I was only kidding, you ninny. I am going to be fine," Nathan used the pad of his thumb to blot away the fallen tears.

"I feel like shit," she returned to dropping her head. Nathan kissed her on the forehead and pulled her back to the seat next to him on the exam table. Without much thought, she slid her hand into his free one. When she didn't feel well, a hug was necessary, but holding someone's hand was even better. She squeezed gently, and he squeezed back. She leaned back to him and put her head back on his shoulder.

Soon enough, the doctor returned with a nurse and tray of cutting instruments. Charlie cringed, but Nathan held onto her hand, putting pressure as a way to say it was okay.

"Did I ever tell you about the time I have five stitches in my cheek," Nathan watched the doctor in a sort of detached way. It was like watching a surgery episode on TLC. Some snips of the skin, blood welling up, clink of metal hitting a metal. Charlie focused on Nathan's story about a time he, Jared, and Shelley were fighting. He was on the top of a bunk bed. Shelley pushed him over the top railing. He landed face first on the floor. He didn't really think anything was wrong until Jared shouted for their mom. When their mom entered the room, she started screaming. Nathan had one of those really large metal jacks sticking through his cheek. He continued with the tale of the doctor pulling it out and stitching him up, about how badly Shelley felt for weeks after that she gave him her dessert every night at dinner. By the time Nathan was done with his story, the current doctor had already finished the couple small stitches and was wrapping a dressing around the hand.

"Mr. Devereaux, I need to give you a tetanus shot too. Assume the position."

Nathan nodded and slid off the exam table. He pulled his t-shirt out of his jeans and gingerly began to unzip them. Charlie looked down and blushed. For a brief moment, she caught a glimpse of his groin. Nathan goes commando! Her head jerked back up, and she looked towards the wall. That was when she felt his hand trying to hold hers again. She looked back at him as he bent over the table. The doctor was filling a syringe. She laced her fingers with his and smiled. With much warning, the doctor jabbed the needled into his butt cheek. Nathan winced and gave a bit of a jump. Charlie stopped breathing for a moment as she watched the doctor push on the plunger.

Nathan laid his head on the exam table and let out a sigh. "So, you still want to help with the shed at Thanksgiving?"

Chapter 20

They drove home without talking. The radio continued to belt out its songs. Considering she had just maimed Nathan, Charlie didn't really feel like talking. She had sat back in the passenger seat, climbing into some memories that she thought she had locked out of her mind. She remembered the time that she had gotten stitches. No one was there to hold her hand. The nurse and doctor simply went about their medical business. Instead, it was all very clinical and very quiet.

He was seated on my dorm bed, watching football. He had been there all day long, drinking beer and eating a bag of potato chips. I tried to drown out the sound of the television as I focused on a reading assignment for a poetry class I was taking. Whenever there was a touch down, the bed would shake as he bounced up and down to root for his team. Every time there was a fumble or turn over, he yelled some obscenities and downed some more beer.

When the game was over, David decided that it was time for me to take a break too. He pushed my books onto the floor and pulled me further onto the bed with him. When I tried to protest, he only gripped my wrist tighter, pulling me harder. I tried to move away from him, but he wasn't having that. Next thing I knew, I was pinned under him and his mouth was pressed to mine. I tried to turn my head away to tell him to get off of me. That was when the pain exploded in my right cheek and eye socket. My vision blurred.

I remember using my hands to try and push David away, but soon there was a loud popping noise. My left arm didn't want to work. My brain could not keep up with the events that were happening or understanding the why behind them. More pain exploded across my face. I heard the sound of him unbuckling his belt. The sound of a zipper running on its tracks. I kicked my legs, and he wretched them apart. Something in my body seemed to break. Then, there was quiet. I couldn't even here the "No!" I was whispering over and over. David was pushing between my legs. A piercing pain in my thigh and an odd heavy weight in my shoulder kept me pinned to the bed. Maybe if I don't move, he will stop. Maybe if I don't move, the pain will go away. That is when I couldn't breathe, and everything went dark.

When I woke up, I pulled on a pair of sweat pants and a sweat jacket. My right thigh was singing with pain. The left arm was useless; it hung limply by my side. I couldn't see out of her right eye either. Some how, I made it across the campus to the student clinic.

At the clinic on campus, they must have seen their fair share of date rape injuries. I gave over all of my clothing; I even gave a name of my attacker. David. The nurse combed my hair and scraped under my finger nails. The doctor tried to be as gentle as possible during the rest of my pelvic exam. Even on a good day, there was nothing comfortable about having your legs in stirrups. I broke again, and the world went quiet for the second time.

I remembered wincing at the brightness the flashing light of the camera. They focused on the finger marks on my neck. The flash recorded the swelling on my face and bruising around my wrists and arms. I winced at the bright light each time it flashed. Over and over again. The doctor told me that my arm was dislocated. Once they dealt with the leg wound, they would sedate me, so they could pop the shoulder back into place. I was then told to move my leg to the side please.

The needle helped numb the area of my inner thigh. The doctor then went about adding sixteen stitches to my leg. I closed my eyes and heard the doctor ask the nurse what she thought could have done this. "Belt buckle" is all I could mutter. The nurse made a note of it in the file. Lights out. Again, it was all very clinical and very quiet.

After my version of Humpty Dumpty was put back together, I put on a pair of extra clothes the clinic kept. I sat in a small room, talking to a police detective. I explained everything that happened. It was quite frustrating on a number of levels. The swelling in my face and mouth kept me from speaking correctly. I kept repeating myself, so the detective could understand what I said. Over and over again. When the interview was finished, I stood at the nurses' station and if I could use the phone. I didn't want to walk back to my dorm room alone. I didn't want to explain to anyone else what had happened. The only number I could remember was Nathan's.