Avery's Desire

The room was spinning. So many faces crowded around him, voices buzzed and his head was pounding. It was all so much but he didn't complain, he couldn't, his throat was so raw it hurt to talk, hell it hurt to breathe. The nurse had come in and with the help of Rick, had raised the head of the bed and propped him up against the pillows.

They were trying to make him comfortable but honestly, it felt like he was leaning against a pile of rocks. He still couldn't move much but the feeling in his arms and legs was coming back to him slowly. He could wiggle his fingers and turn his head but with each new movement came a new sensation of pain. He winced and then slumped to the side and almost at once, Rick was beside him, helping him to sit back up.

He looked up at Rick and Rick looked so happy, so relieved, but Avery didn't feel that way at all. He was sore all over, his face was throbbing, and his throat was so dry. He opened his mouth and tried to ask for water but the only thing that he could manage was a soft groan.

"It's okay baby." Rick said as he picked up Avery's hand and held it in his. "Don't try to talk just yet. You're still really weak."

Weak was an understatement. Avery was physically exhausted and he'd only been awake maybe twenty minutes. He was hungry too. He'd never felt so damn hungry in his life. It had only been a couple of days but he felt as though he hadn't eaten in weeks. He wasn't even really sure if he would be able to hold anything down, but he just wanted something, anything on his stomach to stop the hunger pains he was feeling.

Avery lay his head back against the pillow and sighed. Rick was concerned for him and that was good, but he had no idea how frustrating it was to lay there, helpless, and unable to communicate. Life didn't seem all that fair to Avery at the moment. If he couldn't speak or move, then why the hell did he even wake up? Part of him just wished for another strong pain pill so he could close his eyes and drift back off to la la land.

Maybe by the time he woke up again his body would be more cooperative.

Hanson was sitting at his desk, rubbing his temples, when Officer Kern walked up and stood in front of him, holding a manila folder in his hands. Hanson looked up, raising an eye brow.

"Yes?" He asked the younger officer.

"I have the forensics report you asked for." Kern held out the folder and grinned. "I think you're going to be pleased with the results."

"I take it that you already read the report?" Hanson asked as he took the folder then slid his bifocals on.

Kern shrugged. "I might have glanced at it."

"Mm hmm." Hanson gave Kern an 'I am not amused' glance then settled his attention on the report before him. He leaned back in his chair as he read, tapping the eraser of a pencil against the top of his desk. He studied each page closely, holding them up about an inch from his eyes, squinting from behind the horizontal line of his glasses.

After reading the last page he slid it carefully back into the folder, removed his glasses and slipped them back into his glasses case, then stood up and grabbed the coat off the back of his chair. He looked up at Kern and motioned for the man to follow him. "Lets go." Hanson barked as he made his way to the arched entrance way of the squad room.

"Where to boss?" Kern asked.

"We're going after Doogan." Hanson told him. "It's time to haul the little punk in."

Janean stood up and walked to the window when she heard a car pull into the drive way. Her heart jumped when she saw the police cruiser park behind her mini van, and that same pudgy old police detective exit the car along with a uniformed cop. Her face blanched as her hands began to tremble.

"Chuck?" She called out to her husband. "I think we've got trouble."

"What is it?" Chuck asked, rising from his chair and walking to the front door to look out at the police walking towards the house. "Son of a bitch!" He spat the words.

"Michael!" Chuck turned and glared at his son.

"What?" Mikey snapped back.

"Don't 'what' me boy!" Chuck grumbled. "Explain to me what the fucking cops are doing here again! I thought you said you were going to handle this!"

Mikey got up and peered out the window. "Shit..." He hissed.

"You're on your own this time Michael." Janean told him. "We simply can't keep helping you out all the time."

"Screw you bitch!" Mikey leered at the woman. "Since when have you helped me anyway?"

He backed away from the window and looked around. He was shaking nervously and clearly not sure what to do. The only thing he knew for certain was that if he stayed there he was going to get arrested and there was no way in hell he was going to let that happen.

"You better make yourself scarce kid." His father told him. "Go, and don't come back here till you get this shit sorted. I can't afford to have no beef with the cops."

"Thanks for your concern dad." Mikey rolled his eyes as he grabbed his keys and ran towards the back of the house.

Chuck opened the door as Hanson and Kern approached. "I know what you want but you're wasting your time, he ain't here." Chuck sneered.

Hanson frowned. "Do you know where he is?"

"Nope." Chuck crossed his arms and narrowed his eyes. "And I don't look for him to be back anytime soon. I threw his worthless ass out. Had enough of his shit."

Hanson sighed and rubbed his temples. He felt another stress headache coming on. "Is there any place you can think of where he might have gone, a friend's house, a girlfriend? A Boyfriend?"

Chuck laughed. "Even if I knew I wouldn't tell you. You really think I'd turn my boy in?"

"You know, if you do know something and you refuse to tell me I could arrest you for obstruction."

Chuck shrugged. "Go ahead and arrest me. My lawyer will have me out by dinner."

"It'll cost you a hefty fine."

Again the old man shrugged. "I can afford it."

Hanson nodded. "I see. The pot business must be really lucrative right now."

"Is there anything else I can do for you?" Chuck was getting pissed. He was pissed off at Mikey, but more so at the police standing at his door. He wasn't in the mood to deal with this bullshit and he didn't appreciate being bothered with it all. "What's your man doing there?" He looked past Hanson to the other cop who was walking around the side of the house. An ugly scowl crossed Chuck's face as he watched the cop.

"He's just looking around the yard Sir." Hanson glanced at Kern then back to Chuck.

"Well unless you got a warrant you got no business nosing around my property, so I suggest you get the hell out of here."

"You're acting like you got something to hide." Hanson smirked. "I can get a warrant and be back in an hour. I may not find your son here but I'm positive that I can make life awful difficult for you. How much weed you got back in that green house? Ten plants? twenty? I'd say that's good for about a year at least."

Chuck pursed his lips. "What do you want from me?"

"I just want to know where Charles Michael Doogan Jr. is..." Hanson tapped the side of his head with his finger as he spoke. "And I think that you do know where he is, or at least have a good idea of where he might be going."

With a huff Chuck shook his head and grumbled under his breathe something that sounded like 'Cock sucker' though Hanson wasn't exactly sure. "He's been hanging around this broad named Jennifer. I think she lives over on the corner of maple and vine. Lives there or works there I can't remember which. Mike picked her up at a bar last week and he stays at her place quite a bit but that's all I know."

"You got a last name on her?" Hanson asked.

"No." Chuck snapped. "I told you that's all I know. Now get the fuck off my land and take your little eagle scout with you!" Chuck gripped the door tightly then slammed it extra hard for effect.

Kern smirked as he and Hanson walked back to the car. "I think the old coot was a little worried about his stash outback, you want me to call it in? Have a few uniforms come out and bust him?"

"No." Hanson shook his head. "Chuck's harmless and he mostly sells to old folks with arthritis and no insurance. Besides, I don't think his plants are what he was necessarily worried about us finding."

"You think the sons hiding here someplace?"

Hanson shrugged. "I think it's worth having a car sit on the house for a while. If he ain't here now my guess is he'll be coming back around sooner or later. All his shits here and mommy and daddy are the ones that pay his bills. No, my gut tells me that he'll be back when he runs out of cash."

Janean walked back into the living room and handed Chuck a cold beer. "The trucks gone." She told him. "He must have drove right through Leroy's field and out onto Tucker. I didn't hear the truck start up though. You'd have thought we'd all have heard it with that muffler half hanging off it."

Chuck popped the tab on the can and took a swig. "He probably pushed it far enough away that the cops wouldn't hear him and then started it. I kept them busy long enough that he should have been long gone before they took off. Let's just hope he's smart enough stay gone a while. I'm sure those bastards will be watching the house."

"Yeah probably." Janean sat down and opened her own beer but she sat there holding the can and looking down into the dark depth of it. "Why did you tell them about that woman?" She looked up suddenly, narrowing her eyes, almost accusingly. "What if he does go to her place. You pretty much just handed him over to them."

Chuck grinned. "No, I didn't hand them anything. That Jennifer is a girl he knew a few years back. She OD'ed last winter. The only place the cops would find her at is the cemetery. Honestly, I have no idea where Mike's headed. He don't tell me shit anymore. If he is dating someone new, I wouldn't know about it. It's better that way any how. I wasn't too happy to find out he was boning a guy to begin with, so the less I know about his love life, the better I'll sleep."

"Mother fuckers!" Mikey pounded his fist against the steering wheel of his fathers old ford. "Fucking Cops!" He hissed. He didn't know what they had on him but he wasn't about to stick around and find out. "Did the little bastard finally wake up?" He wondered aloud. "He better not talk, oh man he better not talk. If he does, he'll fucking pay for it!"

Mikey had pulled the truck into a small clearing at the end of Tucker road. His dad often used that very spot when going fishing and not many people knew about it. He had no idea that his dad had actually sent Hanson and the other officer on a wild goose chase and he wasn't taking any chances. He cut off the engine and decided to lay low for a while. He wasn't sure where he was going to go or where he would sleep tonight, but one thing was sure, he couldn't go home.

"I'm going to get that little bastard. One way or another I'm going to get him." He lit a smoke, then leaned back in his seat and waited for the sun to go down.

Rick had been glued to the spot next to Avery's bed ever since Avery had woken up. He was relieved that Avery was awake now, but still concerned that this was just the beginning of their ordeal. Mikey was in hiding, or so they assumed. Hanson had stopped by earlier to take Avery's statement though he wasn't quite up to talking yet. His voice was horse and dry and his throat hurt horribly. He was only able to take small sips of water for the time being, at least until he regained some strength.

Hanson told Rick he would stop back by in a few days, when Avery would hopefully be able to tell them what had happened to him; but even without his statement Hanson was certain that he had enough evidence against Mikey to build a solid case. The problem was, he had to find him first and so far, no one had any idea of where he might be. This concerned Rick more than anything, and while Hanson tried to reassure him that everything would be fine, Rick could tell by the man's expression that he too was worried.

"What's going to stop him from coming here?" Rick had asked.

"I don't think he'd be that stupid." Hanson told him.

Rick frowned. "He came by once already. He tried to get in to see Avery. He claimed that he was worried about him and wanted to make sure he was alright but we all know what he was really after. He wanted to make sure that Avery kept quiet. If he finds out that Avery is awake now, he'll come back to finish what he started. He's not stupid but he is insane, I'm positive of that!"

"He was here?" Hanson frowned. "Why the hell didn't you tell me about this sooner?"

Rick just shrugged. "I thought I could handle him myself."

"Rick, you can't guard Avery twenty-four seven. You need to rest and eat. You need to go home and take a shower." Hanson rubbed the back of his neck and sighed. "I know that you care about Avery but you can't go after Mikey, no matter what he's done. Please, promise me that if he shows up here again you will notify me."

"I'm not leaving Avery's side." Rick argued. "Not ever again. I'll let you know if I catch Mikey creeping around but I'm not promising that I won't confront him. The sick bastard needs to realize that we're not scared of him. He's going to keep coming around as long as he thinks that he can get away with it and I won't allow him to hurt Avery again. I'll kill the fucker first."

Hanson rolled his eyes. "I'm going to pretend that I didn't hear you say that."

"Pretend what you want but I mean it. If Mikey gets anywhere near Avery he's a dead man. If you don't want me to go after him fine, what are you going to do to ensure that Avery is protected?" Rick crossed his arms over his chest and starred at Hanson hard, demanding an answer.

"I'll talk to my Captain." Hanson told him. "We'll see if I can get a couple UNI's posted outside. That should deter Mikey from making a move on Avery and on the off chance that he's stupid enough to try and sneak by them he'll get pinched."

"You do that." Rick said. "I still ain't leaving him alone though. Not until Mikey is locked up and I know for a fact that he won't be coming after Avery."

"Do what you gotta do." Hanson sighed. "But I still suggest that you go home, take a nice hot shower, get something to eat and then rest up for a few hours. You can always ask one of your friends to hang out here while you're gone, I'm sure they would agree without hesitation."

"Oh I know they would." Rick agreed. "I just want to be here for him as much as I can. I think it makes him feel better to have me close by." Rick didn't want to admit it to Hanson but the real reason that he felt compelled to stay was because he felt responsible. Had he listened to Avery and not gone to work, he wouldn't have been alone that night and none of this would have happened. Rick felt guilty for not having been there when he was needed the most. He wanted Avery to know how sorry he was and he wanted to make sure that Avery knew that he was not alone, not anymore.

Hanson nodded. "Think about it though would ya? You're looking pretty ragged there kid."

"I'll think about it." Rick lied.

That was enough to ease Hanson's mind. He gave one last glance at Avery who had since fallen asleep, then said good-bye to the others and left.

Rick sat down next to Avery again and sighed, running his hand through his auburn hair.

"Everything alright?" Trash asked him.

Rick shook his head. "Nothing will be alright until Mikey is found and arrested. Hanson says I should go home and rest up a bit but I can't, not when that lunatic is out there somewhere. I just have this nagging feeling that he's lying in wait someplace, planning his next move."

"You've watched too many crime shows. Mikey is probably half way to California by now."

"I don't think so." Rick leaned back in the chair and looked at Avery. "Mikey thinks he's untouchable. He'll be back. I know it."

"Then he'll get picked up quicker than shit." Boomer walked through the door holding a six pack of Pepsi cans that he tore off one by one and tossed at the others in the room. "Besides that, should Mikey show his ugly mug anywhere near this room, he'll have to answer to me."

"And what are you gonna do old man? Hit him over the head with your walker?" Trash snickered as he opened his can and took a swig.

Boomer leaned against the window, setting the unused cans on the bedside table. "No...But I got a brand new crow bar in the bed of my truck that I been itching to break in. When I get done with the bastard he'll be dragging his carcass home by his elbows."

Rick smiled as he took a sip of his pop. "I'd like to see that."

"Me too." Trash laughed.

Kat shook her head then stood up and stretched.

"Where you going?" Trash asked her.

"Way too much testosterone in this room." She giggled. "I think I'll step out for a bit, maybe see what they got good to eat in the cafeteria."

"You want me to come with you?" Trash asked.

Kat shook her head. "Naw, you stay here and flex your muscles with your friends. I'll be back in a bit."

Trash smirked. "Okay baby, don't be gone long. I get lonely."

"Oh I'm sure you do." Kat smiled, waved at Rick and Boomer then left the room, swinging her hips side to side for Trash's benefit.

"Damn I love that ass!" Trash whistled as he watched her sashay out the door.

Rick laughed and shook his head.

"What? You can't honestly tell me you don't appreciate an ass like that."

"I'm too scared to look." Rick joked. "I'm pretty sure she'd back hand me if she caught me staring at her ass."

Trash nearly spit his pop out. "Actually, she probably would."

"See? I'll leave it to you to check out Kat's ass."

"That's okay, you can stare at Avery's ass. I'm sure he won't mind."

Rick grinned. "Well, he does have a cute ass."

"I'll take your word for it." Trash laughed.

"You're both nuts." Boomer pushed himself away from the window and fished around in his pocket for his keys. "I think I'm gonna take off for a while boys. Avery seems like he's in good hands. Give me a call if you need me."

"You going home?" Rick asked.

"Yeah, need to get some sleep before tonight. I still got a bar to run but I'm just a phone call away. Don't hesitate to call if anything happens. I can be here in a heart beat."

"Will do Boom, and thanks."

Boomer nodded, gave the boys a salute then headed out for the day leaving Rick and Trash alone with Avery who was still asleep and softly snoring.

Rick slid his fingers through Avery's hair and smiled. "You're definitely in good hands." He whispered. "You got so many people looking out for you and none of us will let anyone or anything hurt you ever again."

Kat walked outside and sat on a bench on the east side of the hospital near a small flower garden. There was a picnic table a few feet away and a bucket filled with cat litter that was used as an ash tray. A couple of nurses were sitting there smoking on their break when Kat came out. They smiled at her then stood up and went back inside. Kat popped the top of her pop can and took a sip as she sat there in silence enjoying the calm of the warm day.

The days had been so chilly lately, the crisp scent of winter was in the air. The day was unusually warm today though but Kat wasn't complaining. It felt good. The warm sun on her face was nice and the cool breeze that blew past her was just enough keep her comfortable. She pulled a pack of cigarettes out of her coat pocket and lit one. It was a bad habit to pick up again, especially after having quit several years ago, but the stress of the last few days had really gotten to her.

Kat was developing strong feelings for Trash, she could almost love him, and Rick and Avery were definitely more to her now than just friends or band mates. They'd all bonded over this tragedy and she'd be lying if she said that she wasn't seriously pissed off at Mikey. She barely knew the guy but he was on her shit list now. Kat knew, without a doubt, that she would stand by Avery and the others; she just needed a break for a while.