IMPOSTER - PART FORTY
PREVIOUSLY
Sherry knocked lightly on the door, and Slider called out, "Come on in,
Sherry!"
************************************************************************************************************************************************************
"Nick!" Slider admonished him as Sherry walked towards him -
never breaking
her stride with a look of benign indifference to his question. "It's
all
right, Slider…I'm used to this kind of treatment from some of the people
I
deal with," she said with a touch of challenge of her own.
Standing out in the fresh night air again, Tea inhaled deeply and her
skin
tingled with the sheer joy of being out of the sterile-smelling halls of
the
hospital. The cab sat waiting near a side curb and she raised her hand
to
let him know she was there. As she climbed into the backseat, a sigh
escaped
her lips as she realized that she was actually giving Del the slip.
Nick stretched his long body further out on the sofa and heard the
muffled
sound of voices coming from the kitchen. He could just imagine what was
being
said, but nothing bothered him except for the pervading pain of his
injuries.
Slider had not disappointed him. There had always been an element of
unpredictability in their relationship, but his loyalty was never at
question.
I'm present now because of him, and I'm finally rid of that hothead,
Pete,
for good.
~ TO BE CONTINUED ~
Stepping into the living room, she saw a sight not uncommon in her work
at
all. With a businesslike manner, she moved toward the injured,
disfigured
stranger outstretched awkwardly on the sofa, and as she came closer, she
was
instantly startled by the strange, dark quality emanating from his eyes.
"So who the
Nick sized her up in a blatant, forward way and then sneered
knowingly.
"A doctor…of course! Should have figured you'd have everything
covered
Terry," he said in a tone that almost passed for complimentary.
"This is Dr. Sherry Liu, a neighbor of mine. She works in the ER and
has been
nice enough to come take a look at you. Sherry, this is…"
Slider stopped for a second in his introduction because he suddenly
didn't
know what he would say. It was pointless to involve Sherry at this
early date
and the less she knew the better. He would have to lie on this one.
Wait…there is a name that I can use…
"Nick Lord."
"Hello," Sherry said as she began to mentally analyze his condition.
Slider looked at Nick and saw the edges of his lips curl with amusement
at his
choice of a last name, but he said nothing.
"I'm going to have to examine you, Mr. Lord," Sherry said as she eyed
his arm
and other wounds.
"Examine away, Doc," he said almost playfully, and Sherry once more felt
that
she might be dealing with someone who was extremely shifty and cunning.
Opening the medical bag she brought with her, she reverted to her
emergency
room manner and spoke distinctly to Slider. "I'll need some clean
towels."
"Right!" Slider said walking hurriedly out of the room.
Sherry untied the makeshift sling and gently and efficiently moved his
arm.
Although she knew the pain had to be excrutiating, Nick bit down on his
lip
and stared coldly out into space.
"It's broken all right," she said matter-of-factly.
"You're a real pro, Doc," he said sarcastically, and Sherry once more
ignored
his barb.
"It will have to be set," she said unemotionally while continuing her
examination. Unexpectantly she said, "So how'd you get the scar?"
Nick's eyelids lowered as if to mask his eyes. "Typical doctor,
aren't you?
Nosy."
"Yep, that's us…always trying to find out more," she said as Slider came
back
into the room with the towels.
"Okay, it's going to take a little time to dress these wounds. Can I
talk to
you for a minute?"
Sensing that she meant she wanted to speak with him alone, he nodded and
led
her out to the kitchen.
"You've got some explaining to do," she said as they entered the
room.
"He had a fall…that's really as much as I know. Can you help him?"
Sherry cocked her head and her snappy dark eyes read more than he would
have
expected. "Sure…if he'll let me. He's a moody one, isn't
he?"
Slider started to speak, but she dismissed any explanation he might have
had.
"It's okay…I'm not here to interrogate you about your friend.
I'm doing
this as a favor…for you." For a moment her voice almost caught
in her
throat as she was suddenly overwhelmed with his closeness, and the way
his
intelligent, vivid blue eyes peered at her so intently. It had been
some
time since they had stood so close to each other, and she realized with
an
inward shiver just how deeply she craved being near him.
As she looked at him, she felt certain that her eyes must be betraying
what
she felt. What she saw was the same as it had been four years ago -
only
intermixed now with stronger feelings. The day she had first laid eyes
on
him, it had been sunny outside - a warm, splendid spring day. She was
practically skipping down the outside steps of the building where she
lived
when she did a double take.
What caught her attention most was not his tanned, boyish good looks or
his
long, lean, muscular physique, but something indefinable about his
expression.
He was talking to another man, and his entire attention was focused on
him in
a genuine, almost compassionate way. At one point, he laughed out loud
and
threw back his head with complete disinterest in anyone passing by.
This is
a man who loves people…and life. Turning slightly as he heard her
on the
steps, she still remembered almost every detail of the way he had looked
sideways at her while still conversing. He doesn't miss
anything.
She had been ogled and stared down by many men before, but this time, it
was
different. Most of the time she had always felt in control of these
interruptions, and had brushed them off with her characteristic
above-it-all
attitude. In that moment as he had passed his eyes over her, all this
control
vanished and she felt as if she represented some work of art that didn't
quite
measure up. She wanted desperately for him to check her out again, but
his
eyes once more fixed on his companion.
Her heels clicked down sharply on the stone steps and with a quick toss
of her
short, black hair, she put everything she had into her turn off the
steps -
perfectly aware that her loose-fitting, knee-length skirt was swinging
widely
and that he would have his opportunity now to really see her. As she
fairly
pranced smartly down the street, she kept thinking that there must be a
reason
for her rather brazen behavior. It wasn't until later that she could
put a
name to that reason.
"Thank you," Slider with such strength behind his words that it
shocked her
and brought her out of her reverie. This man must be very important
to
you…that settles it…he's important to me, too.
"Where's Chicago?" she asked and darted her eyes around for Slider's
black
Labrador Retriever.
"He's pinned up in the storage room. I don't think he and Nick would
have
hit it off," he said wryly.
"I think you're right…well, I'll have to get some supplies to set his
arm
later, but I'll do what I can with the rest of him. Just one question
and
then I'll stick to what I know best …he is a friend, isn't
he?
"Yes," Slider said without hesitation but with a thought of the irony of
what
he was saying, "He is."
"Where to Miss?"
"The Palace Hotel," she said quickly and sank back into the seat.
Next
part…I have to find out what really happened out there…and where he
could be.
Hearing Sherry's voice become somewhat louder in the other room, he
wondered
about this woman doctor and Slider. Rapidly moving his eyes over her as
she
had entered, he had been impressed with the stark beauty of her slanted
eyes
and the flawless, porcelain look to her skin. Her attitude was brisk
and
efficient, and he sensed that she was quite capable of handling even the
most
difficult of medical situations. Quite the little spitfire, too, I
imagine.
"I'm going to need you to undress, Mr. Lord," Sherry announced to him as
she
appeared again with Slider following behind her.
"Why don't you just call me Nick and save the formalities for the
hospital,"
Nick said with a slow, ingratiating smile.
"Fine. Pants and shirt off…that's all," she said and began to pull out
various medical supplies from her bag.
The room seemed to grow quiet as Nick nodded and painstakingly
unbuttoned each
button with his good arm. Slider reached over to help him pull the
shirt over
his shoulders. The shirt had several large bloodstains on it, and
Slider
tossed it on the floor. Staring at Nick's chest, he exclaimed, "My
God,
Nick!"
Across the lower part of his chest toward his abdomen was a long, ugly
looking
gash as well as a number of other smaller, but similar looking wounds.
Nick
looked down in surprise and then directly at Sherry. "Nothing you
haven't
seen before…is it, Dr. Liu?"
Sherry eyed him with a bit of disdain and answered, "No…you're right
Nick.
I've seen a lot worse."
I bet you have. You and my old friend have a lot in common…both of
you have
seen the sides of people that are better left undiscovered.
"I knew you were hurt, Nick, but…" Slider shook his head in disbelief
and
wondered what other injuries would be uncovered.
Turning her head and involving herself with the preparation of the
dressings
to give her patient some privacy, Sherry once more was plagued by
nagging
thoughts of what she was doing. Something is going on, but I can't
be a
party to their little conspiracy…whatever it is. Who am I helping?
Whoever
he is, this "friend" is trouble.
Pulling off his belt, Nick looked at it with a detached interest.
What a
mess you would have made for me to clean up, Pete. As he unzipped
his pants
and gingerly lowered them down, there was more evidence of the terrible
beating that his body had taken.
Again Slider was amazed at the myriad of wounds along the front and
sides of
Nick's legs. He grasped the ends of the pants legs and pulled them
completely off of him and crumpled the pants up to throw them on top of
the
shirt. As he took in the display of damage, his eyes softened. I
always
wanted to protect you Z…like you were my brother…it hurts to see you
like
this.
"Okay, Sherry," Slider said to let her know that Nick was ready. A
phone
began ringing from the kitchen, and Slider jumped up. "Be right
back."
As Sherry turned again to view her patient, she was immediately aware of
several things. Lying outstretched on the sofa, his body was a
testimony of
what had happened to him…it definitely had been a fall - a bad one. She
was
also aware of something else as she looked past his wounds to his broad,
well-
proportioned shoulders, his muscular chest and long, powerful looking
legs.
Everything about him radiated a sexuality which was intensely
disturbing.
Moving toward him, she assumed her best physician manner, but as she got
closer, their eyes seemed to lock in some sort of metaphysical tug of
war.
Nick's hazel eyes were vibrant and pulled her in with an authority which
overrode her own. "So…Dr. Sherry…what exactly are you
going to do to
me?"
