In Sickness and In Health

A Jake Mitchell Story

(sequel to "To Have and To Hold")

by

Beej

The lift door opened silently and a lone figure stepped out, slowly walking towards the ornate reception desk. He stood quietly watching the attractive lady behind the desk as she studied the papers in front of her.

He waited about 30 seconds before clearing his throat and smiled at her expression when she looked up at him. “Oh my God...Jake? Is that really you?”

“G’day, Rox. You look like a roo in the headlights.”

Luckily, Roxanne had known Jake long enough to understand some of his Aussieisms, and giggled at him. “It’s just been such a long time, Jake. I thought you’d retired.”

“Aw, fair go, luv. I’ve only been on my honeymoon.”

“Jake, you got married the end of March. It’s now just past Independence Day.”

“Hey, that’s one of the perks of owning a company with such efficient staff. No-one realises that you’re gone. Anyway, the honeymoon was only two months. I’ve been working up on the farm for about three weeks, and got back to the office the middle of June,” Jake grinned.

“Oh, Jake, we knew, and we all missed you, even if we usually only get to speak to you on the phone.”

“Thanks, Rox. Is the old man alone?”

“He’s only with Alex. Shall I buzz him?”

“No, luv. I’ll just poke my head round the door. You couldn’t rustle up a cuppa could you?”

“Coming up, Jake.”

Jake walked over to Mike’s office door and gently knocked. Hearing Mike call “come”, he opened the door and stepped into the office. Mike and Alex were elbow deep in paperwork.

“Having fun, children?”

“Jake!!” Alex exclaimed, jumping up from her chair and rushing over to Jake. Flinging her arms around his neck, she kissed his cheek and smiled.

“Now that’s the kind of welcome I like,” Jake giggled, kissing Alex in return and giving her a hug. As soon as she let go of him he was wrapped up in another bear hug, this time from Mike.

“Jake, it’s good to see you, man. Married life seems to suit you, my friend. You should have done it years ago.”

“Better late than never, mate. It’s your turn next.”

Mike snorted at that remark. He was between women again and there was no prospect of a date, let alone a solid relationship.

Just then, Roxanne came in with a tray full of steaming mugs, and they all adjourned to the sofas by the picture windows to enjoy the view over the lake while they chatted.

“So, anything interesting happen while I’ve been away?” Jake asked innocently, knowing that Mike had some news for him.

Mike cleared his throat and shifted in his seat before answering.

“Now Jake, I know we’re partners and that we always discuss things, but you were incognito, and it was an opportunity that couldn’t be turned ignored.”

Jake tilted his head for Mike to continue.

“The floor above us became vacant...I mean the entire floor! I had the legal team go over everything, and it worked out a better deal to buy rather than lease.”

“You bought the floor?”

“Well, yeah. After all, we own this floor, and we own the 12^th floor in Sydney. Hell, we own the entire building in London!”

“Point taken. Explain to me why we need another floor here, though. I didn’t know you had it in mind to expand.”

“Ah, well, here’s the juice. We’re fitting it out as a fitness and medical centre, not only for us, but for all the other companies in the building, and in the business district if they want to avail themselves of our services.”

“I take it we won’t be offering this service out of the goodness of our hearts,” Jake said with a smile.

“Hell no. There will be corporate memberships on offer along with individual memberships. The fitness centre is almost ready to open. We have most of the equipment installed, and will be interviewing staff next week.”

“Looks like I got here just in time to join in the fun, then. How about the medical centre?”

“We’re still fitting that out, and we need to work out if we want a full medical team, or maybe have a qualified nurse plus some first aiders, and have a doctor on retainer. Want to go have a look round?”

“Thought you’d never ask, mate.”

They finished their drinks and headed out of the office, telling the receptionist to hold all calls until they got back.

“She’s new,” Jake remarked.

“Yes, her name’s Star, and she’s proving to be very good. A bit shy, but she’s slowly coming out of her shell.”

“Great, you can introduce me when we get back.”

Jake was very impressed with the layout of the fitness centre. It had a gym, sauna, hot tubs and massage area, and there was even room for a small beauty salon for the ladies to get their hair and nails done.

“I guess we’ll find you up here rather than in the office when you’re in town now then, Jake.” Alex stated.

“Bloody hell, no, luv. I hate working out. Never go near a gym unless it’s a medical necessity.”

“You’re joking! You mean that ripped body is all natural?”

Jake blushed furiously as Mike answered, “He’s telling the truth, Alex. The last time he was anywhere near any exercise equipment was rehab after the car crash, and he hated every second of it.”

“Moving swiftly on...show me the medical centre, mate.”

Mike picked up Jake’s hint to change the subject, and they moved to the next half of the floor where work was well under way to equip a state of the art medical facility.

“I’m thinking that it won’t only be a run of the mill doctor’s office. There will be alternative medicine, relaxation rooms, and aroma therapy. Everything needed to combat the stress of the daily office grind.”

“Not bad, Mike. Will there be membership for this as well, or will we be offering monthly billing?”

I was thinking membership for the relaxation and aroma therapy, and then any medical costs will be billed either to the individual, or to their company. Quite a few of our business neighbours have asked about signing up already. I thought we might also off a 'drop in' service.”

“Sounds like a winner. Good onya, mate. Glad to see you’ve kept yourself busy while I’ve been...keeping myself busy.”

They all laughed at Jake’s last remark and they headed back to the lift and their offices. As they walked back to the reception area, Star looked up shyly, wondering who the handsome man with the scarred face was.

“Star, I’d like to introduce you to your other boss. This is Aaron Mitchell, CEO and the “A” of A&M.”

“Hello, Mr. Mitchell,” Star said hesitantly. “It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

“G’Day, Star. Good to meet you, too. Please, call me Jake.”

“Yes, sir...sorry, Jake.”

“Only my olds and some clients call me Aaron. Tell you what, Luv. It’s almost lunchtime. Care to share a bite to eat with me and we can get to know one another? There’s a good Chinese just around the corner.”

A look of panic flashed across Star’s face. Jake noticed and tried to put her at ease. “We can get take out if you like and use the rec room here, if you’d feel more comfortable.”

“No, it’s alright, Jake...I’d be honoured to have lunch with you.”

“Okie dokie,” Jake replied, rubbing his hands together like a gleeful schoolboy. “Rox, can you man the desk while I take the lovely Star out to lunch? She may be a bit late back, but hey, she’s with the boss so that’s okay.”

Roxanne grinned and nodded, giving Star a hug as she helped her on with her jacket, whispering for her not to be nervous and giving her a quick kiss on the cheek as she gently pushed her towards Jake and the lift.

As they walked out into the street, Jake turned to Star and asked if Chinese was really okay with her. She nodded quickly, afraid to open her mouth. Jake smiled and placed his hand on her back to steer her in the right direction. Star shivered at his touch, but suddenly felt very safe with this man.

As they sat and studied their menus, Jake looked over and asked, “If there’s nothing you really hate, would you mind if I ordered?” Star nodded her agreement, and Jake smiled as the waitress came over. She smiled back in recognition and Jake asked for his usual, ordering a mineral water for himself, and after checking with Star, an orange juice for her.

“Do you drink, Star?”

“Not in the middle of the day, especially a work day. Do you?”

“No, luv. I’m allergic to alcohol.”

“Really? I’m sorry to hear that.”

“It’s no loss. There are plenty of non-alcoholic drinks I can enjoy. Don’t need to get drunk to have a good time,” he added, winking. Star giggled, suddenly relaxing completely. She felt like she’d known her boss for years rather than having only just met him.

Over the course of the meal she told Jake all about her life, being the youngest child, and only daughter amongst 6 brothers. She was born and raised in Roanoke, Virginia. Her parents and brothers were all gospel singers, and although she had a beautiful singing voice, felt like she needed more in her life, so she went to college, got a business degree and moved to Chicago. She was 24, and this was her first job. She enjoyed it very much, but without sounding disloyal, she said she didn’t want to be a receptionist for the rest of her career.

Jake was impressed, and he loved the way her deep brown eyes sparkled when she talked about something important to her. He loved the way she forgot her natural shyness with him, and laughed when she turned the tables on him and asked him all about his life.

“I can tell by your accent that you aren’t a native of our shores, Jake. Are you an Australian?”

“Not quite, luv. I was born in New Zealand, moved to Australia when I was a nipper. My dad has a Kiwi mum and an Aussie dad. My mother’s side of the family are pure New Zealand.”

Star noticed a coldness in Jake’s tone when he mentioned his mother, but she stayed quiet, loving the sound of his voice.

“My grandparents brought me up...long story, too boring for lunchtime chat...and when my grandfather died, he left the property to me, rather than to Gran or my uncle. It’s a working farm in a place called Cloud’s Creek, a small place about 8 hours drive north of Sydney. My Gran and my Uncle both live there. Gran is a doctor. She still does a few shifts at Grafton Hospital every week despite us telling her it’s more than time she began taking things easy. My Uncle runs the farm for me when I’m not around. I have a place in Sydney as well to be close to the office. It’s on a wharf, a marina one side, and a naval base the other. About a 10 minute walk from Sydney Harbour.”

Star gasped, “It sounds beautiful, Jake. I’ve always wanted to travel, and Australia is on top of my list.”

“No worries, we’ll get you an exchange to the office down there for a couple of months, and then on the way back maybe you’d like a stint in the London office as well?”

“That sounds like a dream come true. Do you treat all the staff the same way?”

“Yes, luv. It’s fair dinkum, not a chat up line. Ask Rox and Alex. They’ve both done it.”

“But I’m only the receptionist, and what does 'Fair Dinkum' mean?”

“Yeah, for the moment, but you have ambition, and you never know what we might be able to offer you in the future. It’s good to go through all the departments to see if something grabs you more than what you’re doing right now. Fair Dinkum means 'true, honest or real'. I guess it's an Aussie way of saying I'm not talking bullshit.”

Star blushed and looked down at her plate. “I never expected to find such a good employer, especially my first one.”

“We aim to please, Star. Now, eat up and let’s get out of here.”

“Yes, boss...I guess it’s time to go back to work.”

“Yeah, you’re right. I suppose a trip on the lake is out of the question?”

“It would be nice, but I don’t think even the boss can get away with a 4 hour lunch break.”

“Slave driver...you’ll go far. Come on then, take me back to work.” Jake gave Star his hand and allowed her to drag him back to the office. When they stepped out of the lift, they were both giggling like school kids, and Mike, Alex and Roxanne smiled indulgently at them. It looked like lunch with Jake was all that was needed to bring Star out of her shell.

                                                                        ~

Star sat back down behind the reception desk and watched Jake follow Mike into his office. Before they shut the door, Jake turned and winked at Star which made her sigh. Rox looked at her with a smile.

“So, young Star, what do you think of your other boss?”

“He’s wonderful. So down to earth. Not like a boss at all, and what a wonderful voice.”

“So, would you like membership to the Jake Mitchell fan club?”

Star laughed. “He told me all about his wedding. I think he only has eyes for one lady.”

“You’re so right, Star, and when you eventually meet Angie, you’ll see why. It doesn’t stop us mooning over him, though. And being married hasn’t stopped him being a big flirt. It’s just his Kiwi charm.”

“Roxanne...he told me that he would be happy to arrange for me to go to the Sydney office for a couple of months and then maybe to the London office as well.”

“That’s right. We’ve all done it. It’s good to meet people we might otherwise only speak to over the phone, and we get to see how the other offices do the job. Everyone is great in the Sydney office, and to begin with you’ll find it difficult to get anything done as there’s a great view over the harbour from there. But you won’t have to wait until we get you over there to meet one of the staff. You’ve spoken to Jenny quite a lot, haven’t you? Well, you can be sure that if Jake’s over here for anything longer than a few days that Jenny will be on her way as well.”

“Now, she’s his PA isn’t she?” She sounds English on the phone.”

“You’re very good at accents, Star. Yes, Jenny has lived in Sydney for years, but she’s never lost her accent. She’s more like his big sister than his assistant. I think you’ll like her when you meet her. She’s like Jake; she’ll make you feel at ease right away.”

“Oh, Rox, I’m sorry that it’s taking me a while to settle, I’ve always been the quiet one in the family. Jake made me feel so at home. It felt like we’d known each other for ages, and I seem to have more confidence already.”

“It’s a gift he has. Jenny is just the same, so is his wife, Angie. I think you’ll love it here, Star. Both Mike and Jake treat all their staff like family. I sincerely hope that you decide to stay with us long term, rather than use us as a starting block.”

“Well, I don’t want to stay behind the desk for the rest of my career, but Jake said I’ll be able to rotate around the departments to see where I’m best suited.”

“That’s true. I started as a messenger when the office was in New York, and now I’m office manager. Alex was a secretary and is now Mike’s P.A. so the door is open to opportunity.”

“Even for a young black girl from Roanoke, Virginia,” Star whispered, smiling.

“Star, Jake and Mike will both tell you that race, colour, creed, sexual orientation all mean nothing to them when they look for new staff. Mike took you on because of your degree and because he could see the personality that was hiding behind your shyness. They probably wouldn’t even notice your colour. Jake is from mixed parentage.”

“Yes, he told me, his grandfather was Australian and his grandmother is from New Zealand,” Star replied grinning.

Roxanne tried not to choke on her coffee when she laughed in reply. “It’s more than that, Star. His paternal grandmother and his mother both have Maori blood in them, so he’s about 3/4 Maori and 1/4 Australian.”

“That would explain it then,” Star mused.

“Explain what?”

“His wonderful eyes.”

“Oh, you noticed. They are to die for, aren’t they? And those lashes! I’d kill for lashes like that.”

Just then Mike’s office door opened so they tried to stop their giggles. They were relieved to see it was only Alex and not the men. She looked at them with a raised eyebrow until Roxanne told her whom they had been discussing, ending by letting her know that Star was the newest member of the Jake Mitchell fan club. Alex came over and gave Star a big hug, whispering “Welcome to the family” in her ear. Star smiled...life was good.

Three days later, as Roxanne predicted, Jenny arrived for the duration of Jake’s stay, however long that would turn out to be. She and Star hit it off right away and both Jenny and Alex spent a couple of hours each morning explaining the duties of a P.A. to Star. They both hoped that she wouldn’t decide to leave A&M and try for a post with a rival company, and she put their minds to rest on that score. It looked like Star was there to stay, and she promised that she wasn’t after their jobs, either, but wanted to learn about every aspect of working in the company. Jenny was very impressed with the young receptionist and made a mental note to speak with Jake about her.

                                                                        ~

The Fitness Centre was up and running, and most of the companies in the building were making use of it both during the lunch period and before and after office hours. Mike was basking in the glory if its initial success, which amused Jake no end.

“You thinking of leaving the security business then, Mikey?”

“Hell no, life would be too boring if we were 9 to 5 businessmen, wouldn’t it, my friend? It’s a nice little money earner, though, isn’t it, and you never know, it might bring in some other business when more companies get to hear about who’s running it.”

“You just keep thinking, Mike. It’s what you’re good at,” laughed Jake in his best Sundance Kid impression. “We still need to get the medical centre open, though. You should start advertising for a full time nurse, especially as you’re thinking of making it a drop in centre.”

“Yeah, I thought we’d put some feelers out this week in some of the agencies, then hopefully we can start interviews next week at the latest. I want to do them while you’re still in town.”

“For sure, why should you have all the fun?” Jake winked.

“Don’t let Angie find out.”

“Hey, I’m married, not dead, and my little angel might have a few tips for us, being a nurse and all.”

“Yeah, yeah. Anyway, on to more important things. Are you and Jenny up for dinner out tonight?”

“Are you paying, slick?”

“On this occasion, I think I just might be.”

“Well then, I think you’re on, mate.”

They ended up at Joe’s Stone Crab and Jake felt right at home there as it reminded him of Kingsley’s on the wharf. The meal was superb, and Mike was on form and a wonderful host. He’d invited Alex to make up the numbers, and both the girls were enjoying the attention the men were giving them.

All through the meal, Jake kept getting the feeling that they were being watched. He excused himself to use the men’s room and on the way back to the table, scanned the room, but saw nothing to pique his interest. He rejoined the party in time for desert, concentrating on his Peppermint Ice Cream with Hot Fudge.

Meanwhile, at a table not too far from them, a party of six was watching them.

“OMG, I was right!  It IS them. It’s my ex-bosses. Will, can we leave please. I’ll be so embarrassed if they see me here.”

“Bella, honey, you have as much right to be here as they do. You did nothing wrong, babe. They fired you for no reason. I’ll go have a word with them.”

“Oh please, don’t. I’ll just die if you make a scene. Just let me go to the rest room and then we can leave quietly.”

Will waited for Bella to leave the table and then got up and headed towards Mike’s table. He wasn’t sure what he was going to do, but he was going to do something. Jake was just about to propose a toast to the ladies and raised his glass of Evian water as Will reached the table. He made to walk by and jogged Jake’s chair just as he held his glass up. Water tipped all over him and he looked round.

“Careful, mate.”

“Or what?”

“Hey, calm down. I’m not looking for trouble, I’m just asking you to be careful not to knock the seat.”

“You wanna take it outside?”

Jake sighed and went to get up when Jenny put her hand on his arm.”

“Don’t start anything, please.”

“Don’t worry, luv. I’ll just have a quiet word with him. Maybe he’s had a bit too much to drink and needs a bit of fresh air.”

“Just be careful.”

Jake followed Will out of the restaurant, ready to talk when Will swung round and grabbed him by the throat, pushing him up against the wall.

“I don’t much like you,” Will growled into Jake’s face.

“Get the fuck away from me or I’ll give you reason,” Jake hissed in reply.

Before anything else could happen, Mike and the manager stormed through the doors and pulled Will away telling him to leave before the police were called. He straightened his tie, squared his shoulders, and stormed off, meeting up with the rest of his friends who had left by the rear entrance.

“What was all that about?” Mike asked.

“No idea, mate. Maybe he didn’t like my accent,” Jake smiled. “Let’s go finish our coffee in peace."

The rest of their evening went off without a hitch, and they were soon heading home, the little encounter all but forgotten. Unbeknown to them, across town Will was sitting scheming...

                                                                                    ~

A week later, Mike and Jake were up to their eyes in applications for the nurse’s position in the Health Centre. They had already sorted through once until they had a very long short list of 50, but needed to get it down even more before they started the interviews. Mike looked up to see Jake massaging his temples.

“You okay, Jake?”

“Yeah...no...bit of a headache, that’s all.”

“Got your meds?”

“In the car.”

“Jake, when are you going to admit you need to keep some in the fridge up here? Shall I send someone down to get them?”

“No, it’s okay. I’ll go, the walk might do me good. Won’t be long. Don’t feel you have to wait for me.”

“You wish. Don’t worry, I’ll leave a pile for you.”

Jake grinned at his friend and left the office, heading for the parking area. He sat in the passenger seat and got his medication out of the cool box. He injected himself, got out of the car, and had just locked it when he sensed movement behind him. He turned, but he wasn’t fast enough. Pain exploded in his brain and he felt something warm gushing down the side of his head. He was grabbed by both arms, swung round and thrown back against his car. His eyes were fixed on the broken bottle that was headed for his neck. The last thing he heard before his world went black was a woman screaming...

“WILL...NO!!!”

Will turned as Jake dropped, landing slumped against the car door. He saw Bella staring in horror at his handiwork.

“What have you done? Is this why you called me over here?” she screamed.

“Baby, I told you I was going to make them pay for what they did to you.”

“You idiot! He’s not the one who fired me. He tried to stop it happening.”

“Shit! Let me think for a minute. Okay, here’s the plan. Bring the car over, we’ll drive him across town and drop him outside a hospital. By the time they find out who he is, we’ll be well away.”

Bella brought the car over and the men bundled Jake into the back. Within minutes, they were out of the car park and headed across town.

                                                                        ~

Jenny and Alex came back from the Fitness Centre wondering if the boys would notice they were late. They looked over at Mike’s office and noticed the door was open. Alex stuck her head inside and saw Mike alone, scanning an application form.

“Where’s Jake?”

“He had a headache coming on and nipped down to the car to get his meds.”

“It must have been a bad one for him to volunteer to take them,” Jenny remarked. “How long has he been gone?”

“Only a few minutes,” Mike replied, glancing at his watch. “Shit! He’s been gone half an hour.”

“I’m going down to check. He might be feeling bad,” Jenny remarked, heading for the lift.

“Hold up, Jen. I’ll come too,” Mike called after her.

They saw the car but no Jake.

“Maybe he decided to go and get something for lunch while he was down here?”

“Not possible, Jen. He left his jacket upstairs and his wallet is in there, he only picked up the car keys.” As Mike was speaking he was looking around the underground parking area, leaving Jenny to walk towards the car.

“MIKE!”

“What is it, Jen?”

“I think there’s blood on the car!”

Mike ran over and checked where Jenny was pointing. There was blood on the edge of the car roof, and on closer inspection, they found more near the base of the passenger door.

“Jen, go up to street level and call the cops!”

Fifteen minutes later the police and the crime scene unit were on site. After a quick check, the officers left the CSU boys to do their work and went up to the office with Mike and Jenny. Sitting in Mike’s office, they asked for details of what had happened. Mike explained that Jake had gone to the car to get his migraine medication, and hadn’t returned. He then told the officers that when they went to check, they found the blood and called it in. Mike also explained that Jake had no ID on him as his wallet was in the office. They gave the officers all Jake’s details, along with a photograph, and showed them out.

Jenny was close to tears, as were Alex, Roxanne and Star. Mike told them not to worry as Jake couldn’t be too far, and the police would circulate his picture around the area. He took them into his office, sat them down, then went and made them a nice hot drink. There would be no work done that afternoon.

He got all the men in the office on the case, and put the word out to his security teams in the local hospitals, thanking the almighty that he had taken the contracts for uniformed security guards the previous year. Pictures were all well and good, but he had men who knew Jake and could check all the emergency rooms a lot faster than the police could.

                                                                        ~

Pretoria O’Connor was livid. This was the worst thing she had seen since she became a nurse back in her native Ireland. People back home were always moaning about the National Health Service, but at least if you were an emergency you were treated, whether you had money and identification or not. She looked down on her patient.

Yes, they had eventually dealt with his injuries, but they only gave the basic care to keep him alive, all because he had no ID on him and they couldn’t find out who he was, or if he had insurance. It was five hours since they had sewn him up, and no doctor had been in to see him. It was almost as if he had been wheeled into a back room and forgotten.

She should have been off duty over three hours ago, but there was no way she was going to leave him alone. She would do what she could to care for him, if it cost her job in the process. She left him for a few minutes to filch some supplies.

While she was away, one of the A&M security staff was doing the rounds of the corridors and happened to look in through the door she had left open. Joe stopped and stared. He couldn’t believe his eyes,  that looked like his boss laying there. He hadn’t been with A&M all that long, but he’d seen Jake on the induction video that new security staff were shown, and was pretty sure the silent figure was the same man. He radioed the control room to speak with his supervisor.

“Paul,  it’s Joe upon the fifth floor. You won’t believe this, but there’s a guy laying in a room up here who is the double of Jake Mitchell.”

“Joe, get right back there now.  We had a call from Mike to check the ER’s. Jake went missing earlier today. I’ll get word to him to get over here right now.”

“Will do.”

By the time he got back to the room, Pretoria had returned. She smiled at Joe as he came through the door.

“Hi, Joe, can I help you?”

“Hey, Tori. I hope so. Can you tell me who this patient is?”

“Sorry, no, I can’t”

“Aw, come on. Please don’t do the patient confidentiality thing on me. This is kind of important.”                       

“I’m not, Joe. The reason I can’t tell you is that no-one knows who he is. He was dumped at the back entrance about five hours ago. He was unconscious and had no identification on him. It’s assumed that he was mugged.”

“I think I might know who he is. I’ve got someone coming over to take a look at him. We’d better tell somebody.”

“Wait...let’s not tell anyone until your friend has taken a look. Management are on an economy drive. They don’t want to have anything to do with him because they think they aren’t going to get paid, so it’s best to let them forget about him for the moment, in case they decide to throw him out.”

“Hey, they wouldn’t do that, would they?”

“Times are tough, Joe. There’s no such thing as charity in this place.”

Mike arrived like a hurricane. His first stop was the security control room to pick up Paul, who directed him to the fifth floor. Joe was waiting for them outside the room and was almost bowled over by Mike as he passed.

“Jake!” he said softly as he approached the bed. “My God, what happened to you?” He turned and spotted Pretoria. “Is he going to be okay?”

“It’s difficult to say. They only did the minimum to stop him bleeding out before they realised he had no ID and they couldn’t be sure he had insurance. It seems that as this is a small hospital, they are having to account for every penny right now, and can’t take on ‘charity’ cases.”

Mike laughed bitterly. “That’s a joke. If they knew who he was they’d be falling over themselves to look after him. Paul, make arrangements for a medivac chopper to come pick him up.”

Paul went off to do as instructed and Mike turned once again to Pretoria.

“I’ll get him somewhere safe within the hour. Thanks for looking after him, Miss...”

“Pretoria O’Connor.”

“What a lovely name.”

“My friends call me Tori,” she smiled. “Now, can I ask who you are?”

“Sorry, of course you can. I’m Mike Taylor, and this is my partner, Jake Mitchell. Now I think it’s time to let the management know I’m here. Would you do the honours for me?”

“I’ll call them now.”

Ten minutes later the hospital senior management came striding down the corridor and into Jake’s room, glaring at Tori.

“Why is this man still here?”

“Don’t worry, he won’t be here much longer. You can probably hear the chopper heading for the roof right now.”

“Mr. Taylor. What are you doing here? This isn’t a security matter is it?”

“It is now. This man, whom you don’t want to treat, him being without an identity, so in your eyes, obviously without insurance, happens to be my partner, and CEO of the company. So, even if he had no insurance, which he has in spades, he would be able to pay for any treatment in cash, which he also has in spades.”

“I’m terribly sorry, Mr. Taylor. We’ll move him right away.”

“Too little too late, my friend. I’m moving him myself...to another hospital. If you’d be so kind as to loan me the use of a gurney, I’ll take him up to the chopper right now.”

“I’ll help you.”

“Why, thank you kindly, Tori.”

“Nurse O’Connor, that’s not part of your duties.”

“I think you’ll find I’ve been on my own time for about 4 hours now, so what I do has nothing to do with the hospital,” she replied, turning towards the door.

They were soon in the chopper and on their way. Mike looked over at Tori, a worried expression on his face.

“Are you going to be in trouble over this?”

“I don’t care if I am. I’ve lost any respect for that place the way they put money above patient welfare. The way they treated your partner was just the last straw. I’ve got a feeling I won’t be going back there.”

“Really? Once we get Jake settled, do you think we can have a chat. I just might have a proposition for you.”

Tori looked at Mike with interest and nodded her agreement.

They were soon at Northwest Memorial Hospital and Jake was rushed to the OR for emergency surgery on his neck injury. Mike took Tori for coffee and a talk.

“Tori, my company is opening a Medical drop in Centre and we’re currently looking for staff. Would you consider a position as our nurse?”

Tori thought for a moment before answering. She looked Mike straight in the eyes and replied, “On one condition.”

“Name it.”

“That I go through the interview system with the rest of the candidates, even if that means waiting for your partner to be fit enough to take part. I assume you were going to interview together?”

“Yes, we were. We were going through the applications when all this happened. Will you come to my office tomorrow and fill out a form?”

“I’d be glad to.”

Mike gave her his business card, and one of his best smiles, then told her to head off home as he would be okay on his own. He suggested she needed to be fresh and alert when they met the next day. She laughed and gave his shoulder a squeeze goodnight, and was gone.                

Two hours later, Mike was told by the surgeon that Jake was in recovery.

“How did it go, Doctor?”

“The head wound was sewn up quite well to begin with. So we left that alone. The neck wound was more worrying. His larynx has been nicked by the glass and there could be problems with his voice once everything inside has healed up. It’s a case of wait and see right now, I’m afraid. The good news however, is that he’s going to be okay. We managed to get some blood into him, and he’s stable now.”

“Can I go see him?”

“Yes, of course. He probably won’t wake up until tomorrow, but feel free to stay as long as you can. I met a detective on the way up here, but I told him there was no use him hanging around for now and he should come back after lunch tomorrow.”

“Doc, you’re a star. At least that will give us a few hours of peace. I appreciate it.

                                                                                *

Jake was confused. His head ached and it was almost impossible for him to swallow. Slowly he cracked open one eye and looked around the dimly lit room. He didn't recognise where he was. Hearing movement beside him, he tried to focus on what was suddenly in front of his face. In large letters on a pad were the words:

DO NOT TRY TO SPEAK!!

                                                                               
He followed the hand that was holding the sign, up the arm and across until he could see a face. Mike! He opened his mouth only to see Mike point at the sign.

“Don't try and say anything, Buddy. You've got some damage to your throat. I can get you a pad and pen, and you can write anything you need to ask when you're feeling more awake. For the time being, you're safe in the hospital, and as long as you do exactly what the doc orders, he says you should be able to get outta here in a couple of days.”

Jake smiled weakly, and even though he fought valiantly to stay awake, he was soon sleeping peacefully again. Jenny arrived shortly after to give Mike a break. He left to get some sleep, promising to return in the morning. Jenny kissed Jake on the forehead before settling down in the chair by his bed to read the book she took out of her bag.

                                                                        ~

Jake’s head was still throbbing and it was still painful to swallow. At least he remembered where he was. He moved his head slowly until a figure came into view. Jenny was sitting smiling at him.

“Hi, sleepy head. Remember, you mustn’t try to speak. Your throat has been damaged.”

Jake raised a hand slowly to his neck and felt the dressing on his throat. He frowned, trying to remember what had happened to him, wincing  as pain shot through his head when he tried to lift it from the pillow.

“You got a crack on the head, too, Jake. Try not to move much, and I’ll see if I can find the doctor. If he offers some pain meds, please take them just this once,” Jenny said, smiling down at her boss as she rose to leave the room.

Before she made it to the door, it opened and Mike stuck his head in. Seeing Jake was awake, he bounded over to the bed, kissing Jenny on the cheek as he passed.

“Hey, partner. Hope you’re up to writing, or it’s gonna be a pretty one-sided conversation,” he grinned, pulling a pad and pen out of his pocket and finding the mechanism to raise Jake’s bed a little.

“How do you feel?”

*Rough* Jake wrote.

“Promise to stay calm when I tell you something?”

*Shoot*

“I called Angie, and she should be here any time soon.”

Jake sighed, *Ta, mate*

“Really? You’re not going to ram my head through the dry wall?”

*No strength*

“Lucky me. Seriously, you’re not angry?”

*Not this time*

The pen fell from Jake’s hand as he lay back against the pillow and closed his eyes. Just then, the door opened and Jenny walked in, followed by the doctor.

“Morning, doc. He was awake and chatting a couple of minutes ago,” Mike announced, holding up the pad. “I think I wore him out though.”

“Good morning, Mr. Taylor. I’ll use the opportunity to have a quick look at his wounds then.”

The doctor peeled back the dressing over the head wound and nodded in satisfaction. “That looks good and clean. Now let’s take a look at the neck wound.”

Putting on some medical gloves, he slowly peeled away the dressing on Jake’s neck to reveal an ugly gash, livid red and slightly swollen. He swabbed the wound and redressed it. As he placed his hand on Jake’s forehead and felt the warmth there, Jake opened his eyes.

“Hello, Mr. Mitchell. I’m Doctor Parks. I had to carry out a bit of work on your throat. How are you feeling?”

Jake lifted up the pen and wrote *Hot*.

“Yes, you’re running a bit of a fever from the feel of you. Now, I’ve been warned that you aren’t too keen on medication, but I think we need to give you some antibiotics to clear up the slight infection. It’s nothing to worry about, most likely from the bottle.”

*Bottle?*

“Yes, sorry, I guess you don’t remember what happened. You were hit by a bottle, and then the low life went for your throat with the remains. Now it’s actually not as bad as it sounds, although I want you to refrain from trying to talk, even in a whisper, until I give you the okay. Is that clear?”

*Yes, doc*

“Good man. I was told I was going to have problems with you,” he said, laughing at Jenny and Mike. “But, if you do what I say, and the medication does its job, I think that you will only be our guest for a couple of days.”

That brought a tired smile from Jake. “However,” Doctor Parks continued, “Once you leave here, I want to make it clear that you need to take things easy for the next week or so until I see you again to remove the sutures, then we can see about trying out your vocal chords. Okay?”

Jake nodded and held out his hand, writing *deal* on the pad with his left hand. Doctor Parks shook on the agreement, smiled at everyone in the room, and left, promising to return in a few hours to check on Jake.

True to his word, Jake behaved, took his meds, and in a couple of days the infection cleared up, the fever broke, and his discharge was arranged. Angie arrived in time to help him get ready to leave, an emergency at the hospital at home having delayed her flight out for just over a day. She was soon fussing over him in the company apartment, knowing full well she had a harder job than the hospital staff as once he was out of there, he would try to insist on getting back to work.

Mike gave it a day before heading round to see him. He wasn’t alone. The police came too. Jake still couldn’t remember anything apart from locking the car door and feeling that he wasn’t alone in the parking garage. The interview was short, although it felt like a lifetime for Jake, having to write down his answers. The detectives wished him a speedy recovery, leaving their card for him to contact them if he remembered anything.

Jenny made them all a hot drink and Jake sighed as he leaned against Angie on the sofa and sipped his steaming mug of tea. He smiled at Jenny and gave her the thumbs up. When they finished, Mike broached the subject of the interviews for the drop in centre. He offered to put them on hold, but Jake insisted that they go through all the applications the following day, and make arrangements for the interviews to commence the day after he went to see Doctor Parks. Mike smiled, knowing that Jake must be feeling better, and happy in the knowledge that sorting the candidates wouldn’t be too taxing for him. They would have to wait and see how he was for the actual interviews.

They managed to whittle the pile down to 15 candidates and Mike smiled when Jake approved Pretoria’s application. Jenny made notes to invite the 15 for initial interviews the following week, and Mike turned to Jake, a question on his lips.

“How do you want to work the interviews, Jake? You may not be speaking by then, and even if you are, you’re not going to want to chat all day long for however long it takes.”

Jake took the pad and wrote one word...*Angie*

Mike looked at them both, “Angie?” he asked.

“Yes, me. Jake and I ‘discussed’ it last night. I can sit in on the interviews. Jake can write down anything he wants to ask, and as your resident “medical expert”, I can ask questions on his behalf. As long as you introduce me to the candidates and explain the situation, I’m sure it will be fine. Also, Jake won’t get over tired that way.”

“Sounds like a plan. Jenny and Alex will get the ball rolling tomorrow and we’ll see how we go from there.”

                                                                        ~

The following Monday saw Jake and Angie at the hospital. Angie knew Jake was worried, and was trying to keep his fears from her. When would he learn that he was an open book to her? She held his hand tightly as they waited for Doctor Parks to arrive. Jake would be glad to get the stitches out as they were pulling like mad, and he hadn’t been able to shave around them properly.

The door opened, and in strode the doctor, a broad smile on his face. He sat down behind his desk and grinned at them.