“I presume they weren’t armed,” Rodney said. “Otherwise there was no point in keeping you alive.”
“Meaning?” Addie asked.
“Well, they could have shot Tucker and the dog.”
“Hadn’t thought of that,” Tucker said. “So we’ll assume they didn’t have a gun, or they didn’t dare take a chance of anybody hearing the shot,” he said.
“Where was the dog when all this was happening? What would she have done?” Addie murmured.
“I opened the truck door. She jumped down. After that, I don’t know what happened. She doesn’t know me that well, and she is a little confused still with her transition to civilian life.”
“I’d assume she’d have run away far enough to get out of the guy’s reach, just in case he was trying to grab her too,” Addie murmured out loud.
“Well, I sure as hell wouldn’t want anybody grabbing me,” Tucker said. “I’m not sure about what she would have done though.”
“I think she stayed at a distance, and, when they dropped you, she stayed around to make sure that you were okay. Once the guy left, she came in close to keep you company, until you woke up,” she murmured. “That’s typical dog behavior.”
“I’m not sure that’s even what happened,” he said. “We’re just doing best guesses at the moment.”
“It’s all we have,” she said. “How we’ll find out beyond that, I don’t know.” She looked at Rodney. “Lead the way back to the truck,” she said.
He nodded, fell into step just ahead of them, and she urged Tucker to move forward behind Rodney. “I’m coming,” he said. “The head’s just pounding pretty good.”
“Let’s get you back to the truck,” she said, “and I’ll drive you to the hospital, so we can get that head wound stitched up.”
“I’m okay without the stitches.”
“No, you’re not,” she said, arguing fiercely. “I get that you’re a big tough guy, but I’m also the nurse. That wound needs to be closed.”
Tucker groaned. “That just means questions and all kinds of BS that I don’t have time for.”
“You’ll make time,” she said. “So we either do it the easy way or the hard way.”
He looked down at her in amusement. “And you’ll stop me, one way or the other?”
“Hell yes,” she said, “and, if that doesn’t work, I’ll enlist your sister.”
Immediately Rodney burst out laughing. “I like her,” he said.
Tucker groaned. “She certainly knows how to wield a weapon.”
“You know perfectly well your sister won’t let you get away with not getting this checked out,” she said, “so it’s a good weapon to pick.”
“I know,” he said. “Fine, we’ll go to the hospital, but only if it’ll be fast. I have absolutely no intention of sitting there for three hours before they even take a look at me.”
“If it’s that bad,” she said, “I can get the materials and stitch it up myself.”
“Well then, let’s just do that.”
“No,” she said. “Hospital first.”
He sighed. “They’ll just take x-rays, tell me that I got a concussion, and send me home for the next few days.”
“Is there anything wrong with that?” she asked.
“I already know it, so why go?”
“Stop being a child,” she scolded.
He didn’t know how to get her to stop talking, but she was making his headache worse. “Don’t yell. You’re making my head pound,” he said. “I already have a bad enough headache.”
She groaned. “Fine, as long as you agree to go to the hospital.”
“I said I would,” he said.
“I just don’t want an argument when we get you to the truck.”
Up ahead he saw the parking lot. “Looks like the truck’s right there.” He turned to Rodney and said, “You could drive.”
“Oh no,” he said. “I know what you’ll do. You’ll try to convince me to not take you to the hospital. I saw the cut myself. I think it needs stitches.”
Tucker sighed. “You’re both against me,” he snapped.
“If looking after you means being against you, then we’re both against you,” she said immediately. “And, once again, you’re acting like a two-year-old.”
Rodney burst out laughing again. “She’s definitely got your number.”
“That’s not fair,” Tucker said. By the time he made it to the truck, he could feel the sweat pouring off him. He knew he’d been a little more injured than he’d expected and hoped. He’d always had an ability to bounce back, but, since his accident, that ability seemed to have been taken from him. Whenever he caught a cold or there was a flu around, he succumbed way too easily. He figured that this would be the same deal. He walked around to the side of the truck and then stopped because she was slipped under his arm and now leaning against the driver’s door.
“What are you doing?” he asked in confusion.
“You’re not driving,” she said. “I will.”
He looked at her, then at Rodney, who just nodded.
Tucker sighed louder this time. “Fine,” he said. “We need to get the dog in though.”
“She’ll come up without a problem,” she said calmly. She looked at Bernie. “Won’t you, girl?”
Bernie barked at her in delight. Addie opened up the back seat and helped the dog into the back.
“She won’t stay back there,” he said.
“That’s fine. I just need to get you around to your side,” she said, eyeing him steadily. Trying to make it look like it was easier than it was, he made his way around to the passenger side and slowly crawled in. Immediately the smell of food wafted toward him. He looked at the bags beside him. “What’s this?”
“Our dinner,” she said with a wry look. “You never came back to the restaurant, so I came out. I had them pack it up to-go, before I came looking for you. I found your phone at the corner of the parking lot, which is when I phoned Badger.” He stared at her. She shrugged. “He contacted Rodney, and Rodney was already on his way from the site, so he stopped and helped me to find you.”
“Wow,” he said. “Well, I guess it all ends well and much better than it could have.”
“Absolutely. For all I know, us calling for you sent this guy running away,” she said. “Maybe he would have stayed and taken care of you forever,” she murmured. “I don’t know what’s going on. But let’s get you to the hospital and get one thing taken care of.” She looked at Rodney and asked, “Are you coming to the hospital?”
He shook his head. “Keep in touch though,” he said. “I’ve got to go home to my soon-to-be wife.” And, with that, he lifted a hand and headed to his truck.
“I’ll update Badger,” Addie said.
Tucker didn’t argue.
Chapter 8