They Call Me the Coroner | Top Gun: Maverick

Devlishly Handsome

⚫ Warning: There's a bit of blood in this chapter.

_____________________

It's dangerous driving while your brain is on autopilot. I never really paid attention until now.

"Heh." I gurgle. That's kind of funny. Ironic really. Because autopilot is the equivalent of not paying attention, but now...well you get it.

When you're up in the sky, you have to work quick. Your body is traveling 25 times faster than the people down on the interstate below you. Your attention is spread out on multiple things and it has to be fast to move from one thing to another.

You have to be confident in yourself and with new situations arising at different times, you have to pay attention.

There's no time for autopilot. You could lose your life up there if you're not giving it your full brainpower.

That's why it's ironic. I'm a pilot. I pay attention. And the one time I don't...I skim the side of a passing car, get ripped from my seat, and slide across the pavement 15 feet from my motorcycle.

I chuckle at the ridiculousness of it, gasping as I lay here on the pavement. My body bleeding a little. I can't tell how much cause the rain is washing a lot of the red liquid away.

I grimace at my arm. It's torn up some from my slide on the asphalt. I've seen worse though.

"I'll call an ambulance. Don't worry. Can you-oh my God! Tesha?!"

I try to hoist myself up on my good arm as the human being from the car splashes puddles of rain as they dash closer.

"You...probably shouldn't move...you could have broken bones."

"Should have known you'd try to run me over. Don't call the medics, I'm fine." I stare hard into those brown eyes.

How the heck did I run into him of all people? Jasper's face looks half-scared and half-relieved.

"Tenichally, you ran into me. I said don't move." He tries to keep me on the ground.

I shove his hand away and proceed to inch my upper body off the pavement, grabbing at my ribs and gasping.

"What...ah...what are you still doing here? I thought...you'd be hightailing it back to Washington by now." I wince as he puts his arms under me.

He picks me up like a child and commences to carry me to his car, the vehicle basically unscathed from the incident. He hands me off to the passenger seat and makes his way over to the driver's side. I lock the door before he can open it.

"What are you doing, Tesha?" He says loudly and irritated. The rain and glass between us muffles his voice.

I wave him back to my side of the car and roll the window down a couple of inches.

"I'm not letting you in the car until you promise me you will take me to Kim's house." I start searching the console and under the seats. He has to have a gun in here somewhere. I don't want him having the greater advantage...just in case.

I mean I don't really know this guy. But I do know, if he's not CIA like he says, then his branch of the government is about as bad as the CIA...probably worse.