The Rock Star and The Mafia

Chapter 36

Two hours had passed and Tommaso showed no signs of waking up.  Cassidy and Cheri had not left the room in that amount of time and they were all pacing and beginning to drive each other nuts when they noticed him move his head.

They all stood in their places, not moving an inch, when they watched his head roll from the right to the left and then he lifted his right hand to his eyes, rubbing the irritation away.  

Alessio said he was going to fetch the doctor and while he was doing that, Cheri walked over to Mas's bed.  He was slowly opening his eyes, blinking them rapidly, trying to acclimate himself to the surroundings.

"Hey big guy" Cheri whispered hoarsely, tears collecting in her eyes.  "What, where?" he started to ask.  "You were in a car accident and you are at St. Vincent's.  You've been here almost three days" she told him.

The best feeling in the world was to feel him squeeze her hand.  He just kept staring at her and then his eyes fell to her neck.  "What the hell, Cheri?" he asked harshly.  "Did Alessio...?"  Cheri looked at him in horror.

"No, God no!" she adamantly.  "It's a long story and I will let Alessio fill you in on what happened but in the meantime, I want you to meet someone that's been helping us take care of you" she finished.

Cassidy got up and shyly walked to the bed.  Tommaso smiled at her and she blushed ten shades of red.  "Mas, this is Cassidy.  Cassidy, Tommaso Bianchi" Cheri rasped out.  Her work here was done.  She walked out and left the two alone while she searched for Alessio.

She saw him by the nurse's station speaking with Dr. Timmons.  Slipping a possessive arm around his waist, Cheri stood close by while the two spoke.  She couldn't help but notice the looks she was receiving from the nurses and other women that walked by.

Catty bitches Cheri mused to herself as she continued standing there.  "Cheri how are you feeling today?" Dr. Timmons asked her.  "It's hurting less and less.  I just want to know when I can try singing again" she stated honestly.

He took a business card from his hospital coat, wrote a number on it and passed it to her.  "This is a doctor friend of mine.  He's a Otolaryngologist and he's very good at what he does.  He's expecting a call from you whenever you're ready."  Cheri smiled, took the card and said thank you.

Alessio and Cheri followed Dr. Timmons back to Tommaso's room and before they got there, they could laughing and talking coming from inside.  Cheri squeezed Alessio's arm.  He looked puzzled at her until she whispered "Cassidy's got it bad for Mas."  He smirked at what she'd told him.

Dr. Timmons said everything looked great and he was going to start on working up the discharge papers for Tommaso to come home.  While they waited for him to come back, Alessio said he was going to talk with Tommaso so Cassidy and Cheri stepped outside.

"Well?" Cheri hissed hoarsely.  Cassidy blushed.  "Oh dear Lord help me" she muttered.  "He's so sweet and his voice?  Oh my" she said fanning herself.  "We exchanged numbers and he promised we'd get to know each other."  Cheri threw her arms around the girl.

"Well I gotta get home and get some sleep.  I'm on duty tonight" she said yawning.  "You have to come tell him goodbye" Cheri said.  She shook her head no.  "He's talking to his boss.  I don't want to disturb them" she said nervously.  Cheri wondered just how much Tommaso had already told her.

"Just wait here" Cheri told her.  She was gone a minute or two, came back out and told her to go on in.  Alessio walked out with that signature smirk on his gorgeous mouth.  "You set that up?" he said referring to Tommaso and Cassidy.

Cheri just gave him that look and winked at him.  He threw his head back and laughed.  She hadn't heard that in a while and didn't realize until now how much she had missed the sound.

Cassidy came out a little bit later, her face all flushed, told them goodbye and she walked towards the elevator.  Cheri was so happy for the both of them.  After she'd found Alessio, she couldn't help but think the rest of the world was missing out on something pretty special.

"He wants to talk to you" Alessio said.  Taking her hand, he led her back into the hospital room, where she took a chair.  Tommaso was just staring up at the ceiling and then brought his eyes down to hers.

"Alessio told me what happened to your neck" he started, Cheri's hand automatically went to her throat.  "Damn it, Cheri.  I don't know what to say to you.  Thank you doesn't seem enough.  You saved my life and got hurt in the process.  Please just next time, pick up something and bash them over the head.  Don't jump on their backs, for Christ's sake!" they were both laughing as Cheri swiped the tears away.

"You ready to come home?" she whispered out.  He nodded.  "Do you remember anything at all?" she asked.  He shook his head no.  "The last thing I remember, before today, was seeing headlights coming at me and that was it" his tone was different as he recollected what had happened to him.

"You would have been proud of her, Mas" Alessio weighed in.  "Really?  What did you do?  Make coffee?" he joked.  The seriousness of the looks on Cheri and Alessio's face gave him his answer.

"You did?" he was completely shocked.  "Yes" she squeaked.  "And I'll have you know I made them sandwiches too" she was very proud of herself.  He laughed and it was a wonderful sound.  Both the men she cared deeply for, in different ways, had laughed today.

"Babe, did you let Lorenzo, Sal and Rico know that Mas is awake?" Cheri asked.  He said he would go fetch them right away.  

"Lorenzo took this really hard you know" Cheri told her cousin.  Sighing, Tommaso said "I know Al told me."  Looking at her, he continued.  "He also said you took it really hard as well."  She nodded, the cat had her tongue.  She didn't want to dissolve into a crying mess.

Picking up on this, he changed the subject.  "I really like Cassidy" he said.  Cheri's head perked up.  "She really likes you too, Mas.  She stayed with you even after she got off her shift, just to make sure you were being taken care of.  You know, she's never had a boyfriend" Cheri told him.

The look on his face said it all.  "You mean like never had a boyfriend?" he asked.  Cheri shook her head.  "Nope.  Her family were very religious and never allowed it.  She went to college and stayed focused and by that time, she was afraid of rejection, so she never tried."

"You like her too, don't you?" Tommaso asked her.  "I do.  I think she's going to be a great friend to have.  She's pretty, smart, got a great sense of humor and she really truly cares about people.  Hard to find these days" Cheri answered.

Alessio came back with the other guys.  Boy were they glad to see Tommaso awake, talking and laughing.  The doctor came back in some time later with the papers all ready to go.   

Cheri handed Lorenzo the sweats, tee shirt, underwear, socks and shoes that she had brought for him the other day and she stepped out so he could dress.

Sal would drive Alessio's car back to the Mansion while the rest of them rode in the SUV.  Cheri had a sense of relief regarding everything.  She knew her and Alessio would be okay.  

Sure they'd made a little mess but the important thing is, neither of them said anything hurtful, that couldn't be taken back and it wasn't something that couldn't be fixed.  Sighing, she laid herself back into his arms and closed her eyes.  She was looking forward to a hot bath and a nap in their bed.