Thorns & Oranges

Heart Shaped Box

Chapter Thirty-Seven

I sat there until I heard a car door close and I tried to get up afterwards but couldn't. It actually took Irv coming out to see why I hadn't returned to the kitchen before I even blinked.

"Elina?"

"Call my brother," I whispered.

"Elina?"

"Please?"

He looked out the window pane as he saw the car pull out of the lot. Then he looked down at me, frowning. "Who was that?"

I coughed and covered my mouth. "Irv?"

"Yeah. I'm calling. Are you..."

I shook my head. "No and you should probably call 9-1-1 too."

"Why?" He came over and touched my shoulder. "Did he hurt you?"

"Actually..." I lifted the hand I had pressed to my side. "He shot me." I was being very calm about this for some reason, I didn't really know why. There was no panic in me at all, only cold detachment.

"Elina..."

"Can you bring me my cell, please? I'll call Vince so you won't have to worry about that."

Faster than a fat man should be able to move, he brought me my cell and was on the diner phone with the cops. "...yes, she's conscious...no, I don't know how bad..."

With steadier hands than I should've had, I called the last number on my dialed list. The line was picked up on the third ring, the tail end of a laugh coming through the speakers.

"Hello, Em. I thought you were supposed to be at work."

I was surprised to hear Michelle's voice come through and it made me smile.

"Hi. How are you?"

"I'm fine..."

"Elina," Irv said quietly. "I need to see."

I looked over at him and nodded, allowing him to pry my hand off my side. His expression changed and the second I saw his face pale, I knew it was bad. It had to be because I couldn't feel a thing. So I knew I had to tell my brother something before I couldn't anymore but for some reason I was easily sidetracked.

"Is that Irv?" she asked pleasantly. "Tell him I said hi."

"Michelle says hi."

He ignored me as he pressed one of the hand towels to my side. I ignored the impulse to gasp and instead squeezed my eyes closed. The pain brought me back to my right mind and I finally said, "I need to talk to Vince, please, Chelle. If you don't mind."

"Sure." The phone switched hands and my brother came over the line. "Hey, niña. What's up? I thought you were supposed to be at work."

"I am at work but..." There were sirens off in the distance so I knew I had to make this quick. Whatever I said, I knew Irv wouldn't repeat. "The book is cooked twice."

"What? Elina..."

"Someone's betraying you. The books are being worked again after...Juan knows who it is." I'm sure nothing I was saying was making any sense but I hoped he could get something out of it. "He has to."

"Elina," his tone turned serious. "What's going on?"

The ambulance along with at least four police cars pulled into the parking lot. I knew what I meant to tell my brother but instead I ended up telling him, "I'm sorry."

Irv held his hand out and I gave him the phone even though my brother was speaking rather loudly through the speaker, asking me what was going on. Irv stepped back with my cell as the two EMTs came in followed by several cops. A pair pulled Irv to the side to ask him questions and I heard them off in the background asking about the car and who it was. If he'd gotten the plate or saw anything himself.

The one EMT who was trying to talk to me was female but everything she was staying was put through a filter as my hearing started to cut in and out. The second she pressed on my side after taking the towel off to check the wound, sound came roaring back along with lots of pain.

"Ma'am..."

"Ms. De Sota?" I looked up at the uniform and I was surprised I knew who it was.

"Hey!" I said as cheerfully as possible. "Are you here to hood me again?"

"No, ma'am. Actually, I was wondering if you could tell me what happened."

"Oh. Well," I looked down at my side and my eyes went wide. "Apparently, I've been shot..."

"Altered mental status," the woman said. "Ma'am?"

I went back to staring at the uniform across from me, trying to remember his name and think a little clearer than I was. He looked very worried. "Officer?"

"Yes, ma'am?"

"I'm not feeling so great. Can we skip the twirling? Maybe save it for next time?"

"Ma'am?"

I wasn't able to say anything else because I slumped to the table top and passed out.

To Be Continued...