This Can't Be Love

Chapter 22: A Close Call

Aaron is shirtless in his bathroom, in front of the mirror over the sink. The sink itself has blood splatters and a crunched up bullet that sits in a blackened spot of the blood.

Aaron pours alcohol onto his bullet hole and grinds his teeth as he grunts in pain. He then puts the alcohol bottle down and grabs a pill that is in the form of a black and red medicine capsule. He bites the tip of the capsule off and its powdery contents slightly spill out with his movement. He then empties the grainy powder of the pill onto the gunshot wound on his shoulder.

There is a square patch of gauze on top of te toilet, with two pieces of tape over it in the shape of a cross. Aaron takes this taped gauze and places it firmly over his wound. He then takes a roll of splint and wraps it around his shoulder, going under his armpit and back over a few times to finish covering his injury.

He begins to move his injured arm in a circular motion test his solution, and his face cringes a little to bear the pain. He proceeds to try and put on a clean black shirt, but stops when he hears a loud knock at the door.

Aaron steps out of the bathroom and approaches his front door. He opens it suspiciously and sees Detective Fuller standing in front of him. Fuller has his gun in his right hand, but is pointing it down. His other hand holds a cigarette, which he brings to his mouth and inhales. Aaron is standing there shirtless with the splint wrapped around his shoulder.

"Detective Fuller... To what do I owe the surprise visit?"

Fuller removes the cigarette from his mouth and and exhales the smoke away. Aaron looks down at the gun that Fuller is holding. Fuller notices Aaron's stare and engages in the now mutually suspicious conversation of doubt.

"Your car wasn't here so I was wondering who was playing with your lights, Walsh... Thought I'd double check."

"Well, the car's in the shop. Everything's fine."

"What shop did you bring it to?"

"I brought it to MY shop... Look, can you just come back tomorrow? I'm kinda busy"

Detective Fuller walks into the house now, past Aaron. Aaron looks down at the ground and breathes in for patience.

"I didn't invite you in... Detective."

"What's it in the shop for? What was wrong with it?"

"Not sure. I'm not a mechanic, but... If you really think it's... any... of your business, I'll ask the guys to get me a printout of their findings... and have it faxed to you, now can you please... You know... Leave?"

Fuller shakes his head with recoiled lips and closed eyes.

"I'll leave in a minute, but first... Care to tell me what happened to your arm?"

Aaron glances at his own shoulder then his eyes look at Fuller with anger as his head still angles downward.

"I fell."

"Yeah... You had yourself a 'fall' did ya? Oh that's too bad."

Fuller brings the cigarette back toward his mouth but Aaron intercepts it and takes it from him.

"You don't smoke in my house."

Aaron tosses te cigarette to the outside. When he turns back toward Fuller he sees that Fuller is pointing the gun at him. Aaron freezes and raises his hands. Fuller cocks the gun.

"Enough games, Walsh. I know what you did."

"What do you mean?"

"You can act innocent all you want but I saw the young man you tortured to death in that chair. You think you have everyone fooled, don't you? I know you had something to do with Sosa's disappearance, and most certainly with the wherabouts of Samantha Lawr--"