Chapter Thirty Eight - Stubborn, stubborn, Stubborn....
Victor and Nikki, Cole and Victoria were all sitting in the room, waiting to see Nicholas...
Nikki got up and paced around the room and looked at Victor “Why won’t the bring him in?”
Victor checked his watch “Sweetheart, we haven’t even been here for 10 minutes...”
Nikki shook her head “I don’t know, I’m just getting a bad feeling about it, that all”
Vicki said “Mom, relax, he would be here...”
At that moment, the door opened and Nicholas walked into the room, the guard with him released the handcuffs and said “You don’t have much time, and this is a special privet visit, so make good use of it”
Victor smiled while Nikki and Victoria just stared at him, almost unable to move.
Nicholas looked at them silently, feeling a little bit awkward, he was incredibly sorry he wasn’t able to shower before his mother and sister saw him, he was working all day and he also had kitchen duty and didn’t look his best, unshaved and tired looking.
Vicki was the first one to run to him and hug him “Oh Nicholas!”
Nick hugged his sister tightly “Hey Vicki, great seeing you”
Vicki smiled through her tears “You’re telling me! I am so glad you wanted to see us”
Nicholas said “It’s feels good for me too, I missed you big sister”
Vicki just hugged him again, choking on tears, she loved her brother to death and missed him dearly.
Victor and Nikki looked at the scene, Victor in a sad smile, and Nikki on the verge of tears.
Vicki and Nick broke the hug, and Nicholas looked from his father to his mother who stood in the most remote corner and he turned to Nikki and gave her a sheepish smile “So mom, Do I look like your worse nightmare of what your son in jail might look?”
Nikki slowly approached him, eyeing him up and down, relieved to see he looked okay and with quivering lips and said with a just the touch of a smile “You look perfect....” she ran her fingers on his unshaved face and smiled, choking on her tears “A little rugged looking, but perfect...”
She wrapped one arm around him in the closest thing she could do to a hug as Nicholas whispered in her ear “Mom, I’m really sorry for shutting you out, I never meant to do it and if something had happened to you...”
Nikki held her son’s face in her hands “Oh baby, stop beating yourself up for this, I understand, really, I do, I’m just so glad to see your handsome face”
Nicholas teased her “Hey well, everyone always said I look like you”
Nikki laughed through her tears and hugged him again.
Cole smiled at Nicholas “Hey Nick” and both men embraced shortly “Hey Cole, good seeing you” Nick said.
Cole said “You too man”
Nicholas pulled back at last and looked at Nikki and then at Victor that was sitting on the couch, definitely not looking himself.
Nicholas eyed them both and said to his father, that was sitting down “You don’t look too good, Dad”
Victoria looked at her father with a frown and nodded “Nick’s right Dad...”
Victor smiled warmly at his son and managed to get up and walk toward his son “I’m fine myboy...I truly am”
Nikki winced when he got up, knowing how that must have hurt, she knew he tried to put a brave front for Nicholas’s sake, and he did do a pretty good job, considering.
Nicholas wasn’t sure if he believed him, but turned to his mother “Well, you look okay...”
He touched her bandaged arm “Does it hurt a lot?”
Nikki made a face “Only when I move it, walk, sit...”
She said it lightly but Nicholas frowned at her, she tried to reassure him “Angel, I’m alright, really.. yes, it hurts a little, but it’s not too bad, we could be a lot worse you know”
Nicholas shuddered “Trust me, I know, for an hour I thought you were much, much worse”
Nikki shook her head “I am so sorry about that, we should have tried to contact you, it’s just that everything happened so quickly, we just...didn’t have the time, we never considered the possibility you’ll find out about it”
Nicholas nodded and said “It’s okay...”
Nikki asked him “Are you taking good care of youself? You look thinner”
Nicholas almost laughed “Well, this isn’t exactly Miguel’s cooking...” He looked at her up and down, noticing she had lost weight as well and asked “But you don’t have that excuse, how come YOU’RE not eating?”
Nikki brushed it off “You know me when I’m worried, I can’t eat...”
Nicholas said “Well, don’t be...”
Nikki smiled weakly “Easy for you to say....”
There was silence and then Victor said “So, is everything okay with you, you’re being treated okay?”
Nicholas nodded “Yes, pretty much, just like to every other criminal...” He said bitterly.
Victoria said “You know you’re not, and we know that too”
Nicholas said “Yea, but the justice system of America doesn’t Vick, and that all that counts”
Victor protested “No it doesn’t, we believe in you and we would get you out of here!”
Nicholas said, frustrated “Then tell me how, Dad? How do you plan to get me out of here, smuggle me out in the middle of the night??!!”
Victor and Nikki, without wanting to, exchanged glances.
Nicholas caught that, he looked from one to the other and said in defeat “Oh right, things must be going so great with the lead you’re working on that you two want to break the law and get me out of here without a trail, that makes me feel real great!”
Victor interfered “No one is planning to smuggle you out of jail, alright?”
Nicholas didn’t believe him “Yes? So what were those looks about between you and mom?”
Nikki looked at Victor worriedly and then said to Nicholas, trying to make him understand “We’re your parents and we love you, it’s only natural that the thought would cross our minds...it was a ‘what if’ talk, nothing more”
Nicholas said “Well, you better not! Because even if you’ll have me kidnapped out of here Dad, I won’t go... it’s illegal and would get you two in jail so fast you’re head would spin and I wouldn’t want to live like that anyway, away from Sharon and my family”
Vicki shivered “I can’t believe we’re even talking about it, it’s crazy”
Victor said sharply “We’re not talking about it, okay? So stop it, all of you, and you’re wrong about one thing Nicholas, things do not look as bad, yes, what I’ve been working on... some problems have arose, but that doesn’t mean I’m giving up hope, not at all, you hear me?”
Nicholas nodded “Yea...I hear you”
Victor said sternly “I want you to sound convinced about it, that you won’t think negative thoughts, that you concentrate of making your time here as bearable as possible, and let me worry about the rest!”
Nicholas couldn’t help but getting hopeful to hear his father talking and sounding so reassured, he really didn’t want to wonder if it was an act on his part
As Victor finished the sentence he felt a wave of dizziness and sharp pain in his head and ribs again, he fought to ignore it, but Nikki sensed he wasn’t feeling well and sent him a worried look, she didn’t want to worry Nicholas but she was really concerned about Victor.
But at that moment the guard went back into the room “Time’s up”
Nikki protested “But we just got here”
The officer told her “Ma’am, it had been 20 minutes and you’re way past visitation hours”
Nicholas put a comforting hand on his mother’s shoulder “Mom, that’s okay.. I need to get going...”
Vicki hugged Nick and said “You take care little brother, I love you”
Nick smiled “I love you too Vicki...”
Victor patted his son’s shoulder and warned him “Now, don’t you lose hope now”
Nicholas managed a smile “Yes, sir”
Nicholas turned to Nikki and hugged her, they stood in each other’s arms for a few moments and then broke apart, Nikki said, caressing his cheek “I love you baby, so much...”
Nicholas said “I love you too mom, really, I do...I know you are always there for me, and I miss you”
Nikki kissed him on the cheek and watched him being led away...
Victor put his hands around her from behind, pulling her closer as Cole said what they all felt “I really hope whatever plan you have would work Victor...”
Victor quietly said “Yes, so do I....”
At the exit of the jail Vicki turned to her parents “So, what now?”
Cole said “I think I’m taking you out to lunch or something...it would get our mind of things”
Vicki asked him sharply “Don’t you have something to write?”
Cole smiled warmly at her “Not today”
Vicki kissed him on the cheek “Thanks... then I guess this is where we’re going...”
She looked at her parents “What about you two?”
Victor and Nikki looked at each other and Nikki said “I’m taking you back to the hospital, so don’t even argue with me...”
Victor tried to reason with her “Nikki, I don’t think this is necessary”
Nikki said stubbornly “Well I do, you promised and if you won’t do it for yourself, do it for my peace of mind, okay?”
Vicki said hurriedly “Then we’ll come with you”
Victor resisted “No you won’t, I will be going to the hospital for a few moments to get a pain killer prescription and there is no need for you to tag alone, in fact, I insist that you won’t”
Vicki looked at him skeptically but said “But if there would be any problems, you promise to let me know?”
Victor smiled a strained smile to his daughter “I promise”
Nikki encouraged them “Well, go ahead, we will be right out”
Vicki nodded, kissed both of her parents goodbye and she and Cole walked to their car.
When they were out of ear shot Nikki looked at Victor, that all color drained from his face as a result of pushing himself so hard and said with great concern “I’m calling an ambulance”
Victor looked at her “You can’t be serious...”
Nikki stressed “I am dead serious! You can hardly stand up”
Victor said “Nikki, the limo is right here, you don’t really want Nicholas to hear about me being rushed to the hospital do you?”
Nikki sighed and said “Okay, fine, we’ll do it your way but if the doctors think you need to stay there, you stay there, is that clear?”
Victor couldn’t help but laugh at her tone of voice “You sound so bossy!”
Nikki claimed “Well, sometime a girl gotta be if she wants to get through to you”
The limousine pulled over next to them and Nikki told the driver “Memorial hospital” as she and Victor got into the limo.
With a sigh of relief Victor leaned on the warm leather with great relief and closed his eyes, he was almost seeing double and his head was pounding hard...
Nikki guessed what was bothering him “Your head?”
Victor nodded “Yea...It feels like someone is banging on it with a hammer”
Nikki touched his forehead gently, and commented worriedly “Oh...I think you might have fever too”
She ran his fingers through his hair back tenderly “Don’t you want to lie down? It’s a 25 minutes drive...”
Victor, eyes still closed shook his head “Nope...”
He almost chuckled “I don’t think I could get up after lying down...hmmm....just continue doing that, I feels great...”
He opened his eyes slightly to look at her “And I love you”
Nikki, trying to distract him from his pain and discomfort laughed “Oh wow...”
Victor looked at her “What?”
Nikki said with a smile “It’s the second time you told me you loved me while I was playing with your hair...maybe I should have tried to do that sooner...”
Victor smiled “Maybe you should have...you have magic fingers you know... you seem to make all the pain go away”
Nikki shook her head affectionately “You’re just saying that...I know you and I know when you’re feeling bad and I can tell from just looking at you and you’re feeling very badly right now...”
Victor couldn’t even deny that as he closed his eyes again and nodded of into a dizzy, blurry fog of uneasy sleep...
Nikki gave him a little kiss and reached out for the car phone and called ahead to the hospital “Yes, Hello, can you put Doctor Cameron on?”
Doctor Cameron picked up the phone “Yes, hello?”
Nikki said “Doctor Cameron, it’s Nikki Abbott”
Doctor Cameron looked alarmed “Is it about Victor? He left without us discharging him, and to be honest with you Nikki, I’m concerned, I got his tests results and he definitely does not need to be on his feet, not with that head concussion”
Nikki sent a look toward Victor to make sure he wasn't hearing her and said quietly “Yes, I know, he left to take care of a very important errand, I am bringing him in right now, I just wanted you to know”
Doctor Cameron asked “How is he?”
Nikki said “Hmmm...He was doing okay at the beginning but I think he is just getting worse and worse, and since I can tell he is in pain I think he is suffering a lot more then he is letting on, I’m extremely concerned about him”
The Doctor asked “Did you call an ambulance?”
Nikki said “No, we’re coming in a limo, we should be there in a few moments”
The Doctor said “It’s a good thing you called Nikki, we will be ready for him”
Nikki said “Thanks, bye”
And hung up...
When the limo arrived Nikki touched Victor’s face and tried to wake him up “Darling? Can you hear me?”
Victor slowly woke up from the foggy blur of sleep into a painful reality, he groaned and tried to sit stright up and mumbled “Yes, I’m okay...”
Nikki asked him “Can you walk inside or do you want me to call someone?”
Victor shook his head slowly and said "No, I can manage" and with the help of Nikki stepped out of the car.
He leaned on the car door and breathing very shallow breaths and told Nikki “I’m so sorry I’m putting you through this sweetheart, you were right”Nikki caressed his cheek “That’s okay, don’t worry about it, lets just get you inside...”
They slowly walked inside emergency room, Doctor Cameron and a nurse were already there, waiting for him, Doctor Cameron shook his head as Victor set down heavily on a couch “Victor, that was a very irresponsible thing to do, leaving like this in your condition”
Victor said plainly “I was needed someplace else”
The Doctor said “Well, I won’t argue with you now, there would be plenty of time for that later after you’re feeling better...now tell me, how are you feeling?”
Victor answered “Like hell, Doctor”
The doctor took one look at him and said “Well, lets get you to get tested and we’ll take it from here... nurse, get him a wheelchair”
Victor protested “I don’t need one”
Nikki interfered, completely frustrated with him “Victor, Yes you do”
The nurse brought the chair and Victor got into it, he smiled at Nikki “Don’t worry, okay?”
Nikki was about to go with him but Doctor Cameron stopped her “Nikki...let the nurse examine him”
Nikki put her hand over her mouth and sank into the chair and said tearfully “I’m just so worried about him”
The Doctor set next to her “Is the situation with your son the reason he left?”
Nikki nodded wearily “Yes...I couldn’t make him come back any sooner but he kept getting worse and worse, it couldn't be helped”
The Doctor nodded “Yes, you need a good bed rest after a head concussion, it’s a miracle he held out this long”
Nikki asked him “So, what’s now?”
Doctor Cameron said “I’m going to give him pain medication and admit him for the night, at the very least...”
Nikki said skeptically “I’m not sure he would stay”
Doctor Cameron smiled “Trust me on that...”
He got up and said “You can see him in a few moments....”
Nikki nodded and he took off.
Nikki got up and paced around the room, feeling dirty and sore...she was a little angry at Victor for risking his health that way, and even more angry at herself, for causing the accident...
10 minutes later she walked into Victor’s room, expecting to find him insisting to go home and to her big surprise he was lying in bed, asleep...she slowly approached his bedside and looked at him, he was pale but at least didn't seem to be in pain, she set next to him and took his hand in hers.
The Doctor walked in with a smile and Nikki turned around and looked at him in shock “How?...”
Doctor Cameron smiled “The painkillers should knock him out till morning, he accepted the medication...”
Nikki smiled “But you lacked to mention it would make him sleep that long, good, I’m glad, he is so stubborn, he would never have stayed here”
Doctor Cameron smiled “I realized that about him”
Nikki asked the doctor "How is he?"
The doctor said “Well, I don’t think his ribs are that badly hurt, but it’s a painful injury and he was over doing, as for his head, bed rest and fluids are the answer for that as well, he was slightly dehydrated...”
Nikki asked with concerne “But he is going to be fine, isn’t he?”
Doctor Cameron smiled at the concerned woman, who was awfully concerned for an ex wife “Yes, he will be just fine, he is a very strong man Nikki, if he will follow the doctor orders, he would feel much better in a day or two...now, I suggest you’ll go home and rest”
Nikki shook her head “No, I want to stay here!”
Doctor Cameron said “Nikki, go home, he is asleep and won’t be up for at least 14 hours, at the very least. Go home, take a long bath and get some sleep and then come back here, you need rest as well”
Nikki looked from Victor to the doctor and nodded her head tiredly “Okay... fine...I will”
The doctor left and Nikki placed a kiss on Victor’s lips “I’ll be back my love, promise...”
And quietly left the room.
