Robin's Nest Read online

  Robin’s Nest

  Melissa Stevens

  Smashwords Edition

  This book is a work of fiction. Names, character, places and incidents ether are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events or locales is entirely coincidental.

  Copyright © 2013 Melissa Stevens

  All rights reserved.

  Other books by Melissa Stevens

  Kitsune series:

  CHANGE

  FIGHT

  HUNT

  White Mountain Chanat:

  ESCAPE

  Dedication

  For my family, both immediate and more distant. I’m thankful for all the support you’ve given me. For telling me I could be anything I wanted, and giving me the courage to chase my dreams.

  Special Thanks

  To Write on the Edge. I’ve learned so much since I found you.

  To the woman who, when I said I like to write, asked if I’d published anything. I hated saying no more than anything. That alone was motivation to do more.

  1

  I was curled up on the couch, a good book in my hand, and a glass of tea nearby, when my cell rang. The Bellamy Brother's classic "Redneck Girl" wasn't a ring tone I'd set, so I checked the screen to see who it was. I rolled my eyes when I saw the words "Robin Calling" flash across the screen. Apparently, he'd found my phone unattended and changed the ring tone, again. It was something he did with regularity.

  I ran my thumb across the scene to answer the call. "Hey, Rob, what's up?"

  "What are you up to tonight?" His deep voice rumbled from the small device.

  "Not much, just laying here, spending some quality time with Anne." He knew I was referring to Anne McCaffrey, the author of the book. I loved her work and I read it over and over.

  I heard him sigh on the other end of the line. "I hate to interrupt what I'm sure is an exciting evening, but could I bum a ride off you? My truck broke down again and I'm a foot."

  He was being flippant about my reading, but I knew Robin liked to read almost as much as I do. We share a lot of the same interests, and sometimes, even books.

  "Of course. I have to get dressed, but I'll be there as soon as I can. Where are you?" I got up and headed for the bedroom to change. "Is it something you can take care of easily? Can I bring you a part or a few tools? Or will we have to haul it back to the house to fix it?" I asked, ready to toss whatever he needed into my jeep and take it out to him.

  He sighed again. "I'm out on 70, towards Lordsburg. You know where the windmill is on the north side of the road? I'm about a mile past that. It'll be a pretty quick repair but I don't have the part. I was just going to leave the truck here tonight. I'll go to Safford and get the part in the morning, then come out and fix it, if I can bum another ride that is."

  "No problem, I'll even take you to Safford tomorrow, if you don't have any plans. I have a couple of things I need to pick up over there."

  "I'd appreciate it."

  "No problem, give me about thirty minutes and I'll ride to your rescue."

  "No rush. It's not like I'm going anywhere."

  "Later." I hung up, stripped out of my lounging clothes and pulled on one of my usual summer outfits of a tank top and shorts. I grabbed my keys, tucked my phone into my purse, and headed out the door.

  It didn't take long to steer my little red Jeep Wrangler through town and onto the highway that heads towards Lordsburg. About twenty minutes after leaving my house, I spotted the silhouette of a pickup sitting on the side of the road, a man leaning up against the side of it. I knew it had to be Robin. Who else would be out here on the side of the highway? Right where he'd said he was? I grinned at the sight of him. It was a familiar pose, one I'd seen at least a thousand times over the years.

  Robin and I had been best friends since I was four, when I'd moved in with my aunt and uncle, long before anyone told us that the opposite sex was supposed to be icky.

  As I drew closer, I saw Robin push himself off the side of the truck and stand to his full height of 6'1". He opened his pickup door and reached for something inside. I pulled the Jeep off the highway, and watched as he locked and closed the door then crossed the highway and rounded the Jeep to the passenger side. Robin isn't a particularly large guy. Yeah, he's tall, but he's lean, like the basketball player he'd been in high school. I leaned across the seat and lifted the lock on the door to let him in.

  "So, what's the problem this time?" I asked as he climbed inside and closed the door.

  "Damned rotor again," he replied, tossing his baseball cap with his keys inside onto the dash. He ran his hand through his shaggy blond hair. It stayed back for maybe three seconds before falling on either side of his face again, framing his deep green eyes.

  I waited while he buckled his seatbelt, then checked for cars before pulling back onto the highway. Only going far enough to make a U-turn without hitting his truck, before heading back into town.

  "I thought you kept an extra one in the glove box for when this happens?" I asked.

  "I do, but I used my last one a couple of months ago and I forgot to get more on my next trip to Safford, then I just spaced it." He ran his hand through his hair again, only to have it fall right back where it started. "Of course, it was about time for Murphy's Law to smack me upside the head again, so here we are."

  I couldn't help but laugh. "Are you about ready to give up on that antique or are you gonna buy another case of rotors for it?" Ribbing Robin about his stubbornly keeping the old pickup, despite its oddities, was an old habit between the two of us. Though we dig at each other and bicker once in a while, I don't think we've had more than two or three real fights in our entire friendship.

  "So it eats rotors. So what? They're cheap. The frame, body, and motor are all in good condition. Why junk a good machine for one small, and relatively inexpensive, inconvenience?" He easily fell right back into the old game.

  "It's broken down, and left you stranded along the side of the road, how many times now?"

  "A few," he admitted, "but I can usually repair the problem in less than fifteen minutes and be back on my way. It's my own fault I ended up stranded tonight. Besides, if you'd been busy I would have found someone else, or eventually, someone would have come along and given me a ride into town."

  He's right, someone would have come along. It was barely eight o'clock, and not quite dark yet. However, this wasn't the most used road out of town and he might have had to wait a couple of hours before someone came along.

  "What were you doing out here?" I glanced at him before looking back at the road.

  "I was on my way back from a meeting in Lordsburg."

  "That sounds fun." My tone was dry. I didn't know what the meeting was for, but if had been something he had enjoyed, he would have shared more about it.

  "Any leads on a new job?"

  "Not yet." I shrugged. "I'll find something, I'm sure. The question is, how long until I do?"

  "If you need something to make ends meet, I can put you to work. It's long hours and muddy as hell, but it's work."

  "I'll keep that in mind, thanks. I've got a while before I have to worry, though. I have a good chunk in savings and since I don't have a house payment or rent, it will go a lot farther."

  "That's true."

  I reminded him that I'd pick him up at eight the next morning as I dropped him off in his driveway. I waited until he made it to the door before turning around and heading home.

  Pulling out onto the highway my mind raced ahead. My thoughts were already back at the house. It was only eight thirty, I still had plenty of the evening left. I could settle back onto the sofa, but the thought of a hot bath was even more enticin
g.

  Suddenly, I was drawn back to what I was doing by bright lights directed at my face. I shook my head and barely had time to register the vehicle that was supposed to be in the left lane, it was in mine instead. I had nowhere to go. I couldn't avoid it. The last thought that went through my mind was "How badly is this gonna hurt?" then everything went black.

  2

  Something was wrong. I felt like I was trying to swim through jelly. I could barely think, moving was out of the question. I didn't know why. My body went hot, then cold as terror washed over me. It seemed like hours passed before the darkness took me over again.

  ***

  I started to surface again. Things weren't quite so murky. I could think a little easier, but I still couldn't open my eyes. My heart raced as I panicked. Then something changed, I realized I could hear the sound of my own heart, and that wasn't all. I wasn't as trapped inside my brain as I had been. There were voices. I couldn't make out what they were saying, but I could hear people talking nearby as I sank back into darkness.

  ***

  The world swam and forth from existence to blackness several times before I was able to focus enough think clearly. I was in a hospital. My first clue was the quiet beeping of machines around me. The second was that I was laying, but not flat. Some unknown sense told me I wasn't alone in the room, even though there were no voices. I focused on my body, trying to figure out why I was here.

  Someone was holding my hand. I could feel the warmth and pressure of fingers clutching mine. Something about the way they held on drew me further from whatever was holding me captive. I tried to squeeze the hand, but I don't think my hand moved. How long had I been out?

  "Sammie?" A man's voice. He was talking to me. "Are you there?"

  I knew that voice, but my brain was so sluggish I couldn't put a name to it. I tried to open my eyes, but they felt as if they'd been super-glued shut. I tried to squeeze the hand again, I thought I'd made a little bit of movement this time, but I really couldn't tell.

  "Sammie, wake up," the voice seemed to beg, "open your eyes and see me. Please?"

  My whole body ached, but I couldn't find anything that hurt more than my head, I had a massive headache. The longer I fought with my body, the more my head hurt. I needed more rest but I needed to know who was there with me, too. Before I could put a name to the voice, the blackness rose up and surrounded me again.

  ***

  The next time I was aware, I barely had to fight to open my eyes. It took effort, but I could do it. I found my cousin, Quinn, sitting in a chair close to my bed. He had one hand resting on the blankets covering me. I felt the weight and warmth of it on my right calf.

  He wasn't looking at me, instead his head was down. I couldn't tell if he was looking at something on the floor or praying.

  I said his name, but my mouth was dry and nothing came out. I tried to lift my hand to get his attention, but my hand felt like it was made of lead and weighed about six tons. I settled for scratching at the sheets, anything to make noise.

  Quinn looked up, appearing startled. His eyes were filled with fear and worry. How long had I been lying in this bed for him to be that scared? Relief flooded his face at seeing me awake.

  "Thank God, Sam. You're awake!" A huge smile spread across his face.

  I tried to speak again, but my mouth was still so dry that it was little more than a whisper, "Water."

  "Oh! Let me go get you some then I'll let the nurse know you're awake too." He stood and headed for the door.

  I looked around while I waited for him to return. It seemed to be a standard hospital room, though it looked larger than the last one I'd seen. There were several chairs, most pulled close to the bed. It looked like I had been at the center of a vigil. One chair caught my eye, it wasn't empty. I couldn't get my eyes to focus right, but it looked like Robin was slumped in the chair, asleep.

  I squinted and wondered where my glasses were as I tried to get a better look at him. Up close, my vision wasn't too bad, but more than about four feet away and things got blurry. From what I could see, it looked like he hadn't shaved in days and his clothes were rumpled and slept in, more than just right now. Looking at him sleeping, I realized that the voice I'd heard calling me before had been his. How long had he been here? How long had I been here?"

  Quinn came back carrying cup with a straw in one hand and a nurse not far behind.

  "Small sips, you haven't had anything in days and we don't want you to get sick." He held the cup close so I could wrap my lips around the straw.

  "What happened?" I asked as soon as I'd wet my mouth and throat enough to speak again.

  The nurse bustled around my bed, taking readings from the machines and checking my blood pressure.

  "You were a car accident. A head-on collision with a drunk driver. From what we can tell he crossed the center line and hit you." Quinn paused, taking a deep breath and letting it out slowly. "As far as they've been able to tell you have no major injuries. Some bumps, bruises, a few cuts and scratches, but that's it. However, you've been in a coma for a week and the doctors don't know why. Your seat belt saved your life."

  I thought about that for a moment. I had no memory of an accident, the last thing I could remember was pulling out of Robin's driveway and trying to decide between the sofa and a hot bath. "The other driver?" I had to know, though I dreaded the answer.

  "Killed on impact," Quinn shook his head. "His blood alcohol level was over twice the legal limit."

  "Was it anyone we knew?" I cringed inside waiting to hear.

  "Nah, some out-of-towner. I don't recall the name off-hand."

  "How long has Robin been here?" I turned to look at where he still slept beside my bed. I needed something else to think about.

  "The whole time. The wreck was less than a mile from his place. Bruce was the first officer on the scene. When he recognized your Jeep, he called Robin. Robin rode in the ambulance with you and hasn't left your side, unless forced to, since."

  Bruce was Robin's older brother and a Greenlee County Sherriff's Deputy. I looked from Robin to Quinn and frowned.

  "The only way to get him to eat has been to bring food here." Quinn continued. "This is the longest I've seen him sleep in a week." Quinn looked away from Robin to meet my look. "The rest of us take turns. We've been sitting with you in shifts, never leaving you alone, but no matter who else is here, he is."

  "I heard him talking to me." I looked at my cousin, he and his brothers had been like brothers to me since I was very young, and I knew he wouldn't lie about something like this. "I was aware, I felt a hand on mine, but I couldn't get my eyes to open."

  "Want me to wake him?" Quinn was ready to shake the other man awake, should I want it.

  "No, let him rest. I'm not gonna be able to stay awake much longer anyway."

  A ghost of a smile lifted the corner of my cousin's mouth. "He's gonna kick my ass for not waking him, but he'll be glad to know you're finally awake." He laid a hand on my leg, over the blanket. “Get some rest, we aren't going anywhere."

  I couldn't believe how tired I was from only a few minutes of talking, but before I could have second thoughts about waking Robin, sleep consumed me.

  ***

  I don't know if I slept for an hour or a day, but the next time I woke Nathan was sitting next to my bed. Nathan was Quinn's brother and another of my cousins, there were three of them and they'd made my childhood…interesting. Nathan looked comfortable, leaning back in his chair, flipping through a copy of News Week with a cover I hadn't seen before. He looked up as I started trying to shift.

  "Alas, yonder sleeping beauty wakes!" He said with a smile. "Do you need something to drink?"

  I nodded, my mouth felt like it had been filled with cotton while I slept.

  Nathan helped me find the button to tilt the bed higher, stopping when I was almost sitting upright. He offered me a drink from the cup sitting on the table beside the bed. The water was stale but at least it was wet.

&nbs
p; "Thank you," I leaned back. "What day is it?"

  "Thursday, April 16."

  Eight days. I had lost more than a week. "Where am I?" I needed to know.

  "Tucson, University Medical Center to be exact." He took my hand in his as he answered my questions. "When the doctors in Safford couldn't figure out why you weren't waking up we insisted they send you here. They have the best Neuros around and the only trauma center in the southern part of the state. They weren't able to tell us much more, but knowing they were the best helped Mom some. Hell, it helped us all some."

  I blinked a few times and looked around as I tried to gather my thoughts. My head still ached, though not as badly as before. I frowned, realizing Robin wasn't in room anymore. "Where did Robin go?"

  "We finally talked him into going to the motel and taking a shower. He wouldn't go until after Quinn repeated word you said, twice, and the doctors assured him that you wouldn't slip back into a coma. They said you were just sleeping normally. Still," Nathan shook his head, "knowing him, he won't stay away long. He'll probably walk through the door anytime now." He glanced at the door as if he expected it to open, when it didn't he turned back to me. "How are you feeling?"

  "Not bad. I have a bit of a headache, but otherwise I feel fine, if a bit weak."

  "Sleeping for a week straight will make you a little weak, especially the whole not eating thing." Nathan said with a little wave of his hand as he tried for a lighthearted tone.

  "Any word on why I was out? Or how long until I can get out of here?"