Huh… I wish!
The room looks great, but it doesn’t help me. I sigh and turn to leave. Hanging on the back of the door are two white lab coats, complete with name tags of doctors.
I scratch at the ever-thickening coarse hair on my chin and smile to myself.
Lightbulb!
I approach the door to Ruby’s room, smiling at the cops standing on either side. They look bored out of their minds. They’re wearing knife vests over light blue short-sleeved shirts, their guns strapped to their waists.
I stare at both of them in turn, nodding a curt greeting as I move to open the door. The one on the right shuffles sideways slightly, allowing more space for me to pass.
“Afternoon, Doc,” he says to me.
“Afternoon, Officer,” I reply courteously.
I open the door and step inside, closing it gently behind me. It’s a generic room — clean and smart with little decoration. The bed is facing me, and machines are on either side, idly beeping at regular intervals, which is comforting. Two windows allow in plenty of natural light.
I move over to the side of the bed and glance down at her. Ruby’s lying still with her eyes closed. Her chest is rising and falling slowly. There’s a thin plastic tube running under her nose, and her right shoulder is bandaged. Her arms are resting on top of the covers. I place my hand on hers.
“Hey, you awake?” I ask.
“Huh…?” she responds, groggily.
She slowly opens her eyes, blinks, and stares around the room, disoriented. Finally, her gaze rests on me. She looks at me blankly for a moment, and then frowns. “Why are you dressed like a doctor?”
I smile, happy to hear her voice. “I’m in disguise.” I place a finger to my lips and whisper. “Shh, don’t tell anyone.”
She shakes her head and chuckles. “Did simply putting on a white coat actually work?”
“Strangely, yes, it did. You’ve got two of New Jersey’s finest right outside. I just walked straight in and they practically saluted me.”
She smiles at me for a moment, but it slowly fades. “I thought you’d be long gone… What happened after they arrested you?”
“Long story, but I have a couple of FBI agents helping me. Well, as much as they can, anyway. They came to collect me, but the CIA weren’t far behind.”
“Did you… did you kill any of them?”
“Any CIA guys?” I shrug. “Yeah… all of ’em. Well, all except one. I left him alive so he could deliver a message for me to his boss.”
She sighs heavily. “Jesus…”
“How’re you feeling?”
“I’m alright. No lasting damage — it was the blood loss that worried them the most, I think.”
I nod. “Good, because we need to get out of here.”
She smiles weakly. “Do I have to?”
I take a breath and shake my head sincerely. “No, you don’t have to. Look, joking aside, if you want out, I fully understand. I’ll make sure you’re well compensated for your efforts, and I’ll do what I can to get you a clean break. But I know things are—”
I stop because I notice the look on her face. She’s staring at me, her green eyes wide and playful. Her mouth is fighting to hide a smile. “Can you not tell when a woman is just after a little sympathy?”
I absently scratch the back of my head and look away. “Ah… no…?”
“You’re an idiot.”
I smile at her. “Thanks.”
She tuts and sighs. “Come on, get me out of here already. I’ve got an ex-boyfriend to kill.”
I laugh, switch off the equipment surrounding her bed, and help her unplug herself. She pulls the bed covers back, slowly swings her legs over the side, and rests her feet on the floor for a moment.
I place a hand on her shoulder. “Take it easy, alright? Don’t want you injuring yourself or something.”
“I’ll be fine, stop being a pussy. I just need a minute.”
I hold my hands up defensively and step away, giving her space. I watch as she slowly pushes herself to her feet. She stands still for a moment, composing herself after what looks to me like a rush of blood to the head. Then she turns around and leans over the bed to reach for a glass of water.
I roll my eyes and look away for a moment. “Ah, Ruby?”
Still leaning over, she looks back at me. “What?”
“You, ah… you have one of those gowns on that doesn’t have a back. And…” I sigh, struggling with the subtlety. “…You don’t have any underwear on.”
She frowns, glances back at herself momentarily, and then at me. She shrugs. “What’s your point?” She smiles and turns away, retrieves the water, stands up straight, and takes a sip.
I massage my forehead with my hand.
I don’t think I’ve ever seen the same woman naked this many times and had it be a problem for me.
She walks tentatively over to me “So what’s the plan?”
I frown. “Plan? What plan?”
“To get me out of here?”
“Oh… No, I didn’t make a plan.”
“What do you mean? How can you come in here without an escape plan?”
I shrug. “Look what happened last time I tried to get you out of somewhere. Figured there wasn’t much point planning anything.”
“What the…? I can’t believe you’d be so—”
My smile stops her, and she shakes her head. “Asshole! Don’t mess with me like that!”
I scoff. “Oh, because you’ve never done that to me, have you?”
“That’s different. I’m a woman.”
“Whatever.”
“So, what is your plan?”
“We’re just gonna walk out the front door and drive off.”
She looks at me blankly for a moment. “That’s your plan? Just… walk out of here?”
I nod. “Yup.”
“Jesus! I think I preferred it when I thought you didn’t have one…”
I laugh. “Just follow my lead.” I tug on my lapels. “And respect the white coat, bitch.”
She smiles.
I walk over to the far side of the room where a wheelchair’s parked against the wall. I push it over to her and gesture with my head. “Get in.”
She sits down, somewhat begrudgingly, and leans back, looking up at me. “Are you sure this will work? Your track record with ideas isn’t great.”
“Are you kidding me? My shit always works… sometimes.”
She looks forward. “We’re so dead,” she mutters.
I push her to the door, step around and open it. I stick my head out and look at the cop on the left. “Hey, would you mind getting the door please? I’m taking Miss DeSouza for a couple of follow-up tests.”
The cop turns around and, without a word, holds the door open for me.
“Thanks.”
I move back and push Ruby into the corridor. I set off toward the elevators, walking purposefully, like I figure a doctor would.
I frown as I hear footsteps behind me. I glance over my shoulder and see both cops following us.
Shit.
“Do you need anything?” I ask them.
The one who held the door shakes his head. “No, sir. But your patient is wanted for questioning, and until the Feds arrive, wherever she goes, we go.”
Wonderful.
I smile at them. “Of course, sorry.”
We move into the waiting area, and I make a point of casually looking to my left as we pass the front desk in case the guy sitting there decides to point out the fact I’m not actually a doctor.
We make it to the elevator and I lean over and press the call button. It arrives after a moment, stopping with a ding. The doors slide open, and I push Ruby inside, positioning her wheelchair so she’s next to me facing the doors. The two cops step in and stand in front of us.