Chapter Nine

Raphael

I paced so many times I had lost count as I waited for Charlie. My anxiety exceeded anything I have ever felt. Sophie was still the same; the only difference was the change in her breathing. It had become soft, content like she felt a sense of safety. Her face looked peaceful but what scared me was the fact that she was still asleep.

I heard a knock.

"Come on in," I called out.

Charlie walked in with what I figured was his medical bag. Black and worn out, looking like it had seen better days. I looked at it with what he must have thought was disgust because his face fell from me to his bag and back again.

"Don't I pay you enough to buy a modern medical Bag that is worthy of your station?"

"Haven't you ever heard old is gold?" He retorted in an amused voice

"I doubt that phrase was coined for your medical bag, Charlie. Don't be delusional" He said nothing; I figured he couldn't have anything reasonable to defend this bag. It would have been a desperate endeavor anyway.

"Raphael," he greets me with a slight bow choosing to ignore my opinion of his bag. I hated formalities, but I have to live with them lest I'm considered soft, nice, or worse weak.

"I guess this is the young woman Romano tells me about?" He asks as he continues walking towards the bed. Putting his bag on the bedside table, he looks at me for permission to touch her.

"May I?" He asks

"Go ahead, that's why you're here," my voice sounded catty and impatient.

Touching her forehead with the back of his hand, I guess to find out if she was running a fever, Sophie pushed her head subtly towards his hand like she was searching for comfort, and from that moment, I knew what jealousy felt like.

I wanted to kill Charlie right there, right then. Did she prefer him to me?

"She doesn't have a fever' I heard him say. What happened?" He asks, waiting for an answer, yet knowing he might not get it.

I decided he needed to know the truth. I wanted him to have all the facts before diagnosing her, so I told him everything that had happened that evening.

"She is in shock," he concluded.

"She just needs to rest, and it may help if you told her why you carelessly told an assailant to shoot her."

"Are you crazy? " I asked him angrily, "you want me to tell her about me, about my life, who I am, and what I do? She will be so scared. I'm sure she will do something stupid like go to the police. I can't believe you just suggested that!" I was staring at him, my face showing disappointment and disapproval.

"I'm sorry, that is not what I meant." He said, his voice hard with a tightness on his mouth; like he was aggrieved, I thought he could suggest something like that. Charlie was one of us. He understood the art of discretion.

"Just tell her your revised version of the truth, make her understand you did not mean it and make sure she doesn't build a cocoon around her to shield herself from the unpleasantness of that day. Force her to face it if you must. She is just in shock; she will be okay in a couple of hours; it might help if you talked to her through it."

"Wait,... Talk to her while she's still asleep? And tell her what exactly?" He asked, looking panicked. It was comical, which made Charlie's eyes sparkle with amusement.

"I'm glad my dilemma amuses you."

"It's not so hard, tell her anything, your love for soccer, basketball, or your sense of loyalty. Anything, but it has to be positive. Something endearing, if you can think of any.

She needs a human touch." Charlie continued talking while I imagined what I was going to say to her. I didn't do endearing.

"Alternatively, bring around someone who knows her to help" the suggestion sounded valid and more palatable than the initial proposal. But there was no way in hell I was permitting anyone to sit with her.

If she needed human touch, I was going to be one. I didn't know what to say to her but damn it; I would find something.

"Does she need any medication?"

"Not at the moment, just keep her warm. If she isn't awake by tomorrow morning, let me know."

I nodded, my eyes settling on the young woman lying on my bed. I caressed her cheek, hoping she might press closer, but she didn't.

"Do you think she recognizes my touch?...." Hesitating, I rephrased my question." I mean, do you think even asleep she knows which touch to trust and that which not to?" I was still staring at her; my heart felt like it was running a Marathon waiting for Charlie to say no."

"I guess so; why?" He asked, his voice muffled. Like he was half-listening to whatever I was saying.

I didn't mind, but I couldn't tell him the reason, of course. I did not want anybody to find out how insecure I felt with her; the fact that she pressed her cheek on Charlie's hand and not mine made me want to hit something hard or howl.

I heard Charlie close up the zip on his bag, move towards the door, and paused.

"Let me know if anything changes" I didn't respond.

He walked out of the room after a few seconds leaving me with Sophie. Suddenly I felt tired and weary. I climbed on the bed beside her but not to sleep, just to hold her.

"You've got to wake up, sweetheart; this is not good for you. Please wake up; I promise no one will ever hurt you again, not as long as there is breath in me."

I moved my face next to hers. Her lips appeared soft I wanted to kiss her, but this was not the time to think about that. Her eyelashes were long and beautiful; they covered her eyes. I was immensely fascinated.

"I'm sorry. This was never my intention; you believe me don't you? I would never have allowed him to shoot you. I needed him to believe I did not care; I said it to protect you; it was the only thing I could think of" I talked nonstop for more than twenty minutes.

Still no change. Damn it! I thought

I exhaled loudly; fatigue was catching up on me. I removed my jacket and threw it on the floor. Pulling Sophie closer, I closed my eyes, wishing she could wake up soon before I succumbed to sleep.

Bruno.

I was tired; hell, I was ready to sleep for a week. I was also famished; I could eat an elephant. It was past midnight, and I knew flora was asleep, but I also knew she'd cooked and left some on the fridge for us.

Flora was like our de facto mother; she took care of the domestic part of our lives like laundry, cooking, cleaning, and everything in between. If she gave any impression, she hated or loathed what we did; she concealed it well.

I moved into the kitchen but thought I needed to check Raphael first before I began on my elephant.

I retraced my steps and started on the far right to Raph's bedroom. I didn't knock; I have never knocked on this bedroom. I come in and out of it like it was my own.

Pushing the door, the first thing I thought was- maybe I should have knocked.

My best friend was asleep, but not alone. He held Sophie so close like he was afraid she would vanish while he slept, which was ironic because she was still dead asleep. Raphael was a restless sleeper. He should have sensed my presence by now, but he still slept, soundly, may I add.

I heard Romano enter. I knew it was him because of the footsteps; he walked like a thief; the only reason I knew it was him was because I was used to him. People rarely heard him walk until they were dying from a bullet shot from behind. He also had the eyes of an owl; lucky bastard!

"Why are you lurking like a creepy person on Raph's door? Oh god, have you developed a penchant for voyeurism?" He smirked, his eyes sparkling. He was enjoying this.

"Shut the fuck up. I'm checking up on him"

"Why, he was okay when we Left," Romano said as he pushed his way up to take a look.

I knew immediately the moment he realized what Raphael and Sophie's cuddling image meant on a larger scale. Romano exhaled slowly; his shoulders shrugged a bit in a defeated kind of way.

"Fuck!" He finally exclaimed

My sentiment exactly, I thought.

"He hasn't even twitched from his slumber since I came in."

"I can see that," Romano retorted, his brown eyes riveted to my face. "This is bad," he continued as he moved his eyes to the couple. "This is really bad," he repeated as he lounged back against the wall.

We both stood side by side, contemplating the repercussions of Raphael getting involved with this woman.

"I don't think this..." I said point at the two people on the bed. "Whatever it is will last long" even as I said it, my voice lacked conviction because I knew Raphael; he was closer than a brother; hell, he was my brother. We practically raised each other, and I knew this was serious.

He wanted this woman, and he would have her, and no force on earth could prevent it. Only an act of God could stop him now.

Romano leaning forward, not wanting his voice to carry, "Should we wake him?"

Raphael must have heard him because he woke up so fast, and within no time, he was pointing a gun at us.

"What the fuck are you two thinking sneaking up on me like that, you bastards?"

"We are not!" Romano countered, feigning offense with his hand on his heart. "We have been here for more than fifteen minutes though Bruno has been here longer. I walked in and found him lurking."

"I wasn't lurking, you asshole. I told you that!" I shouted at him

"Shhh, what the hell? Fifteen minutes? How comes I didn't hear you walk? Your feet make more noise than a giant.

"Now that is insulting," I murmured, glaring at him, and he glared back. Then he shifted his eyes to the woman beside him.

"She hasn't woken up," Raphael softly said as he stared at Sophie. Then I saw something I never thought I could ever see on his face. Helplessness.

Raphael leaned into Sophie's ear and whispered something in what appeared to be an act of desperation. His face looked so tender I was startled at the unexpectedly intimate gesture, and I could tell Romano was too.

It must have worked because Sophie woke up abruptly and sat upon the bed, looking disoriented.

"Hi," I heard Raphael say

She immediately turned her face to him, staring at him for what felt like a century before she instantly withdrew and shouted in panic.

"You!"