"I need to buy a first aid kit. Cut myself shaving," Cherie made an attempt to chuckle but when she raised her hand to indicate to Ben where she was hurt, the rag slipped down enough for her to see the cut. The sight of her bleeding hand made her woozy. Ben caught her before she hit the asphalt.
"Jesus! She fainted! Mike! I'm gonna run her over to Alpendorf's. Dr. Bramley's limo is there!"
"Dr. Bramley is a shrink. What's he gonna do? Ben? You aren't actually going to RUN her over there?" Mike scratched his head at the odd sight of Benjamin running down Appleblossom Highway with the girl in his arms. It looked nutty but it probably was faster than getting her around back to his car. He was half way there already. Ben didn't spare the energy to yell back to Mike that Dr. Bramley had a pharmacy in his trunk, that he'd seen it when he was checking the spare tire. There was enough medication in there to knock out everybody on the mountain, not that Cherie needed knocking out.
"Jesus Cherie, what happened to you?" Ben wondered if she was as light as she felt in his arms. She was like cotton candy. Maybe he was in shock and that made her feel weightless. Ben hated himself for noticing how great she looked in her Jordache jeans. God she was beautiful. He wanted to kiss her.
"Dr. Bramley is getting his bag from his car. Put her on the sofa in the lobby. What have you done to this girl, Benjamin, you oaf!" Edda met them at the door. Mike called her.
Bramley checked her vitals. He disinfected the wound, injected around it to deaden it and stitched it together. He was a medical doctor before he became a psychiatrist. He didn't feel the need to explain to anyone why he carried the amount of medical supplies that he did.
"Glass or metal, my dear?" Bramley asked Cherie when she came around.
"What?" she wasn't sure what he meant.
"Did you cut yourself on glass or metal?"
"Metal," Cherie answered.
"I'm going to give you a tetanus shot so you don't get lock jaw, my dear," Dr. Bramley prepared the needle.
"Why type of metal cut you?" Dr. Bramley asked as he injected her in the upper arm.
"I was opening a can of chili," Cherie lied.
"Well, I think we should get you to the hospital just to be on the safe side. You probably need an IV or two," Dr. Bramley began putting his equipment back in his medical bag. He knew she wasn't telling the truth and the look on his face made it clear to her that he didn't believe her for a minute.
"Thank you doctor but that won't be necessary. How much do I owe you?" she suddenly realized her purse was back at the house. She'd taken off without it.
"Nonsense, my dear. You were out cold. You must have lost a lot of blood," Bramley insisted.
"Dr. Bramley, I can assure you it wasn't the amount of blood. I fainted because I simply cannot stand the sight of blood. A drop is enough to drop me. I'm afraid I'm a bit of a sissy that way," she tried to be charming but she simply could not stand Bramley. There was something oppressive about him.
"Well then, if you won't go to the hospital, I insist upon your having dinner with me. I'm assuming you didn't eat any of that chili that attacked you. We'll get some food and fluids into you and if your color comes back, you're free to go," Dr. Bramley pressed the matter.
"Cherie! Everybody is waiting for you. We knew something happened when you didn't show up. Dad sent me out to fetch you. Mike said Ben brought you here. Thanks for patching her up doc. Come on Cherie, let's go! Everybody is starving! Dinner's getting cold and we're not going to cut the cake without you," Lewis appeared out of nowhere and whisked Ben and Cherie away. Dr. Bramley didn't ask Cherie why she was bothering to open a can of chili if she was on her way to a party. There was no time to ask her. Lewis had Cherie in one arm and Ben in the other. He was a fast talker and a fast walker.
Cherie sat between Lewis and Ben in Ben's car. Once they were on the road they all burst out laughing. There was no cake. No party. Lewis just jumped in and made it all up. He'd seen Cherie's car up on the grease rack at Ray Moon's. Mark patched the tire, checked the steering and even cleaned the blood from the door and steering wheel. He told Lewis what had happened.
"I know what kind of fluids Bramley wanted to get into you," Ben groaned.
"That is so disgusting!" Cherie winced.
"Ben, you drive Cherie's car to her house and I'll drive you back to the station." Lewis suggested.
"Thanks for rescuing me, both of you," Cherie sighed. If she had to chose between rescues, she'd rather bleed to death than have dinner with the overbearing doctor. Ben could sense that Cherie was more grateful to Lewis that she was to him. He felt low as he drove her car to her house and even lower when he rode back to Ray Moon's with Lewis. He was going to lose her to Lewis and Lewis didn't even really want her.
When Ben's shift was over he didn't throw his work shirt in the laundry hamper. He changed into his street clothes and stole the shirt with Cherie's blood on it. If anybody noticed one of his uniforms was missing, he'd just say he threw it away because the blood had ruined it. Nobody would find fault with that.
~ To Be Continued~
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