Monster Slayers MC Book 5
Chapter 9-Cheryl’s parents

We walked down to Manny’s room and found him up and talking to everyone. Dr. Green stepped inside and said “I’m Dr. Green, the surgeon who operated on you, Manny. You, young man, are just full of wonderful surprises. I didn’t expect you to be awake until tomorrow afternoon at the earliest. How are you feeling? Any pain?”

“Nice to meet you, Dr. Green and thank you for saving me. I’m not really in pain but Kaylee told me you had to put a plate around a rib over my heart and I can feel the weight of it but it doesn’t really hurt. Just feels a little heavier on that side.” Manny said.

“Actually it’s more likely that you are feeling the incision and maybe you’re slightly bruised from me poking around in there to get the plate secure. I might have aggravated the bruising your father inflicted. The “plate” is more like heavy duty foil that I wrap around the bone and then screw it down with tiny little screws to hold it in place. It is however a permanent part of your body now. But if the sensation gets worse, you need to say something right away. Don’t assume it will just stop and it can get more serious pretty quickly.” Dr. Green said before he stuck the ends of his stethoscope in his ears and listened to Manny’s heart. Then he told Kaylee, “Kaylee, help me roll him to the side a bit so that I can listen to his lungs.”

Kaylee stepped to the side of the bed where Cheryl was sitting and put her arms under Manny’s arms, cupping his shoulders as she carefully turned him to one side and Dr. Green quickly listened to his lungs, then helped Kaylee ease him back down flat again. Cheryl was watching every move Kaylee made like a hawk. I could tell that she was determined to do whatever she needed to do to help Manny on the road to recovery to get well.

“Well, it all sounds good, Manny. Please let me or a nurse know if you are in any pain or need anything.” Dr. Green said.

“Can I have something to eat? I’m really hungry. I haven’t eaten since I had cereal this morning.” Manny asked and we saw Dr. Green smile.

“Sure. You don’t have a stomach injury other than bruising but I would like for you to stick with a very light diet. Broth, soup and jello will make it easier for you to process. No dairy in any form, including cheese, so no pizza. When you are back on your feet, you’ll be able to have meat, especially chicken and fish will be best but things with high protein will be good. Maybe for dinner tomorrow you can have something heavier.

I’m kind of worried about your kidney. I had to take your spleen out to stop the internal bleeding and one of your kidneys took a real beating and I don’t want you to strain it too much.”

“That must be from him kicking me in the back with his boots on. He’d been punching me in the face and stomach and I’m not big enough to fight him. He’s more than twice my size and out weighs me by at least a hundred pounds. He punched me really hard in my ribs and it hurt so bad that I fell down on the floor and rolled up into a ball. I was trying to get under the bed like when I was a kid so that he couldn’t reach me but I’ve gotten a little too big to do that anymore. He kicked me really hard in the back several times before I turned over and then he stomped on my chest. I felt something crack and I guess I blacked out for a while.

When I came to, I could barely move but I managed to crawl over to my door and lock it. Then I found my phone and emailed the MSMC on the website I had found a few nights ago. I guess I passed out again but woke up about an hour later when I heard my phone beep with an incoming message and it was Mr. Rooster. I begged him to come and get me because I was sure my dad was going to kill me this time.” Manny told us.

“Well, he can’t get to you here. I’m going to go see what I can get for you to eat and replace you a room upstairs. Kaylee, you can go ahead and go home if you want. I’m going to be here for a while. Now that he’s out of the woods, I think the regular staff can watch over him. It’s too bad Millie beat me to retirement.” Dr. Green said then left the room.

“What’s going to happen to my dad now?” Manny asked after Dr. Green left.

“He’s going to prison, Manny. What he did to you is not only assault and abuse but it was attempted murder. He had to have known that he couldn’t beat you like that and expect you to survive. I’ve got a call into Sheriff MacIntosh to also have him charged with the murder of your twin brother. Don’t worry, you are going to be safe from him now. And just so you two don’t worry about it, when you are healed, we’ll talk more about a job at the garage. The MSMC owns the garage in town but it’s run by members so you will have to consider becoming a member too. I heard you ride a bike? What kind?” I asked him.

“It’s just a Yamaha SR400 that Danny and I rebuilt from the junkyard. We were working on the one I ride now so that we would each have our own but then he got killed and the bike was totaled. It’s still sitting out back of the trailer in pieces. I’d tried to work on it to restore it but I get to thinking about Danny and I get too upset so it’s just sitting. ” Manny said sadly.

“Is your bike a SR 400 too?” I asked.

“Yeah. We had three of them. We kept the best two and cannibalized the third for parts and stuff we could use. Danny was an awesome artist and he was going to paint them with a design I have at home. We wanted to open our own Auto repair and paint shop. I’d be the mechanic and Danny the artist and painter. “Hastings Brothers Auto Repair and Painting” we were going to call it.” Manny smiled a little as he remembered his and his brothers dream plans.

“Manny, does your father own the trailer you guys live in or just rent it?” I asked him, a plan coming together in my mind.

“My parents own the trailer but we rent the lot it sits on. Why?” Manny asked.

“Just thinking about what’s going to have to be done soon. With your father in jail, he’s not going to be paying the rent on the lot, which means they will either dispose of the trailer or if it’s in good shape, they might try to claim it as abandoned and rent it out to cover their expenses. I’ll have our lawyer check into getting it transferred over to your name and we’ll get it somewhere you won’t have to worry about paying rent on the lot anymore. Okay?” I told him without disclosing the idea that was forming in my head.

“That would be great. Then we won’t have to worry about a place to live when we graduate, at least not for a little while.” He smiled at Cheryl and she smiled right back at him, giving his hand a squeeze.

“See, I told you. Things are going to work out just fine.” She said.

Just then Boxer and Kevin showed up for the next shift.

“Well, Manny, you get some sleep and I’ll be around tomorrow to check on you. I don’t work tomorrow but I’ll come see you and make sure there’s nothing you need. Cheryl, if you need anything you just call my cell and I’ll bring it with me. Don’t count on the meals they serve here because it all sucks! I’ll bring food when I come. What sizes do you wear? I can bring you some clean clothes and you can bathe in the shower that will be attached to Manny’s room. They should be coming in to move him soon.” Kaylee told her as she got Cheryl’s cell phone number and then texted her so that Cheryl could capture her number.

“Is there going to be somewhere I can lay down and sleep up there?” Cheryl asked.

“I recommend the sofa. The recliners they bring up will flatten out like a bed but they are really uncomfortable. Plus they just end up being in the way.” Kaylee said, with a grin.

Just as we got ready to walk out the door, an orderly and another nurse showed up with Dr. Green. “Okay, Manny. We are going to move you upstairs now.” Dr. Green told Manny, then turned to us and said “He’ll be in the same room that Kaylee was in.”

We looked over at the orderly who wasn’t a very big man and the nurse wasn’t any bigger than Kaylee so I told them, “Step aside. We’ll move him. Kaylee, catch the wires and tell us when you are ready.”

They brought the gurney up and Kaylee gathered all of the wires so that they would not tangle and held them up. Boxer and I were on one side. Kevin and Boomer on the other. Together we lifted the corners of the sheet creating a hammock and shifted Manny easily to the gurney with no pain to Manny. We followed them upstairs and repeated the whole process in reverse. We also helped them get the soiled sheets out from under him, which unfortunately caused him a bit of pain.

Cheryl got worried when he grunted through the changing of the sheets but she remained calm. Dr. Green stepped up and sped up the medication going into the IV that was in his arm and before long, Manny was no longer in pain. By the time they had him all situated and covered up, he had fallen asleep again.

Kaylee got Cheryl some scrubs to sleep in and told her “this will be more comfortable to sleep in than your jeans. I’ll bring you some clean stuff to wear tomorrow.”

“Thanks Kaylee for everything.” Cheryl said, giving her a hug.

We left Boxer and Kevin telling them “I don’t think there is a threat but if that kid takes a turn for the worse or if either one of them needs anything and you can’t take care of it on your own, you make sure to call me immediately.” I instructed them. “Understand?”

“Aye, Prez.” They both nodded and we walked down the hall to the elevators. The doors opened and before we could step on, two large men stepped off. All of my sensory alarms went off and told me these men had no business here. It was well after visiting hours and these guys looked like hired guns.

“Kaylee, stay here and out of the way. Keep the other nurses back. I’ve got a feeling they are here after Cheryl. Keep the hallway clear. Do you understand?” I told her in a low voice as the two men began to walk down the hall.

Boxer and Kevin were standing outside of Manny’s door and I motioned them to be alert. Boxer looked over at Kevin who immediately came to attention. When they were within a few feet of Boxer, I noticed one of the guys hands go under his coat like he was wearing a shoulder harness and I reached behind myself and pulled my handgun out. Boomer did the same and we quietly walked up behind the two men.

The taller of the two asked Boxer. “Is this Manny Hastings room?”

“Who’s asking?” Boxer asked, crossing his arms over his chest with a smirk on his face.

“We’re here to collect Miss Cheryl Preston. Now, we can do this one of two ways. Either you call her out here and she leaves with us quietly or we shoot you and drag her out of here. Which would you prefer?” The taller one asked.

Boomer and I stepped up and pressed our guns into their backs and both men jumped slightly but didn’t move. “Option three. You two leave quietly and tell her father that Cheryl will be home to collect her things when Manny is well enough for her to leave. Also, tell him that Rooster from the MSMC and half my crew will be coming to help her collect her things. Tell him that if he tries anything like this again, not only will his thugs be returned to him in body bags but I’ll be paying him a personal visit and he’s not going to like becoming wolf food for my pets. Do you understand me?” I pushed open the door to Manny’s room and we all saw Cheryl look up at the two men.

“What the hell are the two of you doing here? Did Daddy send you to come and get me? That son of a bitch! You tell my father that this time he has gone too far! I will return home to collect my things as soon as Manny is well enough to leave, which will probably be well after my 18th birthday, which means I will be an adult and can do as I damn well please. And if either one of you shows your sorry faces around here again, I will remove your little boy parts with my nail file. Do you understand me?” Cheryl said, standing up next to Manny’s bed with her hands on her hips and a look on her face that reminded me of Dixie.

“Yes ma’am, Miss Preston. We won’t be back. That I promise you. Hope he gets better soon.” The taller one said, nodding at Manny.

Boxer and Kevin were having a hard time keeping the smiles off of their faces as the two men turned and hurried back down the hall to the elevators. As soon as the doors closed behind them, we all burst out laughing.

“Thanks for backing me up, Cheryl. I had basically told them the same things you did.” I grinned at her.

“Didn’t I tell you what a control freak my father is? This is just too much! You wait until I see him again. It will be the last time, if he ever tries something like this again. I’m sure my mom doesn’t have a clue about him sending them either. Good lord, I can’t believe he even tried it. He has gone too far this time!” Cheryl said as she pulled out her phone.

Boomer and I left with Kaylee. Cheryl sounded like she would deal with her father herself. Boxer and Kevin told us not to worry that they wouldn’t let anyone get past them.

Cheryl’s POV

I couldn’t believe my eyes when the door to Manny’s room opened and I had expected it to be Dr. Green or the nurse coming in but it was Bruno and Jax, my father’s “body guards” standing in the doorway with scared looks on their faces. Rooster was right behind them and I had a sneaking suspicion that he had put the fear of God into both of them.

Before either of them could say a word, I laid into them. “What the hell are the two of you doing here? Did Daddy send you to come and get me? That son of a bitch! You tell my father that this time he has gone too far! I will return home to collect my things as soon as Manny is well enough to leave, which will probably be well after my 18th birthday, which means I will be an adult and can do as I damn well please. And if either one of you shows your sorry faces around here again, I will remove your little boy parts with my nail file. Do you understand me?” I said, standing up next to Manny’s bed with my hands on my hips.

“Yes ma’am, Miss Preston. We won’t be back. That I promise you. Hope he gets better soon.” Jax said.

Boxer and Kevin were having a hard time keeping the smiles off of their faces as the two men turned and hurried back down the hall to the elevators. As soon as the doors closed behind them, we all burst out laughing.

“Thanks for backing me up, Cheryl. I had basically told them the same things you did.” Rooster grinned at me.

“Didn’t I tell you what a control freak my father is? This is just too much! You wait until I see him again. It will be the last time, if he ever tries something like this again. I’m sure my mom doesn’t have a clue about him sending them either. Good lord, I can’t believe he even tried it. He has gone too far this time!” I told him.

I pulled my phone out of my back pocket and called my mother. As soon as she picked up, she said “I told him not to do it but you know him. He never listens. Are you alright? Where are you now?”

“Besides being madder than a wet cat, I’m fine. I’m still at the hospital where I’m going to stay until Manny is ready to leave here. Tell Daddy that was the last straw. When I’m out of here, I’m only going to come back long enough to collect my things and then I will never speak to him again. I love you mom but I’m so done with him and his trying to control me. I just can’t take it anymore. It’s not like I don’t have enough to stress about right now with Manny teetering on the edge of death but Daddy had to go and pull a stupid stunt like that. He just can’t seem to understand that I love Manny, with all of my heart. As soon as I am of age and he’s all better, we are going to get married. I do hope that you will come to my wedding?” I tried to explain.

“Of course baby. I don’t know how to tell you this but I’m leaving too. You are not the only one he tries to control and I’ve had enough of it as well. I’ve rented an apartment in Dallas, not far from my shop. It’s got three bedrooms and I’m taking Anne with me. I’ve got a beautiful design for your wedding gown. It will look so good on you. I do hope you will let me make it for you?” My mom said and I could tell she was about to start crying and her last words made me tear up as well.

“I’d love that, mom.” I said, trying hard not to cry.

“I’ve got my bags packed and I’m going to leave first thing in the morning. Is there anything you need from home? I can bring it to you before I go back to Dallas.” My mom asked.

“Yeah, can you bring me some clothes? And pajamas with shorts or bottoms to them. I’m going to be sleeping on the sofa here and don’t want my butt showing if I get uncovered. Oh and my cell phone charger, please.” I said.

“I’ll bring it in the morning. I love you, Cheryl. And don’t worry, if your father refuses to pay for your wedding, I will. I’ll see to it that you have the wedding of your dreams.” My mom said.

“I love you too, mom and thanks. I’m going to lay down and try to get some sleep while Manny is asleep. I’ll see you in the morning. We are on the 4th floor now in room 424.” I told her and we said goodnight and hung up.

I stepped over to the door and asked Boxer and Kevin if they wanted to use the bathroom or anything and let them know that I was going to try and get some sleep. They both claimed they were fine so I used the bathroom one more time to empty my bladder and then washed my face and hands. I changed into the scrubs that Kaylee had loaned me and folded my street clothes up and left them on the counter.

I kissed Manny and then made up my bed on the sofa with the sheet, blanket and pillow that the nurse had brought for me, per Dr. Green’s orders. I stood looking out the window, up at the stars and said a small prayer, Thanking God for not having taken Manny from me and asking him to help him heal as quickly as possible. I couldn’t explain it but I had the strangest sense of peace settle over me, letting me know that everything was going to be alright.

I laid down on the sofa and made myself as comfortable as possible and before long, I was dreaming about our wedding day.

I had never been in the hospital but what they say about them is true. You don’t really get any rest here. The nurse came in at least three times to check on Manny and I woke up everytime. The last time I asked her, “Why do they provide the call buttons if you are going to come in every other hour and check on them?”

“Because if they begin to choke or stop breathing in their sleep, they won’t know to call or might not be able to call for help. I’m sorry I woke you. But just so you know, the breakfast cart is going to be here in about half an hour. Dr. Green has ordered one for you too. I’ll try to replace you some extra cream and sugar for the coffee. Be careful, it’s rarely hot and tastes like used motor oil.” The nurse named Kelly chuckled.

“Thanks for the warning.” I said and decided that I might as well go ahead and get up but I was going to wait for my mom to show up with clean clothes and hopefully I would be able to take a shower before I changed.

“Hey, any chance you’ve got an extra toothbrush and some toothpaste? My mouth feels awful.” I asked Kelly before she left the room. “I’ll see what I can come up with.” she said. “Oh by the way, your guard was changed about an hour ago. Damn, there are some good looking men in that MC. Too bad most of the ones that have been assigned so far are all taken.”

I hadn’t heard anything about the guard changing from the two guys who had taken over from Rooster and Boomer. I found my brush in my purse and pulled it through my hair and then caught it up in a ponytail with the hair band I found in the bottom of my purse.

As soon as I washed the sleep out of my eyes and emptied my bladder, I walked over to the door to replace a massive man who was, I think, the tallest man I had ever seen. The other one looked like he was not much older than me and Manny. They were standing on either side of the door and the big man looked down at me and said “Good morning. You must be Cheryl. I’m Hulk and this is Ronnie. We are your morning guard. How did you sleep? Is there something you need?” He said as he stuck out the biggest hand I’ve ever seen and my hand felt so small as he closed his fingers around it and gently shook my hand. Ronnie did the same but his hand felt more normal.

“Some decent coffee, if you can replace it, would be much appreciated. The nurse warned me that the stuff they serve with breakfast is not for human consumption but would be better for servicing your motorbikes.” I said with a smile.

“I would never damage my bike with that stuff. I’ve had their coffee and it’s only good as a weed killer.” Hulk joked with me.

“What would you prefer for breakfast? I can send Ronnie here for anything you would like. The coffee shop has decent pastries or we can get something from the diner or there’s always McD’s?” Hulk said.

“Pancakes? Bacon? Scrambled eggs? Ohhh, it’s been so long since I’ve had bacon. My father doesn’t allow it in the house and I love it!” I said, my mouth watering at the thought of a mound of crispy bacon. “Oh, before I forget, my mom is going to be bringing me some stuff from home. Please let her in.”

“Sure. What does she look like?” Hulk asked.

“Like a taller and better dressed version of me.” I smiled up at him.

I returned to the room and looked over at Manny, who was awake.

“Good morning, beautiful.” He whispered in a hoarse voice. “Can I have some water, please?”

“Good morning and yes!” I said and hurried over and put some water in his cup. I hurried back to the bed and held the straw to his lips and really wished the nurse would come back and tell me if it was okay to lift his bed any higher. He wasn’t lying completely flat but I know these beds can come up even higher than what he was now but I wasn’t sure if it was okay to move him or not.

I kissed his forehead and asked “How did you sleep?”

“Pretty good actually. First time I slept in a bed for a while without being afraid. How about you?” He smiled at me.

“What they say about not being able to sleep in here because they come in and wake you up all night long is true. The nurse was in here about every two hours last night and I didn’t get to lay down until after midnight. But maybe I’ll have a chance to lay down later and nap.” I said, not wanting him to worry about me.

“After you went to sleep last night, my dad sent two of his goons to come get me. Rooster and Boomer were just leaving and two new guys named Boxer and Kevin were here to stand guard. I don’t know all that went on outside but I ripped those two assholes a new one and they said they wouldn’t be returning. I think my dad just lost his bodyguards. I’ve got a feeling that Rooster and Boomer had guns on their backs. These bikers are okay! They seem very protective for some reason.” I told him.

“That’s what they do. They protect young people who have been neglected, abused and molested from the people who were hurting them. They have made a huge difference in this town. When I was just a little guy, this town had some really bad bikers terrorizing the town. The MSMC ran them out and saved a lot of the businesses in town.” Manny told me.

Just then the breakfast trays were delivered and I looked at what was on mine and felt my stomach turn. The eggs were undercooked as well as the bacon and the toast was almost burnt. I sniffed at the coffee and then poured it down the sink. Manny’s tray had some fruit that didn’t look too bad, some juice and toast but that was it.

“They call this breakfast?” He asked. “Hell, I’d give a 5 year old more to eat than this and it would definitely taste better. How do they expect people to heal on this junk?” Manny complained.

“Well, Hulk sent Ronnie for coffee and breakfast and I’ll share mine with you. I’m sure it’s going to be more than I can eat.” I said and within minutes, Hulk pushed open the door and a smiling Ronnie entered carrying two large bags of food. I could smell the coffee and bacon the second he walked in the door.

“Oh, our savior! I can’t believe they ever try to pass this junk off as food. It’s just nasty.” I told him as I helped him unload the take out plates. “Manny, this is Ronnie and that is Hulk. They have been watching over us since about 4 am, I think. Guys, this is my boyfriend, Manny.”

“Very nice to meet you, Manny. I hope you are hungry. There’s enough for all of us and what you can’t eat, Hulk here will finish off. I’ve never seen anyone put away food the way he does.” Ronnie said.

“Hey, watch your mouth, prospect. I’m a big man. It takes a lot to fill me up. I always let others eat their fill first and then hate to waste food!” Hulk said as he helped make Manny a plate of food. Manny hadn’t said anything yet but just kept staring at Hulk.

“What?” Hulk finally asked him.

“Oh, I’m sorry. It’s just that I’ve never seen anyone as big as you. You are awesome!” Manny smiled at him. He instantly liked Hulk. He was a big man but very soft spoken. Hulk smiled at Manny and said, “Here ya go, Miniman. Hey, that would make a good road name. Hulk said as he looked around to see that Ronnie and I had our food and then helped himself to some. He wasn’t greedy and made a normal plate, to give the rest of us a chance for seconds before he would finish it off, later.

We all ate our breakfast and sure enough, when we all said we were full, Hulk finished off the rest. Ronnie gathered up the trash and put it back in the bags he had brought them in and when Hulk was done, he carried the bags down to the trash bin.