Zero Tolerance: No Man or Woman has the Right - REVIEW THIS STORY

Written by Cat Smith
Last updated: 01/02/2007 02:01:11 AM

Chapter 3

Later that night, Remy awoke, his arm heavy. Looking down, he saw his arm was in a cast, and he found that he couldn’t feel his stomach much at all, and decided someone must have used a local anaesthetic. His head felt full of clouds, and he tried to focus on the nagging feeling he should be worried about something. He rummaged thru what vague offerings his mind could muster, then went cold as he realised what it was. “Terri...” he muttered. He tried to sit up, then yelped in pain as the hot-poker pain in his stomach forced him back down. Resting his good hand on his abs, he wished the pain away, clenching his teeth.

Closing his eyes against the brightness of someone opening the door, he only opened them again after he heard it click shut. Opening his eyes again, after a few seconds, his mutant eyes accustommed themselves to the sparse light. He found himself looking at the rather pleasant sight of the nurse who had helped him earlier. His drug induced mind stared at her attractive figure, all other thoughts stricken from his mind for the moment. Her thick mass of curly auburn hair, framed a beautiful face - big green eyes surrounded by thick lashes, full, beautiful lips -- just right for long, passionate kisses, he thought to himself. And her figure nearly left him drooling. Full, round breasts, a slim waist, and round hips and backside. If not for the drugs, he would have been very glad she couldn’t see the way he was looking at her, her eyes not being as good as he’s were. However, the drugs were there, and he didn’t give a damn.

“Oh!” She exclaimed, seeing the light flash off his eyes. “Ah didn’t know ya were awake.” She flicked on the lights, which made Remy whimper, it hurting his sensative eyes. She walked up to him, and stroked his face. “How are ya feelin’?” She whispered to him. He smiled.

“Fiiiiiiinnneeee.......” He drawled.

“Ya daughters doin’ well, too.” At that, his eyes flicked open, and he stared at her.

“Really? Can I see ‘er?”

The nurse stalled. “Ah... Ah don’ think that’d be a good idea...”

Taking her hand in his, he looked up at her. “Please, chere. I’ll take y’ out f’ a candlelight dinner at de most expensive place in town if y’ll do dis f’ me.”

The nurse laughed bitterly at that. “Ya might get a bruise offa mah husband if ya tried that.”

“Please, Miss...?”

Her smile softened. “Robbins. Shelly Robbins. An’ ah told ya, it’s Mrs.”

“Chere... take me t’ m’ daughter. I’ll do anyt’in’ for y’.”

Shelly looked into his eyes, and found herself wanting to do whatever he asked. Biting her lip, and telling herself that she didn’t want to go there, she nodded, and unfolded a wheel chair out of the wardrobe.

“Fahn. But ya owe me that dinnah, you an’ ya daughter both when ya get bettah!”

“It be a promise, cherie.”

For a moment, they just stared at one another, then she took his hand and helped him into the chair.

“Now, y’all really ain’t meant ta do this, but, ah can see this means alot to you.” She told him, while wheeling him out of the room. He turned his head, and smiled suavely at her.

“T’ank you, ma cherie. Hope I don’ get y’ inta to much trouble.”

Shelly laughed. “Oh, don’t ya worry ‘bout that, now, ah’ll be fine!” Her joy subsided a minute, as she added, with a sad smile, “Ah always am.”

Remy’s drugged mind paused on this a moment, then it was gone from him, having decided it couldn’t have mattered. Shelly paused outside the room, and asked him if he was sure he wanted to see his daughter like this. When he answered in the affirmative, she took a deep breath, and wheeled him in, hoping Terri was better.

As soon as he lay eyes on his daughter, an adrenaline rush washed the drugs in Remy’s system away, temporarily. A cold fear overcame him, and he took Terri’s hand. Gazing at her battered body, he saw the bandage around her head, and the tubes in her to help her breath, and to record her status. Shelly saw the look on his face, and quietly told him that this was why she wasn’t sure if he should see her. He nodded, and gazed at Terri in silence, just holding her hand. Shelly watched, and saw the tear roll down his cheek. Her heart went out to him -- she knew what he was feeling, sort of. Two years ago, she had miscarried, thru an... accident. She knew the pain he was feeling. She could only hope that he wouldn’t have to go thru it much longer, that the little girl would be okay.

As she looked down at Terri, she was sure she saw her hand move. Shelly blinked. No, she must have been imagining... There it was again! Her fingers moved. A quick glance at the surrounding screens told her it wasn’t just an unconsious twitch. With a triumphant grin, she slapped the call button for a doctor, and bent down to Terri. Remy frowned at her.

“Chere? What’s de matter?”

Shelly ignored him for the moment, and wrapped her fingers around Terri’s hand. “Terri, honey, can ya hear me? If ya can, jus’ squeeze mah had.” Shelly waited the anticipation agonizing. She let out a peal of laughter when she felt a faint pressure on her hand. She turned to Remy as she saw the doctor come in. “Ah think ya daughter’s gonna be jus’ fahn!” She told him, the grin still on her face. Remy looked up at her, then across at his daughter, and wrapped his arms around the nurse.

“Merci... ma ange, merci!” He whispered to her, and held her tightly. Shelly returned the hug, and told him;

“This is why ah became a nurse! Ah love helping people, kids...” She looked at him. “An’ their parents.”

Remy looked up at her, then pulled her down to him and he kissed her. Shelly’s eyes widened, then closed as she savoured the feel of his lips against her own in the chaste kiss. Remy pulled away from her just as the doctor came in. “You saved m’ daughters life. Dere is no way I can repay y’ f’ dat. But, anyt’in’ y’ want, I will give y’, if I can.”

Shelly looked down at him for a moment, then turned as the doctor asked her what had happened. He frowned, then started to look at Terri, and told Shelly to take Remy back to his room.

In the sterile hospital room, Shelly helped Remy back into his bed in silence. After putting the wheelchair back in the wardrobe, she turned to find Remy staring at her. “i meant dat, y’ know. De debt I owe y’ is massive -- I don’ know how I can even begin t’ repay y’.”

“Ah... ah didn’t do nothin’. Ah was here, helping you th’ whole time she was bein’ treated, ah...”

Silencing her with his good hand over her mouth, he gazed up at her. “You saved her. You. Don’t do y’ self injustice.”

“Ah...” she began, but stopped when Remy winced. “Are ya okay?”

“Mmm.” He muttered, placing his good hand on his stomach, and clenching his teeth. “I jus’ t’ink I shouldn’t a’ squirmed den. Mon dieu...” Glancing at the clock, Shelly winced. She shouldn’t give him any more drugs, it might be dangerous. But he was a mutant, and Shelly knew that mutants has seriously wierd physiologies. Twisting her lips, she decided to give him just a tiny bit more anaesthetic on his stomach wound, one that would let him sleep. Injecting it into his arm, she threw the needle away, and was about to leave the room, when she heard him whisper to her.

Crouching down beside his bed, she looked at him, and brushed the hair away from his face. “What is it?” She asked. He smiled weakly, then pressed his lips to his fingers, which he in turn pressed to her lips.

“Merci, ma ange. Je t’aime...” Shelly blushed at those words; ‘I love you’. It was kinda sweet, though, even if he was so high he probably wouldn’t remember a thing. As he fell asleep, she stroked his cheek, smiling, and turned to go home, her shift having finished an hour ago. She left the room, and wondered why that man was having such an effect on her. She smiled to herself. ‘Cause he’s an absolute darlin’, at least when he’s so high he cain’t think straight! She lifted a hand to her lips, which pulled into a smile. Damn good kisser, too! With a laugh, she grabbed her coat and car keys from the staff room, and went home.

Sunlight streamed the the windows of the sterile, cold hospital room. Doctor Wu was examining Remy LeBeau, and his medical record. It was thick, half an inch, and every hospital admittance showed signs of beating, though he always had assured the staff it wasn’t -- he’d walked into a door, or fell down the steps. Shaking his head, Doctor Wu frowned. He didn’t believe that it was the man’s wife for a moment, but he had no idea who it could be.

Removing the bandage around the stomach, he nodded, seeing that the wound had finally stopped bleeding. Now he could see the wound clearly, he saw that it was obviously an older wound reopened. He delicately cleaned it up, and gazed at it. Shaking his head, he rebound it, and was about to leave when Nurse Shelly Robbins walked in.

“Good morning, nurse,” He greeted her, ignoring the bruise that was forming under her eye. Most of the paediatric staff knew that her husband beat her, and had tried to help her. But she’d have none of it. “What can I do for you?”

“Ah, ah was jus’ checkin’ on th’ patient. Ah dunno why, but ah seem to be, ah dunno, attracted ta this case.”

Perhaps it is because it mirrors your own experiance? Thought the doctor silently. “Well, he is asleep at the moment. Perhaps you would like to check on his toxicology report?”

Shelly nodded. “Sure, why not.”

Before she left the room, she couldn’t help herself brushing Remy’s cheek. “’Je t’aime’...” she echoed, and wondered why the words sounded so alien to her.

Giving out a big yawn, Shelly stood. She’d been staring at facts and figures all morning, and she was tired. Looking at her watch, she breathed a sigh of relief: it was time for her break.

As she wandered thru the sterile white corridor’s towards the staff room, she passed Remy’s room. Pausing outside, she decided to go in, and see if he was alright.

Walking in, she saw him lying on the bed, supported by some pillows, looking at one of the magazines periodically given to the hospital by one charity or another. Standing in the doorway for a moment, Shelly looked at him, almost wistfully as he turned the pages. Here was a man nothing like her own husband. Cody was a bitter, drunken man. He beat her because of his own inadequacies, and his inability to deal with this man. Remy, on the other hand, seemed a man to whom he gave unconditional love to those deserving of it, and that was something she felt she wanted terribly... needed.

Her resulting sigh made Remy look up sharply, but his wary face softened when he saw who it was.

“Mornin’, nurse. How y’ doin’ t’day?” He asked, a pleasant, happy tone in his voice.

“Ah’m okay, ah guess.” She walked furthur into the room. “Terri’s even bettah t’day. Her rate o’ recovery’s amazing, she...” Shelly paused as she found Remy staring at her face. Touching it self-conciously, she winced as she brushed past her bruise.

“Yah, it looks like it hurts, femme,” muttered Remy.

Shelly scowled, putting her hand on her hips. “What, this? T’ain’t nothin’. Ah fell, ‘s all.” When she looked over at Remy, he was wearing an unconvinced look. “Honest,” she added. then groaned at it’s patheticness.

“Look, chere... I’ve used all de excuses in de book, and when it comes right down t’ it, I know when someone’s lying. An’ right now, you are. What happened?” His voice, firm but kind, left no leeway for her to back out.

As she ran a hand thru her hair, Shelly sighed and almost fell into the bedside chair. “... Alraht. Ah... me an’ mah husband, we, we had a li’l faht. Nothin’ major, but he got a bit mad. That’s all. Ain’t nothing y’all should worry about!” Taking a guilty glance at Remy, she noticed his expression was empathising. He’d been thru it too. Looking up from the bed-spread to the woman, he stared at her long and hard.

“I’m not sure I b’leive you.”

Shelly jumped up. “WHAT?! Y’all think ah’m lyin’, now?”

“No, no... listen, ma cherie...” He put a hand on her arm to steady her, but she threw it off.

“NO!! Ah won’t listen! Ah’ve had enough of listenin’, ta everybody! Everyone thinks they know the best fer me, but they’re wrong. Ah know the best fer me, and ah’m staying wi’ Cody!”

With that said, she stormed out. Sitting there dumbfounded for a moment, Remy then shook his head sadly. The poor woman was in denial. He knew; he’d been there. He would try and help her, but she’d have to want his help. She could only hope she did.

It was a week until Shelly had the courage to go and see Remy again, and the only reason she’d gathered that courage was that he and his daughter were better - they both had amazing recuperative abilities - and were ready to leave. When she saw them, Remy was holding his daughter’s hand, luggage at his feet, talking to Doctor Wu. Putting something in his pocket, Remy nodded, and picked up his luggage. As he turned, he saw Shelly. He smiled at her.

“I’m glad y’ here, chere. I wan’ed t’ thank y’, on behalf of m’self an’ Terri here, an’ see if you wanted to go out f’ dat dinner t’night?”

Blinking, Shelly wondered if he’d got brain damage in that fight, then realised she’d agreed to go to dinner with him and Terri. But if Cody caught her... She didn’t want to think. “Look, ah’d really like to, but there’s no way mah husband-”

Remy grinned, a devilish grin that made his eyes sparkle and made Shelly’s heart flutter. “Does he have t’ know? Jus’ tell him y’ have t’ work late t’night. He’ll never know!”

Swallowing, Shelly stared at him. She wanted to refuse - she was afraid of the consequences that might occur, but Remy was grinning at her, and her heart was pounding... “Alraht!” She said in submission, putting her hands on her hips. “But fer goodness sakes, ah hope ya know ya could get me int’ a whole bunch o’ trouble.”

“Chere, if dere is any trouble at all, I’ll handle it!” “What time d’ y’ finish?” He asked, looking at her, with Terri standing behind him with her little bag in her hand, looking like the most adorably sweet little thing she’d ever seen. Shelly looked at her watch, then grinned up at Remy.

“Five minutes ago. Ah was on naht shift.” The look of surprise evident on his face was precious! “Ah’ll just get changed, an’ then yo’ can treat me ta dinnah!” As she walked away, Remy called out;

“But it ain’t really gonna be dinner, is it, chere?”

“So ya buyin’ me breakfast, honey!” Shelly called out, enjoying this game. As she turned, she saw Remy with his arms folded, grinning lopsidedly at her. As she blew him a kiss, she turned on her heel and headed for the changing rooms.

As she got changed, she cuoldn’t help the big dopey grin plastered all over her face. She was happy. She was actually going out for a meal, rather than cooking it, with an utterly charming man and a darling little girl.

Unnoticed by her, one of her friends and co-workers, Raye Parker raised her eyebrows as she saw her usually melancholy young friends in high spirits.

“What happened, honey? Your husband die? Or maybe he knocked you a bit too hard this time and sent ya doolally?”

Sending a scathing look over at Raye, Shelly pulled her top on. “It’s nothing ta do with Cody, honey. Mah life does not revolve around him!” She folded her uniform and put it in a locker.

“Honey, you don’t wanna let him hear ya talking like that, or you’ll get another black eye! Your life revolves around cooking his meatloaf, pourin’ his scotch and givin’ him something to do at night-”

“Oh, Raye!” Shelly cut her of; she knew what Raye was thinking! She looked at her friend. Her mass of uncontrollable black curls, her warm brown eyes and constant, slightly sarcastic smile made her look like one of the best ppl in the universe you could have as a friend, and she was. Shelly knew she could tell her anything, and if it was a bad idea, Raye would tell her. “If you must know... One o’ Doctor Wu’s patients is buyin’ me dinner - breakfast - as a ‘thank you’.” Raye looked like she was about to interrupt, but Shelly spoke before she could. “Ah know there’s that whole doc-patient thing-”

“Shell, you’re a nurse. And that’s not what I was gonna say. Is this patient a man?” Raye’s eyes were serious and solemn.

“...Yes,” answered Shelly. “An’ his li’l gal’s comin’ too. She was sick... That’s why he wants ta thank me, coz she’s all bettah.”

Raye shook her head. “Oh, Shelly. Sometimes you’re so loveably dim.” Before Shelly could respond, insulted, Raye held a finger up. “Look, what I mean is... Cody’ll find out. I don’t know how, but he will. And when he does, he... I don’t wanna know what he’ll do, coz it sure as hell won’t be a pretty sight. I’m warning ya, hon, don’t do it.”

Shelly looked at the floor, silent for a few moments. But when she looke up, Raye saw something she didn’t think she’d seen in Shelly’s eyes before. Determination and courage, mixed up in a sort of pride. “Ah want ta do this. Remy’s a really nice guy, and his daughter’s an absolute angel. Ah’m goin’ ta dinnah with them and if Cody don’t like it, he can shove it up his tight ass!”

Raye couldn’t help her proud smile. “You go, girl.” Was all she said. As Shelly smiled her thanks and left, Raye shook her head. “That girl...