Page 28 of Enforce This
I nodded to the nurse at the desk, before shifting my attention to the wall behind her. It was numbered. Each number had a name. Except one. It had a little red star. 322.
I averted my attention, ignored her calls and tried to brisk past the armed police officer that was sitting outside Mark’s room.
“Hold it!” he barked, shooting to his feet.
“Eric,” Mark called from the bed when he noticed us.
I was chest to chest with the cop.
“I brought my girlfriend to see her father. Is there a problem?” I asked without flinching.
The cop’s gaze shifted from me to Trista.
“Her father…” he repeated before his eyes widened.
One hand went to his radio and the other settled on his taser, “Are you Feloni Miller?”
“My fucking name is Trista,” She blurted out, before narrowing her eyes on his badge and scoffing, “Asshole.”
He turned his head and spoke quietly into his radio. I was aware that he was giving them her name and that he was calling for backup, but I tried to act unbothered.
“Like I said… Is there a problem, officer?”
“I’m going to need you to step back,” the officer firmly stated, holding his palm up between us.
I shifted and blew out a breath, my cheeks puffing before I let it all out.
Moments later, the hall filled with police officers and the nurses behind the desk were looking more than a little alarmed.
“Feloni, why don’t you come with me…?” A female officer with a long ponytail suggested, placing her hand on Trista’s shoulder.
She rolled her shoulder and aggressively turned toward the lady cop.
“Tris–” I cautioned, taking her wrist in hand before I lowered my voice and addressed the female officer. “I’m sorry. Hey, look… her mother just died. She’s been through a lot.”
The woman looked between me and Trista and slowly nodded.
“Alright… Okay.” The female officer calmly tried to defuse the situation. “Well, we’ve been searching for you since yesterday afternoon. You left your book bag and cellphone in Med Surg class and your instructors and your stepfather have been worried. We just need to make sure you’re safe, sweetie.”
I closed my eyes, knowing how she hated pet names from other women.
“Babe,” I spoke up, feathering my thumb over her pulse point. “Why don’t the three of us step over here where there is a little privacy, and you can—?”
“What?” Trista snapped, making me flinch a bit.
It was like our little charade had suddenly become real.
“What the fuck do you think I’m going to do, Eric? I’m standing right in front of her. She can see I’m well. She’s wasting my time. And yours.” She hitched her brows at me, daring me to counter her.
I looked back at the female officer and glanced at her badge. “Uh– Officer Nettle, as you can see… She, uh– Well… She’s college-aged and educated, so I guess that means she is of sound mind and body. She is standing in front of her father’s hospital room of her own free will, and it’s becoming increasingly obvious that she isn’t interested in speaking with you or your associates… So… What are we doing here?”
The police in the hallway all began to look at each other, but no one seemed to have anything to say.
“Right,” I nodded and shoved Trista past the cop I had originally encountered. “Excuse us, big guy.”
I shut the door behind me and Mark let out a low, appreciative chuckle.
“God, I miss you guys.” He groaned.