Shield Cohort Ch. 02

"Miss!" a nurse called out as they went past the main desk. "I need some info on your boyfriend."

"Wha—oh—I'm not his...he's just—a—friend."

"Too bad...he's a big strapping young one, isn't he?" The nurse caught herself. "Sorry, that's just me, a busybody. Marlene." She said and held out her hand.

"April."

"April. Pretty. It fits you. You want some ice? Your eye."

"Oh. It's too late now. I'll just have a shiner for a while."

"Okay, sweetie. What's your friend's name."

"Mikey. Michael Skardowski."

"Oh, my stars! I thought I knew him! My boy played at Whitewater. Did you see that catch Mikey made against Mount Union on ESPN? He fought three men for that ball and hauled it down inside the ten. Three men, can you believe it?"

"Yes. I really can."

"Phone number?"

"I—I don't know it. We—we're work friends."

"Who would have it?"

"Ollie! Let me call him." April reached down for her purse and realized she didn't have it. No ID, no phone. It was all in "Beans and Books." She looked around for a phone and noticed that Bobby was just walking into the ER, carrying a big bag with a long strap.

"New look for you, Bobby," Marlene called out.

"Thought you might want this," He said to April. He grinned and winked at Marlene. "Hey, gorgeous, when's your shift over?"

"About half an hour before your wife's done with her shift up in maternity."

April walked away from them and called Ollie. "Ollie? It's April. Look, Mikey and I were in a fight, and I'm in the hospital...Stop screaming! Stop that! He was on my side! If I would have fought against Mikey, I'd be in intensive care. He's Chuck-fucking Norris! Look, he is unconscious in the ER, and I need to get contact info for him. Do you still have phone numbers for the guys from the Shield cohort? None of us are in the Wanowee phone book yet...yeah, go ahead. Got it. Whose number is it?...Oh, that's just great... You will? That would really help me out. I can't deal with him right now. Have him call my cell. I'll just put him on with the nurse... NO! You two are NOT cancelling your weekend. I'm fine! Ollie, if I see you before Sunday, I won't talk to you anyway. Either of you! Love ya both."

April did no more than say hello to Jerry, Brigid's first and greatest antagonist, when he called. She put him on with Marlene and headed after Mikey. April spent half an hour outside radiology waiting for her newfound hero. Bobby showed up and took her statement. She sniffed back a few tears, but kept her composure. Bobby patted her hand and reassured her. He told her that they were going to take Mikey to an empty cube in the overflow area so that they didn't run into anyone they didn't want to see. He also let her know that the building was filled with cops. "What else would you expect in a building staffed with all these pretty nurses, eh?"

Mikey saw April when he came out and gave her a thumbs-up and a tired smile. The pretty radiology assistant gave April a once-over and couldn't quite hide her disappointment that there was a young woman waiting for the big hunk of muscle she had just met.

Marlene showed up a moment later. "Here's your phone, April. You looked bushed. Want some coffee? They're going to be in with him a while." Marlene brought her some coffee in a white Styrofoam cup. "I hear you're a demon with a coffee mug. So, I figured the cup was safer." April gave a little laugh and then suddenly broke down in tears. "Oh, little April, he's going to be just fine." Marlene sat next to her and put her arm around her. April put her head on Marlene's shoulder. She realized she liked the smell of the full-figured forty-something Marlene. Up close and in the aura of her light perfume, April couldn't smell the anti-septic "hospital smell." And somehow, that made her feel safer. Marlene stroked her hair and whispered "Let it all out. Let it all out." April did.

"Tonight," April finally whispered after a long bout of tears, "I met the absolute worst people I've ever met in my whole life, and four or five of the best I've ever known. Thank you, Marlene." After a while, Marlene got up and went to Mikey's cube. She came back with a sad smile.

"They're checking him in for the night. Just for observation. He'll be out in the morning. And his friend Jerry is here. What an asshole."

"He's Mikey's best friend. But I don't want to deal with him. I'll just go home."

"You sure, Sweetie?" April nodded. "Okay. Bobby will get you home."

April rode in her second police vehicle of the night. She didn't even notice at first that he wasn't taking her home. Mitch had already called Brigid and convinced her to stay in Milwaukee. Then he had left instructions with Bobby to drop off April at his house.

April cried herself to sleep with her head in Mitch's lap. She had terrible dreams: Dreams of Eddie's twisted smile in which he pulled his terrible knife and killed Mitch and then turned on her. Dreams of making love to Mikey and having Jerry and Teddy walking in on them and laughing while Mikey called her terrible names and threw her to the floor. Dreams of Mikey making love to Brigid on April's bed with April pretending to sleep next to them and not notice. Then Brigid turned to her and said, "Did ya really think a short little thin' like ye could get me man?" And worst of all, dreams of her attacks against the men in the alley. Covered in blood, she staggered out into the street and attacked children and old people who crossed her path. Finally, she took out a big gun and shot Mikey in the chest. He fell to the ground with a final whisper of "pretty hippie."

She would wake with a start and Mitch would rock her back to sleep. She called Jerry's cell on Saturday, using the incoming call number from Friday night. She asked how Mikey was doing, "Fuck you, skank!" was all Jerry said before he hung up.

April congratulated herself on her miserable love life. Her two college boyfriends—the pretentious and selfish Ty who stole money from her and the "I guess everyone was right, I really am gay!" Wayne—were the only men with whom she had ever slept. Some bohemian she was! She would have slept with Teddy—whom she now found wholly contemptible—had it not been for the whole Brigid/Mikey incident at the Packer party blowing up the entire night for everyone. Now she realized she was falling for Mikey, whom her best friend hated and whose friends hated April.

She left sweet Mitch around noon on Sunday. Mitch had done laundry for her and even managed to get her dress clean; there had been blood on it—not her own. He had babied her all weekend. She was well-rested and fed. She was far more composed, but no less miserable, than she had been at the hospital on Friday night.

To her surprise, Brigid's car was back already. "Hey, Bridgey! I'm home!" she called as she entered. Brigid rushed into the kitchen and hugged her tight.

"I love ya, Apricot!" she whispered. Then she stepped back and held April by the shoulders. "Look, love. I came back a little early this mornin' and who should come knockin' on the door but Mikey!" April's eyes opened wide. "He's doin' just foine. Healthy as a horse, that one." Brigid sensed the growing weakness in April's knees and led her to a kitchen chair. "We've been talkin' fer hours. He found out Jerry hung up on ya. They got in a huge foight. Mikey's gonna be stayin' at Ollie's gaff. I'm at peace with Michael. He's been tryin' ta apologize ta me fer a whoile now, and been too shoy ta do it."

"Mikey's shy?"

"In his own way. I'm not the only one he's been afraid ta talk ta. He's afraid he's dug himself into a hole he can't get outta with us. Look, he really wants ta talk with ya. Has wanted ta tell ya something fer a long toime now. I'll be in me room if ya need me. Spent most of a weekend in a big fancy bed and din't sleep a bit." She looked at April. "Do this, love. Talk ta the man." April didn't move at first. Her breath shortened. She couldn't feel her hands. "Look at this pretty one blush! Ya want this, love. Go talk ta the man!" April rose and began to walk toward the living room, her stomach filled with butterflies. She paused, but Brigid gave her a push at the hips and then left the room.

April saw Mikey sitting on the couch. He rose the second he saw her. He had a dark welt on his temple, dark rings under his eyes and some scrapes on his hands, but appeared every bit the muscular hero she saw on Friday night. Once again the Bonnie Tyler lyric popped into her head, "He's gotta be strong; he's gotta be fast; and he's gotta be fresh from the fight!" Maybe she had been holding out for a hero. Maybe, just maybe, she had one.

"I-I called to check on you."

"I know. They told me Saturday morning that you stayed at the hospital for a long time."

"How could I not wait until your friends got there? You saved Mitch from those guys. You put yourself between me and danger. And then I knocked you out cold. I am so stupid!"

"You are beautiful and brave and clever. Those three guys would have mowed right through me if you hadn't taken out the leader with that coffee trick. Then you helped your friend and came back to help me."

"You make me sound like I was some kind of hero. I fucked up, Mikey. I hurt you!"

"You threw a surprisingly dangerous coffee mug at a bad guy and I stepped in the way."

"P-sh-sh!"

"Okay, I don't quite remember the details of that part. Maybe the throw was a little errant. I've played with some pretty good QB's who didn't make every single throw under pressure, and you were in more danger than they were. April..." he paused and stepped toward her, he brushed her hair back from her face. "You were amazing!" He kissed her lightly on the lips. April's knees grew weak and she unsteadily stepped to the couch and sat down. "I'm sorry," he whispered. He went on softly. "I'm taking advantage of an emotional situation. You've been through a lot. I—I'll talk to you again, when you've had more time. Thank you, for everything." He turned to go.

He was leaving! April panicked. She sprang from the couch and tried to grab his arm. She stumbled and clipped him at the knees; he fell down with a big thud. He rolled over and looked at her, startled and confused. She crawled on top of him and sat astraddle of him. She leaned in and kissed him. She sat up to look at his reaction. He laughed, loudly. Oh no! She had made a clumsy fool of herself. Mikey pointed to the kitchen where Brigid had skidded to a stop, cricket bat in hand. She had heard the bodies hit the floor.

"Fock me! Ya scared the livin' shite outta me!" she exclaimed. April and Mikey broke out in full belly laughs. Brigid realized what a sight she must be. The entire situation turned into a full-out crack-up with no one able to stop giggling for several joyous seconds. Mikey regained his composure first.

"Can I get up?" he asked April.

"Oh, lad, ya can't tell me with that pretty hippie jiggling on yer belly yer not already up!"

"Pretty hippie," April giggled. "I'm a pretty hippie."

"Daft is what ya are! But I love ya, girl. Mikey..." With mock ferocity, she glared at him and patted her bat. Shaking her head, she left the two principal parties to finish whatever the hell it was they were doing on the floor.

"How good are you feeling, Michael Skardowski?" April asked.

"Pretty damned good right now," he smiled. He grabbed her by the hips and hoisted her straight up off of him like some type of pairs figure skating lift. She put her knees on the floor alongside him and he rolled to his own his knees before scooping the tiny woman up completely and carrying her toward the couch. April wrapped her arms around his neck and then shook her head. He stopped. She motioned her head toward her bedroom. In a moment he set her down upon the bed and reached back with his long leg and closed the door. He sat next to her on the bed and gently brushed her hair back from her pretty face. He caressed her cheek below her eye. "Still have a little bit of a shiner." April had forgotten; she reached to cover the bruise with her hand. "You could not look more beautiful, April Price." She took her hand away and placed it on his cheek instead.

"Lie down, Mikey." She scooted over to make room and he joined her. "I am going to show you that I am more than a walking disaster area," she said. April got off the bed and stood up, slowly pulling her dress up and over her head to expose the black panties and bra she had thought no man would ever see.

"Wow! That is definitely no disaster area!"

"I haven't even started yet!" She moved to the foot of the bed, pulled his shoes and socks off and then unfastened his belt and fly before gently removing his jeans as he raised his hips slightly to assist. When he sat up, she pulled his "Property of UW-W Athletics XXL" t-shirt over his head. She stopped to caress his muscular arms and trace her fingers over his broad chest. "You are so much bigger than me. But I don't mind feeling tiny next to you."

She crawled up between his legs and they sat facing each other. She wrapped her arms around his neck and enjoyed several long and lingering kisses. She arched her back as he gently stroked her light brown hair. It placed her breasts firmly against him, and he dropped his kisses down her neck to the full breasts which looked ever the larger against her tiny frame. She began to rub her hips against the bulge in his boxer briefs. She moved in a slow circular motion that matched the rolls of her head as she softly moaned in ecstasy.

He unfastened the clasp of her bra and she let it slide forward until he pulled it away. He kissed her nipples slowly, deftly playing at her piercings with his tongue. He began to massage the entire breasts with his massive hands. Part of her wanted badly to let him have his way and take the lead, but she had promised to show him her skills.

She pushed him down on the bed and began to grind a little harder with her hips. He drew in a long slow breath and closed his eyes. April kept eye contact with him, but slid herself away from him and down the bed, trailing her fingers down his body as she did so. There was so much of him! It seemed forever until she reached the waistband of his shorts. She pulled them with her, but took her time, watching his face intently as she kept his legs prisoner with his own shorts. She resolved that this was not going to go by too quickly. She had waited too long for a real man to be her lover.

When she finally pulled them past his ankles, she shifted her gaze away from his face for the first time. She gazed at his naked body and finally at his midsection. She whistled softly. How would that look against her little hands? She had to find out. She leaned forward on the bed and began to stroke the underside of his erection. He bucked in pleasure. She grabbed it firmly and began to slowly pump it. She was amazed by its warmth and its firmness. Her hand was filled with its mass, but she had the power. Here was this gorgeous male body, toned and muscular, but totally under her control. This wasn't just a beautiful man. This was HER beautiful man. After a few delicious moments, she backed away again.

He picked up his head to see her, and she stood at the end of the bed, enjoying his almost torturous sense of anticipation. Bridgey had said he wanted to express his feelings for a long time, and by the goddess she was going to make this something special for him. She marshaled herself to take her time in pulling her black panties down and exposing her full bush. She slid her finger up the slit, parting the soft ginger sea around it. She touched herself and rolled a nipple ring between the fingers of her other hand. He reached down and began to touch himself with one hand and extended one toward her, clutching the air. She could see how badly he wanted to reach up and take her, and she wouldn't have minded if he did. But she knew she wanted to be in control even more. It was time.

April climbed back onto the bed and straddled him. He put his hands on her round little bottom, not forcefully. She dropped her hips to a spot below his erection and then slowly slid the outside of her moist sex up the length of his broad shaft. He muttered something about a "sweet little pussy." She liked it. April closed her eyes and began to lower herself onto him.

Even before she had taken the glans all the way inside of her, her body knew that this was going to be far different than what she had done with her old boyfriends. She lowered herself some more. She was so full already, but there was more to go. The length was more than she'd known before, but it was the overall mass of it that amazed her. She let herself go all the way down to the base. She whimpered a little. This was new. This was a little bit scary. This was fantastic! "Holy shit," she whispered. She opened her eyes; he had just the slightest trace of a grin. He arched an eyebrow. "No way," she thought. "No way is he going to give me something I've never had without my giving him something just as good." She began to grind in a circular motion, and his grin was replaced by a look of serene ecstasy.

"Woman, you...you OWN me!"

"Damn right I do!" she thought. She smiled and arched her eyebrow. He took a deep breath and she began to move up and down, shifting positions and trying different angles. With other lovers she had always put her hands down on the bed alongside when she was leaning forward on top. With him, she found it better to put her hands right on his broad chest. She put her full weight on him he didn't even seem to notice. She started lifting and dropping her hips with increasing velocity. They were settling into a rhythm that was bringing them to climax. It was going to be over soon. She didn't want it to be.

She had to try something new. She slid herself all the way off of him. He lifted his head in surprise. She smiled at him and then turned herself around. She had never been on top of a man and facing away from him, but she knew she wanted to give him one of her firsts. She lowered herself, guiding him into her warmth from behind. "Reverse cowgirl, I think they call it," she thought. She had seen it in pictures and movies. She had no idea what it would feel like. It took her a second to find a good angle, but when she did she was stunned. Here she was, facing her erotic Bacchanalian painting while a man she couldn't see was filling her from beneath. She leaned forward and put her hands on his knees. She began to arch her back and move her body in an up and down snaking motion which rocked her on the base of his shaft. Mikey's big palms cupped the cheeks of her bottom and his long fingers massaged them as she continued to snake.

The fit between them felt even tighter than it had before. This was the greatest carnal pleasure she had ever known. What must he be feeling, watching her full, round little bottom and seeing his shaft disappear into her over and over? She felt his big right hand slip away from her cheek. Was he getting tired? Suddenly, she felt a light tickling sensation. He was stroking a big finger across the rosebud of her backside! She feared he might be going to stick it inside her, and she wasn't ready for that. But she would have let him. How could she blame him? She was presenting it. But he seemed to know just what she wanted. He stayed with the light, gentle action. She began to grind in a circular motion, and he stopped. "No," she whispered. "Do it again!" He flicked his finger across it a few times, and she found that she wanted to make sound. Not just wanted to, had to. She moaned from somewhere deep inside and then began to make short little whimpering sounds in rhythm with her motions. In a few brief seconds she began to experience a hard orgasm. She slumped forward and he raised his knees slightly, so that she could rest on them. She clutched his legs and hugged them as she panted, in search of her second wind. She felt like she might black out for a second. Then, she regained her senses—and her desire. "I'm ready, baby," she purred. "I want you on top of me. And don't hold anything back."