I Can Taste the Failure

“No, no, I told you, the girl’s been cleared of all charges.”

“All of them?” the other persisted, both sounding like police officers.

“She’s clear, mate, never even rushed a stop light. Hell, she’s a driving instructor.”

“Damn shame, she’s our only lead,” the pushy one paused a second to take in my form sprawled out on the hospital bed. “You’re right, though. Girl couldn’t hurt a fly, even if she thinks she can. That boy that’s with her, though… The musician, one my daughter listens to. Never liked that boy. So damn protective of the girl, though. Did you see the way he refused to leave her side? Shot us damn glares before he left, too.”

His friend chuckled, “Damn funny kid.”

“Did the other girl wake up yet?”

I could hear a frown in the voice that answered with a “Not yet.”

“She’s also got a boy half in love with her, the one with the long hair?”

“They all have long hair, Ed.”

“Oliver?” I grumbled, rolling over and tightening my fists around the scratchy hospital sheets.

“Christ, she’s wakin’ up.”

“Shut up, mate.”

My door clicked open, and my eyes, now open, blinked furiously against the light shining in through the window. I snapped them shut in defeat and rolled onto my back. A hand brushed a stray hair off of my forehead, and I scrunched up my nose in response, earning a familiar chuckle.

“Holley, love, can you hear me? It’s me, it’s Oliver.”

“Oli, I don’t like this dream much,” I mumbled, blinking some more against the light.

Oliver let out another low chuckle and I smiled dopily into his golden brown eyes, “You’re not dreaming, doll.”

“Hmph,” I said, rolling onto my side to fully face him. “I’m supposed to be mad at you, aren’t I? Everything’s a little fuzzy…”

“I’d figure we could talk about that in a bit, after you’d had a chance to check on Louise.”

“Louise!”

I shot up, my heart suddenly pounding in worry. I struggled to get around the tangled sheets and out of the bed. Oliver put his hands around my waist, keeping me upright when I almost tumbled right out of bed.

“Mr. Sykes, we still have to question…”

Oliver gritted his teeth together, “Not now.”

The other who had been called Ed before sighed, “Oliver, er, is it Oliver? Your girl is a crucial witness…”

“I’m not his girl,” I snapped back quickly, shoving the memories to the back of my mind and continuing before Oliver had a chance to respond. I pulled on the lapel of my black sweater distractedly and said, “Now can’t you take me to my friend? I swear I’ll talk to you, later. Right now I’ve got to get to Louise.”

Oliver obliged and led me out the door, where I impolitely shimmied away from the hand that was lightly placed on the curve of my hip.

Ignoring the two police officers leading the way, he pressed his lip to my ear, and whispered, “Do you really have to act so unfriendly, Holley?”

“Unfriendly? May I remind you, Oliver, that I’m not your “girl” because you didn’t want me to be. You just wanted…” I exhaled, running my fingers through my long auburn hair. “A fuck buddy.”

“I thought I made that perfectly clear to you.”

“It doesn’t matter how bloody clear you made it, Sykes,” I hissed angrily. “It doesn’t change the fact that you’re an ass-fuck. And Chelsea,” her name dripped off my tongue in disgust. “I can’t believe you fucked Chelsea, of all people.”

Oliver grabbed my arm suddenly, holding me to him until the two chatting police officers rounded the corner and we were left alone.

“I’m sorry, okay, Holley? I’m sorry, I fucked up. I should have told you about Chelsea, but what would it have changed?” Oliver trailed his finger along the top of my lip, and I shut my eyes tightly, slightly leaning back until my back was against the cool expanse of the beige wall. His warm breath washed over my lips, “Can you honestly tell me it would have stopped you from getting into that car with me Saturday, Holley?”

I opened my eyes and his- serious, knowing- were there staring.

“You lied to me, Oliver. You lied to me, you lost me my job… I just don’t know what I’m supposed to think. You act like this, and… and I’m almost convinced you want me, but then you go and do something stupid,” I frowned. “Tell me you want me- only me- now, and then I’ll know.”

“My life, Holley, it’s complicated. People expect things from me…”

I nodded once. “That’s all the answer you had to give me, Ol,” I told him, struggling to keep my tone casual. I patted his arm reassuringly and stepped away from him. “I’m not hurt, honest. I’m just glad I know.”

“Holley, wait…”

Curtis appeared around the corner suddenly, gaze shooting between our tensed bodies.

“Come on, you two. I’ve been looking for five minutes. Louise, she’s awake! C’mon, Holley, she’s askin’ for you.”

Oliver managed a playful frown, “What, no wish for me?”

Curtis laughed goodheartedly, like a large weight had been lifted off his shoulders, “The guys an’ me told her about you, and she says, and I quote, “Tell the fucker to suck my cock, Ward.””

I joined in on their laughter- that was so Louise. We followed Curtis back to Louise’s room, which was just through another ward. Oliver slid closer to me along the way.

“I didn’t finish back there, Hol. I don’t want to lose you, not over this.”

“What do you want from me, Oliver? I don’t even know if I’m willing to give you friendship right now, not after all of this. Everything… well, my life is sort of spinning out of control right now, Oli, and I don’t really have much more to give.”

Oliver’s eyes were like lit coals, “I know one thing, ‘olley, and that’s that you need me. It was me that you fainted into last night. It was my shoulder that you cried into, and me that you begged to solve your problems,” Oliver said, and my heart clenched with the intense need that I had felt for him last night, when I had no one to turn to. “I get that your life is spinnin’ right now, love, but you’ve got no one to set it back on track but yourself, not with Louise in a right state like that. And while you’re taking care of her, who’s taking care of you?”

“I don’t know,” I whispered.

“You need me, Holley.”

I averted my eyes, “Maybe I do.”

Oliver pulled me against his side, but Curtis grabbed a hold of my hand and yanked me into a doorway, room 256.

“Oi!” a familiar voice shouted. “What’re you doing in here, Sykes? I said, keep ‘im out, Curtis. Don’t look at me like that, Holley. What’m I supposed to do besides snap at people? I thought that was what I did best.”

“Lou!” I cried, ignoring her commands. I brushed back a couple of tears brimming on the edge of my lashes and threw myself at her thin frame, propped up in the hospital bed. She was clad in the disgusting pastel blue sheets, but I didn’t care. I squeezed her tight, crooning, “Oh, Lou, what the fuck were you thinking, takin’ things from a stranger like that?”

Louise kissed my red, wet cheek. “I was thinkin’ that those pills would be a fuckin’ rush.”

“It was pills, then?” Oliver asked, frowning.

Louise’s eyes darkened, “Yes, something dangerous. I was so knackered, I couldn’t very well tell the difference. Don’t look at me like that, ‘olley, honestly.”

“Experimental?” I squeaked out.

“Someone tried to poison Louise, Ms. Stryder, and that someone came very close.”

I whirled at the sound of the deep baritone, taking in the frame of a man leaning at the closed door. He was dressed dark in depressing, basic colors, his brown hair hanging lightly across a middle-aged forehead. His expression couldn’t be placed, but his face was frightening in a way that conveyed mistrust.

Louise grimaced, “Hol, meet Mr. Webster. Mr. Webster, this is my best friend, Holley Stryder. He’s the detective that’s been assigned to my case, love.”

I held out my hand after a beat of silence and a confused glance at the two police officers- was it possible they were here to protect Louise from whoever wanted to hurt her?- who were quietly occupying the very furthest corner of Louise’s room, “Nice to meet you, Detective Webster.”

“The pleasure is mine, Ms. Stryder. And please, it’s John.”

“Holley, then.”

“Is there a particular reason you’re here, Mr. Web- John?” Louise asked politely, though I could tell she was annoyed at the interruption.

“I was hoping Holley here could spare a minute of her time. Besides yourself, of course, she’s the only one who may know who meant to hurt you. Would you mind, Ms. Stryder? It will only take a second, I promise.”

I pecked Louise on the cheek quickly. “Rest,” I ordered her gently, before I stepped away from my friend and said to Detective Webster, “Of course, please, lead the way.”

A hand closed around my upper arm, and Oliver’s worried “Holley…” made me turn to him and give him a peck on the cheek as well.

I smiled softly and said, “Calm down, Sykes, you worry too much,” before I stepped away from Oliver and followed the detective out the door.