Stuck with the gangster

"You should be more grateful." She replied indignantly.

"For what?" He asked through gritted teeth.

"For saving your life. You were passed out on that sidewalk. If I didn’t find you, you’d bleed to death. It wasn’t easy putting you in my car. I took you out of the car and brought you to the suture room. .

"You only did what you were supposed to do".

He remembered the doctor’s voice whispering something about Hippocrates' oath before giving him the injection that eased the pain.

"You are rude!" She said. Livia didn't usually act that way, but that patient made her so furious that she had no reservations about returning the harshness. "Can you tell me the name of any relatives?" She lowered her face and checked the last exam on the computer screen.

Enrico staggered over to the tray with several surgical instruments, picked up the scalpel and pointed at the cornered woman.

"I have nobody! You'd better keep quiet or things won't go so well for you".

He continued threatening Livia to keep his whereabouts a secret. He feared that rival mafia gangsters had followed Livia's car and were waiting for him to leave the medical clinic.

"You have to help me take a bath," the request sounded more like an order.

"I'm not your nurse," she refused. "If you haven't noticed, the bathroom in this room has no shower".

"I need to clean this sand and blood off my body" he raised his voice. "No need to touch me there," he pointed to the limb a little below the waist.

Enrico looked at the backpack in the corner of the room, he picked it up and put it on the bed.

"That suit was made to measure." The man grunted when he saw the torn sleeve of his blazer. " You shouldn’t have cut it. The fabric of my suit is worth more than this medical clinic".

Livia shrugged, ignoring the angry patient's complaint. She filled a small basin with water and got a cloth.

Across the airy bedroom, Enrico removed the pistol from his belt and hid it under his pillow. He took off what was left of his black blazer and blouse, and then he unfastened his belt. He took off his pants, only black boxer briefs prevented him from being fully naked.

Livia was ashamed to see him like this. It wasn’t the first time she saw a half-naked man, but she had never been with a patient who showed her good form with the intention of teasing her. Trying to refrain from the seduction that man exuded, she ignored the chest with muscles that expanded to the shoulders and every well defined contour of the abdomen.

"Do you desire me?” The inquisitive eyes fixed on Livia.

“No!” Lívia answered, her cheek was blushing.

Enrico smiled, he liked her shyness.

In silence, the gangster felt his delicate hand sliding the wet cloth over his skin, removing dirt from his body.

"I won’t touch down there,"she adamantly refused. "You can do it!"

Furious, Enrico took the cloth from her hand as he ordered her to bring something to eat.

"There are some cookies in my desk drawer".

"Be a good girl and take it!" He ordered. "I'm hungry”. 

She opened the drawer of the white desk and removed a package, looked at the phone, in a rush of emotion, the scared woman thought if she could get the device off the hook and dial the emergency number without him noticing.

"Hey!!" The blue pupils looked at the doctor’s angular face: "you have no idea who I am and what I can do with you and this damn clinic if you touch the phone".

The dark way he threatened her made Livia move away from the phone.

"I should have let you die on that sidewalk!" She mustered the strength to answer you. "I don’t know who you are and I don’t really care about your life!"

"I thought you took the Hippocratic Oath", He smilled.

Livia never imagined that one day she would save the life of a gangster.

"Do you have any clothes that fit me?" He digressed from the subject. "My suit is bloody and wet. I need clean clothes".

Livia left from behind the table, went to the opposite side and took a blue surgical apron. She turned and took three steps towards the half-naked man who, despite recovering, proudly displayed the muscles of his abdomen. She handed the pack of cookies to Enrico.

"Please, put it and go!" She gave the surgical apron to the gangster. "In a little while, I'll have to open the clinic to attend to my patients”.

Enrico stuck his hand under the pillow where he removed the gun, then pointed the barrel of the gun at Livia.

"I'm already getting tired of your attitude." He said. "Just do the things I say and I’ll spare your life. Do you undertand me?"

"Yes, I do!" Livia swallowed hard and agreed.

Enrico frowned when he heard the knocks on the door and then looked at Livia.

"Who is it?"

"It's just the delivery guy." Livia explained while trying to remain calm. "He brings medicine, syringes and other supplies daily”.

"Tell him to go!" Enrico hurriedly put on the surgical apron and grabbed the doctor's arm.

Lívia walked slowly towards the clinic's main entrance, while Enrico pointed the gun at her back. She unlocked it and turned the handle very slowly.

"Hello!” The delivery man saw Dr. Ricci's face and part of her body through the crack in the door.

Lívia looked to the side, trying to send signals that she was in danger, but the delivery guy didn't notice.

"Sign here, please!" He handed the clipboard to the doctor.

She signed and took the small box. Lívia felt the barrel of the pistol pressing against her back, the risk was increasing

"See you." She had no choice but to dismiss the delivery man.

With his right hand, Enrico held Livia’s shoulder firmly and pulled her in before locking the door and taking her back to the bedroom.

If Livia had a chance to go back in time, she would have stayed in the car and gone home, but her good heart always got her into trouble.

"Sit down!" He pointed to the black leather armchair next to the bed. "Don't move!".

Placing the gun beside him on the bed, Enrico opened the bag of cookies and began to eat. He couldn't take his eyes off the doctor, he was afraid that Livia had made some gesture that might alert the delivery man.

After the incident, Enrico was more aware of the Livia's movements. He didn't want her to lose everything. He smoothed bandage covering his wound, the effect of the painkiller was waning.

From a distance, Livia watched the patient, it became clear that he was beginning to feel pain. Enrico removed his surgical apron and moaned softly as he touched the bandage. There was some blood on the white bandage. He was almost certain that the stitches had been blown out.

She was stuck with the gangster for hours. He only came into her life to bring more trouble and threaten her, so why should she help him? Livia asked herself. She continued in silence, noting how much pain he could endure.

"I'm going to miss the day's work."

"The clinic will be closed today”.

"I don't know if you know, but some people, like me, have to work to support themselves.

"I'll pay the fucking debt as soon as I'm safe." Enrico grunted in pain. The effect of the medication wore off completely.

Livia was supposed to give the patient a painkiller an hour ago, but things changed when Enrico became violent and pointed a gun in her direction.

"Why does it hurt so much?"

"It is common for there to be pain or discomfort".

"You tightened those spots too much," he complained.

"Inflammation is part of the skin's healing process," the calm voice explained.  Livia tied her hair on top of her head.  "Never had stitches?"

"But it didn't hurt so much". He replied through clenched teeth. "You pressed too hard on purpose." The hoarse tone murmured. Enrico looked at the medicine cabinet and checked the medications. "Do you have anything for pain?"

Livia was still scared, any false move, that the gangster would shoot. She got up very slowly and took a few steps towards the tall man.