Never Again – 34

 

"Heads up!"

Joseph never heard the shout because he was wearing earplugs, but he felt the air move as something fell past him, landing on the ground barely inches from where he was standing. He was instantly covered with dust and debris from a broken sheet of drywall. He looked up at the second level balcony, shielding his eyes from the bright sun. He didn't see anyone but he knew the drywall hadn't fallen by itself. Someone grabbed his shoulder, pulling him back before swinging him around. He saw Cal's terrified face and did his best to reassure him everything was all right.

"Like hell you are!" Cal pointed to a tear in the leg of Joseph's disposable suit and the blood streaming down his thigh. "Sit down now," he ordered.

By then most of the men had appeared, some looking shocked, others asking what had happened. Cal sent George to get the first aid kit and in the next breath told Joseph if he didn't sit down there'd be hell to pay.

Despite the blossoming pain in his leg, Joseph wanted nothing more than to go up on the balcony, hoping to find some clue as to who had thrown the drywall over the railing. One look at Cal's face and he did as he was told, sitting on a pile of lumber a few feet away.

By then George had returned. He knelt by Joseph, ripping the leg of the suit farther open until he could see the wound in Joseph's thigh. "Looks like a nail got you," he said when he started to clean the large gash. "Done a good job of it too. Cal, you'd better get him to the ER. He'll need stitches and a tetanus shot if I don't miss my guess."

"I'll be fine," Joseph protested. "Just clean it out and bandage it up." The last thing he needed was to go to the hospital. It wouldn't take an intelligent doctor long to figure out he wasn't quite what he seemed. Besides which, he needed to figure out who had it in for him this time, because what had happened was no accident.

"Don't give me any shit; you're going to the hospital," Cal growled. When Joseph tried to stand, despite the fact George hadn't finished, Cal put his hands on his shoulders to stop him. "I mean it, Joe."

Joseph nodded in apparent resignation but he fully intended to convince Cal otherwise when they were out of earshot of the others. All he had to do was go for a run, something he'd managed to sneak in once a week on a night when Cal hadn't come home with him. One shift and he'd be healed. Of course, if I do that he's going to wonder. I can hide the wound from everyone else, but not him. Damn. At least whether I shift or not, it's not going to get infected so maybe—

"Tell you what, no trip to the ER and George can stitch me up."

"Like hell," Cal growled.

"I could," George put in before it became a full-blown argument. "I was a medic way back when. I know which end of a needle is up and believe it or not there's a small suture kit in here." He took it out to show Cal.

"What about the tetanus shot?"

"I had one six months ago," Joseph said, lying through his teeth. "That should cover that."

Cal sighed. "All right, looks like I'm outnumbered. Go for it, George, and slather him down with antibiotic cream too."

Ten minutes later Joseph was stitched, bandaged, and on his feet again. His leg hurt like hell as he made his way up to the balcony, but there was no way he was going to let anyone know.

While George had been playing doctor, Joseph had watched the men, studying each one carefully when they weren't aware of it. As far as he could tell, none of them seemed upset that he hadn't been hurt worse than he was. He tried to figure out which ones hadn't shown up when the 'accident' had happened. Unfortunately there were enough new guys he saw only rarely in passing that he wasn't certain if any of them were missing.

"Put your damned mask on," Cal grumbled when he came up to stand beside him.

"Sorry." Joseph did, reluctantly. It impeded his vision and sense of smell, both of which he'd been using to see if he could sense which man, or men, had tossed the drywall over the railing.

"What are you doing on the balcony anyway?" Cal asked.

Joseph shrugged. "I guess I was hoping my attacker left some clue to who he was. And it was an attack, in case you didn't get it."

Cal nodded. "I figured it was. I was up here ten minutes before it happened and there was no drywall anywhere within fifteen feet of where it had to be to fall on you. The question is, how did he, or they, manage it without anyone realizing what was happening?"

"Probably because you had most of the men working on the end units, finishing them up."

"True enough." Cal leaned on the railing, staring down at the broken shreds of the drywall. "Do you think this has anything to do with Dan?"

"That thought occurred to me." Joseph shifted to take his weight off his injured leg.

"Okay," Cal said, catching the movement out of the corner of his eye, "You're going home if I have to drive you myself."

"They might wonder why it took a couple of hours for you to return," Joseph said teasingly.

Cal snorted. "Rich boy, you aren't up for any fun and games right now."

"I'm afraid you're right, but let me call a cab. It's early and there's still too much to do today for you to take off."

"Okay." Cal glanced around then patted Joseph's butt. "I will come check up on you though, once I'm out of here."

"I'll put the pot on for tea."

"Tea?" Cal laughed. "Just make sure there's a couple of beers in the fridge."

Joseph thought for a second then nodded. "There are." Taking out his phone he called for a cab then hobbled back down the stairs, going to the gate to wait for it.