Chapter 9

"What's so important that is has to be all hush-hush?" Dan asked, sitting beside the bed.

"I heard you've been making time with my girl. Getting all kissy face and everything, what's the deal?"

His face flushed. "You damn well know I would never do anything like that! It's all her. The damn witch won't leave me alone. It's like somebody turned on the flirting switch and she won't back off."

"What? You're saying my girl's a slut now?"

His face paled. "No. That's not it at all. Nothing's happening, Steve. I swear. She's like a six year old, always wanting to sit on my lap, plant little kisses on my face. Hugging me. Kissing my 'boo-boos' she calls it."

"Right. This is a hell of a thing Dan. I'm fucking incapacitated..." I couldn't do it any longer. He was too easy, still feeling guilty about letting her get away at the party. I started to grin.

He leaped to his feet, and hit me in the shoulder. "You son-of-a-bitch! You're fucking with me?"

Normally a love tap like that wouldn't have bothered me in the least, but it made me twist my torso, and I could swear somebody stuck the knife in my back all over again. The pain must have been reflected in my face. I saw him step back nervously.

"Shit! God, I'm sorry. I keep screwing up. You Ok?" he asked, slowly moving forward again.

I carefully rolled onto my back, moving slowly. "Fuck, that hurts," I groaned, as I tried to find a comfortable position.

"Should I call the nurse?"

"Gimme a sec." I sighed, shifted my shoulder slightly until the pain was reduced to a dull roar. "No more hitting, alright?"

"It was an accident. I swear. You shouldn't be screwing with me like that. I feel guilty enough as it is. You don't need to go piling on, asshole."

I nodded. "Sorry. The first time Sandy told me what Sheri was up to, she teased me like that. I almost lost it before she told me the truth. Sounds like Jaime's getting the same treatment."

"Not since Maria returned. It was better when she was gone. Now Sheri can't torture anybody but me."

"Got it. Now kisses from my woman are torture?"

"Fuck! Gimme a break. You know what I mean. She's great, alright. There's nobody for her but you, and you damn well know it. I'm a hobby for her, seeing how much she can drive me crazy. You gotta get out of this place, and soon."

I grinned. It was too easy.

"Alright. I'll stop fucking with you. And get over the guilt thing. It's screwing with your head. It's not your fault. I should have known about the back exit, and planned for it. It happened. We all survived. I know you did all you could. I saw you fighting that big son-of-a-bitch. By the way, the face? Still an improvement."

His bruises and scratches had barely started to fade. It had looked the worst a couple of day earlier, but still looked like shit.

"I know. I'll be better once you're out of here. You scared us all you asshole. Don't do that again."

"I'll try not to. I swear." I nodded toward the water on the table next to me. Dan passed it to me, and didn't flinch when I sat up, grimacing, to take a sip. Time for business.

"I couldn't stand to see her hurt again. I know I should have waited, but when they started groping her, I lost it."

"You don't have to explain. We all get it. Hell, any one of us would have done the same. Too bad it wasn't Jaime or Mark. Nobody would have touched her, they'd be nothing more than messy stains on the alleyway by now."

"I need you to do something for me. All I can think about is Sheri, how she was, and why. I need a big favor from you. Only you. Nobody else knows. Can you do that for me?"

"Not even Jaime or Mark?"

"Nobody. For their sakes as much as anything else. I know it's asking a lot. I wouldn't if it was anybody but her and you—"

"It's done. Whatever. Tell me what you need."

I knew I could trust him. Trust him with my life. I hoped that it didn't come down to that again. "Alright. Thanks. Here's the deal..."

It had taken me five days before they'd let me sit up and use a laptop. I was only online about ten seconds before my buds started lightin' me up with messages.

From the first time back, I found things had changed. Not in the game, so much, although there were several new things with the release I'd missed. The change was in us. No one was playing solo, not even Jaime. On logging in, I'd find them working together in groups of three or four. With a max party size of four, one of the guys would drop out to make room for me if necessary.

Things were easy, even in hardcore Hell mode. We worked as a finely tuned machine, each watching out for each other. CherryBomb was always at the center of each group. She coaxed, she goaded, she teased. She led.

The first time on, they made me switch from Skype to Ventrilo for voice chat. Jaime set up our private server, and the sound quality was even better and it was much easier to join.

We were laughing, joking, teasing each other. We shared loot, traded cash, farmed as a group, and had more fun than I'd ever imagined outside of Beta.

At the end of each session, CherryBomb would announce the finish, and she and I would pop out of the game and onto video chat.

I'd made a few calls, and she'd received the order on my 3rd day after awaking. Every night she'd reward me. Tonight it was a red lace halter babydoll that only half covered her outstanding breasts. It barely reached her crotch, and had the cutest red thong.

"The girls want to thank you again. You didn't have to do this," she said, indicating her outfit.

"Sorry, Angel. It wasn't for you."

"You have to stop calling me Angel, you know I'm anything but. I don't want to be an Angel. I'm gonna be your little Devil. Can't you see I'm wearing red?"

"Sorry sugar. You saved my ass, and you'll always be my Angel. My guardian Angel."

She pouted. "Seriously? Would an Angel do this?" she asked, pulling her halter material to the outside, exposing her breasts.

"Heavenly tits," I teased.

She stuck her tongue out at me. She turned lifted the back of her outfit and wiggled her rear. "Angelic?"

I laughed, as she smacked her own tight little buns. "Hell no, Devil girl. Hellacious."

She grinned. "Good answer. When you coming home to me? I need you."

"Doctor's talking two more days."

"Sandy showed me the video. Looked like you enjoyed it. Was she good?"

"God, I was so desperate to get off, at first I couldn't even tell. It was a warm wet mouth."

She laughed. "Don't you dare ever tell that! She thinks she's God's gift to men and women. She's convinced she rocked your world."

"Don't get me wrong, Sheri. It was nice. But she's not who I wanted doing that."

Sheri grinned, moving closer to the camera, sucking on her finger. "You don't say. Now who could you possibly have in mind? You couldn't possibly want your 'Angel' to do such a naughty thing. Putting that big, hard, nasty thing in her innocent little mouth? I don't think it would even fit!"

"Do you think my ornery Devil would like to give it a try?"

"Trust me, there's not much that your personal Devil wouldn't try for you. I'm not saying she'd want to do it more than once, but she'll give anything a try for you. Anything."

"You know there's nothing I wouldn't do for you, don't you."

She laughed. "No shit. I think the whole world knows it by now." I saw a conflicted look cross her gorgeous face. "Where the hell were you three years ago?"

It was like I was knifed all over again. "Don't you think I wonder that myself?"

I saw the tears in her eyes. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean that. Hell, you were married, and I was barely out of high-school. It's not on you."

"It is now. Nobody will hurt you again."

"Say it for me, Steve?"

"I love you, Sheri."

"Sheri? Or Cherry? Maybe you actually love the gamer girl."

"One and the same, silly girl. The gamer girl was how I got to know you. The gorgeous little Devil has her claws in my heart, and I don't see how the hell I could ever win myself free, even if I wanted to."

She peeled off her babydoll, sitting there in that little thong. She rolled the chair back giving me a full view. "Yours, baby. Get well and come to me."

"Do the girls miss me?"

She cupped her tits in her hands, giving them a squeeze. "You know it. They want to reward you for all the sweet presents."

"How about the booty?"

She turned and got on her knees, wiggling her cute little butt. "What do you think?"

"I think I'm dying to introduce myself up close and personal."

"I'm going to tell the boys I made you kiss my ass."

"Make 'em jealous?"

"Damn straight. Let them eat their hearts out. All yours, baby. Only yours."

She leaned back in her chair, opening her legs. That tiny little thong was all that covered her magic. She reached down and pulled it to the side, sliding her fingers out of sight. She bit her lip, moaning loud enough for me to hear, pulling her fingers out, and showing the camera how wet they were.

"How do you do this to me?" she said, shaking her head. "The sound of your voice sets me off. I have to sit on a towel the whole time we're playing. I want you so bad."

"Soon, Sheri. I promise."

The last few days crawled by, with visits from friends, daily checkups, and late night gaming. Sheri came by each day, spending a couple of hours, lying on my bed with me, unless the nurse caught us. I don't think she was trying too hard. We'd talk, about our past, and about our dreams. We'd touch each other, gently caressing. I got to first base, and second base each day. She was driving me nuts.