Tickle Me Tony by Angela Penfold

Lights flashed behind his eyelids, the bursts of bright glare making his unconscious body twitch. Somewhere in the depths of his mind images floated, the dark alleyways of Little Tokyo spinning past out of the window of his Chevy, the flash of his siren through the windshield, the glare of the headlights off of the truck pulling out in front of him. His muscles leapt as the sound emerged along with the images, synchronising themselves in time for him to see the front of his car ploughing into the back of the truck again. Then there was the crash of the truck doors, the rush of cardboard boxes down on the hood of the car and finally as movement stopped and Tony rocked back in his seat, the tiny red furry face peering through the cracked glass, its figure shaking in time to the high pitched words and giggle. "Tickle me!"

Bruised eyelids fluttered open, revealing the green depths struggling to focus, determined to pull away from the terrifying thoughts of last Saturday night. The bright red was still there though, painted across his vision as he fought to get away from it and the memories it was bringing back. This time round the colour was perfectly flat and just a little bit shiny, but there was no denying its scarlet hue. Sound hadn't faded much either; the giggle still filled the air, high pitched and just loud enough to send another tremor through Tony's flesh. He shook his head, wincing at the pain that rocketed through it. He couldn't still be dreaming, he'd come around, he was awake, he was sure of it. The stark white walls were there and beneath the laughter he could hear the beep of monitors, the squeaky wheel of the meds trolley that was bought around periodically.

"I'm ticklish! Grand-dad stop it!" The childish giggle rang out again, drawing Tony's attention back to the hospital ward. He hadn't still been dreaming, that was obvious as he stared at the little girl grinning and squirming in an elderly man's lap. Shudders instantly faded, leaving the determined ache to return to battered muscles. A nightmare night hadn't returned to torture him some more and that was definitely a soothing thought. As it was, shopping wouldn't be the same again. Almost ashamed at the fear that had flown through his body, Tony Luca turned away.

The red was still there, staring back at him from the hospital tray over his bed. Glossy gift-wrap looked nothing like the plush fur that tormented him, but the hue was scarily similar. Fresh shudders exploded, tightening Tony's hands into fists that clutched at the sheets. Deep breaths were dragged into unwilling lungs, fighting to squash the nightmare images back into their little hole. It wasn't one of the little critters, wasn't anything like it. Being afraid of it was just dumb. It was a gift, that was all. One of the guys from the station had probably brought it in while he was asleep; there'd been a steady stream of them at his bedside during visiting hours. Heck, wasn't like they knew what little neurosis had lodged in his brain.

"Get a hold of yourself." Tony's words to himself were just as foolish as his new phobia, but there had to be some way he could make himself face up to what was going on. He let go of the sheets and reached for the box with a steadier hand.

Even tearing the paper off of the rectangular box was an effort. The airbag in his Chevy had prevented him from totally mangling himself as he'd crashed into the truck, but those things were never a total blessing. Arresting the driver's speed instantly, they battered the fragile bodies in their own way. A concussion, a broken nose and broken ribs, major damage to his knee and bruises on top of bruises had been Tony Luca's lot this time around. Battered muscles were trembling, out of fatigue now, by the time the red paper lay in torn strips over the tray. Seeing the plain, white cardboard box that had been hidden beneath caused as much confusion as his concussion had four days ago. It was nearly Christmas, but not close enough for gifts to have started arriving.

Frowning now, Tony flipped off the lid of the box and tore at the delicate red tissue paper beneath. What lay within just provided another layer of haze to his already disoriented mind. There was no tag to explain the contents, no little message to let him know what it was or where it had come from, just an inch high pile of wildly coloured squares of paper. Even the instructions seemed to be missing until Tony turned the lid over. No message still, but a booklet of faintly printed directions was taped to the plain cardboard, not that they helped. The only thing he could understand as he tore it away and flipped it open was the detailed little diagrams, everything else was in what looked like Chinese.

"What the hell's this?" In the quiet ward Tony hadn't expected an answer. When it came from beside him, his heart practically stilled in his chest.

"It's an origami set, you know one of those folding paper things all the Orientals do."

Tony's eyebrows rose, confusion growing yet again when he looked up at the dark haired nurse that appeared at least fifty times a day to check up on him. "What?"

The nurse leaned across Tony's lap, flipping open the little paper booklet until she reached an easily recognisable item. A delicately drawn peace crane covered the top half of the page, its parchment wings swooping down between the dark symbols of text. "Origami, the ancient art of making things out of little sheets of paper. You see it on TV all the time. Some guy got my sister one of these sets for her birthday. She made all the family these little paper figures. Guess you're pretty lucky someone decided to cheer you up in this place, huh?"

Lucky wasn't the word that'd come to mind. Dumb, confusing and down right impossible were some of the more pleasant words that did. Obviously someone had decided that the time to play a joke on Tony Luca was when he was stuck in a hospital bed, unable to take out the frustration at the world that constantly ran rife through his body. "I'm not miserable," he muttered, casting a stony glare at the nurse.

"They're relaxing too," Kathy said matter of factly. She lifted the first sheets of paper from the box, letting her fingers drift over them for a minute. "It's supposed to chill you out, focus your mind while you work through the building of the piece."

Luca's lip curled in distaste as he knocked the nurse's hand away from his gift and replaced the squares into the box. "I don't need to relax either, there's nothing to get tense about in this place."

"Whatever." A smirk played over the nurse's lips. Chuckling softly she wrapped the thick black cuff over Tony's bare upper arm.

They'd been coming to take his vitals at least four times a day during his stay. That was the least painful part of their daily torture sessions though. Dressings had to be changed too and the wounds hidden beneath checked for signs of infection. The nurses and students, whoever decided to join in, seemed to take joy in peeling the gauze away from the incision to which they'd adhered themselves. Pain ripped through his flesh each time, the tormented muscles going into spasm, sending red heat through his body, stealing away his breath. At least this time the dressings stayed where they were, this was just a brief session to take his blood pressure and temperature and to readjust the pillows that cushioned his battered body.

Kathy continued her teasing as she stepped away and tucked the equipment back where it belonged. "If you were any more wound up you'd be a Timex."

Maybe she was right, but it wasn't something a guy liked to hear. Tony Luca liked to think of himself as prepared, ready to take on whatever crap the world liked to throw at him and that included the slow recovery from crashing his car into the back of a truck. Growling, half in jest, half in the burn of having the truth thrust upon him, Tony swatted at the nurse's hips. His attack had no chance of landing though. In the battle of an able bodied young woman and a guy approaching middle age, who was tethered to a hospital bed by the torn soft tissue and cracked bones of an injured knee, the fittest was bound to win. Her smile intact and a twinkle in her eye Kathy danced away, heading back down the ward with a jaunty swing in her hips. Round twenty-three to the nurses, yet another victory for them against their grouchy charge.

Carefully Tony placed the instructions into the box and the lid back on top. Receiving a gift didn't always mean you had to be thankful, or use it. If he left it on his bed tray for long enough, some interested nurse or nosy fellow patient would take it away. He eyed it warily, settling back against the newly fluffed pillows. Someone would own up to having sent it eventually, he'd get his revenge then. Casting one more distrustful glance at the box, Tony let his eyes flutter shut and sleep overtake him once more.

Tony's luck hadn't changed when he woke up. It wasn't like he'd expected to wake up and find out he'd won the lottery, but the disappearance of the surprise gift he'd received would've gone a long way to improving his week. No dice though. The glittery red box was still sitting there on his tray, this time joined by a glass of water and a plate of what the hospital swore was dinner. Frustration fluttered in Luca's stomach. If he'd been allowed out of the damn bed he could've tossed the present in the trash himself, instead he was under orders to stay still for at least a week. The doctors had said immobility was important to his knee healing correctly, but that hadn't made the news of a prolonged hospital stay any easier for Tony Luca to swallow.

Sitting up was also a major tactical operation in itself. There weren't any easy movements for his body now, just muscles making their protests known as he dragged his way, hissing and silently screaming to a sitting position. White faced and white knuckled, Tony dragged the tray closer. The nurse could take the box away when she came to take his cleared plate, that would be the matter done with.

Another problem with staying in hospital, Tony mused to himself as he spooned the lumpy mashed potatoes into his mouth, was the boredom factor. It was just fine and dandy if you didn't mind long periods of quiet with nothing more to do than stare at the pale cream walls or listen to the long-winded stories of some travelling salesman recovering from an operation on piles in the next bed, but Tony Luca just wasn't made that way. If he wasn't neck deep in a case or pounding the crap out of a punch bag downtown, then he was feeling the itch to do something, heck, anything, to get his body moving and his mind working.

Some of the guys had bought him by magazines and books when they'd visited, but their entertainment value was limited to a man more used to action. After its fifth reading even the New York Times got boring. The first two days in the hospital hadn't been too bad, most of his time had been spent in a drug-aided sleep, but since then the waking hours had seemed all too long. He glanced at the box out of the corner of his eye. Maybe trying out some of that paper folding in a real mind numbing moment wouldn't be a bad idea, heck the worst it could do was give him a paper cut, there wasn't any way to stoop to any lower level of boredom. It wasn't that he was uptight and needed relaxation, no way man, it was just boredom relief, that was all.

By the time his plate of chicken and potatoes and the little dish of green jello were clear Tony had the instruction booklet laid out on the desk and a range of coloured squares spread out to be chosen from. Some of the origami models looked impossibly intricate, full of tiny folds and multiple pieces of paper, others seemed too simple, just two creases put in the square and you had a silly looking little hat. The peace crane though, that was something he could try. Having read up on Asian mythology and mysticism after the trouble he'd had with Black Lotus the peace crane had become a familiar figure. It was a traditional icon of grace and stillness, like its name stated the crane was a symbol for peace. That sort of calm was something Tony Luca could identify with, he'd been looking for it all of his life.

The minute he'd handed the dinner dishes over to a smug looking Kathy, Tony dived into the task. There was very little text in the instructions that he could understand, just the few symbols that Kim had taught him, but the delicate illustrations made the work pretty clear. It seemed easy for the first few folds, but then his mind and fingers hit a serious brick wall of frustration.

He'd managed the first few creases, folding and unfolding until he had a form in his hand that looked pretty close to the drawing he'd been following, a diamond shape with two valleys made in the sides. That part hadn't been hard, but then the instructions demanded more attention. He progressed smoothly, but then as he attempted to do what the book called a petal fold, the model practically disintegrated in his hands. Folds pulled apart instead of falling neatly into place and corners rapidly disappeared. Relaxation and calm that had slowly grown over the past fifteen minutes vanished in a second, leaving Tony with the half-ruined model and a growl of frustration building in his throat.

The growl became a snarl as a familiar voice emerged from beside his bed once more. Having dispensed with the dinner trays, Kathy was back for another peek at her patient. "Just take your time," she murmured, leaning in close over Tony's shoulder for a peep. "It'll go right if you try it again."

"How would you know?" Frustration flickered bright in Tony's green eyes as he lifted his head.

Kathy shrugged and stepped back, a slight grin playing over her lips again. It was obvious to her that Luca wasn't as opposed to his gift now as he'd made out earlier, she'd seen the interest peak in the usually tense cop as he'd dragged the little box close. "I don't, just thought I'd help."

"No need," Tony mumbled, turning back to his model. "I can do this one myself, don't need a partner."

"I know."

Tony barely noticed the nurse's departure. He'd buried himself in the origami kit once more. He hadn't been giving up, he told himself, he'd just been gathering his wits for another bout with the fold that was required next. It had been going pretty well actually until that one tiny mistake and he was determined to finish the crane, to see its paper wings hovering low on his tray when it was complete. Concentration and patience were all he needed; he'd manage this in the end even if it killed him.

Drawing in a deep breath, Tony carefully folded the model back into the state it had been in before he'd attempted the last fold. With it sitting steady in his fingers, he once more looked over the diagram he'd followed. Maybe if the instructions were in English he'd manage a little better, but the illustrations had fared him well this far. Tiny move by tiny move, he copied the movements on the page, each shift of the paper hitching his heart higher in his throat. It sat perfectly well, moving without falling apart until he tried to tug the section of paper the last inch that it needed to move. Frustration rose, bursting out in another growl as the model disintegrated under his fingers again.

"Damn! Damn, damn, damn!" Tony pulled his right hand away from the model and found himself hissing as one of the crisp little edges sliced through his fingertip. That was all he needed, he'd screwed it up again and now he had a paper cut on top of it all. Dropping the creased paper onto the tray, Tony lifted his finger to his lips, gently sucking on the tiny wound to try and relieve the sting. Heck, the Vietnamese didn't need bamboo splinters as torture devices, just provide the prisoners with origami kits and watch them paper cut themselves into a state of agony.

Pulling his stinging finger from between his lips, Tony eyed the half-finished model. It wasn't going to beat him, heck it was just an origami crane, he could create it out of the paper. Once he got his teeth into something Tony Luca wouldn't back off, it just wasn't in his nature. Ignoring the burning wound, he picked up the model again. Just one petal fold and he'd be past the biggest hurdle with something to show for his time at the end. He carefully took it back to the last completed fold again and began moving through it once more. This time the paper just seemed to slide into perfect position itself, each crease made crisply, each shifting piece of paper going where it was supposed to.

Hope sprang up in Tony's stomach, driving his hands through each move. The petal fold was under his belt and from the looks of the instructions that was the most difficult part, the rest was just using the same folds he'd mastered half an hour ago. Unable to stop himself, Tony grinned softly as he carefully narrowed the pointed tips at the base of the model. He was so nearly there, he could already taste the satisfaction of having completed something so delicate, so intricate. This wasn't like the origami lotus flowers left by the assassin he'd found himself fighting not so long ago. The peace crane was a symbol of the acceptance and goodness in the world, of all that was needed inside him to settle age-old scores.

Two tiny folded sections and the head and tail of the bird emerged, rising majestically from beneath the square section that would soon unfold to complete the model. Holding his breath, Tony gripped the tiny flaps that needed to be drawn outwards, spanning in wide sections from the centre. This was it, the last move in his quest to build the model. Anticipation had his heart beating faster, his hips shifting uneasily on the thick mattress of his hospital bed. There wouldn't be any mistakes this time, just one smooth move. Carefully the paper was drawn outwards, the model stretching and transforming in front of his very eyes as the delicate wings finally emerged. Like the picture the model was complete, casting tiny shadows on the table as Tony set it down. The Tony Luca peace crane had been born.

Staring at it in awe, his mind fuzzy with the satisfaction of a job well done, Tony barely noticed when Kathy returned. Chuckling softly at his goofy grin she leaned close and examined the peace crane. "Great job Detective. For a while there I wasn't sure who was going to win, you or the crane."

Tony smirked, glancing at the all too familiar white paper cup in the nurse's hand. "Was touch and go for a while but I never doubted I'd come out on top in that one."

"Right. How are you feeling?"

"Fine," Tony murmured warily. He knew exactly what the nurse was here delivering and her wares definitely weren't what he needed.

"Liar." Knowing what was going to come out of the detective's mouth, Kathy simply shoved the cup and its tiny white contents towards him. "It's medication time."

Tony stared up at her, determination shining in his eyes. That couldn't hide the lines of exhaustion etched in his face though. Even the smallest activities still had him pooped after a while. The doctor had said that'd pass, he just needed a little while to heal, to let his body get over the shock it had been swamped by during the last weekend. That news didn't make it any easier to admit that he had to rest sometimes though. "I'll take the painkillers, but I'm not going anywhere near the sleeping pills."

"Take them. You need a nap."

"No way," he growled, scowling up at her. "I slept like twenty minutes ago, I don't need another forty winks."

"It was an hour and a half ago actually and if you keep this up then your blood pressure will rise again and you'll just crash out exhausted." The nurse simply shoved the cup into Tony's hand and deposited a small glass of water on the table. "Take them."

Tony scowled, glaring defiantly at the nurse as he pushed the tray away from himself. The stony look in her eyes, the bunching of lean muscle in her jaw had him drawing the table back towards himself. He knew first hand that refusing to take his medications would just involve a needle shot aimed perfectly to make his butt sting for hours afterwards. He'd spent the first two days in the hospital doped out but squirming on the bed as he fought to find a position to take the pressure off of the injection site. With defiance lessened, but still gleaming in his green eyes, Tony snatched the paper cup back off of the table, threw its contents into his mouth, swallowed and handed that and the untouched water back to the nurse. He knew they were waiting for the day they'd be able to dose him up on pills without a fight but he also knew that day would never come.

The nurse didn't wait around to see the pills take effect on the battered detective, she flashed a satisfied grin and set off up the ward. Once in a patient's system they'd have him sleeping like a baby within a half-hour. It wasn't even that long today before Tony's mind slipped from fuzzy into a healing state of sleep. For the first time since the accident his snoozing mind remained nightmare free, no fuzzy little bodies smooshed against his windscreen, no high pitched squeals of laughter and no red painted across his vision.

For nearly ten hours his body remained floating in sweet darkness, giving bruised muscles and torn flesh some of the time they needed to really start healing. The relaxation he'd found in the satisfaction at actually completing the small origami form remained too, sticking around to ease the transition from unconsciousness to a waking state when it came.

The voice was there when he awoke, the words soft but so familiar in their structure, in their sound. It was one he had got to know well long before his stay in the hospital, one that bought a smile even to an injured man. Without cracking open his eyes, Tony spoke, cutting off the other person the midst of their enquiring about his health. "Long way from home aren't you, Kim?"

Chuckling softly, the Korean police officer watched as one pale eyelid fluttered open to reveal the shrewd eye beneath. He moved closer to the bed, another gift-wrapped box tucked beneath one arm. "Just paying a visit to a dear friend and colleague. I heard the news of your unfortunate accident when I called your precinct to ask whether you'd received my Christmas gift yet. I was not sure if I had airmailed it soon enough to escape the holiday time rush."

"You were the one," Tony growled. On steadier arms, he propped himself up in bed, both eyes open now to glare at the figure before him. "Should've known it was from you when it started pissing me off."

For a moment Kim didn't answer, he just glanced at the tiny paper crane on the table and smiled. The smile broadened as he turned back to Tony. "But I see you enjoyed it also. You did very well with the kit."

Tony shrugged, suddenly uncomfortable in the praise he'd just received for the hard work he'd been put in with the paper. "Gave me a paper cut." His bashfulness disappeared as he turned his attention to the gift-wrapped box carried by the Korean. There was no way it was an origami kit this time, far too big for that. Frowning deeply, he let his gaze drift up the impeccable suit to the bemused oriental face above the crisp shirt collar. "What's that?"

"This?" Kim asked, shifting the box to heft it in front of him in both hands. He smiled once more as he placed it gently on the hospital blankets that covered Tony's stomach. "That is a get well gift I found for you in the toy store at the airport. The sales assistant thought that you would enjoy it very much."

Oh god, Tony thought as his stomach lurched. Toy shop. That crash had confronted him with all the toys he wanted to see for a dozen lifetimes. His eyes were wide as he peered at the box, its large dimensions swamped in tiny dancing elven figures. "What is it?" he repeated, the bile rising in his throat making his voice husky. "It better not be anything asking to be tickled."

"Ah no," Kim murmured seriously. He frowned slightly as he touched the top of the box reverently. "I believe the assistant said its song went something like I love you and you love me..."

The Korean officer was cut off in his tuneless rendition as Tony yelled out in fearful disbelief. "Oh God, you bought me a Barney!"

THE END