We continue to talk for a few more minutes. She asks about the ladies at the shelter and if they need anything. My mother has been out here a few times and we both make sure we take the time to visit and help out when we can.
“That reminds me, Samantha said that they could use some more of the personal hygiene supplies and feminine products for the ladies. I’m going to head to the store and grab some of that and maybe some gift cards since I have the day off.”
Mom gasps in shock, “You took the day off?”
“Not by choice.” I mumble into the phone as I head back inside to grab my keys and lock up.
“That’s my workaholic I know and love.”
I shake my head, “Love you, Mom.”
“Love you too, son.”
I hang up the phone as I turn on the car and head toward the local target to grab what I need.
* * *
After grabbing the hygiene products for the ladies at the shelter, I decided since I’m going to be home for the next few days I need to get some supplies. It doesn’t hurt to maybe even prepare a few meals or get some supplies to make lunches a few times a week. Something I can eat at my desk, nothing to crazy I still have a lot of work to do.
As I make my way through the aisles, I hear a familiar growl a split second before a child cries. I want to run and protect her from the man I know is towering over her, but I remain standing in place. I wait listening for the perfect time to intercede.
“Teach this damn kid to fucking learn how to walk! Doesn’t she know to stay the fuck out of my way.”
“You pushed me into the shelves, just like you do Mommy.” The little girl shouts. I clench my fist remembering how I would stand up to my father in an attempt to protect my mother from his wrath.
A loud smack follows, “You need to teach this little brat her place or I will.”
I can’t listen to anymore of this, dropping my basket I head around the corner in search of the commotion. When I turn the corner, I notice Isabel’s arms are wrapped around her little girl child while she kneels on the ground. Tears are steaming down both of their faces as Isabel tries to soothe her, making a shushing sound and rubbing her back.
I watch as Isabel repositioning herself so she is directly in between the man and her daughter, acting like a shield to protect her little girl.
“Shut her up, Isabel.” The man’s menacing voice bellows. I paste on my doctor smile as I make my way closer to them, the squeak of my sneakers on the floor brings their attention to me. I notice two things at once, recognition dawning in the little girl’s eyes and panic coming across Isabel’s face. I try to reassure both of them with my smile that nothing is going to happen, I’m just here to make sure that they are okay.
Instantly, his demeanor changes, he plasters an easy going smile on his face and turns to me. “Hey there, I heard the little one cry and wanted to make sure she’s alright.”
“She took a little tumble, she’s fine. You know how kids overreact when they’re tired or hungry,” he replies with a chuckle. Isabel hugs her daughter closer to her chest.
“I’m a doctor, I don’t mind taking a look if that’s alright with you.” I make my way closer to the little girl wrapped protectively in her mother’s arms. “I may know a little magic to make ouchies better.” I give the little one a wink, pulling a little giggle from her.
“She’s fine, just a little fall,” the man behind me repeats, not as easy going as he was a second ago. Isabel shrinks back at his voice, her body once again protecting the child.
Isabel’s eyes are begging me to leave, but I can’t leave them until I make sure her little girl is alright. It goes against every moral fiber in my being to leave them here, to walk away and know they won’t be safe. I’m in no position to help them right now, I can’t say or do anything without making it worse for them both, and that is the last thing I want.
Still crouched on the floor, I whisper so only she can hear. “You know where to find me.” She blinks to let me know she heard me, and I turn my attention to the child, a smile on my face. “Be careful, okay? We don’t want you to get hurt. If you don’t feel better in a little while, tell your mommy or daddy okay?” She gives me a tiny head nod before burying her head into her mother’s shoulder.
Standing up to my full height, I reach into my back pocket and pull a card out of my wallet. I know this is a risk, but I’m not even sure if Isabel still has my card or not. Turning back toward her husband, “If the little one does complain about not feeling well later, here is my card. Give me a call. I’ll be happy to answer any questions for you.” I give him a smile as I hand him my card.
He snatches it from my hand, “Thanks.”
Forcing myself to walk away is one of the hardest things I’ve ever done. My heart aches in my chest knowing they’re at that man’s mercy. The fear they live with is unimaginable, especially to those who have never experienced it. I, for one, know firsthand.
Chapter Eleven
ISABEL
As I stare out the window, the tension in the car rising, I can’t help but think of my life. It’s not often that people try to help us, they don’t see through Jason’s charm, but he did. Adam saw through it somehow.
Jason is getting worse, the fake persona he wears in public is slipping. The house has been unpacked, everything is running on schedule, just the way he likes it, but he’s still angry all the time. He’s lashing out, not just at me, but also at Sophie, when he used to ignore her existence.
I cry myself to sleep almost every night because the one person I am protecting her from is the only other person in the world who should love her as much, if not more, than me — her father.
Through the rest of the shopping trip, Jason muttered under his breath about the “nosey doctor” needing to mind his own business. I smiled on the inside, knowing it bothered him to know someone saw through his mask.
Tears trickle down my cheeks the closer we get to the house, knowing that whatever is going on inside of Jason is going to explode the minute the door is closed. He pulls into the driveway and parks, the car still and silent.
I know Adam was trying to be helpful but he only made things worse, like waving a red flag in front of a bull, Jason is ready to charge.
He opens his door and heads straight inside, leaving me to unbuckle Sophie and grab all the groceries. I’m soaking wet and cold but I would rather he left me alone then do have him standing over me. Unbuckling Sophie, I get us out of the car and grab as many bags out of the back as I can.
“Sophie, can you carry this bag for me?” I hand her a bag with a box of cereal.
“I strong!” she says as she grabs it and heads toward the house.
Using my elbow to close the back of the car, I carry all of the groceries inside, and toward the unknown storm brewing.
My stomach is a mess of knots, my heart is pounding in my ears as I carry the bags to the kitchen. I don’t notice the plastic handles digging into my palms as I wait for Jason to strike. I know it’s coming, I just don’t know when.
“Hey, Sophie, can you go get into jammies please? I’ll bring you a snack in just a bit, okay?” I keep my voice light so she doesn’t realize that I’m trying to get her out of the way of his wrath. Wherever I am is going to be ground zero, the farther away, the better.
“Okay, Mommy.” With a side glance to the living room, she hurries down the hall and quietly closes her door. When her door closes, I let a little breath of relief.
“You think that stupid doctor is going to save you?” the menacing voice behind me makes me jump and spin around to face him.
“He’s a doctor, they just want to help people.” my voice is soft, desperate to defuse his anger. I’m cowering against the cabinets, making myself as small as possible.
Storming toward me, his body is a rigid mass of pissed off muscle. I curl into myself but he grabs a handful of my hair and throws me through the doorway into the hallway. The scream of pain is involuntary when I hit the side t
able.
“Jason, please,” I whimper from the floor, hoping that for just one time, that would work. He stands over me, fuming.
“He was awfully friendly, like he’s talked to you before.” Jason drops down into a crouch, as my body presses into the couch, trying to get as much space between us as possible. “Are you whoring yourself out while I’m at work? Spreading your legs for any man that shows you the smallest amount of attention?”
The slap to my cheek is loud in the quiet room and has me seeing stars for a moment. “He’s our doctor, I met him when I got your pills.”
“Yeah? And how did you get those pills?” Jason is yelling now. All of a sudden his hand is around my throat and he’s forcing me to stand. “What did you tell him? Did you tell him that your husband beats you? Huh?” My body is slammed against the wall and I cry out. The back of my skull aches from the impact and tears are running down my face.
“No, I swear I didn’t tell him anything!”
Jason pulls back his arm, preparing to swing when I hear Sophie’s voice, “Mommy?”
Panic sends ice through my veins, I have to protect her but there is nothing I can do while pinned to the wall.
“Get the fuck out of here!” Jason yells at her, ripping my heart to shreds.
“Stop, Jason! Please!” I try to fight him, kicking at his legs and pulling on his fingers that are still around my throat.
“Mommy!” Sophie screams, running toward us and swinging her little fists at Jason. “Let her go!”
“Now you’ve turned her against me too?!” he screams in my face while kicking toward Sophie, catching her in the stomach.
“SOPHIE!” I scream in horror as I watch in slow motion, my baby kicked back into the hallway, her arm slamming into the corner so hard it leaves a dent in the plaster.
Sophie lets out a scream of pain, cradling her arm to her chest as she cries, shrinking into a ball. With my maternal instincts kicking in, I kick Jason in the stomach hard enough for him to let go of my neck. Running to Sophie, I scoop her up in my arms, holding her to my chest.
“Oh baby, I’m so sorry.” tears are dripping down my face and onto her shirt, mixing with her own. “Let me see baby.” Showing me her arm, I can see it’s already bruising and swelling up.
“Where do you think you’re going?” Jason hollers at me when I take a step toward the door.
“I’m taking her to the hospital, she has a broken arm!” I yell back. This is the only time he will ever hurt her. He’ll have to kill me first.
“You’re not going anywhere, I’m not done with you.”
“I’m taking her to the hospital whether you like it or not. She has to be treated.” At another time, I’m be proud of myself for standing up to him, for my voice not quivering, but right now, I have to keep pushing.
When he doesn’t move to stop me, I grab my purse and the keys off the kitchen table and head to the car. With every step I take, I’m waiting for him to grab me again but it never comes.
Chapter Twelve
ADAM
Isabel’s face has been constantly on my mind since I last saw her. Her big, green eyes staring at me from beneath full lashes haunt me. I would die a happy man if I could see her smile, just once, but more importantly, I want to be the man to put that smile on her face. I’m sitting on my wraparound porch trying to think of the best way to accidentally run into Isabel when my pager goes off.
Damn it! Can’t I get one day off?
“Nurse’s station, this is George.”
“George, this is Lieutenant Patterson. Why was I paged?” I bark into the receiver.
“Yes, sir. Reese told me to page you if an Isabel Alexander came in. She’s in the ER, sir,” George answered hesitantly.
“Thanks, George,” I reply before hanging up.
What do I do? Go down there? What if her husband is there?
“I have to see if she is okay or if he hurt her. I can get the proof I need this time,” I reason with myself.
Grabbing the first pair of scrubs I can find, I quickly change and make a beeline for the hospital.
What happened to her? How bad is it? Did that asshole hit her? I’ll kill him.
I try to make my way to the nurse’s station calmly, but I can’t help scanning the waiting area for her husband.
“Petty Officer, I was informed my patient Alexander, Isabel has been admitted to the ER. I want an update on her condition.” I surprise the Petty Officer behind the desk, he wasn’t expecting me to show up.
“Sir, Mrs. Alexander is here, but she isn’t the one being treated, it’s her daughter, Sophie.”
Must have been the little girl at the store.
“Where are they? Is she the only one with the child? What is the child here for?”
I need to know where that damn husband of hers is!
“Well, sir, Sophie was brought in with a broken arm claiming that she fell, but her x-rays tell a different story.”
“What do the x-rays show?”
“Multiple breaks in multiple places. It looks like abuse, sir.”
Now I just have to get one of them to admit it, and I’ve got him.
“Is there a man with them or is it just the mother?”
“Just the mother. Bed 4.” He points to a curtained off area.
“Thank you. If a Petty Officer Alexander shows up, call the MA’s, and don’t let him in. In fact, he’s dangerous, lock down the ward if he shows.”
“Don’t you mean Captain Alexander, sir?”
Fuck me! He couldn’t be some Petty Officer dumb shit. Oh well, either way, something has to be done about this asshole.
“I don’t care if he’s the Secretary of the goddamn Navy. If he shows up, lock the damn ward down. That’s an order. Understood?”
“Yes, sir.”
I take a deep cleansing breath, trying to calm my pounding heart as I walk toward Sophie and Isabel’s location. I take one more deep breath before pulling back the curtain, and see the most adorable little girl I have ever laid eyes on. The glimpses I got of her in the store didn’t do her justice — she’s beautiful. Just one look and I know she is going to have me wrapped around her little finger.
Sophie has strawberry blonde curls, her mother’s big green eyes, and light freckles across the tops of her cheeks and nose. She looks to be about four, maybe five, and she’s beautiful, just like her mother. Isabel is surprised to see me, and I can’t resist winking at her.
“Hi, I’m Dr. Patterson. I heard you had a nasty fall. Can you tell me what happened?” I request as cheerfully as I can.
Sophie tries to burrow into the bed to avoid looking at me. I can imagine how afraid she is right now, of men specifically with a father who likes to use her as a punching bag. Moving as slowly as possible, I walk toward the bed and take a seat, ducking down so we are eye level, before I try to address her again.
“My name is Adam. What’s yours?” I ask soothingly.
“Sophie,” says a squeaky little voice.
“Sophie, that’s a beautiful name for a beautiful little girl. You must be very brave not to be crying. I bet your arm hurts pretty badly.”
Sophie smiles slowly and finally looks up at me.
“My arm hurts,” she agrees. “Can you make it better?”
“I can, but I have to look at it first. Can you tell me what happened when it started to hurt?”
I slowly inch closer to Sophie as she raises her arm so that I can get a better look. Her arm is very swollen and according to the x-rays, I know it’s broken.
Poor thing, she must be used to being in pain.
“Daddy hit me,” Sophie whispers.
Isabel gasps from behind me, so I’m sure I heard her correctly. I try not to let the surprise and pain show on my face at her words.
“Oh,” I respond, “why would he do that?”
“I made him mad. I was hungry and asked for something to eat,” she explains as a few tears slip from her eyes.
I can hear Isabel qui
etly crying behind me, but I refuse to take my eyes off Sophie. An ER nurse comes inside the curtain, ending the quiet moment.
“Nurse, can you keep Sophie company while her mom and I head outside to talk for a moment?”
I bend down so I’m eye level with Sophie again. “We will be right back, okay, Sophie?”
“You aren’t mad at Mommy, are you? You aren’t going to hit her, right?” Sophie blurts in a rush, panic lacing her voice.
“No, Sophie, I’m not mad at your mommy. I just want to talk to her for a minute. I would never hurt her or you, because it’s my job to make people feel better, and I take my job very seriously.” Sophie seems more relaxed as she sits back on the bed. “Isabel?”
She immediately takes my hand with tears still running down her face. I pull her through the ER, the waiting room, and outside gripping her hand tightly.
“I was asleep when it happened. I woke when I heard her scream and him yelling,” Isabel confesses, tears pouring down her face. I can tell that she’s not telling the whole truth but I let it go, for now. “I have always been there to protect her, to take the brunt of his anger. Why wasn’t I there this time? This is all my fault!” she cries, covering her face with her hands.
“Isabel, look at me.”
“We can’t stay there any longer. I have to protect my little girl. Oh God, what am I going to do now?” she sobs.
I reach out and lift her chin so I can see her eyes. I tenderly wipe the tears from her face.
Damn, she’s beautiful.
I lean forward and cradle her face in my hands, and I feel her stiffen as I slowly let my hands travel down her neck and across her shoulders, until I’m hugging her tightly to my chest. Finally, she relaxes against me. She surprises me by wrapping her arms around my waist in a tight hug.
“How did you know I was here?” she inquires against my chest.
“The front desk called me. I have your file flagged on the computer,” I tell her simply.
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