by Janet Durbin
"Nature! My god, Nature!” The secretary ran up to her friend and folded her arms around the scratched and bruised body. Her skin was so cold, and her face ... her face was a battered mess. “Thank god we found you."
Nature hugged Sandy tight, unable to believe the younger woman was really here. It felt too much like a dream, a dream filled with many nightmares. She was afraid that if she let go, her friend would disappear. That was something she couldn't handle under the current circumstances. She bawled like a baby who thought her mother abandoned her. Suddenly, she looked up, frantic. She remembered where they were and who was after her. The man was here, somewhere. He might get Sandy. That was not an option. She would not see her friend used in such a horrible way.
"Sandy, we have to get out of here ... now. He's still here. He might get you."
"That won't happen. Web won't let it.” Sandy pulled Nature's head against her body, trying to sooth the distraught woman.
"Web? He's here?” Nature pulled away again. She looked around, trying to see every direction at once.
At the mention of his name, Web appeared, out of breath from the run. His eyes focused on the woman in Sandy's arms, His heart soared. “Nature."
Nature peered at Web. His concerns, fear, and love for her was evident, even with her diminished eyesight. A look of wonder creased her swollen face, the hope inside her rose to new levels. Maybe he still wanted her, even after what happened. Maybe he saw her as the woman he loved and not as a soiled thing. The happiness inside showed on her face. One of horror replaced it when she saw the man appear behind him. She struggled to get free of Sandy. She tried to shout out a warning, but her throat constricted with fear.
Web saw the change in Nature and started to turn. He was partway around when a man, presumably the killer, jumped at him, knocking the gun out of his hand. With the quickness of a snake, the man threw a fist. It landed on the left side of Web's face. He spun around, but did not fall. He tried to throw himself at the killer, to land a few hits of his own; the man wasn't there. He was too quick. Web felt another blow land on the same spot as the previous one. A foot kicked him in his stomach. It was followed by a foot in his face He landed hard on his back. Dark circles danced in front of him. He struggled to get up, trying to get to his feet before the killer attacked again. He made it up to his elbows before the shot rang out.
A searing pain hit his shoulder area. Another shot echoed almost immediately afterwards. More pain started close to the original spot. It became hard to breath. He rationalized that he had a collapsed lung. But, rationalization was beyond him at the moment. He main thought was on helping Nature. He tried to see where the man holding the gun stood. He fell back, unable to hold himself upright.
Sandy couldn't believe Web was shot. She watched the spread of blood slowly change the color of his shirt. Anger filled her every fiber. This was the first time that Nature allowed herself to love, since Brad, and she was not about to let that end ... not at the hands of this shithead. She bolted across the space and tackled the man before he could fire another round. They landed in a tumble of arms and legs, the gun still gripped in his hand. Even though he was taken by surprise, he recovered quickly, too quickly for Sandy to take advantage of it. He kicked her off and jumped to his feet before she could get to hers. He trained the gun at her head.
Before he pulled the trigger, a shot rang out from another direction. Sandy saw the man spin around. He somehow stayed on his feet. Another shot sounded. He finally fell. Blood poured from two holes, one in the upper abdomen and the other just to the left of his breastbone, close to where the heart was located. She was shocked to see the man trying to lift the gun. In answer, a third shot rang out. The man's head slammed onto the ground. This time, there was no getting up. This time, a gaping hole opened up his forehead.
Nature watched the man go down. She didn't care; her attention was on Web. Blood covered the left side of his shirt. It spread to the other side before she managed to get to her feet. Her ankle screamed at her for using it. Its swelling matched her face. She ignored it, she had to get to Web; she had to see if he was still alive. She managed to make it to his side before her ankle quit supporting her all together.
She pressed down on the wounds, trying to reduce the flow coming from them. Tears mingled with the red. He moaned with pain. He opened his eyes and gave her a weak smile. She smiled back. He was alive. She hoped he was stubborn enough to stay that way. He had to. She needed him.
Web tried to speak when he saw Nature next to him: her bruised and battered body, her swollen face, and her tears. He wanted to console her, to let her know it was all right. But the effort needed to speak was too hard, there didn't seem to be enough air. And, he felt so weak. All he could give her was a smile. He couldn't even raise his arm to touch her beautiful face.
The smile faded as intense pain wracked through him. She became harder to see through the fog surrounding everything. He heard her whisper in his ear. It caused his to smile again. The words that echoed through his mind as he slipped from the world of consciousness were ... “I love you,” and “You better not leave me; I need you so much."
Twenty One
When she awoke, Nature lay on her side, under soft sheets in a warm room. At first, she didn't remember how she had gotten there. Slowly the memories returned. She remembered being kidnapped from her home by the man who had killed so many. She remembered the tortuous ride to his cabin and the events that unfolded there. She remembered him killing Miranda and her getting away. Then she remembered Sandy and Web, and seeing him collapse, shot by the man. After that, the events were a blur. She rolled onto her back and sat up. The room was empty. She noticed a chair next to her bed.
The door opened and Sandy entered, burdened with a tray overloaded with food. “Hey, good to see you finally awake sleepyhead. I brought lunch. The food here is great, but it's not like the stuff at home. It's passable though.” She plopped the tray onto the stand tucked in the corner. Moving the overbed table in front of Nature, she put a cup of tea and a bowl of chicken noodle soup in front of her. “Eat up. It's been a couple of days since you ate and you need to get your strength back."
The smell coming from the soup was nauseating. The tea smelled wonderful. She picked it up with shaky hands and brought it to her mouth. She sipped at the dark contents. A stinging inside her mouth caused her to grimace. She reached up and felt the split lip, butterfly strips held it together. She moved her hand to her eye. The swelling was gone, but it was tender to the touch. She dropped her hand back to the table. Tears welled in the corners. They ran down to fall onto her hospital gown.
Sandy was about to take a bite of her hamburger when she saw the tears. She lowered it and asked, “Are you in pain? Do you want me to get the nurse?"
Nature shook her head back and forth.. Wiping the tears off, she looked up at her secretary. “He's dead, isn't he?"
"Who? The man who took you? You bet your ass he's dead."
"No...” Nature maintained eye contact. “Web."
Sandy returned the burger to the plate and sat on the bed next to Nature, “Aww, honey, he's alive. He's in the ICU.” She comforted her, brushing her hair off her face. “He was airvaced to this hospital and given emergency surgery. They managed to patch him up, and, several pints of the red stuff later, he's still with us. He's unconscious though."
Her words slowly sank in. She was glad to hear them, even though she wasn't sure if she believed them. “Who saved us?"
"Would you believe ... Franklin?
Nature frowned, “Franklin?"
"The detective from Atlanta. He caused a lot of grief while we were hunting for you, but we managed to find you anyways. In the end, he made up for his bungling. He shot the asshole that kidnapped you."
"I have to see Web.” She shoved the covers out of the way. She had to make sure he was really alive.
Sandy stood, blocking her way. “You're not strong enough yet. You need to rest."
"If you don't ge
t out of my way, I'll knock the crap out of you."
"Go ahead ... try it."
Nature shoved on Sandy's shoulder while throwing her legs closer to the side of the bed. The woman barely moved. Her left ankle throbbed when it hit the floor.. It was wrapped in a soft cast. Nature tried to stand.. The effort left her winded. She flopped into Sandy's hovering arms. They were the only things preventing her from going all the way down. Sandy hit the call button.
"Can I help you?” The voice said from the call box located on the wall.
"The patient is overly anxious and needs something to calm her down. She's trying to get out of bed."
Nature pleaded with her, “I need to see Web ... I need to see if he's okay."
Sandy held her upright, waiting for assistance. “Not until you're stronger."
"We'll send the nurse right in.” The box squelched when the person speaking turned it off.
The door opened and a nurse walked in with several syringes in her hand. The nursing assistant walked in behind her and helped Sandy put Nature back into the bed. She pulled the lower rail up to prevent any further attempts to escape and flicked on the bed exit alarm. Nature did not have the energy to resist. Sweat covered her brow and her muscles shook from her exertion. They felt like they were made of jello.
She watched as the nurse spun the syringe onto the IV site in her arm and pushed the clear liquid into the vein. She glared at everyone in the room. Her eyelids became as heavy as lead weights. They lowered. She snapped them open. The weights exerted their pressure once more, forcing the lids shut. Again, she snapped them open.
"Don't fight it,” Sandy said. “I'll keep him safe until you can take over.” She grabbed Nature's hand.
Nature felt her sincerity through the grip. She knew Sandy would keep her promise. She disappeared into the drug-induced land of slumber, uttering one word before she slept, “Web."
* * * *
Three days later, she was able to get out of the bed and into a wheelchair with minimal assistance. Sandy pushed her into the hall, toward the elevators. While they waited for its arrival, the secretary hummed a tune under her breath, her foot bouncing to the tempo. Nature smiled up at her, a finger tapping in response. It was a song from her favorite band. She returned her attention to the elevator when a ding sounded. The wheelchair rolled over the track for the doors and Nature pushed the button for the fourth floor. They were heading to the intensive care unit.
Nature squirmed in the seat. She was anxious, anxious to see Web. This was her first visit since they arrived at the hospital six days ago. Sandy warned her that he still had many IV's hooked up to him and that he had a chest tube. At least he was off the ventilator and breathing fine on his own.
Sandy already had clearance to enter. She pushed the auto door opener and waited until they swung out of the way. She turned to the right after they were past them. Solid walls partitioned the rooms, but glass faced toward the walkway, allowing the staff to watch the patients inside without difficulty.. Nature saw an old woman, her eyes closed, her family hovering at her bedside, and a middle-aged man with tubes coming out of every visible opening. Then, a room with the curtains drawn came into view. She heard voices inside. Several females giggled. As they pulled up to the entrance, the curtains opened.
Nature saw a couple of staff walking around. One was pouring out a pan of water. They smiled when they saw her. “We knew you were coming so had to spiff him up a bit.” Stepping out of the way, the tech asked, “What do you think?"
Her heart nearly flew out of her chest. Web looked at her with his beautiful hazel eyes. He gave her a weak smile and reached for her. Before Sandy was able to push her in, Nature rolled herself to his side.
"Hey beautiful” The words sounded hoarse because the breathing tube had irritated his vocal cords. They were still adjusting to the fact that the tube was out of the way, that they were allowed to work now.
Tears welled in her eyes. She took his hand in hers and pulled it against her face.. “I love you."
"Love you, too.” He stroked the side of her face with a finger, careful not to rub the bruises too hard. “Never going to leave you again. Hope you can handle that."
"You betcha, mister.” She smiled and the tears overflowed onto his hand.
Sandy and the staff discreetly exited, leaving the two alone. No one had dry eyes when they left.
* * * *
Three and a half weeks later, Nature sat in an easy chair in the study, the one with the fireplace. A blanket covered her lap to ward off the afternoon chill; she held a cup of hot tea in her hands.. Glancing beside her, she saw Web tip a cup of coffee toward his lips. She took a sip. Her gaze returned to the dancing flames behind the protective screen. The fire reflected throughout the room, making it feel alive. They were waiting
The door opened and Sandy poked her head in. “They're here.” She disappeared back the way she came, the door left open.
Nature set the cup down and removed the blanket. She draped it over the back of her chair before moving behind the one holding Web. Grabbing the handles, she wheeled him to the other study, the one for visitors and company. He leaned forward, eager to see the occupants. Web continued to be dependent on the wheelchair, but rigorous physical therapy helped him get stronger every day. He was able to walk from the front door to the kitchen before he had to sit and catch his breath.
The pair entered to find several people inside. The new sheriff for Garfield County rose to his feet.. He twirled his hat in his hand. It was Officer Spangle, from Brevard County, now Sheriff Spangle. When he came to ask for Nature's help with a case, several weeks ago, he was so taken by the beauty of the area, he decided to move here.. He won the election held after the county discovered the current sheriff could no longer continue at his position. He moved quickly to Web, shaking the extended hand with vigor. He glanced at the woman behind him.
"Mrs. Kranderson ... I mean ... Mrs. Westerly.” He tipped his head instead of shaking her hand.
"Nature, please.” She reached for his hand.
He took it, grinning with embarrassment over not calling her by her correct name. “Dan, please call me Dan."
"Dan. Thank you for coming out today. I know how busy you are, getting to know the new job and all."
"Well, I do have to get to know the people I'll be working with. All of them.” He gave her a crooked smile.
"Dear ... we have people waiting.” Web nodded toward the man in a pinstriped suit, with graying hair, standing patiently near the French doors. They could see men in dark suits walking the perimeter beyond the glass. Dark sunglasses hid their eyes.
Nature nodded her head. “Senator Enesco."
"Mrs. Westerly, Mr. Westerly.” The Senator smiled as he said her new name. “I'm glad to see the two of you doing so well.” Looking at the woman standing behind the wheelchair and the man in it, he closed the distance between them. The smile faded as he continued. “I want to apologize for what my son, Jonah, did. He wasn't himself."
Nature gripped the handles harder than necessary.. The mention of the kidnapped son brought back the memories of him as a child, when he was brutally assaulted, before she found him and returned him to his family. It also resurfaced the memories of him as a man ... the man, the one who kidnapped her and almost killed her and Wes in the process. She had not recognized him because of the changes that occurred with healing and aging.
She guided Web next to the couch. Once his chair was situated, she sat down, indicating for the others to do the same. The Senator sat in the chair across from them.. Sheriff Spangle moved to the French doors and peered outside. Nature smiled. The way he stood reminded her of a younger Web. Senator Enesco started talking. She forced her attention back onto him.
"I met Francine before I started into politics. She already had Jonah from a previous marriage. He was three. I felt sorry for the lad; he seemed so shy, so withdrawn, even at that age.” He leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees and laced his fingers toget
her.
"I wasn't his father, but I tried to be. Throughout the years I was married to his mother, I took his camping and fishing and did all the things a dad did with his son. But, when my political career took off, our outings became less and less. The kidnapping several years later didn't help matters. When he was returned to us,” he gave Nature a half smile, which faded when he continued, “he always clung to his mother.
I thought it was because of the brutal treatment given by the kidnappers.” The Senator's voice broke as he remembered the boy's bruised and swollen face, the cut lip, the battered body, and the charges of sexual misconduct. “I never suspected it was because of Francine. Little did I know she had already damaged him beyond any chance of recovery, that the kidnapping would have little effect on him. Little did I know she was already too far gone herself. She hid it so well."
He raised his eyes to meet the couple watching him. “When I found out how sick the boy was, I insisted on counseling. For years, we bounced from one psychiatrist to another, with the same results. I kept this fact from the papers. I wanted to spare the boy more public shame later in life. Finally, when nothing seemed to be working, I insisted he be institutionalized. His mother wouldn't hear of it. She saw nothing wrong with him. Since I hadn't adopted him when we married, I had no say in the matter. I decided it was time to leave. I couldn't stay where I wasn't wanted. Jonah was eleven when I divorced his mother."
"I heard about the mutilation of animals and the case from eight years ago, the one where the girl was raped and killed. I didn't believe it was him. I couldn't,” the Senator continued. “But after he moved from the area, the killings stopped. It seemed like too much of a coincidence."
"Why didn't you contact the police?” Web asked. His voice still had some of the hoarseness from the hospital stay. Nature saw his posture stiffen with anger.