A Prelude To A Dance

by Kay Edwards

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  It had been a couple of hours since Toby had made his choice to follow Christ. Logan was flirting with his wife and enjoying it. The news had shaken her, but Helen knew that God was in control. Logan leaned down and whispered his love. Helen giggled because it tickled her ear.

  Toby watched his friend and smiled at his obvious joy. He knew now what kind of wife he needed to look for. He glanced at Ester and Elaina and noted that they were watching as well. The doorbell rang he gestured for Ester to sit back down. “I’ll get it.” Walking over to the door, Toby opened it and then froze. “Tiffany?”

  Tiffany stood at the door. Her face hurt and her mouth was still bleeding. She wanted to call the police, but she was terrified. She peered up in surprise as Toby answered the door. He said her name and she flinched. Tears came to her eyes.

  Toby looked at Tiffany. She had blood coming from the corner of her mouth. Her eye was starting to bruise, and she looked ready to run. He softened his voice and moved for her to enter the house. “Tiffany please come in.” He watched as she looked over her shoulder and shuddered.

  “Tiffany look at me.” When she did, he continued his gentle persuasion. “You need to come in. I promise you will be safe. No one is going to hurt you.”

  Helen heard Toby at the door. She looked at Logan and got up. Peeking over Toby’s shoulder, she gasped. Toby heard her and moved so that Tiffany could see Helen. “Look Tiffany, do you see Helen?”

  Tiffany glanced at Helen. She knew that the man had said if she did not give Helen his message he would do more than physically assault her. Tiffany looked over her shoulder again. He said he would know if she did not do as he said. When she looked back at the door, Logan was standing beside Helen. Her mouth hurt. She could taste her blood.

  Toby held his hand out to Tiffany. “It will be ok. Come in.”

  Tiffany looked at Toby’s hand and flinched. She looked past to Helen again. Tiffany had to go in. If she did not tell Helen what that man said, he would come for her again. Tiffany inched around Toby as she entered the house. Helen came toward her, and she backed away. Helen stopped and looked at her. Tiffany looked back.

  Helen peered back at Logan and Toby. Logan was looking at her, and Helen could see that Toby had not taken his eyes off of Tiffany. She spoke to the men. “Maybe you two can give Tiffany and me a minute?”

  Helen sat down on the floor as the two backed away. She looked up at Tiffany. “Do you want to sit?”

  Tiffany leaned against the now closed door and slid to the floor. Her entire body ached. She used her arm to hold her ribs wondering if they were broken. She looked at Helen. “I have a message for you. Don’t be mad. I like being your friend.”

  Helen was confused, and then it hit her who the message was from. “Tiffany who did this to you?”

  “I don’t know. He wore a mask. He is really angry, Helen. I thought he would never stop hitting and kicking me.” Tiffany let out a whimper as she tried to get comfortable.

  “We need to get you to a doctor,” Helen said softly.

  “I have to give you the message. He said he would come back for me if I didn’t.” Tiffany was shaking in fear.

  Logan came up to the two. He noticed that Tiffany backed away from him and sat down on the floor next to his wife. “Tiffany.” Logan’s voice was gentle. “There is nothing you can say to make us not like you. We need to get you to the ER. Tell us the message so that we can get you some help.”

  Tiffany looked at Helen. “He said that you betrayed him. He knows you liked what he did to you. You should not have married Logan. He told me you were never supposed to get away. He is angry you moved here instead of staying near him.”

  “Oh, Tiffany I did not know he would do this to you. This is all my fault. I should have told you and Jody.” Helen’s voice was anguished.

  Toby walked over and knelt down beside Tiffany. He saw her start to back away but knew he needed to help her. “Tiffany, I’m going to put you on the sofa. I know you don’t want me to, but you need to get off the floor.” she pushed his hands away, but Toby would not be deterred. “It is ok.” He said softly as he scooped her up. He walked over to the sofa and gently put her down.

  Tiffany looked at Helen. “It is not your fault. I knew someone was watching you. You were so jumpy and always looking over your shoulder. I wanted to be your friend. I still do.”

  Helen sat on the floor beside the sofa. She took Tiffany’s hand. When Helen’s hand brushed Tiffany’s ribs, Helen saw her flinched. Helen gently laid her friend’s hand down. She looked at Tiffany as she reached for her shirt. “Tiffany let me help you.” she gently pushed the shirt up. Her stomach was sick as she saw the ugly bruises. “We need to call for help.” Helen got up to call for an ambulance.

  Logan was calling Detective Benion. The mad man that had taken Helen was out of control.

  Tiffany wanted to close her eyes. She was very tired. She hurt so much. Tiffany was not a stranger to pain, but this was unbearable.

  “Tiffany,” Toby said gently “you can’t go to sleep. Can you stay with us?”

  She looked at the concern on his face. She nodded yes, but it hurt. “It hurts to move. Please help me.”

  He knelt down beside her. “I know.” he gently pushed her hair away from her face. She tried to close her eyes again. “Are you going to graduate this year too?” he asked her.

  Tiffany answered knowing he was trying to help. “Yes.”

  “What part of the lab do you want to work in?” Toby did not want to stop talking. Tiffany needed to stay awake.

  Tiffany was trying to focus on Toby, but she just wanted to close her eyes. She answered softly. “Coagulation.” Tiffany closed her eyes again.

  Toby was relieved to hear the sirens outside. The medics came in, and he stood aside. One look at Tiffany and they decided to do a scoop and run.

  “We need to get her there now.”

  “I’m coming with you,” Toby said.

  They didn’t argue with him, but Helen did. “I should go with her.”

  Toby looked at Logan and Helen. “What if that is the end game? If he followed her here, he might be waiting for Helen to get into that ambulance.”

  Helen looked at Logan. “Do you think it could be that?”

  “It makes sense. I think Toby should ride with her and we will meet them at the hospital.” Logan said gently.

  Toby got into the ambulance. He averted his eyes as they took Tiffany’s shirt off of her but not before he saw the amount of bruising on her ribs. His eyes closed, but he continued to hold Tiffany’s hand. He was still a new Christian, nonetheless, he prayed. He did not know Tiffany that well, but she seemed like a very nice person. To have had such a beating happen to her made him sick. Another part of him felt sick for Helen. How had she survived such brutality? The same monster that did this to Tiffany had his hand on a child. He could now see how God did indeed spare Helen’s life.

  Tiffany hurt. She knew that Toby had gotten in the ambulance. Tiffany felt them take off her shirt but could do nothing about it. She opened her eyes and saw that Toby had turned his head. She was grateful that he did not look at her. His lips seemed to be moving. Tiffany wanted to ask if he was praying but cried out as one of the paramedics touched her ribs. She felt Toby’s thumb caress her hand in an attempt to comfort her. They had left her bra on but were trying to take it off. She made eye contact with one of the paramedics her eyes begged him not to take it off. She knew he understood when he pulled a sheet up. He spoke gently telling her he did not mean to hurt her but they needed to take the pressure off of her ribs. Tears rolled down her cheeks at the pain. She held more tightly to Toby’s hand and whimpered.

  Toby tried to comfort Tiffany. Her whimpers were just as heartbreaking as her cries of pain.

  The ambulance stopped in front of the ER door
s. Toby held Tiffany’s hand as they wheeled her in. When they tried to have him go into the waiting room, Tiffany started crying. The doctor saw she needed him and reluctantly allowed Toby to stay by her side. They gave her something in her IV to help with the pain. When Tiffany looked at him, Toby smiled “It is going to be ok. I’m not going anywhere.”

  Tiffany could tell Toby was worried. “You prayed for me in the ambulance?”

  Toby nodded “I did.”

  “Thank you.” She said softly.

  Toby looked up as someone came in. The tech explained that they needed to take her for x-rays. He could go but had to leave the room when they took the images. Toby followed. He heard Tiffany’s anguished cries. Toby knew they had to move her to get the best view of what was going on inside of her. He closed his eyes and prayed.

  Tiffany wanted to die when they moved her. She wanted to be brave but cried out as they moved her again. She had never known such pain. And for Tiffany, that was saying something. She begged God to help her through what was happening. Just when she thought she could not take any more, they said they were done. She was sweating from the ordeal. The next place was MRI. She stayed still as they made sure that her head was ok. The MRI was easier for sure. The last thing Tiffany wanted to do was to move. She knew that Toby was out in the hall. She was not alone and that made things easier too. Tiffany was relieved when they told her she was done. Tiffany cried out as they put her back on the gurney. She closed her eyes as they started wheeling her out of the room. Tiffany felt Toby take her hand and she squeezed him softly.

  Toby walked beside the gurney as they took her back to her room. He was glad that for now, Tiffany could be still.

  Toby watched as they gave Tiffany something in her IV. She closed her eyes and slept. The nurse came in to check her vitals and told him that Tiffany would be out for a while. He knew that Helen and Logan were in the waiting room. Knowing Tiffany was not going to wake up for a bit, he went out to give them an update.