by Emma Easter
He sat up on the bed and slowly put his legs down on the floor as he recalled how he’d fallen the last time he’d tried to stand. Slowly, he rose from the bed but found that his legs still could not hold him up. He fell back and groaned.
“Lord, please help me,” he muttered and slowly rose again, this time holding onto the table beside him. His legs were shaky, even holding the table. He frowned. What on earth was wrong with his legs? His arm was bandaged and still throbbed, but he ignored the pain.
He looked down at himself and sighed. He was still wearing the hospital gown. He looked around the room but couldn’t find his clothes or his phone. Still, he had to leave this hospital and find Rachel, even if it meant he would leave in his hospital gown.
He began to walk unsteadily, holding on first to the bedside table, and then to the bathroom door, and then leaning his hand on the wall. He paused briefly to catch his breath and leaned his back against the wall, panting and tired. He felt as though he had just done a hundred-meter sprint instead of only walking a few feet away from his bed.
He kept asking the Lord for help as he walked slowly toward the door, still leaning on the wall. He took a deep breath again and then stood at the entrance to the room, panting and groaning.
What are you doing, Keith? You are in no state to leave the hospital.
He ignored the voice in his mind and pressed his lips together, determined to leave. And then his heart sank as he stepped out of the room and into the hallway leading to the hospital entrance. It was a very long hallway and nurses walked up and down it. Anytime soon, one of them would ask why he was out of his bed and make him go back. And he knew there was no way he could make it down the long hallway in his state.
He ducked behind his room door when one of the nurses that had attended to him that morning began to approach. He heaved a sigh of relief when she turned left and he faced the hallway again. Keith, what are you going to do now? he thought, frustrated.
He thought about crawling down the corridor and then chuckled in spite of himself. What a stupid idea. Feeling hopeless, he began to turn back into his room to try to figure out what to do. Maybe he could convince the doctor to let him leave the hospital, even if for a short time. But he knew that would probably not work.
He saw Jenny walking down the hallway toward him and his heart soared. He could not contain his relief and called out to her, “Jenny!”
She stared at him as he stood there in the hallway, half-naked, and then hurried over. “What on earth, Pastor Keith!” She looked him over and shook her head. “What are you doing out of bed and in the hallway? I know Dr. Kingston hasn’t discharged you. And you are too weak to be out of your bed.”
He waved her concerns away and said urgently, “You have to help me, Jenny.”
She nodded and then put her arm around his waist, clearly to lead him back into his room and onto his bed. He shook his head weakly and said to her, “No, Jenny. Not back to my bed.”
She arched her eyebrows, staring quizzically at him. “Then where?”
“My legs feel heavy,” he said to her. “I don’t know what is wrong with them… but I need to get out of this hospital. Rachel might be in danger. I need to help her.”
“No.” Jenny shook her head. “You cannot leave the hospital now. Look at you.”
He shrugged and asked her to bring a wheelchair for him.
“You’re kidding, Pastor Keith,” she said, gazing at him as though he had gone mad. “I am not getting you a wheelchair. And besides, where am I supposed to get one?”
“This is a hospital, Jenny. Look around. You will find one somewhere.”
“I can’t...”
He cut in, “Please, Jenny.” He looked into her eyes. “I meant it when I said Rachel might be in danger. I won’t be able to live with myself if she really is and I did nothing to help.”
“Then maybe I should call the police. They will handle it.”
“Call the police, Jenny, but I need to get to Rachel now… before it’s too late.” Jenny said nothing and Keith put his hand on her shoulder. “Time is running out.” He sighed. “Get me a wheelchair!”
Jenny stared at him for a long moment and then nodded. “Okay, wait here. I will go and find you a wheelchair. But this is insane.”
She began to walk away and he called out to her, “Please get me something to put on as well.”
She raised her eyebrows and said, “Where am I supposed to find something for you to wear?” She left without waiting for an answer.
Another nurse approached and he ducked again before she could see him. He kept praying and hoping that Jenny would find a wheelchair for him and that somehow he would be able to leave the hospital unnoticed.
Five minutes later, Jenny appeared with a wheelchair. Gratitude filled his heart and he whispered, “Thank you, Lord.”
“I had to steal this, Pastor,” she said accusingly.
“Thank you, Jenny. And you did not steal it. You borrowed it. You will return it as soon as possible.” She handed him a white robe, and he raised his brows. “A doctor’s robe?”
She shrugged. “Would you rather walk around half-naked?”
“Point taken,” he muttered, snatching the robe and yanking it over his trembling arms.
He sat in the wheelchair after putting the robe on, and she began to wheel him down the hallway. He knew they looked out of place, but he kept praying that no one would stop them.
Nurses and attendants walked by, staring at them, but none stopped them. Keith continued to pray as they passed the reception desk and then the waiting area. His heart thudded as they neared the entrance to the hospital. He could almost touch the door. They would make it out.
His mind went to Rachel again, and he began to run through his mind how he was going to find her. They reached the door and he exhaled in relief. Just as they were about to exit the hospital, Dr. Kingston walked through the door, almost bumping into them. Keith’s heart sank to his feet. “Oh, Lord, please help me!”
The doctor stared at him in astonishment and then shook his head slowly. He hurried over and scolded Jenny for aiding Keith in his harebrained plan to escape the hospital, when he was clearly in no state to leave.
“Doctor, I really need to go,” Keith pleaded. “I promise I will be back soon.”
Dr. Kingston did not seem to be listening. He took hold of Keith’s wheelchair and began to wheel him down the corridor again, while Keith complained bitterly. Two nurses walked behind them and Jenny beside him.
Dr. Kingston wheeled Keith into his room again, and he and the nurses carried Keith back into his bed. Keith pleaded, but they did not listen.
“You will be released when you are strong and well enough,” the doctor said.
Keith tried to rise, but the nurses held him down. When Doctor Kingston picked up a syringe, Keith pleaded again, and then groaned when the doctor stuck the needle into his arm. Gradually, he began to feel sleepy and though he fought the sleep, he couldn’t resist it.
“I’m so sorry, Rachel,” he whispered, and then fell into a deep sleep.
Chapter 21
In just a few days, Rachel had attended the mind renewal classes way too many times to count. She hated the classes, hated having to recite the nonsense that the tutors were mentally feeding them. The desperation and despair that had clung to her when she first came here had only increased, combined now with hopelessness.
She looked up at the tutor who was droning on about submitting to the elders in the town. If only she was not sitting in front of the class. Margaret had placed her where every tutor could see her clearly and where she was forced to repeat every word the tutors made them say. She shut her eyes briefly and opened them again as the tutor asked them to repeat the scripture that she had just quoted. Rachel recited the scripture mechanically while her mind traveled once more to Keith. She could not believe he was gone. Ever since Mike had told her about Keith’s death, she had not stopped mourning him. She could not erase from her mi
nd the picture she had seen of him lying lifeless in the grass. Tears welled up in her eyes, but she blinked them back.
A large part of her had died along with Keith. It would have been all of her if not for Emily. Unfortunately, the price for being reunited with Emily in the future did not just include swallowing the ungodly doctrines they were being constantly fed here; it also included going back to Mike as his wife. She felt sick to her stomach at the thought. She had been regularly studying her Bible, more than she had ever done in her life. Because of that, her relationship with God had grown tremendously. The thought of going back to live in sin with Mike left her with a constant stomach ache. She had been praying for deliverance and a miracle, but it didn’t seem the Lord was willing to answer her.
The tiring class ended and the tutor left. Rachel turned around. When her eyes found Lily’s, she smiled. Lily was the only person who made the stay in the House bearable. They had only a few minutes to talk before the next tutor came in to fill their minds with nonsense.
Lily came and sat next to Rachel. They immediately started to talk about their hopes and plans for the future, as they always did in between the grueling classes.
“I knew I never wanted to get married, especially in Fallow Creek, but everything you have told me about your life with Mike makes me even more determined not to. Unless I actually fall in love with someone. And I doubt that will happen in Fallow Creek,” Lily said.
Soon, as they always did, they began to talk about escaping from the House and even from the town, though they knew there was no way out. Despite that fact, Rachel still felt a tiny gleam of hope enter her heart every time they talked about it. They were talking about the elder that had helped Rachel and Mike escape Fallow Creek when Lily tilted her face toward Rachel and asked, “What about your brother, Taylor? I remember that you were close when we were kids. He is quite influential in Fallow Creek. Maybe he could speak to the elders for you and see if they would agree to let you out of this place.”
Rachel laughed harshly and shook her head. “Taylor is part of the system, Lily,” she said. “He was present when the elders gave their verdict and sent me here. I begged him to help me, but he did not. Besides, Taylor and I have not been close in years. Since girls and boys grow up differently in this place, we gradually grew apart.”
Lily lifted her brows and shook her head. “I liked Taylor when we were kids. He seemed different, but I guess people change.” She narrowed her eyes, her expression thoughtful. “He has only one wife, doesn’t he?”
“Yes, but I think he is planning on marrying another girl now.”
“Who?” Lily asked with way too much interest in her voice.
Amused, Rachel searched Lily’s eyes. She finally said, “I am not sure yet. Why, do you want to marry my brother?”
Lily rolled her eyes and looked away. “I’m not interested in getting married, Rachel. You know that. And even if I were, it will never be to someone who already has a wife. In spite of what these foolish people in Fallow Creek say, you cannot marry someone else when they are already married. It’s against the law — the county’s and God’s.”
Rachel nodded and said, “I remember telling Mike all that one day, but he just laughed and told me we married before God.”
Lily sighed and said, “I still think that there is something different about your brother. I think if you can find a way to send a message to him and tell him how awful this place is, he might be able to help you get out of here.”
“I don’t think so,” Rachel said.
“You haven’t tried, Rachel. If I had a brother like Taylor, I would take advantage of it.”
Rachel thought about what Lily had said briefly and then finally agreed that there was no harm in trying. “But how am I going to get a message to him? And even if he decides to help me, I doubt the elders will listen to him, no matter how influential he is.”
“We will think of a way for you to send a message to Taylor. I heard of a woman about eight years ago who was sent here but was able to get a message out somehow and ask the elders for a fair hearing.”
Rachel lifted her brows in surprise. “Really?” she asked, hope rising within her. “And did they agree to give her a fair hearing?”
“Yes, they did,” Lily said. “But the hearing did not go in her favor. Still, it’s worth a try.”
Rachel’s hope evaporated and she sighed loudly. “There is no use, Lily. It is not going to work.”
“You never know until you have tried. What do you have to lose?”
A tutor entered the class and Lily immediately stood up. “We will talk later,” she whispered in Rachel’s ear and quickly went to her seat.
It took everything in Rachel to pay attention to what the tutor was saying. She knew it was important to listen so she could recite the tutor’s words correctly and not jeopardize her chance to leave the House, but her mind was preoccupied with what Lily had said.
When the classes thankfully ended at about nine in the evening, the time all the classes usually ended, Rachel stood up and turned around, waiting for Lily. They left the classroom together and walked slowly on their way to their assigned rooms. Usually, they could only talk in between classes or when they were outside cleaning the windows, which was part of their daily chores. The walk from the class to their rooms was short, and no one was allowed to loiter in the hallway or go to other people’s rooms.
An idea had been nagging at the back of Rachel’s mind during class, and now she said to Lily, “I think I have an idea on how to get a written message to my brother.”
“You do?” Lily asked.
“Yes. You know that squad guard who is always staring at me whenever we go outside?”
“The one who looks like an oaf?”
Rachel giggled. “Yes, that one.”
“He doesn’t stare at you, Rachel. He gapes. He doesn’t have enough sense to know that if Margaret ever sees him, he would be in trouble for ogling a married woman.”
Rachel couldn’t help laughing and then she said, “I will write a message and give it to that guard to help me send it to Taylor.”
“What if he refuses?”
“I will just find a way to convince him to help me.”
They were standing in front of Lily’s room now and Lily lifted her brows while a smile played on her lips. “Rachel, what do you plan to do?”
“Nothing unseemly.”
The hallway had emptied of people now, but they went on talking. “You have to be careful, Rachel. If it goes wrong and that guard reports you, you know what will happen.”
“It won’t go wrong.”
Lily said, “I hope Taylor agrees to help you.”
Rachel gasped as Margaret began to walk down the hallway toward them. “Margaret is coming, Lily. And she looks unhappy.”
Lily said, “She always looks unhappy.”
They both laughed and Rachel hurried away while Lily entered her room.
Rachel entered her own room and found that her roommate had already turned all the lights off. She sat on her bed a few inches away from her roommate’s and turned on the small table lamp beside her. She reached into her purse and took out the notebook and pen which had been given to her the first day in the House for writing down notes in the classes. Opening the notebook, she stared at the blank page before her for a brief moment and began to write.
She wrote down everything she had said to Taylor the day she had been brought to the Restoration House and then added some other things she hadn’t told him because Mike and the elders had been there — things Mike had done to her. She asked him to send a message to the elders telling them that she wanted a fair hearing. She reminded him that even though she was a woman, she had rights, just as men did. Finally, she reminded him of what he had said to her when they were children, before they came to Fallow Creek.
You said that even though I was a girl and younger than you, I was your best friend.
She finished writing and signed the letter with:
your dearest sister, Rachel. She folded the letter carefully, took a small brown envelope out of her purse, and put the letter in it. She considered waiting until the next day to search for the guard Lily had referred to as an oaf, but she changed her mind. Nighttime was the best time to give him the message. They would easily be seen during the day. She had to be careful, though, that no one saw her with him tonight. If she could get out of the house without being seen by Margaret, she would be able to talk to the guard without anyone else seeing them.
She stood up from her bed and went to the door. Looking this way and that, she stepped into the hallway when she saw it was empty. The guard usually patrolled the front of the building at night. She had looked out of the bathroom window once, and when he saw her, he had given her a smile that turned her stomach.
Are you sure it’s safe to approach that guard? she asked herself as she made her way soundlessly down the hallway. It could go badly for different reasons. If Margaret saw her, she would be in trouble. If another guard saw her with the oaf, she would be in trouble. If the oaf decided to report her or, worse, take advantage of her, she would be in big trouble.
She tiptoed down the stairs, looking around to make sure Margaret was nowhere in sight. At the bottom of the stairs, she paused and listened for any sound that would indicate that someone was near. When she heard nothing, she went to the front door, opened it, and stepped out of the house.
She immediately came face-to-face with the oaf guard. He arched his brows and gazed at her in surprise. She noticed the rifle in his right hand, resting at his side, and swallowed. Gathering herself together, she took a deep breath and forced herself to calmly walk toward him.
He did not seem bothered or troubled that she was outside this late, only surprised. She got to him and he looked down at her, towering over her.
She forced herself to smile brightly at him. “Hey, can you do me a favor?”
The expression on his face turned suspicious.
She showed him the letter in her hand. “I just want you to help me send a message to my brother, Taylor Dalton. You know him, right?”