by J. R. Tate
“As Kevin told you, she’s very malnourished so we are working to replenish her nutrients. We are running several tests, including a full scan for sexually transmitted diseases, including HIV. Usually we ask for permission, but in this circumstance, it is part of the rape kit.”
Charlie felt like he was in a nightmare he couldn’t wake up from. He had to keep telling himself that the important thing was that she was alive. She was here in the room, and she was alive. Just a few days ago his hope for actually finding her was practically non-existent, and he had gotten her out of the hell on earth she had been dealing with.
They’d cross other bridges when they got to them. A diagnosis of HIV or an STD wasn’t the end of the world – her death might have been. Taking a deep breath, he leaned back in the chair. It was awkward with the doctor and nurse looking down at him, almost embarrassing.
“Mr. Wright, please know that there is counseling available for Skylar and your whole family. What you have gone through is very traumatic, and it might be beneficial for all of you to go talk to someone, especially Skylar.”
Charlie raked his hand through his hair and kept his eyes on Skylar, watching her eyelids flutter, her chest rising and falling as she slept.
“My poor baby girl,” he whispered. “When do you think she’ll wake up and comprehend what is happening?”
“We have her on a heavy sedative. She was very combative when the stuff she had in her system started wearing off. I’m still waiting on that test to come back and see what she was on. Drug rehabilitation might be something to think about as well. They could have been injecting her with a narcotic to keep her calm. Of course, this is all speculation. We will know more when the tests start coming back.”
“I need to call her mother. I’m not sure what else I need to do right now.”
“Be with her. Talk to her. The best thing that can happen right now is her seeing her father’s face when she wakes up. She’ll know she’s safe and it might prevent any panicked behavior. We are working on getting a room ready for her so she can move out of the ER.”
“Thanks,” Charlie whispered, still in shock at how everything had transpired.
“I’ll also get our social worker to stop by once you are situated. She’ll provide you with information on your next steps. And as soon as we get results in, I’ll be there to let you know. Past the dehydration and malnourishment, she has a few minor injuries. Those will heal up during her rest here at the hospital.”
Charlie looked up at the doctor and the nurse, the tension easing a bit. “I appreciate it. Can Mary come back in now?” She was his rock and it was wrong to send her out of the room.
“I’ll go get her,” Kevin replied.
“We’ll get Skylar moved to a room within the next hour. Let us know if you need anything else, and we will need to take a look at your head. That wound probably needs stitches. Looks like your leg needs to be checked out too.” Charlie had forgotten about his leg. His focus was on Skylar, and his injuries were nothing but a mere afterthought. Dr. Pierce exited and Mary came in, getting her first real glance at Skylar.
The door swung closed and though it was a shock, she held strong. “She’s alive, Charlie. She’s going to be okay.”
“We’ve got a long road ahead of us. But yes, she’s back where she belongs. I’m never going to let anything happen to her again.”
“This isn’t your fault. And I hope you realize how amazing it is that you went and found her. That you did this alone. No help from the cops. No help from that asshole, Detective Garza. And to think at how they treated you. I hope he’s aware that he was wrong.”
Charlie ran his finger down her cheek and over her lip. “I’m sorry for treating you the way I did. I should’ve never suggested we take a break off.”
“I completely understood. Stop apologizing for everything.”
Looking at his watch, he stood up and stretched. “They’re about to move her to a room. I need to call Cassie. Larry, one of the guys involved in this, was the crack head who was shacking up with her.”
Mary’s eyes widened. “Are you serious? Please tell me she didn’t know.”
“No, she didn’t, but she led him right to Skylar. He was basically a scout, looking for girls who would fit their marketing plan. And there she was, like a damn sitting duck.” He walked to the foot of the bed, his skin crawling at the thought of what human traffickers did. “I can’t believe this shit happens. You see it on the news, but never do you think it’ll happen to you.”
“I know. But the important thing is you stopped this one.”
“I need to call Cassie. I need to get that over with.”
Mary handed him her cell phone. “Use this. I’ll stay here with Skylar and if they decide to move her, I’ll get you. Good luck. Let’s hope that for once, Cassie surprises us and doesn’t fly off the handle.”
Charlie took the phone from her and stopped at the door. “You’re a God send, Mary. I can’t thank you enough.”
The phone call to Cassie had gone just as expected, and when Charlie got off the line, he braced himself for the wrath that would follow. She’d be at the hospital soon, and it was the last thing Skylar needed. Maybe she’d cause enough ruckus to not be allowed in her room.
Walking past the nurse’s station, Susan stopped him in mid stride. “Time to take a look at your head. Dr. Pierce mentioned your leg as well. I guess in all the commotion, I didn’t notice the small blood stain on your pants.” Her eyes fell downward, pointing at where the bullet had skimmed his thigh.
Not having the energy to fight her, and the fact that his adrenaline had completely worn off and the pain was coming on strong, Charlie followed her to an exam room. It was best to get it over with now, so his time could be spent with Skylar, and so he could fight off Cassie if needed.
Chapter Fourteen
Mary felt better once they had gotten Skylar moved. She had left a message with the nurses for Charlie so he’d know where to find him once he was done with his exam. What if they decided to admit him as well? Running back and forth from room to room would be a challenge, but if he needed it, she’d deal with it.
Skylar was still sleeping soundly, and Mary reached for a magazine that was about three months old. Flipping through the pages, she fought off her exhaustion. It felt like a lot of time had passed, and she began to pace. It helped her stay awake and it helped with worry.
Her urge was to pull her phone out and text him, but he had it with him. It was a hard habit to break since she always had it right beside her. Sitting back down, she picked the same magazine up but tossed it on the table. The articles were boring and she couldn’t focus.
Poor Skylar. Hopefully all of the tests would come back negative. She was so young. It pained her to think it, but she’d never be the same girl as before. And Charlie – the guilt was going to eat him alive if he let it.
The door slid open slowly, and she was relieved to see Charlie. He was in a pair of light blue scrubs and she couldn’t help but smile. He had about five stitches across his forehead and the caked on blood around the wound had been cleaned off. Some of the tension had left his face, and he looked refreshed.
“You hospital staff now?”
Charlie ran his hand down the front of the scrub top and smiled. “My clothes were filthy and this is all they had besides gowns. I refuse to wear a gown. They didn’t want me putting my dirty pants on over my thigh.”
“What happened to your leg?”
“Nothing bad. Bullet skimmed it. They cleaned it with peroxide and put a bandage over it. Said it wasn’t deep enough to warrant stitches or be too concerned about. Just gotta keep it cleaned.”
“And your head? No concussion?”
“Nope. Just stitched up and good to go. I told you that I was fine.”
Mary sat up on the chair and rubbed her eyes. “And Cassie?”
“Hard to say. She was pissed I didn’t call her sooner. And I didn’t mention Larry, at least, not yet. There is a tim
e and place for that, and right now isn’t it. The more I say, the madder she gets, and the worse it is for Skylar.”
“You think she’ll show up?”
“Maybe. But she sounded pretty out of it, so I don’t even know if she can drive to get here. I called her parents too. Maybe they’ll intervene and control the situation.”
Mary stood up and hugged him. He smelled clean, like he had taken a shower. “That’s a good call, Charlie. Sounds like everything is under control right now.”
“For now it is. My family is all accounted for. And like you said, Skylar is alive. Right now, that’s our focus.”
Mary stood on her tiptoes, kissing him. It felt like forever since they had kissed, and she savored it for as long as she could. His hand on the small of her back sent chills down her spine. Pulling away, Charlie looked toward the door. Detective Garza had come in, his arrogant smirk gone. What could this be about? Mary disliked the man.
***
Charlie almost threw Detective Garza out. He didn’t come completely in the room, and that was probably what prevented him from going off on the cop.
“Let’s go to the waiting room,” Charlie said. “I’ll be right back, Mary. This shouldn’t take long.”
Thankfully the waiting room was empty. It was a little past four AM and Charlie was feeling it.
“You find the barn?”
Detective Garza nodded. “We did. And we apprehended Larry for questioning. You really did a number on tying him up. We also found three other girls and brought them in for evaluation. How’s your daughter doing?”
Charlie tried to be civil, but with everything Detective Garza had put him through, it was hard to bite his tongue. “You know, I hate when people say I told you so, but I fucking told you so.” Charlie pressed his index finger into Detective Garza’s chest.
“Go ahead and lay into me, Charlie. I deserve it.”
“All that time you were harassing me and my daughter was being raped, beaten, and marketed for sex trafficking. I should…” Charlie stopped himself. He couldn’t stoop to his level. “Never mind. I don’t know what the hell I’m saying.” Stepping away, he walked to the window and looked out of the third story window. “What about Phil? Am I in trouble for blowing that asshole away?” The flashback hit Charlie blindside. It was still hard to stomach killing someone, but he had to. It was for Skylar. It was for those three other girls.
“Of course not, Charlie. Evidence shows you were defending yourself. You have stitches in your head, for Christ’s sake. These guys were bad business. We aren’t completely stopping the sex ring, but we put a huge dent in it.” Detective Garza joined him at the window. “I am very sorry for putting you through what I did. And I’m sorry we wasted all that time. Skylar didn’t deserve it, and neither did you.”
Charlie glanced at him from the corner of his eye. It would have been so easy to lay into him, but he took the high road. He didn’t have the energy to do it.
“I need to get back to my daughter, Detective. I’m glad to hear that those three other girls were saved.”
“I’ll keep you updated on everything, and I hope it all works out with your family.”
Charlie turned on his heel, looking over his shoulder. “Thanks, Detective. Thanks for finally listening to me.”
***
A few days had passed and Skylar drifted in and out of sleep, not fully conscious and still not able to realize what was happening. Cassie had come to see her a few times, but left quickly, unable to look Charlie in the eye. He wondered if she was ashamed at herself for blaming him, or if she still thought this was his fault. He hadn’t mentioned Larry’s involvement with everything, but it was all over the papers and the news. She probably had made the connection and was embarrassed about it. Gavin was still staying with her parents, and Charlie couldn’t wait to hug him, to hold him, and be there for him. He felt like the poor kid was suffering too with everything that had transpired. He didn’t understand why mom and dad weren’t around, and Charlie vowed he’d be there for his son as soon as this all slowed down.
Mary would leave only to cover her shifts at the bar, but was back as soon as she got off work. Her support was overwhelming in a good way. Thankfully Todd had taken over running the mechanic shop, giving Charlie ample time to spend with Skylar. He took Dr. Pierce’s suggestions seriously, and wanted to be right there when Skylar finally woke up. He wanted her to know that she was safe, and the perverts who were days away from shipping her to God knows where were no longer holding her.
The doctor had been in and out, still waiting on tests to come back. He was impressed with Dr. Pierce’s involvement with everything, and he figured since this was such a high profile case, that the man paid extra attention to the situation.
Pulling the day’s newspaper off of the table, Charlie flipped through the headlines. Skylar was still front and center, and he was shocked to read that two more men had been arrested in association with the sex ring. Tossing the paper aside, he scrubbed his hand down the side of his face. He had minor aches and pains from his injuries, but ibuprofen took care of it. He longed to sleep in his own bed, but it’d wait until Skylar was ready to go home. He wasn’t going to leave her.
The door swung open and Dr. Pierce walked in with his clipboard and pen. He looked more at ease than the previous times he had come to visit, and Charlie had to hang onto that. Maybe he had some good news.
“How are you today, Mr. Wright?” He leaned against the wall and flipped through several pages.
“Doing well. She seems to be waking up more.”
Dr. Pierce smiled. “That’s good. We are weaning her off the sedative. Since she’s so small and underweight, it’ll take a bit to get out of her system.” He put the clipboard down and folded his arms over his chest. “We got some more tests back. She’s STD free, and the HIV test came back negative.”
Charlie felt like a huge weight had been lifted off his shoulders. “That’s good, Doc. That’s real good.”
“HIV can be tricky, though. Sometimes it can take a while to show up, especially if she happened to contract it within the last few days, so I’m recommending she get tested again in three months, and then again in six. Just to make sure.”
“Yeah. I’ll make sure that happens.” Charlie brushed his hand across her hairline. Her eyebrows lifted in response to his touch and it was more of a reaction than before. Each day seemed to get a bit better. “When do you think she can go home?”
“As soon as she starts waking up. Her body is responding well to the nutrients, and she seems to be getting stronger. We also need to watch for drug withdrawal, Mr. Wright. We found large amounts of heroin in her blood. It was one way they were keeping her sedated, since heroin is a depressant. Since she’s been off of it for several days, keeping her asleep has helped aid in her withdrawal symptoms. It is imperative that she sees a therapist and maybe checks into a program. Even though the drugs were not her choice, her body is conditioned to crave them. Getting a handle on it now will help prevent relapse in the future.”
“I’ll get with the social worker, Dr. Pierce. I’m just ready for her to wake up. I’m ready for her to realize that she’s safe.”
Dr. Pierce patted Charlie on the arm. “It’ll happen soon. Let me know if you have any questions. I’ll be back later.”
Charlie looked down at Skylar, brushing his hand through her hair again. “C’mon, baby girl, wake up. We need you to wake up.” He continued to talk to her, like he had been since she was brought in. It felt redundant, but he knew she could hear him by her reactions to his voice - a subtle lift of an eyebrow, her hand squeezing his, or a small moan in her throat.
Her head turned to face him, and her eyelids fluttered open. It was something she had been doing for the past day, but this time they seemed to focus on him, and she lifted her head off of the pillow.
“Dad?” Her voice was raspy. “Dad?” There was a small whimper in her voice, and she tried to sit up.
“Shh, Skylar.
I’m here. Don’t try and get up.”
“Where… Where am I?” She put her hands on her forehead and the slack in the IV line went tight. “My head hurts.”
“You’re in the hospital. You’re safe. We got you away from those men.”
Skylar looked around the room and laid her head back on the pillow. That much movement had made her tired. “I wanna go home, Dad. I wanna go home.”
“You will soon. I’m so glad you’re okay.” Charlie felt the tears sting his eyes. “I love you, Skylar. I’m so sorry this happened to you.”
Her eyelids drooped. It was going to take a while for her to get up to full strength, and he had to be patient in her physical recovery, as well as her mental.
“You saved me, Dad.”
“Just get some rest. I’ll be right here. I’m not going to leave you. I’m not going to let anything happen to you again. You’ll be home soon.”
She drifted back to sleep, but it was the most he had communicated with her since before she had gone missing. It was a huge step in the right direction, and more tears fell down his cheeks. They were going to get through this. It was going to be hard, but they would do it.
Turning, he noticed Mary standing by the door. Swiping the tears away, he let out a quick laugh. “I didn’t even hear you come in.”
“I just got here. She woke up?”
“For a few minutes, yeah. She finally realized it was me. She knows she’s safe.”
Mary sat beside him, fanning her fingers through his hair. “That’s great news, Charlie. I’m so happy to hear it.”
“One step at a time. And finally, we’re moving forward.”
The End
Book two coming soon!
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