That Dark Place

by W. Franklin Lattimore

  Jamie’s shoulders slumped a bit, but he nodded and followed the rest of them out to the cars.

  Chapter 81

  I

  t was a restless night for Jamie. He’d tried, time and again, to fall asleep. Several times, he’d just about drifted off, when an unwelcomed mental image disturbed his thoughts and stirred up his heart.

  He stared at the ceiling from his pillow, hands folded behind his head, replaying, yet again, the events from the previous evening.

  Repeatedly, he’d worked to develop a scenario in which he would have been able to beat the demon and rescue Elizabeth without any further harm coming to her. And to his dismay, in each scenario, he’d managed to do it.

  The one that bothered him the most? What if he’d not listened to the demon’s warning at the outset to not intervene? He would have been more aggressive and taken the man down permanently before the demon had a chance to attack Elizabeth.

  But that’s not what he did. He hesitated and abided by the death demon’s dictate.

  When he and his family had exited the hospital for the parking lot, his dad had urged him not to play the “what-if” game. That proved to be an impossible goal to achieve.

  He looked over at his alarm clock again. 7:17 a.m. He pushed the hope of getting another several minutes of sleep aside and sat up, dropping his feet to the floor.

  Jamie used the restroom, changed into a pair of shorts and a Star Wars T-shirt, then headed down the stairs.

  Today’d be a good day to take up coffee.

  It was almost a prophetic thought. When he set foot in the living room and looked toward the kitchen, his mom was sitting at the dining table, coffee cup in hand. She seemed to instinctively know he was approaching, as she turned her head to face him.

  “Good morning,” she said softly.

  “Good morning.”

  “Rough night?”

  “Yeah. Didn’t really sleep.”

  “I didn’t either. Your dad slept fitfully, tossing and turning. Probably still is.”

  Jamie pulled out the chair at the end of the table and sat.

  “You should take up coffee,” his mom said with a soft smile.

  Jamie stifled a laugh. “I was just thinking that, coming down the stairs.”

  “Want to try a cup? I’ll make it.”

  Why not? “May as well try it. If I don’t like it, you can always hang an IV.”

  His mom got up and walked to the coffee maker in the kitchen. It was nearly full. She was anticipating more than one cup for her and his dad, apparently.

  She pulled down an Air Force mug from the cabinet, a souvenir from when they had visited his Aunt Lydia at Langley Air Force Base in Virginia. That had been a good time. She had just returned from two consecutive tours of duty in Japan, then Germany.

  The clinking of coffee pot against ceramic was followed by a tug on the refrigerator door. His mom pulled out a bottle of flavored creamer. He didn’t know what kind, because he hadn’t cared until that moment.

  She walked back and set both cup and creamer before him.

  “Now, it’s hot. The creamer will cool it down a bit.”

  He looked down at the cup. It was only half full.

  “Didn’t trust me to handle a full cup?”

  His mom laughed. “No. If you’re anything like your sister, you’re going to want to sweeten it until it’s not really even coffee anymore.” She reached to the lazy Susan in the middle of the table and grabbed the sugar bowl.

  “Here ya go. Sweeten it until your teeth begin to rot, if you need to.”

  This is going to be interesting.

  It turned out that he’d needed far more creamer and sugar than he’d suspected, unlike his mom, who had learned to drink it strong because that was how his dad liked it.

  Eventually, he found himself enjoying the almost-white coffee.

  “What time are we going to the hospital?” he asked.

  “Jamie, I wish I could answer that. It’s based on permission from her parents. They have the right to keep us away completely until Elizabeth gives permission. Well, technically, they could deny us even if Elizabeth did ask for us, but I find it difficult to believe they’d refuse her that request.”

  Jamie nodded.

  “So glad your grandma was able to take Amy and Kyla last night. I’m afraid our rough morning would have been even rougher.”

  He nodded again, half hearing what she’d said.

  His mom extended her arm toward him and rested her hand on his.

  “You saved her life.”

  He closed his eyes and lowered his head a little. Not well enough.

  “Jamie, I know you’re beating yourself up, but your sister told me how brave you were. How insistent you were that the two of you follow your hunch. It paid off.”

  Jamie was waiting for the rebuke. The one used to make it clear that, as a parent, she didn’t approve of the actions he had taken that had put his life, and that of his sister, in jeopardy. But it never came.

  Instead, she said, “You were brave, Jamie. So very brave.”

  He deeply appreciated what she said. It was a soothing ointment on the wounds of his heart and mind. But he still knew that he could have done more with his bravery.

  “Your dad told me about the guilt you’re feeling.”

  Jamie looked up into her eyes.

  “Hindsight will always be twenty-twenty. We will always judge ourselves by what we think we could have done better. We will always come up with a better idea than the one we had. And we will always win when we do that. But that’s not how life works. Not now, and not even in the lives of many in the Bible who God named ‘warriors of the faith.’

  “You did good.” She squeezed his hand. “You did better than good; you actually did save her life.”

  He felt a weight begin to lift. A little.

  Jamie and his mom turned when they heard another set of feet coming down the stairs. It was actually two sets.

  His dad and Jenna walked through the living room together, his dad’s arm around Jenna’s shoulders as they walked around the coffee table.

  Both said good morning and walked directly to the coffee maker. They both sat down at the table, coffee in hand.

  “Looks like nobody slept well, huh?” his dad sort of asked.

  They all shook their heads.

  “I didn’t sleep great, either. But one interesting thing happened last night. Or maybe I should say didn’t happen. No nightmare.”

  “Really?” said his mom with wonder.

  “Then, that means.…” Jenna started.

  “That means,” their dad picked up, “that last night’s events may somehow have been tied to the dreams I’ve been having.”

  Which made no sense at all to Jamie.

  Five hours later, they were all at the hospital again.

  Chapter 82

  T

  he visit with Elizabeth stirred a lot of emotions within all four of the Lawtons. Happiness in seeing her awake, empathy for how weak she looked, and sadness that she had a lot of pain-filled recovery ahead of her. Mostly, though, they were overjoyed because the doctor had told her biological parents that he believed she was out of the woods.

  Elizabeth’s parents were there when they arrived. Two nicely dressed, well-groomed people who seemed to want to make sure that everyone knew they were doing pretty well financially.

  Her father, Tony Franklin, was clean-shaven, with light brown hair and a pleasant-enough face. Laura Franklin was petite, with dark brown hair, and wore a form-hugging dress reminiscent of something Jamie thought he’d seen in a black-and-white movie once. She was, for someone about the same age as his own mom, attractive. Elizabeth looked a lot like her.

  Jamie could tell that they were uncomfortable, but they had intentionally remained to thank them all for what they had done to protect her.

  It was all generic, of course. They singled no one out for pra
ise. Jamie figured that the doctor had urged the couple to make good with the people who had taken in their daughter and saved her life.

  The pleasantries were short-lived, though, and Elizabeth’s parents exited the room without any sort of genuine emotional display toward their own flesh and blood. Just a touch of the hand by Mrs. Franklin and a kiss on the top of the head by her father.

  After her parents left, everyone’s attention fell back on Elizabeth. As they approached the bed, she said with a smile and a raspy voice, “The smile is fake. I’m on good drugs.”

  What a great icebreaker!

  Jamie hadn’t known what to expect when he’d entered her room. Was she going to be connected to a bunch of machines? Would her leg be in some sort of sling, supported by some scaffold-looking thing above the bed? Instead, he’d found her sitting slightly upright, pillows behind her back, with a comforting, soft smile on her face.

  She looked tired, but to Jamie, she couldn’t have looked better, despite the oxygen mask on her face and the evidence of a tube running under her sheet from her chest to, he figured, some sort of container hidden at the side of the bed.

  He hung back while everyone else said their hellos and made various forms of very careful physical contact.

  Then she singled him out with a look. Her smile broadened. He awkwardly gave her a small wave and a shy smile.

  He listened as the group asked questions about how she was feeling, about when they moved her to her own room, and about whether she’d eaten.

  She said the thing she hated most since waking up was the nurse periodically coming in to tell her to start taking deep breaths again.

  Jamie saw his dad smile. He’d been given the same painful instructions after his ribs were broken.

  As for Jamie, he remained quiet, happy for everyone else to talk. He would just listen to her answer questions and make simple comments as he stood at the foot of her hospital bed.

  After fifteen or twenty minutes, his dad glanced at him with a look of “knowing.” He allowed a couple more minutes of talk but then suggested that the three of them go “get cups of coffee or something.” It couldn’t have been more obvious that he was ushering everyone out just so Jamie could have some alone time with Elizabeth.

  My dad’s a good guy.

  After everyone left the room, he looked at Elizabeth who was already looking at him.

  “Are you gonna sit with me or what?” she asked through her mask.

  He felt heat creeping into his face as he walked to the right side of the bed. She patted the mattress, letting him know she wanted him to sit close. He did as she requested.

  Jamie wasn’t prepared to be alone with her and certainly didn’t know what to say.

  Seeing her and hearing her talk made the ache in his chest ebb somewhat. The night before had seemed so dire—so uncertain. Now, though, he knew she was going to be okay, and that helped his conscience immensely.

  Elizabeth reached out for his left hand. He gave it to her. Hers was cold, but it still made him feel warm.

  “How are you, Jamie?”

  Jamie couldn’t believe the question that had just exited her mouth.

  How am I?

  He answered as honestly as he could. “I don’t know.”

  She gave him a little nod.

  “How are you?” he asked back. “I mean, like you the person, not your body.”

  She thought for a moment or two before answering. “Mostly embarrassed. Shouldn’t have been led by the desire to be a model, I guess.”

  Jamie still didn’t know the whole story, or even what she’d meant by that, but he still nodded an acknowledgment.

  “There must be a lot to the story that none of us knows.”

  She closed her eyes and nodded, pursed lips communicating what she didn’t want to say with words.

  “I’m just glad you’re going to be okay,” he said. His chest constricted with emotion.

  No, no, no you don’t. Not going to show her that.

  When she reopened her eyes, she looked at him with eyes that spoke volumes about what she felt for him. It’s what he’d wanted to see for weeks … months.

  He felt her increase the grip on his hand.

  “Jamie,” she said quietly. “You saved me.”

  He looked down.

  “You saved my life and led me to Jesus.”

  Knock-knock-knock.

  The two of them looked to see who was at the door, interrupting with such awful timing. It was a nurse. She didn’t walk in. The thin black woman just gave Elizabeth a chiding smirk and said, “Breathe deep, Elizabeth Franklin.”

  Jamie turned back to Elizabeth who half smiled and fully rolled her eyes, then nodded.

  “Good girl.” Then the nurse left.

  “I hate this part.” She paused, working up the will to do what she hated. “Here goes.”

  He watched as Elizabeth closed her eyes and began to grimace even before she’d done a thing. As she took in a deep breath, he saw her brow pinch with the pain. When she reached her max capacity, she began to release the air and went into a painful coughing fit.

  She did it again and managed the process a little better, though she still coughed.

  “Ouch,” she said, opening her eyes.

  Jamie couldn’t help but smile with compassion.

  “You did good, I think.”

  She half laughed.

  Again, she looked him in the eyes. “You did, Jamie. You’re my very first hero. Thank you for…” Her voice trailed off for a couple of seconds, then, “…for loving me so much.”

  Jamie drew an involuntarily deep breath of his own, not expecting to hear anything like that.

  “Wow, I … I didn’t expect you to say that.” He paused, then said, “You’re welcome.”

  “I was in the recovery room until I woke from the anesthesia. When I woke up, the only thing I remember thinking before I fell back to sleep was, ‘Jamie loves me.’”

  Jamie wondered if she felt the fire as it flooded into his hands. He was certain there was no way he was hiding it from his face.

  Holy camoly! What’s in her I.V. bag? Liquid bold?

  “Woo,” he said breathily. His left hand rose to scratch the left side of his head, more out of nervous energy than an itch.

  “Jamie,” she said, waiting for him to look back up at her. When he did, she said, “I love you too.”

  “Wow. I … uhh.…”

  He was definitely not a master of words, wit, or charm at the moment.

  “Don’t worry. You don’t have to say anything.”

  They sat silently for a minute, both probably pondering the exchange.

  “There’s so much to talk about,” he finally said.

  “Yeah. I guess you’re right.”

  “A lot of crazy stuff happened in that house. I heard the police talking about where you’d been locked up in the basement. The darkroom. No light?”

  “There was a red one. I guess those are used so someone developing film can see while not messing it up with regular light.”

  “Oh. How long were you alone?”

  “Well … turns out I wasn’t.”

  “I mean, when Drew drove off to ditch the phone. At least that’s what Officers Eldredge and Larkin think happened.”

  “That’s what he did. But I mean that I wasn’t alone while he was gone. I met someone. Someone your dad met a long time ago.”

  Jamie was stumped.

  “Joshua.”

  “Wait. What?”

  “Yeah, it was crazy cool. We met in his boardroom, just like your dad did.”

  “That’s sick!”

  “I know, right?” Her face brightened.

  “You gonna tell Dad?”

  “Heck, yeah. Joshua said that Dad and I would have things to talk about.”

  Jamie’s heart sank with her words. He didn’t want to say what he knew he had to bring up.

/>   “I think I ought to tell you about something,” Jamie said, tentatively. “Dad and Officer Larkin found some stuff on your computer.”

  Elizabeth’s expression very quickly changed from happiness to worry. She pulled her hand out of Jamie’s, resting it a few inches away, tightly clenched.

  Jamie didn’t know what to say next. He didn’t know what was on the laptop; he didn’t know if he really cared. But based on her reaction, he thought maybe he should.

  He didn’t speak. And she didn’t for a couple of minutes, as her eyes bounced around the room, unfocused, thinking about the ramifications of what she’d heard from him.

  Finally, she said, “Jamie, after you find out what’s on it, you’re not going to like me very much anymore.” Tears formed in her eyes. “I’m sorry. It’s going to hurt you … and your family.”

  Jamie was now a little scared. For her and himself.

  Chapter 83

  D

  rew awoke in the recovery room. He was very groggy and tried to make sense of his surroundings.

  Hospital?

  He couldn’t turn his head. He tried to swallow but couldn’t. It hurt pretty bad to try. He lowered his eyes to find that a tube was extending from his mouth. That scared him.

  What happened? Why am I….

  Then he remembered. And that terrified him.

  What had he done? He’d seen himself lunge at Elizabeth and plunge his mom’s antique knitting needle into her chest.

  Oh God … oh God … did I kill her?

  Drew remembered that he’d been able to see everything that was going on, but he’d been unable to do anything about it. Even the words from his mouth … he hadn’t been able to control those either. Some of the things he’d said had been hellish.

  What did I do?

  He tried to lift his head again to look around. He couldn’t.

  Why?

  There was a cord by his right hand. With his fingers, he felt around it and discovered a controller. He lifted it up so that he could see it. There was a call button on it. He pressed it.