Poppy Wilde and the Wild Thing

by L A Moore

  “She’s lost too much blood, even the tourniquet hasn’t helped but so much.” Number 1 said as he helped Ari to get Poppy into the truck. “It’s possible she won’t make it even if we do get her to the hospital in time.” He warned gravely.

  “She will make it, she’s tough.” Ari said determinedly and assuredly. Then he climbed in beside Poppy as Number 1 took the driver’s seat on the other side of Poppy and they headed for the hospital.

  As they neared, Number 1 went over the plan with him again. “Remember, you go back with Number 2 and Number 3 for Samuel, and I take Poppy to the hospital. It’s near time for me to let you out. I know this is hard for you, but you have got to trust me with her.” Number 1 said gently, as he watched Ari stiffen up at the reminder of the plan. He couldn’t go with her, it would raise too many questions. He had to trust her to Number 1’s care and hope she made it. It was his job to be at home when the Sheriff came looking for him to tell him Avianna and Poppy had been found. In the meantime, Number 2 and Number 3 were to retrieve Samuel after they left the hospital and take him back to Ari’s to away transport to the high counsel. Once they had done that, they were to meet Number 1 on the outskirts of town to get Ari, and get him back to his house to wait for the Sheriff. It was a time sensitive plan, and Ari knew he had to be strong. Soon he could be back with Poppy and his Mother, but right now he had to leave them.

  Number 1 pulled over on the side of the road where Number 2 waited for him in Poppy’s Jeep.

  Ari kissed Poppy’s forehead gently and promised her he would see her again soon before he slipped out of the truck and got into the Jeep.

  Chapter 75

  Sheriff Barnes had questioned the two hunters that had brought in Avianna, but they couldn’t be certain exactly where they were in the woods; only that they had been in the North woods when they found her. After questioning them, he had released them and told them to stay close to town, in case he needed to question them further. He waited as the Doctors worked on Avianna, hoping he could interview her before he shared the news with Ari. He was hoping she might be able to lead him to Poppy and Samuel. He waited long into the night as they worked to stabilize her and clean her wound. It took three blood transfers and several liquid transfers to get her stable once her leg had been dealt with and, even then, she couldn’t talk because of the anesthesia and pain meds they had pumped her full of. The Doctor warned it could be several hours before she could talk, but Sheriff Barnes was a patient man.

  Chapter 76

  Avianna awoke to the sound of beeping in a dark room, lying on a bed. She was disoriented at first, but soon realized she must be at some medical facility somewhere. She wasn’t sure how she had gotten here, but she was grateful she was here and not with Samuel. Just as her senses were coming to her again, a Nurse dressed in colorful scrubs came into the room and flicked on the harsh light. It took Avianna several seconds before her eyes adjusted to the light and she could see her Nurse.

  “Hello there! I see you’re finally awake. I’ll just take your vitals and then get your Doctor, ok?” The Nurse said.

  Her Nurse was in the mid-thirties with a pretty, petite build, with a curvy body and a streak of bright pink in her blonde hair. She wore scrubs with bright paint splatters in various neon colors and black bottoms and Avianna liked her instantly.

  “What’s your name?” Avianna asked.

  “My name is Betsy ,and I’ll be your night Nurse.” Betsy replied, finishing taking Avianna’s blood pressure.

  “Where am I, and how did I get here Betsy?” Avianna asked.

  “You’re at the hospital Dear, and from what I heard some hunters found you in the woods and brought you here.” Betsy replied as she finished her short exam and took notes on Avianna’s chart. “I’ll send the Doctor in, he can tell you more ok, Hon?” Betsy said with a warm smile and patted Avianna’s hand reassuringly before leaving the room.

  It was only moments later before the Doctor appeared with a warm smile on his face, dressed in a white button down shirt and black pants with a white overcoat on. “Good morning Mrs. Mooreland. I must say, it was touch and go with you, but I am happy to see you are recovering just fine. We cleaned your cut and stitched it up. You lost a lot of blood, so we had to give you several blood transfusions, as well as liquids as you were quite dehydrated. We’re going to keep you on antibiotics through your IV for the next few days in the hopes that you don’t get an infection or take a turn for the worse. I must warn you that you still have a considerable chance of losing your leg. I know this is all a bit much to take in, but just rest and let us do the worrying; you just focus on getting better. Now, Sheriff Barnes is eager to see you for questioning, so I am going to send him in, but don’t let him overstay his welcome - you still need sleep and rest!” the Doctor instructed so fast that Avianna didn’t have a chance to ask him any questions, let alone what his name was before he had said his piece and turned and left the room.

  No sooner had the Doctor cleared the door way than the Sheriff came into the room.

  “Good morning Avianna. I’m awful glad you made it through last night.” Sheriff Barnes said, coming to sit beside Avianna.

  “Good morning Sheriff. Have you found Poppy yet?” Avianna asked.

  “No, I’m afraid not. I was hoping you might be able to help with that.” Sheriff Barnes said. “Can you tell me about what happened?” he asked.

  So Avianna told him her story; how Samuel said he was playing a game, and how he had cut her and Poppy, and how he would take odd items of clothing from them, and how he kept them chained up and finally, how she had managed to escape.

  “So when did you realize Poppy wasn’t with you?” the Sheriff asked, patiently listening to her story and writing it all down.

  “Well, I don’t know really. I had been running for a long while when I realized she wasn’t with me and then I was too scared to go back for her.” Avianna said, starting to sob. “I should have gone back!” She said through her sobs.

  “No, you did the right thing!” Sheriff Barnes reassured Avianna. “Now you’re going to help us to find Poppy too, and Samuel, and then I can put him away for a long, long time!” Sheriff Barnes said.

  “I’ve told you everything I remember, I don’t know anything more to tell you Sheriff.” Avianna said, sniffling and wiping her eyes.

  “Well, don’t you worry; you just call me on this number here if you remember anything, anything at all ok?” Sheriff Barnes said, handing her his personal business card with his cell phone number circled on it.

  “Ok Sheriff.” Avianna said, more calm now.

  “Now you get some rest. I’m going to go over my notes and see about finding Poppy. I’ll go by Ari’s and let him know you are ok and are here at the hospital.” Sheriff Barnes said reassuringly and patted Avianna’s arm before he left.

  Avianna was so overcome with sleepiness after her emotional visit with the Sheriff that she fell back to sleep, this time dreaming of her torment at the hands of Samuel, and of Poppy who had sacrificed herself to save her.

  Chapter 77

  Number 1 dropped Poppy off at the emergency door and met briefly with the Sheriff as he asked him the usual question’s like where he was, could he recall anyone else around, that sort of thing. Number 1 answered them all vaguely, telling him he was somewhere in the North woods and the only thing he could recall being around was a couple of hunting cabins. He wanted to lead the Sheriff to the crime scene, but not give him everything he needed to solve the crime. Before nightfall, Samuel would be heading to the High Counsel to stand for judgement for his crimes and all the Sheriff would have is a cold case on his hands.

  Sheriff Barnes conferred once more with the Doctors but this time about Poppy, and when it was clear she, too, would be hours before he could interview her, decided to ride up to Ari’s to give him the good news.

  Ari waited in the house, pacing back and forth. He wanted nothing more than for the Sheriff to come to his door and tell him his Mother and hi
s Fiancé were found and safe and, more than all that, that they were alive and well. It felt like hours on end when it was really just a couple before the Sheriff knocked on his door.

  “Do you have any news?” Ari asked, not bothering to ask the Sheriff inside or to properly greet him.

  “I have some good news, and some bad news. The good news is your Mama and your girlfriend has been found. The bad news is, Samuel is still on the loose.” Sheriff Barnes explained.

  “Where are they? Are they ok?” Ari asked, grabbing his jacket waiting for the Sheriff to tell him they were at the hospital and he could go see them.

  “They are alive for now, but I got to tell you Ari, they both stand to lose their leg if not their lives.” The Sheriff said, stopping Ari in his tracks. His back hit the wall before he realized he was moving and then he was on his knees.

  “I have to go to them!” Ari said, panicked and shocked.

  “Come on then, and I’ll take you to them.” Sheriff Barnes said, helping Ari to his feet.

  Numbers 1, 2, and 3 stood around Samuel in Ari’s barn. He hadn’t come to as of yet and he had a large knot on his forehead.

  “I think he has a concussion.” Number 2 stated obviously.

  “I think you might be right, but he will have to wait until he gets to headquarters to get medical treatment. I am not inclined to do much for him after what all he’s done.” Number 1 stated and then called headquarters to get an air lift ride back to headquarters. It wasn’t their job to hang around and help the victims pick up the pieces, it was their job to capture the perpetrator and bring him to justice. They would be gone before Ari got back from the hospital, leaving not so much as a trace of their existence beyond the brief interview they each gave the Sheriff.

  Chapter 78

  Ari rushed to his Mother’s side, not wanting to wake her but wanting to be close to her. He was torn because he wanted desperately to be with both his Mother and Poppy, but Poppy was in surgery still so it made his decision easier for him.

  Avianna lay quietly sleeping, finally having fallen into a deep slumber, her dreams forgotten and her cares were miles away. She sensed someone was close to her, but her eyelids were simply too heavy to open.

  Ari whispered in her ear, standing bent over her. “I’m here Mom, it’s me, Ari. You’re safe now and you’re going to be ok. You have good Doctors who are going to help you.” He had said it more for himself than for her, really, but still it lifted his spirits when she smiled in her sleep.

  He sat with her the whole time they worked on Poppy, which it took several hours to stabilize her. In the meantime, the Doctors and Nurses kept him up to date as to how she was doing. Once she was stable but resting, they allowed him to go and be with her. He walked into the room, somehow more nervous than he had been with his Mom. Something deep down told him she was going to be ok, but he couldn’t say the same about Poppy. Maybe it was because they weren’t as close as he and his Mother and didn’t share the same maternal bond. At least that is what he told himself, but he knew Number 1 had warned him that she might not make it. He came to the side of the bed and gently kissed her lips, while gently holding the top of her head with one hand and her hand with the other. Then whispered to her “I’m here my love, you are safe and in good hands. Don’t worry about anything except getting better.” Unlike his Mother, she didn’t smile or do anything encouraging for him. Instead, she lay looking like she was sleeping. He sat down beside her and held her hand, just waiting for her to wake up any moment but hours passed and still, she slept. He wasn’t sure when, but at some point he had fallen asleep himself. It was the Nurse who woke him late in the evening that his Mother was up and was asking for him.

  He stood up in a rush, prepared to go downstairs to his Mother’s room, but the Nurse stopped him. “We managed to get her a bed up here. She’s just next door, in the room to the left.” The nurse said and left. He hadn’t paid much attention to her; all he could think of was getting to his Mom. He rushed into the room and went over and hugged her, holding her for a long moment before letting her go. “Mom! I’m so glad you’re ok!” Ari said, relieved.

  “Well, I’m far from out of the fire yet, Kiddo, but I’m ok for now. The Doctor says I could lose my leg if it gets infected and they can’t cure it.” “Avianna explained. She was still having a hard time with that part. She didn’t want to lose her leg; she was quite partial to all her body parts and the thoughts of losing one was quite unsettling to her. “Have they found Poppy?” she asked next.

  “Yes, she’s in the next room, but she’s still asleep. I’m worried about her; I don’t think she’s doing so well.” Ari admitted.

  For the moment, her fears about her leg were forgotten. “Oh Honey, I’m sure she will be just fine. Look at me!” She said, using herself as an example but, in truth, she didn’t know how bad Poppy might be or what she went through.

  “I don’t know, Mom. Something tells me she isn’t as good as you.” Ari said, staring down at his hands. “I don’t know how to explain it, but I feel it deep down that you’re going to be ok, but I don’t feel that with Poppy. Do you think it’s because you’re my Mom and we have a bond?” Ari asked.

  “You know, you could be right. It could just be that motherly bond. Have you spoken to her Doctors?” Avianna asked.

  “Yes, they have been wonderful about keeping me updated, and they are saying pretty much the same about you as they about her, except she won’t wake up and needed more blood than you and she had the beginning of infection already when they brought her in. You had a fever too, but with antibiotics it looks like you’re going to be ok.” Ari explained.

  “Oh I see. Well, don’t worry so much, Son, let the Doctors do that. Instead, just focus on loving her and being there for her because that is what she needs most right now.” Avianna said, patting her sons arm. “I wish we had never stopped the car to help that ‘old lady’. If we hadn’t, you two would have been finalizing your wedding plans.” Avianna offered, hoping it would give him a glimmer of hope for the future.

  “Our wedding plans? But it was all I could do to get her to say ‘yes’ when I proposed.” Ari said, surprised.

  “Well, while we were in town, we did some looking and some wondering and, before you know it, we had everything picked out for a fine fall wedding; she was going to surprise you when we got home.” Avianna said, smiling.

  “Huh, well how about that? You take her out for one day and you get her to plan a wedding and I have to wait months for her to be ready to say ‘yes’. What kind of magic did you work on her?” Ari asked, bewildered and in awe.

  “I didn’t use any magic, all I did was show her a few possibilities and let her talk and, before you know it, she had talked herself right into getting married.” Avianna explained.

  “Well I’ll be! Mom you are some kind of magic, I swear it!” Ari said, smiling to his Mom. “The question is, how will she feel about a fall wedding once she wakes up?” Ari asked curiously.

  “That is a million dollar question my son, but no matter her answer, you just be patient, show her some possibilities, and let her talk herself into whatever decision she wants to make. You can’t force her to marry you, but you can show her what a good partner you can be and the rest, I’m afraid, is up to her.” Avianna replied matter of factly.

  Chapter 79

  He stood vigil at Poppy’s side all that evening and well into the night, refusing to go home when the Sheriff came by to inquire about Poppy and offer him a ride back. He didn’t want to leave her side in case she woke up. He wanted his face to the first thing she saw. He drifted off into a fitful sleep, dreaming that Avianna and Poppy were still kidnapped and that Samuel had killed them both. He woke with a start, not sure what had awoken him, but glad for whatever had awoken him from the horrid dream. Once again, he stood over Poppy, brushing her hair from her face yet again even though it wasn’t in her face. He just wanted to touch her, to know she was ok. This time she stirred a bit, her eyes fighting to o
pen. “That’s it baby; open your beautiful eyes for me.” He encouraged.

  Poppy managed to open her eyes briefly before shutting them again. She was coming awake, slowly but surely. She wanted nothing more than to tell Ari she was ok, that she was safe and alive and he didn’t need to worry so much, but she couldn’t. She couldn’t seem to come awake enough to tell him. ‘I’m…ok.” She managed a sluggish reply.

  “Yes, yes you are ok!” Ari said happily, and hugged her to him. “I’m so glad you’re waking up, I was so worried.” Ari said.

  Poppy smiled at him and fought to wake up. It was hard because she was so sleepy and tired, but she was ready to wake up and find out how she got to the hospital and if Avianna was ok. “Avianna?” She asked.

  “Mom is fine, she’s in the next room. She’s awake and talking and doing well. No sign of infection.”

  “Good.” Poppy replied. “How did I get here?” She asked, making her first full sentence and coming more awake each moment.

  “A couple of hunters found you and brought you here.” Ari said. Hating to lie but, for now, it was best she didn’t know the truth. She would have enough to deal with later at the trial in front of the high counsel.

  “Thank them for me.” Poppy requested.

  “Sure thing.” Ari replied. “The Sheriff wants to talk to you. I’m supposed to call him the moment you wake up.” Ari said, feeling her out to see if she were ready for the investigation.

  “It’s ok, you can call him. I’d rather get this over with. I just want to go home and finish planning our wedding.” Poppy said and smiled at Ari.

  “You mean, even after all this, you still want to marry me?” Ari asked teasingly.