by E. L. Todd
I sighed. “I’ll find him.”
She said nothing.
“Did anything else—happen?”
“No.”
I swallowed the lump in my throat. “Thank god.” I would die if someone raped her. I really couldn’t stand the thought.
Sadie stared at me but said nothing.
I held Elisa’s hand within mine and felt her pulse. It made me feel better because it was strong. She was going to be okay. She was going to be okay.
“Jared—”
“No,” I interrupted her. “Drop it.” I knew what she was going to say. She wanted to talk about the letter. “Now isn’t the best time,” I snapped.
“I just wanted to say I’m sorry, Jared. That’s all.”
I said nothing.
The nurse came in. “Visiting hours are over. You can come back in the morning.”
“You may as well call security because I’m not going anywhere,” I said as I looked at Elisa. “And I won’t go quietly.”
Sadie looked at me. “Jared—”
“I mean it,” I snapped.
The nurse sighed. “It’s not worth it. He can stay.”
Sadie nodded. “Thank you.”
The nurse left.
Sadie grabbed my bags from the floor. “I’ll take these home.”
I didn’t say anything.
Sadie came behind me then wrapped her arms around my torso. I didn’t reciprocate her embrace at all. My hands were still on Elisa.
“I love you,” she whispered.
I remained silent.
“I’ll see you tomorrow,” she said as she released me. She walked out and closed the door behind her.
The only light in the room was from the monitor by her bed side. I grabbed a chair and pulled it next to her bed. I held her hand as I laid my head beside hers. I listened to her breathing until my eyes grew heavy. I closed them and fell asleep.
When the door opened a moment later, or it seemed like a moment, I sat up and rubbed the sleep from eyes.
“Good morning,” a man in a white coat said.
I said nothing.
“That’s gonna hurt later today,” he said as he looked at my neck. He sat on the stool then observed Elisa, checking her vital signs and her IV. He examined her bruises and cuts. “Well, the CT came back this morning.”
“And?”
“She doesn’t have any permanent brain damage. She’s just recovering from the trauma.”
“She’s going to be okay?”
“Yes. She can leave when she wakes up.”
I breathed a sigh of relief. “Thank god.”
“Are you Mrs. Wyatt’s husband?”
“Who?”
He stared at the chart. “Elisa’s husband?”
“Oh—uh—no. Her boyfriend. She’s a widow.”
He nodded. “My apologies.”
“Yeah.”
He left the room, closing the door behind him.
Now I understood why the receptionist couldn’t find her. She still had her husband’s last name—not Ethan’s. I ran my fingers through her hair and stared at her face. The bruises pained my heart. She must have been so scared. I wished this hadn’t happened to her. I sat vigil next to her for hours before there was a knock on the door.
Ethan walked into the room. He didn’t look surprised to see me.
“I’m not leaving,” I blurted. “So save it.”
He sat in the chair on the opposite side of the room. “I wasn’t going to ask you to.”
“Good,” I snapped.
“Any news?”
“Doctor says she doesn’t have any brain damage.”
Ethan breathed a sigh of relief. “Oh, thank god.” Tears bubbled under his eyes but he blinked them back.
“How are the kids?”
“Oblivious.”
I nodded.
“Sadie is watching them.”
“Okay.”
I squeezed Elisa’s hand. I hadn’t drop it since I got there. I wanted her to know I was there even if she couldn’t speak or see. “I’m sorry,” I whispered.
Ethan looked at me. “It isn’t your fault.”
I stared at him, incredulous. “It’s completely my fault. I shouldn’t have left, or I should have told her I was really leaving. She obviously thought I was lying or was still at the apartment. If I just answered my phone, I could have stopped this.”
He sighed. “Don’t beat up yourself over it. It was my fault too. I should have heard her leave.”
A tear fell down my face. “I’m so sorry.”
“It’s okay.”
“No, it’s not. No.”
Ethan fell silent.
I cried quietly to myself, hating myself for it. This was entirely my fault. “You should kill me.”
“It’s not your fault,” he repeated.
“So, the one time I actually do something wrong, you don’t care? But I get punched for crimes I didn’t commit?”
“I was wrong to hit you before, but you didn’t do anything wrong here. Let it go. She’s going to be okay. That’s all that matters at this point.”
I shook my head. “I can’t believe you. If something happened to Sadie, I would hold you responsible for it.”
“That’s completely different and you know it.”
I said nothing.
“Jared, no one holds you responsible. She went out on her own.”
“Shut up,” I snapped.
He fell silent.
I grabbed her hand and kissed it.
We sat together for a long time. Only the sound of the monitor could be heard. I stared at Elisa and watched her breathe. The IV machine would beep every once in a while. It was a nice distraction.
When I saw her eyes flutter open, I felt my heart race. The tears poured down my face. I didn’t move or speak because I didn’t want to scare her. Her last memory must have been horrific. When her eyes were completely open, she stared at me for a long time until she recognized me.
“Jared?” she said with a croak.
“Yeah,” I whispered.
She reached her hand toward mine. Instead, I leaned over and pressed my forehead against hers. She wrapped her arms around my neck and squeezed me tightly.
“I’m so sorry,” I sobbed. “I’m so sorry.”
She said nothing while she held me.
“Ellie, I love you. I love you so much.”
“I love you too,” she whispered.
“You are everything to me. I’m so sorry.”
“It’s okay. I’m okay.”
I kissed her forehead then her cheeks. “I didn’t know what I would do if—”
“Shh.”
“I’m sorry,” I sobbed.
“It’s not your fault, Jared.”
“Yes, it is. I’m supposed to protect you. I failed.”
“Jared, calm down.”
I took a deep breath. “I’m sorry. You’re right. I’m so glad you’re okay. I’m so grateful.” I pulled away and looked down at her. “How are you feeling? Are you in pain?”
“A little.”
“I’ll get the nurse.”
She grabbed me. “No. Don’t go.”
“Okay.”
She placed her hand on my chest and gently rubbed me. “You didn’t have to come, Jared.”
“I love you. Of course I had to.”
“I’m not your responsibility anymore.”
“Shut up. You’re always my responsibility. I love you.”
Her eyes softened but she said nothing.
Ethan stood up then approached the bed. “Hey,” he whispered.
She turned to him. “Ethan?”
“Hey.” He wrapped his arms around her and hugged her tightly. He started to cry quietly. “I’m so glad you’re okay.”
“I know.”
“I love you so much.”
“I love you too.”
He continued to hold her while the tears fell down his face.
“Where are my b
abies?”
“They’re at home with Sadie.”
“Do they—know?” she asked.
“No. They have no idea.”
“Good.”
He rubbed her back while he held her. I looked away to give them some privacy. When Ethan finally pulled away, his eyes were still red. He wiped them and looked at his sister. “It’s going to be okay.”
“I know,” she whispered.
“The doctor said you’re going to be fine. He said you could go home.”
She breathed a sigh of relief. “Good.”
“You still need to give a description of the mugger before we go,” he said quietly.
Her eyes widened in fear. “No.”
“Elisa—”
“No.” She started to cry. “I can’t—no.”
I grabbed her face and kissed her gently. Her cries were stifled for a moment. “Ellie, please do this for me. I’ll be here the whole time—both of us.”
“I can’t.”
“Yes, you can. Please.”
She kept crying.
I kissed her tears away and ran my fingers through her hair. “Calm down.”
“I’m trying,” she said between breaths.
“It’s okay, it’s okay.”
“Okay,” she said.
“Please do this for me.”
She was quiet for a long time. “Okay.”
“Thank you.”
Ethan rose from the bed. “I’ll be right back.”
I kept Elisa’s face close to mine. We stared at each other for a long time, neither one of us saying anything. When she looked into my eyes, she seemed to feel calm, distracted. I wanted her to stay that way, so I ran my fingers through her hair gently. Her eyes were still red but the tears stopped falling. I wanted to ask her what happened but I couldn’t. It would make her hysterical again.
Ethan returned a moment later with two police officers behind him.
Elisa immediately grabbed my hand. I sat beside her on the bed then wrapped my arm around her shoulder, holding her close to me. My fingers glided gently over her skin.
“Elisa Wyatt?” the first office asked. He was short and broad. He didn’t look like he could run fast, but it seemed like he could throw a punch with massive force. He had brown hair that matched his eyes.
She cleared her throat. “Yes.”
“Can you describe the attacker?”
The other police officer opened a pad of paper and placed the tip of the pencil to the paper.
“Uh, yeah,” she said.
I rubbed her back. “Come on, Ellie.”
“He had brown hair.”
“Short or long?” the officer asked.
“Medium,” she answered. “It’s the same length as my brother’s.”
The artist glanced at Ethan and started to scribble.
She continued. “He’s taller than me—the same height as Jared. His eyes reached my forehead.”
“I’m six foot,” I said.
The artist nodded.
The police officer looked at Elisa. “Weight?”
“Uh, I don’t know. He was big.”
“Fat, chubby, muscular?”
“No. Skinny but big.”
“And what does that mean?” the office asked with a roll of his eyes.
I glared at him. “I suggest you show some respect. I have no problem calling your supervisor and giving a full report on your obvious disrespect and inability to do your job right. Knock it off.” Elisa flinched beside me. “My girlfriend just experienced a major trauma. If you don’t give a shit, then you shouldn’t be here. You got it?”
The officer stared at me for a moment before he looked at Elisa. “Please describe him in more detail.”
“That’s better,” I snapped.
“Uh, he was thin and toned. Like a soccer player.”
“You’re doing great, baby,” I whispered.
The artist continued to scribble.
“Any distinguishable features?” he asked.
“He had a beard and a freckle on one eyelid.”
“Which one?” the officer asked.
“The left one,” she answered.
“Race?”
“White.”
He nodded. “Anything else you think we should know?”
“He had a knife,” she answered.
“Thank you,” he said. “Can you tell us what happened?”
She started to shake.
“It’s okay,” I whispered in her ear. “It’s okay.”
She took a deep breath. “Before I reached the building, he came from nowhere. It was dark. I don’t really know.” She paused and held me tighter. “He pushed me against the wall and held a knife to my throat. Then he demanded that I hand over everything I had. I was so scared that I didn’t move. That’s when he started to hit me.” I closed my eyes, unable to take it anymore. It was too painful. “He hit me until I fell to the ground then he kicked me. When I covered my face, he pulled everything from my pocket and took my purse. He kicked me in the head and that’s the last thing I remember.”
I brought her close to me and rested my head on top of hers. I didn’t want her to see me cry. Her story was too painful to imagine. Knowing she was beaten like that broke my heart into thousands of pieces. She was shaking and I held her close.
“I think we have everything,” the officer said.
The artist stepped toward us and showed us the drawing. “Is this him?”
We stared at it for a moment then she nodded.
“Thank you,” he said.
Both of the officers left.
“You did great, Ellie,” I whispered.
She didn’t say anything.
Hours later, the nurse came into the room and started to unhook her IV. “You’re free to go.”
“Thank you,” she whispered.
“Of course, honey,” she said. “And here are your clothes.” She placed the plastic bag on the end of the bed. Then she left.
Elisa tried to stand up but I pushed her back.
“Let me help you.”
“I can do it,” she said.
Ethan looked uncomfortable. “I’ll be outside.” He got up and left.
I grabbed the clothes and cringed when I saw the dry blood. I tried to ignore it and helped her get dressed. It was either that or she would have to wear my clothes. As I stripped off her gown, I saw the discoloration along her ribs. She was bruised badly.
“It doesn’t hurt,” she said quickly.
I knew she was lying. I helped her get dressed then gathered her in my arms.
“I can walk. My legs don’t hurt.”
“I got you.”
She wrapped her arms around my neck and didn’t argue.
We joined Ethan in the hall then left the hospital, getting in a cab off the street. While we drove back to the townhouse, I placed my arm around her shoulder and held her close. No one said anything on the ride home.
When we arrived at the house, Ethan looked at his sister. “How do we explain this to the kids?”
“Uh, I don’t know.”
She had bruises on her face. It was hard to hide. They would be there for several weeks.
“I’ll just say I fell down or something,” she whispered.
I couldn’t think of a better idea. Judging by Ethan’s blank expression, he didn’t have a better idea either.
We climbed out of the cab then came to the front door. Ethan unlocked it and we all walked inside. As soon as we entered the living room, the kids ran toward us. They stopped when they saw Elisa.
“Mommy?” Tommy asked. “Are you hurt?”
She kneeled down and hugged him tightly. “No. I just had an accident.”
Becky came over and pointed at her face. “But you have ouchies everywhere.”
“It’s nothing,” she said quickly. She grabbed Becky and held them both for a long time. She started to cry but the kids didn’t move. I kneeled down behind her then wrapped my arms around all three
of them, rocking them gently. We just listened to Elisa cry.
“Mommy, why are you crying?” Becky asked.
“Your mother is tired and needs a nap,” I said quickly.
“Oh,” she said. “I hate naps.”
“Now you know why she’s crying,” I said with a smile.
Becky patted her hair. “It’s okay, Mommy. They aren’t that bad.”
Elisa sniffed. “I know, honey.”
“Come on. I need to put Mommy to bed,” I said.
“Uncle Jared, you’re back?” Tommy asked.
“Yeah,” I answered.
“Why are you here sometimes but not all the time?” Becky asked.
I didn’t know what to say. I picked up Elisa and carried her in my arms. I walked down the hall and entered the bedroom. I laid her on the bed then started to remove her clothes. They were filthy, and I tossed them on the floor. I wasn’t attracted to her naked body like I normally was. I was too disturbed and upset to feel anything but pain.
I walked into the bathroom and got the shower running then returned to her. She was sitting up with her arms crossed over her chest.
“Come on. Let’s get you in the shower.”
She was mute.
I grabbed her hand and pulled her to stand. “Come on. It’ll feel good.”
“Okay,” she whispered.
I walked her into the bathroom. Before she opened the door to the shower, she looked at me. “Get in with me. I don’t want to be alone.”
“Okay.”
She seemed surprised by my immediate agreement.
I stripped off my clothes then I followed her inside the shower. I guided her under the water and started to shampoo her hair, massaging her scalp at the same time. She rested her hands on my chest and closed her eyes. Then I scrubbed her body with soap, rubbing her muscles with my fingertips. When I was finished, she did the same to me. I kept my hands on her waist while she touched me, making sure she didn’t fall. When she was done, she wrapped her arms around my neck and just held me. I wrapped my arms around her and let the water fall on us. We didn’t say anything but nothing needed to be said. She was still frightened of everything that just happened. She couldn’t stand the silence and she couldn’t stand to be alone.
When our skin became pruned, I turned off the water then grabbed a towel, drying her skin and tasseling her hair. She closed her eyes and moaned. When she was dry, I wiped myself off. She stared at me but her usual hunger was absent. I wondered if she lost her attraction to me or she was just too confused.
We went back into the bedroom and she crawled under the sheet.