Open Eyes (Open Skies) (13 page)

Jake took off his t-shirt and gently wrapped it around Vicky’s naked upper body. As he did, he saw the vivid purple fingermarks around her white throat.

Jesus Christ. Just what the hell happened here?

Carefully, Jake touched Vicky’s arm. “Vicky, are you OK?”

Vicky looked up at him. Her one eye was swollen almost completely shut and her nose looked broken.

“Jake, I’ve called an ambulance already,” she said calmly. “But please call the police. I think I’ve killed my husband.”

**

Tammy burst in to the hospital emergency room, Rob right on her heels. She saw Jake, Phil and Mattie siting there, looking shaken.

Jake stood up and she stopped dead.

“Whose blood is that?” she said.

He glanced down at his jeans and t-shirt. “Julie and Vicky’s. Mostly Vicky’s.”

“What the hell happened?” Rob said.

“Vicky’s husband,” Mattie said. “He found her.”

“Oh, my God.” Tammy sat down in the closest chair. “What did he do to them?”

Mattie shook her head. “He beat the daylights out of Vicky. Julie got off quite a bit easier, it looks like. The ambulance guys said she was hit over the head with something – probably the butt of Carl’s gun.”

“What? He had a gun?” Rob said.

“Yeah,” Phil said, speaking for the first time in an hour. “And he had every intention of using it, looks like.”

“He – he what?” Tammy said. “He shot Vicky?”

“No.” Jake looked exhausted. “No, she shot him.”

“She –” Tammy was interrupted when a doctor walked up to them with a clipboard. She squinted at his name tag: Dr. S. Inglis.

“Hi again,” he said. “I have some more news about your friends. Let’s sit down, OK?”

They sat, their faces tense and strained.

“So. Ms. Everett seems to be fine. A bad bump on the back of the head, some bruising. I don’t see any sign at all of a concussion, but we’ll keep her here overnight to watch her. If she’s OK tonight, she’ll be able to go home in the morning.”

Everyone nodded. Mattie squeezed Jake’s hand and he tried to return her smile.

“Now, Ms. Thompson.” Dr. Inglis shook his head. “Her condition is more serious, I’m afraid.”

“How much more serious?” Jake said.

The doctor glanced down at his notes. “She was badly beaten by that man. He broke her nose and one of her cheekbones and two fingers. He cracked two of her ribs for sure, maybe three. I’m waiting on the x-rays to be certain. She has four deep lacerations on her head, and from the marks on her throat, it appears he tried to strangle her.”

Phil closed his eyes and Jake put his arm around his massive shoulders. “She’s going to be OK, man.”

The doctor continued. “I’m most concerned about her back: it’s clear that he stomped on it, hard enough to leave a near-perfect boot print on her body.”

Tammy gasped. “Oh, my God. The man is a fucking animal.”

“Yes.” Dr. Inglis’ anger came through his impersonal professional demeanor. “Yes, he meant to hurt her as badly as he could. I have no doubt about that.”

“Is she – is she paralyzed?” Phil asked.

“No. Thank goodness for that. A few more inches down, and he’d have snapped her lower spine, I think. But the injury is bad enough, despite that. She’s having trouble with her hands and feet, and it’s a bit too early to say if it’s related to the back injury or not. I want to keep Ms. Thompson here for a few days, for tests and observation.”

“Can we see them?” Tammy asked.

“Ms. Everett, certainly. But Ms. Thompson is sleeping, and I want her to stay that way.”

“Can I see Vicky?” Phil asked. “I’ll just sit.”

Sam Inglis glanced at the big man who was white and shaking like a leaf. He was always amazed when he saw obviously tough men crumble when people they loved were hurt. This emergency room was the ultimate equalizer and it humbled people – no matter how rich or gorgeous or strong. It made them realize what and who really mattered to them.

“Of course,” Dr. Inglis said. “I’ll take you myself.”

They all stood up and followed him to the elevator. They travelled in silence to the third floor and the doctor pointed to his left. “Ms. Everett is there, in room twelve.” To Phil, he said. “I’ll take you to Ms. Thompson.”

“Do you want me to come with you?” Mattie said.

Phil shook his head. “No, it’s fine. Go see Julie. I’ll be there soon.”

“OK, hon.” Mattie gave him a hug and followed the others down the hall to Julie’s room.

Phil and Dr. Inglis walked in silence to Vicky’s room at the other end of the corridor, near the nurses’ station. Phil paused outside the door.

“Can I ask about – about the man who Vicky shot?”

“Her husband, as I understand it.”

“Yes. But in name only.”

Sam Inglis nodded. “Well, he’s in surgery. I can get an update, if you want.”

“Where was he shot?”

“In the chest.”

Phil reflected that if this were fifteen years earlier, he’d be rampaging around the hospital right now looking for Carl, looking to finish the job that Vicky started. He’d make damn sure the bastard died.

But you aren’t that man anymore and that’s why you’re here, outside Vicky’s door, instead of looking for that asshole with a gun in your jacket pocket. The truth is that if this were fifteen years ago, there would
be
no Vicky. You’d never have been able to let something so pure and sweet in to your life – you weren’t ready.

“Go on in and see her," Dr. Inglis said. "You can stay as long as you want.”

“Really?”

“Yes. I think it would be better for someone she knows to be with her when she wakes up. I imagine she’ll be frightened and confused, and of course, she’ll be in a great deal of pain. Try to keep her calm when she regains consciousness, OK?”

“I will.”

Phil quietly shut the door and crossed the room to Vicky’s bed. He stood over her for a moment, shaking in anger and shock, horrified at the extent of her injuries.

Most of her features were hidden from view by the bandage on her nose, but what he could see of her delicate face was swollen and disfigured. One eyelid was purple and black and her head was heavily bandaged. He reached for her hand and paused: the fingers on her left hand were set in a splint.

He did all this to you – and you
still
managed to fight back and get to your feet and shoot the bastard? Well, good for you, babe. That’s my girl. Tough and strong as ever.

Phil sat down in the chair next to her bed and gingerly, he took her right hand. She didn’t move. He leaned forward and pressed her hand to his forehead. He closed his eyes as tears ran down his face. He had never been so angry and scared and grateful in his entire life.

**

Julie opened her eyes when she felt gentle fingers touch her cheek. Jake was standing over her, his face pale and tight. His smile didn’t reach his gray eyes.

“How you doing, baby?”

“OK.” Her voice was raspy.

“Have something to drink, Julie.” Jake brought the straw to her lips and she drank. The cool water went down her dry throat and she felt better.

She looked behind Jake to see Tammy and Rob and Mattie. They looked shocked and upset. Tammy was near tears. This had taken her back to her own attack in New York, almost eighteen months before. Rob put his arms around her and held her tight.

“I’m really OK, guys,” Julie said. “I mean, my head hurts, but that’s it.” Her green eyes were serious. “How’s Vicky?”

Jake stroked her hair. “Shhhh. Don’t worry about that right now.”

Julie tried to sit up. “What do you mean ‘don’t worry’? Do you
know
what that asshole did to her? How badly he hurt her? Is she – did he kill Vicky?”

Jake was alarmed. “Julie, you have to lie down. Please.” He held her by the shoulders as she struggled against him.

Tammy stepped forward. “Hey, calm down, Jules. OK? Vicky is fine. She’s down the hall and she’s sleeping.”

Julie relaxed. “She is?”

“Yes.”

“How badly is she hurt?”

“Well… pretty bad. Some broken bones and some stitches. You’re both staying here for now, OK?”

“And what about that bastard? Is he dead?”

“No. He’s in surgery.”

Julie closed her eyes again. “He wanted to rape me.”

The room went very still.

“He what?” Jake said, a dangerous edge in his voice.

“He wanted to rape me, but Vicky stopped him. Offered herself instead. It made him furious. And when he untied her and ripped her shirt off and turned her over, she reared up and smashed him with the back of her head. Right in the face. Then they fought and she got the gun.” She was getting agitated and panicky at the memory. “She shot him because she
had
to. She didn’t have a choice.”

“We know, baby.” Jake tried to calm her down.

“You’ll tell the police that? I don’t want her going to jail if he dies…” Julie struggled to sit up again. “Where are the police? I want to talk to them, right now.”

“We’ll tell the police for you.” Mattie’s calm voice broke through Julie’s panic. “We’ll tell them, and so will you, tomorrow. But right now, you need to sleep.”

Julie looked up at Mattie and nodded. “OK.”

“We know the truth, hon.” Mattie smiled, her eyes as still and warm and reassuring as ever. “We know Vicky and we know who she is. We know she’d never hurt anyone unless she had absolutely no choice. We know the truth.”

“Me too,” Julie said. “Vicky saved my life.”

“She did,” Jake said. “And we will all do whatever it takes to help her. Now, you get some sleep, OK? I’m going to stay right here with you. I’ll be here when you wake up.”

She closed her eyes. “You always are.”

**

The pain was like a pulsing, throbbing flame. Every single part of her body burned.

Vicky tried to move, but it hurt far too much. She groaned.

“Babe. Stay still. OK? Don’t move.”

Phil? Is Phil here?

She forced her eyes open. Her vision was blurry and she blinked.
Why is one eye not opening?

“Vicky?” Phil leaned over her. “Can you see me? Honey?”

“I – ”

“No. Shhh. Don’t talk. You’ve been badly hurt.”

Carl!

A bolt of fear went straight through her and she fought to sit up.

Phil’s hands on her body were gentle but firm. “No. I said don’t move. You hear me, Vicky? If you fight me, I’ll call someone to give you a shot and sedate you before you hurt yourself any worse than you already are. I’m serious now. Don’t move.”

His words pierced the fog around her brain and she allowed herself to be lowered to the bed again.

“OK, good girl.” He stroked her hair. “Now. I am going to tell you the important stuff, OK? You just listen. Deal?”

She nodded.
Ow. It hurts to nod.

“You promise me?”

She blinked at him, hoping that it showed assent and a spirit of cooperation.

“Alright. First things first: Julie is fine. A bump on her head and that’s it. She stayed in the hospital for one night, and she’s home now. Next, that son-of-a-bitch had surgery after you shot him in the chest. He’s expected to make a full recovery.”

Phil paused and looked at her closely. Her eyes were hard.

“As for you: you are a mess, babe.” He took her uninjured hand. “You’ve been out cold for most of the past two days. Stitches for all the deep cuts to your head, broken nose and cheek, two broken fingers. Cracked ribs. Bruises and damage all over the damn place. A back injury that will take some physical therapy.”

She stared at him. For the first time she saw the shadows under his eyes, the stubble on his cheeks and jaw. She was sure he hadn’t left her side for two days.

“You’re going to be OK, Vicky. I’ll make sure of it, we all will. No matter what, we are going to see you through it, alright? You saved Julie’s life, and we are all very grateful. Whatever you need, we’re going to do it.”

Sonia?
Mom?
She mouthed the words.

He held her hand tighter. “I called your Mom. She and Sonia will be here tomorrow, late afternoon.”

Despite the pain, she shook her head.
Carl will know they’re here… what about the police?

It was almost like he heard her. “Julie has already given a statement to the police about what happened – she insisted on it. They got in touch with the police in Kansas City about you taking Sonia and so far, the word back from them is that there is a clear history of the domestic abuse you and Sonia suffered. The general feeling in both police departments is that nobody wants to see you spend even one minute in jail for protecting yourself and Sonia and Julie. We’ll see what the lawyers decide, but the way it looks right now, you’ll have a suspended sentence of some kind and some community service.”

He paused. She knew there was more.

“The cops in Kansas went to Carl’s place and they found a note.” Phil hesitated. “In it he – he said that he knew where you were, and he was going to force you to tell him where Sonia was, if she wasn’t with you. Then he was going to kill you. Then her. And your Mom, if you were together.” Phil held her gaze. “Then he was going to take his own life.”

She closed her eyes with relief that his plans hadn’t been carried out.
Thank God. Thank God I was strong enough to stop him this time.

He saw her tears and he gently wiped them away. “Now. I want you to get some more rest. You have a long road to recovery ahead of you, and you need your strength.”

She tightened her hold on his hand and stared at him.

“Yes, babe. Of course I’ll stay.”

She sighed.

“Sleep.”

**

Two days later, Vicky woke up at about seven o’clock. She blinked, trying to figure out where she was. Then she remembered.

She lay for a minute, looking at Phil sleeping in the chair next to her bed. He looked exhausted and terrible, but he was hands-down the most handsome, kindest, sexiest man she had ever laid eyes on. She smiled, glad that she was being given the chance in her life to truly love a man and to be loved in return.