The Guardian (The Guardian Book 1)

by Paula Stephanie Grogan

  Coura walked shakily up to the unconscious mound and started cursing at it while she kicked him repeatedly in the balls. “You’re going to be sorry son of a bitch! You freakin shrink dicked bastard! How dare you try to rape me!” She yelled in between kicks. Keric came up behind her trying to get her away from the Steve’s body. She rounded on him and started slapping and hitting him. He did not react in anger but out of love. He wrapped his arms around her and held her tight comforting her while she sobbed desperately. “It’s ok Coura, its ok, please don’t cry, you’re safe now I’m here with you.” She took a few shuddering deep breaths and knew he was right she was safe. She took some deep breaths and looked into Keric’s blue eyes, and it calmed her.

  When she had collected herself, she looked at Steve. “Wow you did a number on him,” his tux had been torn and blood spatter stains were everywhere. His face was swollen, and his head had some deep slow bleeding cuts. “I lost control Coura, I’m sorry I didn’t realize how bad I hurt him until he became unconscious. I could heal him, but I think he deserves to suffer.” Coura’s arms and bare legs had goosebumps, she was cold because the Santa Ana winds began to blow hard.

  Keric seen her shivering and went to Steve’s car and popped the trunk open and dug through its contents. He found what he was looking for, there was an emergency kit. He took the blanket from it and wrapped it around her. “I’m really sorry that this happened,” said Keric. I knew you were pretty serious with him so I tried to give you some space, but something happened to me, I could feel what you were feeling somehow, and I knew that you were in trouble. I should have been right here anyway, but I let my stupid feelings get in the way and he almost…” Keric couldn’t find the strength to finish what he was about to say. He was so angry with himself and at Steve he couldn’t think clearly.

  “It’s not your fault Keric; I should have listened to you,” said Coura. Keric knew she was right but deep down he still felt it was his fault. He knew from the beginning that if he allowed himself to get involved with her, his feelings for her would blind him. He shook himself out of his inner struggle and concentrated on the situation at hand. “Coura sweetie, I need you to call the police, and have them come out here and get him, and you checked out. Are you hurt anywhere?” He asked her. The aftereffects of the adrenaline and shock were wearing off and she realized it hurt to breath. Her dress was ripped cleanly in the front, so she lifted it up and Keric gasped in a breath saying nothing. Coura looked down and saw a giant bruise, in the shape of a fist mark. “I’m having a hard time; it’s starting to hurt when I breathe in. Coura’s dress was ripped all over and she was covered in blood. On the top half it barely covered half of her side with her underwear torn hanging only by a thread around her curved hips. There was almost nothing left to the imagination. Keric took off his white polo shirt and handed it to Coura. “Here put this on.”

  Once she had something besides the blanket covering her body, he handed her Steve’s cell phone that was sitting on the passenger’s seat. She nodded and took the phone; she knew without having to say it that the police couldn’t really know what happened that evening with Keric. She would have to come up with a different story. She was sure they wouldn’t believe her invisible guardian angel beat her attacker up, so she called while forming a plan in her mind. Keric stayed beside her the whole time invisible to everyone else. An ambulance came and took Steve away and then another came for Coura after the police officer got her statement. She told them that Steve had tried to rape her, after she refused to have sex with him. That she had fought hard and managed to escape the car. She ran a bit but he caught her and she head butted him and he fell down and then she kicked him repeatedly until she blacked out and couldn’t remember anything but feeling blinding rage When she came to he was knocked out on the ground, Which was where they found him. The officers took her statement, and everything seemed cut and dry to them. They photographed the pool of blood that he had been laying in; and was impounding his car as they took Coura off to the hospital in the ambulance.

  “Hey sweetie, the first responder said to her as he strapped her into the gurney. “My name is Alex and I’m going to be taking care of you today. Ok?” Coura looked at him and said “yes.” Can you answer a few questions for me?” Asked Alex. “Sure” said Coura, can you tell me your name?” “My name is Coura Lee Du Boise.” Alex shined his thin flashlight in her eyes, and she became dizzy, “woe there let’s get you to lie down ok?” She did more than willingly she could see stars in her eyes. “Coura real quick sweetie I need to know your birthday, and your next of kin. “Coura tried to pull herself from the sleep that was forcing itself upon her. “My birthdays December 10, 1996; and my mom’s my next of kin her number is 760-555-1427 her name is Laurel Barnes. With that she passed out.

  When Coura awoke, everything was blurry, but she couldn’t feel the pain as bad either. There was a bright light above her, and she could smell the disinfectant. She knew she was in the hospital. Coura tried to sit up but a sharp pain radiated up her side. “Oh God, that hurts!” A young-looking female police officer was standing in front of the door, when she heard Coura yell she went to get a nurse. The two came in the room together. “Coura my name is Alyssa and I’m your nurse. Honey can you tell me where you hurt?” “My ribs hurt, I tried to sit up, but the pain is unbearable when I move.” “Ok, well I’m going to give you some more pain medicine alright. I’ll be right back; I believe Officer Gulindo has got to get you to sign something before I do ok?” Coura nodded, “yes mam.” The officer was a beautiful young Mexican woman. Coura felt embarrassed, she thought she must look like hell from the pity look the officer was giving to her. All Coura could see through her swollen eyes was her scratched up hands and new forming bruises began to show beneath the skin of her petite arms and legs.

  “Coura, my name is Officer Gulindo. I work in the sexual assault crime unit of the San Diego P.D. I need you to sign some paperwork for me, so that all the evidence collected can be properly documented. “Yes, mam I will sign. But doesn’t my mom have to be here or something? I’m a minor you know.” “Well technically, you can sign the release you are over seventeen. But if you want to wait for your mother, I certainly understand.” Coura reached her hand out shakily to receive the clipboard. “No, it’s ok, I will sign it. I want Steve to pay for what he tried to do to me, and maybe prevent it from happening to anyone else.” Coura signed everywhere that was highlighted and just finished as the nurse came in with her pain medicine. “Thank you Coura, you were a brave young lady, and you put up a good fight. I’m not even sure I would have had the strength to do that, you should be proud.” The nurse walked over to Coura’s IV tubing and injected the pain medicine into it. Coura’s head burned hot then sleepiness followed as the pain decreased.

  Coura was woken up three hours later by another police officer. This one was bald, and pudgy. His uniform so tight over what looked like a pregnant belly made him appear less formidable. The officer looked grave, and disappointed when she awoke. “Mrs. Du Boise, my name is Deputy Matthews I’m here to inform you that your mother has been in a terrible car mugging. Coura shot up ignoring the sharp pain in her side, wincing in pain only a little bit. “What do you mean a terrible mugging? Is she ok, is she here can I see her?” The officer shook his head and to his credit looked as sympathetic as possible. “I’m so sorry, Coura, may I call you Coura?” He sat down on the edge of her bed and took her hand. “It kills me to tell you this but Coura, but your mother died this evening.” Coura didn’t believe this, but all she could manage to say was “How?”

  “From what the report says, your mom was driving along West Eleventh Street, and was stopped at a stop light. When a mugger opened her door, just as the green light hit and threw her to the ground. By the time she had registered what was happening an oncoming car hit her. She didn’t have time to react Coura, it happened within a matter of seconds. But death was instantaneous, she didn’t suffer.”

  Coura started crying erratical
ly. Her sobs so loud that the nurses down the hall at the nurses’ station heard her and called the doctor for an emergency prescription order. Another nurse ran in with a needle in hand. Coura was screaming and trying to hit everything she could touch. She tore out her IV and began punching the wall when the Dep. Matthews came behind her and reached his arms around her and pulled her back on his lap in a restraint, he trapped her flailing legs with his own. Coura blamed herself for her mother’s death. Coura believed if she had not gone out with Steve that night, and not ended up in the hospital that night her mother would still be alive. Deputy Mathews restrained Coura from hurting herself while the overnight nurse, Betty a tall blond Russian nurse rushed in and injected Coura’s bared leg with 10mgs of haloperidol, an immediate action antipsychotic. Coura fought until the drug kicked in. Then she fell limp against the officer’s body. He picked her up and laid her on the bed allowing the nurse to clean her up and start another IV.

  Deputy Matthews ran a hand over his bald head. He was stressed. He had never had to give a death call to a teen about a parent’s death. It was not as easy as the academy had taught him. He wasn’t exactly new to the force, but he was new to this. Usually he just worked the streets, arresting dope heads, thief’s and the occasional domestic violence; but this incident hit home to him. Deputy Matthews had a tear running from his left eye which he quickly wiped away. He turned to leave the room, getting one last glance at the teen before him. He felt so sorry for the girl that lay there. He too could relate to losing a mother at an early age, his mother died when he was six of leukemia. But at least he got to say goodbye to his mother. He had to make another trip and notify Coura’s stepfather next, he had called the base, but they said he was off on a training exercise. He was the first responder on the scene of her mother’s death. So, he had to tell her first, before she heard it on the news.

  The nurse was talking to him, but he didn’t register what she was saying. “I’m sorry mam, could you say that again? My head was elsewhere.” The nurse looked up at him, pity shown on her face. “I said,” the nurse said annoyed. “The hospital administrator has called her Stepfather Marshall Barnes. It is protocol that he is called because he is second on the list, as next of kin. I figured that you were going to go to him with the news next, and Margie at the desk said he’s twenty minutes out so if you hang around, you’ll be able to catch him and let him know about his poor wife. Officer Matthews nodded, rubbing his bald head trying to get his thoughts together.

  “Is there coffee anywhere here mam?” Said the Deputy. “Oh yes, right past the nurses’ station on the left, its fresh I just made it,” said Betty. Matthews was supposed to have been off since one, because he had worked over the night before. But he couldn’t find it in him to have someone else let the family know what had happened and finish his job for him. It just wasn’t who he was. He went and got coffee and waited for Coura’s stepfather to show.

  Marshal Barnes, Coura’s stepfather, was a lean, salt and peppered blond, Lieutenant General in the military. He showed up, looking dead tired and disheveled. He wore blue jeans and wrinkled blue v-neck shirt. Which was an oddity for him, he never wore anything that wasn’t starched and pressed. Deputy Matthews heard him talking to the night nurses trying to find Coura. He then went to him and introduced himself. “Mr. Barnes, I’m Deputy Matthews, may I talk to you in the waiting room across the hall before you go see your stepdaughter?” Marshal looked the officer over and nodded acknowledging that he would talk to him somewhere private. Once they entered the room and sat down across from each other on the hospital guest chairs Marshal asked “what is going on officer, please just get to the point and fast I do not like skirting around so just get to it ok. My stepdaughter and wife need me.”

  “That’s the thing, Mr. Barnes. Your wife never made it to the hospital. She was car jacked and thrown from her car on a busy road not far from here, on West Eleventh Street.” Marshall got up and stared at the wall. He could not sit still. “Well, where is she? Is she ok?” Deputy Matthews stood up and put his hand on Marshals shoulder. “I’m sorry sir, she’s dead. She was hit by an oncoming car. She died on impact.” Marshal collapsed into a chair behind him. The small waiting room, with the peach colored walls that were meant to sooth started closing in on him. He began to hyperventilate. So many things were going through his mind. My wife is dead, and my stepdaughter is in ICU. I should have been there in the car with Laurel then maybe this wouldn’t have happened, he thought. The deputy could see many emotions pass over Marshals face. Then calm seemed to come from within him and he said to the officer, “where is Coura? Is she going to be alright Deputy?”

  “Coura is stable; she was attacked tonight by her date, over at the Point. She got pretty beat up; she’s got a few broken ribs, lots of lacerations, and a small concussion. But she did a number on that-boy. He is in the ICU also, but at another hospital, he had to be life-flighted, if that tells you anything. The boy is in critical condition. I have spoken with the boy’s parents and they’re not going to press charges on Coura.

  “Why in the hell would they have pressed any charges? Isn’t that self-defense? He attacked her and tried to rape her right?” Said Marshal. “While yes that is true, but he didn’t do it, and she beat him in excess. Even after being unconscious he received several broken ribs and his man hood herniated, causing him to have to go into emergency surgery from the blunt force trauma. What I’m saying is, she continued to assault him after he was no longer a threat to her. If the parents wanted to, they could put her in jail for a long time if they tried to pursue it. “That’s bullshit! Marshall hollered angrily.

  She was probably having PTSD attack after a horrific incident like that; I’m sure if they did a psych test, they would find that she was not in a competent state of mind. I’m quite familiar with this I see it all the time in the young men that come back from the war.” Marshal was red faced, and his Jarhead haircut seemed to shine red through his hair. “I completely agree, but it’s not up to me the D.A. has to pick it up. The best thing to do right now, is to go to Coura and support her through her grief and have some time to deal with yours. We will get to the bottom of everything. I assure you I know who the criminal is in this situation, and I will help protect Coura with the best of my ability.” Dep. Matthews handed Marshal a card, “this is violent crime grief counselor, named Marie González who can help Coura through this difficult time. It’s completely free I hope she takes advantage of the help; many women don’t and suffer through it. And if you get time come by the station there are some things, we can do to get her some help."

  Marshal took the card and put it in his t-shirt pocket. “Thank you for…” Marshal didn’t know what he was thankful for exactly, so he just said, “Thank you.” Marshall left the room and Coura’s nurse Mrs. Betty saw him and guided him to her room explaining that she had a break down and that was why she was sedated and restrained to the bed, for her own safety. “She will be under 24-hour suicide watch and won’t be able to be discharged until this time tomorrow. She didn’t handle the news of her mother’s passing well.” Marshal nodded but said nothing. He sat down next to Coura’s bed for a while, but she didn’t wake. His thoughts ran in many directions, where did they take Laurel, the deputy didn’t say? Will the insurance cover the funeral? I’m going on deployment next week to Iran who is going to stay with Coura? There’s my assistant Barbie, she’s always been overly fond of me maybe I work out an arrangement with her to watch Coura. Oh God, what am I doing my wife just died and I’m thinking about another woman. I can’t do this, “I got to go. I’m so sorry Coura.” When Marshal cleared his mind, he decided the best thing to do was let Coura be for the night, he would make arrangements with her aunt to get her the next evening. He had decided that he had funeral arrangements to take care of and a new guardian to find to watch over Coura, so he left.

  Keric appeared in the room at just as Marshall was leaving but stayed hidden behind the veil, not letting him know he was there. Keric c
ould feel Coura’s pain, groggy beneath her subconscious. This time it wasn’t just physical it was emotional pain. Oh Coura, he thought, God why would you allow such a travesty on one you that you have chosen. Then another voice, one of his inner subconscious quoted Job 1:21 (And he said, “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return. The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord.”) He knew then that God was true and just, and whatever the reason he would stand by him.

  The next evening Keric was in the hospital room when she Coura woke up. Coura could see the room clearly now that all the medicine was out of her system. The room was small it held a single hospital bed that she was currently restrained to that sat in the middle of the room. There was a blue guest chair next to her bed on the right and a door leading to a bathroom on her left. The room was small but clean it stunk of antiseptic and lemon. The only thing that stood out to Coura was the flat screen TV that hung in the corner of the room. It was nice, especially for a hospital. The rest of the room was a bland eggshell white, with pictures of peaceful landscapes hanging on the walls. “You’re up,” Keric said to Coura. “Of course, I’m awake, I’m not comatose,” Coura said harshly. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean it, it’s just aggravating being tied down. I feel like a mental patient.” Keric and Coura talked for a while, never mentioning the missing presence of her stepfather.

  They talked for a good while, and Coura seemed unusually calm and collected. She held her own when the doctor came into examine her and let her know that she would be released that evening. The restraints had been removed when the doctor left, and Coura was grateful not to be tied down anymore. Then they took out her IV and let her sign the discharge papers. The nurse let her know that she couldn’t leave until her ride got there. Keric left when her aunt Vicky came in to collect her.