by Kitty Parker
Chapter 11
"Sadie, take your brother and sister out to play, I'll just finish these dishes and get to work on some sewing," Tessa instructed from the wash basin. Sadie had just finished clearing the makeshift table of the sparse breakfast dishes.
"Alright, Tess."
"No trees for your brother."
Sadie laughed, "I'll keep a very close eye on him. Thank you for not making me do the dishes."
Tessa gave her sister a quick swat and watched as Sadie bounced out the door. She had certainly become a great deal happier of late. Tessa couldn't help but think it was because of the kindness shown to them by the Sullivans. Sadie had taken to Lizzy, and despite the three year age gap, they had become fast friends. It seemed that both girls had been lonely. Tessa knew firsthand that there weren't many girls older than four that remained in the shanty town during the day. She also felt that she neglected Sadie's social needs at times; it was hard not to get overwhelmed by all that had been piled upon her since her mother's death.
She filled the wash bin with the water they had gotten from the river that morning. With the suds lathered, she began to hum, washing the dishes with a joyful spirit. The sun was shining, it was a beautiful day, and she had things to be thankful for. She was working on her last tin can cup when she heard the door to the shanty squeal open. Jerry walked through the door, and something about his stride sent shivers down her spine.
"Oh, Jerry, what are you doing here so early?" she asked, trying to keep her voice calm. She didn't want him to know she was afraid. He had come around drunk before, and the worst she had ever gotten was a bruise. Surely, if she remained calm, she could even avoid that.
"No work today," he slurred, "so I decided to come and get something I think I deserve."
Tessa tried to hide her tremor, "What's that?"
"I've decided to pay you for a bit of feminine intimacy." As he spoke, he inched closer to her, a pungent aroma filling the small space between them.
Tessa couldn't hide her gasp as she backed toward the wall, trying to put some distance between herself and Jerry. The shanty was so small that her steps did nothing more than aggravate him. "Please, I beg you," she pleaded.
"You've been teasing me since your father died, and it's time for me to get what you've been promising with your giggle and smile," he growled.
"I haven't meant to tease you, Jerry; I thought we were friends."
"Men and women can't be friends," he snarled, taking an aggressive step toward her. "Now, be a smart girl; take my five dollars and get it over with."
"No!" she screamed, terror flooding her lungs.
"I don't have to pay you, Tessa, I can easily take what I want."
Tessa backed further into the corner, looking for anything to protect herself with. Seeing nothing, she screamed for help, which put Jerry into a rage. Raising his hand he slapped her across the face, then threw her against the unstable table. It couldn't hold her weight and she fell to the ground harshly. She screamed out in pain. Something had snapped in her fall, and if she hadn't been able to move her limbs, she would have thought it to be her neck. Jerry continued to approach, ignoring the intensity with which she yelled.
He pressed a sweaty hand against her mouth to quiet her, and she bit him quickly, using her legs to kick him with every ounce of strength she had. It only served to get him angrier, and he twisted her leg fiercely, sending her into another spasm of agony. She screamed at the top of her lungs, hoping that Sadie or Lucas might hear her. But, other than that, she was sure no one would offer help. Other shanty dwellers didn't often get involved in the business of their neighbors, because it usually meant trouble for them. Tessa reached out and scratched Jerry across the face, willing to do anything to get him off of her. He balled up his fist and socked her while she was on the ground. Everything around her grew dim, and she was left unable to fight.
* * *
Parker walked into the shanty town with a smile on his face; he had just finished a book that he thought Tessa would enjoy, and decided to bring it to her. He and his mother had come up with a plan to get the Evans' to move in. But, they both decided that they needed to move slowly. The part of the plan he was responsible for was moving slowly to increase his friendship with Tessa.
Before heading to Tessa's shanty, he stopped by his parents and his mother had insisted he invite the Evan's for dinner as well. Now he was looking forward to surprising Tessa and spending the evening with her. There was no doubt that she and her siblings had become very special to him. Most of his free time was spent thinking of things he could do for them and ways he could earn her trust.
As he got closer, he heard a woman screaming. At first he didn't think about it, he wasn't quite sure what usually went on in the shanty town. But as he continued on the path toward Tessa, the screams got louder. Whoever it was, was screaming for help. Parker grew alert; he quickened his pace and raced toward the sound. He wasn't sure where it was coming from, but he couldn't let an innocent woman be hurt, no matter the consequence for himself.
Parker noticed as he was running that he was still heading in the direction of the Evan's shanty. He headed down the lane that Tessa's shanty was on when the screams stop. Panic flooded his body; he didn't know where the woman was that was screaming for help, but he wasn't willing to risk that it wasn't Tessa. Again he sped up, not stopping until he reached Tessa's door. It was closed. He didn't waste a second knocking, instead, he tried to push it open, but it was bolted shut. He could hear a man inside growling; he sounded like an animal.
He threw his shoulder against the door, pushing with all of his strength. On the third attempt, the door gave way and Parker tumbled inside to see Tessa lying on the ground, her hair askew across her face, her dress pulled up a great deal higher than she normally wore it. The growling man who must have been growling was pawing at her, hovering over her petite frame. Parker wasted no time and barreled into him, knocking him off Tessa. He couldn't waste any time on her right now, his only focus was the oaf of a man that was attacking her.
The man was clearly startled, and drunk, but Parker didn't care, he pummeled him. Throwing him against the wall, he punched him deftly several times square across the jaw. It only took a moment for the man to whimper in surrender. Parker fought not to take another swing, and watched as the man stumbled out of the shanty. He walked to the side of the shanty where a pan of water and dishes were stacked. He grabbed a rag, filled a tin cup with water, and moved back to Tessa. When he pulled down her dress he noticed that her leg was oddly twisted.
"Tessa, wake up," he said gently, pressing the wet rag to her head. "Tessa, wake up." He continued to dab her face with the cloth, hoping the water would wake her. After a few minutes of gently calling her name, she stirred. Her eyes flicked over her face and she let out a terrified cry.
"Please don't, please don't, Jerry!" she whimpered.
Parker backed away, not wanting to agitate her any further. He inched backward, "It's Parker, Tessa."
"Parker?" she cried, tears falling out of her eyes. "Am I safe, did he...did he?"
He took her hand in his and cradled it in his lap, "No, he didn't, but you are hurt. Where are Sadie, Lucas and Emma?"
"I sent them out to play earlier; they usually go to the big field."
"Tessa, I want you all to come back to my parents' house with me. I want you to stay there. My mother and sisters will help take care of the kids, and you will be well cared for. You can't stay in the shanty anymore, and you don't have to."
"I was so frightened," she cried, looking up into his eyes. "I should have asked for help sooner. Jerry had been getting worse and worse. I don't know where he's been getting all the moonshine, or how he's been paying for it, but he's been getting worse. When he came in this morning, I knew..." she choked on the words. "I knew I was in trouble. If you hadn't come... Oh goodness, if you hadn't come!" she wailed.
"You're safe, I promise," he said sincerely, touched that she trusted him so completely
after just being attacked by a man who she had let herself depend on.
"Let's go get Sadie," she began to sit up, but fell back, crying out in pain.
Parker put a quick hand behind Tessa and lowered her back onto the ground, "I will go get Sadie if you promise not to move. I know something is broken, but I'd rather look at you at home. Will you be alright if I go and get them?"
Tessa sat quietly, her eyes looking troubled, "What if he comes back?"
He didn't want to leave her defenseless in her shanty if she was afraid the man would come back. "Perhaps a neighbor would be willing to find the kids?"
Tessa agreed, and Parker took his leave of the small room. He knocked on the door beside the Evans' shanty and an elderly woman answered. After Parker explained some of the details, she agreed to go find the younger Evans children. Parker returned immediately to Tessa, and made some early observations about her injuries. Her face was badly beaten, and her leg was certainly broken below the knee. Something else had to have been broken in her upper body for her to be unable to sit up. After closer inspection, he decided that the greatest problem was her left clavicle, which was broken severely, something he could tell just by looking at it.
"It looks like you've broken your collar bone, and your leg. We'll have to be very careful getting you back." Parker took off his own button down shirt and fashioned a sling around Tessa's neck. The sling would at least help with keeping the weight of her arm from the broken bone. There was nothing that could be done about her leg; the walk back home would certainly be agonizing for her. After about ten minutes, the children clambered into the shanty and gasped at the state of their sister.
"Children, take a minute to gather your things. You will be staying with me and my family for a while."
"Is Tess going to be alright?" Sadie asked in a panicked whisper, just barely maintaining control over her tears. "We can't lose her too. I can't do what she does!"
Parker placed gentle hands on her shoulders and looked her directly in the eyes. "I think she will be fine, but I would certainly feel much better if I could get her to my house. Don't worry Sadie, my mother will take care of everything; you will all be fine."
Sadie nodded, consoled slightly by his pronouncement. She and Lucas began gathering their things quickly, shoving their few possessions into hand stitched bags. Emma grabbed her doll and sat beside Tessa, holding her hand tightly while they waited. Parker watched as the oldest and youngest sisters had a short conversation. It took less than five minutes for Sadie and Lucas to pack up the entire shanty.
"Are you ready?" Parker asked, bending over Tessa.
"Dr., you carry her like horsey. Essa can't walk." Emma instructed.
"Don't worry Emma, I'll carry her, but not like a horsey," Parker said while looking at Tessa, "and Tessa, it's going to hurt."
Tessa nodded slowly, and closed her eyes in anticipation of the move. Parker placed his arms beneath her and lifted as gently as he could. A gasp escaped her lungs, and he knew she was in agony, but this was the only way to get her home, to get her safe. The children walked in front of him, and with every step he took he heard Tessa moan or whimper in his arms. He made a point to check on her quite often during the walk, and noticed when they were halfway there that tears were starting to stream down her swollen face, but she remained silent. Parker wasn't sure that he would ever be able to let her out of his sight after today, somehow, he felt even more drawn to this remarkable woman.
Chapter 12
"What's happened?" Tessa heard Mrs. Sullivan screaming when Parker carried her into the house. Tessa couldn't manage any words, the pain was becoming almost unbearable. She knew that if she tried to speak, the tears that had silently fallen through most of the walk would turn into something quite hysterical. She heard Parker explain that she was hurt but he didn't stop, he continued walking purposefully. In his arms, she felt completely safe. His strong arms controlled her weight easily, and she trusted him completely. When they finally reached a room at the back of the house, he carefully put her down on a hard table, which was her undoing. The change in position sent sharp pain throughout her body, and everything went black.
* * *
"Dad, I need your help!" Parker screamed down the hall after placing Tessa on the table in his office. "Momma, could you please take the children somewhere? I know for certain she has several broken bones, and to reset them is going to be agonizing, I don't want Lucas, Sadie and Emma to hear their sister's screams, they're worried enough."
"Are you sure you don't need my help with Tessa? I could hold her still or help with the instruments."
Parker pulled his frightened mother into a hug and kissed her on the cheek, "I'll get Julia to help; she's helped me before. Take the kids to the park, or buy them an ice cream, try to relax and keep them calm. They're very confused; they're not exactly sure what happened. I know Sadie is afraid she'll die, like their mother and father. You're the best person in the world to calm someone down, they need you more than Tessa does right now."
"Alright, Park, we'll be back in time for dinner." She turned around quickly, "She will be alright, won't she?"
All Parker could do was nod. He watched as his mother gathered the children under her protective wing and pushed them out the door. It was apparent that she was nervous, so Parker waited until she was down the sidewalk before he started screaming about the house in a panic. Normally, he would attack a problem like this calmly, working through each piece strategically. He would have evaluated her injuries and planned a course of action, but he had never cared for a patient as much as the one who currently lay unconscious in his father's examination room.
"Dad, Julia! I need you both, where are you?"
His father came in the back door of the house, panting, "I was in the yard, those bushes have gotten unruly," he said quickly, then noticed the grave expression on his oldest son's face. "What's the matter, Park?"
"It's Tessa, I went there to invite her for dinner, and found her being attacked by a man in her shanty. I know her leg is broken, and she has quite a few deep cuts. She'll need her leg reset and stitches at least. I need your help to reset it, and to help me evaluate any other injuries."
Dr. Sullivan began to walk quickly through the house, talking over his shoulder at his son. I'll go get my instruments and my glasses. I also need to wash my hands. You go find your sister, we might need her to hold Tessa down. Is she awake?"
"No, she's unconscious, but she was awake for most of our walk to the house. I hope my carrying her didn't further injure her, but it was the only way to get her out of the shanty quickly. I didn't know if the man would come back at some point, though I pummeled him fairly well."
"You hit him?" Dr. Sullivan asked, stopping completely, a mixture of amazement and shock replacing the worry on his face.
"He was hurting her," Parker said simply, shifting his weight to his other leg. He felt like a boy, standing in front of his father after doing something terribly wrong.
Dr. Sullivan merely nodded and moved toward his office. Parker grunted a half laugh, then took off through the house in search of his sister. He found her braiding Lizzy's hair upstairs, which she was quick to drop when she heard Parker's rushed explanation. They raced back down the stairs to where Tessa was lying, her leg jutting out at a strange angle, her face peppered with cuts. Bruises were already beginning to show on her porcelain skin.
Julia gasped at the sight of her and held on tightly to Parker's arm, "Thank goodness you got there when you did!"
Parker looked down at her regretfully, "I was a little late if you ask me."
"She certainly won't see it that way."
Parker smiled at her in thanks, and both joined their father beside Tessa. They got right to work, and continued for several hours. After giving Tessa some powerful medicine to keep her unconscious and to eliminate the pain, they were able to reset the leg without her crying out in agony. Julia worked carefully to wrap Tessa's leg, which had been broken in three place
s. Dr. Sullivan and Parker looked over her carefully, tenderly touching each of her bruises to make sure there wasn't something more serious beneath the blackened skin. When they were finished, Parker covered Julia's wrapping with plaster to cast the leg, ensuring that it would be given the opportunity to heal properly.
They discovered that her clavicle was broken rather badly, and fitted her in a brace which would hopefully encourage the bone to grow back correctly. Parker carefully wove stitches into the cut on her forehead and along her arm. Julia brought in bags of ice and placed them on the bruises that had started to swell. When they were sure all of Tessa's injuries had been found, Julia went to set up a room for Tessa, and worked on sleeping arrangements for the kids, but Parker remained by Tessa's side. He took her hand and lowered his head to her ear. "I'm sorry I wasn't there sooner," he whispered, a tear clinging to the corner of his eye. The image of her lying on the ground would never escape his thoughts, never.
While she slept, he carefully washed her face, arms and feet. Being thrown down to the dirt over and over again had certainly taken its toll on Tessa. The rag that he used was filthy, and he had to go for fresh water at least four times, but he didn't care. He wanted Tessa to feel clean and safe when she woke, whenever that might be.
Keeping her hand in his, Parker began to read, waiting for her to wake up, or until Sadie, Lucas and Emma returned. "Park, why don't you carry her upstairs to the guest room," Dr. Sullivan suggested softly.
"Do you think that's a good idea?"
"Well, she can't stay down here on that horribly uncomfortable table, and she'll feel less if she's still sleeping when you move her. Do you want me to do it?"
