Rookie

by JL Paul

  “Don’t want to disturb him,” Sidney said as tears formed in her eyes again. Horrible didn’t do justice to how she felt. She ached. She hurt. And she was scared. Scared out of her head - for she had a feeling that she knew her attacker.

  “I’m sure your friend would want to know,” the nurse said, hands resting on the bed rails. “Someone should know where you are.”

  The tears fell to her cheeks. The nurse, whose nametag read Debra, took Sidney’s uninjured hand and gave it a squeeze.

  “I’ll give him a call,” she whispered. “Rest, honey. You’re safe now.”

  Sidney tried to shake her head but it only aggravated her pain. She closed her eyes again, confused, angry, hurt, embarrassed…

  She dozed as another nurse came into the room and fussed with her IV. She bent closer to Sidney’s head to whisper that she was giving her pain medication and that it would help her to relax. Sidney didn’t respond – was certain that if she tried to speak, she’d start to sob and not be able to stop.

  Just as she’d finally started to relax, as the pain began to wash away like the tide, the door opened to reveal a disheveled Rob. His hair was a mess and he was wearing his clothes from the night before. His eyes, red and wide, fell on her as he approached the bed.

  “Sid,” he breathed, scooting a chair close. He took her hand. “What the hell happened? The nurse just said that you’d been in an accident.”

  She opened her mouth to tell him but began to cry instead.

  “Hey,” he said as he lowered the bedrail and sat on the bed, trying to take her into his arms. “Shh. You’re all right, now.”

  As he whispered soft words of comfort, two police officers entered the room. Rob sprang to his feet and faced the officers, reaching behind him for Sidney’s hand.

  “Do you know what’s going on?” he asked.

  The first officer, a tall, broad African-American man, extended a hand to Rob. “I’m Officer John Waltz. This is my partner, Phil Walker.”

  “Rob Ross,” Rob said. “Sidney, here, is a friend of mine. The hospital called and told me she’d been in an accident.”

  “That’s what we’re here to talk to her about,” Waltz said, leaning around Rob to nod at Sidney. He moved closer to the bed. “Miss Roper, can you tell us what happened?”

  Taking a breath, Sidney tried to sit up, but cried out when her ribs screamed.

  “Hang on, Sid,” Rob said, hitting a button on the side of the bed to elevate her head. She smiled her thanks.

  “Um, I was leaving a cookout at Rob’s house. I didn’t get far when I noticed a car behind me.” She told him the rest of the story as best she could remember, trembling the entire time. Rob moved to the other side of the bed to hold her hand, his lips in a tight line.

  “Do you know who the other driver was?” Waltz asked.

  Sidney closed her eyes for a second. “I didn’t see him.”

  “Has anyone been giving you any trouble? Calling you? Following you?”

  “That Grant guy,” Rob said, squeezing Sidney’s hand. He looked at the officers. “Some guy from her hometown in Indiana. Grant…”

  “Grant Perthe?” Officer Walker asked.

  Sidney’s eyes widened as she nodded. “That’s his name. How do you know?”

  Walker consulted his notebook. “A rental car was found abandoned at a gas station about a quarter of a mile from the wreckage. The front bumper was banged up pretty badly. We ran the car through the rental agency computer and his name came up as the renter.”

  Sidney sank into her pillow as her heart fell and her stomach twisted. Never had she imagined Grant would take things this far.

  “Can you tell us what has been going on with him?” Waltz asked.

  Quietly, Sidney explained the phone calls she’d received since she’d relocated to California.

  “And you dated him in Indiana?” Walker asked.

  “Briefly,” she said, not daring to look at Rob. “When he found out that I’d applied for the internship here, he got angry. He got a little rough. He apologized and I forgave him but when it happened again, I ended things. He didn’t like it and called several times but I moved so I figured I was safe – out of his reach.”

  Rob swore under his breath.

  “Okay,” Waltz said. “We’ll locate him and bring him in for questioning. In the meantime, is there somewhere that you could stay?”

  “With me,” Rob said. “I have plenty of room. She can stay at my house.”

  Sidney tried to protest but Rob wouldn’t listen. Instead, he gave his contact information to the officers who took it down, thanked them both, and left.

  Sidney’s head, which had been growing fuzzier by the minute, gave in to the effects of the pain medicine and began to shut down.

  “Rest,” Rob said, taking the chair beside the bed. “I’ll stay with you.”

  ***

  “Make yourself comfortable on the sofa, Rookie,” Rob ordered as he helped her into the living room that evening. “I’ll check with Mrs. B to see if the guest room is ready.”

  “Okay,” she said, easing her aching body to the sofa. Her left side was on fire even though the nurse had given her a shot before discharging her from the hospital.

  She sat somewhat crooked, resting her right side against the sofa arm, and closed her eyes. The police had not been able to locate Grant but had assured her they would keep looking. Which only reinforced Rob’s insistence that she stay at his house.

  “Mrs. B has the guest room all freshened up for you,” Rob said when he returned and sat gingerly next to her. “She’s making your favorite – potato soup.”

  “That’s nice of her,” Sidney said through clenched teeth.

  “Still in pain?” he asked.

  She nodded.

  “Give the shot a chance to get working,” he said, hovering. “Unless you want to go up to bed…”

  “No,” she said. “No. I’m tired of being in bed.”

  “Rookie, you’ve only been in the hospital since last night,” he said with a hint of a smile. “It’s not like you’ve been bedridden.”

  She appreciated his attempt at humor but was in no mood to laugh. She opened her eyes long enough to roll them before closing them again.

  “The police gave me your keys,” he said, shifting so that he could sit back on the sofa. “Show me which one is for your apartment and I’ll give it to Chad. Lexie volunteered to go to your place to get you some clothes but Chad won’t let her go without him.”

  “Good,” Sidney said, shuddering at the thought of Grant lurking around her apartment, mistaking Lexie for Sidney and attacking. She took the key ring from him and showed him the apartment key.

  “They’ll come by in the morning,” he explained. “I asked them to let you rest tonight. You’ll be all right sleeping in those, right?”

  Opening her eyes, she looked down at the pale blue scrubs the nurse had given her to wear home. Loose and roomy, they were quite comfortable.

  “I’m fine.”

  “Good,” he said. “I’ll just go check on the soup.”

  For the first time since she’d met him, she was glad to see him leave. Although she was grateful that he was letting her stay, and his concern touched her, she couldn’t bear to have him fussing. The nurse had helped her into the bathroom before she’d been discharged and she’d seen her reflection. The entire left side of her face was bruised and cut from banging against the driver’s side window. She had several tiny lacerations on her forehead and in her scalp. She was thankful that the ones in her scalp hadn’t needed stitches – she didn’t think she could have handled having part of her head shaved.

  She looked awful and she knew it. She felt it, too.

  “Here you go, honey,” Mrs. B said as she brought a tray with a bowl of steaming soup into the living room. She set it on the coffee table and gently helped Sidney into a more comfortable position.

  “Thanks,” Sidney said as Mrs. B arranged the tray on her lap. Although
she wasn’t very hungry, the warmth on her legs and the rising aroma made her give it a try.

  “I’ve sent Rob out to pick up your prescriptions,” Mrs. B said, standing over Sidney. “I thought he might be driving you crazy, hovering about.”

  Sidney cracked a smile. “Just a little.”

  “He’s just worried,” Mrs. B said. “Very worried.”

  “I know,” Sidney sighed as she blew across her spoon.

  “Oh, look at me,” Mrs. B said. “Here I am, complaining about Rob hovering over you, yet I’m clucking around like a mother hen.”

  Sidney set her spoon on the tray so she could look up at the other woman. “You’re fine.”

  “I’m worried, too,” Mrs. B admitted as several lines appeared on her forehead. “I’m glad that you’re okay but I hate to see you all banged up. How about if I draw you a nice hot bath? I’ve asked Rob to pick up some bath stuff for you.”

  Sidney sighed. “A bath sounds wonderful.”

  “Eat up, then,” Mrs. B ordered. “And once he returns, I’ll help you with a bath and then we’ll put you to bed.”

  “Thanks.”

  “And holler if you need anything.” Mrs. B flashed a smile before disappearing through the kitchen door.

  Sidney managed a few more bites before the pain meds kicked in. Leaning forward, wincing in pain, she set the tray on the coffee table so she could settle back into the sofa. She was asleep before Rob returned.

  Her eyes opened and Grant’s face was there, pressed asked the cracked, broken glass of the windshield. Mouth stretched into an eerie grin, he leered at her helpless form, trapped in the car by the relentless seatbelt.

  Panicked, she tugged on the belt, sweat and blood dripping down her face. The belt wouldn’t give – she couldn’t get loose.

  Grant knocked on the glass but she wouldn’t look. She didn’t want to see his face. Instead, she pressed the button for the seatbelt release over and over again as Grant crept across the hood to the other side of the car.

  “Leave me,” she whispered, fear in her voice. She pushed the button again while yanking on the belt but it was fruitless. Chancing a glance at the passenger side window, she saw his face again, that nasty grin raising goose bumps on her arms. “Leave me.”

  A hand touched her forehead and she screamed.

  “Sidney. Stop. You’re safe.”

  Her eyes opened to see Rob’s worried face close to hers. His hand was in her hair, gently stroking, mindful of her injuries. Her breath heaved as she edged her body into his, the remnants of the nightmare still so fresh in her mind.

  “It’s okay, Rookie,” he whispered, dropping a kiss on the top of her head. “Just a dream.”

  Her breathing slowed as she leaned into him, allowing his voice and his closeness to soothe her.

  “I never saw him,” she said in a breathy voice. “Why do I see him in my dreams?”

  “Don’t know,” he said, rocking her slowly. “Maybe because you know it was him.”

  Calming, her eyes fluttered, growing heavier and heavier. She longed to crawl into a warm bed and just sleep but the thought of another dream kept her from giving in to her exhaustion.

  “Do you want me to ask Mrs. B to help you with a bath?” he asked.

  “No,” she said. “Don’t wake her. I just want to sleep.”

  “Okay,” he said, easing her back so he could stand. Holding out a hand, he helped her to her feet. He wrapped a careful arm around her waist, supporting as much weight as she would allow, and eased her up the stairs to the guest room.

  She held her side as she slowly slipped into the bed, closing her eyes as the pain flared. He sat on the edge, eyes on her while she nestled her body into a comfortable position.

  “I’ll be down the hall if you need anything. Just yell, okay?” he said.

  “I will,” she said, her eyes drooping again. “Thanks for everything.”

  “Any time,” he said with a smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes. Leaning over, he placed a kiss on her forehead. “I’ll leave the doors open, okay? And I’ll see you in the morning.”

  He patted her blanket-covered leg before leaving the room, shutting off the light on the way out.

  She closed her eyes against the darkness, hoping that her exhaustion would carry her away to a dreamless sleep. And it did for a few hours until Grant popped up in her dreams again, bringing a scream to her lips.

  Rob rushed into the room, his hair askew, shorts wrinkled, chest bare. He sank to the bed, planting a hand on each side of her body.

  “Sid, what’s wrong? Are you in pain?”

  Her chest heaving, she tried to sit up but was instantly reminded that she was injured.

  “Stay still,” he said, wiping the sweat off her brow. “Nightmares again?”

  She nodded, wincing at the pain. She wanted to move – sit up or something – but the pain in her side prevented it. Squeezing her eyes shut, she worked first on the tears, hoping to stop the flow. It was bad enough he had to see her this way, she didn’t want to subject him to the waterworks.

  “What can I do, Rookie?” he asked, desperation in his voice.

  “Don’t know,” she responded. “Nothing. I’ll be okay. Give me a second.”

  She felt him move but was still too afraid to open her eyes. A second later, the bed gave on her other side. Turning her head, she cracked open an eye to find him lying beside her. She managed a smile.

  “How about I stay with you until you fall asleep again?” he offered.

  She wanted to tell him that he didn’t need to do it. She wanted to tell him that she was stronger than this. She wanted to tell him that she’d been through bad situations before – but she couldn’t utter the words.

  “Okay,” she muttered. He inched closer, resting his head on the pillow next to her. Before she knew it, she drifted back to sleep, not waking until morning.

  Eleven

  She woke with a start, pain flaring in her side, and caught Rob trying to slip off the bed. She eased her body up, wincing and pushing hair out of her face, catching his attention.

  “I didn’t mean to wake you,” he whispered as he walked around the bed and sat next to her.

  “What time is it?” she yawned.

  “A little after seven,” he said, nodding at the alarm clock on the table next to the bed. “I have to go into the office for a bit. Will you be okay?”

  She nodded, rubbing her eyes like a child. “Yes.”

  “Well, I won’t stay long,” he said. The weak sunlight leaking through the blinds illuminated the concern in his eyes.

  “I’ll be fine,” she said around another yawn. “Promise.”

  “You chill here,” he ordered, standing. “I’ll bring you some breakfast and your meds.”

  “I can get up,” she argued, jutting out her chin in defiance.

  He shook his head. “You’re supposed to take it easy for at least a week.”

  Sliding her legs off the bed, she held her side as she scooted to her feet. “I know and I will. But I do have to get up sometimes. I broke my wrist, not my leg.”

  He grinned. “I realize that, but you also bruised your ribs and the doctor wants you to take it easy.”

  “It doesn’t mean that I can’t walk to the kitchen,” she insisted.

  He considered her for several long minutes. Finally, he released a breath as he ran a hand through his hair. “Okay. Fine. Come down for breakfast. But after that, you need to rest.”

  “I will,” she said, happy to have won one battle.

  Mrs. B fussed over her, gently bullying her into eating more than toast, as Lexie and Chad entered.

  “How are you, Sid?” Lexie said, rushing to Sidney’s side. “Are you okay?”

  “Fine,” Sidney said, forcing a smile. “Just a little sore, that’s all.”

  “You sure?” Chad asked, equally as anxious.

  “Yep,” Sidney said.

  Neither of them looked convinced but didn’t harp on it. Instead, the
y accepted coffee from Mrs. B.

  “Here are her keys,” Rob said, handing over Sidney’s key ring. He pointed the correct key for the apartment.

  “Is there anything in particular that you want me to get?” Lexie asked.

  Sidney thought about it, mentally going through her closet and her dresser. She shook her head. “Just comfortable stuff, please. And thanks for doing this.”

  “No problem,” Lexie said. “Happy to do it. We’ll run over there now and I’ll bring the clothes back after I drop Chad off at the office.”

  “No hurry,” Sidney said, pushing away her plate. She couldn’t bear to look at the scrambled eggs for another second – her stomach refused to eat.

  Rob excused himself to answer his cellphone, making Sidney wonder if it was Melanie calling again. Come to think of it, Sidney had no idea where Melanie was. Had she stayed here the night of the party? She remembered Rob mentioning taking her to the airport but he’d showed up at the hospital early in the morning. What had happened to Melanie?

  She was still pondering the Melanie mystery when Rob returned, thanking Chad and Lexie as they left. He sank to the chair next to Sidney.

  “I wanted to hang out here today,” he explained, a haggard look to his face. “But I have to run in for a little bit. Why don’t you chill out in my bedroom? I have a bathroom and a big TV.”

  “That’s not necessary,” she said, but he wouldn’t hear of it.

  “Just rest there,” he said. “When Lex brings you some clean clothes, then you can shower or take a bath – whatever you like.”

  She hated to admit it, but as the pain bit into her side and her wrist, his offer sounded great. She’d only glimpsed his bedroom once, but it was long enough to see that he had a huge, king-sized bed with a soft comforter and an equally large TV. She could rest in that bed while watching trashy daytime television.

  “Okay,” she sighed. “I will.”

  He gestured at Mrs. B who handed him a prescription bottle. “Take your pain meds so you can rest.”

  She swallowed the tablet and allowed him to help her up the stairs. Once in his room, she sank to the bed, closing her eyes.