Still Dunno

Chapter 5 - Picking Up The Slippery Pieces

Three Months Later

Riker POV

There was an eery silence that filled our house. It was too quiet. It's been like that since the attack.

I sat in the corner of the kitchen by the table, my coffee growing cold as I watched my wife move around the kitchen.

Jessie looked worn down, tired, and stressed. Her eyes were puffy, with dark purplish circles below her once vibrant blue eyes. Now they were empty.

It'd been a stressful three months.

After Zack called us in Vegas, Jessie and I caught the first flight out of Vegas and were back in LA within an hour. We didn't go home but made our way straight to the hospital. Jessie was quiet. Her face was stained with tears.

It took a few minutes for us to find Zack. He was sitting in the waiting room with Jamey.

"Zack?" Jessie called to him.

Zack and Jamey stood up. Jamey rushed to Jessie and engulfed her in a hug. Jamey was the spitting image of his mom. Although he had my height, that's where it ended.

"Mom, It's all my fault! I'm sorry!" Jamey said.

"It's not your fault," Zack commented.

"What happened?" I asked.

"We'd finished the show, and it was awesome. We stayed a while after talking to some people. The equipment was packed and ready to be loaded, but the only parking was in the back parking lot when we got to the club. Which wasn't horrible because Pat, Chris, and Josh were with us to help carry everything in. We were ready to leave, and I ran into Jack. Do you remember Jack? We did boy scouts together?" Jamey explained.

"I remember him," Jessie said.

"We started talking to Jack, and Janis and Joslyn said they wanted to go. Jack started telling me this story, and the girls got impatient and said they'd meet me by the van. It took longer than it should have for Jack to finish the story. We BSed for a while. Next thing I know, it's been twenty minutes, and Janis and Joslyn are outside. I tell Jack I have to go, and Chris and I leave. Pat and Josh went home with Aunt Sabrina and Uncle Zack. So we are walking to the van, and I see Janis pushed up against the wall by this guy, and he's got his hand around her neck. I drop the stuff and yell and go running to them. When I arrived, Joslyn was crying, and Janis was slumped against the wall out cold."

Jessie gasped.

"Chris tried to find the guy while I called 911. After I called 911, I called Uncle Zack, who met us at the hospital. We've been here ever since," Jamey said.

"Are they okay?" I asked.

"Janis was unconscious when she was bought in. She has a concussion and a gash on the back of her head, and her neck is starting to bruise from the guy strangling her. Joslyn was conscious and hysterical. Her dress was ripped up in the middle. She's got some bruises..."

"Was she... Did he..."

"We don't know. Jos won't stop crying, and Janis isn't awake. They did a rape test kit on her, but I haven't heard back yet."

"Oh my god," Jessie muttered, tears falling.

I reached for her hand, and she pulled away from me.

"I want to see them," Jessie insisted.

"Of course, but I have to warn you, Janis' neck looks horrible. I don't want you to be shocked when you see her. Come on, they are this way," Zack said.

Jessie turned without meeting my eyes and walked away.

"Dad, I swear I ran as fast as I could when I heard her scream," Jamey said.