Nurse Or Nanny?

Chapter Five

I've been home for a couple days and I'm starting to feel like I may have been overreacting.  Nothing weird has been happening, I haven't seen that blue car again, and the feeling in my gut has gone away.  I start work tonight, I picked up a shift.  There is only so much cleaning I can do and I need to work to keep my mind from drifting to that horrible night.  

As I head into the office I am getting a lot of sympathetic looks from people, and looks from people that want to come and talk to me but are too polite to ask.  I decide that I will talk to them eventually, but not today, I just want to get my schedule and go out and see patients.  
"Hey Nancy, any sick calls tonight? I know I have a few hours but I don't mind picking up some more."
"Yeah hun, just give me a minute." She answers a few calls and outs a few people on hold. I whisper to her, "no rush, I'll be back in a couple minutes." She gives me the nod and I head the storage room. I grab a box of gloves, some shoe covers.  I make a few goody bags for procedures I'll be doing and head back to scheduling.  
"Hey Laura, so I have three people, ummm, two are in the area you are finishing in tonight that the care aids can't get to, just med reminders." 
"Yeah, throw them on there."
"Alright, give me a second and I'll print you a new schedule." I grab the new schedule from the printer across the room, give Nancy a wave and head out the door.  

My night is pretty laid back, nothing too difficult or mentally exerting, I think they did this purposely to ease me back in.  When I look at where I have to go at the end of my shift I notice that Nancy read the address wrong and where I am going is across town and sort of in a newer neighbourhood, not a lot of action, but I am a little unsure of where the street is.  When I try to GPS it, it doesn't even come up on the map.  I have to call the office and figure out where this is. 
"Hey its Laura calling, I'm trying to go and see Kerry Smith, but I can't seem to figure out where she lives."
"Hey, yes I know exactly who you are talking about, it's a new street.  Its at the end of Green Drive in a new subdivision." Mia says.  I can always tell when I get Mia on the line, she has the voice of a mouse.  Very high and sweet, but don't be deceived by her sweetness, she'll put you in your place like nobodies business.   
"Thanks Mia, if I can't find it I'll give you a call back."
"Sounds good girl, be safe." I can hear the underlying message she is sending, and I get it, but I hope it's not something that will be a part of my everyday life with work. 

I end up finding the house after some searching, its dark and raining and its cold. So there will be ice on the road later so I hope this visit is quick.  When I get in the woman is very sweet.  She was just heading to bed so I give her a quick reminder to take her medications and I'm on my way home.  When I leave I happen to take a few extra looks in my rear view and notice a car following me.  It's too dark to see if it's the blue car, but instead of freaking out, I just take a few turns to see if it's all in my imagination.  It's not, this car just followed me as I made four right turns, I went in a circle.  I sped up and so does the car following me.  I dial Kirsten.
"Kirsten, there is a car following me, I am going to try and shake him, but I am going to make my way to the police station.  You need to get out of the apartment, I don't think it is safe there anymore.  Go to your parents and stay there till I call you."
"What! Lo, call the police!"
"That's my next call, but K, you need to leave. Now."
"Okay, but call me as soon as you can okay."
"I will. Love you."  I hang up and call officer Hale. 
"Laura, are you okay?" Officer Hale must have saved my number in her work phone.
"I don't know, I think I am being followed and they are becoming more aggressive.  They are right on my bumper and I am driving as fast as I can, but I can feel the roads becoming icy and I don't know this part of the city well."
"Laura, tell me exactly where you are and I'll tell dispatch."
"Ummm, I just passed 118th, heading west I think."
"Okay, there are some patrol cars in the area and are on their way to find you." I'm a little relieved but I don't know if they are going to make it in time.
"Can you please tell them to hurry, should I stop this car is follo..."
"Laura, are you there? LAURA"

It all happened so fast, I was talking to officer Hale then all of a sudden I feel someone hit the back side of my Jeep and I start to skid then roll.  The road was slick, I over corrected and ended up in the ditch.  It all happened so fast, but so slow at the same time.  It's hard to explain, but I feel as thought when I think about it, I can see my phone flying through the air to the passenger side of the car, I can see my work things - gloves, shoe covers, papers and folders make their way around the front and back of my vehicle.  I am watching as both of my hands reach for the wheel and grip as tightly as I can, and my head turning in different directions to see where I was going. Then I feel the blood trickle down my face. I knew I hit my head, or something in the car hit my head, but I can't feel the wound, just the blood. Weird.  I can feel the cold ground on half my body so I know I must be on the side, but not my whole body, I can still feel the seat belt strap on my neck and hips holding me there.  I try to asses the situation but my mind is all blurry. I stop and try to think of what just happened and I also think about how fast it happened.  Then I remember, I was being followed.  I struggle with my seat belt and when it finally unbuckles my body drops to the ground.  It hurts. I try and figure out how I am going to get out.  Looks like I will have to climb up, try and push the door open above me and climb out.  The door is heavy, I don't know if I can do this, I might have to wait for help.  I can't there is someone out there who is after me.  I start to think and it comes to me, why didn't I think about this before, I pop the back and climb out through the trunk area.  It's a Jeep, so not really a trunk.  As I am crawling out I see the car that hit me.  It was blue, and there is also a man getting out of the side door grabbing at his head.  I try to be as quiet as I can, but he see's me and starts to come towards me.  There is so much adrenaline coursing through me that I forget about everything that hurts and just start running.  I am running through a residential neighbourhood and of course, the night of all nights I need someone to be home, there are more lights off then on.  Is this how it always is out here, and I've just never noticed?  I finally find a house who has their lights on, I bang on the front door and no one comes.  I try the handle and it's locked.  I am so scared I can't think straight. I look around and I can't see the man.  Should I just try to hide somewhere in this yard? Is the man hurting as much as me now, has he given up? I can't be sure on anything so I run to the back and see they are watching a movie.  I bang on the back patio door and they sort of look at me like I am not real, then what looks like the mother finally rushes off the couch and opens the door. 
"Oh my goodness, what happened to you?! Are you okay?" The women says frantically.
"Call 911." is all I can get out before I drop to the floor and start to pass out. I can hear from what now sounds like in the distance, but I know is probably right over my head, "John, call the police, Aaron, go upstairs and grab the first aid kid, Julie, go and get some blankets and towels." That's the last thing I heard before I finally passed out.