The Eye of a Hurricane

Pippa

The next day was a busy one for me, so I was out of the apartment quickly.  Lin took the girls to school and I told him I'd be back for dinner. 

My mind was busy all day - meetings, lunch with a friend, a couple errands.  My guard was probably down as I walked down the darkening street towards Lin's apartment.  I felt a hand grab me and pull me into the alley.  Almost immediately, a hand went to my mouth.  I looked up to see John's face inches from mine as he slammed me into the brick wall.

I was terrified.

"You think a restraining order is gonna keep me away from you?" he growled, his voice menacing.  "You bitch!"

I struggled under his grasp and I felt him push his hips into mine to keep me steady.

"If you scream, I'm gonna cut you," he threatened, showing me the knife in his hand.  "Walk."

He stood behind me, forcing me forward through the alley.  I tried to push back with my weight but he was too strong.  He led me towards the back of an alley and through a little door.  I struggled against him as he pushed me up against the wall and started groping me harshly.  I looked at his face - once so caring and sweet - and saw it hardened and menacing.

His hands fumbled at the buttons on my jeans and I continued to struggle against him.  I managed to put my hand on his face, pushing him away, but then he punched me.  Shocked, I froze, touching my face in pain.

He wrestled me to the ground and started to pull down my pants.  Despite his warning, I screamed for help, then felt something like a hard punch in my side.  I looked down and realized he stabbed me.  Blood on my hands.  Apparently, that freaked him out because he bolted, leaving me there bleeding out.

I let my head drop to the ground, momentarily relieved he was at least gone.  Then I realized I was bleeding a lot.  I fumbled in my pockets until I found my cell phone and called 911.  I'd told them where I'd been walking and that I'd been taken down the alley.  The dispatcher, bless her, stayed on the line with me the whole time.  I was keeping it together until the EMTs actually showed up and started tending to me.  I started crying and felt my body shaking.

I was loaded onto a stretcher and raced to the hospital.  They asked my name and who they could contact.  I told them to contact Lin.

Soon, I wasn't aware of what was going on.  I fought the drugs, wanting to stay awake to see Lin, but they needed to do surgery.  I had internal bleeding.  If I saw Lin, I knew everything would be okay.  I faded, as the drugs took control of me.

____

Everything was blurry as I came to.  I had no idea how much later.  I moved my arm to rub at my face and became aware there was an IV stuck in my hand.  I groaned and Lin was immediately at my bedside.  Lin.

"Sweetheart, I'm here," he told me, his voice reassuring but filled with emotion.  I blinked my eyes open and little more and his face came into view.  His eyes studied my face, serious, trying to gauge how I was doing.  I felt his warm hand take mine and squeeze it.  "Everything's okay.  You're done with surgery."

"What happened?" I croaked, my mind foggy.  He squeezed my hand and sighed.

"From what you told the doctors, John attacked you in the street.  You've got a shiner and he stabbed you in the side," he told me.  His teeth were gritted together and I could tell it killed him.  He hadn't been able to protect me.

Lin pulled up his chair so he could sit next to me.

"Asshole," I muttered.

"How are you feeling?" he asked me.  "Are you in pain?"