Guarding Light (6 page)

   Catlyn tried to sit up but pain shot up her side. Slowly she tried clawing along the ground towards a dim light weakly piercing the thick vernal curtain. Twigs, leaves, rocks and dirt mixed to hinder her slow progress towards her small beacon in the far off horizon.

   Suddenly J.T. stopped talking to himself and ceased her progress by stepping on her hand.

   Catlyn screamed in pain. "Where do you think you are going bitch? The party is just starting?"

   Catlyn begged. "P-p-puhlease, d-don't do this."

   It was too dark to see his individual moves but her hair was pulled hard and her head slammed into the ground. Bile poured into her mouth and stomach. "Did you beg Jack?" was growled into her ear as his spittle ran down her face into her eye.

   Catlyn sensed another move from J.T. and put her hands up to block what might be coming. She screamed as her right hand began to sting hotly and a warm wetness trickled from her palm down her raised wrist. More movement from his hulking dark form and she felt a slight sting towards her abdomen, her chest and then a consuming chill filled her as she realized J.T. was using some sort of knife to remove her clothes and he had slashed her hand and nicked her stomach and chest. Now naked Catlyn fought harder.

   "N-no, NO!" She bucked wildly when she felt him straddle her, swinging her fists without aim. She connected with flesh several times but she wasn't sure what she hit.

   J.T. howled as once again her fist connected. Catlyn had hit his nose. Suddenly she was relieved of his weight on her lower body. She tried to quickly crawl away, ignoring the pain she crawled along the ground, keeping an eye on the dim light.

   In a short amount of time her foot was grabbed and she was pulled back against the rough terrain, Catlyn felt dirt, leaves, and twigs push between her buttocks as rocks and unseen sharp objects tore at the skin of her bottom.

   "You, don't get to leave so soon Kitty Cat." J.T. flipped her onto her stomach, straddling her once again from behind. "Jack may have gotten your pussy's cherry but I am guessing he is too straight laced for that ass. I will get your ass' cherry. Then I am gonna fuck every orifice you have bitch!"

   Full understanding slammed into Catlyn and with it blinding terror. She struggled even harder, ignoring all pangs of pain. J.T. gave a deranged laugh, grabbed a handful of her hair and slammed her face into the ground. "Now it is time for my cherry busting."

   Beyond dazed, she threw up in the dirt as J.T. positioned them in a sickening, twisted parody of a lover's embraced, lying fully against Catlyn's back, parting her legs with his knees. He lifted up a little and started spitting.

   Catlyn threw up again as she realized he was spitting in his hand. Then she felt the violation of his hands parting her buttocks and smearing the spit along her anus. Catlyn tried screaming again. "Help, h-help me!" It had sounded loud to her but her faculties were very diminished by stark terror and injuries.

   J.T. gripped her thighs spreading them wider even though Catlyn fought to keep them closed. Catlyn let out another long scream. J.T. grabbed her hair and slammed her face into ground again then laid his cheek against Catlyn's bleeding and bruised one. "Just remember bitch, it didn't have to be this way." Then he lifted away and several seconds later Catlyn felt his hands on her buttocks, then the most searing hot, tearing pain as her anus muscles were breached and torn asunder. The blindingly white pain took Catlyn's breath and consciousness for several seconds.

   Catlyn became aware of J.T. rutting against her while leaning his weight on her back. Each of his thrust caused her body to be scrubbed abrasively against the ground she lay upon.

   Catlyn's tears never ceased as she went in and out of consciousness, every time she awoke to her body being defiled in a new way, she spasmed out of oblivion into reality when her hymen was savagely torn and her virginity forever stolen.

   Catlyn came aware again with the sense that she was alone. J.T.'s oppressive weight was gone. There was a foul taste in her mouth, blood, vomit mixed with something else. Catlyn struggled to gain her bearings. Agonizingly slow she started to crawl against the ground toward the still weakly shining light in the distance. Catlyn wasn't sure of the source of the light but she was sure it represented help. Her body screamed its pain. She went sluggishly over a log in her path. Catlyn couldn't name one part of her body that didn't hurt but she was most afraid of the bleeding she could feel oozing out of her from her vagina and anus. Her mom's medical books were a wealth of information and Catlyn knew bleeding was not good. Catlyn's tears increased as she thought of how her mom would be left alone if she died.

   Catlyn refused to die in these woods. She would live for her mom. For herself. For revenge. She was going to make that monster pay. Her vengeful thoughts gave her strength.

   Not sure how long she inched along the ground and not sure how many times she had actually stopped because she had passed out, Catlyn thought she was dreaming or it was just a manufacture of wishful thinking, she thought she heard her name. Pulling in all the strength she had Catlyn picked up speed and tried to call out.

   As the light got brighter Catlyn knew she was heading towards the bleachers on the road side of the school. And yes, there it was again, her name. Someone was calling her name. No, more than one person was calling her name. Infused with hope Catlyn made it to the edge of the back bleachers and called out again, this time raising her hand. Then she heard clearly.

   "Wait Sara, what was that?" It was Jack.

   "I didn't hear anything." Sara raised her voice. "Caaaatlynnnn!"

   Again, weakly Catlyn called out.

   There was a pause and then she heard pounding footsteps coming towards her. Knowing help was now on the way Catlyn's little strength left her and she fell fully against the ground her hand still stretched towards the light and help.

   And that was how Jack and Sara found her.

   An anguished howl rented the calm night air, seconded by a horrified scream, the first one male and the other female.

   Jack came to a skidding halt as he knelt beside Catlyn. He wanted to just grab her up into his arms but his past two summers of ride-alongs with paramedics gave him the knowledge that he could do Catlyn more harm than good.

   Jack's jaw clenched hard in useless rage as he took in her many visible injuries. She was naked. One side of her face looked like she had a bout with the current heavy weight champion. Her eye was swollen shut. Her upper chest had a gash that was bleeding as did her stomach. There was a deeper gash in the open palm that reached towards him. On the other hand her index finger was bent at an unnatural angle. There was blood between her legs, running down her thighs. At this sign of the ultimate violation, tears came to Jack's eyes as he was swamped with more impudent wrath. There were friction burns all along her back and buttocks.

   Blinking his tears away Jack slowly and carefully ran his hands along Catlyn's body checking for obvious breaks. With his limited training, Jack felt the more serious of Catlyn's injuries were internal.

   Jack took off his jacket and slowly wrapped it around her upper body. He then took off his t-shirt creating a makeshift pad he put it gently between her legs, pressing it against her vagina.

   Catlyn gave a pitiful whimper in protest. Jack soothed. "Ssh. It's ok, Kitten." She shuddered and her teeth began to chatter.

   Jack became aware of Sara standing beside them crying. Digging in his jean's pocket he handed her his keys. "Go to the car and get the blanket out of my trunk and start the car, turn the heat up full blast. She is going into shock."

   Sara took off at a dead run. Jack carefully picked Catlyn up into his lap. Remembering some more of his paramedic training he tried to orient her. "Catlyn, baby, can you hear me? It's Jack."

   She stirred in his arms. Her one eye opened slightly. "J-jack, p-please help me." Her whispered plea tore at his heart.

   His tears began to fall. "I will, baby."

   That seem to satisfy her to some extent for she relaxed, giving him all her weight. "Kitten, baby, did you recognize who did this? Do you know him?"

   Catlyn seemed to give a slight nod as she whispered. "It w-was J.T."

   Jack frowned, staring at her. She slipped back into unconsciousness. Just then Sara came rushing back with the blanket. Jack quickly wrapped it around Catlyn, standing with her he made his way as quickly as he dared to the car. Thanking God that the hospital was about 3 minutes away by car. Catlyn was obviously very bad.

   Jack kept Catlyn in his arms in the back seat while Sara drove the short distance to St. Luke's Hospital. Jack prayed as Sara sped towards the E.R. Please God let Catlyn make it through this. Please let her live.

   Sara pulled up in front of the wide double E.R. sliding doors with screeching tires. She opened the door for him and ran ahead, calling for a doctor. Several staff members came forth with a stretcher. Jack gently placed Catlyn on it.

   Catlyn was whisked away. Jack kept pace with the stretcher until a nurse blocked him with an outstretched arm and asked, "Are you family?"

   Not even hesitating Jack answered. "Yes." The nursed paused looking him up and down. Noticing his determination, shirtless, bloody chest, she shrugged and allowed him through the inner double doors to follow Catlyn.

   Jack stood back as the various medical staffed worked on Catlyn, switching her from the stretcher to the bed. A tray full of medical paraphernalia appeared. They called out pertinent information as it was gathered. There was an order for a surgeon and for someone to call the police and Jack thought he heard the words 'rape kit'.

   Rape. The word hit Jack in the chest. Someone had raped Catlyn. Someone had violated his sweet little kitten. Wiping his tears away his anger returned full force. He was going to make the animal that had done this to Catlyn pay if it was the last thing he did.

****

   Catlyn first became aware of pervasive coldness. Then came sounds heard as though from a great distance, nondistinguishable. Then a bright all-consuming light, whiteness as far as her eyes could see. Then came a stinging awareness of pain and ache throughout her body. Some of the pain was more persistent than the others. The pain to her backside and between her legs was more painful than all the rest.

   Catlyn then became aware of voices much closer than the distant voices in the shrouding whiteness. One was mother's voice, soothing as she held her hand, prayed, read her nursing texts. Another was Sara's as she chattered on about school. Another was Tasha's, telling her she had to wake up. Yet another was a stranger's, asking her if she knew who attacked her. This voice belonged to a police officer. And the last voice in her head before she came fully awake belonged to Jack, calling her Kitten, telling her that she had to get better.

   Although all those voices were in her head Catlyn was actually alone when she came completely awake. She was in recovery on her side with pillows in front and behind her and between her knees. There was a bandage around her right hand with most of the padding to the palm. Her left hand had an I.V. And her right index finger was in a small metallic looking splint. There were oxygen cannulas up her nose.

   Catlyn tried to sit up. She winced in sharp pain. She noticed a call button placed on the bed next to her bandaged hand. Before she could push the button her door opened.

   A man in a white coat and a stethoscope around his neck, holding a clipboard, writing, walked towards her bed. He checked her I.V. and looked at some sort of monitor before he even looked at her. He froze when he encountered her eyes fixed on him, watching his every move closely. He gave her a compassionate smile. "Well, hello there, sweetie."

   He reached to lower her bedrail. Catlyn shrank from him as fear engulfed her. "Oh, no, no…" He quickly put her bedrail back in place, backing towards the door. He disappeared.

   Catlyn caught her breath and tried to get her racing heart under control. Before her anxiety could overwhelm her, her mother walked into the room.

   Her mother reached for her, cautiously hugging Catlyn. "Oh, my, baby! Thank God!"

   The man also returned with a contrite smile on his face. "Hello again, I am Dr. Rice. Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you."

   "Mama, I hurt." Catlyn rasped to her mother. "I want to sit up."

   May Lyte, adjusted some of the pillows on the bed, carefully helping Catlyn to turn on her back. She then went to the foot of the bed and cranked the head of the bed up until Catlyn was at a more comfortable angle.

   The man continued talking as May started fussing over her daughter, pushing her hair back, pouring her a drink of water, helping her to take small sips. "Catlyn, do you know where you are? What happened to you?" At her slight nod the doctor continued. "You gave us a scare young lady. We had to do a Splenectomy, that is, remove your spleen. It was damaged, ruptured actually, during the trauma. You have an incision to your front torso about 4-6 inches in length. The sutures in your abdomen have to be removed in a few days. Although the surgery was a success you developed a fever and an infection. We gave you some antibiotics. We've done some stitching to your vaginal walls and anus. The stitches to these areas are the type to dissolve. You received a blood transfusion for the blood you lost. We put a splint to your right index finger, obviously it's broken. You also have various contusions and abrasions all over your body. The slash to your hand, chest and stomach did not require stitches, but, were cleaned and dressed. We also monitored you for concussion. Your pupils were reactive to light but you should have woken up days ago."

   At the mention of time, Catlyn interrupted the doctor's list. "How long have I been here?"

   "Jack and Sara brought you in six days ago." May Lyte answered, still caressing Catlyn's hair.

   "Six days?!" Catlyn was surprised.

   "Yes. You were beaten pretty badly around the face and head. We weren't sure your failure to wake up was due to the concussion or some form of sensitivity to the anesthesia. Because your vitals improved after the antibiotics were given and there were no signs of serious head or brain damage, we let you sleep. Best thing for your body, really, the swelling in your face has already abated considerably."