Rookie (14 page)

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, they 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.

“You’re exhausted,” Rob observed.  “Climb in and sleep.  I’ll be back as soon as I’m able.”

“Thanks, Rob,” she said as she crawled under the covers, her head sinking into the airy pillows.

“Not a problem, Rookie,” he said.  He turned on the TV, handed her the remote, and then dropped a kiss onto her forehead.  “Rest, okay?  I’ll check on you when I get back.”

She opened her mouth to thank him again but the restless night coupled with the medicine made her too woozy.  Instead, she nestled deeper under the blankets and dozed, not noticing the pained, concerned look he shot her way.

***

Twittering birds sang in the trees outside the window, prying Sidney from a deep sleep.  Her eyes fluttered open as her ears became aware of the voices on the television, arguing results of a DNA test.

The pain was quiet, subdued, making her believe for a moment that she was whole and not injured.  But as she moved her head toward the television to get a look at the bickering couple, her broken wrist cried out in protest at being woken.

“Damn,” she muttered, using her good wrist to push to a sitting position.  Taking calm, deep breaths, she managed to quell the worst of the pain.

The relief lasted briefly as she was suddenly aware how horrible her breath tasted.  She could only imagine the wreck her hair was and wished desperately for a shower.

Turning off the TV, she slipped out of bed, igniting the fire in her ribs.  Sucking in a breath, she clutched her side with her good hand and closed her eyes, waiting for the first wave to pass.  Once it did, she snatched the opportunity to walk downstairs before the pain could crash again.

“Oh, you’re up,” Mrs. B said with a smile.  She held up the tote bag in her hand.  “I was just on my way to check on you.  Lexie dropped your things off earlier.”

“Thanks,” Sidney said.  “I was just thinking that I’d love a shower.”

“You can use Rob’s shower.  It’s bigger.”

Sidney nodded as she followed the housekeeper up the stairs, wondering if she was going to have to argue that she could do it herself.  Mrs. B set the bag on the bed and disappeared into the bathroom.  Sidney dug through the things that Lexie had brought, settling on a loose pair of shorts and a t-shirt.  Peering into the side pocket of the tote, she located a cosmetic bag that contained toothbrush, paste, deodorant and other things.

“Okay, the shower is going and I’ve set out a towel and washcloth,” Mrs. B said as she bustled back into the room. “I also have a plastic bag to wrap around your cast to keep it dry.  Let me help you then you can shower. I’ll just putter around in here while you shower, in case you need me for anything.”

Sidney was grateful that she wouldn’t have to fight for privacy.  Once her cast was wrapped, she took her things into the bathroom and prepared for a shower.

She took her time, scrubbing her hair one-handed, and exited twenty minutes later, struggling to wrap a towel around her body.  Feeling much better despite the pain, she dressed awkwardly and ran a comb through her wet hair.

When she emerged, she found Mrs. B fluffing the pillows.

“Feel better?”

“Much,” Sidney said. “Thanks.”

“Good.  Now, why don’t you hop back into bed and I’ll bring you something to eat and your medication?”

The hot shower had taken some of the ache from her body but exhaustion still lingered.  She couldn’t believe how tired she was or how an accident could drain the energy from her.  Although she wanted to fight it and try to move about, she wanted to heal more.  Reluctantly, she climbed back into the bed.

“I guess I am still a little tired,” she admitted.

“It’s to be expected,” Mrs. B said, tucking Sidney in as if she were a child.  “Your body needs time to mend.  Give it a little time and you’ll start to feel like yourself again.”

Nodding, Sidney shifted, propping the pillows behind her.  Mrs. B waited until she was settled before leaving the room.  She returned a short time later with a tray bearing a turkey sandwich, a bowl of fruit, and a glass of milk.  A tablet sat on a napkin next to the plate.

“Eat as much as you can,” Mrs. B said.  “Just set the tray aside when you’re done and I’ll get it later.”

“Thank you,” Sidney said.  “I really appreciate it.”

“Oh, dear, it’s not a problem,” Mrs. B said.  “Now eat and rest.”

Sidney nibbled on the sandwich as she watched TV, but her mind was not on the talk show.  The incident with Grant managed to stir up old memories in which Sidney had tried to bury:  Grant pawing at her in his car in front of her dorm building – swearing at her because she wouldn’t ‘put out’; Tearing her favorite T-shirt while she tried to escape his latest attempts at getting her in bed.  Those old memories led to images of Hugh, one of her foster parents, entering her bedroom.  His ugly, leering face, horrid liquor breath, and meaty hands whirled in her mind, reminding her of the nights she’d curled up under her blankets, hoping that he wouldn’t do more than grope at her, kissing her neck and her face.