Safe and Sound (20 page)

 
Her body tensed and she
screamed
, “
No
!
”

 
The blanket was dropped, but he didn’t go away.
Gray eyes, thin lips.
The
unforgettable
look on his face.
Sebastian.
Safe.
Overwhelming relief washed over her.
Lola’s eyes rolled back in her head and she went limp.

*
**

 
A worried face peered
down
at her. Lola flinched and tried to sit up, but hands
gently
pushed her down.
She was on a cot
, in an open ambulance.
There was a lot of equipment she couldn’t name surrounding her. Lola felt claustrophobic.

 
“Relax, Lola. You’re safe now,”
Dr. Jones
told her, smoothing a hand over her forehead.

 
Lola looked around, seeing flashing lights and strangers. “Where is he? What’s going on?”

 
An EMT climbed into the vehicle. He was thin with red hair and brown eyes.
His features were dispassionate, as
though he saw things like this
all the time and had become immune.

 
“
My name is Chris.
We need to take some vitals, Miss, and then take you to the hospital to get you checked out.”

 
Lola stared at him, not really seeing him.
Dr. Jones
spoke to him and he glanced at Lola before nodding and hopping from the ambulance.

 
“Where
is he
?” she asked again, voice trembling.

 
“He was
taken away by the police
. He can’t hurt you again
,” was Mrs. Jones’ grim reply.

 
“How did you…?” Lola couldn’t finish the question. What if they hadn’t gotten there when they had? Her body jerked with convulsions and she was cold, so cold.

 
“We heard your screams.
We were still up, talking.
Sebastian was worried about you. He wanted to check on you.
I told him…I told him not to bother you.
”
Sebastian’s mom
swallowed, looked out into the small crowd gathered in the yard.

 
“I never should have let you go back to that house, not
after
seeing what I did today. I called Social Services as soon as you left the clinic. They told me someone would be over
soon
to talk to you.”

 
Dr. Jones
continued to talk, to herself more than Lola. “
It wasn’t soon enough.
This never should have happened. How could your mother let this happen?”

 
Lola
clutched the brown blanket covering her closer
, feeling sick
.
She’d had the same thought so many times, but it was strange hearing someone else
ask those words.

 
“Where is m
y mother?” Her voice cracked.

  “
She was called, Lola. She’ll be at the hospital, I’m sure.
”
Dr. Jones
put her face close to Lola’s and looked her in the eye. “You’ll have to talk to the police. You tell them everything, understand? Don’t be scared. H
e can’t hurt you anymore. You
tell them the truth.”

 
Dr. Jones
didn’t look away until Lola gave a faint nod.

 
She pulled her in
to
her arms and held her tight, placing a kiss on her
head.
She smelled good; clean.
“They’re ready to take you now.”

 
Panic soared through her and Lola clutched at Seba
s
tian’s mom. “I don’t want to be alone.
Please
.
”

 
The EMT waited outside, eyes trained
on the g
r
o
und
to give them a semblance of privacy.

 
Dr. Jones
gave Lola a smile, eyes
wet with unshed tears
. “You’re not alone, honey. You’ve never been alone.
We’ll be at the hospital waiting for you.
I promise.
”

 
Lola nodded, but her thoughts were on Jack. She wanted Jack with her.
Her
lower lip trembled and
tears formed in her eyes.

 
Dr. Jones
got out of the ambulance and the EMT went about hooking Lola up to things.
From where she lay she saw two figures standing outside the ambulance. One was taller, rangier; the other more muscular
and not quite as tall
.
Jack and Sebastian.

 
Sebastian climbed in and stared down at her, emotions flickering over his face like lightning. He swallowed and grabbed her hand, his grip almost painful.

 
Lola knew
there were things he had to ask
, needed to say, but what came out of his mout
h was, “I called Jack
.
I knew you’d want him here.
”

 
She
nodded wordlessly, tears choking her.

 
His mouth opened and closed.
Sebastian
looked at her for a long moment.
Lola watched him, wondering what he was thinking.
“I’ll see you soon.”
Sebastian dropped her hand and left.

 
Jack
crouched beside her. He
didn’t speak, just looked at her with the fiercest expression on his face.
He reached over and clasped her hand within his, bringing it to his lips.

 
“Make it quick. We need to go,” the EMT said.

 
He nodded, eyes trained on Lola.

 
Lola blinked back the tears
that threatened to consume her
.
“I heard your voice,” she whispered. “I heard your voice and
it gave me strength
.”

 
He jerked his head once, lips pressed together. Jack averted his face
for a moment. When he faced her again, his eyes were red.

 
“I hear you voice all the time,” he
told her
.

 
Lola
let her eyes close, exhausted.

*
**

 
Lola had been examined,
tested,
photographed, and talked to by the police.
It had been nerve-wracking and painful to put to words the horrible events.
Talking about it made it real.
Her tongue had stumbled over words, feeling thick and numb. Like
her. S
he felt numb.

 
She was alone for the moment, in a white hospital room that smelled like
bleach
and was
chilly
.
A dim light cast shadows about the room, making her uneasy.

 
Lola had to stay overnight for observation since she’d hit her head and passed out.
It seemed she may have a
slight
concussion. There were bruises on her as well.
She was stiff and sore and a little dizzy.
N
one
of that
compared to the pain inside her.

 
Rest was what had been recommended by
the
hospital doctor
.
Though it was well into the middle of the night,
Lola couldn’t. Every time she closed her eyes she saw
Bob
, felt her
skin
crawl like he was in the room with her. She felt impure, tainted.

 
A scalding hot shower hadn’t helped; all the soap in the world couldn’t seem to remove the smell of him from her flesh; his touch lingered even
now
.

 
If Sebastian and his mother hadn’t
found her.
Lola shuddered and took a deep breath.
But they did. Remember that.

 
The door opened, admitting a nurse. Her name was Molly. She had blond hair and a cheerful smile
; pink scrubs on for her uniform
.
She smelled like bubblegum.
“Getting some rest?”

 
Lola looked at the blanket twisted between her hands. “No. I can’t sleep.”

 
Empathy shone o
n her face. Molly patted her shoulder. “I understand. I’m going to take your vitals again, okay?”

 
“Is my mom here yet?”

 
Molly finished up
; the blood pressure cuff making a ripping noise as it left
Lola’s
arm,
and
shook her head. “Not yet.”

 
Lola’s stomach dropped and she couldn’t meet the nurse’
s eyes. Her mother had been called hours ago. Why wasn’t she there?
Lola’s throat tightened.

 
“I’m sure she’s on her way.”
The nurse paused,
and
then asked, “Do you need anything?”

 
She shook her head and the nurs
e
left.

 
Dr. Jones soon took her place; her expression and tone no nonsense.
“You need to rest, Lola.”

 
“
I
can’t
.
Every time I close my eyes I see him. I can still feel him…
smell
him.” Lola
shuddered, a b
ad
taste in her mouth.

 
“Okay. It’s okay.”
Dr. Jones
sat down beside her and rubbed her back. Lola rested her cheek on her shoulder. “I’m sorry I failed you, Lola.”

 
Lola pulled away. “What?”

 
Dr. Jones
’s face was guilt-stricken
. “I let you down. You didn’t feel you could come to me. For that, I’m sorry.
”

 
“I couldn’t go to anyone. He threatened me. He…he…” Lola’s strangled voice cut off. She couldn’t breathe.

 
“
Shh
. Easy.
Easy.
” Dr. Jones made a circular motion between Lola’s shoulders, soothing her.
“
Don’t think about it.”

 
“Where’s my mom,
Dr. Jones
? Why isn’t she here?” Lola heard the pain in her voice, the
broken quality of it
.

 
“I don’t
know, Lola.
She’ll be here
soon
. And…
I know it’s not the same, but…
I’m
here. And I’ll help you any way I can.
Always
.
”

 
Lola wiped her face and turned to her side so her back was to
Dr. Jones
. She just
wanted to be alone
.
She was so tired and so
heartbroken
over everything.

 
Dr. Jones
sighed. “Sebastian and I have to get home, Lola. But
I’ll be back in the morning
. Sebastian doesn’t want to leave, but I’m making him.” She gave a little laugh.
“Stubborn boy.”

 
When Lola didn’t respond,
Dr. Jones
sighed once more and got up, the door clicking
shut
behind her.

 
Hot, hated tears streamed from her eyes onto the bedding. Lola stared at the pale blue
wall
across the room. Her mother blamed her. That’s why she wasn’t there. She was going to believe
Bob
’s side of the story
.
Lana
was
picking him; a cruel, malicious,
evil
man, over her own flesh and blood.
             

 
Lola bit her fist to keep a sob inside; her shoulders wracked from the effort it took to restrain
it
.

 
Her mother didn’t want Lola. She didn’t love her.
She couldn’t.
How could her own mother sacrifice her?
And for what?
For
him
?
It shouldn’t hurt anymore; she should be used to it.