*** Warning – Chapter 2 contains details of a sexual assault. Please read at your own discretion. ***
Bile began to build up in the back of Jo's throat as she realized what was happening. After the short man had hit her, he pulled her to her feet and forced her into the forest while the taller man took off down the path, in search of Rob. The short man dragged Jo, zigzagging through the trees until they reached a very narrow clearing, a few large rocks sat in its centre, the thick branches holding back the remaining sunlight. It looked as though someone had made camp there; she thought it most likely the two men, as a few blankets and bags lay around the area and a small fire blazed close by.
He threw Jo to the ground, the impact sending a shooting pain through her arm once again. She stared up at the short man, watching as he stormed around in circles, huffing and muttering. He was at least twice her weight, but Jo didn't think she could out run him, especially not with the other man still after Rob. She desperately looked around the camp; there was very little she could use for protection. The blankets would be of no help and while there were two expensive looking briefcases sitting against a tree, with what she thought was a broken wrist, fighting him off wasn't the answer either.
"You shouldn't have done that," the short man scowled. "We just would have had our little fun with you and that would've been the end of it." He stalked over to Jo and leaned down towards her. "Now you just made it harder on yourself."
Suddenly, footsteps could be heard through the trees and the short man hauled Jo to her feet, grabbing her by the hair, fully prepared to use her as cover. After a few tense moments, the tall man staggered into the clearing, completely out of breath. "I couldn't find him," he gasped, bending at the waist to try and draw in air.
"What do you mean you couldn't find him?" The short man's anger turned towards his friend. "He's just a kid!"
"But he's fast," the tall man defended, slowly regaining breath. Jo smiled faintly, pride and relief now mixed in with her fear.
The short man turned his attention back to Jo. "Don't really matter now, anyways," he said, a smirk coming across his face. "At least we can have our fun without worrying about some kid." Still with a hold of her hair, he looked Jo up and down, his gaze disturbing, the suggestiveness turning her stomach. "You sure are a pretty one." He grinned at the other man, pulling Jo's hair tighter in his hand. "Hey, you remember the time with that girl… in Philadelphia... "
The tall man nodded, his own smug look appearing. "Yeah… the one that worked for Croft. She was an easy one… What was her name again?"
"Mary… I think..." The short man recalled slowly and then looked back over to Jo, sizing her up. "She kinda looked the same… but wasn't as tempting as this one…" Grabbing onto her wrist, he pushed her over to one of the large rocks, Jo wincing in pain.
"Oh? Did that hurt?" he asked sarcastically. "Good to know." He looked over to the tall man. "Come - hold her." His companion did as he was told, taking hold of Jo's arm and hair from behind her. The short man moved in front of Jo, his creepy grin returning.
"Why are you doing this?" Jo hissed, squirming in the tall man's grasp. The pain in her wrist was excruciating and it took all the anger she had to keep from crying out again.
The short man shrugged. "Because we can," he replied, taking hold of Jo's blouse and undoing the top three buttons. She struggled against him as he slowly snaked his hand down her camisole, the bile burning her throat as he fondled her breasts. Jo closed her eyes, trying to mentally remove herself from the situation and think about anything else. She felt his hands across her skin and could sense his face next to hers. "So soft…" he whispered into her ear. "Too bad the boy couldn't watch."
Jo's eyes flew open at the mention of Rob, her anger erupting. "How dare you!" she yelled and without thinking, spat in his face.
The short man was taken aback, wiping the spit from his cheek. He shook his head, his eyes squinted, glaring at Jo. "You're just asking for it, aren't you?" He nodded to the tall man. "Turn her around."
Jo was quickly swung around and although she tried to struggle, she was forced face first into the large rock, the rough stone scraping against her cheek. Pinning her down, the tall man still had her by the hair, his fingers dug into her wrist as he bent her arm against her back. She shuddered and cried out in pain, closing her eyes again. "She must like it rough," the short man jested, both men laughing.
Jo could feel the shorter man come up behind her and he began pulling up her skirts. She tried to fight him, kick and push herself away from the rock but the tall man only held on tighter. Her head began to swim with thoughts, of anything and everything she could do to resist but she felt the short man's weight push up against her, his hands fumbling to pull down his pants.
All at once, she stopped fighting, squeezing her eyes tight. She knew what was about to happen and she just wanted her mind to be anywhere but there. She began to think about Rob and all her students at Plumfield. She thought about her childhood and her sisters. She thought about her sweet Beth. She thought about Fritz and the feeling of a first love. She thought about Nick - his blue eyes and the way it felt when he held her hand. How she wished she was in his arms right now.
She felt the weight from behind come down harder, her breath catching in her throat and she knew all the thoughts in the world couldn't stop this.
"GET - AWAY - FROM - HER!" a guttural growl came through the trees and instantaneously, Jo felt the weight lifted. The unmistakable din of a fist making contact rang out over and over. Even with her eyes still closed, Jo knew the short man was losing. The tall man seemed stunned for a few moments, his grip still on Jo until he finally decided to go to the aid of his friend. As he released her, she fell slowly to the ground and curled herself against the rock. Carefully opening her eyes, she peered towards the commotion, watching as Nick pummelled the already unconscious short man on the ground. The tall man jumped onto Nick's back, attempting to stop the assault but neither alcohol-spoiled man was any match for Nick; he surpassed them both in muscle and rage. Nick flipped the tall man over his shoulder, the landing knocking the air right out of him.
As Nick proceeded to tackle the tall man, a numbing sensation came over Jo; her senses lost to her. A dull hum filled her ears and her eyes could hardly comprehend what was happening in front of her. She knew she should stop Nick but couldn't string her thoughts together to do so. Instead, she decided to focus on the only feeling she had - the pain that still radiated through her arm. She cried out as she turned her wrist over, the noise louder than intended. The agony spread through her and even though she groaned through every movement, it was the only thing keeping her grounded and in the present. Suddenly, she felt Nick next to her; he was talking but the words made less sense than the two broken men that now lay on the ground. She continued to stare out at the clearing, clutching her wrist in order to hold onto something tangible; Nick's face floated through her sightline as he tried to get her attention.
Finally, he placed his hands on either side of her face, the pressure causing the sting to return to her cheek and a rushing flooded her ears as his words pierced her mind. "Jo!" She focused on the man before her, noting the bloody nose he must have gotten in the fight.
"You're hurt," she said flatly, pointing at the blood.
A smile broke across Nick's face, her acknowledgement a relief. "Oh, I'm all right," he said, wiping the blood from his nose. "You okay?"
Jo just looked past him once again, fixed on the two crumpled men. She wanted to be angry at them for what they had done or at least happy that they were now unable to hurt her, but the numbness had taken hold and she simply stared. Nick turned to follow her line of sight and his eyes narrowed. "Let's get you outta here," he mumbled.
Skirts and all, Jo felt herself lifted into the air as Nick carried her out of the clearing. She was void of the relief that she knew she should have, her mind still racing through random and chaotic thoughts. The ache in her arm was the only thing that made sense and she held onto it for dear life.
XXXXX
Nick charged through the tree line and back onto the road, Jo held tightly in his arms. His heartbeat hammered in his ears, adrenaline racing as he made his way down the path, wanting to put as much space between Jo and those men as possible. He knew that he would have killed them both if she hadn't stopped him; her soft cries had drawn him out of his tunnelled fury, his need for her safety outweighing the need for vengeance. The sight of her cowering beside that rock, disheveled and terrified, would haunt him for a very long time.
After a few minutes and enough distance, Nick set Jo down on the side of road, wanting to check for any serious injuries. Her quiet, disconnected behavior was concerning him the most, but he knew he needed to deal with the physical. As he sat her on the blanket he had brought, Nick took note of the bruising that was spreading across her cheek, her lip was split and swollen. He knelt beside her and fumbled through his pack, searching for his canteen. After finding it, he looked up and caught sight of Jo; she vacantly gazed down the road with glazed-over eyes, hugging her right arm to her body.
"You're bleedin'," he said gently, pouring some water onto a handkerchief and slowly holding it to her lips. She glanced towards him and took the cloth, her left hand keeping it in place.
"Where's Rob?" she said anxiously, looking back the way they came.
"He's fine," Nick reassured. "I ran into him on the road and he told me where you were." He poured some water into a steel cup that he had brought. "I sent him on home." He offered the cup to Jo. "Thirsty?"
She nodded slowly and went to grab for the water, wincing as she instinctively reached out with her right hand. She clutched it to her body again. "I think my wrist is broken."
Concern and frustration covered his face and placing the cup to the side, Nick leaned forward, carefully taking hold of her arm. "Why didn't you say somethin'?" He could see the bone had taken an odd angle and the swelling had already started through her wrist and fingers. He went to work, grabbing a couple of handkerchiefs and tying them together. Cautiously, he laced them around her arm, creating a makeshift sling. "We'll get Dr. Pierce to take a look when we get home," he said, gently slipping her arm through. It was then that he discovered her blouse was still unbuttoned, her camisole and corset caked with dirt. He looked to Jo, fixated on the road, and warily reached forward to cover her. When she noticed his hands, she recoiled at the prospect, her eyes wide. A look of regret fell over Nick's face and he motioned towards her shirt. "May I?" he asked quietly.
She glared at him for just a moment, the realization overwhelmed her and a blush came to her cheeks. She nodded and Nick's fingers slowly fastened the buttons, his eyes continually on Jo's face as he tried to determine her state of mind. She avoided his gaze and backed away when he finished. "Rob wants to go fishing next Saturday," she said abruptly as if the memory just occurred to her. She looked at Nick with panic. "But we left the poles and tackle box back there."
He smiled gently. "I'll go grab 'em later," he replied, starting to put away the canteen and cup. "Right now, I think we should get home." He stood and threw the pack over his shoulder. "Think you can walk?"
Jo looked up at him, slowly nodding and with his help, got to her feet. Nick began to put away the blanket when she suddenly placed her hand on his shoulder. "Nick?" she whispered.
He looked up and all at once, her face paled, a slight tremble coursing through her body. Nick quickly glanced down the road, afraid that the two men had regained consciousness and caught up to them. Seeing no one, he was confused. "What's wrong?"
After several moments, Jo's breathing shallow and fast, she finally looked at him. "I think I'm going to be sick." She stepped towards the trees and leaning over one, proceeded to vomit. Nick watched for a brief instant, stunned, before rushing to her, supporting her weight. She continued to heave until there was nothing left and she dropped into Nick's arms. She felt clammy and cold and as she gripped Nick's hand, hers was like ice. She looked up at Nick as he lowered them back down to the ground. "I can't stop shaking," she whispered, a constant tremor throughout her body.
Nick sighed. He had seen something like this before, back on the ships, generally when crewmen had been shot or thrown overboard. He searched Jo's face, worry consuming him. "You're goin' into shock, Jo." With a quick glance around, he considered his options and dropped his pack. "We need to get home now." He stood, gathering her into his arms once more and started back down the path. "Everything's gonna be okay," he whispered to her and to himself. He just hoped they would be.
XXXXX
"What's takin' so long?" Nick asked as he paced back and forth in front of Jo's bedroom door. They had made good time getting home, even though he was carrying a semi-conscious Jo. She had felt so cold and small in his arms and that drove him to move. When they arrived, the doctor was already there and now the only thing he could do was wait as Dr. Pierce examined her.
"He's just bein' thorough," Asia replied, watching him walk from one end to the other. She sighed. "If you don't stop, you're gonna wear a hole in that floor."
Nick flushed with embarrassment and took a seat on the bench that sat just outside the door. "Sorry." He looked at his hands. "Thank ya for gettin' the doc. I don't know if Jo could have waited much longer. She was shakin' so bad."
Asia sat down next to him and squeezed one of his hands. "When Rob got home and told us what happened, I figured someone was gonna need the doctor. I was just hopin' it was those two men…"
Nick looked at Asia a bit ashamed. "Well, they probably still do."
She patted his knee. "Sheriff Webster is out lookin' for 'em now. I'm sure they deserved whatever they got." She looked over at the bedroom. "Did they actually…" she trailed off, letting the awful act go unspoken.
Nick closed his eyes and rubbed a hand over his tired face. "I don't know," he shrugged. "I was seein' red." He took a deep breath, not really wanting to relive the moment. "When I found 'em, they were holdin' her down... I was just prayin' I wasn't too late."
Suddenly, the bedroom door opened, Nick jumped to his feet. Nan left the room, her arms full of cloth and sheets. She gave the two adults a weak smile. "She's okay," Nan whispered as she hurried down the hall to the stairs.
Dr. Pierce appeared and quietly closed the door behind him. His face showed some concern as he considered his words. "She's resting," he began, "I have set her wrist - it is a pretty bad break but I think with some time, it should heal properly. The shock does seem to be subsiding as well - you will have to make sure she remains warm - keep the fire lit and plenty of blankets." He looked at Nick. "Physically, she'll be all right. From what I can tell, you arrived just in time. I don't believe the man was able to… perform. However, the entire ordeal has been very traumatic and may be difficult to deal with." He smiled gently. "Let her come along slowly, at her own pace and I am certain she will have the support she needs to get through this." He opened his medical bag and pulled out a small bottle. "And just in case, this is something to help her sleep." Asia took the medicine as the doctor proceeded to put on his coat. "Just give her some time," he reassured. "I'll see myself out."
"Thank you, Doctor," Asia replied as he left down the front stairs.
Almost immediately, Dan appeared at the top of the back staircase, worry on his face. "Ah, Nick?" he said awkwardly. "The sheriff's downstairs. He wants to talk to you."
Nick looked at Asia. She stood, squeezed his arm and smiled. "I'll go sit with her." She made her way into the bedroom as Nick fell into step with Dan and they made their way down.
"Is Mrs. Jo gonna be okay?" Dan asked, shakily.
Nick tried to muster up some confidence and patted the boy's shoulder as they reached the bottom of the stairs. "Of course she will, Dan. Mrs. Jo is fine. She just needs some time to rest."
The sun had set a few hours earlier and the grandfather clock struck 10 as they made their way into the dim parlor where the sheriff and his deputy stood waiting. "I apologize for the late hour, Mr. Riley," Sheriff Webster started off. He looked over at his deputy. "We believe we've found the men who may have attacked Mrs. Bhaer." He looked back at Nick and Dan. "They're in pretty bad shape."
"They must've had it comin'," the young boy muttered.
"Dan…" Nick scolded but shot him a look of agreement. "I'm sorry Sheriff but things got a bit outta hand."
"Well, we'll get Dr. Pierce to look at them back in town." Sheriff Webster sighed, his face showing regret as he pulled out a pair of handcuffs. "I really hate to do this, Mr. Riley but we're gonna have to ask you to come with us."
"What?!" Dan exclaimed, his voice anxious. "But…"
Nick placed a hand on the boy's arm. "Are you arrestin' me?" he asked in disbelief.
The sheriff nodded. "I'm afraid so. The two men have pressed charges against you for assault."
Nick stood there, shaking his head. "B-but they are the ones who attacked her," he stuttered. "They were going to…"
Sheriff Webster looked guilty. "Once we get a statement from Mrs. Bhaer, she can press charges against them. But until then…" He stepped towards Nick just as the front door flew open, Jo's two sisters and brother-in-law appearing from the other side. They all stood there, in the hall outside the parlor, shocked, trying to understand the situation.
"Nick?" Meg questioned, confused as the sheriff placed the cuffs on him.
Nick looked ashamed, staring at the ground. "Jo's gonna be fine," he explained. "Just a broken wrist and… well…" he sighed, not knowing how to finish the sentence. "She's upstairs - Asia's sittin' with her."
Meg and Amy glanced at each other and then to Laurie before taking off towards the stairs. Laurie stepped into the parlor, still flabbergasted. "You're arresting him?" he asked. "On what grounds? I thought two men attacked Jo."
The sheriff shrugged. "But I'm afraid Mr. Riley is being charged with assault."
Nick's shoulders slumped in defeat. "I was just tryin' to protect her."
The sheriff and his deputy led Nick to the door. "You can't do this!" Dan yelled, trying to get in front of them. Laurie cut him off, holding him back as the other men left the room.
"It'll be alright, Dan," Nick called out as he was escorted out the door and into the night air. "I'll be back before ya know it." He looked behind him as the sheriff helped him down the porch stairs, Dan and Laurie standing in the doorway. He just hoped he was right.