Chapter five
Around 2PM everyone gathered at the dining room.
Derek looked around for Abi, but there was no sign of her.
"Does anybody know where Abi is? He wondered.
Alex immediately responded "She had to leave earlier, and she said if she's not back by now, we should start without her."
Derek sat down with the others, when the housekeeper came in with an elderly man behind her whom she introduced as Dr. Daniel Goldman.
Rachel stood up and shook his hand "Dr. Goldman? Abi did not say you were a Dr."
"You must be Dr. Corrigan." He said.
"Yes, I am." She replied.
"I guess Abi will always look at me as dear old Danny, But yes I'm a child psychologist" he said, "Among my other activities as manager of Camp Wisdom. I understand you are a psychiatrist?
"Indeed so." Rachel replied. "Why don't you sit and have lunch with us and we can talk later in the study," she recommended.
"That sounds like a good Idea. "Thank you." Said the older Dr.
Dr. Goldman sat down with the rest of them, when suddenly Derek felt a sharp pain run through his abdominal, and a shortness of breath.
"Oh god" he screamed and fell of his chair down to the floor.
Rachel bent beside him worried, holding his head in her arms. "Derek, what's wrong?" she asked.
"Hurts" he answered, barely able to speak or breathe. His hands were lying on his abdominal muscles.
Rachel took control of the situation. "Nick, Ethaniel, help me get him to the living room. Alex, please run upstairs to my room and get my medical bag."
The two young men helped Derek into the living room and sat him on the big sofa.
Rachel pulled his shirt up and was amazed at the sight. His chest and stomach were covered in bruises.
"What the hell is that?" she asked. "Derek, how did you get these bruises?"
"Abi" he answered. "She is dying. He's killing her."
"What is he talking about? Derek what does Abi have to do with this? Asked the worried Rachel.
"He is killing her" repeated Derek. "We have to find her before she dies."
Ethaniel suddenly realized what was happening "Derek, do you feel Abi's bruises and pain. Is that what you're trying to tell us?"
"Yes, oh god. Nick, Ethaniel, you must find her now, or she dies."
"Derek, can you see her, where she is?" asked Nick.
"I see a big church, and she is across from it. I also see the name Cohen on one of the doors, but I can not see a street name."
"Ethaniel, does Abi know anyone named Cohen? Asked Nick.
"Cohen… The name sounds familiar. Of course," he said, "the Cohen couple. That's the case David was working on before he died. Nick, come on. I know where the Cohen couple live, and it is across from a big church"
"Let's move," said Nick.
Derek tried to get up and join them. Rachel, Who knew nothing would stop him from going with them, helped him get up. He seemed to be in less pain. They all got into Ethaniel's car and he drove of as a mad man to where the Cohen family lived.
They were there in less then 10 minutes. They all got out of the car and started looking for Abi.
"Abi," called out Derek. "Where are you?"
They looked into the Cohen's front lawn, but there was no sign of her.
Ethaniel went in and knocked on the door. Linda Cohen opened the front door and when she saw who it is she asked, "Ethaniel, what are you doing here? Abi was already here earlier and straitened everything."
"Straitened up things, what do you mean? He asked.
"Well, she was here earlier, and I have no idea what she did, but the spirits haunting this house are gone now." She answered.
"When did she leave?" he asked.
"Oh, about an hour ago." Said Linda.
"Are you sure about that?"
"Yes, she said she has to be home for lunch, because she has some guests. That was around 1pm"
"Thanks Linda" said Ethaniel.
"Ok guys. Let's split into two teams," said Ethaniel. "Derek and I will go right and check all the yards and alleys on this side. Nick and Rachel, you take the left side and do the same. Call if you find anything."
They started looking for her calling out her name.
Nick suddenly thought he heard a soft low moan. It came from an alley he and Rachel just passed.
Nick rushed over and there he saw Abi lying on the ground behind some garbage containers. He was shocked. He could hardly recognize the young woman. She was bitten with an inch of her life.
"Rachel," he said, "Call Derek".
Rachel went out of the ally and called out to the other two men. "Derek, Ethaniel, over here. We found her."
Derek rushed over. They saw Nick on his knees, holding Abi's hands. He didn't want to move her. Afraid that might cause more damage.
Derek, seeing his young daughter lying on the dirty ground asked Nick anxiously, "Is she alive?"
"Barely." Was Nick's reply.
Ethaniel took his cell phone and dialed. "I'm calling an ambulance" he told them.
Within two minutes an ambulance arrived. The paramedics picked up Abi onto a stretcher. Derek insisted he should join them on the ride to the hospital.
"Derek, We'll meet you there." said Rachel.
The three of them got back to Ethaniel's car and drove to the hospital.
As soon as the ambulance reached the hospital, the young woman was carried into the emergency room.
Derek stood in the waiting room when the others got there. He looked defeated. Rachel was thinking she never saw him like that before. Not ever. She approached him and held one of his hands in her own.
She was looking at Nick. He just stood there, his expression frozen. He sat down and mumbled as if to himself "I should have gone with her."
Derek looked at him, moved closer and put his hand on the young man's shoulder. "It's not your fault Nick," he said.
Ethaniel sat down beside them and they heard him say "Stupid. Stupid. Stupid. She should have known better then run of by herself. I asked her not to go anywhere alone until we solve this problem we are facing. I should have told Alex not to let her go anywhere without calling me, or any of us. Damn."
Ethaniel used his cell phone again to call the other members of the house and tell them what has happened.
The four tired worried people sat and waited. It was almost three hours later when finally a doctor came into the waiting room to talk to them.
They all looked at him in anticipation.
"I'm Dr. Weis," he said. I operated on Miss Hirsh.
"How is she?" asked Derek impatient.
Dr. Weis sat down next to him and began describing Abi's condition.
"She is in serious condition. She's in a comma. I don't know if or when she'll wake up. She has a lot of internal injuries. One of her kidneys was seriously damaged. So serious we couldn't fix the problem and had to remove it. She lost a lot of blood. We had to give her 8 units of blood. She has a few broken ribs and one of her hands is broken as well."
He stopped for a minute letting his words sink in. "there was no sign of sexual trauma," he continued.
He paused again and then took a deep breath and continued. "There is one more thing. I have no easy way of saying that." He hesitated for another minute. "Who ever did this to her seemed to know exactly how to hit and where to hit in a way that would cause the most damage. She…. We, we had to remove her ovaries. They were, there was no way to save them. I'm afraid she will never be able to have children."
"Oh god," said Derek putting his hands on his face.
Dr Weis then continued. "She is not out of danger yet. The next 48 hours are crucial. She will remain in intensive care for the time being and we will keep a close look on her. There is really nothing more we can do but wait.
Derek looked up at Dr. Weis and asked, "can we see her?"
"Only one of you can come in." answered the Dr.
Derek looked at the others and then followed the doctor to his daughter's room.
He felt afraid. For the first time in his life since his father's death he felt afraid. He stood next to his little girl for a minute then walked back out to the waiting room and told the others to go back to the house.
"I'm gonna be staying here for a while. I'll see you at the house later" he said.
"Are you sure about that Derek?" asked Rachel.
"Yes. Please guys, go back to the house. She'll be safe here. I'll stay a little longer and see you later.
They all left the hospital back to the legacy house. When they got thereevery one was waiting for them. Even Dr. Goldman. Rachel told them all the things that were said in the hospital.
"All we have to do now is pray for her," she said.
They all sat in the living room. Each one held a glass of wine, and each in his turn raised the glass and said a little prayer for Abi's safety.
After that the rest of the house members left to their homes, not before making Ethaniel promise them he would call if there is any change in Abi's condition.
After a few hours, Derek came back to the house.
Rachel looked up at him "Any change?" she asked.
He nodded no with his head and then said, "I have to get some sleep." He did not want everyone to see how much this was hurting him, so he went upstairs to his room. The rest of them followed him and went to sleep as well.
Early next morning, Derek woke up before everybody. He didn't sleep well. He got dressed, got up and wanted to leave the house to go to the hospital. He met Nick at the stairs, all dressed up.
"I'm coming with you Derek" Said Nick.
Derek didn't say a word. They both got out of the house; they took a taxi and drove to the hospital.
Derek went strait to his daughter's room. She wasn't there.
Derek felt as if a cold hand was squeezing the life out of his heart. He went back out to the nurse's station afraid of what they might tell him.
"Where is my daughter?" he asked. "Miss Hirsh, where is she?"