Chapter 2: Jack the Ripper

About nine hours later, Luka ran into the hospital.
"Oh God, I got here as fast as I could, but going from Europe to Chicago is a long flight!" Luka told the first person he saw, John Carter.
"I know, I know, I understand," Carter smiled, weakly.
"Thanks for calling. How is she?" There was fear, concern and definitely pain in Luka's dark eyes.
"Well, she's doing... OK. There were... deep cuts all over her," it pained Carter to tell Luka of Abby's condition, "One straight down each of her arms, from shoulder to wrist... On her calves, one on each leg from her knee to her ankle... Her forehead, her wrists were slit... right across her stomach..." Carter couldn't finish telling Luka Abby's injuries. But he summed it up with this, "Practically, the only thing the knife didn't touch was her throat, thank God for that," Carter managed to choke out.
"Cuts don't sound... that bad," Luka tried to tell himself and Carter, but Carter shook his head.
"To the bone, Luka, to the bone," he shook his head sadly.
"Blood loss?"
"We nearly lost her. But we mannaged a transfusion."
"That's good..."
"Where is she?" Luka asked.
"Still unconscious in recovery," Carter whispered. Luka nodded.
"Would I be able to-"
"Go ahead. But as I said, she's still unconscious," Carter answered, knowing Luka's question before he could finish asking it, "I'll take you up to her," Luka followed Carter up to Abby's room.
"Oh God..." was all Luka could say, looking at his girlfriend, hooked up to an ECG, stitches running up and down her body. She was lying there so peacefully and pale. Suddenly, Luka turned to Carter in anger and grabbed him by his shirt collar.
"Whoa, Luka, calm down!" Carter said as Luka shoved him against the wall.
"Who did this to her?" he demanded. Now Luka was not a violent man and Carter had no idea what had gotten into him.
"Put me down and I'll tell you, OK? I think I'm having trouble breathing!" Carter whispered. Luka let him down and apologized.
"It's just... Anyone who could hurt Abby..."
"I know how you feel," Carter said, looking in at Abby, "I wanted to choke Sobriki so bad when I heard what happened... But that's another story. You want to know who did it?"
"Yes," Luka said, then added, "Please."
"Well," Carter dug out the folded piece of pink paper, "Whoever wrote this, I'm guessing," Luka quickly read the note.
"But who would write some disgusting blubber like that? Wait... You don't think Abby was having an affair, do you?"
"There's more to it than that," Dave said, overhearing them.
"What do you mean?" Carter asked. Dave pulled out a note from his own pocket and read it to them, "'Roses are red, blood is, too, no one does that to me, you'll get what you're due.' Apparently, Abby must have upset this guy," Luka took the note from Dave's hand and read it through himself, "That's not all."
"Oh, great, another surprise!" Carter said, taking the poem when Luka had read it three or four times.
"There was this one, too," Dave pulled out an envelope addressed to Abby and opened it, "I haven't read it yet..." he unfolded the black paper with silver writing by a gel pen.

My Dearest Abby,

I am sorry for what had to be done, but it had to be done in order to teach you a lesson. If you do not heed this warning, in the future I will be less merciful. You are a rose, Abby, and I love roses. But even a rose must die, you know, and if it must be in my arms, then so be it. I'll be watching you.

When all three doctors finished the note, there was silence.
"Luka, I have good news and I have bad news, which do you want first?" Carter asked.
"Either."
"The good news is, that doesn't sound like a secret admirer who wants to steal your girlfriend and have an affair. The bad news is, it sounds like a stalker who wants to own your girlfriend and kill her if necessary," Carter answered. Luka and even Dave gave him an exasperated look, "What?" Luka walked into the room and sat by Abby's bed and took her hand firmly in his own.
"Oh Abby!" he sighed, shaking his head, "I'm here, and no one will do this to you again," But could he keep that promise?

"Abby... Abby..." he called. His voice was so clear. Abby looked around. She was in a forest and heard the birds chirping. She heard water and followed it. She followed it all the way to a small stream.
"Abby... Abby..." she ignored it and bent down to the stream. The water seemed so fresh and crystal clear. She felt compelled to put her hands in. When she felt how warm and welcoming the liquid was, she closed her eyes and gently began to wash her face with it. She was smiling, but when she opened her eyes, her smile faded. The crystal water wasn't so clear anymore. There were ribbons of red tainting the water like a poison. First a little, then more, until the stream ran red. Abby looked at her hands and gasped. They were covered in the red liquid. She knew this liquid and knew its name. Blood. The stream was full of blood. But whose blood? She felt as if she were in a bible story. She looked at the once clear blue sky only to see that it too had turned red, the usual fluffy white clouds were now shadows of dark, cruel smoke. She looked around her, where the wonderful pine trees had been and saw only dead plants. Death was all around her. She screamed. And all the while, the voice kept calling.
"Abby... Abby..."

Abby awoke suddenly and felt immense pain all over her body. Her breath shook as she inhaled. This stirred the unsoncious body, slumped over her and resting it's head on her stomach.
"L-Luka?" she breathed, seeing him. Luka smiled at his girlfriend.
"Abby," he sighed, happy to see her awake.
"Why are you here? You're supposed to be in Europe!" she demanded. Luka looked at his watch, which read 8:00.
"I think I still am!" he groaned, referring to his jet lag.
"Luka... Why did you come back?" Abby asked again.
"I had to, Abby," he replied, "You were hurt!"
"You didn't have to come back for me," Abby was blushing, only a little, surprised she made her boyfriend fly for nine hours in apprehension. With this thought, she added, "Was it an easy flight?" Luka laughed.
"Hardly! I think it was one of the worst I've ever had! I kept asking the flight attendant how much longer it would be every five minutes!" Abby laughed with Luka.
"You were impatient, weren't you?" Abby asked, "I think that's sweet," Luka smiled at his girlfriend.
"I think you're sweet," he told her. Abby giggled. Her pain had been momentarily forgotten, but it came rushing back in a huge wave and she groaned and lay back down, "Abby rest, you really need it," Luka told her. Abby smiled weakly and nodded.
"I will," she promised.

In her sleep, he called her again. She was back in the forest but it wasn't red anymore. It was normal. This time, though, she followed the voice.
"Abby..." it called, "Abby..." At first, she walked, slowly through the woods, but as the whispers grew faster, so did she.
"Abby, Abby, Abby," the wind blew the words into her ears. They seemed to come from all around her. Soon, she was in a dark part of the forest. The trees deciduous were bare, and the pines were sharp and brown. The branches of the trees loomed over her like fingers, waiting to grab her when she least expects it. She didn't know where she was. A cool wind blew and she shivered. She was drawn over to a bush; it seemed to be the only thing alive. She smiled at the bright green leaves that seemed to glow and spread warmness over the barren wasteland. She saw a beautiful flower grow; it was a red rose. She cupped her hand around the blossom. Soon, though, her smile faded and a look of puzzlement crossed her face as the crimson petals either crinkled into brown or fell softly to the ground. Soon, the leaves of the bush curled and turned brown and lost it's warm glow and, like the others, became dead.
"Even a rose must die sometime, Abby," the wind whispered in her ear, "Maybe not today, not tomorrow, but soon..."

Abby opened her eyes. The room was dark and her heart was racing. She felt around for Luka's hand, but he wasn't there.
"You won't find him here," a cold voice hissed. Abby tried to scream but in one swift motion, a hand was over her mouth. Even if it wasn't there, she wouldn't have been able to scream anyway. Her breath had caught in her chest. It was her stalker, her torturer. 'Just call me Jack!' he had said. Jack. Jack the Ripper.