~Rescue Me~

~Chapter 4~

* * *

"How many times has this happened before?" Anna asked Caroline.

Jake had called in the Chief of Police right after Caroline had woken up, and she'd arrived within minutes. Already, Caroline was exhausted from the interrogation she was receiving, and it'd just begun.

"Oh, uh. I couldn't count them if I wanted to." Caroline replied.

"Do you think your mom would have tried to run anywhere?" Anna asked.

"No. She was too smashed, she probably just passed out on the floor."

"I have a cruiser headed to your house as we speak. Hopefully, we'll get her."

"What about me? What should I do?"

"Well. You could move back into the house once we've apprehended your mother."

Caroline looked away. "I couldn't go back there. Too many horrible memories."

"You could stay in Pine Valley then." Anna said gently.

"I guess. We did have some money. But I need a job." Caroline sighed. "Who'd hire me for anything? I barely graduated high school."

Anna thought for a moment. Her last secretary had left on maternity leave, and she had left Anna with a lot of paperwork. Most people would have never thought to hire a wanderer, a stranger, for a job like that. But Anna recognized that Caroline needed help, and, what the hell, she was a risk taker.

"How are you with typing, answering phones?" Anna asked.

"I'm pretty good. I used to work in the school library for extra cash." Caroline said.

"When you're well, how would you like to be my assistant?" Anna offered.

Caroline stared. "You must be crazy."

"I doubt it. I'm willing to take a chance on you." Anna said. "Jake said you should be out of here in a day or so."

"All right. I'll do it. Thank you." Caroline said, smiling for the first time.

* * *

JR awoke at the boathouse the following morning, in the exact same place he had been right after he injected the drug. He looked beside him, and saw that Mark had left without a trace. With a groan, he sat up slowly.

He couldn't remember much about the previous night. He remembered asking Mark what they'd taken, and Mark told him it was some prescription drug that JR couldn't remember the name of.

JR managed to stand up with little trouble. Whatever it was, JR had been lucky, because it hadn't seemed to hurt him. What was he doing, resorting to his old addiction like that? He'd promised himself that he would never touch the stuff again. Too late last night, he'd realized how stupid he'd been.

"I'm tired of waking up and not remembering what went on the night before." JR mumbled to himself. "Never again. I really mean it this time."

* * *

After Anna finished, Caroline was left alone with her thoughts. She couldn't sleep, she was awake all night and early the next morning. She had thoughts of her mother, this new town, and her new job. And though she would never have admitted it, her thoughts continually wandered toward JR.

"I could just go apologize. And thank him." Caroline thought to herself. "That wouldn't be letting him get too close. Maybe he could show me around town, help me out a little. If he even wants to talk to me anymore."