Chapter 52
Wheeler / Linka
During her recovery period in the hospital, Linka received great attention from the medical staff, the media had a big role in this, as journalists were following her news, she lost four kilograms after she was released from Greg's custody Because he wasn't feeding her enough ,Fortunately, the baby weighed well when he was born
Dr. Christina used to come to her daily and check on the operation wound and the amount of the bleeding. She asked her not to carry anything more than the weight of the newborn baby for the next month.
The nurses were constantly monitoring her temperature and blood pressure, making sure to give her medicines and vitamins, and take care of her injuries and scattered bruises on her body.
Of course, like any woman who recently had a caesarean section, she was suffering from dizziness, and the operation wound was painful for her
The lactation specialist also visited her and taught her how to breastfeed the baby in the correct position, and gave her advice on what to eat and what to avoid.
The hospital administration gave special care to Wheeler too, as her companion, they gave him an extra bed instead of the armchair, they brought him three meals a day, while Linka stayed on the first day taking water and juices only, according to the recommendation of Dr. Christina, where the intravenous needle Provide her with the necessary nutrition
David was sleeping peacefully in Wheeler's arms, and Linka sleeping in front of them in her bed, it was just minutes before Wheeler heard her cry, she was clearly having nightmares after all she had been through. "Nyet, nyet, please Greg, please, don't do this to me, please have mercy on me, don't take the baby, please, leave him with me, no, don't do this"
Wheeler put David in his little bed, grabbed Linka's shoulders and whispered in her ear , he put his cheek on her cheek which is swollen from the beating, He gently strokes her hair and tries to wake her up, "Babe, don't be afraid, babe, no one can hurt you, he can't do anything to you, I'll protect you, babe, our baby is here, David is with us, babe, do you hear me?"
"No…..nooo….Wh… Wheeler." Linka opened her eyes in horror, placing both hands on Wheeler's chest, breathing rapidly, "Wheeler… you're here."
"Lin my love, calm down, you're safe, look at David, he's safe." Then he hugged her tightly, "You had a nightmare. "She started crying on his chest, "Shhh... it's ok, I'm here, I won't leave you, I will never leave you Lin, that monster is so far away, he's in his room and there are police on his door to guard him, he can't escape, rest assured."
"Which hospital did they take him to, please tell me this hospital is in another country" she cries in his arms
Wheeler was hesitant to answer, he wanted to tell her that Greg was in another hospital so she could feel safe and comfortable, but he preferred not to lie. "Actually, he's here babe, he's in this hospital, but he's injured in the arm, he is weak, he can't move easily, two cops..."
Before Wheeler could finish his sentence she opened her eyes widely and raised her voice in panic "What!...here!...in this hospital, oh boshy moy, he's coming, he's up to us, Wheeler, he's going to kill you, he's going to kill you and take the baby" she crying scared
Wheeler tried to calm her down, he was telling her that he wouldn't be able to escape the guards, but she was crying and screaming "No Wheeler...no, you don't know him, in all his crimes he would find someone else doing the dirty work for him, he was never in the picture , he told me that himself, He told me about Chelsea, Robin, and Steve, about everything, he even knows I was pregnant with a baby boy, He knows about my amniotic fluid leak, he knows I shouldn't have sex, he told me this himself, Wheeler. there's someone in this hospital provide him with all information that he wants…..Wheeler, We should Get out of here, Wheeler, please."
It was hard for Wheeler to believe that Greg had all these spies and agents, he could have bought people and their integrity with his money.
Suddenly a nurse came in to take David to the nursery, but Linka shouted at her, "Nyet, no one will take my baby from me, Wheeler, please do something."
"Would you give us some time, please?" Wheeler said to the nurse, then gently grabbed linka and held her to his chest , he kept stroking her hair and asking her to calm down until she stopped crying little by little and buried her head in his chest, but she never agreed to let the nurse takes David to the nursery.
"Babe, you still tired, you can't take care of him, and I don't know anything about babies, and my mom isn't here to help us, there are cameras and surveillance devices, a heavy security, and also an electronic device hanging in every child's foot, no one will be able to kidnap him."
All Wheeler's attempts were unsuccessful, when he was about to go to sign some papers, Linka also refused Wheeler to go and leave her because she was afraid that anything might happen to him, or that something might happen to them in his absence, so he asked the nurse to bring him the papers to sign that David would stay with them and would not hand him over to the nursery
Her psychological state broke Wheeler's heart, as he saw his girlfriend panicked, as if she was a child of ten years old. Adding more anger and hatred for Greg, he wished he had died when Captain David shot him
It was a difficult night for the couple, David would get up almost every two hours to eat his meal. Sometimes he cries for no apparent reason, when Linka feels that her breasts do not contain enough milk, so They asked the nursery to bring him some bottles of milk, they also asked the nurses for help to change his diaper, although they were tired, but watching David open his eyes and look around trying to express what he wants using his facial expressions, were very emotional moments for them
When Linka slept, Wheeler was holding David and looking at him, the little boy was randomly moving his hands and head, Wheeler brought his face close to the little boy and kissed his little head, "You smell like heaven, David." Then he looked at Linka and looked back at the little boy, sucking on his own fists. "So, your mom wants me to do a DNA test tomorrow, you know... I didn't care about that before, because I know I love you already …But now, when I think you're maybe not... Oh please David, promise me you'll be my son, I want that so badly, I don't know... I don't know what to do if you aren't mine, please... Please, David." Wheeler's eyes filled with tears and he hold the little boy's hand and kissed it tenderly, "Please be mine, please."
Then Wheeler looked at Linka and said to David, "Look at her, she sleeps like an angel, don't disappoint her, David, please don't disappoint us." Although Wheeler was tired, he decided to stay awake and try to make David sleep.
Then the nurses came and woke up Linka, examined her, and removed the catheter, "Okay, new mom, let's try to go to the bathroom now."
"But I'm very tired."
"It's part of the treatment. You have to walk and get your life back to normal." They help her get out of bed, the wound was so sore, Wheeler woke up and helped the two nurses who took her to the bathroom,
"Do you need my help?"
"No, we'll be fine," the nurse said, closing the bathroom door
Linka was horrified when she saw herself in the mirror, she hadn't seen herself since Greg kidnapped her, there were no mirrors in her dark prison, when she saw her face so emaciated and bruised, she felt like a mummy, her heart broke and she cried, but the nurses told her it was just Bruises and she will regain her beauty after her health improves
"Good morning son, I brought you another high pillow, I remember you like high pillows, I also brought you your towel and some clothes from your apartment," said Kathy to her son.
"Thanks mom, after Linka gets out, I'll take a shower and go to the lab."
"Why do you go to the lab?"
"She's still insisting that we have to do the DNA test."
"Why the hell are you doing a DNA test for? Look at him, he just looks like you."
"Mom, I think he looks more like his uncle."
"That's nonsense, who told you this, I have some pictures of you when you were little, same nose, same eyes, same jaw, he's just almost bald and his hair is blond, your hair was just darker"
"I hope what you're saying is true, Mom, but she needs to see it written on official lab paper, and I think... I need that too."
After the nurses took Link out of the bathroom, they had made her a sponge bath, washed her face, her teeth and they put cream on her bruises, they brought her back to her bed and brought her breakfast.
"Come on, eat your food, my dear, we've got a lot of breast pumping to do." Kathy puts David into his little crib and pulls the milk pump out of the bag she brought with her.
"Oh Kathy, can't this wait until we get back to the apartment, it's too much, I feel like crying" as she tries to keep her tears from falling.
"Oh my poor dear, this what motherhood is all about, giving so much, you're so brave you can do it, your breast won't produce milk if you don't nurse, and that will help you to get you sexy body back , the doctor told you so, and now ….eat your fruit salad."
"I'm not in the mood to eat Kathy"
"Listen to mom, babe, she's doing it for you and David own good." He came out of the bathroom, dressed in the new clothes his mom had brought, and pressed a quick kiss on Linka's lips as he walked out of the room.
"Where are you going, Yankee?" she asked him in horror
"To the lab, as you asked me."
"Be careful, Wheeler, please."
"Don't worry babe, I'll be, mom, don't eat my food, I'm hungry, I'll be back to eat it"
When Wheeler came back from the lab, he found Mishka on the waiting chair in the hallway
"Hey Mishka, why are you here? Why aren't you inside?" Wheeler said
"I tried to get in but the girls were busy, with… milk pumping, you know"
"Aha, ok." The two young men stood talking, Wheeler was telling him, about Linka's nightmares and her terrible terror for the child and him. Then Captain David came with the detective.
"How are you, new father, congratulations son" Captain David said to Wheeler
"Thank you. Cap"
"In fact, we wanted to come and check on you yesterday, but we know that the situation and the time was not right."
"Yes, we have to complete the investigation and photograph the separate strikes on the victim's body, you understand that, officer." Detective said to Wheeler.
"Oh yes of course, maybe in a little while we can come in, Captain. I want you to see little David."
"You… you named your son after me!" Captain David said
"Yes, of course, without you, we wouldn't be alive, Captain" Wheeler told the captain of the details that Linka had told him yesterday, how Greg had used Robin, Chelsea and Restaurant boy Steve in all his past crimes, telling them he wasn't feeding her enough, and hitting her constantly if she wasn't carried out his orders
Mishka could hardly spend some time with his sister, then the investigator spent the rest of the visit hour by interrogating her in the case and photographing the places of beatings and bruises on her body.
An hour after the visit, the nurses tried to help Linka walk around the room for a few steps.
When the couple became together in her room, Wheeler told her that in similar cases, the victim usually undergoes psychological treatment according to the need of the case and the extent of the damage she suffered, Linka agreed to undergoes psychological treatment after hesitation, she had always been strong and was not afraid of anything or anyone, but after her experience with Greg, she became suspicious of everyone that they might harm her baby or boyfriend.
She agreed to undergo psychiatric treatment, so that she would come back as strong as she was, and perhaps this time more cautious than the past, she remembered the past, how she had trusted Greg, and how she considered him a good and successful man, she blamed herself a lot for what had happened to
"Don't be hard on yourself, Pip. Usually no one can discover the true psychopaths until after they have committed their crime. I tell you this from experience facing many of them." Wheeler said as he hugged her and kissed her forehead
At the evening visit time Gi, Karen and Kwame visited Linka, they brought bouquets of roses and two boxes of chocolate, when the two friends entered Linka's room, Linka's eyes filled with tears, and the three of them went to a big hug
"Oh my friends, you were almost the last I saw before that monster kidnapped me, I spent the last of my beautiful moments with you two, and you were so concerned about me, you surrounded me with care and kindness, I love you so much, guys."
"We also love you, Lin, very much," said Gi
"Try to forget what happened Linka, try to erase the bad memories," said Karen
"Look at me, look at my face, how do you think I can forget that?"
"Oh honey, it's just bruises, you'll heal soon, believe me, Wheeler's dad used to do more than that to me, ask him," said Kathy.
"Yes, he was a bad example, let's not talk about him, Mom," said Wheeler, annoyed
"Oh my God, look at that beautiful angel, Wow Linka," said Gi, looking at David in his bed and approaching him.
"He looks like you, Linka" Karen said
"Actually, I don't know anything about children, but I find him more like Wheeler," Kwame said
"That's what I was saying, thank you," said Wheeler's mother, opening the box of chocolates and hosting the visitor
"I thought you were pregnant with a girl, your belly was swollen to the top, and there was a beautiful blush on your cheeks, you were full of vitality and shiny hair, I heard that it was the symptoms of pregnancy with the girl." Gi said
"My babe is beautiful in every way," Wheeler said, putting his arm around Linka's shoulder
"So do I, I expected the same, remember Gi, we've been preparing a baby shower for a girl," said Karen, then Linka looked sad, She had been wishing to have a baby shower but now she couldn't
Then David started crying and everyone was distracted and all eyes were on him
"Excuse us all, but our little boy would like to have his meal, you can stay behind the curtain at Wheeler's bed," said Kathy, bringing a nursing pillow and draping it around Linka's waist.
"Oh Kathy, I've breastfed him a lot today, can't I spend some time with my friends now, let's give him that formula that the nurse brought him." Linka said to Kathy
"What did I tell you about the benefits of breast milk? And I asked you to pump for him a half bottle today, but you haven't been able to do that yet, come on." Then Wheeler's mother looked at Wheeler and pulled out the box of chocolate from his hand, "And you, don't eat the rest of the box, it's for the guest." After Kathy makes sure her grandson is having his meal, she went outside for a private conversation with Gi and Karen, as if they were planning something
Linka smiled and continued to breastfeed her baby, she is sure whatever they are up to, it is definitely a very beautiful thing.