Frank was hoping that his reaction of rushing home was only precautionary, but as he neared the door to the apartment he could hear John's voice. He threw open the door and rushed to the back of the apartment. He approached the threshold of the bedroom and saw his fear become reality.
Frank was horrified at the sight that lay before him. John was almost succeeding at getting inside of Eva. As Frank grabbed his arms and pulled him off, he found himself saying, "What they hell do you think you're doing?" With no effort, he tossed John to the floor. He quickly rushed to Eva and closed her robe; she gasped for breath as air returned to her lungs. Frank didn't have time for her battering to register before John was on his feet.
"I'm taking back what's rightfully mine!" Being so close to getting what he had been obsessed with for the past few weeks had pushed John over the edge. "What do you think about that, freak?"
Frank was about to answer when the sound of sobbing permeated his rage-fueled mind. He looked down at Eva, battered and bruised, and his ability to reason abandoned him entirely. His hand grasped the front of John's shirt, and he spoke with such quiet venom that John began to shake. "You bastard. You come here to rape a woman you claim to have loved, thinking that will get her back, and I'm the freak?" He punched the side of John's face, again sending him to the ground.
John, terrified, huddled on the floor, desperately trying to escape Frank's wrath. Unfortunately for him, that only served to fuel Frank's anger further. Frank pulled John roughly to his feet; his fury, combined with his considerable natural strength, enabled him to toss the larger man around like a rag doll. He looked John squarely in the eye and hissed, "I would dearly love to kill you for what you just tried to do. Unfortunately, law dictates I have to settle for this." With his free hand, he pulled back and punched John squarely on the nose, simultaneously breaking it and rendering John unconscious. He contemptuously released his hold on John, allowing him to drop to the floor.
Frank returned to Eva, who was sobbing uncontrollably. Frank looked at her face as he pulled her close to him. Blood trickled from her mouth, and her skin was beginning to bruise. He glanced down at John; the urge to kill him was something he was having trouble ignoring. If he were still the man he was before Eva, John would already be dead.
Frank felt a tear escape his eye; he couldn't believe that the woman he loved had been so viciously attacked in their own home. "This is going to sound so trivial, love, but are you all right? I did get here before he…"
Eva looked up at Frank, her eyes scarlet from crying. "Yes," she whispered. "He didn't," she struggled for breath. "What if you wouldn't have?"
"Shh. Please, don't let those thoughts enter your mind." Eva couldn't stop shaking; Frank felt helpless. What could he do for her? He knew that the proper authorities must be notified before he took matters into his own hands. Frank's mind was eased within a few short moments. The tenants from the apartment next door had heard the commotion and called the police and they, along with paramedics, had made their way through the open door.
As Frank and Eva were being asked to go to the police station, John was taken away by ambulance. Frank couldn't help but think about how lucky John was – he could have been taken away by the coroner.