Chapter 4
Crying out in fear, Laurie heard a gunshot, then her husband's voice calling her name. Sending the message to him that she was imprisoned under the cover, she felt the blanket thrown off her, then dazed, saw Rick's face as he lifted her up. "Sweetheart, are you all right?" She nodded, then reached for him with her good hand, "Rick, darling, don't let go, oh, don't let go!" she gasped, as he kissed her, then asked, "Does anything hurt, darlin'?" "My wrist, she threw me down and I landed on it. She tried to smother me, Rick, I was afraid you wouldn't hear me!" As Rick helped her sit up, she added, "darling, is Robin ok?" He nodded, "She's safe down the hill with Oscar, we were afraid to park any closer."
Wrapping his arms around her, Rick gently picked Laurie up and held her against him. "My brave girl, I heard you, I was terrified when you screamed. Thank God you're safe." As he carried her out of the room, Steve came in and seeing her, breathed a sigh of relief as he kissed her cheek. "Steve, did you get them both?" He nodded, "Yes, honey, and one of them was a surprise for us. They'll never hurt you or Robin again."
As they made their way out of the house, Laurie saw Captain Ron restraining both the woman she had fought, and to her shock, a man in women's clothing, sporting a shoulder wound. Looking up at her husband, she said, "Rick, is that Reynolds?"
He nodded angrily, "That bastard would have gotten away with it if he hadn't decided to make a run for it when you fought his wife. He had a car running in the garage with a hose attached, they were going to leave you and Robin to die of carbon monoxide poisoning!"
"Darling, if you hadn't come....", she put her head against his shoulder. As they came out into the early evening air, she shivered, then felt Steve drape a blanket over her. Nodding her thanks, she snuggled closer to Rick as they reached the bottom of the hill. Just then Captain Ron joined them, and carefully helped place her into the police cruiser, where Oscar was comforting Robin. Both of them looked up as she and Rick got in, and Laurie saw a bandage on Oscar's forehead. "Mama!", her daughter cried, then buried her face in Laurie's shoulder. "Thank God you're all right, darling, you were so brave, it's ok now.", she soothed her. Glancing at her uncle, she fought tears as she saw the relief in his eyes. "How did you get hurt, Oscar, they didn't ..."she stopped, horrified, as Robin told her, "I was running toward Pop and Uncle Oscar and one of the kidnappers started shooting. Mama, Uncle Oscar pulled me out of the way and he was grazed!" "Oh, no! ", Laurie clung even tighter to her girl with her good arm.
Oscar leaned over and kissed Laurie on the forehead, "I'm all right, honey, it's just a scratch. Rick took the shooter out before he could fire again. Rudy already patched me up, I want him to take a look at your arm.", he added, seeing her rapidly swelling wrist. Just then Rudy and Captain Ron both got in the back seat of the cruiser, and as Steve rode shotgun with the driver, they started the drive to Phoenix hospital.
On the way, Rudy bandaged Laurie's wrist and rigged a sling, as the Captain took both women's statements, starting with Robin's abduction at the college.
"When that woman drove up, I thought she was picking up someone from the bus stop. I saw Ian waiting to pull in, then something was thrown over my head and I was dragged inside the van. I tried to stop them, but that woman said she'd kill Mom if I resisted." Robin said, leaning against her mother.
"You did fine, Robin, these people had weeks to plan this, you only had seconds to react.", Captain Ron told her. Laurie stroked her daughters' hair as she gave her information to their friend. When she got to the part of fighting for her life against Mrs. Reynolds, she had to stop and collect herself; afraid she'd break down in tears.
"You're safe, darlin', I'm right here.", Rick whispered in her ear, giving her strength. Taking a deep breath, Laurie finished her statement, then saw anger in the Captain's eyes. "I don't know where you Simons' get your courage, but the strongest man in my department couldn't have survived what you ladies went through.", he said, finally. Rick kissed his wife's cheek as she snuggled against him, then told the policeman, "I do, it's sheer stubbornness, nobody messes with a Simon and gets away with it!" Laurie smiled for the first time since their ordeal began, then laughed as Oscar mussed her hair and added, "like mother, like daughter!"
Arriving at the hospital emergency room, Rudy greeted their friend Dr. Peters, who had reported in after hearing about the Simons' ordeal. Checking on both Robin and Oscar first, he cleared them to go home, then went to see Laurie.
A.J. was in with her and Rick; he had been anxiously waiting by the phone after speaking with the kidnappers. Only after Robin and Laurie had been rescued had he left his post, now he was trying to make them laugh by relating little Ricky's latest milestones. Looking up as Dr. Peters entered, Laurie asked, "Robin and Oscar are all right, aren't they, Doc?"
He saw how anxious she was, and putting a hand on her good arm, told her, "Yes, they're fine. Robin only has a couple of scratches and bruises, and your uncle just suffered a graze wound, after a good nights sleep they'll both be fine. Now, let me look at that wrist of yours."
After unwrapping Rudy's handiwork, he winced at the swelling of her wrist and lower arm. "Laurie, it looks like you have a broken wrist; I'm going to have to x-ray it and make sure it's not going to need surgery. " Seeing her fingers already swollen, he told Rick, "I'm going to have to cut her rings off, there's no way they'll come off otherwise."
"No!", she burst out, to all three mens' surprise. Gazing up at them, Laurie tearfully said, "you're not going to cut my ring off, not again!" "Laurie, sweetheart," Rick began, as she started to cry. "Don't cut my r. r ings off, please, darling," she wept uncontrollably into his chest. Looking up at the doctor's upset expression, Rick took a deep breath, then comforting his wife, told her, "Laurie, my angel, it's all right. Dr. Peters doesn't want to cut your rings off, why don't we try putting your hand in ice, If that doesn't work we'll have to cut your ring off to save your finger, all right?"
Laurie stopped crying and nodded her head against him. A muffled "sorry" came from her and Rick felt like breaking down himself. He glanced up at the doctor and saw how moved he was. "All right, Laurie, let's try icing your hand. I'll be right back.", he replied, beating a hasty retreat. A.J. audibly sniffed as Rick told her "Sweetheart, you've got nothing to be sorry about. You've been hurt and scared; I'm here and nothing's going to happen to you."
After the doctor submerged her injured hand and arm in an ice bath, Rick was able to work Laurie's wedding and engagement rings off her ring finger. Placing them on his little finger as he had once before, he kissed her and promised, "As soon as Doc says it's all right, I'll place them on your hand again, darlin'." She smiled up at Rick, "Thank you, my love, I know you will. I didn't mean to upset you guys." Doctor Peters told her, "It's ok, you had every right to cry. What I want to know is how Rick ended up so smart, it's beyond me, Laurie. I should have thought of ice." "He was smart enough to marry me, Doc.", she teased, bringing a grin to her husband's face.
Crying out in fear, Laurie heard a gunshot, then her husband's voice calling her name. Sending the message to him that she was imprisoned under the cover, she felt the blanket thrown off her, then dazed, saw Rick's face as he lifted her up. "Sweetheart, are you all right?" She nodded, then reached for him with her good hand, "Rick, darling, don't let go, oh, don't let go!" she gasped, as he kissed her, then asked, "Does anything hurt, darlin'?" "My wrist, she threw me down and I landed on it. She tried to smother me, Rick, I was afraid you wouldn't hear me!" As Rick helped her sit up, she added, "darling, is Robin ok?" He nodded, "She's safe down the hill with Oscar, we were afraid to park any closer."
Wrapping his arms around her, Rick gently picked Laurie up and held her against him. "My brave girl, I heard you, I was terrified when you screamed. Thank God you're safe." As he carried her out of the room, Steve came in and seeing her, breathed a sigh of relief as he kissed her cheek. "Steve, did you get them both?" He nodded, "Yes, honey, and one of them was a surprise for us. They'll never hurt you or Robin again."
As they made their way out of the house, Laurie saw Captain Ron restraining both the woman she had fought, and to her shock, a man in women's clothing, sporting a shoulder wound. Looking up at her husband, she said, "Rick, is that Reynolds?"
He nodded angrily, "That bastard would have gotten away with it if he hadn't decided to make a run for it when you fought his wife. He had a car running in the garage with a hose attached, they were going to leave you and Robin to die of carbon monoxide poisoning!"
"Darling, if you hadn't come....", she put her head against his shoulder. As they came out into the early evening air, she shivered, then felt Steve drape a blanket over her. Nodding her thanks, she snuggled closer to Rick as they reached the bottom of the hill. Just then Captain Ron joined them, and carefully helped place her into the police cruiser, where Oscar was comforting Robin. Both of them looked up as she and Rick got in, and Laurie saw a bandage on Oscar's forehead. "Mama!", her daughter cried, then buried her face in Laurie's shoulder. "Thank God you're all right, darling, you were so brave, it's ok now.", she soothed her. Glancing at her uncle, she fought tears as she saw the relief in his eyes. "How did you get hurt, Oscar, they didn't ..."she stopped, horrified, as Robin told her, "I was running toward Pop and Uncle Oscar and one of the kidnappers started shooting. Mama, Uncle Oscar pulled me out of the way and he was grazed!" "Oh, no! ", Laurie clung even tighter to her girl with her good arm.
Oscar leaned over and kissed Laurie on the forehead, "I'm all right, honey, it's just a scratch. Rick took the shooter out before he could fire again. Rudy already patched me up, I want him to take a look at your arm.", he added, seeing her rapidly swelling wrist. Just then Rudy and Captain Ron both got in the back seat of the cruiser, and as Steve rode shotgun with the driver, they started the drive to Phoenix hospital.
On the way, Rudy bandaged Laurie's wrist and rigged a sling, as the Captain took both women's statements, starting with Robin's abduction at the college.
"When that woman drove up, I thought she was picking up someone from the bus stop. I saw Ian waiting to pull in, then something was thrown over my head and I was dragged inside the van. I tried to stop them, but that woman said she'd kill Mom if I resisted." Robin said, leaning against her mother.
"You did fine, Robin, these people had weeks to plan this, you only had seconds to react.", Captain Ron told her. Laurie stroked her daughters' hair as she gave her information to their friend. When she got to the part of fighting for her life against Mrs. Reynolds, she had to stop and collect herself; afraid she'd break down in tears.
"You're safe, darlin', I'm right here.", Rick whispered in her ear, giving her strength. Taking a deep breath, Laurie finished her statement, then saw anger in the Captain's eyes. "I don't know where you Simons' get your courage, but the strongest man in my department couldn't have survived what you ladies went through.", he said, finally. Rick kissed his wife's cheek as she snuggled against him, then told the policeman, "I do, it's sheer stubbornness, nobody messes with a Simon and gets away with it!" Laurie smiled for the first time since their ordeal began, then laughed as Oscar mussed her hair and added, "like mother, like daughter!"
Arriving at the hospital emergency room, Rudy greeted their friend Dr. Peters, who had reported in after hearing about the Simons' ordeal. Checking on both Robin and Oscar first, he cleared them to go home, then went to see Laurie.
A.J. was in with her and Rick; he had been anxiously waiting by the phone after speaking with the kidnappers. Only after Robin and Laurie had been rescued had he left his post, now he was trying to make them laugh by relating little Ricky's latest milestones. Looking up as Dr. Peters entered, Laurie asked, "Robin and Oscar are all right, aren't they, Doc?"
He saw how anxious she was, and putting a hand on her good arm, told her, "Yes, they're fine. Robin only has a couple of scratches and bruises, and your uncle just suffered a graze wound, after a good nights sleep they'll both be fine. Now, let me look at that wrist of yours."
After unwrapping Rudy's handiwork, he winced at the swelling of her wrist and lower arm. "Laurie, it looks like you have a broken wrist; I'm going to have to x-ray it and make sure it's not going to need surgery. " Seeing her fingers already swollen, he told Rick, "I'm going to have to cut her rings off, there's no way they'll come off otherwise."
"No!", she burst out, to all three mens' surprise. Gazing up at them, Laurie tearfully said, "you're not going to cut my ring off, not again!" "Laurie, sweetheart," Rick began, as she started to cry. "Don't cut my r. r ings off, please, darling," she wept uncontrollably into his chest. Looking up at the doctor's upset expression, Rick took a deep breath, then comforting his wife, told her, "Laurie, my angel, it's all right. Dr. Peters doesn't want to cut your rings off, why don't we try putting your hand in ice, If that doesn't work we'll have to cut your ring off to save your finger, all right?"
Laurie stopped crying and nodded her head against him. A muffled "sorry" came from her and Rick felt like breaking down himself. He glanced up at the doctor and saw how moved he was. "All right, Laurie, let's try icing your hand. I'll be right back.", he replied, beating a hasty retreat. A.J. audibly sniffed as Rick told her "Sweetheart, you've got nothing to be sorry about. You've been hurt and scared; I'm here and nothing's going to happen to you."
After the doctor submerged her injured hand and arm in an ice bath, Rick was able to work Laurie's wedding and engagement rings off her ring finger. Placing them on his little finger as he had once before, he kissed her and promised, "As soon as Doc says it's all right, I'll place them on your hand again, darlin'." She smiled up at Rick, "Thank you, my love, I know you will. I didn't mean to upset you guys." Doctor Peters told her, "It's ok, you had every right to cry. What I want to know is how Rick ended up so smart, it's beyond me, Laurie. I should have thought of ice." "He was smart enough to marry me, Doc.", she teased, bringing a grin to her husband's face.