"Well the car's been stripped, they even took the steering wheel. Looks like it was dumped here, it definitely was in some kind of accident, there's some blood and strands of hair in the windshield, some samples have already been taken to the lab for testing." Officer Brown cited off his report. "No signs of the occupant."
"Do a sweep, start here and work out, a five mile radius, and make sure you tell the guys to watch their step, I don't want anything contaminated, and search every inch, no one takes a break, no one leaves the scene for any reason, not until we find…something." The chief of detectives said as he stared at the empty car, reaching out and touching the blood spatter on the windshield, with his gloved hand.
"We know this is a special case sir, one of our own, trust me we're all on this til the end." Officer Brown said.
"Thanks, let me know if anything turns up no matter how small it may seem."
"Yes sir." With that Officer Brown headed off the begin organizing the others in their search.
"Some of the neighborhood kids found her wondering around and brought her in last night, blooded and bruised, someone really did a number on her."
"Were the cops called?"
"No Sister, she was so distraught and obviously frighten I didn't want to make things worse, she said she was tired and needed to rest, and you know our first priority here is keeping these women safe, and as I said it looked like she was really worked over."
"I hear the car was found, but no signs of…"
"No, nothing but some blood and hair in the shattered windshield."
"John, it could mean she's alive, possibly hurt." Bo Buchanan said trying to console his friend but could tell it was of little use.
"The car was at a dump site, Bo, you've seen enough of these kinds of cases and you know the outcome. I'm going to head to the garage and see if they've found anything in the car yet." John said as he headed for the exit, just as Nora came rushing in.
"Hey John has there been any news?" She asked to seemingly deaf ears as John kept walking past her as if he hadn't heard her, hadn't seen her. Nora then focused onto Bo. "What's going on Bo?"
"They found Evangeline's car, stripped, abandoned." Bo answered and Nora's face crumbled a bit.
"Oh no, and there was no sign of Evangeline?"
"Blood and hair in the windshield, looks like she may have been in some kind of accident."
"Oh God Bo, oh God." Nora gasped out as she plopped in a nearby chair, her mind reeling from what she was just told, and with fears of what may have happened to her best friend. "Someone should call her family."
"Yeah, I was just about to call Evangeline's office to get their contact info."
"I have it, I'll call them if you'd like, I've met her mother and we have an amicable relationship."
"That would be great, thanks."
"Hello dear," The elderly woman spoke softly but was only regarded with wide frightful eyes. "My name is Sister Teresa and this is Sister Agnes, what's your name?" She asked the young black woman huddled in the corner on the bed, as she hugged her knees to her chest. The woman didn't reply but watched the women warily. "It's ok if you don't want to talk, its ok, you're safe here no one will hurt you or force you to do anything you don't want to."
"Where…" The woman's hushed voice spoke out. "Where am I?"
"This is the new beginnings center, it's a home for battered women, they stay here, some with their children, we help them to get back on their feet. Give them training to find a job, provide them with legal help as well." Sister Agnes said as she now sat at the foot of the bed. "And we shall help you anyway that we can, and that would be a lot easier if we knew what to call you."
"I…I don't remember."
"You don't remember your name?" Sister Agnes asked her brow bunched in confusion and sadness.
"I don't remember my life." The young woman said as tears rolled from her eyes.
He watched from a distances not wanting to get in the way. The forensic technicians sweep every inch of the car for evidence, leaving nothing unturned, swabbed, or dusted. John swallowed the lumps that kept forming in his throat as his eyes drifted to the shattered windshield, he clamped his eyes shut to the image of Evangeline's head slamming into it with such force it tore out a small patch of her hair.
"We got something." One of the techs called out instantly pulling John from his momentary grief.
"What, what is it?" John asked as he moved in closer, grabbing a latex glove from one of the other forensic techs.
"Cell Phone." John stared at the phone. "We can get the dispatch to link up and find out the last call made and received and where the exact location they were from, maybe she met someone, possibly someone who may know where she is."
"Yeah, good I'll run it up to dispatch now, thanks." John said as he grabbed the phone and dashed from the police garage.
"Anything Elise?" John asked and he leaned in and stared over the older woman's shoulder.
"Give us a second Johnny boy," She said calling the name she had christened her fellow Irishmen. "Here we go, here's the last number she received, and here," she reached out and touched the screen. "Is the one she called last." Again John swallowed down a lump, one he knew would spill his lunch if he let it out. He stared at the screen that held his cell phone number.
"Uh, Elise can you find out who that other number belongs to and the location from where it was made, please?" John asked nearly choking on his words.
"Sure thing Johnny boy, give me about a half hour ok?" Elise said as she looked sadly at the obviously broken man.
"Thanks Elise." John said and then left the room. Once in the hallway he pulled out his cell phone, and instantly noticed the flashing icon that told him he had a voicemail. He took a deep breath as he punched in the number to access his voicemail. As waited for it to pick up his mind worked overtime trying to recall what he had been doing that was so important he had missed her call, but to no avail. His heart skipped a beat when her voice suddenly filled his ears.
"Hey John, its me I was just calling to see how you were doing, and because I miss you and just wanted to hear your voice, but I guess you're busy. So, I guess I'll see you when I see you, bye."
John stood with the phone still pressed to his ear as the dial tone rang out, he hadn't even noticed Michael, Marcie, and Natalie approaching.
"Hey John, We just heard about Evangeline and Marcie and I hurried right over. Man if there's anything we can do, help with a search, anything." Michael spoke. John slowly looked over at his brother as the tears spilled from his eyes. Michael grasped his brother, pulling him into a tight embrace as John clung to him desperately, while both Marcie and Natalie looked on their own tears falling and hearts breaking for the broken man before them. "We're gonna find her John, we're gonna find her."
"I was wrong Mikey, I was so wrong." John said his tears still flowing freely as he pulled back from his brother. "I thought I was protecting her and myself, but I wasn't and now she'll never know the truth."
"What are you talking about John?" Michael asked, seeing his usually strong, confident, big brother, so torn up, panicked his mind.
"I love her, I love her so much, and I never told her, I couldn't, I wouldn't, and that left her feeling like she wasn't as important to me. And she thought that I had feelings for…" He left his eyes briefly drift to Natalie who could only bow her head a bit. "It's her Mikey, she's the one, the only one and now she's gone, just like Caitlin."
"You don't know that John, Evangeline is a tough lady, and I believe we're gonna find her, alive John."
"I hope to God you're right Mikey, but I've seen too many cases like this and they've all ended the same; either the person's found dead or not found at all."
"How's she doing?"
"She's been staring out that window for nearly three hours now."
"Poor soul, so lost, Dr. McGee will be here within the hour to look at her, hopefully he can tell us the extent of her injuries. I just don't know if we can keep the police out of this one, Sister Agnes."
She watched the streets below, which were busy with cars and people hurrying about. She wondered if she had driven this street or possibly walked it, but her mind was a blank. She hugged herself tighter, feeling truly alone in the world.
"Hi," A quite voice spoke to her and she whipped her head around to the sound, startled by it and hugged herself even more tightly. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to frighten you." The petite woman with long straggly blonde hair and a strong southern drawl said as she smiled kindly at what she thought to be a very beautiful black woman. "My name's Mary Beth." She threw out, attempting to make conversation and maybe a friend, since she really hadn't made any in the four months she had been there.
"Hi," The quite woman said.
"So, what's your name? Where are you from? Me I'm from Ashville North Carolina, born and raised. I know what yer thinking what's a country bunkin like me doing in this big city." Mary Beth said with a chuckle. "Well long story short, I met Mr. Wrong and married him and now five years, six broken ribs, a fractured jaw, and twelve concussions later, here I am."
"I'm sorry."
"Hey don't be, my mama always said what don't kill us can only make us stronger, I thought she was just plain fruit loops at the time, but I know now she was right." This got a slight smile from the quite woman. "So what's you're name again?"
"Uh…I don't know."
"Ya don't know what do ya mean ya don't know, what you got amnesia for something?" The other woman only arched a brow at her words. "So yer like a Jane Doe?"
"I suppose."
"Ok then, Jane it is." Mary Beth said with a smile as she then extended her hand. "Nice to meet you Jane Doe." 'Jane' smiled as she grasped Mary Beth's hand and shook it.
He stood in the doorway of the dark apartment, trying to muster the nerve to enter. Trying to will his legs to move and not betray him by giving out beneath him. After a few deep breaths he finally walked into the apartment, closing the door behind him. He didn't bother turning on any lights, he didn't need them, he had spent many night here and he could maneuver around with his eyes closed, which he often did when he needed a drink or went to the bathroom. He didn't move to the kitchen to fix himself something to eat, and his stomach groaned in protest since he hadn't eating all day. He walked straight to the bedroom as he swallowed the lump in his throat and tried the blink away the fresh tears that had formed in his eyes, and failing at both. After a moment's pause he slowly moved to the nearby bureau and opened one of the drawers, and removed an article of clothing. He lifted the silk nightgown to his nose and breathed deeply. Hugging the cloth to him, he then moved to the bed, where he laid the gown upon the bed, perfectly displaying it. He then lay down beside the gown, curled up and rested his head across it. This would be the first night in many months that John wouldn't fall asleep holding Evangeline, but he hoped he could at least dream about her.
She bolted upright in her small bed, the images from her dream still vivid in her mind. She bent her knees, bringing them to her chest and hugging them. She shivered a bit as the cool air in the room now touched her sweaty body. She sat trying to make sense of her dream, trying to remember the man in it. She couldn't see his face clearly, in her dream his face seemed to always be hidden by an arm or and leg, or buried against some part of her body as they passionately made love, but she could hear his voice. His voice was still echoing in her ears, and she didn't know why but it soothed her and it felt like home. She was sure this wasn't just 'some' dream and that the man in it was someone she knew someone who would be able to tell her who she was, and where she came from. Now if she could only put a face and a name to the voice.
The next Morning:
His brain finally registered that his cell was ringing but his body made no move to answer it, and when the ringing stopped he felt himself drifting back off. His cell suddenly began to ring again and with a mumbled curse he dug into his pants pocket and fished it out.
"What." He greeted.
"John? Hey man where are you, I'm at your apartment and I got a bit freaked when I didn't find you here."
"Mikey?" John said his brain slowly catching up to the present. He sat up on his elbow and turned to look at the clock on the nearby nightstand.
"Yeah it's me, where are you?"
"I'm at Evangeline's." John replied and there was a brief moment of silence on the other end.
"Sorry I should have known you'd go there, that you'd want to be there, sorry man."
"Don't worry about it Mikey, what were you calling for?"
"Oh yeah I think you should head to the station but before you do that turn to channel six. They've been playing something all morning that I think you should see." Michael said and John instantly got up from the bed and moved to the living room to turn on the T.V. John found the channel, turned up the volume and then stepped back and watched the news lady give her report.
…And you may recall our earlier broadcast about a local attorney, Evangeline Williamson, who has gone missing. Well, WRVN channel six has gotten an exclusive from Ms. Williamson's family, who is offering a fifty thousand dollar reward for any information that will lead to the whereabouts of Ms. Williamson…
"Fuck!" John roared into the phone, which was still connected to Michael.
"I didn't think you'd like that too much, and it gets better just wait a second." John did as instructed and watched as a new scene played, which showed Evangeline's Uncle Clay pleading and giving details about the reward, as Evangeline's mother Lisa stood in the background crying.
"Damn, with all that's been going on I didn't even think to call them, and had I known this was gonna happen I probably wouldn't have called them right away. Damn it. I better get to the station and try to salvage this. Thanks Mikey."
"Don't mention it, just thought you should know. I'll see you later as soon as my shifts over, ok?"
"Yeah, ok, later." With that John closed his cell and rushed from the apartment.
John entered the station and saw Clay and Lisa in the commissioner's office through the window, and could see that Bo was having a difficult time calming them down.
"Hey," Natalie called to him and he turned to her.
"Hey," He replied as he turned his attention back to the Commissioner's window.
"How are you?"
"I'm ok," He said facing her again. "But I really can't talk right now." He said and then turned and walked into Bo's office. "Hey."
"John," Lisa exclaimed as she quickly moved to him and enveloped him into a tight hug, one he reciprocated. "Do you have any news on my baby?" She asked as she released him.
"What I want to know is why the hell 'you' didn't call us when all this happened?" Clay interjected his anger flaring a bit.
"Clay, don't start I'm sure John was out following up on leads, trying to find Cookie." Lisa jumped to John's defense and he had to smile a bit in appreciation.
"Time is crucial in cases like these." Bo cut in. "The best chance of finding a missing person is within the first twenty-four hours."
"You mean best chance of finding them alive." Clay said and Bo remained silent, bowing his head a bit at the true statement.
"I'm sorry that I didn't call you, and I'm sorry I wasn't here when you arrived, cause had I been I wouldn't have let you broadcast about a reward." John stated.
"You wouldn't have let us? What the hell are you guys doing to find Evangeline?" Clay barked out.
"All I'm saying is posting a reward isn't going to help." John replied.
"I tried to tell them that myself." Bo added.
"Yeah and I didn't understand your reasoning so maybe you can explain it better John, so tell us why we shouldn't do all we can, use all the resources we have to bring Evangeline home safe and sound."
"Posting rewards can gets a case a lot of attention," John began to explain.
"But that's good right?" Lisa asked.
"Not if the help lines get flooded with people trying to make a quick buck, and fifty grand is a lot of money. So, we're probably gonna get a lot of bogus reports, get sent out on goose chases, and possibly miss someone who really may have seen something." John explained and he could tell by Clay's demeanor that he understood what he was saying.
"Damn," Clay mumbled. "I just had to do something, I felt…I feel helpless."
"I get that, more than know." John said again finding himself fighting back tears. "All we can do now is man the phones and try to weed out the false reports, and pray we get a real lead."
"I just want my baby back, I want to hold her in my arms." Lisa said crying as Clay moved to her and wrapped his arm around her shoulder, as she laid her head against his shoulder.
"Me too." John said and Lisa again moved to him and grasped his hands in hers.
"I want you to tell me the truth John, you've been a cop for some time now, long enough to have seen similar cases right?" Lisa asked and John could only nod his head, knowing what she was going to ask him and he wonder if he should tell her the truth or tell her what she needed to hear. "And how do they usually end, do you find the missing person alive?" John looked directly into Lisa's eyes and before he could even open his mouth to tell her the lie he had decided would be best to use, she read the truth in his eyes and she stumbled back a bit and cried out as Clay instantly moved to her cradling her in his arms. John turned and left the room, unable to handle the anguish he saw and felt from Lisa. He was about to leave out again, go back to the scene, try to see if there was anything they may have missed when he bumped into two young black boys, one who looked to be around thirteen and the other about eleven.
"Hey watch it man." The older black boy said as he stepped back and brushed off his shirt, as if John had left dirt on it.
"Is the place giving away the fifty G's for that missing lady?" The younger black boy asked.
"Do you have some information about the lady?" John asked as he folded his arm across his chest, already convinced that these boys had nothing.
"Yeah if you got our money, cause until we see it we aint telling you jack." The older boy said as both boys mimicked John by crossing their arms across their chests. Natalie stepped forward and interjected.
"You're in the right place, and there is a reward which will be given only if your information is legit." She said.
"Oh it's legit, we know where the lady is." The younger boy said just as Clay, Lisa, and Bo were exiting his office.
"You know where Cookie is?" Lisa asked as she addressed the boys.
"We don't know nothing about no cookies lady, but we do know where that attorney lady you been talking about all over the news, is."
"Ok where?" Bo asked himself as skeptical as John.
"We aint telling you jack until we get paid."
"Either you tell us what you know, or I'm gonna haul you down to lock up myself, where you'll stay until you start talking. So what's it gonna be?" Bo threatened.
"Man I told you we should have just called in and made our demands." The younger kid said.
"Look little man," Clay spoke out as he moved closer to the boys. "If what you got to tell us is legit I promise you I'll give you fifty thousand, each, now how's that sound?" This brought a huge smile to the boys' faces.
"Sounds like a plan." The older boy said. "Last night we were down on Lincoln Street we saw a couple of guys chasing this car, throwing bricks at it trying to stop it. It was a nice car, and when a nice car like that roll through the hood it's a guaranteed jack. Anyway, one of them threw a brick through the back window and it must have freaked the lady bad cause she crashed the car right into a streetlight. The guys moved in and pulled her out, she was out of it, blood gushing from her head."
"Oh my God." Lisa cried out as she clutched her hand to her chest. John reached out and grasped her free hand and gave it a gentle squeeze and then turned back to the boys.
"Go on, then what happened?" John beckoned the boy to continue.
"Well, they saw she was a hottie, so I guess they figured they'd have a little party with her in the back seat before they took her car to the chop shop. They were groping all over her." John closed his eyes to the thought of it; he could feel his anger flaring. "But we yelled out that 5-0 was coming and they stopped, good thing there were some close enough that we could hear the sirens, cause those fools scattered like roaches when the lights come on. We hurried over and got the lady, she was still out of it but she could walk some. We took her a few blocks over to one of the missions."
"Where, we need a name?" John said now hanging on every word the boys spoke.
"St. Anne's I think it's called, it's over on 9th street." Before the boy could say anything else, John was running from the station with Clay right behind him, leaving Bo, and the others behind. "So when do we get our money?" The boy asked as he looked from Lisa to Bo and then to Natalie.
"You don't have to leave, you're welcome to stay as long as you like." Sister Agnes said as she walked Jane to the exit.
"Thank you but I have to try to find out who I am, what happened to me. So I figure my best bet is the police, and I don't want to risk them coming here, I gathered from some of the ladies that they have issues with the police."
"Yes this is true." Sister Agnes nodded her head.
"So I'll go to the nearby station that you've given me directions to, and see if anyone has made a missing persons report."
"But…well what if there is someone looking for you, and that someone was the one who did this to you?" Sister Agnes reached out and gently stroked Jane's cheek, which was bruised and slightly swollen.
"Well I hadn't thought of that." Jane said as a new fear gripped her. What if someone was looking for her, someone who had wanted to do her harm? Could it be the man from her dream?
"They have postings on the walls near the entrance, just go in and look on those boards, if anyone has filed a missing persons report on you there, it'll be on the boards." Jane nodded in agreement and then turned to leave. "And Jane, if you don't find anything I want you to come back here ok."
"Ok," Jane said with a smile as she walked out of the building and walked off in the direction t Sister had instructed her to. Sister Agnes watched with worry as she said a silent prayer.
It had been the first time in his career that he had abused and taken full advantage of his position, as his blared his siren and race through town, and it only took them fifteen minutes to travel what normally took thirty to forty-five minutes to journey. They arrived at the mission which was an old church that had been converted into a shelter for battered women, John had been there before on a couple of cases and found no one willing to help him, he prayed today that wouldn't be the case. He and Clay raced inside the building and stopped the first lady they saw.
"Excuse me ma'am, but were looking for someone." Clay spoke out.
"Sorry I can't help you," The woman said and then moved to walk around them, only to be stopped again by Clay.
"How do you know if you can help us or not, I haven't told you about who were looking for?"
"Am I this person you're looking for?" The woman asked.
"No," Clay replied bunching his brow up, confused by the question.
"Then like I said I can't help you." With that the woman walked off.
"We need to find the people in charge," John said as he continued down the long corridor.
"I hope they're more forthcoming than she was." Clay said as he hurried along side John.
"Not much, this place is a safe haven for battered women and they protect each other and trust no one, especially cops who investigate missing person cases, and may lead their abusers right here to them. Normally I'd respect that, not today and I'm not leaving here until somebody tells us something." John said as Clay smiled at him, admiring John's determination and dedication to finding Evangeline. They entered the large oak door at the end of the corridor and found a nun, who was teaching a small class of the children that stayed at the shelter with their mothers. "Excuse." John said pulling out his badge as he approached the nun. "My name is Detective John McBain, were here because we were told that a young woman was brought her last night. Her name is Evangeline Williamson, this is her Uncle…"
"We have a lot of women come here Detective." The older woman said cutting him off. "Sorry I can't remember them all, but feel free to ask around, maybe one of the ladies would know."
"Yeah, we both know they won't talk to me. I understand why you feel you have to protect the woman here but I assure you that…"
"That what? That this is really her uncle and not her abuser. Can you assure me that if I give you this woman that is assuming she is here, that you won't take her back to her abuser and I won't read the morning paper tomorrow and learn that he beat her to death?"
"Yes I can assure you that." John said as he pulled out his wallet and pulled a picture of Evangeline from it and handed it to the Nun. "I love her and I would never hurt her. She was in a car accident last night, and I was on duty and got the call that she was missing. Then two kids came into our station a little while ago and told us they brought her here. Please, please tell us is she here?" The woman sighed and John could see her demeanor change, soften a bit as she handed the photo back to him.
"Yes." The woman said bringing a smile to both John and Clay's faces.
"Thank God." Clay exclaimed earning a disapproving look from the Nun. "Sorry sister."
"She was here, she left a few minutes before you arrived."
"She left, you just let her leave?" Clay said.
"This is not a prison sir, we help these ladies not hold them hostage. She wanted to leave. Last night she was out of it, quite battered and I think in shock, but this morning she was better and wanted to try to find out what had happened to her, who she was."
"Wait...who she was?" John cut in.
"Yes, according to our physician she seems to be suffering from amnesia, possibly from her head trauma or due to shock."
"And you didn't get her to a hospital but let her out to run the streets?" Clay said in anger.
"As I said we are here to help as best we can, and we suggested that route but she became upset at the mention of it, so we thought it best to let her stay and observe her through the night. She awoke and seemed better. And believe me when I say there have been far worse to come in here."
"Ok, but where did she go?" John asked really wanting, needing to find Evangeline.
"The police station a block or so over. They have a bulletin board where they post all the missing people reports they get, she figured that would be a good place to look."
"Thank you." John said as he place a hand briefly upon the Nun's shoulder before rushing from the room with Clay not too far behind. John pulled his cell as they made their way back down the corridor. "This is Detective McBain, let me speak with Commissioner Buchanan please." After a brief pause Bo's voice rang in his ear.
"John, did you find her?" Bo asked.
"No not yet but we have a good lead and I need you to call up the 9th, seems she may have gone there for help. Clay and I are on our way there now. Could you fax them over a picture and tell them if they see her to hold her until we get there."
"Sure thing, whatever you need. Just keep us posted, Evangeline's mom is just barely hanging on."
"Yeah, we will, thanks Bo." The conversation ended just as John and Clay reached John's car. They got in and raced down the street sirens, again blaring.
She had been looking over the board for nearly ten minutes and hadn't seen anything about her. As she looked down the corridor filled with bulletin boards full of missing person's flyers, she sighed heavily, knowing this would take her sometime. She noticed a policeman at the end of the corridor who was now staring directly at her as he spoke into a walkie-talkie. She nervously watched him out the corner of her eye as he began to approach her. She turned to face him and he was still looking directly at her and she took as step back towards the door. The officer saw the 'fight or flight' look her eyes and increased his pace.
"Miss," He called out to her and this caused her to jump and run towards the door. "Miss stop!" The officer yelled out as he raced after her. She busted out the doors and jumped down the steps, running as soon as her feet hit the sidewalk. John and Clay were walking up from the opposite direction when they saw the woman run out and the officer racing after her, they both instinctive gave chase after them, as they turned down the nearest alleyway. As John and Clay round the corner they saw that it was a dead end, and then saw the officer trying to assure the obviously frighten woman that she was safe.
"I didn't do anything, I didn't do anything." She said repeated as tears streamed form her face. John approach, moving past the officer and flashing him his badge as he did. He saw her and he took a sharp intake of air at he sight of her face, which was very bruised; her head had a large bandage, her right cheek was a dark purplish color and her lips were split and scabbed over.
"Evangeline." John called out to her and she stared at him, and she instantly calmed, recognizing something in his voice, something that seemed so familiar to her though she couldn't recall why. "It ok, you're safe, we're here to help you, take you home." John said as he swallowed back his tears, as his eyes watered. An intense feeling of joy and love washed over him at seeing her standing before him, alive.
"Home?" She repeated.
"That's right Cookie, home." Clay said and for the first time she took note of the other man who was approaching her.
"You know me?" She asked the handsome older black man as she wondered if this man was her father or maybe her husband.
"Yes, you're my niece, and your mother's here as well, we've been looking for you. We got a call that you were in an accident and was missing. Do you remember what happened?" Clay spoke softly to her, seeing that she was still a bit frightened. She simply shook her head. "Well we're here baby, we've found you and we're gonna take you home."
"We should take her to the hospital," John finally spoke, finally finding his voice again. "We can call Lisa on the way, have Bo bring her over." Clay nodded his head in agreement. "Ok Evangeline?" He asked her and stared at him curiously.
"You know me too?" She asked.
"Yes, we know each other very well, we're…we're friends." He said opting for the friend route afraid the knowledge that they were a couple maybe too much for her to digest. "And you're safe, trust me." He said as he held out his hand to her, which she stared at for a second before slowly placing her hand in it. John sighed and smiled at her as she stared at him with very blank eyes that lacked any recognition of him, but he didn't care because he had her back.
They arrived at the hospital and Jane found herself in a frightening place as people she didn't know but was assured she did know, rushed to her and cascaded her with hugs and kisses. None seemed to notice how she wrapped her arms tightly around herself in a protective manner, nor noticed the fear in her eyes, none except John. He quickly stepped in.
"We need to get her looked at, Mikey." John spoke to his younger brother who read his eyes and gave him some back up.
"Yeah, you guys are gonna have to wait in the waiting area until I'm done."
"No, I want to go with my baby." Lisa Williamson spoke out as she still clung to Jane's arm, as Jane recoiled from her and moved closer to John, who stood on the other side on her. John in turn wrapped his arm around her waist, to reassure her and hopefully comfort her, to let her know she was always safe with him.
"Well that's up to Evangeline, do you want her to go with you Evangeline?" Michael asked. At first it looked as if she hadn't heard him, but it was soon realized that it was because she didn't recognize her name. On the ride over she corrected Clay when he kept calling her Evangeline, she had told him her name was Jane.
"Jane," John spoke softly and she looked up at him as everyone else looked on in confusion. "Would you like Lisa to go with you into the examination room?" Jane looked over at Lisa and then back to John and swiftly shook her head no. Lisa opened her mouth to protest, but John cut her off. "Don't. Clay?' He called out to the only other person there who was aware of what was going on and John would leave it to Clay to explain to Lisa.
"Come on Lisa." Clay said as he pulled her away.
"What is going on Clay, why is he calling Cookie, Jane, what's wrong with my baby?" Lisa asked as she allowed herself to be pulled further away. Jane stared after her with a frown and then she directed it to John.
"Cookie?"
"It's a nickname," John answered with a slight chuckle. "I'll tell you the story later."
"I don't think I want to know." John smiled warmly at her words.
"Well let's go get you looked at." Michael said as he placed a gentle hand on her arm and maneuvered her towards a nearby examination room. Jane moved along with him but quickly shot her hand out and grasped John's hand firmly, he briefly looked down at her hand a bit surprised she wanted him to go with her, but also happy. He didn't protest nor question her but simply followed them into the examine room. "Ok I'm gonna need you to remove your clothing and put these on," Michael instructed as he handed her a hospital gown. "You just give us a holler when you're done ok?" Michael said with a smile as he walked out of the room. John turned to follow his little brother out when Jane's voice stopped him.
"Will you help me?" She asked as she stood staring at him with pleading eyes. He looked to her but couldn't find the words and so he nodded his head. "I'm very sore, hurts when I lift my arms too high, there's no way I'm gonna be able to pull this shirt over my head. Sister Agnes had to help me put it on this morning."
"You sure you don't want me to get your mom to help…or a nurse." John asked a part of him feeling like he was taking advantage.
"I don't know them." Jane said and her words stunned John for he took them to imply that she somehow knew him, maybe remembered him, and as if reading his thoughts she smiled and said, "I know you. I'm not too clear on how I know you, but I know you, and I know we were close." She said as she slowly raised her arms, which let him know she wanted his help removing the plain white t-shirt she was wearing. He moved to her, standing just behind her and reached out and grasped the bottom of her shirt.
"How do you know we were close?" He couldn't help asking.
"Because I had a dream about you last night, and you were naked and inside me, so I'd say that would make us close right?" John smiled despite the situation.
"Yeah," He replied as he tried to focus on the task at hand and not on the images her words had invoked in his mind. His smile instantly faded once he lifted her shirt and saw the purple and black bruises that marred her skin; on her back shoulders and arms. He slowly turned her to find a large one across her chest, which he knew was from her seatbelt. He gently traced his fingers across the ones on her neck and down her left arm, as she watched him curiously, taking note of the anger in her eyes and face, she kept quiet, but only for a moment.
"Did you do it?" She asked her voice cutting through his silent thoughts of rage at seeing her so bruised. He blinked back the tears that threatened to spill over and looked at her.
"Do what?" He asked and when she looked downward he realized what she was asking a panic filled him and he grasped her by both of her arms and leaned down a bit to look her dead in the eyes.
"No, baby, I would never hurt you, never." She smiled at his words and could not only hear but feel the sincerity in them.
"So, we were lovers." She said.
"No, we were much more than that, so much more."
The examination had taken nearly an hour, but it seemed like an eternity to Jane, who lay on hr back silently crying as they probed her in every orifice, and to John, who sat by her bedside, holding her hand and whispering words of support in her ear.
"Ok, were all done, there doesn't seem to be any evidence of sexual intercourse," The nurse who had given the exam said.
"You mean my virtue is still intact, see honey I'll still be a virgin on our wedding night." Jane joked as she turned and batted her lashes at John who sat chuckling, a bit stunned by her words.
"You can get up now and get dress." The nurse said smiling and shaking her head as she removed her gloves and tossed them into the wastebasket as she left the room, leaving just John and Jane.
"Wow, all that and she didn't even buy me a drink first." Jane said and John couldn't help but to laugh, as he helped her to sit upright.
"You have a beautiful smile…" Jane said as she stared at John, who was helping her to her feet so they could remove the hospital gown. "Sad eyes though." She said as she reached out and stroke some of his hair from his face. John's hand instantly shot out and grasped her hand, meshing it to his cheek as he stared intensely into her eyes.
"I thought I lost you," He said in a soft whisper. The emotions in his words and eyes silenced Jane and when she saw John moving in closer to her, for a kiss, she in turned moved closer to him. Something in her wanted to kiss him, needed to kiss him, but before their lips touched John pulled back. "I'm sorry."
"For what?" Jane asked in confusion.
"We can't do this, it would be wrong, I'd feel like I was taking advantage of you."
"You said we were close, we were more than lovers…"
"Yes, but right now…the state that you're in, you're not yourself, and I don't want to do anything that would make 'you' feel uncomfortable, and maybe regret doing later." John said and hoped she would understand his intent.
"So it not because you don't want me, or find me sexy?" Jane asked partly in jest, and partly due to her insecurities.
"I always want you Evan…Jane, and you just don't know how much I find you sexy." John said as his eyes involuntarily raked over her form. She smiled at him as she blushed at his words.
"You can call me that name if you want to…I don't mind."
"What, Evangeline?"
"Yeah, that's my name right?" Jane asked and John nodded. "Ok then you can call me that, it'll take me awhile to adjust to it so if I don't reply, don't think I'm ignoring you or anything."
"Ok, Evangeline."
"It is a pretty name…but no cookies. Do not ever call be a cookie." Evangeline said with slightly wide eyes and John couldn't help but to laugh at her again.