George stood across the street from the local mental institution, wringing his hands in front of him, nervous about whether his plan would be successful. He took a deep breath and smoothed his coat jacket, grateful that he was not wearing his uniform. He did not want to be recognized. The constable crossed the street at a brisk pace, wanting to reduce any amount of time that someone had to see him. He quickly walked the path to the doors of the institution and climbed the stairs.
He opened the doors to the building and entered. A small lobby made up the room, chairs and doors lining the walls. A large desk was placed in the middle of the room, a young nurse sitting behind it.
"Excuse me, miss." George said as he got closer to the desk.
"May I help you, sir?" the nurse replied, looking up from her paperwork.
"Yes, I think so. A woman was recently admitted: my sister, Cecile Greyson. I just came to drop of some personal effects and speak with her. Is that possible?"
"I'm afraid you can't visit any patients, sir…I'm terribly sorry for the inconvenience."
"Miss, you don't understand. I need to see her—it's urgent. My sister is afraid of what's happening and I need to tell her that everything will be alright. I care deeply for her; I'm the only family she has left…" Crabtree's palms sweated as he told the lie, he desperately hoped the woman could not tell he was fibbing.
"I don't know, sir…"
"Please, miss. I'm leaving for America tomorrow and this may be the last time I see her for some years. I need to tell her goodbye and that I love her and will miss her."
Crabtree's words must have struck a nerve within the woman, for she glanced around her for any doctors or other hospital staff.
"Alright. Follow me, sir." The nurse stood and quickly ran a finger over a page in a ledger, looking for Cecile's name.
The nurse entered a door on the left side of the room and went down a long hallway. She paused at a door and entered, motioning for the constable to stop for a moment. The woman reemerged shortly after, a large ring of keys in her hand. She began to walk quicker, finally stopping at the last door in the hallway.
"You have five minutes. Please hurry—I'm not allowed to do this." The nurse unlocked the door and pushed the constable inside, closing the door after him.
The room was dimly lit with a gas lamp high on the wall. A white bed lay in the corner, barred windows in the center of the room. Cecile was curled on the bed, her body shaking as she cried.
"Miss Greyson?" George asked tentatively, afraid to scare her.
The woman looked up, her face stained with tears. A welt was beginning to form on her forehead, blood crusting on the side of her face. Bruising was forming around her left eye, turning the skin blue and black.
"Constable Crabtree?"
Cecile jumped off of the bed and ran to George, throwing her arms around his neck. He wrapped his arms around her waist, squeezing her tightly. He felt her body shaking, just as it had the day before when he saved her life.
"I thought you weren't coming for me…Thank you, Constable. Thank you!"
George did not want to let the woman go, but he was only allowed so much time to help her escape. He released her, slipping the pack he had on his back into his hands. He opened it and took out a large metal file, hoping it would do their cause justice.
"This will help you break the windows and file the bars off. I'm only allowed in here for a few more minutes. You need to hide this until I am gone, and then break the windows. I'll be waiting underneath the sill outside. Alright?" George handed the woman the file; she tested the weight in her hands and went to put it underneath the bed.
"Thank you so much, constable."
The door opened and the nurse entered. George quickly pulled Cecile into a hug, putting a gentle hand on the back of her head.
"It's going to be alright, Cecile. I'll try to come back from America when I have more money. I'm sure by then you'll be feeling better. Then we can go south and start a new life. Alright?" the constable said as he stroked her hair.
"I'm going to miss you. I promise I'll get better. Hurry back soon…" she replied, going along with George's lies.
"I'm sorry, sir, but you have to leave now. I don't want to get in any trouble…" The nurse interrupted, jingling the keys in her hands.
"I'll be thinking of you every day." George released Cecile and gave her a reassuring look before leaving with the nurse.
The constable followed the nurse back to the lobby, leaving after giving the woman many thanks for her sacrifice. George made sure the door securely closed behind him and jogged down the stairs, launching into a run to get to Cecile's window. He found hers and lifted himself up into the sill, pulling at the bars that Cecile had already cut through. George bent them in numerous directions in order to make the woman's escape as smooth as possible.
"I don't think anyone heard the glass break—watch out, there are shards right next to where you're sitting." Cecile said as she continued to saw through the bars.
Sweat began to bead on George's forehead as he continued to strain to bend the bars. Every now and then Cecile would glance at him and give a small smile, as if to reassure herself that he was real.
"There. I think I've gotten all of them." Cecile threw the file onto the ground, clapping her hands together quietly to get rid of the excess metal shavings on them.
"I just have a few more bars to bend, and then I can help you out. Can you perhaps try to work on those?" George said, jerking his head to the right towards two bars that weren't yet bent.
Cecile gripped the metal, putting all of her strength and weight into bending the resistant material.
Suddenly, George heard the crunching of gravel a few feet from him. He hissed at Cecile to duck down into her room and he instantly hit the ground, heart pounding. The noise came closer, and soon a wet snuffling sound was heard. George lifted himself slightly to get a better view of whatever the cause of the noise was—he breathed a sigh of relief. It was only a stray dog!
"Miss Greyson, it's alright. It's only a dog." Crabtree returned to working on her escape.
"Thank goodness." She rose, going back to working on bending the metal.
"I think that will do it, Miss Greyson. Let me help you…"
George wiped the glass shards off of the sill with his coat sleeve and stuck his arms through the gap that he and Cecile had made. She took his hands; they were smooth and cold, sending shivers up his spine at her touch. She lifted herself gracefully onto the sill, swinging her feet over the edge easily.
"May I?" George let his hands hover over her waist.
Cecile nodded in response, her cheeks turning a slight shade of pink. George placed his hands on her sides; she put hers on his shoulders. The constable lifted the woman slightly and he guided her fall to the ground.
"We should get out of the area. Are you ready?" the constable asked.
"I'm ready. Thank you, constable." Cecile reached up and gave George a quick peck on the cheek.
"Let's go." George took the woman's hand and they began to run from the building.