Chapter 70

Pastor Frank held his office door open as Jack and Elizabeth walked into his small church office holding hands. Seconds later, Thomas and Charlette walked in, holding hands. During all of this, Abagail saw the events unfold. She stopped to take the box of Sunday school literature on the small table outside Frank's office to give to the teachers. She had no intention of staying. She told her husband she would grab some bottled water for everyone. He stepped into his office and closed his door.

Frank walked to the front of his desk and leaned against it. He was facing the young couple sitting in the chairs in front of the desk. Tom and Charlette stood behind the young couple. Tom placed his hand on Jack's shoulder. The room remained silent for a few long seconds.

"What's going…" Charlette began until her husband gently tugged the hand he was holding. He discreetly shook his head "no" when she turned to look at him. "He is my son." She whispered in a serious tone.

"Yes, he is. He is also my son. Trust Pastor Frank." Thomas whispered back, matching her tone. "Pastor Frank has this. We are here if our son needs us. Better yet…trust Jack."

Charlette thought about it for a moment, then nodded her head in agreement. She did trust Frank. However, she was still a mother who wanted to fix any issue her son was facing.

…

"What's the plan?" Viola asked as they walked out of the church.

"Lunch." Ted smiled, accepting her hand. Then I have to practice this afternoon or evening. My year-end concert is quickly approaching. Then I need to study for our biology finals."

"Did you have to remind me of that last part?" Viola sighed.

Ted didn't even try to hide his laughter. He knew she hated that class. "Want to study together?"

"Sure. Will you be at the practice hall?"

"Yeah."

"Perfect. I'll study for my business class final while you are rehearsing. Then we can study for bio. Afterward, we'll order a pizza."

"Perfect," Ted stated.

…

Pastor Frank looked and nodded, showing his appreciation for Tom. Then, he turned his attention solely to Jack.

"Jack." Frank's voice was soft and caring. "What's going on?"

"I'm not sure, " he said as he released Elizabeth's hand. He rubbed his face twice with both hands. Elizabeth instantly placed her hand on his back and gently rubbed it up and down, trying to give him her support.

"What's going on?" He asked again.

In their previous meetings immediately following that horrible Monday, Frank knew he had to ask Jack leading questions. He couldn't allow Jack to sidestep any questions, nor could he ask Jack open-ended questions. He didn't think Jack would openly mislead anyone. Jack would close himself off and find solace in that loneliness. Frank knew that isolation wasn't a good place to stay, especially for Jack. He would overthink everything.

"I think I'm broken." He whispered.

"Jack…" Elizabeth's voice was broken at her boyfriend's declaration.

"Why do you think that?" Frank interrupted. "Jack, what is going on with you." His voice was a little more stern than earlier.

"Yesterday, I was with Cory. Rodney reached for my wrist when I was in the car. He grabbed hold of me and wouldn't let go. He was just joking around, but it messed with me."

"Did you have flashbacks?"

"Not consciously. Elizabeth noticed I was rubbing my wrists. She pulled me to the side, and we spoke for a few minutes."

Elizabeth nodded her head when Frank looked at her. "We spoke and he was fine."

"I was fine for the rest of the evening. We all had a good time with each other. It was a normal night with everyone."

"That's good. But Jack, you look a little tired. Something happened since that discussion, and now."

Jack blew out a long breath. "I woke up at two this morning from a nightmare."

"Why didn't you say anything?" Charlette spoke. She began to speak again until Tom nudged her shoulder with his.

"Sweetheart, please."

"I'm sorry." She half huffed, and half sighed. She felt for her son and was frustrated she couldn't fix it. Her mother's heart was torn. She knew it was important for Jack to work through this with Frank, but she still was a mother.

Jack paused for a few moments, trying to form his words. Elizabeth continued to rub his back. She wanted to know what happened but knew she couldn't push her boyfriend.

"The nightmare was always the same. We pulled up to the red light. The masked men pull us out of the car. They zip-tie us. This time, however, they took Elizabeth and left me behind." Jack shifted uncomfortably in his seat for just a second.

Frank intently watched him. He has gotten to know Jack reasonably well over the last few months, especially the few times he met with Jack and then with him and Elizabeth together after the kidnapping. He knew something was off. He also knew Jack didn't tell the whole nightmare. He honestly didn't think Jack was intentionally hiding things. He just knew Jack wasn't one who always volunteered information.

"Jack…"

"Frank…"

Thomas placed his hand on Jack's shoulder. "Son, in private, it is okay to call him by his name. In public or at church, let's use Pastor Frank, please."

"Yes, sir."

"Jack, I know you too well. I also know that's not all of it. Please start from the very moment you and Cory pulled into the parking spot." Frank smiled to encourage him to continue.

"Yes, sir."

Jack began from the very beginning when Cory stopped the vehicle, and Rodney grabbed his wrist. He continued with the story throughout the whole nightmare, sharing every moment of it. To Frank's credit, which Jack loved so much about his style, Frank only actively listened. He didn't interrupt or ask any questions. He allowed Jack to tell the whole story in his way without being sidetracked by questions.

Elizabeth kept her hand on Jack's back. She slowly rubbed up and down in small strokes. Thomas and Charlette each had a hand on Jack's shoulders. They were offering their complete support in the best way they could.

When Jack finished his story, he let out a long, deep breath. He felt better telling the whole story all at once without disruptions. He rubbed his face with his hands.

"So, Pastor Frank, what do you think?"

…

Ted sat in front of the piano in the practice hall. His professor decided it was best to challenge his star pupil. Instead of allowing Ted to pick several pieces for the end-of-year project, he picked the pieces for Ted. Usually, the professor allowed each student to pick ten pieces, and then, the professor picked the four pieces that would be played. He allowed Ted to pick two, but the professor picked the other two.

Ted let out a frustrated sigh. The two pieces the professor chose for him were difficult. He struggled through the first of those pieces and lowered his head in frustration.

Viola sat back, watching her boyfriend work through the music. This was the first time she had seen him frustrated at the piano. He was such a natural at the piano and always made playing the piano look easy. He wasn't giving up, but she could see his frustration. She thought he was adorable even though he was frustrated. The determined look on his face was adorable. His eyes grew smaller as he worked through the frustration.

Viola stood from her table where all of her books were strewn over it in an organized mess. She kept her eyes on Ted as she walked to him. She sat on the bench seat beside him. He slid over a couple of inches to give her more room. She silently chuckled when he sighed.

"This is a hard piece."

"It seems that way." Her voice was soothing. "Would you like my opinion?"

"Absolutely."

"Relax. You're trying too hard." She leaned over and nudged his shoulder with hers. "You are in your head too much."

Ted smiled. If anyone knew what his problem was, it would be his girlfriend. She had heard and watched him so many times since they began dating.

"Get out of your head and just play." Viola reached up and, with her index finger, began to push down a couple of keys. While she loved listening to Ted play, she had no idea how to play. Ted smiled as he looked down and began to shake his head slightly. He reached up with his left index finger and began to match Viola's actions on the other side of the keyboard.

She may not have known how to play the piano, but she most certainly knew how to speak Ted. She just had this way with him. As they continued to finger the keys of the piano, she spoke.

"You know your professor is pushing you because he knew you were bored with the other pieces. You had already perfected them. This semester-ending project is supposed to be challenging. You weren't challenged at all."

"And your Bio II finals?" He smirked as he challenged her.

"That's different, and you know it!" She huffed. "I hate Bio, and you love the piano."

His laughter filled the room. "I suppose."

"Now, I have some more studying to do. We'll get a snack from the vending machine, and then we'll tackle our shared finals. You need to practice some more."

Ted could only smile and chuckle at her sassiness. "Yes, ma'am." He straightened his back and sat taller on the bench.

Viola kissed his cheek and stood. As she made her way toward her table, he began to play. After about five seconds, he intentionally made a huge mistake. She knew he did it on purpose. She turned to look over her shoulder at him. He was looking at her with a mischievous smirk on his face. She knew he was messing with her.

"Don't make me come back over there." She warned him as she pointed her finger in his direction.

"Yes, ma'am." He stated as he turned to face the piano. It wasn't more than two or three seconds later that he deliberately goofed again, his mischievous smirk growing with his challenge.

Viola could only smile at her boyfriend. She loved that guy.

…

Frank never took his eyes off the young man sitting in front of him. His heart went out to the young man. For such a young guy, he went through a very difficult time. He knew it didn't last long. The whole ordeal only lasted under two hours. However, it was a very traumatic event. No one truly understood what he experienced that day. Even Elizabeth couldn't fully understand the whole thing from her point of view. She could get very close, but she wasn't zip-tied and placed in the back of an SUV, nor was she tied to a chair in a dark room and left alone.

"Jack…" Elizabeth whispered. He could barely hear her voice. She had removed her hand from his back and reached for his hand, which was clinched with his other hand in front of him. His elbows were on his thighs. She slowly maneuvered her hand between his hands, which were clinched together.

Jack took her hand and began to run his finger over her Claddagh ring. He often did that, and it was soothing to him.

In a caring, compassionate tone, Frank began. "Jack, you stated at the beginning that you were broken. Why do you feel that way?"

Jack continued to run his finger over her Claddagh ring. "I don't know."

Frank didn't say anything, nor did he move. In his previous sessions with Jack and with Jack and Elizabeth together, he knew he had to give Jack time to find his words. Frank also used silence to challenge Jack without coming right out and to challenge him with words. Jack knew what he was doing.

"I…I didn't protect her…" His voice trailed off for a moment. "How could something so simple make everything come back so strong?"

"Jack, you did protect her."

"They laid hands on her. They almost took her."

"But you did protect me," Elizabeth exclaimed as she scooted closer to her boyfriend. "Jack, you kept them from taking me."

Frank walked to the side of his desk where the drawers were. He opened the bottom right drawer and pulled out a file. He opened the file and took the piece of paper that was sitting on top. He walked back around to stand in front of the young couple. He extended the paper and held it there until Jack accepted it. He turned around. After glancing at it, he looked back up at Frank.

"Please read it out loud." Frank nodded toward the piece of paper.

Jack had the faintest smile at how neat Elizabeth's handwriting was. It was exactly how a teacher's handwriting should be.

Pastor Frank's Question:

What would I expect Jack to do differently?

I pause to write this because Pastor Frank wanted me to honestly think it through. He didn't want my first impression. He wanted me to give it serious thought.

I have thought about it for four days. During that time, I have replayed those few minutes in my mind over and over again. I still can't remember everything that happened. Last night, I spoke with father. He told me that he had watched the video of the incident. Evidently there was a camera that was just installed at that intersection. He offered for me to watch the video, but I just don't want to. I asked him a few questions about what happened, and he honestly answered those questions for me.

Father told me that Jack pushed me away and appeared to yell at me three different times. On the third time, I instantly stood and jumped over Jack and the bad man. I ran. I honestly don't remember Jack yelling at me and pushing me away. I also don't remember jumping over the bad guy. Evidently, that is when I went and hid.

While I don't remember Jack yelling at me or pushing me away, I do remember Jack tackling me and the masked man. Evidently, somehow Jack broke free from his guy and instantly ran toward me. He tackled both of us to the ground. I remember that because it hurt when Jack hit me, and I landed on top of that masked man. Then I rolled off of him. According to father, that's when Jack began to yell at me and push me away.

Father told me that after I jumped up and ran away, that the masked man tried to reach for me and get up to chase after me. Father said that's when Jack reached out and grabbed a hold of the bad man just enough to keep him from running after me. That's when the two bad men beat Jack and tied him up. Then they threw him in the back of a SUV.

Pastor Frank's question is eye opening to me. There is nothing Jack could have done differently for me during that horrible time. He selflessly put himself between me and the bad man. When he was free from his man, he could have run away and got help. Instead, he jumped in the middle of everything to protect me. He could have avoided being beaten, the sore ribs, the cuts, the bruises, and the torment of actually being kidnapped. He did not run away. He ran toward me. To protect me.

To answer Pastor Frank's question…there is nothing Jack could have done differently. He freely put himself in harm's way so I could escape. He pushed me away so I wouldn't be kidnapped. He was kidnapped instead.

Charlette used her free hand to wipe away the tears flowing down her cheeks. She knew the story. She had heard it from Jack and her Tom. She was so proud of her oldest son, but it still broke her heart to hear everything her son endured that day.

As Jack read the note, his voice was level. It didn't rise or fall. He leaned forward as he read. Elizabeth held his hand, and he ran his finger over her Claddagh ring. He was gaining strength from it and from his girlfriend. Elizabeth sat still. She remembered every word that she had written so many months ago.

"Jack…those words that I wrote were true those months ago and are still true today. You did everything you could for me. You did much more than you should have. Thank you for doing that to protect me."

Jack could only nod his head. He looked up toward Frank when he began to speak.

"Remember what you told me in your letter concerning what you thought Elizabeth could have done?"

"I do."

"Do you remember what you wrote in your other letter about what you thought you could have done differently?"

Jack nodded his head as he looked away. He remembered writing that he didn't think Elizabeth could have done anything differently.

"Now, do you feel you did everything humanly possible that day?"

Instead of speaking, he just nodded his head ever so slightly. You wouldn't have seen the head nod if you weren't looking directly at him.

"Jack, I need to hear you say it." Elizabeth focused on his facial features.

"Yes." He slightly lowered his head as he spoke in a whisper.

There were a few seconds of silence. The conversation was intense, with horrible memories. Frank wanted to give the young man some time to process his thoughts. After a little bit of time, Frank broke the silence.

"You avoided my question earlier. Now, it's time to answer it. Why did you say that you felt broken?"

Elizabeth tightened her hold on Jack's hand. She wasn't going to lose contact with him. He was relying on her strength, and she would give him every ounce she had. Once that was depleted, she would find more strength somewhere else. He would get through this with her beside him…them together.

"The simple act of Rodney grabbing my wrist set all this in motion. The prank was small. He was kidding around…yet…it set everything in motion. I had the same nightmare three different times last night."

Frank paused for a moment. He waited until Jack looked up at him. "It's called Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, or PTSD. I hate the 'disorder' part of that title. This isn't a disorder. You went through a very traumatic event in your life, Jack. There will be moments when something will happen that will trigger those memories. When it first happened, you two were scared of people screaming or talking loudly. That brought back those horrible memories because that's what those horrible men did the first thing.

"People screaming or talking loud no longer bothers you. You have grown from that. When that guy grabbed your wrist, it initiated the memories. When you and Elizabeth spoke, it was fixed for a short period. Afterward, when you were alone in your sleep with your defenses down, your mind began to relive the kidnapping."
"Will I always have to deal with that?"
"Like the loud sounds and screaming, you may overcome it. However, there is a possibility you may not. Or there may be something else you don't know about, yet that may trigger a memory."
"Why hasn't anything troubled me after the loud noises stopped bothering me?" Elizabeth gently asked.

"While many things during that day were similar between you two, there are also many differences. First, and probably the most important to remember, is that Jack was actually kidnapped, and you weren't. You got away while Jack was zip-tied and forcibly placed in the back of an SUV. He was also beaten and tied to a chair in a room in some warehouse. Elizabeth, you were assaulted, but not to Jack's degree. You were grabbed and tossed around. He tried his best to get you, but you helped Jack to free you. There may be something that will happen when you least expect it that will bring back those memories to you."

Elizabeth nodded her head. She turned to face Jack.

"Jack…"

"So…any simple act will cause this?"

"No." Frank responded. "I'm no expert here, but Jack, you will get through this. The next time a friend grabs you, it may not bring any memories back, or it could. It may be another simple act that reignites a memory. Or that same simple act may not bring any memories back. That's the tricky part of this. You may have been a little tired, which could be part of why this happened."

"I can't just will this away?"

Frank paused for a moment. He wanted to make sure he stated this the right way. "No. I don't think you can just will it away. However, I do think a desire to overcome it is part of the equation to improve yourself. If you don't push yourself to get better, you won't ever get better. However, just to have that simple desire doesn't fix things either. It is only a part of the healing process. The best thing to remember is that you are not alone in this. You have Elizabeth…your parents…me. You are not alone!"

Jack nodded his head. He understood what Pastor Frank was saying. He just wanted it to be fixed and never to think of that day again.

"There are some things from my police work that I still deal with," Thomas spoke softly. "It's weird…I won't think about it for a long time; then something will set it off. What I have learned is that memories or flashbacks happen at times. There was this one case of a child. It was a horrible case. Even to this day, when I hear of something happening to a child on the news, I remember that case. I haven't gotten over it, but it doesn't control me anymore, either. It's not controlled, but I do have a little bit of a handle on it."

"Jack, you did everything you were supposed to do. You went beyond what you should have done. But above all else, you are not broken. You are dealing with a dramatic event in your life. And from where I stand, you are handling it very well." Frank intently looked Jack in the face.

"He's right." Tom, Charlette, and Elizabeth stated the same thing.

"Jack…give yourself some grace."

"Thanks, Pastor Frank."

"I need to head out to the foyer. You four stay here as long as you want. No rush."

"Thank you, Pastor Frank." Thomas extended his hand. When they shook hands, Thomas didn't let go. "Thank you." He whispered again. Frank could easily see the gratitude on his friend's face.

"My pleasure, Mr. Thornton. You have a special son."

Jack leaned forward in his seat. He still held on to Elizabeth's hand. He was drawing strength from her. They were right. He did everything he could do. The nightmare took hold of him briefly, but he knew the nightmare was a lie. He closed his eyes and tried to calm his mind. After a few seconds, he felt a loving hand on his head.

"He's right, son. You did all you could and should have done. You are not broken because you have a flashback over something like that. You went through a huge ordeal. Remember the night you and I were on the porch speaking before you took the car and went to speak to William?"

Jack nodded at his mother's words.

"You felt like it was your fault. You just had to speak to him and apologize. Then, when you spoke to William, he felt like it was his fault. Our emotions will play horrible mind games with us. Lean on me or your father. Lean on Elizabeth. Pastor Frank is good for you. Don't carry the weight of this exclusively on your shoulders."

"That's what Pa told me in the ambulance."

"Your father is a smart man."

Charlette leaned down and kissed the top of her son's head. Then she lifted his head with a finger under his chin. She lifted it until they made eye contact.

"We are all here for you." Her voice was resolute.

Charlette kissed him on the cheek. Then she repeated the phrase. Jack nodded his head.

Tom came and stood in front of his son, kissing Jack on the cheek. "We are here for you. Jack, you are a strong, good young man. You will make it through this."
Jack drew strength from his mother's and father's words. Their determination gave him their confidence.

"Sweetheart, we leave him in your hands." Charlette kissed Elizabeth on the cheek. "Take care of my boy."

Thomas did the same thing. Then, the older couple silently walked out of Pastor Frank's office, leaving the young couple sitting beside each other.

…

"Mr. and Mrs. Milligan…how are you?"

"We are fine, pastor. How are you today?"

"Fine…fine…"

The older couple sat in their customary pew and waited for the service to begin.

"Are you ok with everything?"

Nana looked at her husband of so many years. His loving look was an expression she knew all so well.

"I am fine with what JayJay wants to do. We have spoken about it a couple of times. It was my suggestion, if you remember."

"Yes." Pops grinned. "Have you already purchased the tickets?"

"Old man, you know I wouldn't allow us to miss our grandbaby's graduation!"

"True, but at our age, we may simply forget to purchase them." He laughed.

Nana huffed but knew he was correct. "Maybe so…but I'm not missing JayJay's graduation. Plus, Beth is graduating, too. She is giving a speech."

"That's right. Our Elizabeth is a Salutatorian. I'm looking forward to hearing what she has to say."

"JayJay said it is limited to five minutes."

"I bet that young lady can say something very profound in five minutes."

Nana smiled at remembering Beth. "I have no doubt."

"Now, I have something for you," Pops stated as he pulled a small gift box from his coat pocket. I was going to wait to give this to you, but I think I will do it now."

"You have never been one to keep gifts for long periods of time."
"I just don't understand why I should get someone a gift and not give it to them. That just doesn't make any sense to me." He shook his head. "You want this now or not?"

"I didn't say I didn't want it." Nana jumped in her pew a little like a teen girl. He always gave great gifts.

"Oh…old man…you did good." She gasped as she opened the gift. What did you do?"

"I wanted you to have this. You needed to have this."

"I love it!"

…

Jack and Elizabeth sat quietly in the chairs before Frank's desk. They didn't speak. They did, however, continue to hold hands. Jack would gently rub the ring he placed on her ring finger. It brought him peace. Elizabeth would gently rub the back of his hand with the hand he wasn't holding.

Elizabeth wanted to say so much to Jack. She wanted to reassure Jack of everything. He did protect her. He wasn't broken. He was hurting; all she wanted to do was take it away. She knew words weren't what Jack needed at this moment. Jack needed her presence. She would give him everything he needed if that was what he needed. She would have sat there with him for hours or days if that was what he needed.

Elizabeth inwardly smiled at the thoughts that quickly passed through her mind. Several times, she was there for him. She helped him overcome his battles when he hurt his left ankle. Then she remembered the times he was there for her. He helped her to overcome the battles she was facing by having to give the speech. They were there for each other in so many ways. In her mind, this was exactly how a relationship should work. She loved the fact that it was precisely what she and Jack had. A mutual love, respect, and support flowed both ways between them.

Elizabeth cupped Jack's right cheek and gently turned him to look at her. Words would have been useless. Their eyes told everything. When their eyes connected, an entire conversation easily flowed without any words. He was greatly relieved when he didn't see sorrow. He only saw strength. The slightest bit of a smile turned the corner of his lips upward.

"Thank you." He finally whispered. He looked deep into her beautiful blue windows to her soul.

"Always here for you." She whispered back as she looked deeper into those emerald windows to his innermost being.

"Us…always."

"Always." She repeated. She squeezed his hand three times.

Jack let out a long, drawn-out breath. He looked around the church office. He had no idea how long they had been there.

"Are you ready for church?"

Elizabeth pulled out her cell phone. It started ten minutes ago. They should be in the singing part by now." She stood. She gently tugged Jack's arm.

As he stood, he turned to face her. He stepped forward and opened his arms. He wrapped his arms around his girlfriend and just held her.
Elizabeth placed her head on Jack's shoulder and wrapped her arms around him. She instantly felt his body relax when he pulled them together. Every single muscle in him was tense. Now, she could feel them relaxed the very moment their bodies touched. He melted into her. She loved that she had that effect on him.

…

Frank smiled as he looked behind him when he heard the sanctuary door open and close. He turned his head at the same time Charlette and Thomas did. Jack and Elizabeth walked into the church holding hands. They were walking close together. As intimate as the moment looked, it didn't strike anyone as inappropriate. They sat down on the pew that was behind his parents. Susan scooted over to allow the young couple to sit.

"You're late!" Susan sternly stated under her breath. A sense of little sister's teasing leaked through her tone.

Jack playfully glared at her with the corner of his lips, losing the battle against a smile.

"It was my fault." Elizabeth smiled as she reached for Susan's hand.

"Oh…ok…" Susan brought her attention from Jack to Elizabeth. "That's ok. Sometimes things happen."

"Hey…!" Jack playfully huffed. "Why was I in trouble, but Elizabeth got a free pass?"

"She's Elizabeth." Susan shrugged her shoulders.

"Something just seems wrong with that logic."

Elizabeth covered her mouth to tamper the laugh escaping her lips.