Page 10 of Fly Back to Me
Our arms practically crush each other, the snug embrace forcing our chests to battle for air. Tears chute from the corners of my eyes, the wet trails stacking all the emotions.
Fear.
Relief.
Terror.
Repeat.
A newfound, yet dreadful cycle.
“I was so scared,” I whisper against the wool of her jacket.
Her palms frame the back of my head, petting lightly as she rests her chin atop it. “Shh, you’re okay now. You’re safe.”
Another pair of gentle hands greets my shoulders from behind. My roommate rubs up and down the fabric of my shacket covering my upper arms, and I’m so grateful.
I’m sandwiched between two people I thought I’d never see again. A moment of sheer love that could’ve easily been yanked out from under me.
For good.
“I know this is a lot to take in, but Olivia’s vitals aren’t alarming.”
Nurse Joy’s voice cuts in, and our three bodies recede from one another. All our fingers lift to wipe the puddles under our eyes, sniffles tangling between us as she continues.
“Your neurological exam looked good, but we’re ordering you to rest until we’re sure you’re not suffering any kind of concussion.”
I nod as my vision clears, and Joy’s brown eyes empathize with me. Then my mom takes a few steps toward her. “Does she need stitches? What happened?”
Evident panic fuels Mom’s questions, but Nurse Joy shakes her head. “No stitches. She seemed to have bumped her head. We cleaned and bandaged up the cut. That’s all.”
Mom’s blonde curls bob as she accepts the explanation, but my eyes rip from her when a tall policeman enters the snug space.
“Ms. Sawyer?”
I swallow past a thick lump, body falling rigid in my sitting position on the emergency room bed. Nurse Joy and Mom drift apart to allow him room, and Lauren slips beside me to squeeze my shoulder with her palm.
The officer’s stuffed belt jangles as his legs move, the tap of his heavy boots echoing throughout the quiet haven. “Yes?” I croak.
“I’m Officer Peter Bellmont.” He stands before me with his thumbs hooked in his utility belt, the ambient lighting of the short ceiling reflecting off his bald head. “I was at the scene when you were taken to the hospital. How are you feeling?”
My clammy palms mesh together in my lap before my mouth pries out a response. “I-I think I’m fine.”
He nods curtly, those strict green eyes boring into me before he says, “I’d like to ask you a few questions, if that’s okay.”
I tense, but Lauren’s palm cuddles my shoulder through the flannel material. “Liv, you need to tell Officer Bellmont everything. We’re all here,” she assures.
My throat rolls as I barely grant permission with my head.
“Can you tell me what happened?” he asks, compassion lacing his tone. “I know this is a lot, but anything you can remember. Anything at all, Ms. Sawyer.”
I tuck a few loose strands of hair behind my ear, my gazedipping to the white tile. “I uh…” My eyelids spasm, fluttering in sync with my erratic heart rate. “I thought I left my phone at the bar. I got out of my car and walked this alleyway between the two buildings.” I clasp my eyes shut, the flash ofhisface crashing into me like a damn Mack truck. “A man … h-he cornered me,” I shake out over my wobbling lips. “H-he held a knife and took me behind the dumpster.”
As soon as I annunciate the words, my hands shield my face. “Oh god,” I sigh. My paralysis dissolves, grief sinking into every pore of my body as I release a string of bated breaths.
The mattress sinks behind me as Lauren sits. She molds her chest to my back to brush her palms up and down my arms again.
“I’m very sorry this happened to you, Ms. Sawyer,” Officer Bellmont apologizes.
