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“Time to go,” one told the officer.

“He’s going with her. He’s a friend,” the officer said and pushed me inside.

They slammed the doors and, with sirens blazing, pulled away. It took fifteen minutes to reach the hospital, and those were the longest minutes of my life.

Jack had done his work well. He had beaten Eden’s beautiful face to a pulp. Eden’s nose was broken, and her eyes were puffed up. Despite the fact Jack had only one hand to hit with, he had done a thorough job of beating Eden.

Her body was smothered in bruises, and she had broken fingers where he had stamped on them. Eden’s left ankle was thought to be broken, and they were worried about a possible back fracture. Jack had pushed Eden down the stairs and then dragged her screaming by the hair into the living room.

The neighbours had heard Eden crying for help and had called the police. Jack had used the knife on Eden’s stomach, twisting it deep into her womb, rendering her barren. Jack had also carved his initials into her breasts, both of them. And insanely, Jack had begun to slice Eden’s body up. On arrival at the hospital, Eden was rushed straight into the theatre and remained there for several hours.

I paced the waiting room, listening to the nurse’s updates without emotion. Finally, a doctor came to see me.

“Mrs…”

“Call her Eden. She won’t be married for much longer.”

“Eden is stable but in intensive care.”

The doctor listed the wounds that I have just described and continued. “Eden’s throat was cut, and it is doubtful whether Eden will talk properly again. Eden is very lucky to have survived. She has also sustained injuries to her arms, where she tried to defend against the knife. Mr Du Mont, Eden has several broken ribs and a punctured lung. How she’s held on, I don’t know. If Eden survives the night, we’ll have some hope.

I stared, not saying a word.

“Would you like to see Eden?” a nurse asked.

I nodded my head mutely and followed her into intensive care.

Eden was wreathed in bandages and drips. I took a chair and sat next to her, holding her hand as I best as I could, considering that it was in bandages. The nurse squeezed my shoulder and left.

Jack had chopped and butchered Eden’s hair, and she looked simply awful. As the evening approached, I refused to leave, and the nurses allowed me to stay the night.

Twice during the night, Eden’s heart stopped, and she was brought back. I began to think that I might have to change her when her condition stabilised. I breathed a sigh of relief as a nurse gave me a thumbs up, and I relaxed a little. They transferred Eden to a ward, and I paid for a private room.

Once there and closed off, I dropped some of my blood into her wounds to aid healing.

A few of Eden’s neighbours came to visit, and I was grateful. The man who’d called the police burst into tears. Poor soul, he was an elderly man who could barely walk himself. He babbled that he wasn’t strong enough to help and felt guilty.

I recalled the fire engine’s presence at the house and asked about it. He said that Jack had burnt all of Eden’s belongings and set the bedroom alight. Funny, I hadn’t noticed. He offered to return tomorrow, and I nodded. Finally, after my long vigil, Eden opened her eyes.

She tried to talk, but I put my finger to her lips and shook my head. I pressed the button to call the nurse, and the sister came in.

She checked Eden over and said that she was stable. I stroked Eden’s hair and whispered soothing things. Eden clearly remembered everything Jack had done to her, and the fear in her eyes was tangible.

I told her Jack was under arrest, and Eden relaxed a bit. I wanted to tear Jack apart limb by limb and knew that I would get a chance to do that someday. The main thing was getting her better.

Eden remained in hospital for three weeks.

Luckily, Eden’s back wasn’t broken, thank God, and she would speak again. Her voice would not be what it once was, pure and sweet. It took on a husky timber, and I told her it very sexy.

Eden smiled, but her spirits were low, and I couldn’t perk them up.

Then, after two weeks, I brought Eden a small parcel. Eden looked at me and then waved her fingers under my nose. I grinned sheepishly and opened it for her. Her eyes widened as she read what was on the tickets. A trip on the Orient Express and to Disney Land, Paris.

“It’s for big kids as well as little ones,” I said and was relieved when Eden smiled.

“Jaq, I would love to go, but—”

“Eden, I have applied for a passport for you, and the trip is not booked until next month. This is an incentive for you to heal.”