Page 17

Jessikah

The first strike of his fist against my already bruised skin sends a blast of pain through my cheek and eye. I don’t beg, because if I do it makes the assault worse. It’s like he gets off on the pleasure of hearing me asking him to stop, begging him to leave me alone.

Tina screams somewhere in the background, and her begging makes my body tense as he slams himself inside of me.

“Stop! Leave!” I can hear the words, but I know it’s not me saying them. I look over my shoulder and see a masked figure slamming a baton into my attacker’s head. His words and pleases bring pleasure to me. Now he has the same feeling I do. No more begging, just pain.

The mask comes off the vigilante, and the eyes staring back at me are bright red, his teeth sharp points with chunks of flesh hanging from them. The smile on his lips, a sinister look at what evil lurks in the world.

“Thank you,” I start, the demon shaking his head, nodding for me to look down. As my head drops, the person who was assaulting me morphs from my ex-husband to Paul. His severed head hanging to the left as his spine hangs to the right.

“Paul!” I scream, thrashing at the binding that is holding me to the weight bench.

The beeping of machines brings me out of the nightmare. The sounds around me helping me to focus, but my eyes are so heavy they remain closed.

“Mr. Gallant, do you have any other information on what happened at the residence. This is a police matter, and no matter what you think happened, the perpetrators must be prosecuted,” a high pitched, nasally voice states.

“Officer, as much as I appreciate the words coming out of your mouth, it was the justice system that failed Jessikah. When you were supposed to warn her that her ex-husband was released, you didn’t. You left her hanging in the wind,” Paul states.

“Gallant, we know it was the RBMC. Just admit it,” the high pitch voice demands along with something slamming hard on a surface in front of me. My body reacts, but I don’t feel movement anywhere. Am I paralyzed?

“Plead the fifth. If you’ll excuse me, I have to continue reading from the story that I was reading to Jessikah. You know the female who was brutally raped, assaulted and beaten to near death. The one the justice system was supposed to protect,” Paul states.

The room falls silent, then the tapping of heels can be heard.

“Officers, I told you my patient wasn’t up for an interrogation. You know she is still in medically induced coma. Now is not the time nor the place for this,” the doctor’s voice states.

“We were talking to Mr. Gallant…” the officer states, being cut off by the doctor.

“Then you ask him to go to the station at a time when he isn’t standing vigilant beside this woman. From what I know, the animals that did this to not only Ms. Gorman, but Mrs. Wellman as well deserve whatever they got,” the doctor states.

“That’s not your call,” the officers voice gets higher.

“No, you don’t understand. If that was my daughters, nothing and I mean nothing would stop me from burning everything to the ground. That means everyone involved. When you have kids, then please feel free to tell me I am wrong,” the doctor states.

“Then we would do our job and arrest you, too,” the officer states.

“Then I would rock the jumpsuit, knowing the men that were responsible for every ounce of pain my daughter or any female went through at the hands of those monsters. And I would do it knowing they are safe. Now leave my floor,” the doctor demands.

My heart starts to race. “Doc, what the hell is happening?” Paul demands.

My feet twitch, my hands flex, and the world slowly start to seep in between the slits as my eyes slowly open. The lights flick off as the doctor comes to my side.

“Welcome to the land of the living Ms. Gorman. Don’t try to talk or move. Blink your eyes twice if you understand.” I blink twice, slowly letting my eyes open and fall closed.

“Good. Now, do you feel my hand in yours?” the doctor asks. I squeeze his hand, causing him to smile.

“Good.” He writes something on the clipboard he picked up. “Jessikah, I want you to relax. You still have a lot of recovery and healing to do. You have someone who has been waiting for you to open your eyes.” He looks to his left. My eyes follow and land on Paul.

The feelings come rushing through me. This man has been the center of my fantasies since he knocked on my door and pushed his way into my life.

He approaches the side of my bed, leans down, and places his forehead against mine. “I never want to be away from you again,” he says.

“Paul, I will leave you and Jessikah to talk for a bit. Not too long and don’t stress her out. The nurse will be here in about thirty minutes. No hanky panky either,” the doctor states, walking out of the room, looking at the clipboard in his hands.

Paul stares at me before he closes his eyes and takes a deep breath. He shakes his head back and forth before he lays his head on my chest.

“It’s beating. One of my favorite sounds. But there are so many things about you that are my favorite. Your voice when you are watching the hockey game, it gets so filled with excitement. When you are focused on work and you bite your bottom lip. You have this way about you,” Paul says.

Tears spring to my eyes. I close them to stop the flow, but it doesn’t stop the water from running down my cheeks. His hands frame my cheeks as his thumb brushes at the water streaking down my cheeks.

“Never again, Jess. I will do everything to protect you. Even if it means me not being around you. Sorry, I can’t take away the pain they put on you, and the memories that will haunt you for the future.” He places his lips against mine.

This man has put so much effort into making sure I felt safe prior to my attack. I don’t know how to tell him that right now any man is making me question their intentions. Will he end up beating me just like my ex?

“Okay, Mr. Gallant, I will need you to leave so that Ms. Gorman can get some more sleep. You are welcome to come back tomorrow morning.” The pretty little nurse says, her eyes running up and down Paul’s body. Maybe she should be with him. He can protect her.

He leans down and places his lips against mine. He doesn’t move. He breathes in deep, as if he is taking in the way I smell, to keep it in his memory. I don’t know that hospital and sweat would be a smell I’d want in memory.

“I will be back bright and early tomorrow. There are a few people who would like to see you. Jessikah, I am so happy I can finally look into those beautiful eyes and see them full of life.” Then he mumbles what sounds like I love you before he spins on his heels and leaves the room.

“Girl, that man is fine!” the nurse states, waving her hand like he set her panties on fire. I look to the large window in my room, before I turn my head and close my eyes. Maybe sleep will take away the hurt that is coursing through my body.

Sleep takes me under, leaving me wondering if I could ever let Paul go. Can I overcome the fear of any man touching me?