Skin Deep (Skin Deep #1)

I shook my head slightly, wincing at the pinch of pain I felt in my neck. I opened my mouth, intending to ask exactly what injuries that psycho monster had inflicted, but sighed in frustration when the doctor shook her head at me.

“Okay, I’m sure you have some questions, and then we’ll leave you to your reunion with lover boy over here. He’s not left your side the entire time, and the waiting room is full of people who’ve been camped out for days waiting on you to wake up. Since I don’t want you talking just yet, I’ll ask the questions, and you can blink once for no and twice for yes. Got it?”

I blinked twice. The nurse moved away from the bed to check on something and Luke slid his chair back to my side again, gingerly taking my hand in his.

“Do you remember what happened, Emma?” Dr. Hart asked.

I blinked twice, and then once. I knew what happened, but there was some parts that was fuzzy. Like, what happened when everything went black? I assume the cops came because I woke up in the hospital, very thankful to be alive, now that I think about it. But when did they get there? Had he…had he done anything…? I shut my eyes tight against the thought.

Dr. Hart cleared her throat and I opened my eyes to look at her again. “Do you remember how you were taken?” Two blinks.

“How about how you got to the kitchen where they found you, remember that?” Two blinks again.

“Emma, do you remember him stabbing you?” Two blinks.

“How about calling 911?” Two blinks again.

I really wished she’d get to the parts that I didn’t remember. I hated not knowing what had happened, but at the same time, I was relieved…and almost wished I didn’t remember the whole ordeal.

“Emma…do you remember him choking you?” Two blinks.

“What about after that? Did he do anything that you remember after that?” One blink.

“Okay. It might be hard to hear, but do you want me to tell you what happened?”

I hesitated for a second, and then blinked twice. Luke’s chair scraped the floor as he stood quickly, shoving the chair back from his legs. He leaned down and lightly touched his lips to my forehead, murmuring that he’d be back in a minute. A frown furrowed my brows, but I nodded slightly and he strode out into the hall.

Dr. Hart perched on the edge of the chair that Luke had just vacated and took a deep breath. She flipped open my chart and proceeded to tell me what had happened after I blacked out.

From what they could tell, I had passed out from oxygen deprivation and loss of blood. Once my 911 call had come through to dispatch, they had traced the number to the address and the police, fire, and squad were sent out. Apparently the dispatcher was able to hear everything that was going on because Creepy was very talkative, even when I was out. She was able to radio the first officers on scene and tell them everything that was happening.

Shockingly, the front door of the house was unlocked so they were able to sneak into the house and arrest John Frank as he sat astride my unconscious, bloody, and badly beaten body. The doctor had swallowed thickly before telling me that he’d been punching my breasts and pinching them violently as he ranted that I’d emasculated him. After she told me this and then clarified that there had been no sexual assault whatsoever other than to my breasts, I breathed a sigh of relief, thankful that he hadn’t been able to do more to me, and then smiled with deep satisfaction over the injuries I had caused him.

Dr. Hart said he’d had to be treated before incarcerated, because I’d ruptured one of his testicles, and his penis had been lacerated from my nails. He was now in jail awaiting trial, and the judge had ordered that bond be set at $200,000.00 because he was considered a flight risk, not to mention the severity of the crime.

The doctor had then inventoried my injuries for me. I had a gash on the side of my head that required eight stitches from when he initially hit me and put me in his car. I had severe bruising on my throat, shoulders, arms, legs, breasts, and face, including two black eyes. I had a split lip, lacerations on the inside of my mouth, a broken nose, two cracked ribs, and a knot on the back of my head where it’d hit the concrete wall, which caused a concussion. Thankfully, though, when he’d stabbed me, he’d missed all my vital organs; the blade had slid in, almost nicking my ribs, but had passed through only my flesh before piercing through the other side. I had twenty-five stitches on the front of my side, and thirteen on the back. Because of all the injuries and blood I’d lost, they’d kept me in an induced coma but tried to bring me out of it after a week. Apparently I hadn’t wanted to.

When Dr. Hart got done telling me everything, she checked the dressings on my head and side, as well as my vitals and everything. She finished and she and the nurse both patted my hand and left the room. I closed my eyes for a second, feeling them well with tears. I blinked them back when Luke came back in the room, my mom and dad right behind him.

I smiled tremulously at them, the tears that threatened spilling over and running down my cheeks unchecked. They approached the bed, my dad leaning in to kiss my forehead gently, my mom sitting carefully on the bed beside me, laying her cheek lightly against mine. We all sat there in silence for a moment, before they pulled back and asked how I was feeling. We visited for a bit, mom filling me in on everything that’s happened since, dad sitting quietly by my side, until I looked around, realizing that Luke wasn’t in the room. I raised my eyebrows in question, gesturing with my hand for someone to tell me where he went.

My mom smiled at me. “He’s a good boy, Emma. Stayed by your side this whole time. I think he even tore the town apart looking for you. I’m glad you found him.”

I smiled, and it turned into a grin when my dad grunted his agreement. My grin didn’t last long because of the pain, but I managed to whisper, “Thanks, Mom.”

My parents only stayed a few minutes more before they took their leave, kissing me on my forehead and promising to send Luke in. He was by my side in an instant, holding my hand as I drifted off into an exhausted, but healing, sleep.

They kept me in the hospital for observation for another week. By the time they let me go, my room was stuffed to the gills with cards, flowers, balloons, and other gifts from all my visitors. Allie, Brandon, Jackson, and all my family visited every day. Hayden and Jarrod had both cried the first time they saw me and Luke had helped them sit carefully on the bed beside me so I could hold them. Allie would come sit with me every evening and we’d play cards or talk, or even just sit in silence, enjoying each other’s company. Luke never left my side unless someone else was in the room with me. I don’t think he actually wanted to leave me even then, but I made him go home and take a shower and get some sleep.

Calland smuggled in chicken fettucini alfredo and black tie mousse cake from Manny’s for me but got caught by my nurse coming in the door. He begged and pleaded (which surprised me) for her to let him give it to me and she “gave in“ to him. Neither my nurse nor I had the heart to tell him that I was allowed to eat whatever I wanted now. Hey, I was just impressed that he actually remembered my favorite meal from my favorite restaurant, and he sprung for dessert!

I breathed a sigh of relief as Luke pulled up at the house and came around to help me in. They’d taken all the stitches out and my bruises were all fading. My ribs, my nose, my head, and my side were the things that still hurt the most, but it was manageable if I took my time with everything.