Chapter 10 - Turning the Tide
The local deputy stepped back from my car
looking at my mother with a completely different expression.
"Ma'am
did you cause those injuries?"
he asked
his voice no longer friendly.
"Of course not
I told you she's self-harming!"
my mother shouted
her voice turning shrill and desperate.
"I am a respected member of the community
I don't beat pregnant women!"
"We are going to the hospital,"
the deputy decided
turning away from her.
"We will let the medical professionals decide what happened here."
"And until then
no one is taking anyone anywhere."
The lawyer tried to object
but the deputy waved him off with a stern hand.
"Save it for the judge
counselor
right now we have a potential felony assault on our hands."
Detective Miller smiled grimly
looking at me with a nod of approval.
"Get back in the car
Jake
follow us to county general,"
he instructed.
I helped Megan back into the seat
her body shaking from the adrenaline and the cold air.
"You were amazing,"
I whispered
kissing her wet cheek.
"I had to do it
Jake
I couldn't let them take me,"
she breathed
her voice fading as the strength left her body.
We pulled away from the cabin entrance
the police cruisers turning on their sirens to clear the road.
My mother watched us leave
her face twisted in a mask of pure hatred
her hands gripping her expensive coat until the fabric tore.
She had lost this round
but I knew she wasn't finished.
The drive to the hospital took twenty agonizing minutes
each second filled with the fear that she would find another way to stop us.
When we arrived
the emergency room staff was already waiting for us
notified by the deputies.
They rushed Megan onto a gurney
wheeling her into a private examination room.
I tried to follow
but a nurse stopped me at the door.
"Sir
we need to conduct the forensic exam privately to ensure accuracy
please wait here,"
she said kindly but firmly.
I sat down in the plastic chairs of the waiting room
the smell of antiseptic and the bright fluorescent lights making me dizzy.
Detective Miller sat beside me
placing a heavy hand on my shoulder.
"You did good
son
you got her out of there,"
he said.
"But this is just the beginning of a long legal battle."
"Your mother has money
and money buys excellent defense."
"I don't care about the money
I just want her behind bars where she belongs,"
I said
my knuckles white as I gripped my knees.
"We need that medical report to be flawless,"
Miller warned.
"Because your mother's lawyer is already filing a counter-suit in Chicago."
As we sat there
the glass doors of the emergency room slid open.
My mother walked in
accompanied by her lawyer and two new men in suits who looked like private security.
She looked around the room until her eyes locked onto me
May you like
and she began to walk forward with a cold
determined stride.
