10

Thanks a lot to techsan who edited the story pretty quickly and turned it into a better one.

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Chapter Nine

Anna stood still for half an hour. She was trying to process everything that Mrs. Sanders said, make a sense out of all that. She thought about how Chris behaved at the hospital by her bedside and at her home. She was actually trying to punish him by pushing him away from Angela because she knew that he loved her. Angela was asleep after Mrs. Sanders put her back into the rocking chair. She woke up and Anna realized that she was alone. She fed Angela and stood up to walk around the house. She saw the house from a different point of view now. She saw the beautiful flowers in the corridor, the cleanliness of the house, went upstairs and checked every room and seeing the loveliness of Angela's room, she cried again. She had thrown away the only two people on earth who cared about and helped her.

Meanwhile Mrs. Sanders was looking for Chris who was nowhere to be found. Around two in the afternoon she gave up and went home. Sergeant Young called her to ask how Anna took the news and she said she kicked Chris out and she walked out on her shortly afterwards. Then she remembered that this was all about not leaving her alone and she was left all on her own. She didn't even know about last night's event as she had slept through it. Sergeant Young promised to put a patrol on that district at night; that was the best he could do. If this Stephen guy showed up, they would be able to arrest him.

Anna ate what was left in the fridge from the day before for lunch but she had to prepare herself a meal for dinner. She was half expecting Chris or Mrs. Sanders to come home but she knew neither of them would come. The next day she called Chris to apologize but had to listen to a recorded "The person you have called cannot be reached at the moment" message each time she tried. She gave in and made an attempt to relax and enjoy the loneliness. She had never been alone since the hospital, even in the hospital. She remembered Chris, his loving kisses for Angela, how he fed her, changed her diapers and played with her. He was behaving better than any father she could dream of. All that because of a promise he gave to Angela on a half drunk head in the middle of a night. He was unbelievably sweet.

After a couple of days, Mrs. Sanders was dying of curiosity about how Anna was doing and where Chris was. She spied on Anna's house and was convinced that she was doing good on her own. That left Chris. After two weeks without information, she wanted Sergeant Young to do a search on where he could be. He hadn't been to the school or to his house. The housekeeper said his things were still there. Knowing his love for the children and his job, she was worried. If he didn't show up soon she would have to inform his parents.

Meanwhile Chris was away in the woods, living in isolation. He hadn't bathed or shaved since he came. He was barely eating and mostly sleeping or wandering in the woods. His world had really crashed this time. The support which held it up from the last disaster of Lisa and George was Anna. He didn't understand why but it was gone. He didn't even want to raise a hand or even live anymore. He had thought the woods would help him but they didn't.

After some investigation Sergeant Young found out that the Taylors had a cabin up in the woods. It was probable that he was there. There was no village close by and no phone in the cabin so he decided to go and have a look.

The road was slightly more than two wheel tracks in mud. There were trees all around. It seemed like a forgotten paradise with the sun shining through the leaves. The feeling was so different than urban life that the sergeant felt out of place. He concentrated on not falling in any of the holes on the road and his mind turned to Chris. He was wondering if he was really at the cabin or the trip would be just a nice memory.

Chris heard the sedan park next to his SUV but decided to stay in bed. He didn't have any energy left anyway. Sergeant Young got out of his car and studied the surroundings. It was so beautiful that it could have been a picture. The cabin was surrounded by some tall trees. Only the front side was open for a nice pastoral view. There were wildflowers everywhere dancing in the slight breeze. All the colors in the world. Butterflies were flying around. You could almost picture a small girl running around chasing them, giggling all the time. The uproar of the city was far away. Every now and then a bird sang from somewhere in the woods. He felt reenergized.

"Chris, are you inside? Can I come in?" he asked. He had no idea how he would find him in case he wasn't there. If he were in his shoes, he would have been stomping around and probably chopping down some trees with fury but Chris wasn't him.

Chris only moaned in answer. Sergeant Young rushed in the house. The door was unlocked. Why would it be anyway? Only bears and wolves could be expected as visitors here and the cabin didn't have much to steal.

"The weather is so nice here. If I were you I'd sit outside," the sergeant said in a cheerful voice. But as soon as his eyes adapted to the gloomy interior, he was shocked. The cabin was hardly larger than a standard living room. On one side there was the kitchen, on the other side a sofa on which Chris lay. He looked pale and undernourished. The unshaven beard on his face was at least a week old.

"Chris, what do you think you're doing here? Are you sick? Did you run out of food? Why didn't you call any of us?" Mark asked but he already knew the answer.

Another moan was the answer followed by, "I didn't see any reason to eat."

"Come on. What's going on here? Your students told me that they missed you. I'm sure Anna and Mrs. Sanders are worried to hell. Do you remember them?"

A flicker of joy and remembrance passed his eyes, "I loved them." Then he passed out.

Young cursed under his breath and checked his pulse. Relieved that he could still feel it, he carried Chris to his car and drove to the nearest hospital. He would send someone else to bring the SUV back later. It was obvious that Chris was deep in depression and he possibly hadn't eaten anything for a long time.

The ER of the small hospital in the nearest village didn't satisfy him and he decided to take him to the same hospital in the city where Chris had taken Anna. He arranged an ambulance and when they reached the hospital Chris was immediately admitted, shaved and cleaned. The first hospital had started to feed him through IV. He was still unconscious.

Mark was still unsure if he should say anything to Mrs. Sanders and was waiting for what the doctor might have to say when Heather spotted him.

"Isn't that Chris over there? I almost didn't recognize him. What happened?"

"I don't know much. He was reported missing last week. I found him in this state."

"Poor guy. I wonder what happened. I wonder if it is related to Ms. Collins. Do you know how she is?"

"She's getting along pretty good as far as I know but we still didn't get the man responsible for her state."

"My prayers are with these two."

"I hope he'll be fine. I'm waiting for somebody to give some information to me."

"I'll find out who is responsible for him. Wait a moment."

Heather found a young doctor who was checking lab reports about Chris. He explained to Mark that Chris was probably in shock and the results show that he didn't eat anything for the last several days. He would be well and ready to go in a couple of days. No serious damage was done to the internal organs during his fast.

Mark found himself admiring Heather, the brunette with golden brown eyes, medium sized breasts and nice round hips which her dress showed nicely. He wondered how he didn't notice her before. Maybe he could ask her out. It didn't occur to him that she could have a boyfriend or even be engaged. He had to shake his head to concentrate on the doctor.

Heather felt his eyes on her and thought about more or less the same things. How didn't she notice this cool guy with black hair, dark black eyes in which the lights shimmered, just the right nose and wonderfully shaped lips before. She wondered if she would look stupid if she kissed him right there and then.

Mark was glad that she stayed around during the doctor's explanation. He didn' know her name but her nameplate helped him. "Heather, thank you very much for your help. Would you go out for a dinner with me, I mean after all this is settled?" He had a miserable pleading look. He wanted it to sound like he was offering the dinner in return of her help but his eyes showed how nervous he was. Before Heather had a chance to answer he cut in, "Oh, silly me. Your boyfriend must object to your going out with other men." He had figured she wasn't married or engaged because there was no ring on her fingers.

"No, I mean yes. Or no." Heather was so surprised that she was stuttering, "Let me start again. Yes, I would love to go out with you and no, my boyfriend wouldn't object..." she let that linger a moment, just to check his reaction, "because I don't have one."

Mark gave out the breath he was unconsciously holding and tried to gather his thoughts. Why was he acting like a teenager who had just asked his first girlfriend out and like his life was depending on the answer? But he was obviously relieved and smiled.

"So I'll pick you up from your place say at eight, Friday night. Will that be ok?" he asked.

"Ok. Here's my phone number and address. I'll be waiting. I don't like Chinese food, by the way."

"Fine, I'll arrange something else then. I'll go up to see how Chris is doing. Will you be on his floor?"

"I think I will be but I've just finished my shift for today. I'll be back tomorrow morning. Bye!" She felt like she could hop and jump and maybe play hopscotch on the way home. Her heart did an imaginary somersault. The weather was brilliant, she thought. The sweet smell of spring still held on to the air.

Mark waved goodbye with a smile reaching his ears. He was whistling merrily as he went towards the elevator.

Chapter Ten

Mark called Chris's housekeeper to tell her that he had found Chris and there was no need to be worried. However when Mrs. Sanders learned all the truth, she came to the hospital immediately. Chris was still asleep in his room.

"Are you sure he is all right? He looks bad," Mrs. Sanders said worriedly.

"There is no physical damage that they could track but God knows about the emotional ones," Mark answered, thinking about the conditions in which he found Chris. "Do you think we should inform Anna?"

"No, that woman has no wits whatsoever. She is the cause of all this. If she wants to stay alone then let it be."

"I have to arrange things to get his car back to the city. Will you stay?"

"I'd like to."

Chris slept through three straight days. On worse periods he would talk in his sleep calling Angela and Anna. During better times he would just sleep. Mrs. Sanders was by his side all the time. She talked about the funny things they did together, trying to avoid mentioning about Anna or Angela. They hadn't informed his parents as the doctors said there was no life-threatening danger. He simply didn't want to wake up. On the third day he opened his eyes. It was pretty clear that he was in depression. When he saw Mrs. Sanders he looked around as if looking for somebody else. Then he sank back into his bed. She told him about how Mark had found him and brought him here and what a fool he was to let that happen. She also told him that she had left Anna and Angela shortly after he left but she checked on them and they were doing well.

After he was released, she took him to her house and together with Mark, they tried to persuade the Chris they knew to come back. Mark took him out to the usual meetings of the cop group, Mrs. Sanders made him work in the garden. Chris welcomed anything that took his mind off Anna. He was fervently solving crossword puzzles or even working five thousand piece puzzles if he had a spare minute and he took pills to sleep. He gradually started to feel better. Sometimes he sneaked near Anna's house and checked on them. He told himself that he had kept his promise and his duty was over. They were doing fine on their own. After two weeks he was ready to meet his students again.

In the meantime, Anna was quite used to her new lonely lifestyle. She even went out shopping. Angela was a miracle. She felt proud to be able to raise her on her own but she missed the company and help of Mrs. Sanders. Sometimes she wondered how Chris was doing but, as he didn't return her calls, she thought he didn't want to talk to her.

One night when she began to prepare dinner, she heard someone at the door. Hoping and thinking that it was Mrs. Sanders or Chris, she went and froze at the sight she saw through the peephole. It was Stephen. He knocked a few times more and shouted.

"I know you are there. You and that baby are mine. Come on, open the door so that we can be together again," he said loudly.

She was trying to think, to act. All the scenes from the past year with him passed in front of her eyes. She ran to the phone and called 911, shouted to the operator that Stephen was banging on her door and thankfully she was coherent enough to give the address. The operator asked her to calm down and look for another way out of the house. Anna ran upstairs and back downstairs to the sitting room to take Angela and ran out of the kitchen door just as Stephen kicked the front door open.

"Come on. You must be punished. Where are you hiding? You know I'll find you," he shouted.

She wasn't suitably dressed for a chilly evening but she didn't feel the cold. She didn't know anybody, didn't know Chris's or Mrs. Sanders's house even if she had the heart to go so she ran to the police station looking over her shoulder with every step.

The sergeant on duty listened to her and seeing that she had an open case with Sergeant Young, called him to inform of the news. The patrol car which would be there later that night was instructed to go to the house immediately and was already investigating the scene. Stephen was gone but this time he had been careless and had left a few fingerprints here and there and there was a mud stain on the carpets from his shoes. He had taken good care to trash everything; the house looked as if a hurricane passed through it. Mark called Mrs. Sanders. As she hurried to the police station she called Chris.

"Come to the police station. It's about Anna. Emergency," she said and the line went dead. Chris had dropped the mobile on hearing the word 'emergency'. He was once again breaking the speed record in the district, which he had set the night he ran to Anna's house in pajamas. All along the way he prayed and amazed himself at how religious he became.

"Please, God, please let her be all right. I can't forgive myself if anything has happened to her or Angela. Please, please," he begged.

When Anna saw him, she looked at him unbelievingly, as if she had just seen a ghost. She hadn't called him, didn't have the courage, was thinking of where she would go because the cops had just told her that her house would need to be searched thoroughly which would take some time and she was afraid to go outside. Stephen was out there somewhere, he had found her and right at that desperate moment Chris was there again like an angel when she needed him. He looked a bit thin and shadows lingered under his eyes. He came over and taking her head into his palms, looked at her. The worry and hope could easily be seen in his eyes. Seeing no new bruises or cuts, he gave a breath of relief.

"Thank God, you are fine."

"I am sorry," she said, embarrased from her previous behavior.

"For what?"

"My behavior that day. I called you to apologize but your mobile was out."

"That is already forgotten. I should have explained things to you well before. Can you tell me what happened?"

"Stephen came to the house and actually broke the door, I think. I ran out of the kitchen door."

"I am happy and proud that you were strong and courageous enough."

"I froze for a moment and ran around aimlessly afterwards but I made it out in time. But what if I couldn't. Next time I might not be able to. He knows I'm alive. He'll come back for me. He said he would punish me," Anna said, and broke down crying.

"I'm not letting you out of my sight anymore, Anna. Mrs. Sanders is moving back in and I'll also be there. No harsh words of yours can drive me away. I almost died of anxiety on my way here," Chris said and held her in his arms and he realized that Angela was missing.

A new wave of fear swept through him, "Where's Angela?"

Anna saw the worry in his olive green eyes, "She's sleeping over there. They made a makeshift bed for her."

"Oh, thank God!" he said with relief and saw the old nurse coming. "Here's our sweet, Mrs. Sanders."

"My nephew told me that we wouldn't be able to get in the house until the morning and it was in a mess."

"Then we're going to my place which is large enough to accomodate all of us. And Anna, please let me take care of the house before you get back, I don't want it to cause you any more stress than necessary."

"Like you did before?"

Now it was time for Chris to eye Mrs. Sanders who looked suspicious.

"I threw it all out before I walked out. I was so angry and figured it wouldn't matter, since you were gone, too. I'm sorry."

"Anna, I had meant to explain it to you but never could."

"Mrs. Sanders put it in a clear way to go through my thick head. Thank you for everything. And yes, I'd like you to take care of it cause I don't think I can stand seeing it that way."

"Done then. Let's go. We all need some peace and rest. I'll take Angela. I think we have to stop at the mall to buy some essentials for her," Chris said.

"Oh, what a nice way to point out that I forgot to pack a baby bag on my way out!" Anna said jokingly and the group headed towards the mall, "but I get to pay. Mark had my bag brought from my house."

Mrs. Sanders and Mark were extremely happy that the couple had made peace at last. Chris seemed to return to his previous self. Anna was already very tired so they kept the mall visit short. They bought some heat-in-the-microwave quick dinners for themselves and diapers and wipes for Angela. Anna had difficulty keeping her eyes open on the way to Chris's house and was more than delighted to find that there was a soft sofa in the living room. Mrs. Sanders and Chris decided to let her rest for a while until they prepared the dinner and the table.

"If this Stephen could track Anna, he probably knows that I am going in and out of the house and it won't be long until he finds this place. Don't be alarmed and please don't say anything to Anna but I think we have to go somewhere else," Chris said to Mrs. Sanders in the kitchen.

"I feel guilty because I left her alone. I'm a free woman. If you want, I can come too."

"I'll be very happy if you could. I can't leave town for another two weeks. I have obligations at the school and I'd die to see my students graduate but after that I'll take a leave. The summer break is coming anyway. I'll talk to Mark and try to arrange a patrol 24/7 here until we head out. Maybe they can find the bastard before we do actually go. Then we'll be going to the seaside to my aunt's house. You'll love her. She's not a real relative but is a good friend of my mother. She lives in a small town so we'll be informed about anything or anybody strange if Stephen figures out our place but I don't think he'll be able to."

"So you have a plan already. Let me take care of the patrol."

"I said I won't leave them until I see both are fine. I walked away from that once and look what has happened. I'm not leaving Anna alone for a second more than I have to." Chris was enthusiastic and Mrs. Sanders was enjoying herself even under these conditions. Chris had become like her son.