Hey, this is (not) John Grisham. Thanks to everyone who has read, responded and voted. This was a tough piece for me; your feedback was greatly appreciated. I learned more about law than I ever thought I would, resulting in a very interesting and potentially suspicious Google history. It was worth it.
Just a note: This story is a fictionalized account of stalking and abuse. It isn't meant to romanticize this criminal behavior. Stalking is something that sends chills down my spine. If you or someone you know is going through this, please don't be afraid to seek help. There is hope.
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Chapter VIII: An Appeal
I hated hospitals. The smell, the sterility, the shiny floors... Soap stations were parked next to every door. Nurses walked around with cheery scrubs that somehow seemed wrong against the backdrop of the suffering. Even worse, the frantic and heavy expressions of loved ones were haunting and inescapable.
The employees at the front desk were assholes. They gave me a hard time when I said I was there to see Rose, telling me they were supposed to receive a list of visitors and my name wasn't on it. I fought with them, getting more and more pissed until they caved. A girl called someone upstairs, gave them my name and asked for permission. When she got off the phone, she tossed me an eye-roll and told me I had to wait.
While I stood there, I prayed hard for a miracle. Life had been strangely good to me lately. For the first time in a long time my love life wasn't a punchline. I met a good woman who loved me, who patiently waited while I got over my hangups, who thought I was worth waiting for. My career wasn't going very well, obviously, but it didn't seem as important anymore.
I wasn't so sure if I had done anything deserving of a miracle, but I got one when Olivia walked up to me that first night at the gallery and asked my opinion on her painting. It would be hard to summon yet another miracle, but I prayed and prayed, begging the universe on Rose's behalf. She needed one. She needed to survive.
Then suddenly Rose's father was beside me, silently taking my arm. I only met Frank once before, and only briefly. I expected him to yell at me, to blame me as if I was the symbol of the system that had let him down. That had let his daughter down. Instead he nodded towards the elevator and I followed.
Once the doors closed, he exhaled and looked at me with a smile. "She's okay."
It took me a minute to realize what he'd said. Everything tingled. "What? Really?"
"She's gonna wake up. They have her under, in an induced coma, but she's gonna wake up. The bullet was in her gut. But it came in at a weird angle, so it's a shallow wound. Nasty, they said, but the bang on her head was worse. He...he hit her over the head. Hard. They say the coma is a precaution." He fidgeted. "Of course, you know, it might take some time to heal but she's okay. Alive. They might move her out of the ICU soon."
"That's...wonderful." Then I burst into tears. Her poor father had absolutely no idea how to handle me, and so he patted my shoulder awkwardly until we were finally upstairs.
I hadn't stopped crying, but at least I wasn't wailing anymore. A tentative smile crossed my face as I followed Frank through a series of doors and hallways that didn't make much sense to me in the mood I was in. Finally we were in the ICU.
A woman who looked exactly like an older Roseโclearly her motherโtalked intensely with the doctor near the nurses' station.
Frank cleared his throat and I looked back at him. "Felicity's with her now. You should join her." I went to take a step but he put his hand on my arm. "I need to warn you. She doesn't look great, but remember she's much better than she looks. It's gonna be a long way back. That's what the doctor says."
"Thanks for the warning." I smiled and impulsively hugged him. I was just so thrilled that she was still alive, that she still had a chance. Then I let go, rubbing at my tears and laughing at Frank's uncomfortable expression. Rose had told me once her father wasn't very touchy-feely, and neither was I. Usually. "Thank you."
Then I pushed the door open. I couldn't imagine what state Felicity was in. Rose often referred to her a hot head, and I couldn't disagree. Felicity felt with every atom she possessed. I admired her for that.
I slipped through the curtain and there was Rose, pale and nearly lifeless against the stark white sheetsโnot much whiter than her skin. Thank God Frank warned me.
Felicity was in a chair beside her, toying with the fingers of Rose's right hand. She looked up when she heard the sound of my footsteps and greeted me with a small smile.
I took a seat on the other side and stared at Rose.
"Rose always kinda expected to end up here. Morbid girl," Felicity eventually said. Her voice was a whisper. "She said Dan wouldn't ever let her go. That he'd rather she died than live her life without him." I glanced at her and saw she was watching me with tears in her eyes. "I feel like I was so busy telling her to be strong, reciting all that shit from online message boards and books, that I wasn't listening to her. I didn't hear what she was saying."
"There wasn't anything you could've done, Felicity." I listened to the beeping of Rose's machines for a moment. Her heartbeat on the monitor was an amazing sight to behold. "You have to give yourself a break. The world doesn't rest on your shoulders."
"I was showering. When he came. I didn't hear anything else but the gunshot. I came out and he was standing there, fiddling with the gun. He gave me such a hateful look." She took a deep breath. "I couldn't run. I couldn't scream. I just panicked, frantically scanning the room for Rose. He lifted the gun and tried to shoot. It jammed or something, I don't know. And then he ran."
"Are you going to blame yourself for showering, now?"
Her eyes slid to Rose's sleeping body. "No. I'm not. I know it's not my fault. I just keep playing the look he gave me over and over. It makes me sick."
We were silent after that. I wondered if the police had tracked Dan down yet. A dark part of me hoped he killed himself. The world wouldn't miss him. Another part of me hoped they caught him. Seeing him in jail would possibly bring satisfying closure to everyone. It would be extremely rewarding to see him trapped, to show him that he hadn't won, to taunt him with the realization that Rose would go on living her life without him.
"What happens next?" Felicity asked.
"He's definitely going away. There's no avoiding it."
Felicity kissed Rose's hand.
We sat there in silence for what felt like hours. Felicity had fallen asleep with her head against the bed, her hand still clasped with Rose's. I knew I had to go. I stood and stretched, stifling the sound of a yawn behind my hand.
"You'll keep me updated?" Felicity asked.
I jumped. She was sitting up with bleary eyes.
"Yes."
Felicity stood up, carefully pulling her hand away from Rose, and came around to my side of the room. She studied me for a minute, a smile creeping across her face. Before I knew what was happening, she had me in a bone-crunching hug. After a few seconds I lifted my own arms up to reach around her.
"Thank you," Felicity breathed. "Thank you. I don't know what we would have done without you."
"I didn't doโ"
"Hush. I'm actually thanking someone for once and you're spoiling it."
My eyes started watering but I commanded myself not to cry. "I wish I could've stopped him."
Felicity pulled back, a soft smile still on her face. She smoothed my hair down and then lovingly rested her palm against my cheek. "Remember how you told me to stop blaming myself earlier? I think you need to start doing that, too." She gave my face a pat. "You're wonderful, Elizabeth. You're too good for those dicks who tried to demote you. You're just right for Olivia... I'll even admit that. I'm glad you found her. And you're just right for Rose and me. You're a fantastic friend. We owe you more than you know. And we certainly don't blame you for one move you've made."
I blew out a heavy breath. "Thank you."
Felicity stepped back and returned to her chair, closing her fingers around Rose's pale hand. "Please keep us posted."
"I will," I said. "I promise."