Reuben Chapter 14
After riding around for half an hour, I headed to Cristiana’s apartment. I’d insisted on driving her there and picking her up after meeting with the family. If, for some reason, she wanted to leave early, she swore she’d call an Uber.
As I pulled into the parking lot at her small complex, I saw a couple of people rushing toward the side of her building.
A sense of dread hit me. Getting out, I ran to see where they were headed.
By the time I caught up, they were standing still, looking down at the ground.
Edging around them, I saw a woman’s body lying on the grass.
It took a couple of seconds for it to register that it was Cristiana.
When it did, I flew to her side and dropped to my knees.
She was lying on her side with one arm twisted under her. She rested half on the rocks in the landscaped flowerbed. Cristiana’s eyes were closed, and she wasn’t moving.
Vaguely, it registered that one of the onlookers had his phone out, and he was talking. I prayed he was calling for the paramedics. Moving my hand upward, I pushed the hair away from Cristiana’s face.
“Tiana, bebé, wake up. It’s me, Reuben. Por favor, despierta, please, wake up,” I moaned. There wasn’t even a flutter of her eyelashes.
I was too afraid to move her. What if she had a serious or life-threatening injury? I didn’t want to make it worse. Looking around at those standing there, I fired off questions.
“Does anyone know what happened? How did she get here?”
The man who had been on his phone answered me.
“I heard someone yelling and then a loud crashing sound. I was coming to check it out when I heard a scream coming from outside, so I rushed out and around the building. These two women were doing the same. We found her like this. By the way, the police and paramedics should be on their way. I called 911.”
“Thank you. Did either of you hear or see anything else?” I asked the women.
“I thought I heard a man’s voice yelling, too. When I came this way after hearing a woman’s scream, a man came running down the stairs and almost ran me over,” a petite brunette told me.
“Where did he go?” I asked.
“Toward the parking lot on the other side of the building.”
A part of me wanted to check if a suspicious man was lurking anywhere, but the bigger part of me refused to leave my woman, even for a moment.
The sound of sirens approaching cut off further conversation.
If they were for here, that was fast. Unable to do anything but wait, I rubbed my thumb back and forth over Cristiana’s cheek.
Her skin was soft, and her bone structure delicate.
I lowered my face and nuzzled the side of her mouth with mine.
“Tiana, carino, can you hear me?” I whispered.
As I raised, I thought I caught her eyelids twitching, but then there was nothing. A few minutes later, my attention was drawn to a police officer approaching us.
“We received a call about an unconscious woman and screaming. Sir, I need you to please step away from the woman,” he said sternly.
“Officer, I’m her boyfriend. I’ll allow the paramedics to assess her, certainly, when they get here. I’ve been trying to see if I can awaken her with my voice,” I explained.
“The caller stated that a man was heard yelling at a female, and then this young woman was found on the ground.” His implication was clear. He thought I’d hurt Cristiana in some way, then was hanging around.
“Officer, I’m the one who called. He isn’t the man we heard. This man came running up here from the parking lot, not from inside the building,” the man who called stated.
“And on my way here, a guy came running out of the building and almost plowed over me. It wasn’t this gentleman,” the brunette added.
Some of the stiffness in the officer, whose name tag read Chang, eased. “Alright, but I’ll need your statements. I’ll start with the three of you, but first, I need your name and address,” Chang told me.
Fishing in my back pocket, I brought out my wallet and handed it to him. “It’s all current. Jot down whatever you need. I’m not going anywhere except to the hospital when she does.”
Chang quickly noted my information, then handed my wallet back before turning to the man.
I tuned out what they said. I had eyes and ears only for Cristiana.
A second officer joined Chang not long afterward.
I wasn’t able to see his nametag. It wasn’t more than five minutes after his arrival that an ambulance pulled into the parking lot.
More people had gathered but were being held back by a third police officer.
The paramedics took over, and I stood up to give them room to work. As they assessed and prepared Cristiana for transport, I paced until I decided to call Mikhail. I wouldn’t be working tonight. Within seconds, I had the ringing phone to my ear.
“Good afternoon, Reub. How’s it going?” Mikhail asked happily.
“Afternoon, Mikhail. Listen, I hate to do this, but I need you to find someone to cover for me tonight. I’m on my way to the hospital with Cristiana.” I saw no reason to spout a bunch of niceties.
“What happened?” he asked.
“I’m not sure. I found her outside her building.” I paused as I glanced upward. That’s when I saw the open window and a dark cord hanging out of it. “Hang on a second,” I told him.
I interrupted Chang. “Officer Chang, look up there. That’s her apartment. I think we know where she came from.”
His eyes went upward, and I noted the surprised look he got. He glanced back at me and nodded. “I’ll send someone up to check it out. What’s her apartment number?”
“It’s 3D.”
As he nodded, I got back to Mikhail. “It looks like she fell, climbed, or hell, maybe was pushed from her apartment window. She’s in the landscaping bed below, unconscious. The cops and paramedics are here. I’ll be following them to the ER when they take her.”
“What the fuck? Goddamn, she’s having no luck lately, is she? You said she lives in Germantown before, so I know where they’ll take her. If, for some reason, they don’t, let me know. Don’t worry. I’ll get the club covered for you and be there as soon as I can.”
“Mikhail, I appreciate you doing the calling for me. I’d prefer it if you stayed at home with Tajah and the baby, at least until I have something definite to report.
I swear, once she’s awake and able to have visitors, I’ll let you know.
Last time, Tiana hated that so many hung out in the ER waiting room. ”
He grumbled but agreed. While I waited for the paramedics to finish, I filled him in on what her neighbors had reported.
Mikhail grew quiet. When I was through, he told me not to worry and he’d take care of everything.
After thanking him and pledging to call when I had something to report, we ended the call.
By then, the paramedics were ready to go.
“Officer, I know you need to speak to me, not that I know anything more than these three do, but I need to go to the hospital,” I informed Chang.
“Go ahead, and we’ll find you there. I want to take a look at her place. Does anyone live with her? Do you?”
“No, she lives alone, but she’s been staying at my place for the past three weeks or more.”
“Good to know. Go. See you in a while.”
I gave him a grateful nod, then darted to my car. I stayed on the ambulance’s tail all the way to the hospital. I kept up nonstop prayers that she would be okay.
???
It was a repeat of the last time. I was kept in the waiting room while the doctor assessed her.
I got her registered at the desk while I waited.
What was different was that I was called to the back by a guy in green scrubs about twenty minutes after our arrival.
He identified himself as Chad, one of the RNs in the ER.
“How is she?” I asked anxiously as I followed him.
“She’s awake and asking for you. She’s upset and won’t settle until she sees you,” Chad explained.
Relief at hearing she was awake made my knees weak. The setup in this ER was different. Instead of curtain-surrounded cubicles, this one had actual small rooms. We entered the one numbered nine.
Cristiana’s eyes landed on me. She was distraught.
Tears glinted in her eyes. I flew past Chad to her bedside, where I leaned over and placed a kiss on her lips.
It was a gentle one, but I needed it more than my next breath.
Her mouth moved delicately beneath mine.
I pulled away so I could see more of her and speak. Chad beat me to it.
“We’ll be in and out to take her for tests. The doctor will be in again soon. Until then, sit with her, and if you need anything, press the red button on the bedrail.” He pointed to the button.
“Thank you, we will,” I assured him. Without another word, the nurse left.
I hooked the nearby chair with my foot and dragged it right up to the bed.
Before sinking onto it, I scanned her body.
There was a knot on her forehead that was bloody and bruised.
On her cheekbone was another scrape. The arm that was pinned beneath her was folded across her chest on top of the sheet.
There were scrapes and bruises along it.
The rest of her was covered up. I sat on the chair and took the hand of the unblemished arm in mine.
“R-Reuben, I’m so gl-glad you’re here,” she said, choking on her words.
“Of course, I’m here. Where else would I be?” I whispered.
“I thought I’d never see you again.” Tears let loose and ran down her cheeks. I wiped them away with my fingers.
“Shh, nina, don’t cry.”
“I-I can’t help it. What happened? How did I get here?”
“First, tell me what you remember, then I’ll tell you what I know.”
Her eyelids lowered, and she bit her lip. Tension hit me. The vibe she was giving wasn’t one that I took to indicate she didn’t recall. She was reluctant to tell me. I squeezed her hand.
“Cristiana, tell me,” I quietly demanded.