Chapter 18 #2
As we pulled into the hospital parking lot, Donner said, “Pull up in the front, and I’ll take the truck and find a parking space.”
We all got out, and I heard the truck drive off as I walked inside with the girls. Once we were at the front desk of the emergency room, I said, “Taya Corbin and Jodie . . .”
“Jodie Magadia. She’s my mom.”
“And Taya’s our mom,” Samara lied. “Can you take us to her?”
“The doctors are examining them right now, so if you’ll have a seat, we’ll call you back as soon as they can receive visitors.”
“Thank you,” Samara said as she took Brinn’s hand and walked toward some open chairs nearby. Samara urged Brinn and Jaimee to sit down, and I was proud of her when she said, “They’re gonna be just fine, and we’ll stay with you as long as you need us, okay?”
Donner walked in a few minutes later, followed by Blaine and Brandt, who came straight over to us rather than stopping at the desk.
I could tell they had questions, so I headed them off by saying, “We don’t know any more than what I told you on the phone.”
“Does this have anything to do with the hit and run?” Blaine asked.
“I don’t believe in coincidences, so I’m gonna say yes even though I don’t have any proof of that.”
Brandt tilted his head as he studied my face for a few seconds and then said, “Obviously, the cops are involved, but I’d like to think that if a man of your . . . character was confronted with an issue like this involving someone he cares about, you wouldn’t leave it to them to make things right.”
“Would you?”
“Abso-fucking-lutely not.”
Blaine pulled Brinn out of her chair to give her a hug, and I was surprised when Brandt did the same to Jaimee.
Samara sidled up to me and lifted my arm so that it rested on her shoulders.
When I looked down at her, she furrowed her brow and said, “As much as I want to ask you to fix this in whatever way you deem suitable, I’d also like to remind you that I kind of like having you around, so I need you to make sure that whatever you decide to do doesn’t take you away again. ”
I kissed her temple and said, “You’re stuck with me, kiddo.”
“Promise?”
I grinned as I quoted Brandt and said, “Abso-fucking-lutely.”
Luckily, it didn’t take long for the doctor to examine Jodie and Taya, who happened to be in connecting rooms. When the nurse called for the family of the two women, he was surprised to see all of us walking his way.
When it looked like he was about to protest, Brandt bowed his head and said, “Thanks so much for taking care of our moms. I’m sure you rarely get the thanks you deserve, but I want you to know how much our families appreciate you. ”
While the nurse was basking in his praise, which I was sure didn’t happen often, we walked past him and went down the hall to find Taya and Jodie ourselves.
Jaimee veered off with Samara and Donner close behind when we saw Jodie through an open doorway, and I walked next door when I heard Taya’s familiar voice.
She looked surprised when she saw Blaine and Brinn with me and then even more surprised when Brandt walked in a few seconds later.
“I just left a voicemail letting you all know I’m okay and will be home soon!” When I smirked, she insisted, “I’m fine, guys!”
The bandage at her hairline and her swollen eye and cheek told a different story.
When she lifted her hand to adjust her hair over the bandage, I saw that her palm was scraped, and the rage I was already feeling almost bubbled over.
I tamped it down as her children gave her hugs and kisses, telling her how worried they’d been and that they were glad she was okay.
They moved out of my way when she motioned for me to come closer. I leaned down and gave her a soft kiss before I looked into her eyes and asked, “Do you have any idea who did this?”
“I was too busy trying to hold on to my purse to get a good look at him, and it happened so fast. I just . . . It’s like I told the police officer earlier. I don’t remember anything about him other than what he was wearing.”
“I’m glad you’re okay, beautiful,” I told her before I gave her another quick kiss. When she winced as she reached up to move her hair again, I tucked it behind her ear and said, “I’m going to go talk to Jodie to see if she remembers anything else, okay?”
“Okay. Make sure she’s alright, and tell her I want her to stay with me tonight.”
“I’ll tell her, but I don’t think Jodie’s really the kind of girl that follows instructions.”
“Tell her I asked nicely.”
“You can tell yourself when we bust y’all out of here.”
“We’ll stay with Mom while you talk to Jodie,” Blaine assured me.
Samara smiled at Taya before she said, “Can I get you anything? Do you need a drink? A snack?”
“We were on our way to lunch when all of this happened. Would you mind getting Jodie and I something simple? I’ll cook when we get home.”
I heard Brandt growl at the same time I said, “No, I’ll cook when we get home.”
Taya rolled her eyes and grimaced before she reluctantly agreed, “I guess that’ll be okay.”
Samara left the room to go to the cafeteria while I went into Jodie’s room. I pulled the door shut behind me and then walked over to stand at her side before I asked, “Are you okay?”
“I’ve had worse.”
Jodie’s bottom lip was swollen and looked like it had been split when she took a hit to her jaw. Even though her skin was the color of caramel, it was easy to see the darkening bruise. When she ran her tongue over her teeth, I wondered if they felt loose after the blow she sustained.
Where Taya’s hands had been scraped from falling to the ground, Jodie’s were swollen, evidence that she’d fought the attacker and gotten in a few solid hits just like he had.
I rubbed my chin absentmindedly and asked, “Do you remember anything?”
“Did Taya?”
“Nothing at all. Her situational awareness isn’t quite as acute as yours, though.”
“He came at her from behind. When he pushed her, she slammed against the truck and bumped her head before she collapsed on the asphalt.”
“Looks like he came at you head-on,” Donner said seriously as he looked at our friend.
“I wasn’t gonna stand there and let him mug her, and then the son of a bitch started dragging her toward an SUV parked behind us.”
“SUV?”
“It was an older model Suburban. One of those old gas guzzlers. Two-tone, brown and cream, clearly hadn’t been washed in a long time judging by the amount of road sludge caked in the wheel wells.
It was covered in dings, some rust, a dent in the bumper, and a missing hubcap on the front driver's side. There wasn’t a plate on the front. ”
“Damn, girl,” Donner said proudly.
“Did you get a good look at him?”
“I’ll tell you the same thing I told the cops.”
“I’m gonna record you, okay?” I asked as I pulled out my phone. Jodie nodded, and I started recording, handing her the phone so the mic was closer to her mouth. “Whenever you’re ready.”
“He was between 6’ and 6’2” and not very fit.
He had a little pudge around the middle, but when I grabbed his arm, it was muscular.
He had on a hoodie, so I couldn’t see his hair, but his eyebrows were almost black.
When he grabbed Taya, he had on shades, but I knocked them off and got a look at his eyes.
They were brown. He didn’t have facial hair.
Crooked teeth. Dirty fingernails. Smelled like motor oil and mechanic stuff.
His boots were black steel toes, and they were well-worn but in good shape.
They were the pull-on kind, not lace-up.
He was wearing thick uniform-type pants.
They were dark gray with smudges on the thighs and worn at the knee, and he had on a work shirt under his hoodie. ”
“How do you know?” Donner asked.
“When I grabbed the front of his hoodie to pull him away from Taya, I felt a thick name patch on his left side but nothing on the right. It felt like those iron-on embroidered patches you guys have on your vests.”
“Anything else you can remember?”
Jodie closed her eyes, but I could see them moving behind her lids and knew she was replaying the scene from earlier today.
She opened them and said, “He had a smudge of oil on his left jawline, a dark spot that looked like a freckle next to his left ear, and his breath smelled like black coffee and cigarettes.”
I chuckled before I said, “I bet you’re the best witness the cops have ever interviewed.”
Jodie smiled but flinched when it hurt her injured lips. “One of them said that he’d never heard such a detailed description in all his years on the force.”
“Good job, sweetheart,” I said as I patted her calf through the blanket. “Thanks for helping Taya.”
“I’m not gonna stand by and watch while my friend gets assaulted.”
“You’re a badass, Mom,” Jaimee said as she took Jodie’s hand. When Jodie grimaced, Jaimee rested it on the blanket and said, “I’m going to go ask the nurse for some ice. Did they look at your hands?”
“Not yet. They were too busy looking at my face. They said I need x-rays of my ribs, but I’m not sure why. They’re not broken. Probably just bruised.”
Donner was scowling when he blew out a long breath. I swear I heard him growl at the thought of why Jodie knew what the difference in injuries felt like.
“I’m going to tell the nurse your hands are injured, and you need them x-rayed too.”
Jodie lifted her right hand off her chest and cringed as she tried to make a fist before she said, “Yeah, that’s a good idea. I think there’s something wrong.”
“I’ll be right back,” Jaimee said before she left the room.
“Like Jaimee said, you’re a badass, my friend,” I told Jodie as soon as the door closed again.
“If I was a badass, he’d have been unconscious at my feet when the cops showed up.”
“Well, I can tell from your hands that he’s feeling some pain from the obvious ass-kicking you doled out.”
“He’s lucky I didn’t have anything stronger than a fist to hit him with.”
“I’ll make sure I get in a few good hits for you when we find him,” Donner assured her.
“I’ll hold you to that.”