card?”
Laurel looked at Brodie’s face, trying to figure out why there were tears gathering in her friend’s brown eyes. She held up her hand, “I can read it. How do I lift this bed up?”
Brodie showed her the button on the handrail of the bed. Delight swelled her chest! Laurel was acting so much better.
Laurel read the card, “From one ranger to another, Bill.” She looked at Brodie.
“Bill is the guy that found you in the closet. He discovered your phones in the woods and followed the drops of blood to the chase door.” Brodie stopped for a moment. Her composure slipped a tad. “I don’t know what you remember, but from Bill’s description, it was a scene from hell and scared him to death! If it wasn’t for the timing in Bill’s finding you …” Her voice trembled and trailed off into nothing.
Laurel shut her eyes tight. Tears leaked out. “I remember all of it. I remember being bent backwards until I thought my spine would break. I remember the stench of his breath. I remember feeling so cold. I thought I was dying.” She opened her eyes. “I would have died, if left in there much longer, right?”
Brodie nodded in agreement. Sadness swamped her face. “If Bill Olson hadn’t found you when he did, yes, you would have died, Laurel. It’s a miracle that you are still with us. You lost a lot of blood.”
Gently, Laurel touched her index finger to a red, rose petal. “Blood. I remember the blood. Slick and sticky, all around me. My blood. I was so scared.”
She stared at the flower. Her gaze said that her mind was far away. In another place. A bad place.
Not being able to bear what she thought, Laurel was remembering. Brodie broke the spell by grabbing a small basket off the bedside table. A white, flour sack dish towel covered the contents. She nudged Laurel’s arm with the basket.
“Janice LaPlume sent this for you.”
Laurel tore her gaze from the red rose. She looked at the basket and handed the rose to Brodie. “I want to talk to Bill.”
“How about tomorrow? He asked to come and see you. I told him he’d better hurry as you are doing so well, I think they will be kicking you out of here soon!”
Holding the basket on her belly, Laurel pointed to a stuffed St. Bernard cuddled between the bouquets. “I suppose Jackson sent that?” She grinned at Brodie.
“Amelia asked me to put that in your room. Your daughter said you would need Jackson near you, so that you would heal faster.”
“Yup, that girl knows me. I do need that bumbling bundle of fur. I hope they release me tomorrow. Do you think there’s a chance?”
“I think there’s an excellent chance. The last doctor in here said that you might be able to go home tomorrow, as long as you come to his office a couple of days later. He needs to keep tabs on the wound in your back. Although, it’s lookin’ mighty good so far, it needs checking.”
“Deal!” Laurel unwrapped the basket. The wonderful aroma of fresh bread mixed with the scent of flowers. There was a small recycled plastic container, reminiscent of holding a sauce from a carry-out restaurant, full of whipped butter in a corner of the basket. Her stomach growled.
Brodie’s mouth watered. When did she eat last?
“I heard that!” Laurel said. She gave Brodie a cheeky look. “Shall we eat?”
Chapter 15
“ W h o-Cooks-For-You,” called the barred owl. Nestled in a pile of quilts, Laurel watched the large gray-brown, puffy-headed woodland bird through a pair of Zeiss binoculars. He often perched on a distant longleaf pine, a nocturnal predator waiting to devour a fat little mouse, large insect or a smaller bird. Sweet memories of the same owl over the past two years, singing his familiar song just before dark warmed her heart. She had brought the call to her mother’s attention many evenings. Although, Mary Lois didn’t always remember that she had just heard the same call the evening before, sometimes she did. She would smile and say
Laurel looked at Brodie’s face, trying to figure out why there were tears gathering in her friend’s brown eyes. She held up her hand, “I can read it. How do I lift this bed up?”
Brodie showed her the button on the handrail of the bed. Delight swelled her chest! Laurel was acting so much better.
Laurel read the card, “From one ranger to another, Bill.” She looked at Brodie.
“Bill is the guy that found you in the closet. He discovered your phones in the woods and followed the drops of blood to the chase door.” Brodie stopped for a moment. Her composure slipped a tad. “I don’t know what you remember, but from Bill’s description, it was a scene from hell and scared him to death! If it wasn’t for the timing in Bill’s finding you …” Her voice trembled and trailed off into nothing.
Laurel shut her eyes tight. Tears leaked out. “I remember all of it. I remember being bent backwards until I thought my spine would break. I remember the stench of his breath. I remember feeling so cold. I thought I was dying.” She opened her eyes. “I would have died, if left in there much longer, right?”
Brodie nodded in agreement. Sadness swamped her face. “If Bill Olson hadn’t found you when he did, yes, you would have died, Laurel. It’s a miracle that you are still with us. You lost a lot of blood.”
Gently, Laurel touched her index finger to a red, rose petal. “Blood. I remember the blood. Slick and sticky, all around me. My blood. I was so scared.”
She stared at the flower. Her gaze said that her mind was far away. In another place. A bad place.
Not being able to bear what she thought, Laurel was remembering. Brodie broke the spell by grabbing a small basket off the bedside table. A white, flour sack dish towel covered the contents. She nudged Laurel’s arm with the basket.
“Janice LaPlume sent this for you.”
Laurel tore her gaze from the red rose. She looked at the basket and handed the rose to Brodie. “I want to talk to Bill.”
“How about tomorrow? He asked to come and see you. I told him he’d better hurry as you are doing so well, I think they will be kicking you out of here soon!”
Holding the basket on her belly, Laurel pointed to a stuffed St. Bernard cuddled between the bouquets. “I suppose Jackson sent that?” She grinned at Brodie.
“Amelia asked me to put that in your room. Your daughter said you would need Jackson near you, so that you would heal faster.”
“Yup, that girl knows me. I do need that bumbling bundle of fur. I hope they release me tomorrow. Do you think there’s a chance?”
“I think there’s an excellent chance. The last doctor in here said that you might be able to go home tomorrow, as long as you come to his office a couple of days later. He needs to keep tabs on the wound in your back. Although, it’s lookin’ mighty good so far, it needs checking.”
“Deal!” Laurel unwrapped the basket. The wonderful aroma of fresh bread mixed with the scent of flowers. There was a small recycled plastic container, reminiscent of holding a sauce from a carry-out restaurant, full of whipped butter in a corner of the basket. Her stomach growled.
Brodie’s mouth watered. When did she eat last?
“I heard that!” Laurel said. She gave Brodie a cheeky look. “Shall we eat?”
Chapter 15
“ W h o-Cooks-For-You,” called the barred owl. Nestled in a pile of quilts, Laurel watched the large gray-brown, puffy-headed woodland bird through a pair of Zeiss binoculars. He often perched on a distant longleaf pine, a nocturnal predator waiting to devour a fat little mouse, large insect or a smaller bird. Sweet memories of the same owl over the past two years, singing his familiar song just before dark warmed her heart. She had brought the call to her mother’s attention many evenings. Although, Mary Lois didn’t always remember that she had just heard the same call the evening before, sometimes she did. She would smile and say
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