your name?” I asked him.
“William.”
“Well, William, what now?”
“I call your brother after the medics check you out. My team will assess and arrest David Long, and they’ll take your statement.”
“Will you stay with me until my brother comes?”
“Of course.” I rested my tired head against his chest, and when I heard Professor Long shouting from the pain of his burns as well as the agony of losing the fight to win me over, a few silent tears streamed down my cheeks.
***
I had been given oxygen and a cooling blanket, and I had to pass a few preliminary examinations before I was taken to the emergency room. After I had given my statement, I was allowed to talk to the people who had saved me. They used the guy who kidnapped me as an insider. He was only in it to keep himself out of jail. As soon as he had the money, he told the police Professor Long’s plan. That’s when William came to the rescue. He notified my brother and told him, “We know where she is. We’re going to save her.” He walked through flames to cut me free and return me to safety. I never thought I’d enjoy being saved by someone. But as I sat quietly next to William, the closeness and unfamiliar feeling of safety filled me up to the point that I knew I’d let him save me every damn day if he let me.
“Bea! Bea! Are you okay?” Ben was stuck behind a barricade to keep the public out of the burning building. William allowed him to come back, and when he was let back, he rushed me with a hug, and I cried onto his shoulder.
“I’m so glad you’re okay. I’m so glad—”
“Shut up and hold me, dammit!” I shouted. He squeezed me so tight I thought I would break. I didn’t mind, because with him near me I knew I’d be safe.
“Thank you,” Ben said, “Officer…”
“Detective. It’s Detective Dugan.” His Scottish accent seemed to have the same effect on my brother that it did on me when I first heard it after my senses had returned to me.
“She needs to go to the hospital for a full examination,” Detective Dugan said. “She already gave her statement. She’ll be safe. Long will be in jail for a long time, and his burns will keep him from ever wanting to leave. He’ll also be losing his teaching license with the universities.”
Ben appeared pleased about this. I didn’t know how to feel.
“We’ll file a restraining order to be safe, but I think he won’t be coming for you anymore, Miss Morrison.”
“Bea, please call me Bea.”
He smiled, and my heart melted. “Sure. Take care, Bea.” He patted my shoulder and left me alone with Ben.
We rode in the ambulance to the hospital together, silence filling the space between us. After I had passed all of my examinations and tests in order to be released, Ben had asked a very stupid question after too much silence.
“Do you still want to go to Scotland?”
I couldn’t help but laugh. “I want to be on the next flight out of here. What kind of question is that, Ben?”
He sighed. “I’m sorry. I didn’t know. I can’t imagine the things you’ve been through.”
I shrugged as I let out a soft yawn. Everything I had gone through was extremely tiring.
“Shit happens. We live, we die, we move on. I’m going to Scotland.”
“And you’re still coming back?”
“Yeah, I’ll come back. I’ll come back when I’m ready.”
I didn’t know when I’d be ready to return to this place. It seemed as if every turn I made created another problem for me to face. For once I wanted a smooth ride through life instead of this bumpy road crap. I didn’t care if it’d make me stronger. More times than not, it has nearly killed me. And that saying that goes, “what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger,” was a double-edged sword. Yes, it made you stronger. And oh, it made you wish you had died instead.
***
When we got home, Ben wanted to talk to Splinter. I begged him not to tell Splinter what had happened, but somehow the news
“William.”
“Well, William, what now?”
“I call your brother after the medics check you out. My team will assess and arrest David Long, and they’ll take your statement.”
“Will you stay with me until my brother comes?”
“Of course.” I rested my tired head against his chest, and when I heard Professor Long shouting from the pain of his burns as well as the agony of losing the fight to win me over, a few silent tears streamed down my cheeks.
***
I had been given oxygen and a cooling blanket, and I had to pass a few preliminary examinations before I was taken to the emergency room. After I had given my statement, I was allowed to talk to the people who had saved me. They used the guy who kidnapped me as an insider. He was only in it to keep himself out of jail. As soon as he had the money, he told the police Professor Long’s plan. That’s when William came to the rescue. He notified my brother and told him, “We know where she is. We’re going to save her.” He walked through flames to cut me free and return me to safety. I never thought I’d enjoy being saved by someone. But as I sat quietly next to William, the closeness and unfamiliar feeling of safety filled me up to the point that I knew I’d let him save me every damn day if he let me.
“Bea! Bea! Are you okay?” Ben was stuck behind a barricade to keep the public out of the burning building. William allowed him to come back, and when he was let back, he rushed me with a hug, and I cried onto his shoulder.
“I’m so glad you’re okay. I’m so glad—”
“Shut up and hold me, dammit!” I shouted. He squeezed me so tight I thought I would break. I didn’t mind, because with him near me I knew I’d be safe.
“Thank you,” Ben said, “Officer…”
“Detective. It’s Detective Dugan.” His Scottish accent seemed to have the same effect on my brother that it did on me when I first heard it after my senses had returned to me.
“She needs to go to the hospital for a full examination,” Detective Dugan said. “She already gave her statement. She’ll be safe. Long will be in jail for a long time, and his burns will keep him from ever wanting to leave. He’ll also be losing his teaching license with the universities.”
Ben appeared pleased about this. I didn’t know how to feel.
“We’ll file a restraining order to be safe, but I think he won’t be coming for you anymore, Miss Morrison.”
“Bea, please call me Bea.”
He smiled, and my heart melted. “Sure. Take care, Bea.” He patted my shoulder and left me alone with Ben.
We rode in the ambulance to the hospital together, silence filling the space between us. After I had passed all of my examinations and tests in order to be released, Ben had asked a very stupid question after too much silence.
“Do you still want to go to Scotland?”
I couldn’t help but laugh. “I want to be on the next flight out of here. What kind of question is that, Ben?”
He sighed. “I’m sorry. I didn’t know. I can’t imagine the things you’ve been through.”
I shrugged as I let out a soft yawn. Everything I had gone through was extremely tiring.
“Shit happens. We live, we die, we move on. I’m going to Scotland.”
“And you’re still coming back?”
“Yeah, I’ll come back. I’ll come back when I’m ready.”
I didn’t know when I’d be ready to return to this place. It seemed as if every turn I made created another problem for me to face. For once I wanted a smooth ride through life instead of this bumpy road crap. I didn’t care if it’d make me stronger. More times than not, it has nearly killed me. And that saying that goes, “what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger,” was a double-edged sword. Yes, it made you stronger. And oh, it made you wish you had died instead.
***
When we got home, Ben wanted to talk to Splinter. I begged him not to tell Splinter what had happened, but somehow the news
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