Sophia Pt. 04

The first police cars arrived within five minutes of my rescue of Kathy. Four policemen charged into the alley with guns drawn. I was too tired to say anything but "hello."

They wanted to question me separately from Kathy, but she refused to remove her arms from around my neck and screamed when they tried to force her. Her being the obvious victim made them treat her with kid gloves, and they backed off. It was a good thing they did, because I had been getting close to the point where I was going to do something completely stupid to make them stop.

I told my story and mentioned that the bouncer had to be an accomplice. That little tidbit interested them greatly. Then, before the ride to the hospital in the ambulance, they once again tried to separate us. I ended up riding in the ambulance, sitting on a gurney with Kathy on my lap. The attendants seemed to be very concerned about my heavily bleeding hands, but they still seemed to be working, so I called Freddie at her home. Thankfully, she answered; I told her part of the situation and asked her to come straight to the hospital to help Kathy; she was going to need all the support she could get after her near rape.

At the hospital Kathy still refused to let go of me and the nurses there were getting quite forceful with her until I told them in no uncertain terms to wait for Kathy's friend to arrive. I was surprised to see that it was Vanessa who was first through the door, followed five minutes later by Freddie.

They were then able to coax Kathy from my arms and Vanessa took her into hers. The nurses had already drawn blood from Kathy to determine what she had been drugged with, so they were then able to work on my hands. They even ended up giving me an IV. I took thirty-seven stitches in my right hand and eighteen in my left to close the mess of, thankfully, mostly shallow cuts; in addition both my hands were pretty swollen and bruised because I had indirectly used them like hammers. While they were working on me, my cell phone rang. It was Maria, and Freddie answered the call. Freddie had been staying with me while Vanessa stayed with Kathy. Freddie seemed to talk for a long time before she finally held the phone to my ear and I briefly said hello. I was really beat and kind of out of it by then, so I asked Freddie to take the phone back.

........................

Where were they? It was almost four-thirty in the morning and they still weren't home yet!Finally I had had enough and I decided to call Don's cell phone.

"Hello, hello, Don are you there?"

"Hi, Maria it's me, Freddie, I've got Don's cell phone."

"What are you doing with Don's cell phone? Are he and Kathy okay? What's going on?"

"They are both okay now, but they had a big scare. Don didn't call you because you're taking care of Megan and Robin and there was no way for you to come to the hospital without worrying them."

"Thehospital?!!"

"Some assholes drugged and tried to kidnap Kathy, probably to rape her. Luckily Don was on the ball and put a stop to it. They took Kathy to the hospital to check her out because of the drugs. Don hurt his hands a bit and he needed some stitches. With luck we should have everyone home in an hour to an hour and a half. Here, I'll let you talk to Don."

"Hi, Maria, sorry to worry you, how are you and my babies?"

"Don, we're fine, but what about you?"

"I'm okay, just really tired. Freddie, can you talk to her for me?"

"I'm sorry, Maria, Don is really wiped out. They gave him some pain killers and I think they're making him sleepy. Don originally called me to come to the hospital and help Kathy because she was so upset. I called Vanessa and she met me at the hospital. We would have called you earlier, but we've been really busy here, I'm sorry."

"Okay, I understand, but please get back as soon as possible. I don't want Megan and Robin to worry."

I WAS FURIOUS! DON AND KATHY WERE HURTAND HE DIDN'T CALL ME!I didn't know if I wanted to cry or kill him. After calming myself down with some deep breathing, I could sort of understand him not calling me because he was fearful that Megan and Robin might hear something,but it still hurt! Didn't that big dope know how I felt?

I spent a very anxious hour waiting for them, and I kept looking out the apartment window every minute or so for what felt like forever. Finally I saw both Vanessa's and Freddie's cars pull up. Vanessa hurried over to Freddie's car and helped Don out of the back seat.Why did he need help if it was just a couple of stitches?Freddie tried to help Kathy out, but Kathy ran to Don's other side and started helping him too. Don seemed to be walking all right, but what was going on?Time to get up close and personal,I ran outside to greet them in my bathrobe.

"Don, Kathy, are you two all right?"

Kathy answered, "I'm okay but Don's hands are really hurt and he's a little bit dizzy from the drugs, blood loss and lack of sleep."

Blood loss??!!! Drugs??!!!

Don rebuked Kathy, "I'm fine, I tell you, I just need a little sleep."

I decided to wait on the third degree until I got them inside and at least got Don into bed.

We managed to get Don inside and into bed, but because of his hands he had a hard time removing his pants. Since I had been kept in the dark, I made damn sure that I took care ofthatlittle chore. He fell asleep almost as soon as his head hit the pillow and we quietly left the room. I wanted to furiously turn on my friends and demand an explanation, but I knew better than to do that so I shut my mouth, gritting my teeth.

I made everyone sit at the dining room table.

"Before we start talking about tonight, Kathy, do you feel up to talking about it now?"

"I think it would be better if I got it out now. I don't think I can sleep at all and I know you're probably dying to know about Don."

"Okay, but first, would anyone care for maybe some tea and THE CAKE before we start talking?" I know it was stupid to worry about food at a time like this but I needed something to do for a just minute while I got myself under control and maybe a snack would help everyone else to relax too, especially Kathy.

I got three affirmatives so I set us all up with the snack before I sat down. There was a lot of chatter at the table that I kept one ear tuned to while preparing the snack, but it was such a disjointed conversation that I couldn't quite follow it.

"Could you please start from the beginning, Kathy? Some of what you're saying doesn't make any sense."

"Okay, after the second club we went to, I realized that we were close to this month's location of an underground club that I've always wanted to go to. Some of my friends at school have been to it, and I've been more than a little intrigued. Here I was with my reputation as an all-knowing bad girl and I'd never been to it. Well, I wheedled Don into taking me, cause he was really reluctant to go. Neither of us had had anything but soda water tonight and I promised Don that it would only be for a short visit."

"We got our drinks from the bar when I was suddenly surrounded by three well dressed, skinny college-age punks. They jostled and distracted me, and we figure that that was probably when they doped my drink. They were obviously pretty experienced at it too, because they were able to cut in between Don and me, drug my drink and vanish into the crowd before either of us realized what was going on."

"Don and I danced to two or three songs when we decided we had had enough and it was time to go. I was feeling dizzy by then and felt like I might throw up, so I went to the ladies room first. I wish I would have thrown up; it might have gotten some of that damn drug out of my system. I got scared while I was in the bathroom because of how I was feeling and came out looking for Don. It was so crowded in the hallway that I guess Don was pushed back a bit by people trying to get to the rest rooms. When I stepped out, those three shitheads grabbed me and hustled me out the back door. The bouncer standing there didn't do shit and must have been in on it. They dragged me outside and stuffed me into the back seat of a car and two of them got in with me. They were so anxious to rape me that they had already started to take off my clothes. I think Don first showed up when they were pushing me into the car."

"Suddenly one of the dumpsters was moved, blocking us in. The two in the back seat with me screamed at the driver to 'get us out of here', but the driver yelled back that he 'couldn't smash up his mom's car.'"

Vanessa, Freddie and I exchanged looks at that revelation. What a bunch of pathetic, juvenile, shit-for-brains would-be rapists!

"Someone outside pushed more dumpsters and blocked us in really tight. I know now that was Don. Suddenly the whole car shook as Don jumped on the trunk, went over the roof and was suddenly on the hood. With his bare fist, he started to pound on the windshield, breaking it! The punks inside the car, were screaming in panic. They were yelling things like 'what are we going to do', 'we're sorry, we're sorry', and 'we'll let her go'. And I was yelling for Don to save me."

"Don was roaring that he was going to kill them, threatening them with tearing off their balls and ripping out their throats if they hurt me, even as he was continuously pounding on the windshield. I could see blood on the windshield from Don's hands."

"I felt like I was in a horror movie, but the monster was trying to break into the car to save me. Suddenly Don made a whole in the windshield and hit the driver on the side of his face. Blood sprayed into the back seat and that's when those assholes went completely insane with panic. I'm sure that they thought that Don was going to kill them. It got pretty rank back there; I think they shit and pissed themselves."

"Don smashed the window on the driver's side and ripped the door off. Then he got the back door open and did the same to it."

"The two punks with me were trying to get away but they couldn't open the passenger door on the side away from Don because the car was too close to the alley wall. Don grabbed the fucker closest to him and just threw him away, like you would toss a bag of garbage into a dumpster. Then he reached in with his bloody hands and grabbed the other guy and started to slam his head against the passenger door window. It was pretty damn terrifying and Don looked like an angry wild beast, ready to tear his prey to shreds. He even scared me at that point!"

When the shithead holding me let go, Don gently pulled me from the car and his whole demeanor changed. He was trying to soothe and comfort me. I know now that Don suspected I had been drugged because of my earlier behavior, but, even though I was drugged, it was only affecting my physical abilities and not my mind. Mentally I was quite alert. Maybe the drug they gave me works better with alcohol in the victim's system, or maybe I didn't get enough of it, who knows?"

"He took me away from the car and carried me a ways before we sat down and he called the police. They showed up really quickly. Don was holding me in his lap and I was so scared and shook up that there was no way I was going to let him go, and Don was shaking himself, probably from an adrenaline reaction."

"The cops and the paramedics tried to separate us, but I wouldn't let go until Vanessa and Freddie showed up at the hospital. I feel bad about that; if I had let go sooner they could have started working on Don's hands right away and he wouldn't have lost so much blood."

Freddie, Vanessa and I were all stunned by Kathy's story and we all turned as one to look at Don's bedroom only to wonder just what was it that was sleeping in there. I recalled a description of Barbara's rescue when Don was still a teenager from the investigation we had had done on Don. What kind of man was I interested in? I knew he was a hero, but still, someone who can do that is a little frightening. They were stupid thoughts and unworthy of Don, but I was still having them. That was when Kathy said something that instantly cleared up my thinking and straightened me right out.

"Maria, you don't have to worry about me, I would never poach. But I am now firmly in the 'Official Don Fan Club'. He is more than enough of a 'bad boy' for me. If you change your mind about him or things don't work out between the two of you, I want my shot at him!"

Vanessa spoke up at that point and immediately made her objections and interest clearly known to us all. I felt like I had just had an icy bucket of cold water thrown in my face.Get real, Maria! So Don has the ability to become a raging barbarian, he is YOUR raging barbarian, and he only does it to protect people. So the thought of Don pounding on a windshield with his bare hands until they became bloody and ripping off car doors was terrifying, he would have almost certainly done the same thing for YOU! How come that last thought made me suddenly aroused, made my breath grow short and I even got a little wet?

Out of the corner of my eye I could see that Freddie had her face in her hands, shaking it from side to side, and was laughing a bit crazily. Freddie was the first of my friends to express a sexual or even romantic interest in Don, but she seemed to be the only one now who was evenpartiallyimmune to his charms. The mighty Professor Kathy, queen of the one night stands and brief flings, had fallen. If Don suddenly appeared in full barbarian mode and roared "I WANT SEX!" Freddie might be the only one not to respond; of course I would have to do something to eliminate my rivals in such a situation.Damn, I had left my new big stick at my home in the mountains! I had better introduce my friends to Roscoe!

The situation got a little worse when Kathy detonated another land mine.

"Maria, I've got a big favor to ask. Can I sleep in Don's bed tonight?"

We all just stared at her open mouthed. I began to shake my head no, but she resumed speaking again in a rush.

"Don is dead tired, and I just mean sleep. Right now I don't think I could get to sleep without Don nearby. I'm sorry, but that's just how I feel, and I have it all figured out. You'll sleep with us too, you'll be in the middle and we'll both sleep on top of the top sheet on the bed. I just really need him nearby for one night, and Vanessa just doesn't make me feel as safe as Don does, plus I'm really concerned about his hands. Just give me one night to let me calm down please, please, pleeeease?" Then Kathy did it, she used her big weapon - something she hardly ever uses, and for that reason it is all the more effective - her infamous puppy dog eyes. I wondered if that was how she talked Don into going to an illegal club?

In the end I agreed to it, but for my own selfish reasons. I wanted to sleep next to Don, and I wasn't sure if I was chaperoning Kathy or she was chaperoning me! Vanessa and Freddie also spent the night, but they slept in my girls' room since the girls were sleeping in mine.

................................................

Robin woke up in bed surprised to find that it was only Megan with her and that Maria had already gone. She let Megan sleep and went to brush her teeth; they felt especially scummy this morning, yuck. The apartment seemed way too quiet for nine AM;Daddy never sleeps this late.Still in her pajamas, she went out to the kitchen and checked there. Nobody and no signs of breakfast, just some dirty cake dishes and coffee cups in the sink.What's going on?

Walking back in the direction of the bedrooms, she opened up her father's bedroom door a crack and peeked inside. He was sleeping in bed with both Maria and Kathy!What the heck is going on?!!She ran back to Maria's room to tell Megan.

While shaking her furiously, she shouted. "Megan, you've got to get up right now! Megan, get up, it's an emergency! Wake up Megan!"

"Okay I'm up, I'm up. Can I go back to sleep now?"

"Daddy, Maria and Kathy are all sleeping together in the same bed!"

Suddenly Megan's eyes snapped open. "What did you say?"

"You heard me; they're all sleeping in the same bed. What are we going to do?"

Megan grabbed her new robe and ran out the bedroom door while Robin followed. Megan was thinking,if it were just Maria I would be cheering and trying to cover things up with my little sister. But it's both Maria and Kathy, and Robin found them first! Oh my god, has Daddy changed that much? I've got to see!Slowly she opened her father's door and at first just peeked; then she carefully looked at the situation.

Hmmm, they just seem to be sleeping. Maria and Kathy are both wearing pajamas and it even looks like they're sleeping on the top sheet while Daddy is underneath. It doesn't look like any funny business went on. What happened last night?

"Megan, what do you think?" whispered Robin.

"I'm not sure, let's let them sleep. I think we should get dressed."

Robin followed Megan to their room only to find Vanessa and Freddie sleeping their beds!WHAT HAPPENED LAST NIGHT?!!

The two girls decided enough was enough. Megan went to wake Vanessa, with whom she had always gotten along best, and Robin went to wake Freddie, the one to whom she always felt closest after Maria.

The two women were startled to awaken in a strange bedroom, but they quickly remembered what was going on and composed themselves. Megan and Robin were demanding an explanation for what was happening.

Freddie interrupted them, "Be quiet, you two. Your father, Kathy and Maria had a very bad night. They need their sleep. You get dressed and we'll take you out to breakfast. Don't worry, we'll tell you everything that we know on the way in the car. Everything is fine now and everyone is safe, but they really need their sleep. So, let's get dressed quietly and we'll all sneak out, okay?"

Freddie was adamant in not explaining anything until they left, so the two girls hastened to get ready while Vanessa and Freddie took tooth brushes out of their purses and went to get cleaned up as best they could.

On the way to the restaurant, Vanessa explained the situation, which provoked several comments from Megan and Robin.

Megan exclaimed, "Kathy was drugged and kidnapped?!"

Robin shrieked out, "Daddy smashed a hole in a car windshield?!"

Vanessa explained again, "Yes, and that's something very hard to do with your bare hand! I would have expected your father to break his hand first before breaking a windshield. He then punched the driver through the hole in the windshield, ripped off the driver's door, ripped off the rear passenger door, grabbed one of the guys in back seat, picked him up and threw him away like a sack of garbage. Then he climbed in the back seat, beat up the other guy, who was holding Kathy, got her free and carried her away."

Megan then reverted to using the foul language that Maria had been so carefully trying to get her away from using, "HOOOLYYYSHIT!"

Robin at first just agreed with her sister by simply saying, "Yeah." Then she got a really silly grin on her face and started up mischievously, "I'm either going to buy him Superman or Batman pajamas, and I'll get Maria and Roscoe to make him wear them. I'll even get the kind with the attached feet too. He'll look so cute."

Megan grinned back at her little sister's coolly imaginative suggestion and they exchanged high fives.Wait until we tell our friends at school about THIS!Some of them had said some quite cruel things about their father after the divorce, like he was a big dummy and worse.This will shut their mouths. They're not going to make fun of a man that can tear doors off of cars!

.................................................

I woke up in the morning, or maybe it was early afternoon considering when we went to bed, only to find that I was sleeping on my side and I was snuggled up to Don with my left arm across his body, except, of course, the sheet was still separating us. I reveled in the closeness that I was experiencing with my breath softly playing across his face.Did I brush my teeth last night? Maybe my breath is a bit stinky?It would be terrible to find that my breath was so rancid that it could wake him up! He might never want to sleep with me again!Okay, he's staying asleep, I guess I'm safe.I then alternated my time between staring at his sleeping face and closing my eyes and luxuriating in just the physical closeness to him.