Same Old Lang Syne Ch. 05

The parking lot was about half full with cars scattered around and was fairly well-lit. We were about twenty feet from the entrance when two men stepped out from between a pair of parked cars. They looked like they were in their forties, or so. Going from my size, I estimated them to be around five foot eight, over 200 pounds, each with a beer-gut and dark stringy hair. They stopped and stood about eight feet away. I felt Sam tense up.

We had never had cause for concern about our safety, as the bar was in a nice area; not a high-rent district, but not a dive-type area either. Plus, we never saw any scroungy-looking characters lingering around. This took us by surprise.

"Well... well what do we have here...? A dork and a cute little pixie."

Sam's hand around mine tightened. Even from the distance, the stench of stale beer-breath and cigarettes was almost overwhelming.

I tried to maintain calmness in my voice, "Guys. We don't want any trouble. Here take my wallet, just leave us alone and let us go."

"Oh... We'll get to that, trust me. But first... that little pixie of yours."

His predatory leer at Sam, made my skin crawl. Over my dead body.

"I'll bet she tastes as good as she looks. Probably tighter than shit. How would you like a real cock in you... little pixie?"

The hairs on the back of my neck stood up. Sam's hand clamping down on mine. In all of my life, I had never been in any kind of real fight.

Sam and each looked at each other. What surprised me was that there was no look of terror in her eyes. Scared but, not terror. I had one confident girlfriend. We both had a feeling of where this was going. Sensei's words passed between us in the blink of an eye, "There are NO rules... you do what you must, to survive".

We put some space between us... about four feet, and waited. Each of us took a deep breath, trying to calm ourselves, as each of our hearts were practically beating out of our chests. This was real.

"Not very talkative are we, little pixie? That's not very friendly. Maybe you just don't know me well enough. Well, I think I can fix that," he sneered.

'Asshole number one' stepped forward toward Sam. I moved to intercept, but out of the corner of my eye, I saw 'asshole number two' taking steps toward us. I knew that if I was put out of commission, Sam would have no chance. I met Sam's eyes, and in the blink of an eye, I knew that Sam had it covered. I turned my attention to the oncoming asshole, hoping to quickly take care of him before returning to help Sam. It wasn't necessary.

How my Samantha kept her calm, is beyond me. Steely-eyed; Sam maintained a 'Ready' posture. I had never seen her so focused; like a viper coiled to defend itself. Waiting for the attacker to come within striking distance... for just the right moment.

'Asshole number one' stumbled and then staggered forward with his legs slightly parted. It was the opening that Sam was waiting for. Fueled by the adrenalin that was rapidly being pumped into her little body; with the speed and accuracy of a cobra, Sam stepped forward with a kick between his open legs and drilled his testicles up to his throat with every ounce of her being. The non-human howl of unbelievable agony that erupted into the night was bone-chilling. He collapsed into a fetal ball and writhed on the hard blacktop cupping his aching groin. His wails of intense agony echoed across the parking lot.

"You fucking bitch. I'll get you, but first."

'Asshole number two' came within my range and was greeted with a sidekick to his solar plexus, knocking the wind out of him. Stunning him for a moment. A moment that I knew wouldn't last. Standing upright trying to catch his breath he staggered forward and my foot said, "Hello" to his testicles, and he joined his companion, thrashing around, curled up in a fetal ball, wailing.

Sam was in my arms in an instant and shook. I held her as the adrenalin continued to be pumped into her trembling body.

A man, who had just come out of the restaurant with his wife, just as the two assholes confronted us, ran up to us as his wife ran back inside to call the police.

"Are you guys OK?"

"We are now... I think. Give us a few minutes," as I protectively encased Sam in my arms.

"My wife ran back inside to call the cops. Wow, I've never heard of anything like this happening here. But watching you two. It was over before I could even react."

Just then, we heard the rapidly approaching sirens, then the parking lot was filled with red flashing lights. The spotlights from two police cars flooded the area. Four uniformed police quickly surrounded the scene of the thrashing and still howling, assholes on the ground. The three of us huddled in a group off to the side.

"Let me guess. These two jumped out from the cars and demanded your wallet."

"Not exactly. 'Asshole number one'," pointing to the one furthest away, "Said, he would get to that, but first..."

That's as far as I got. Sam broke down, hugged me with everything she had, and sobbed, as the realization of what had just happened, and what could have happened, hit her like a freight train.

"OK," his voice softened, "I think I get the picture."

Looking at the man who had come to up us, "Did you witness everything?"

"Yes. My wife and I had just come out. We saw these two come out from between the cars. We heard what they said to this couple, which I'm not going to repeat here. Then, that one lunged at the girl. She kicked him in the balls so hard, that I'm pretty sure that society won't have to worry about any offspring. He never saw it coming."

A little chuckle, "I'm sure that that was the last thing that he expected out of this little gal... You sure are something else."

Sam gave him a bit of a grin, which helped.

Then turning back to the cop, "Then that guy over there came at them, this guy first kicked him in the chest, and then, as he stood to catch his breath, made sure that his off-spring-making days are over. The whole thing was over in the blink of an eye."

Turns out the two assholes had previous charges for assault and robbery. They were currently out on bail. The one cop reassured us that that was not going to be the case this time. Fortunately, he let us know that it was highly unlikely that we would have to testify. I was relieved. There was no way that Sam could make it through reliving this whole thing.

He suggested that we seek out some counseling to deal with what had just happened. He had seen it before with his fellow officers, PTSD. The term "Post-traumatic stress Disorder" had come into use in the 1970s, largely due to the diagnoses of U.S. military veterans of the Vietnam War. He knew that seeking professional help was something that we would both benefit from.

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

I held Sam under the warm shower. The adrenaline rush had worn off, leaving us exhausted. We each let the warm water wash the night off of us and down the drain. I kissed her forehead. Reassuring her that I would always be there to protect her. That I would always come between her and whatever, or whoever would try to hurt her. That she means more to me than life itself.

"Bill, hold me... Hold me tight."

I embraced the most precious thing in my life in the warmth, comfort, and safety of Sam's bed. It took a while, but finally, sleep finally overtook us.

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

Monday found me in Larry's office. I went through what happened to us over the weekend.

"My gosh, Bill. How's Samantha doing? How are you doing? If you want to take a few days off and spend it with Samantha, that is absolutely no problem. You two need to take care of each other. If you want to delay the move, that's perfectly understandable. If there's anything that the Company can do for you two, just let me know. I can't even begin to imagine going through something like that. Bill, just so that you know, this stays between us, although I think I need to let Jerry and Brian know what happened, if that's OK with you."

"Thanks, Larry. And I don't have a problem letting Jerry and Brian know. Brian especially needs to know of the delay in my coming out. Sam and I are going to get counseling at her hospital. I don't know how long it will take. I've never been in this type of situation. Let me talk to Sam about it. She may just want to get away from here as soon as possible. I'll let you know."

"Thank God that you two were able to take care of yourselves."

Sam had a similar discussion with her supervisor, with the offer for some time off. She was glad that we were going to seek professional help in dealing with the incident. Sam was relieved that she would set up the counseling sessions with a psychiatrist, by the name of Dr. Emily Barrett, who specialized in PTSD. She had her complete and utmost respect and knew that, if anyone, Dr. Barrett would be able to help each of us. She also added that the hospital would cover the cost.

In the end, we decided to delay our departure by a few weeks to get the most out of the counseling sessions.

Nights were difficult for Sam, as she didn't want to be alone. We slept together every night. At times I woke to Sam screaming in her sleep. When she came to, she was soaked in sweat. I wrapped her in my arms and held her as tight as I could... trying to pull the demons from her body.

At the next karate class, we got there early, before the rest of the group, and approached Sensei. Sam gave him a long and tearful hug. Described what had happened to us over the weekend. Sam added that if it hadn't been for him, that she didn't want to think about what could have happened to either of us. Her voice cracking at the end. I could see tears.

He just looked at Sam and said, that he was sorry that it had happened. Then he added, in a hushed tone that it was stories like ours that inspired and drove him to teach martial arts and self-defense. Then I watched as he wiped away a tear. Behind that tough exterior, he had a heart of gold.

Then, with a respectful smile, he bowed, "You did well... student."

A warm smile appeared as Sam returned the bow, "Thank you Sensei."

We never told our parents about it. It was something that we just wanted to put behind us. But knowing that we would always be there for the other... no matter what.

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

Even though we had delayed our planned departure by a few weeks, Dr. Barrett, who immediately corrected us to call her "Emily", adjusted her schedule to accommodate us, giving us priority over her other cases. We had sessions every day with her. The first couple of sessions, individually and then the next day's session, together.

Sam's first session with the hardest. Even though Emily had read the police report, she wanted Sam to describe it, in her own words. When Sam came out of Emily's office, her eyes were puffy and red. Sam leaped into my arms and sobbed. My heart broke as I wept with her.

My session was a bit better, although I did break down at the end, imagining what might have been if we hadn't had the training that we had, limited as it was.

The next day was a joint session. I held Sam's hand as we sat on a loveseat across from Emily in the quiet of her office.

"After the last sittings, I wanted to have a session with the two of you together. I don't know how much of your thoughts or emotions of that night you have shared with each other. So, today I want to revisit. I know that some of my questions will be repetitive of what I asked you individually, but I want to have you share with each other what was going through your minds in those first few moments from when you knew there was no way out, to the moment it started."

I looked at Sam. She squeezed my hand.

Taking a deep breath, "When the first guy refused my wallet, leered at Sam, and said, 'we'll get to that', I knew where it was all headed. I remember Sam and I exchanging a look, you've seen it."

"Yes. Maybe we'll talk about that later."

"Anyway, the first look I saw that, yes, Sam was scared... Shit, I was scared, but there was no terror in her eyes. The words of our Sensei passing between us. Then when he made his first step, I made a step to intercept but saw the second guy coming. I knew that if I was taken out, that Sam would have no chance. As long as I breathed I was determined that was not going to happen."

Sam reached for a box of tissues, wiped her eyes, and then snuggled closer to me almost as if seeking my protection.

"We exchanged another look; Sam basically conveyed that she had it covered. So I turned my attention to the second guy. Any you know what happened after that."

It was quiet for a few moments.

"Samantha, Bill said that, yes, you were scared, but not terrified. Why? You were facing someone, who was easily more than twice your size. I mean most people, including myself, would be so terrified that they wouldn't be able to move. Wouldn't be able to think clearly. Why were you so calm? Maybe 'calm' isn't the correct word, but you know what I mean."

Sam thought for a moment.

"I guess there were two things. One, the training we had, although relatively limited, I felt I had an edge up. I wasn't really thinking about it. I was so geared up. I don't know where I found the strength. I don't know if I could do that again."

Emily explains.

"It's why we have evolved the Fight-or-Flight response in our system. It's all automatic when your brain senses danger. It's called 'Hysterical Strength'. It's a combination and release of a lot of stress hormones. They don't understand the whole process. It's something that can't be created in a lab, as it would be nearly impossible to recreate a true life-or-death situation. They can only rely on real-life instances. There have been countless reports of occurrences of super-human strength in life-or-death situations.

"You've probably heard of women performing unbelievable feats of strength to save a loved one from death, like lifting a car off of a trapped loved one? Only, for you, it was to save yourself."

Sam gave my hand another squeeze and then looked up at me with tear-filled eyes.

"The other was this guy. I knew that he would protect me with everything that he had. With every ounce of his being, until there was nothing left. I've known that for a long time."

Sam's hand came up to my cheek, and mine hand covered hers.

As those soft eyes met mine, "We had told each that we loved each other many times. But, standing there... in that moment. It was like time stopped. It's kind of like that saying, and I'm probably not going to say is completely correct, but it's something like, 'there's no greater love than a man laying down his life for his friend'... or girlfriend."

Sam's voice cracked and then buried her face into my chest and trembled. I held her protectively. It was true. I would have... protected her with my life.

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

I held the love of my life in a protective embrace, as we lay, intertwined in her bed. The warmth of our bare bodies against each other was very comforting. We were getting there. We hadn't made love since before the incident. Don't know why. Maybe, it was the lingering anxiousness.

In the next few sessions, we learned a lot about each other, as Emily wanted to learn about our early years growing up. Things that we never would have thought to share with one another. Most were pretty funny and light-hearted. Sam went through her tomboy years, recalling that once she started growing boobs, the neighborhood boys started to treat her differently. It took her mom to explain guys and 'budding' girls.

We all had a good laugh when Sam said, that she wished they had kept growing. We laughed some more when she added that she even tried some over-the-counter cream that her girlfriends told her would make her boobs bigger... Bengay ointment. Later, Sam realized that they were messing with her... She always wondered why it made her boobs feel really warm, but nothing ever happened. It took her mom to explain what the ointment was really for and that she was stuck with what God had blessed her with, just like she was.

Then Sam looked over at me, grinning, "But you like my little boobs, and that's all that counts."

Emily was relieved that neither of us had any real demons in our lives. Which was true. We were each blessed with loving families who were always there for us when we needed guidance. So, outside the usual teenage years of puberty, boyfriend and girlfriend issues of getting our hearts broken, we were pretty normal.

The only thing that came close, was something that Sam never really got around to telling me about. I remember that night when I asked her if she would be my girlfriend, and she said that she may be coming with some 'baggage'. Not that she was hiding it, it just never came up, as our relationship grew and deepened.

Sam had met a guy during her last semester of nursing school. He was a teaching assistant for nurses going into oncology, providing care for patients undergoing treatment for cancer. Since their fields were different, there were no issues with student-teacher relationships. One thing led to another, and soon Sam found herself in his apartment. Up to that point, Sam was still a virgin, well technically, as she had messed around with a few guys, but never got past that point. Anyway, the guy took her virginity, rather unceremoniously. He started inviting her over to his place after classes during the week, but never on the weekends. After a few weeks, they were in his apartment and a girl suddenly appeared in the doorway to his bedroom, yelling and screaming.

It had been the first time in her life that she felt betrayed. That she fell for this guy. Gave him a gift. She swore off men, and poured herself into her nursing classes, and excelled.

When we first met, Sam was still carrying the remnants of her betrayed and broken heart. It was the reason, that on our first casual date into the City to the Museum of Science and Industry, she had told me that she wasn't looking for a boyfriend. Then added that, for the first time in a long while, she felt an attraction, but was still leery.

Looking at me, "I kept hoping that you would have the patience to stick with me and not get tired of just our friendship and move on. Like I told you before, it took me a long time to realize that not all guys were looking for the same thing."

"And like I told you, Samantha Grace, I wasn't going anywhere."

That brought a gentle smile.

"And when I had you over for dinner, and when you realized that we were going to make love for the first time; you said that you weren't prepared, as you didn't have any condoms. It was at that very moment that I knew that you were very special. I mean, I knew that you were special before, but right then, it really struck me. Like I told you that night, given the circumstances, most guys would have automatically assumed that I was going to be the dessert. You didn't. You just came there because you wanted to be with me. I'll never forget that."

Sam's hands came up and lightly stroked my cheek. Her eyes had welled up, and a small tear appeared.

"It's why I love you so much."

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

By the end of the first week, I could see much improvement. The night-terrors were subsiding. Still, Sam couldn't handle being alone at night. I was fine with that. I held her, and she relaxed in the security of my arms around her. The hospital had arranged her schedule such that she only had day shifts, just for that reason. That way, we both left about the same time in the morning and I was there for her, either at her apartment or mine, at the end of her day.