Chapter Eighty-One

Stephanie opened her eyes again and it didn’t hurt quite so much to glance around the room.  Her good eye widened in shock and surprise to find the blonde woman sitting in the chair by her bed.  “Heather, what are you doing here?”  She had sent Darcy home after assuring her more than once that she was fine.  More than a little sore, but fine.  And she still hadn’t talked to Richie.  He had called several times and Darcy wouldn’t give her the phone, insisting that Stephanie needed to rest before she talked to him.  She wasn’t particularly looking forward to that phone call, but it was one she would have to make soon.  For now, she looked at his ex-wife sitting in the ugly orange recliner and waited.

“Richie called me and asked me to come and make sure you were okay since your friend wouldn’t let him talk to you.”

Stephanie licked her lips, and reached for the covered cup on the table that had been wheeled up to the bed.  She soothed her parched tongue and throat with a few sips of the now tepid water.  “Is he okay?”

Heather’s features softened.  She found new respect for this woman who would ask about how Richie was doing while she was the one that lay in a hospital bed, battered and nearly broken.  “He’s worried.  He hates that he can’t be here with you while you’re hurt.  That’s why he asked me-” she paused as the door to the room opened and closed.

“Hi Steph!”  Ava’s sunny smile came into view.

“And Ava to come see how you were doing” Heather finished.

“I’m fine, really.”  She shifted on the bed, gritting her teeth against the pain.  “You don’t have to stay.”

Ava came around the bed, “you’re not fine, you got assaulted.  Have you looked at yourself lately?”

She cautiously shook her head, “no, no I haven’t.”  She frowned and felt the sting in the lip.  “How bad is it?”  She knew the girl wouldn’t lie to her.  The mother might tell her what she wanted to hear, but the girl would tell her the truth.

Ava dug in her handbag and pulled out her compact.  “Here, take a look.”

Stephanie fiddled with the compact, her swollen fingers nearly useless.  “Can you open it for me, please?”  She handed it back to Ava. 

Ava popped it open and put it in her left hand, “here.”

“Thanks.”  She held up the tiny mirror and immediately wanted to cry.  She looked hideous.  Fury was followed quickly by a deep-seated desire to take another whack at the assholes who had done this to her.  “God, I didn’t realize I looked this bad.”  She handed the mirror back to Ava.  “Maybe I shouldn’t have looked.”

Ava dropped the compact back in her purse and pulled out her phone.  “Mind if I take a picture?”

Stephanie’s eyebrows jammed together, “are you nuts?!  No, you cannot take my picture.” 

“But dad wants to see you” she pleaded.

“Ava” Heather interjected, “if Stephanie doesn’t want him to see her like this that’s her choice.” 

She turned to look at Stephanie, “you should at least talk to him though.  He’s been calling almost incessantly.”

Stephanie sighed, “I know.  You’re right.”  She glanced over at the table next to the bed, “where’s my phone?”

Heather pulled out the drawer and handed her the plastic rectangle.  “Is it charged?”

Stephanie turned it on, she only had about 30 percent battery life left.  “It’s gonna be a short phone call.”  She scrolled through her contacts and pressed the one for “Dean.”  She looked over at Heather, “what time is it?”

“Eleven o’clock.”

She did the math in her head.  Hopefully he wasn’t about to go on stage just yet.  She needn’t have worried.  He answered before the ringtone ended.

“Sweetheart?”  He answered cautiously, in case Snow White still had control of the electronics.

Just that word, in that low, husky voice had tears springing to her eyes, reminding her that she might never have heard it again if her friends hadn’t come outside when they had.  She hadn’t realized how much she needed to hear his voice until that minute.  “Hey you” she answered in that soft, quiet way she always did. 

Richie let out a relieved breath.  “I have been so worried about you.”  A slew of questions flew from his lips.  “How bad are you hurt?  What happened?  Why did you leave the bar alone?  You’re pressing charges against those fucking assholes, right?” 

Stephanie tried not to smile too widely at the tirade.  She didn’t want to re-split her lip.  “Slow down babe.  I’m sorry I worried you.  I’m okay, a little bruised and swollen in spots, but I’ll be fine.  I’m pretty sure Darcy told you what happened and I left the bar alone so I could call you.  And yes, charges will be pressed.  The police are supposed to be here at some point to take my statement.  At least that’s what Darcy told me before I sent her home.” 

“You’re not alone are you?”  He didn’t want her alone if he could help it.  And he was fishing to see if his ex-wife and daughter had heeded his message.

She sighed, “no, and I’m sure you know who’s here with me, since you sent them here.”

He chuckled.  “If my daughter is there, why don’t I have a picture of you on my phone yet?”  He had specifically called Ava and told her to take a picture and send it to him so he could see for himself that she was okay.

“I told her she couldn’t take my picture.  You’ll run screaming if you see what I look like now.”

“I’ll just hang up and Facetime you.”

“I won’t answer.”  She pulled the phone from her ear and checked the battery life.  “Besides, my battery is almost dead anyway.  Love you, Rich.  I’ll call you again when I get home.  Hopefully later today, tomorrow at the latest.”  Her doctor wanted her to stay another day, but if she had her way, she’d be home in her own bed tonight.

“Love you too, Sweetheart.  Rest.  I’ll talk to you soon.  Let Ava take the picture.”  He ended the call.

Stephanie turned her phone off, it was nearly dead anyway.  She glanced over at Ava, “let me see that compact again, please?”

~

Stephanie was sitting on the side of the bed, staring at the floor.  It had taken all her strength to get dressed and now she was feeling like she could sleep for a week.  The police had been there and after taking her statement and taking photographs of her injuries, they assured her that the men who did this to her would be charged with assault and battery and may find themselves behind bars.   That part would be up to the DA though. 

The doctor had come in after that and, after checking her over, wanted her to spend another night only because of the concussion.  Stephanie refused.  She wanted her own bed.  The doctor reluctantly agreed, on one condition.

“Hey” Heather’s blonde head appeared in the doorway.  “You ready to go?”

She looked over at the woman, the doctor told her she couldn’t be alone at least for the first night.  She didn’t have any family to ask for help and Darcy had to work so she was left with no choice, really.  Heather was driving her home and Ava was going to stay with her for a couple of days.  “I just need to get my shoes on.”

Heather crossed the room and crouched to help her get her laces tied.  “Are you sure you should be going home yet?  You hit your head pretty hard.”

Stephanie raised her head and winced, the headache was back to a loud roar.  “Really?  And here I thought someone was jackhammering in my head for the fun of it.”  She bit her lip and winced.  The swelling hadn’t gone down as much as she thought.  “Sorry.  I’m just so ready to be out of here.  I don’t mean to be a bitch.  Just take me home, please?”

The nurse came in with a wheelchair and, as much as Stephanie didn’t want a ride to the exit, her body was more than glad to be pushed around.  “Here we go, hop in and you’re friend can drive.”

Stephanie smiled, “thanks Jean.   For everything.”

The nurse patted her shoulder, “just doing my job sweetie.  You take care now, and here” she handed Stephanie a piece of paper, “don’t forget to get this filled.  It’s heavy duty Tylenol for the headache.” 

Stephanie tucked the prescription into her purse.  “Thanks.  Believe me, I won’t forget to take those.”

Jean held the door open, “good girl.  A concussion, no matter how mild or severe, is nothing to fool around with.”  She walked with the girls down to where Heather had pulled her car around.  Ava was waiting in the passenger seat.

Heather wheeled her to the door, “here we go.”  She stood by while Stephanie rose from the wheelchair and lowered herself into the car.  She handed the chair off to nurse Jean and rounded the front of the car.  Sliding in, she buckled her seatbelt and caught Stephanie’s eye in the rearview mirror.  “Ready?”

 
Stephanie rolled her head against the back of the seat.  “Take me home.”