PART OF HER WORLD

CHAPTER 16

Pacing back and forth in the hallway, Asher was completely helpless as his sister stood there watching him. The look of concern on her face was plain. He had told her over the phone how he had found Sophia and both of them were thinking the worst. Crystal had rushed over to the hospital, and Mike was supposed to be on his way too. He had just gotten off the phone with Margret as he had no way of getting a hold of Sophia's sister in England. Margret was the only one he knew who might have her number.

Their neighbor, Mrs. Fletcher was kind enough to watch Hallie so Crystal could stay with him while he waited to find out how Sophia was. A nurse, a doctor, and two policewomen had gone into the small emergency room with Sophia nearly two hours ago and still hadn't come out.

"You want coffee?" Crystal asked, suddenly drawing his attention away from the room.

"No, what the hell is taking so long,” he asked as his fears raced through his mind.

"Sophia's tough, Asher, I'm sure she will be OK."

"Crystal, you didn't see her,” his voice cracked as images of her torn bloody nightdress and terrified looking eyes flashed into his mind again.

"They will help her,” she said softly as she rubbed his arms with her hands. Her eyes didn’t mimic her words. The exam room door opened and the nurse stepped out, making them both look to the room.

Her eyes glanced at them and she smiled weakly before she headed over to the nurses' station. Leaning over, she said something softly to the nurse behind the desk and she passed her a chart. The door opened again and one of the officers stepped out and didn't even regard them but made for the nurse.

"Is that the blood work results?"

"Ah yes,” the nurse said.

"Ok good, we are just about finished then,” she said and turned back to the room. The nurse went into the room and the other officer stepped out. This one was carrying three large paper bags that had a red label on them to seal them closed.

He knew it was the evidence they had collected from her and his stomach knotted. Asher still didn't know what had happened. He was only going by what he saw and that made for some horrific thoughts that kept filtering into his mind.

"Hey, you should sit down," his sister said as she tugged on his arm.

"No, I want to see her" he stated as the doctor came out and joined the other two in the hallway. He watched as they spoke quietly, they cast looks toward him and he grew nervous suddenly.

They spoke for several more minutes before the police officers left and Asher went directly to the doctor. He could hear Crystal's footsteps following behind him.

"I want to see her," he said as both the doctor and nurse looked up at them as they approached.

"You are?"

"Her boyfriend and I'm his sister,” Crystal piped up, answering for him. Her voice demanded, as only his sister seemed able to do. When Crystal wanted, she could be authoritative.

"She's resting right now. However, you can go in as long as you don't upset her,” she said softly, her eyes showing their concern.

"Is she OK?" Asher managed to get out.

The Doctor gave him an odd look, then it turned almost solemn. The young nurse seemed uncomfortable for a moment.

"I'm sorry I can't discuss that with you as you're not listed as her next of kin. It's policy," the doctor told him.

"Now if you'll excuse me, I have to fill out her forms,” the doctor said, and the two women left them standing there.

"You go ahead. I'm going to get us a coffee,” Crystal told him giving his arm a gentle squeeze. She smiled at him before she walked down the hall, leaving him standing in front of the small hospital room.

Walking into the dimly lit room where Sophia lay on the bed in a light green Johnny shirt covered up to her chest with a blanket. She looked like she was sleeping, and Asher sat in the large armchair near her bed. She looked so much like an angel as she slept, and he gently took her hand lying limply on the bed in his. The white gauze patch on the side of her forehead covered the large gash that had been bleeding badly when he reached her. Still not sure what had happened to her, he wasn't about to leave her side. Somewhere else in this hospital lay, Bentley, The police had almost arrested Asher for beating him to a pulp.

Looking for the phone to call Margret, he noticed the doctor's chart on the small table by the bed. Letting go of Sophia's hand, he stood and picked it up and eyed it over. Not much of it made any sense to him, other than contusions, severe concussion, and fractured ribs. However, as he read the last line, his heart stopped in his chest. It was a cautionary advisory stating that the patient was in her first trimester.

His world crashed in around him as all the what if's flooded his mind. Bentley had hurt her, and no one was telling him anything about her state. He hadn't saved her; he had failed her and now there was a baby, and he had no doubt it was his. The tears he had fought earlier that night fell freely from his eyes. What if Bentley hurt the baby too? What if she was going to lose it now?

The door to her room opened and he looked up to see Crystal enter. Both her hands held steaming cups of coffee. She looked from his face to the cart in his hand.

"What's wrong?"

"She's pregnant,” he said softly.

"Oh god,” is all she said as she stepped inside the room. The look on her face showed her worry at what it might mean with the injuries Sophia had sustained.

"She's sleeping. I think they gave her something,” he told her. His voice was much shakier than it had been.

"Asher she's strong. She will make it through this," she told him as she set the coffee down and reached for him.

"If anything happens to her or the baby… I'm going to kill him." Asher said between gritted teeth.

* * *~~~* * *

The pain in her head was incredible. The ringing in her ears was also disconcerting. Sophia was unsure of where she was. The last thing she remembered was doctors and police asking her questions and examining her. They had thought Bentley may have raped her. However, he hadn't.  The drugs in her system started to wear off as Bentley ranted and raved about how she had allowed Asher to come between them. Somehow, in the struggle, she knocked Bentley over.

. She heard a smack and a soft moan from Bentley and then nothing more. Sophia fumbled for the phone on the nightstand and grabbed it before she ran from the room. She lost her footing halfway down the stairs and fell the rest of the way. She had miraculously managed to keep a hold on the phone and she hid in the hall closet as she hit the redial button.

Everything after that was fuzzy. The blow to her head from falling down the stairs had left her with a concussion and needing nine stitches in her forehead. She had somehow managed to make it outside, but that was about all she remembered. If Asher hadn't shown up she wasn't sure what Bentley would have done to her. That left a horrible twisting in the pit of her stomach. Again, Asher had saved her, again he had become her hero even though he didn't have to.

The doctor told her they believed the baby was fine but wanted to keep an eye on her for a few days to make sure. They were admitting her for observation and treating her for shock as well. It was for the best, she thought, as she didn't feel right. The fall had left her sore all over and the pain in her head wasn't abating. They told her that was from the nasty bump she took, and that it should pass.

Now, as she tried to focus, she could not understand why everything was grayish and blurry. Then a dark shadow passed in front of her eyes. The pain in her head was incredible. It seared her as if she were having every migraine she had experienced all rolled into one. The buzzing sound was enough to nearly drive her crazy and Sophia knew something else was wrong.

"Hello?" she croaked out.

"Sophia, oh god Sophia, I'm here hun,” Margret said as a warm soft hand squeezed into her own.

"Margret, I need the doctor please," she said, nearly panicking.

"Why honey, are you in pain?" she asked, the worry in her voice was clear.

"No, yes. Please, I need the doctor,” she didn't want to say it aloud. To see even a shadow was so much more than she had seen in over three years, but the pain was nearly unbearable.

"Ok Hun, just give me a minute,” Margret’s clothes rustled and her footsteps rushed away from her. The soft click of the door was followed by her friend’s voice calling for a doctor.

The low conversation of Margret and the doctor finally filtered in from the hall. Sophia strained to hear more of what they said but with the ringing in her ears she could not make anything out. Her door opened and soft footsteps entered. Again a shadow swept across her vision.

"Hello," she cried out. The stinging in her eyes caused tears to stream down the sides of her face.

"Miss. Williams, are you alright?" the doctor asked.

"Yes, I can see shadows."  Another shadow moved in front of her vision and then there were millions of pinpricks of light.

"And now?" the doctor asked.

"I can see really tiny lights, like when you turn the lights out at night and try to see in the dark right afterward," she exclaimed.

"Well, I think we should run a few tests and possibly have a CAT scan done to see what's going on.”

"I'm not going to get my hopes up but…” she didn't dare finish the statement.

"That's a good idea until we learn more. It's best not to do that. However, I need you to stay positive as well,” she told her. The doctor squeezed her hand. There was a hint of worry in the doctor's tone. Sophia wasn't sure why it bothered her, but it did.

The doctor explained a few of the tests they would run. She told her she wanted to wait for those results before even thinking of a CAT scan. The procedure held a small risk for the baby, and they didn’t want to do any unnecessary tests.  Sophia was still excited even though the doctor hadn't given her any real reason to be.

"Sophia honey,” Margret said from her left side.

"Don't say anything to anyone, just in case please,” she asked.

"Um OK, but I need to tell you something about Asher,” she said in a near whisper.

The way her voice sounded told her she had upsetting news. Margret had always been easy to read by the inflection in her voice, now panic-filled Sophia.

"He wasn't hurt, was he? Oh god did he get hurt," the panic welled up inside her.

"No honey, he is fine but…,” she left the sentence hanging for a moment too long.

She thought she heard the door open but wasn't sure as her heart was pumping loudly in her ears, making the pain even worse.

"What happened to Asher," Sophia exclaimed a little too loudly. She was beside herself with worry now.

"I'm fine,” she heard him say and then knew he had come into the room. A feeling of relief flowed over her at hearing his voice and knowing he was alright.