Chapter 16

I hear voices in my room. Chatter that wakes me from my sleep. With eyes fighting hard to stay open, I look around and see a room full of people. Jane in the corner, resting on a chair. A nurse is near me, typing into a computer, and two police officers waiting near the door of the room.

“Good morning honey” the nurse is the first to notice me. “I’m nurse Tiffany and I’m just checking your vitals.”

“Rachel you’re awake!” Jane springs out of her seat and rushes to my bed. Plopping down on the edge she motions towards the officers. “They’re here to talk to you about the attack.”

The officers take a couple of steps closer to me as the nurse finishes on her computer and leaves the room.

“Miss my name is Officer Pierce, do you know why you are in the hospital?”

“I was attacked in my room.” I answer, barely recognizing my own hoarse voice.

“Did you recognize your attacker?”

“Yes. It was Mr. Whitmore, our neighbor.

The officer nods towards his colleague behind him as he writes something on a clipboard.

“Can you tell us as much as you remember about the incident? I know this is all fresh and reliving it can be traumatic.”

I close my eyes and try to take a deep breath. It hurts to breathe. Tears well up in the corner of my eyes as I think back to last night.

“I was asleep in my room” I answer quietly. “I don’t know what woke me, but I remember feeling cold. My window was open. Before I knew it, I heard a man’s voice.”

“Do you remember what he said?”

“He told me I should have minded my own business and that now I was going to pay.”

“Did you recognize the voice?”

“Not at first, but then when he came closer to me, I knew who he was. It was Whitmore.”

“His full name is Scott Whitmore!” Jane chimes in. “He is the choir director at our church and also Mrs. Wheeler’s next-door neighbor.”

“Miss, what happened after you saw him?”

“He jumped on me. He wrapped his arms around my neck and started to squeeze hard. I couldn’t breathe. I tried to get him off me, but he was too heavy.”

“Do you remember anything else?”

“No. I remember everything going dark. Next thing I know I’m in the hospital.”

I can see the second officer writing fast on his clipboard, trying to document everything.

“Miss can you think of any reasons why you would be targeted?”

“Because she saw him hurt Mrs. Wheeler!” Jane interrupts, you can feel her excitement at finally being able to tell the story.

“Is that correct?” The officer looks straight at me and suddenly, I am the one who feels guilty. All this time and I never reported what I saw.

“Yes sir” I reply “I was in my room that night. I was mad at my mom and was sulking by the window. As I looked out onto the street, I saw movement at Mrs. Wheeler’s house. I couldn’t see who was with her, but I saw her come up to the window. She was waving her arms, maybe she was arguing?”

“Could you make out who was with her?”

“No. It was too far. I saw what looked like a man come up to her. He grabbed her arm and started punching her in her head. He hit her over and over and when he let go, she dropped to the ground.”

“What happened then?”

“The man came up to the window. I tried to hide but I think he saw me!”

“This isn’t the first time that he tried to hurt her” Jane added. “He tried to run her over with his car and he tried to drop a brick on her head at the mall.”

The officers both look at me with surprise on their faces. I open my mouth to speak and closed it. My stomach was twisting, I felt a big knot rising towards my throat. I look around in panic and see a trashcan near the edge of my bed, near the bathroom door. I scramble out of bed and barely make it as the vomit comes up. My throat is on fire, the tears are streaming down my face as I throw up what little is in me. Gagging on the acid, I feel as though I can’t breathe.

The room starts spinning and I feel light-headed. The room goes dark as my body hits the cold tile floor.

“Nurse! Someone come quick!” I hear my sister scream out. “We need help!”

I feel weak and dizzy. I can hear new people rush in. “Help me get her on the bed” I hear someone say as I am picked up off the floor and laid on the bed.

“This interview if over Officers” I hear nurse Tiffany declare. “Our patient needs to rest.”

I can feel a wet washcloth applied to my head. The nurse wipes my mouth and urges me to get some water, either to rinse out my mouth or drink.

Jane is in the hallway talking with the officers. They turn to leave, and she hurries back into the room. Sitting on the side of my bed, she comforts me by gently caressing my cheek. “Get some rest Rachel, you’ll finish talking with them later.”

I close my eyes and am welcomed by the calmness as slumber washes over me.