Chapter 10

I was weightless, floating through the air on my back. A soft, warm breeze passed over my body as I lowered a hand to run my fingertips across the field of daisies. I loved that flower. The yellow center reminded me of the sun and the white petals a clown's collar. I looked to the side. As far as the eye could see, there was nothing but daisies.

"Where am I?" I asked sleepily.

"Mrs. Wilson, I'll get help." The voice seemed to have come from far away. It was a man's voice. I didn't recognize it.

"Are you God? Am I in Heaven? I like it here. It's so peaceful and beautiful." But then my mind cleared a little. "I'm not Mrs. Wilson anymore."

My eyes popped open and I stared at the eggshell colored ceiling. The field was gone. The daisies were gone. Looking around I saw a TV hanging on the wall and some sort of curtain to my right. Looking left, I saw a chair next to the bed. Bed? I wasn't floating. I was lying on a bed. Blinking several times, I stared at the plastic container filled with liquid hanging on a chrome pole. A tube like a jellyfish's tentacle hung from the container. My eyes followed it to my arm.

I saw movement and looked up. A woman I had never seen before walked towards me. She smiled and lifted my right hand by the wrist, holding it while looking at the clock. I didn't know what to say. Who was she? Where was I?

I looked around the room again and then back to the woman.

"How do you feel?" she asked, putting my hand down gently and patting it.

"I'm thirsty." It seemed like a strange thing to say, but I was. My mouth was parched.

And then I saw a boy appear from behind her. I shrieked and yelled, "NO! HELP! What's he doing in Heaven? HELP!"

The woman looked over her shoulder and then back to me. She patted my upper arm and said, "Calm down. You must remain still."

"He's after me! He's going to hurt me! Help me!"

The woman turned to the boy. "You better go."

"Mrs. Wilson, it's me ... Angelo Castello."

"You're one of them!" I shouted. "You want to hurt me!"

"Miss Flemming, this boy saved your life."

My mind was in overload. It felt like someone was trying to stuff three pounds into a two pound bag. My heart was beating fast and the woman once again picked up my hand by the wrist and looked at the clock. Who is she? She knows my name. Yes, I'm Miss Flemming. Mrs. Wilson doesn't exist anymore.

"My god!" the woman exclaimed. "Your pulse is ... Angelo, you better leave."

"Yes, he's after me!" I shouted. "He's going to hurt me!"

"Go! Go now!" the woman said urgently.

Angelo stared at me. His eyes looked sad. But he turned and left without saying another word.

"Thank you," I said to the woman. "Where am I? Will he come back?"

"You're in St. Luke's Hospital."

"St. Luke's? Aren't I in Heaven? Where did the daisies go?"

"You lost a lot of blood, but you'll be fine. We got you in time."

I had calmed down and my mind was focusing. I lifted my left hand, not the one the woman kept holding. The wrist was wrapped in white gauze. It started to come back to me.

"I didn't die," I sad sadly.

"No, the boy who was here ... Angelo ... found you in time. He saved your life."

"Why did he do that?"

"You'll have to ask him that yourself. He spoke to the police, but I'm not privy to any of that. I only know you're going to do just fine." She stared into my face with a puzzled expression.

"What?" I asked.

The woman blushed and looked down, but quickly made eye contact. "It's none of my business."

"You want to know why I tried to kill myself, don't you?"

"That's none of my business either, but I, um..." She bit her bottom lip and then said, "Why were you fully dressed in the bathtub?"

We stared at each other and then I giggled. She looked aghast but I couldn't stop.

"I didn't want to be naked when someone found me."

There was a moment of silence and then the woman's face broke into a huge smile. "My name is Nancy."

"I'm Sara." And then I thought back to when I had awoken in my disoriented state. "What did the boy say his name was?" I asked.

"Angelo."

"Angelo what?"

"Hold on." She walked briskly to the door and leaned into the hall. Then she came back to the side of the bed. "Castello. Angelo Castello."

"Oh my god! Oh my god!"

"Do you want me to tell him to leave the hospital?" she said. "I thought you knew him."

I smiled and said softly, "I did a long time ago. I would like to see him now it it's all right."

"Are you sure? Your blood pressure--"

"Yes, I'm sure. I won't have a heart attack. I'll be fine. I didn't know who he was before."

"Okay, if you say it's okay. I'm done here. I'll send him in. Okay?"

"Yes, please do. I'll be fine."

The nurse left and almost immediately Angelo stepped into the room. He waited at the door.

"I'm sorry I yelled before," I said. "I thought you were someone else."

He stepped up to the bed and looked down at me. I saw the concern on his face. "Who did you think I was?"

"How did you find me?" I asked.

"When Leia came home we were waiting. Of course it would have been easier if you hadn't run from Louie. He loved that Cadillac."

"He was chasing me. He wanted to hurt me."

"No, he works for me. He was helping me find you."

I felt a knot in my stomach. "Why did you want to find me?"

Angelo blushed and looked away. Then he faced me again. "When I came to the frat house and saw you..." He looked away again. "They were hurting you and I couldn't stand that. At the time I didn't understand any of it, but I knew you didn't want to be there. So I tried to locate you to find out what was happening. I wanted to help."

"It's a long story," I said solemnly.

"I know. Leia told me."

"She did? I'm surprised."

"We have ways to get to the truth."

I stared into Angelo's eyes. He was troubled.

"Do you know who my father is?" he asked.

This time I looked away.

"So you do," he said. "I'm not like my father. I won't be part of his business. Oh god, that sounds like a line from 'The Godfather.' Well even though I'm not part of my father's business, I still need protection. He has enemies and, well, the two men you kept running away from ... Louie and Maxie ... are my bodyguards. Anyway, even though I'm not in my father's business I still have access to, um ... Leia told us everything."

"Please sit down," I said warmly. I waited for him to pull up the chair and sit. "I haven't even said thank you."

"Mrs. Wilson, you don't--"

"It's Miss Flemming now. I'm divorced."

"I'm sorry. I didn't know. That's why it was so hard to find you. I was looking for a Sara Wilson."

"How would you know? You were just a kid. I'm surprised you even remember me."

"I'll always remember you. You were the only teacher who treated me the same as all the other kids. That meant a lot to me."

"I didn't go easy on you either," I said with a chuckle. "I knew the other teachers did. They were afraid of you."

"They were afraid of my father. I know he's a gangster and has done really bad stuff, but to me he's Dad. I didn't want my teachers to go easy on me. I respected you for not doing that. So there's no need to thank me. I should thank you."

I held out my right hand. "Let's call it even then."

We shook hands and when I pulled mine away he held it tightly. I looked at him with wide eyes and only then did he release it.

There was a moment of awkward silence and then I said, "I'm still in trouble. I doubt if Leia told you everything."

"I destroyed all the copies of the DVD," he said. My eyes opened wide and I blushed. "Yes, she told us everything. You have nothing to be afraid of."

"But Leia can still--"

"She won't bother you ever again. Not her, her brother, her mother, or Joan. You took care of the other two girls on your own. And don't worry about the boys in the fraternity. They are no longer enrolled at ASU and won't say a word about what happened to anyone ... ever!"

"What about Professor Rogers?" I asked.

"Who?"

"John Rogers. He's in my department."

"How's he involved?" Angelo asked.

"Joan traded me for an A."

"Traded you?" The confusion left Angelo's face and he blushed. "Hmm, I guess I didn't get all the information after all," he said rubbing his chin. "Is there anyone else?"

"Well, there were some teenagers, but they don't know me." I looked into Angelo's face, almost afraid to ask my next question. "What happened to Leia and the others?"

"I think it's best if you don't know."

"Please, I must. I'll be looking over my shoulder if I don't."

Angelo hesitated and then said, "Leia's brother was stupid. He attacked us with a knife and when he was pushed away, fell on the blade. It was an accident."

"He's dead?!"

"Yes, but that wasn't our intention."

"Are the others dead too?"

"Only Heather and Jennifer. They died in the car crash."

"What happened to Leia and her mother and Joan? How do you know they won't hurt me?"

"Mrs. Wilson, this isn't the time or place. You rest now. After you're better, if you want to know, I'll tell you. I promise."

"It's Miss Flemming," I said with a chuckle. "Call me Sara. That'll make it easier."

Angelo picked up my hand, the one with the bandaged wrist, and kissed the back of it before laying it on my belly. He stood and pulled a business card from his wallet and laid it on the table next to the bed. "My cell phone number is on the card. Call me when they release you. I'll take you home and we can have a long talk."

I didn't get discharged from the hospital for several days. It wasn't because of my wound, but because I was kept under a psychiatrist's observation. It was only when they were convinced I wouldn't try suicide again that they released me. I called Angelo and he met me at the hospital.

I didn't expect Louie to be with him, but I guess a bodyguard is like a shadow. Angelo introduced us and he shook my hand, but there was no warmness. I wondered if that was his nature or it had to do with his Cadillac.

I was surprised to see a long, black limo waiting outside the hospital discharge area. I recognized Angelo's other bodyguard behind the wheel. He stared at me, but there was no smile. In fact, there was nothing but a blank stare. I thought he'd be a great poker player.