~*Chapter Eleven*~
Knock, Knock
Salym hurried over to the door, expecting AJ. After all, they had been dating six months as of tonight, and she was planning something special for him. But as she opened the door, Kristie stood there, shaking.
"Yes?" Salym said coldly.
"I… I… Luke…" Kristie finally managed to get out.
"Ohmigod, you too?" Salym said, starting to shake herself.
"Can I come in?" Kristie asked, tears rolling down her cheeks.
"Oh, sure, come on in," Salym replied, opening the door for Kristie, as she stumbled into the room. As Kristie turned around, Salym saw blood streaming from her shoulder.
"My God, what did he do to you?" she asked, spinning Kristie around to face her.
"Knife…" Kristie sobbed into Salym’s shoulder.
"That’s it… I’m calling the police." Salym said, walking over to the phone.
"NO!" Kristie cried as she ran over to the phone. "I’m fine. He just got a little drunk that’s all, he didn’t mean it!"
"I don’t believe you, Kristie. Did he tell you about me?" Salym cried, as Kristie slammed down the phone.
"No…" Kristie replied quietly. She then turned an awful white colour, and fainted on the spot.
Knock, Knock
Salym hurried to the door, hoping for AJ. As she opened the door, Luke stood there, his face red and a bloodied knife in his hand.
"Bitch!" he spat out, pushing past her to get to Kristie.
Salym pushed herself off the floor and started running at him, diving on top of him and pushing him to the floor. They struggled as Salym tried to take the knife from his hand. He was stronger though, and as he threw Salym off him, the knife in his hand sliced through her dress, cutting deep into her stomach. She clutched at her belly, as the blood seeped through the material and through her hands, spilling onto the floor.
As she slid to the floor, weak from lack of blood, she looked at Kristie, to see Luke raise the knife above her.
"NOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!" she screamed, as AJ came running through the door. He tackled Luke, wrestling the knife from his crazed hand and pinning his arms behind his back. Nick and Brian came running in from behind AJ, followed by Howie and Kevin.
Salym’s eyes closed as she felt the soft touch of Nick’s arms around her, and she drifted off into unconsciousness.
"What did you think you were doing, bastard?" AJ spat disgustedly at the pitiful lump on the floor. "Did you really think you could get away with this?" he cried as he punched Luke with all his strength in his stomach. "Asshole!"
"AJ, man, calm down." Brian said quietly, reaching over to pull him away from Luke. "I think Salym needs your strength more than he does."
AJ looked down at Salym, unconscious on the floor in Nick’s arms. Tears rolled down his cheeks as he sat down beside her. Nick got up and moved over to Kristie, where the other guys were.
"I’m so sorry, baby. I should have gotten here earlier. Please stay with me, they’ll be here soon. Just a little longer…" he trailed off, unable to talk, his emotions overwhelming him.
At The Hospital
Salym awoke with a start, her heart pounding. "What? Where am I…?" she said softly, unable to talk in much more than a whisper.
"I’m here sweetie, don’t worry… everything’s fine now…" AJ jumped to her side, and grabbed her hand.
"What happened?" she said as she put a hand to her stomach and grimaced in pain.
AJ looked at her and a flicker of pain flew across his face as he thought of her suffering.
"Luke just went wacko… Kristie’s OK though, and you will be too if you just lie back and rest." AJ told her as she began to smile for the first time since she had been hurt.
"Thank you for taking care of me." She said quietly, as she drifted into a deep sleep.
"AJ!" Brian called to him. He turned from the bed, tears in his eyes. He hurridely wiped them away before Brian came into the room, but was too late.
"No need to wipe those away man… I know what you’re goin’ through." Brian said sympathetically.
"Thanks," AJ said. "What did you want?" he asked, not unpolitely.
"I just wanted to let you know that I still haven’t found her parents. In fact I don’t know where she came from before she moved here! Nat, Faye and Rachael don’t have any idea either…" Brian told him.
"That’s ok, but could you keep lookin’ for me? And her?" he asked quietly, pondering this new information.
"Sure… if you need us, Nat and I are just down the hall visiting Kristie, kay?" Brian said, walking away.
"Thanks…" AJ said, walking back to be with Salym.
She had woken again and was crying softly.
"What’s wrong? Are you hurting? I’ll get a doctor!" AJ cried, rushing to her side.
"I’m fine, except for the obvious petty meat service wounds… but I heard you and Brian outside. I guess you know, huh?" she said quietly.
"Know what? That we can’t find your parents? That’s ok, its just a matter of time… isn’t it?" he asked as he saw the look of sadness cross her face.
"You won’t find them… I haven’t even been able to yet… I was adopted, and then my adoptive parents died 5 years ago. Don’t worry about it, I’m used to being on my own. And I will completely understand if you want to leave me now… I’m pretty much used to dealing with rejection, so, just let me know…" she trailed off, hoping that he would protest to her last suggestion. The truth was that she had never been alone, bouncing from one relationship to another, dealing with anything in order to feel loved.
"No WAY will I leave you now… and don’t think that I’m doing this because I feel sorry for you… it’s because I… I love you Salym." AJ told her, with such sincerity in his voice that Salym burst into tears.
"Thank you," she said. "I think you just saved my life." And with that she feel asleep, a peaceful smile finally on her face.
"No, baby," he replied, pulling the blankets over her and smoothing back her hair from her face. "I think you just saved mine."
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