Philip's POV
It was true she looked so beautiful, but who would have thought that months later she would be treated poorly. She didn't deserve that, as someone who came from a broken home I knew how it affected my mother. My father was a drunk bastard and I've seen with my own eyes how he mistreated my mother, and how my mother stupidly accepted him with those false promises from him. Promise after promise he still didn't change, I never hoped for that. Because I knew guys like him couldn't change. They don't have the ability to change. When I was old enough, I finally had enough. I fought for my mom and got my dad into rehab. Just like the bastard that he is, he didn't change so I sent his ass back to jail. Worked my way to get into a nice college and studied Psychology because I wanted to study how their minds work, how abusive minds work. I wanted to understand why my dad did what he did.
"Phillllyyyy!" Peony called out for me and I broke out from the trance I was in while looking at her wedding picture. She tugged at my sleeves and saw her look up to.
"Beautiful isn't she?" She asked peering up at the big picture in front of her.
"Yeah, she is." She said a warm smile on her face.
I just nodded at her.
"They look happy. I hope someday I find him." She said
My ears suddenly perked up.
"Him?" I asked looking at her crouched on the floor hugging her knees still looking at the picture.
"Yep, the guy I'll be with till I grow old. You know the one who gives me flowers when I least expect it. Chocolates, he'll take me on dates and sing for me from time to time. The ones we see on Nicholas Sparks' movies? I'd like that someday...I just have to find him. And he has to find me." She said a sad smile on her lips now.
"He's on his way don't worry. You are on yours too. Just be patient Panini" I said and patted her head.
"look at him! He looks so grumpy. Is he not happy?" He said pointing to Zac.
"Looks like it," I answered simply and went down to her level and sat beside her on the floor
"Aren't those who marry, fall deeply in love?" She asked
I swear, she asks these questions and sometimes I don't even know the answers too. She is this young naive hopeless romantic.
"They start off like that but.." I trailed off,
Do I have the heart to break it to her? The reality? The reality that love isn't enough sometimes.
"But?" She said looking at me
Those innocent eyes.
"But sometimes love isn't enough. When you get married, you take everything they have. Even the bad sides." I said
"You accept even if it breaks you. Even if it tears you apart" She said in a voice I don't recognize.
She's back.
"Yes, you do. Because that is love" I said
"Love. Such a funny feeling, but fleeting. It could make or break you" She said
It sure is. That's why some of us refuse to accept the concept of love. Because we know how fragile it is. I was stunned by her words and I wasn't able to reply to her.
"huh?" She asked
"Huh?" I asked back
She just giggled and started running to the garden.
"Hey let's play outside! Philly!" She said laughing and then suddenly she stopped dead in her tracks and looked around.
"The baby! Prince is crying!" She said and dashed to the staircase and ran to her room.
It hurts seeing her like this, she was robbed of a future with her child.
She then slammed her door open and ran to the toy crib to shush the toy doll.
"Mommy's here Zander. Mommy's here. I'll never leave you... I won't let them find you" She said and hummed the baby to sleep.
I know she's still there. But will she still know me once she comes back?
I just had this connection with her. I don't know if it was because of the circumstance we met or found each other.
I leaned in the door frame as I watched her rock the baby back and forth. It took me back to the time where I saw her on the brink of dying.
I just wanted to sleep, what can a psych student do to get some sleep? They expect us to help people with their mental disabilities but we don't even get enough sleep for our own brain to actually function? The irony.
I got myself an iced coffee in the nearest convenience store. Ahh, 7-11 saves the day! It was almost 1 AM and I was walking home with a few snacks in my paper bag.
I kept on walking until I heard coughing in the alley. I heard a faint "help" but paid no attention to it and just kept walking. Garbage can falling rang through a hallway and a much clearer
"help.." A woman's voice said
I panicked instantly. My mind went haywire in a snap. God damn! I was studying for my finals because it's a few weeks away! And here comes this incident! Can I just graduate in peace?
I inched closer to the alley and was weighing the possibilities. It's either the hooligans are yet up and running with another modus operandi which involves faking calls for help or this could be a real call for help and me ignoring it will make things worst. I inched closer to where the rustling came from.
It was very dark I couldn't see anything. I took my phone from my pocket and I was pretty sure I was shaking heavily. I turned the flashlight on and flashed it everywhere but I didn't see anyone. Someone squeaked below me so I slowly pointed the light on the ground. And I was fucking sure that it was a torso of a living person. It was still fidgeting, I immediately called the cops and the ambulance to the location just in case something happened.
I walked in the direction of the person. I froze in my spot.
A girl was lying in a pool of blood with her eyes closed and tears streaming down her face. She was faintly breathing and silently sobbing
"I'm sorry.."She whispered over and over again.
Her face was covered with blood as well as her torso. She was half-naked her clothes were practically torn and ripped. I took my big shirt off and just settled with the hoodie I had on. I laid it to her torso so that she'd at least be covered.
"help i-i-is coming Miss. Please..p-please hold on a little more" I told her knelt to her level looking at my back just to check if the police and the ambulance were already there.
People could be so fucking vile, it was obvious that this girl was raped. She keeps hissing when she tried to move a bit.
I don't know what to do? Do I hold her hand and promise her everything will be okay? I just looked at her itching to cover her hand with mine just to pacify her. Just to remind her that someone found her, that she's finally safe.
I finally heard the siren of the police car, I hurriedly went out to meet them and guide them to where the woman laid. The medic came in next pushing a stroller ahead of us. I watched as they carry her body to the car.
"Son I need to get your statement." Said the officer.
I just nod at him and he began asking away. I told him everything I know from where I was to how I found her.
"C-can I go to the hospital? Just so that I can make sure she's fine" I asked the officer
"Sure, let me drive you to her," He said and lead me to his car
We settled unto his car for a few minutes until we reached the hospital.
"Take care," He said and sped away
I reached the reception desk and asked where they took the girl that was admitted from a crime scene in an alleyway a few blocks from where we were. She asked me who I was and I told her that I was the one who found the girl. She told me the room and I went to it with heavy feet.
Police were guarding the operation room, I sat on the chair in front of it.
"Are you a family member?" The police officer asked
"N-no. I'm the one who found her, I just want to make sure she's fine" I told them and they just nodded at me and resumed guarding the door.
I didn't care If I failed my exams tomorrow. My mind and heart can't rest until I make sure that the girl was stable. This was just a small town, nothing ever really happens here. Sure, there were stoners here and there. But rapists? I wouldn't have thought. I wish the cops catch the guys who did this, it's the least we can do for her. This kind of damages lasts until you grow old and sometimes beyond. After a few hours, they finally rolled her out of the Operating room and brought her to a room where she can settle in.
"Kid, I think you better head home. You can visit her tomorrow."The cop said to me patting my shoulders
"Yes, get some rest. You're a hero." He said to me with a nod and returned to his post and guarded the door where the girl was in. I followed their instructions and went home to get as much rest as I can muster- which was unfortunately short naps.
When I woke up from my nap, I went to school and took my exams even if my mind was all over the place. My body was taking the test but my mind was in the hospital. I quickly finished my exams and bolted out of the hall. I was near her door when a nurse quickly ran outside and went running in my direction.
"Dr. Jacobs! The patient in room 222 od'd herself. She's not responding we already did a pump and still nothing." She reported
222?
My mind buffered for a few seconds and then quickly realized that was the room of the girl last night. I ran to her room and watched the staff do everything to bring her back. I stood by the door frame watching her struggle.
They finally got her back, there was a movement in her chest she was finally breathing on her own bit by bit. People started clearing from her room and a nurse was left checking her charts.
"Miss..what happened to her?" I asked her walking closer to her bed
"Relationship with the patient?" She asked me with a quirked eyebrow
"I-I saved her last night. We can't identify her and she basically has no one right now" I said looking at the girl
"You came just in time last night, she wouldn't have made it last night especially with the weather we have and her situation. Thank God you came."She said as she scribbled on her paper
"She overdosed herself. She woke up asking about her baby, she was four months into the pregnancy. The baby didn't make it, she went ballistic and started throwing everything at us and crying" She said and released a sigh as she looked at the woman before us. " A woman's greatest dream is to build a family she can call her own. But that won't happen to her anymore. The injuries she had last night damaged her greatly. So greatly that she won't be able to conceive anymore" She finished
She fixed her cap and checked everything from her tubes to the monitors and patted my shoulders lightly and walked away.
Those bastards took everything she had.
I observed the girl laid in front of me. Her hair was cut short because of the stitches the did to her face. Her face was full of bruises as well. But you can't deny the beauty she had.
"Philly!"Persephone said shaking my arms while smiling widely at me.
She's come a long way. She may be a bit broken right now but I have no doubt that Mr. Larson can bring her back.
It's where she was meant to be. And there was no stopping that.