Relief wasn't half of what Justin felt as the man accepts the money and bolts from the restaurant. He may have succeeded in robbery, but it was a cheap price to pay for Beth's safety.
Seeing her fall, Justin immediately slides down on the floor next to her before he sees the blood running down from the cut on her head. "Somebody get a clean towel and some ice," he orders. Glancing up, he sees no one moving and he throws several people a glare that could kill. "Now!"
Finally as someone obeys, he puts his attention back to Beth. Wrapping his arms around her, he pulls her close to him, pressing one hand firmly to the wound on her head. "Shh... shh.. it's okay... you're okay, Beth. You're safe. I'm right here."
Rocking her slightly, he closes his eyes, feeling the adrenaline still surging through his veins. He couldn't remember a time he'd been so scared. Thank you, God.
Not letting Beth go, Justin tries to comfort her and calm her down. He couldn't imagine how frightened she must have been. He kisses the top of her head and rubs her arm gently, still hugging her close. "Shhh..."
Feeling a hand on his shoulder, he looks up quickly to see one of the Mexican cooks with a dishtowel wrapped around some ice. Giving the dark man a grateful nod, Justin accepts the makeshift icepack and presses it gently to the gash on Beth's head. "Just relax," he coaxes. "It's gonna be alright. It's all over."
The wail of a siren is suddenly heard and Justin is even more relieved the law was finally here. There was no chance the robber would try to come back here for shelter now. "The police are here," he comforts Beth softly. "Everything's okay."
For a few minutes, the commotion in the restaurant picks up as people clamor to try and explain to the police officers what had happened. Justin remains on the floor with Beth, ignoring it all until one of the officers kneels down next to them.
"Is she hurt badly?"
Justin shakes his head. "The guy had her at gunpoint then shoved her into the counter. She hit her head on the way down." He lifts the ice for a moment so the policeman could see.
The man grimaces. "Looks like she might need some stitches. Let me call for an ambulance just to be on the safe side, then we can get a statement at the hospital." Standing, he converses with a fellow officer who makes the call.
Justin rocks Beth a little more, knowing that this whole ordeal was not going to be easy for her to forget. "We're gonna go to the hospital," he explains gently, "so we can make sure this cut is taken care of. I'm not going to leave you though - I'll be with you the whole time, okay?"
Jeff smiles and returns Rosetta's hug, giving a soft chuckle. "Well, I'm just as glad to be back here. Dinners weren't the same at the hospital, period." He rolls his eyes.
Sighing, he looks around for a moment, then shrugs. "Guess I'll go hang out in my bunk for a while 'til supper. I'm pretty tired."
Hunter glances down at Katie's fingers on his arm and he grins. Taking her hand, he plays with her fingers. "Mmm... a walk sounds nice. But I have a feeling I'll get more points if I help out in the barn. I gotta change clothes though... meet you in the barn in ten minutes?"
Hearing someone coming down the hall, Jared cocks his head to listen. Seeing Grace enter the room, he immediately smiles. Her presence alone broke up the monotony of such a boring day.
"I'm doing okay," he responds, shrugging. As okay as he could be, anyway.
The suggestion of going outside makes his eyes light up a little more. "That... sounds like fun. I mean hey, if I'm gonna be in pain, I might as well enjoy the scenery while I'm at it, right?"
His grin evolves into one of slyness, implying that he wasn't just talking about the scenery of the backyard itself. Pulling back his blanket, he looks down at his immobile legs and sighs. At least he could wear comfy sweat pants and a t-shirt now that he was out of the hospital. Not that it helped much.
No comments:
Post a Comment