Rescued

Nancy withdrew her finger from the stop call button on her cell phone deciding to leave it on so her parents could listen if they were still connected. She turned to face Sven.

“I think your wife needs to go to hospital Sven. It seems she must have had a very bad fall and it’s just as well I was able to make this the day to follow up on Virgilio’s progress. His English is improving but he will continue to need special attention. But this is probably not a good time to talk about that.”

Sven’s eyes swept the room as he considered what Nancy had said. Good, Dalisay had apparently lied if she told Nancy she’d had an accident. He looked at Virgilio still holding on to Nancy’s leg terrified and gave him a threatening look. If that kid had spilled the beans about their domestic life he’d deal with him. Thinking it over quickly he glanced at Nancy and saw her smiling. That was a good sign! Apparently she’d believed Dalisay’s lie?

Two paramedics swept into the room as Sven was processing the situation and seeing Dalisay’s condition rushed over to her and began a quick examination. Every part of Dalisay they touched caused her to cry out in pain. One of them rushed out and bought back a stretcher and began to gently ease the injured woman onto it.

“What are you doing?” Demanded Sven anxiously. “A day’s bedrest at home will have her back to good health. Who’s going to look after the boy, I need to be on duty I’m supposed to be patrolling right now.

“She obviously has a couple of broken ribs and who knows what damage that has created inside. We need to get her to a hospital and some X-rays immediately. Are you sure she had a fall?” The paramedics eyed Sven suspiciously.

Nancy intervened bravely still forcing a smile. “Sven she needs to go to hospital, bed rest may not be enough if your wife has internal injuries from her fall. It must have been a bad one and you wouldn’t want to be responsible for denying her hospital care if what she has is life threatening. I’m sure she’ll be back home soon. In the meantime, my parents will help me care for your son until Dalisay is able to recover.”

The paramedics looked at each other, then hoisted the stretcher carefully and headed for the ambulance. Dalisay cried out in pain with the movement despite their care. Sven followed them protesting angrily, it was obvious this had gotten out of hand and he regretted making the beating so severe this time. What was he to do?

Cheryl Baxter had been on the front porch of her home cleaning when she saw Sven arrive home in a hurry next door. She laughed. She was a single Mom and Sven had charmed her into a relationship. Things had been developing nicely and she imagined someday Sven would leave Dalisay and they’d have the perfect life together. He was so handsome and considerate, and she longed for that day to come. Lately he’d been even more attentive, and she was now totally smitten with him. When the ambulance arrived, she was surprised. She was now curious and hurried over to show an interest as she could not see enough of Sven. She arrived just as the paramedics were in the process of placing Dalisay in the back of the ambulance and gasped in surprise. She looked at Sven who was arguing with a paramedic.

“Sven, what happened?” He turned and hit her.

“I told you to bring the boy home every evening and now look what you’ve done to me!”

Cheryl fled from the scene holding onto her face. The force of the blow would bring out a bruise no doubt. Cheryl howled as she fled. The paramedics sped off wondering if they’d be on his hit list next. On the way they contacted the police and hastily told them what they’d seen advising they should head for Sven’s address immediately. They felt Nancy and the child would be in danger as they’d watched Sven dash back into the home.

While Sven was arguing with paramedics outside Nancy took Virgilio aside. “Virgilio I want you to trust me and do exactly what I tell you. Run and find a hiding place you father is not going to find you and do not come out from there until either I call you, or you know there’s nobody in this house. Do you understand? Good, If I haven’t called you by this evening then you need to go to a neighbour you trust and call the police. Do you understand? Good, now run quickly before your father gets here.”

Sven ran after the ambulance but soon gave up. He ran back just as Nancy was getting into her car. The driveway was wide enough for her to get around Sven’s car she thought. She expertly reversed around the car onto the lawn and swung the car around so she could head out. Sven ran for the passenger door and Nancy reached for the door lock. Too late, the door was open, and he was in before she could reach it.

“Stop the car, we need to talk.” His face was initially angry, but within seconds he changed and put on charm?”

“I think it’s a good plan for you to care for the boy. Of course, I have a fatherly interest in him so if you don’t mind I’d like to spend time with him at your home before work each day. I’m sure you won’t mind me coming before you leave for work each day as he will be at school when I’m working. Cheryl is obviously not to be trusted. You and I seem to be drawn together through the boy. Where is Virgilio?” He suddenly realized the boy was not in the car.

“He ran away, I tried to stop him, but he was too fast. I was going to try and find him out on the street. I was thinking Cheryl Baxter might have him there as he seems to know her very well.”

Sven exploded. Nancy knew she had to remain calm for her own safety and slowly proceeded down the driveway pretending to look at the neighbour’s house. She edged closer to Cheryl’s house and stopped in front of her driveway.

“Sven you go an ask Cheryl if she’s seen him and if she hasn’t then I’ll help you look for him around the neighbourhood.”

Sven opened the door, then paused. He looked at Nancy carefully. “Maybe he’s at home perhaps we should look around there first!” But reading her calm expression he shrugged. Perhaps she was telling the truth.

“Why do you think he came to Cheryl’s?”

For some reason he seemed frightened and just took off, so I followed to try and calm him down. He was out the back door and heading toward the hedge between your place and Cheryl’s, so I thought it was worth a try looking here.”

Sven grunted and stepped out the door walking down to Cheryl Baxter’s house. She saw him coming and bolted the door. She’d been on her cell phone to lodge a police complaint against Sven before and now she phoned again hysterically urging them to send officers quickly. Sven banged on the door.

The police in their patrol car frowned and checked their address again. Seemed to be the house next to the one given by paramedics. What was going on in that neighbourhood? They activated lights and siren and screamed into view as Sven splintered Cheryl’s front door with a mighty kick while Cheryl screamed hysterically. Nancy was about to speed off when she saw the police arrive and waved them down.

Sven went berserk when he saw the police and charged at them like a wounded bull. The officers drew guns and shouted a warning which Sven ignored. His father had been a policeman in their little country town and all the pent-up rage of his childhood surfaced as he lunged at them. He took one bullet to the leg, but rage took him forward, then there was another to his other leg and he collapsed screaming. It was not the pain that caused his outburst but the devils in his head that could not be silenced. Later when committed for trial it was discovered Sven had been diagnosed in early adulthood as a schizophrenic. Obviously that report had not surfaced at the time his intended marriage to a foreigner had been investigated by immigration. Further evidence emerged of long history of abuse many women had suffered from this man. He needed to be locked away and medicated for the safety of the whole community.

Dalisay recovered after a long stay in hospital. Nancy’s parents had retired from managing a company they’d formed, and it was now in the capable hands of their sons. They helped Dalisay gain legal possession of the home, supported her financially through her convalescence and later had their sons employ her on enough salary to care for family needs. The parents sponsored Virgilio through high school years and encouraged him to work his own way through college. After carefully observing him through those difficult college years he was employed by the company who saw potential in him. Over the years he rose to a management position in the company and was treated as one of their extended family.

Despite her injuries Dalisay recovered fully but was not willing to let another man into her life even though being quite beautiful many men tried. Her man was her son and she poured all her love into him. But she was ever grateful to Nancy and her parents who’d done so much to restore her belief in the sincerity and kindness of most human beings.

Conclusion.

 

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