Chapter 3

Kevin sighed, looking up at his bedroom ceiling. For once his life was great. Yea, there were still some problems, but who didn't have them? As far as his relationship with Elizabeth went, he hoped and prayed that it would keep getting better and better. After all, she was the girl of his dreams, almost literally.

Before Kevin could daydream anymore, his phone rang.

"Hello?" he answered, trying to keep the silly grin that was crossing his face from appearing.

"Yea, Kev, It's me. What's goin' on?" Nicks voice echoed over the line.

"Nothin' much, Kaos. What can I do for you?"

"We were wondering if you'd like to go out with me and the guys. You know, a guys night out."

"Why the sudden interest in a special night for all of us?"

"Because, we haven't done anything but hang-out at each others houses."

"So, you have any special places you wanted to go?" Kevin asked, chuckling

"Yea, Bri and I were thinking we all could go out and play some football on the beach; then go to the pool hall and shoot some pool; maybe do a little bowling; then go clubbing."

"Sounds like you two have everything planned out."

"Yea, well, you know, Brian doesn't do anything without being prepared."

"Yea, that's my cousin for you."

"So you up for it?"

"Sure! Can I ask you something first, though?"

"Shoot, Kev."

"What's Elizabeth going to be doing all day if we're out?"

Kevin could hear Nick laughing on the other end of the line. What was so damn funny?

"Sounds like you've got it bad for someone."

"Get off it, Nick. We're just friends."

"Yea, right. Well, just so you feel better, this whole guys night out thing was her idea. She seems to think that she's got no privacy here. Couldn't imagine why though. I mean, I don't bug her unless she wants me to.

"You know what she told me? She said that if I even thought of bringing another girl home with me tonight then she wasn't going to let me in the front door. Who does she think she is, this is my house."

"Maybe she's tired of hearing you and Brian bring someone different home every night then discarding them like yesterdays old pizza boxes."

"We're just trying to have fun," Nick whined

"I know," Kevin sighed, "but you have to keep in mind her feelings too. After all, she does live with you right now."

"Alright, alright, alright. We'll go over to AJ's house if anything."

"If he'll let you."

"He and Sam are cool with it! I asked."

"Ok, whatever, little man. So what time are we leavin'?"

"As soon as you get outside. We're downstairs waiting for you. J insisted on driving my Durango."

"In other words, if I said no, you were going to kidnap me."

"Yea, that's about it."

"Fine, I'll be down in five."

"Well, you'd better hurry. Bone's playing with the radio again."

"Bye, Nick."

"Hurry, Kev."

Kevin laughed as he hung up the phone. Sometimes the guys could be so weird. Oh, well, they were family and he had to deal. This was going to be one really interesting night.

~*~ Late That Night ~*~

Elizabeth sat at the bar, drinking her fourth glass of Jack Daniels. It had been quiet all day, and she felt like she was going crazy. Ok, so the guys night out thing had been her idea, that didn't mean she wanted to be stuck in the house by herself all day.

"Hey, Baby, why are you sitting here all alone? Come back to my place with me, I can make you feel real good," a scruffy, drunk, young man said, draping himself all over her.

"No, thanks," she hissed. Ever since she got to the club, she'd been hit on left and right by the losers. It was as if she were a magnet for the wannabe's and drunks tonight.

"Oh, come on. You know you want me."

"I said 'No, Thanks', now get lost," she said angrily, pushing his arm off her shoulders.

"Listen, Bitch. You're going to do everything I tell you to, got it?"

"No I don't. And if you don't leave me alone, I'm calling the cops."

He roughly grabbed her wrist and yanked, almost pulling her off her seat.

"Hey, what do you think..."

Before she could protest any further, he clamped his filthy hand over her mouth and dragged out to the alley behind the club. Roughly, he threw her on the ground.

"No listen here, Bitch. You're goin to do what I say until I tell you to stop. If you don't, I'll have to get real rough."

"Fuck you," she spat.

As suddenly as he had yanked her out of the club, the man ripped off his leather belt and tied her hands. "Now do you believe that I'm serious. You're nothing but a low down, good for nothing slut dressing the way you do."

"Go to hell, you sick bastard," Elizabeth struggled to loosen her wrists, but wasn't able to. For someone as drunk as this guy obviously was, he was strong.

Slapping her across her face, he kissed her, gagging Elizabeth to the point she almost threw up.

"What are you going to do now?" he asked, ripping her college sweatshirt off her body.

Oh my God, He's going to rape me, she thought.

The next thing she remembered, was the drunk walking away. "You don't deserved better, you God Damned Whore," he shouted over his shoulder.

Unable to move, Elizabeth curled up in a ball and whimpered. There weren't any tears left to cry anymore.

~*~ Inside The Same Club ~*~

"Hey, Train, you going to be Ok?" AJ asked, walking up to the guys' table where Kevin was sitting.

Kevin looked up distractedly, "Huh?"

"You're really out of it, aren't you, man?"

"Alex, I need to use your phone."

"I see, hot date tonight with someone and you don't wanta stand them up?"

"Alex! I need to use your phone, it's an emergency."

"Yea, sure, whatever." AJ tossed Kevin his phone, shaking his head. For the past hour Kevin had been jumpy and paranoid.

"God damn it!" Kevin cried, slamming the phone on the table.

"Yo, Kev, what's up? Somethin's been buggin' you." AJ asked concerned.

"Beth isn't picking up the phone."

"Huh?"

"I said, Beth isn't picking up the phone."

"Why should that be buggin' you?"

"Because Nick said she planned on staying home today. Something isn't right here."

"Kev, just chill. She might have gone for a walk or something. Girls do that you know. They're always changing their minds about something."

Grabbing the keys to the car, Kevin stood up, "I don't care. I've got to go see if she's ok. Tell the guys I'll be back, I just have to go see for myself everything's ok."

"Suit yourself," AJ replied, watching Kevin bolt out the club doors.

As Kevin fumbled with the keys, trying to unlock the car, a painful moan reached his ears. Turning around, he tried to locate the sound. Even though he had a bad feeling about Elizabeth, he still couldn't stand by and let someone else suffer.

As he rounded the corner, Kevin’s breath caught in his throat, and his heart almost quit. What he was seeing couldn't be real, it was a nightmare.

Slowly, he walked up to the huddled form and gently wrapped her in his arms.

"Kevin? What are you doing here?" she asked.

"Shh, I'm right here. You're ok now," he replied, praying he was right.

"I hurt so bad..."

"It's ok, Beth. I've got you. Helps on the way."

"Thank you," she whispered weakly. "Thank you for being..." but she stopped, her breath rattling in her chest.

"God, no!" Kevin cried dialing 9-1-1 on AJ's cell phone. For some reason he never let go of it after dialing Nicks house.

"9-1-1, please state the nature of your emergency."

"I need an ambulance out here now! She's, oh God."

"Sir, I need you to calm down. Where are you located at?"

"We're in the alley behind Club Tabu. It's my...my...oh God, she's not breathing."

"Sir, please calm down. You won't be any help to her if you're hysterical. We're dispatching an ambulance right away. Can you tell me what happened?"

"All I know is that I went to find my...well, I'm hoping she'll be my girlfriend. Well, anyway, I was trying to unlock the car me and my friends used to drive down here and I found her back here in the alley behind the club. I don't know what happened."

"Alright. Can you see where she's hurt?"

"There's so much blood. I don't know where it's all coming from. Oh, Dear God, don't take her away from me now. Please, I'm begging you!"

In the distance, Kevin heard the ambulance’s sirens. "Thank God, they're here."

"I'm hanging up now, sir. The paramedics should be able to handle everything from there."

"Thank you, so much!"

The next few hours passed as a blur to Kevin. Nothing seemed real, and no one would tell him what was wrong with the woman he had fell in love with. Thankfully, the other four guys had come out of the club just as Kevin was getting into the ambulance, so they were at the hospital waiting with him.

"Mr. Richardson?" A young gentleman walked up wearing doctors scrubs.

Kevin jumped to his feet. "Yes? How is she?"

"Please take a seat, Mr. Richardson."

Kevin sat on the edge of the couch, dread filling his entire being. "Is she...is she..." he stuttered.

"Mr. Richardson, I'm Dr. Calvington. Elizabeth is stable at the moment, though we don't know if she's going to stay that way. Apparently, someone decided to have a little fun with her."

"Oh, God," Kevin whispered. "What happened?"

"According to the extensive injuries she suffered, she was nearly beaten to death; then severely raped. Because of the fact that she wasn't breathing for several minutes, there could be brain damage. If there is, we won't know how much damage there is until she wakes up. At the moment, she's in a very deep coma."

"Can I see her, Dr. Calvington?"

"I wouldn't advise it. Right now..."

"Please, I feel like it's my responsibility. I've got to see her."

"Mr. Richardson, as I was trying to tell you, right now we have her in ICU. Her injuries are sever enough she might not survive. But, if you're willing to be patient, you can go be with her in a couple of hours."

"Alright," Kevin mumbled. "If you see her before I do, can you tell her something for me."

"I don't see why not."

"Tell her..."

"Yes?"

"I love her."

~*~ Six Hours Later ~*~

Kevin sat next to Elizabeth, holding her hand. It was so cold, so lifeless. It made Kevin shudder just to think about what happened to her.

"Elizabeth, Baby, I'm here. I'm so sorry I couldn’t help you! Please forgive me. I'll do better, I promise, if only you'd wake up for me.

"The doctors don't really have any hope you'll survive, but I know you. You're a fighter. I know how much you miss Chris, but, Baby, I'm here for you now and I always will be. I love you!

"Nick's here too. We couldn't leave you alone in this God forsaken hell-hole. I mean, what kind of friends would we be if we did? I don't know what we ever did before you go here. You keep us on our feet, keep us centered. Without you here we just aren't the same. It's like we don't know how to have fun anymore.

"Go, what am I doing? Why won't I just come out and say it? Beth, baby, I love you! I don't know what I did or what you said, but somewhere along the line I fell in love with you. I've never loved anyone as much as I love you. Please don't leave me, I know I wouldn't be able to handle it."

"Mr. Richardson?"

"Yes? Is she going to be ok?"

"I don't know what to tell you, Mr. Richardson. She's still in a coma, until she wakes we won’t know the extent of her injuries like I told you before."

"But then again, she may never wake up, right?"

"It's a possibility."

"Thanks. can...can I have just a couple more minutes with her?"

"Sure. If anything, you may be helping her. But I seriously, believe the only way she's getting out of this hospital in one piece is if she's given a very large miracle."

After the doctor left the room, Kevin dropped his head on the edge of the hospital bed and let the tears fall, praying with all of his heart, mind, body, and soul that his one true love would come out on top.

Hours passed and Kevin dropped into a deep, troublesome sleep; running from the nightmares that chased him, refusing to let him go.

***

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