A Rescuer needed (open to all)

Herbert a fierce looking man, standing over six feet tall, with hands that looked like they could snap a neck in half came into his house slamming the door behind him his muddy boots leaving foot prints on the newly scrubbed floors and looked around the kitchen and growled low in his throat for a moment before speaking, "GODAMIT Jessica!!! Why isn't the house clean?" He stepped further into the single story home and he walked over and set his lunch-pail down on the kitchen table that seemed to be spotless. There were no dishes in the sink and nothing on the counter tops, but he grumbled anyway,
" Damn floors all dirty, garbage ain't out... GOD damnit is she ever gonna get it..." He walked into the living room to catch the girl, a frail looking thing, barley five feet, skinny as a pole, bruises and cigarettes burn marks all over her body. Her eyes blackened from pervious beatings, her ribs; many broken all in an array of different stages of healing ached with each breath she took. Her face was swollen it hurt to blink and to move. Yet she continued the endless list of chores. As she rounded the corner just finishing the folding the sheets and blankets putting them on the couch. He stood there waiting until he saw her the pulled back his strong hand to smack her across the face hard. Jessica recoiled from it but did not cry, for she could no longer cry she was to broken. “WHY isn’t the HOUSE clean?!?!?!" He shouted out loud. One of the brothers on the couch turned the TV up louder to try and drown out the noise of it all as he watched cartoons and lazed around.

The small, one story ranch style house would be considered clean by anyone’s standards, really. Even though it was not nearly big enough to house all the people inside it, there was no clutter, no mess, nothing. The sheets that were used for the kids to sleep on the couch were neatly folded after being washed. The carpet was neat and everything looked in top shape. Only a few minor details that only He would pick out... stuff that no one on earth would care about. but HIM.... still remained. He looked over the girl recoiling from the strike that had snapped slapping her across her face wickedly again and as she made the mistake of looking at him ," What have I told you about letting this place get to a mess? And DAMN. You know the grass isn't cut yet...."

Jessica cowered in the corner and hide her face from him "I'm sorry sir, I was getting to it" She knew her pleas were useless, but she hoped that he would show her some sort of mercy. She would stay where she was until he moved on then she would continue on with her chores, no one in their right mind would demand such a long list of chores but he was never in his right mind, She kept her head down as she stood and started to moved painfully to continue her chores.

She quickly scanned the room; the others seemed to be safe that was all she cared about, the younger ones. That’s why she never ran from her stepfather well that and the fact that she tired once and the police caught up with her and brought her back and Herbert nearly killed her threatening that he would kill all the others if she dared to run away again. So she stayed for the children, unlike her mother who couldn’t handle the beatings, but didn’t bother worrying about the children, not even Jessica the only one that was truly hers. "I am sorry sir" she kept her head down never daring to raise it to look at him again. "I will continue with my chores now" She slowly moved passed him, shot a pleading look at the brother but quickly looked down and went outside and started doing the lawn and limped to the lawn mower started it up and with all her strength tried to push it, it was a tough go, she hadn’t eaten today, or yesterday for that fact.
She was aching all over, she kept her head down, dreaming as she normally did that someone could come and take her away. She knew it was a foolish dream, no one was coming, she hadn’t eaten in two days. She read somewhere that four or five days with out food and you could die. She hoped that the days would pass quickly. She realized to late that she had stopped working. Herbert had her by her long hair and was pulling on it with one hand and beating her with a belt with the other. She cried in vain for help. Even in the middle of the front yard no one seemed to hear her cries. Or no one cared, that was probably more the case. She had been branded a problem child. Jessica went limp in Herbert’s hands finally beaten unconscious. Herbert dropped her and continued to kick the lifeless body. Surely he would succeed in killing her this time. A rescuer needed.

An young man ran into Herbert by accident and realized the man was kicking a girl. But he didn't have time to stop an officer on foot screams stop right there. The young man sweeps Herberts legs from under him with a swift kick and ran up the side of the house and leaped into the back yard and took off into the distance. Where on the other hand the officer was a little preoccuiped with the beaten girl. The young man got away and his behind the shed in the backyard and waited to see if the officer would fall him or deal with the child beater.

Jessica laid nealy dead unconsious on the front lawn her breathing was very shallow but it was there. The officer had radioed for a ambulance when he noticed more faces in the window of the house "And get Social services down here too we got a big mess" A few minutes later an ambulance arrived and Jessica was lifted into it. Jessica came into concious for one moment before falling back into it "Herbert did this" The police all knew Herbert he casued problems drove drunk and the strange dissaperance of his wife. The officer nodded and set around to look for Herbert as Jessica was looked over by the permedics then rushed to the hospital.

Angel wathced the whole thing as the cops tried to catch Herber Angel made an run for the ambulance and crawled under it and garbed the bottom of it as it took off. He waited for the ambulance to stop at the hospital and then as the unloaded this strange girl Angel ran up and acted as if he was an worried realative he was told to wait in the waiting room. After chilling in the waiting room for almost three hours an doctor came and forced Angel into the room with the girl then he says, "It would be wise to have some one in the room that she would rember when she wakes." So angel plopped down in the chair next to her and waited for her to wake up.

Jessica had nurmous broken bones a fracture skull intertal bleeding and the list went one. She made it through surgery but was still unconcious the doctors figured that was better she wouldnt need pain meds untill she awoke.

After a few more hours laying on the bed in the hospital room her eyes fluttered open and then her body tensed in the pain. Through her bloodied eyes she could see some one was sitting there she shook her head and tried to ask where she was but it came out a grabbled mess.

Angel sat up and looked down as he heard her try to speak. "Oh great now their goes my cover I won't be able to sneak out of here. She will tell them she dosen't know who I am and then they will through me out for sure if not report me and send me to jail." He thought fast and grabed her hand. "It's okay love your in the hospital. I told you I wouldn't let that horrible man hurt you anymore but you need more sleep go back to sleep and I will make sure nothing else happens to you." Angel wathched to see what she would do.

Jessica could barely see him and her head was spinning she felt so nausous. As he grabbed her hand she recoiled as if she had just touched a hot stove she listened to his words and nodded althouh she couldnt remember anyone ever promising her that Herbert wouldnt hurt her any more. She clicked a botton hocked up to the morphine drip and then was fast asleep again.

A doctor came in followed by a nurse the nurse looked at angel then to Jessica but it was the doctor that spoke "Do you know this patient?" with out waiting for a reply he continued on. "She has numrous injuries in varying degrees of healing, All of her ribs have been broken at one point, her shoulders have been dislocated, her skull had many fractures, I could go on, it is still touch and go, how did you find her? We need to know what was happening to properally treat her"

Angel looks at the doctor and says, "Well I kinda of just bumped into her father and he seemed like one of those wife beater types I could have taken him but then the cops came and I was sort of pushed into the amublance and here if brought me then you brought me in here told me I need to stay here until she woke up." To be honest I don't even know her faters name. But I couldn't resist a girl in trouble. So I did what I could." He looked at the doctor to see what his reply would be. Then the nurse says, "Oh how romantic a boyfriend that is willing to put himself into harms way just to protect his girlfriend." Angel just smiled as her and the nurse walked out of the room. Angel looks at this torn up girl. Then he touched her face and then waited he knew that the cops would be there any second to get her story so he stood by the door and when he heard it opened his disappered into bathroom.

Jessica laid in bed hearing voices around her but they didnt make sence. She didnt have a boyfriend, herbert forbidden it, she wasnt even allowed to go out side of the house except to mow the lawn. Things were not making sence, how did she make it to the hospial no one had stopped herbert before, no one in the town seemed to care.

She continued to lay there then fluttered her eyes open and saw two police officers there she could barely moved but slowly and painfully took the oxygen mask off her face and looked at the officers who came and sat by her bed. "We need your statment do you think you are up for it?" Jessica slowly nodded. The police officer continued "Okay your doctor said you are pretty banged up, that you have many injuries in various degrees of healing. How long as this been going on?"

Jessica swolled painfully. "About five years sir" She closed her eyes and put the mask on to take some breaths then continued. "Herbert, is my stepfather he is the one that did this" The police exchanged looks "Herbert Grant?" Jessica nodded. The police exchanged glances "We didnt even know he had a step daughter, he told everyone that when your mom left she took you with her, he was so heart broken" Jessica shook her head slowly. "They went for a car ride one day and he came back without her, I asked where my mom was and he beat me until day light" They exchanged glances again and the one touched her hand softly. "We are sorry that we didnt check into it," Jessica nodded again then closed her eyes.

The two officers stood and called the doctor in, "You said she was brought in with someone, who stopped Herbert do you know where he went?"

Angel had the batroom door cracked the whole time and when he heard them ask for the one that was brought in with her he opened his sleeveless hoodie vest and took off his dual Light Hawks magnums and his Desert Eagle and took the straps that held them together and tied the Light Hawks to the Desert Eagle's and then closed the other end of the straps in the window and he closed his vest and walked out the bathroom. Angel looked nevously at the cops and the doctor. Then he says, "I stopped Herbert at my own expence and then I was forced into the ambulence so I lied and said I was her boyfriend so that they wouldn't throw me out of here. I really do like her I lived down the street and I hated the fact that I could never get the cops there in enough time so I called them early and when nothing happened I hit the cop and ran him towards Herber. So that I could finally put an end to this." Of course he was lying he was a theif visting his mother. But he would never tell the cops that.

The doctors looked him over "Well son you have saved her life" The police nodded "Yes we will still need photos of her injuries to hold up in court, looks like we will finally put that monster behind bars" The doctor nodded and turned to Jessica "This botton will give you a shot of morphine you are in a lot of pain and you will be in a lot for some time to come." Jessica nodded and thanked the doctor as he left.

The two police officers turned to Angel "Well by the looks of it she will be in here for a couple of days at least, then since you have no ties to her she will be put in a group home, she is too damaged and too old to be put in a foster home, no one is going to want to bring her into their homes." They sadly looked at Jessica who had fallen asleep again. "Her rough road is not over yet not by a long shot"

Angel sighs with anger. "She can stay with my mom. She will be safe there my mom is a great cook and she won't hesitate to take her in." Angel garbed his head and says, "Just send her the paper work and tell her Angel says pretty please." He watches as the cops nodded their heads and say, "That is great news." Angel turns as the cops leave and grabs his guns and straps them back on. He walks out and takes Jessica's hand. "Looks like I just picked up an room mate once you get out of here. So mom is going to kill me." He plops down on the chair next to her just stares at her thinking to himself. "I wonder what she looks like when she isn't beaten into a puilp." He removes some of the hair form her face and leans his head back to get some sleep until the doctor came back in. He looks at Angel and says, "If she is going to live with you their are some thing you should know about her injuries." Angel sits up and then looks at the doctor and says, "Lay it on me."

Jessica could faintly hear what was going on. It seemed as if this stranger was going to get her a home, away from Herbert. As the police left she heard the man sit back down again. She felt him take her hand and talk to her she was trying hard to open her eyes but it seemed as they had swollen shut again. As he removed the hair she recolied instictivly.

The doctor looked at Angel then to Jessica then back to Angel. "She is going to more then likely be plagued with migrains, just how much is going to be unclear, the brain damage as not been detirmend yet, but there will be some." He paused "Her bones will need time to heal and mend her bursing will go down eventually yes physically she will heal it will take a while and it will be a slow and painful road for her, as if she hasnt already been through enough" He sighed "But it is the mental healing that is going to take the longest, she was severly abused for years its going to take a long time for her to trust." The doctor handed him her file, you can read up on the rest of her injuries here" He turned to the door then back to him "Are you sure you want to take her on?"

Angel just gazed up. He looks at her and says, "Well looks like I am." He looks at the girl and stands up. "I am going to go get her something to eat and grab myself a cup of coffe." He looked back and thinks to himself. "Mom ain't going to be happy when I start stealing again." He scratches his head as he heads down to the kitchen and returns with an sandwich and some tea for Jessica and a cup off coffe for himself. Then he palced it next to her bed and drank the coffe. Waiting for her to come to.

The doctor nodded. "Well you can look through the file anyways" He stepped out of the door way as he Angel left to get a coffee and walked to Jessica. "Well Jane doe we still dont know your name but it looks lke your life is going to be changing for the better." Jessica fluttered her eyes open "Name is Jessica, or Jessi" She then fell back asleep.

The doctor checked her vitals and then left her as Angel came back. He nodded to him. "Some tea would do her some good, that is if she can swollow.

Jessica heard him sit back down and opened her eyes "Your still here."

Angel smiks and says, "Well I am stuck with you now so don't expect me too go to far from here." He leanded his head and closed his eyse. "He Jessica go to sleep you are going to have a rough week or so with your physical healing process." He peaked out of the corner of his eye to see how she was doing.

Jessica attempted to look at him but her eyes seemed to have glued her eyes shut, it was realy blood but she could tell that. She nodded in the direction of his voice, hit the botton to give herself some more morphine then fell back asleep. In blessed sleep she didnt hurt that was more then likely due to the morphine though.

After a little while it was clear that the Morphine had worn off her face was twisted in pain but she had dropped the Morphne botton she moved her hand on the bed looking for it.

Angel reached across the bed and grabed the button and picked it up and placed it into her hand after pressing the button. Then he pressed the button for the help and when the Nurse came in the room Angel walked over to her and says, "I have to go get my car from street where I left it to help her so can you do me a favor and watch her till I get back. She just had a press of the Morphine button so she should be out for the next hour. I will be back befores she awakes." The nurse nodded and Angel took off out the hospital and ran all the way to his mothers home. When he got there he let her know what was going on at the hospital he picked his keys up and then went to his car and opened the door. It was an 1967 Ford Mustang Shelby. He started it up and whipped out of the driveway and back the hospital and jeted up the stairs to get back before Jessica woke up.

Jessia fell back into a numb state and feel back asleep. She slept soundly as one could in her state. The nurse sat beside on her bed and looked her over, her face was caked in blood still she sadly shock her head and got a bowl of warm water and a soft cloth and slowly began to clean off her face. She hummed softly and when she was done she could already see that she was very Beautful, and when the swelling went down and the cuts healed it would be even better.

She was finishing up when Angel came back. "She is a beauty herself isnt she?" She nodded then took the bowl out of the room and left them alone

Angel walked over to the bed and looked down at Jessica. "Well its offical when you get out of here you will be coming home with me." He plopped back down and tries to go to sleep. He was tired he stayed up all the other night which is why the cop was after him in the first palce.

Jessicas eyes fluttered open again at the sound of his voice. Her vision was really blurey and the bright lights hurt them. "Home?" Her body began to tremble in fear, she really thought that she would be going home to Herbert and she much rather die then have to go back to there.

Angel noticed her body trembling and figured she heard the bad news. He sat up and touched her arm. "So you know that Herbert got away from the cops." Angel stands up and says, "Well that isn't a good thing but you will becoming home with me and Herbert is dumb enought to come into my house and the cops are watching the hospital so you are safe here and at your new home."

Jessica eyes grew wide with fear. "He escaped?" She gripped his hands with tear in her eyes. "He will find me, and he will kill me if not him his sons, he trained them all to beat me and abuse me." She shook her head and laid back on the bed she was too weak to get up of the bed and even if she wanted to she couldnt with all the wires on her.

"Will they post Gaurds outsdie me door?"

Angel smiles. "They have them circling the hospital." He took her arm and says, "You can let me handle any body that comes up here I am more than capeable of watching you form a bunch of abuseive chumps." He smiles and takes her hand. "Good greif girl look at that you broke the skin." He plopped down in the chair and says, "Go to sleep physical therapy starts in the moring."

Jessica nodded her breathing was still iratic so she put the oxygen mask on her face and took deep breaths to calm down. She was stuff afraid of Herbert and at the looks of her it was no wonder why.

As he mentioned his skin she removed the mask and gasped "Sorry" as he plopped down and told her to go to sleep she ndded and closed her eyes hit the morhpine botton and fell back asleep.