On The Run- Part II

“On The Run”  continued from this link:  http://headdtrauma.wordpress.com/

Tired from the drive she walked hurriedly down the hallway toward her grandma’s room.  Several of the residents line the hallway sitting in their wheelchairs.  Caitlin stopped abruptly.  Turning around she walked back there was her sweet, sweet grandmother sitting in her wheelchair.  If it had not been for her pretty, sweet face she would not have known her.  She had lost so much weight.  “Granny,” Caitlin asked as she hugged her holding her and not wanting to let her go.

Looking up at Caitlin trying to hold back her tears, “I’ve been so worried about you.”  Through tears of her own Caitlin replied, “I ‘m sorry granny.”  The two of them visited for a little while longer.  “Granny, I will see you soon.  When I do, you are coming home with me.  I promise.  You trust me don’t you.”  Caitlin’s grandmother looked up at her, “Yes,” she replied

The drive home seemed never-ending.  Caitlin almost turned around several times to go back towards Cullman HealthCare.  She finally arrived home.  The house was dark and quiet.  “Oh Lord,” Caitlin thought to herself hoping that he was sleeping finally.  She dropped her purse in the chair by the door as she entered the dark living room.  The glow from the oil lamp was the only light in the house.  “Where have you been you stupid whore,” she heard Jake’s sinister growl.  Jake yanked Caitlin’s hair straight up from behind and shoved her violently to the ground straddling her back and pinning her arms under his knees.  He held Caitlin by the hair of the head pulling her hair so hard that she felt as if her head was bleeding.  Caitlin screamed in agony.  With his free hand tightened into a fist, he began striking her on the side of the head on her ear.  Caitlin knew well his next question, “I know you’ve been with Donny Mac!”  It seemed this had become ritual behavior every time he stayed awake on Crank for long periods of time.  By this time, Jake was striking Caitlin on both sides of her head having finally let her hair loose.  Jake hit her in each ear back and forth so hard that she could no longer hear him screaming at her.  Finally, the blows subsided and he grabbed her hair again jerking her straight into the air off her stomach.  When he did, she kicked the lantern causing it to fall off into the floor.  The carpet was on fire and spreading quick.  Jake screamed, “Bitch, are you crazy?”  He let her go to put the fire out and when he did, she ran for the door.  Grabbing her purse, she glanced over her shoulder.  He continued to frantically attempt to put out the flames.  “He will be o.k.,” she thought.

Screeching  the tires, she backed out of the driveway.  Caitlin was going home.  She had business of the heart to attend too.

Caitlin looked rough and felt rough when she arrived at Dr. Benjamin’s office the next morning.  Her only sleep had been at a rest stop in Tennessee for 2 hours.  She explained to the longtime friend and Dr. what her plan was for her grandmother.  It was risky.  She had to get her home.  She would no matter at what price.  She explained that she would have her grandmother back at the emergency room in two hours complaining of chest pain.  Caitlin knew that for her grandmother to attend therapy she had would be readmitted first.  As for her father, if he pressed charges then so be it.  She would tell the nursing home that they were going out for something to eat.  Dr. Benjamin broke into a smile.  He tried to hide this as he scratched the side of his head.  The Dr. explained to Caitlin that he could not legally tell her that this would be o.k.  He was not going to tell her that it wasn’t either.

The smile on her grandmothers face was priceless when she saw her granddaughter.  “I knew you would come,”  she said.  Caitlin coached her grandmother in what to say once they arrived at the emergency room.  Ahead, they could see the county line.  Her grandmother began to sing.  “Scottsboro, Scottsboro yea yea,” she sang repeatedly.  Caitlin laughed like a child.  But the singing and laughing stopped as they approached the Jackson County Line.  Blue Lights.  The two women were so happy Caitlin suddenly wondered when the rain had started to fall.  Caitlin slowed the car unsure what to do, “Run through ‘em!  Run through ‘em!  As soon as her grandmother made the ask, Caitlin realized it was only a wreck.  Caitlin looked at her granny with joyous wonder and they began to sing and laugh again.  They were home.  Both women breathed again.  Everything would be alright now.