Dakota (Ch 12)

I led Janie up the stairs, more or less; I carried her. I didn't like seeing her like this. I needed her full story. I couldn't wait any longer. When she slept off this hangover, she was going to tell me everything. I wanted every detail. I needed to know what I was dealing with before she hurt herself, or someone else.

I was now indebted to Sheriff Holt. I knew that he had a soul and I was glad to see that he still listened to what his heart told him. He knew this was the right thing to do whether or not it was the legal thing to do.

I stumbled on the last step. Janie was completely out again and I hadn't been working out in the days since her arrival, I had felt weak. I caught myself from landing on top of her, unfortunately, she landed on my right arm. The awkward position between the rise of the step and the upstairs floor was enough to do the damage. I immediately knew. My forearm was broken.

If today hadn't been erratic enough, a broken bone was exactly what I needed. I winced from the pain. I held back the scream. I wanted to yell. I wanted to, but I couldn't. Janie was passed out, drunk in my arms. Sheriff Holt was most likely still working on getting Rebekah back to her car. And Rebekah, well she was crazy, I didn't doubt it.

I reached across my body with my left hand and gently rolled Janie off my right arm and onto the floor. I tapped her left cheek.

"Janie. Janie. Wake up. Janie, wake up. I need you to wake up Janie."

"Ughhh, no, I said no."

I shook her.

"Janie. Wake up. Please wake up Janie. Dammit, my arm."

I tried to keep still.

"No, don't hit me. Ahhhh! I said no! Stop! Let me go!"

She started sobbing. She was half awake. Still half asleep. Facing one of her demon's. And she wasn't winning. They were still very real to her. They still controlled her.

"NO! Get off me! Get off! I said no, you pervert. Get off!"

She was crying almost uncontrollably now. I tried to nudge her. I tried to wake her. But I couldn't move. My arm needed something to brace it. I crouched at the top of the stairs, her legs still under my body.

"NO! NO! Don't do it! No! I said no! You're supposed to stop. Please stop!"

She was full out screaming now. She was terrified. She was getting frantic.

"NO! NO! NO! Oh, please, please, just stop!"

She starting kicking, writhing around on the floor. I tried to hold her still. I tried to protect my already shattered wrist from being kicked. But I couldn't move it. With the smallest movement, the pain was excruciating.

"Janie, please wake up. It's OK, I'm right here. Janie, it's just a bad dream. It's not real. He's not here. Wake up Janie."

"NO! Stop, you're hurting me. Please stop, oww, it hurts..."

Her shouts trailed off into sobs.

I heard the door open. This isn't what I needed. There was no good option. It was either Holt or Rebekah. I didn't want either of them involved in this.

"Jake. Jake, what's going on in here?"

It was Holt. I tried to stay calm, stay still.

"I'm on the stairs Lyle. My wrist is broken. I can't move. Janie's passed out."

I yelled over her screaming. I wasn't sure if he could hear me.

"Why's she screaming? I could hear her outside. She's out of control. She needs help."

"I know that. I know that. I'm going to help her. She came home for help and I'm going to help her. But I'm in pain here Lyle. Please. Can you please move her before she kicks my arm. I can't move. It hurts too bad. Oh, God it kills."

"No! Get off me! Stop!"

"I'm coming up Jake. I'm behind you. Sit still. Dammit, she's made a mess of you. Alright, OK. Janie, Janie, it's Sheriff Holt. You're hallucinating. Janie. Janie can you hear me? Wake up Janie!"

His mistake? He shook her. He touched her.

"I SAID NO. STOP! GET OFF ME YOU BASTARD!"

She went ballistic. Her body contorted and shook, writhing with speed and force I hadn't expected from her small frame. I couldn't avoid it. I wasn't able to move fast enough. I tried, despite the pain, but I just couldn't. Janie's legs swung out from under my body and smashed my already throbbing arm into the wall. Had I not bit my tongue, I would have screamed. Holt tried to get control of her. He tried to hold her still. But her adrenaline made him no match to contain her fury. Her legs swung back and I collapsed upon them. She was screaming at the top of her lungs.

"Janie. Janie Samuels. Wake up miss. It's alright. You're OK. You're having a nightmare. You're safe."

"AAAhhhhhhh"

With one final grunt, she pulled her legs in and then thrust them forward. She sent me hurtling backwards down the stairs. My body slammed into the banister my father had carved from trees he hewed with his own hands. My body turned and I could now see my landing fast approaching. I tried to get my left arm in front of me, to brace my fall, but it was no use. There wasn't time. I threw my right arm out in front of me. I felt my wrist snap back. I dropped like a sack of potatoes. My head collided with the hardwood floor. The pain was too much. I felt the blood running down my arm. I felt it collecting against my body, my arm twisted beneath my torso. I felt the room spinning. My eyes rolled back. The pain overcame me.

"Jake! Dammit."

Holt grabbed Janie under the arms. She was still kicking, screaming out expletives to her nightmare attacker. He hoisted her into the bed in the room to the left of the stairs. He didn't want to leave her alone. But he had no choice. He had to go to Jake. He reached for his radio and called in the incident. He requested two ambulances.

He exited the room and hurried down the stairs.

"Jake, hang in there. Help is on the way. Help's coming. You're going to be alright. Hold on."

There was no response. No movement. He didn't want to move the body. Holt could tell that Jake was still breathing. He checked the pulse anyway. It was still there. Holt could do nothing but wait. He was helpless. He needed the paramedics. But response to this part of the forest was slow.

He turned to the kitchen and grabbed a rag from the counter. He soaked it in cold water and returned to Jake. He placed it on the lifeless forehead, then moved it to the back of his neck. He needed him to wake up. He wanted him awake.

He left him for a moment and sprinted up the wooden stairs to check on Janie. The window had been swung open and she hung onto the frame with one arm.

"I think I can fly. It's so pretty out here. I want to fly like the birdies. Hmhmhm. Just let go and let your wings do the work Janie. Just let go. I'll fly way up into that tree. I'll look down on all the dragons and pirates and mermaids."

Her laughter sent chills through him. She was more than drunk. She was high. He should have known. He should have noticed. He should have followed his instincts, taken her in. Why had he let Jake Samuels talk him out of it? He shook his head in frustration. He refocused on the girl in the window. She hadn't noticed Holt's presence. He crept along the wall, staying in the shadows. He didn't utter a sound.

"Hmhmhmhm. I'm a raven, no, no. I'm an eagle. Wait. I like pelicans. I'm a pelican. I eat fish. Hmhmhmhmhm. Hm fish."

Just as he lunged toward the window, he saw her letting go. He reached. He stretched to catch her. He closed his eyes. He could only hope he got there in time. He felt flesh meet his fingers. He sighed in relief and reopened his eyes.

"Thank God. Thank God."

He pulled her back towards the window by her arm. She suddenly seemed lucid.

"Oh, hello, officer. Thank you. It was getting chilly out there. I think I'll lie down and take a nap."

"Janie. Janie."

"Yessir?"

"Janie, I need you to come down stairs with me. You can rest on the sofa. You can wait there."

"Wait for what?"

"The ambulance. Your brother is hurt. He needs an ambulance."

"Oh my, Jake is hurt? Is he going to be OK? What did he do? What happened?"

Her voice had an eerily airy quality. It was as though she wasn't completely there.

"He needs a hospital, but I think he'll be fine. Let's go. I need to check on him. Come with me Janie. It's alright. Let's go downstairs."

Holt led Janie down the stairs. He assured her that it looked much worse than it probably was. He sat her on the couch and returned to Jake's side. He checked again for a pulse. It was still there. He moved the rag back to Jake's forehead.

"Jake. Jake. You're OK. The ambulance is on it's way. Hang in there. Janie's alright Jake. She's OK. You're going to be fine too. Just stay with me. Jake..."

As he tried to revive Jake, the Sheriff's eyes rose from the motionless body. In the frame of the open door with the sun behind her, he saw the outline of a woman.

"Miss? Can I help you? Who's there?"

The setting sun and the darkness of the room made it impossible to determine the identity of the mystery woman.

"Miss? Why are you here? Is there something wrong? Miss?"