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I start the car and glance around, making sure no one saw us. I pull out into the street and drive.
A few minutes go by. She’s quiet. I glance at her. Eyes shut, tears streaming down her cheek, she’s decompressing.
I concentrate on my driving and let her have her time.
“What now?” I hear her whisper into the dark, silent car.
“I’m taking you to someone. She’ll help you from there. It’ll take about an hour to get to her. So just sit back and try to relax.” I grip the steering wheel, keeping my eyes on the road ahead. “Are you sure you’re okay?”
“Yes. I might have a cracked rib, but I’m good. I don’t need a hospital.”
My eyes snap to her. What if she punctured a lung?
She’s breathing okay.
A cracked rib can also cause damage to other organs. I know.
If it did anything serious, I don’t see any signs of it.
She delivered some powerful punches to her abuser back there. It could’ve been her adrenaline at work.
We stop at a red light. I examine her further while waiting for the light to change.
I’ve seen her before. Well, not her. Women like her. I can’t worry about them. What happens when I drop them off? How did their life turn out? Are they safe? Did they go back? Are they alive?
I can’t think about that stuff. All I can do is help them and move on. I do what I can, and that’s all. What happens after is up to them.
She’s strong. She showed me. I have to believe she will be safe.
The light turns green.
“The woman will check you out when we get to her. She’ll decide what to do next,” I say, convincing myself I’m doing the right thing by not taking her to the hospital.
This one is going to be okay.
We arrive at the drop site. I get out, and she’s already opening the door. Wanting to run over to help her, I give her some time. She needs to stand on her own two feet. I grab her shit from the back seat.
Resting her hand on the top of the car, she waits for me.
Willa walks out of the shadows. Her gentle eyes rest on the victim, who’s trying like hell to keep it together against my car.
Willa glances at me. I nod.
“Hello, Cassie. You can call me Jane.” Willa walks over to Cassie.
“Hi,” Cassie says in a shaky voice.
My heart breaks, but I’ve learned to keep the shatter bottled up inside.
“I’m going to get you somewhere safe, and we can talk there.”
“Okay,” Cassie whispers.
I hand the bags to Willa. She takes them. Her gentle eyes behold mine.
“I got it from here,” Willa says with a small, warm smile.
I nod and make my way around the car.
