Unfurling

The Hit

Walking in the door at seven thirty, he heads to the refrigerator and pours a glass of water. It was a hectic night last night and all he wants to do is crawl in bed to recover for tonight’s shift. He doesn’t want to miss seeing her this morning though.

Deciding he better not sit down to avoid falling asleep, he stands by the windows in his kitchen. He sees the same people he sees every morning walking at all different paces as they head for their office buildings. Those eager to get to work are walking briskly and those appearing not to be eager to begin their workday, walk at a much slower pace.

Seeing movement in the parking garage, his eyes move to see if it’s her. He sees it’s one half of the couple that works in her building and is disappointed. Watching, he is very surprised that the man is by himself since the two have always arrived together.

Trouble in paradise, he wonders. It was bound to happen, someone seeing something and sharing. Then it spreads like wildfire.

Watching the man move through and out the parking garage, he notices that he isn’t on his cell phone at all. Another odd thing because when the two aren’t together, they are always on their cell phones.

Then he sees the little white car climbing up the parking garage floor by floor and grins. Suddenly he isn’t feeling very tired.

Paige notes that again, the garage is busy and is fairly full which means she’ll probably be on one of the upper floors. She decides to just head straight to the top floor rather than hunt for a parking space.

Reaching the top, she slings her briefcase over her shoulder and walks towards the elevator. Her mind is already thinking about the day ahead and the work needing done. She steps in the elevator and rides it down to the ground floor.

He waits for her to step out of the elevator and walk to the sidewalk. Glancing up the street while he’s waiting, he sees a car that looks a lot like the car that appeared for the maintenance man in her building but it’s a pretty common car and lets it go.

There she is stepping out of the vestibule from the garage and on the sidewalk. He sees movement at the car and sees a large man getting out of the car. Suddenly it appears as if that very large man is launching himself down the street and he’s moving fast. He has a bad feeling he is heading for her.

He drops his glass and heads out the apartment hoping to get to her before the big man does. Sprinting down the steps two at a time and jumping through the door, he hits the front sidewalk just as the big man smacks into her and continues running.

She hurtles through the air, landing on her side and her briefcase is dangling out of the big man’s hand.

Not sure if he should chase the big man or go to her side, he stops a minute and then decides he should check on her well-being. He dodges between stopped cars and makes it to the other side, kneeling down.

“Are you okay?” he questions.

“What happened?” Paige asks trying to sit up.

“Don’t sit up yet, let me check a few things first,” he requests.

Concerned she may have hit her head on the fall, he has her watch his finger as he moves it from side to side watching her pupils closely to see if there’s a delay. There appears to be a delay plus she is complaining she feels sick and she seems confused when he reaches her. He needs to call for an ambulance. Pulling his phone out, he dials nine one one.

He can hear the siren well before the ambulance is seen on the street. Still on his knees beside her, he asks her questions to be sure she remains awake until the paramedics arrive.

Struggling not to notice just how beautiful she is and focus on her medical needs is a challenge. It helps to have the distraction of telling the people circled around her to move back, repeatedly. He notices that people in the circle stop and gawk, then move on except one. The long leggy blonde that she walked to the parking garage with the other day is remaining and looking scared along with worried.

The ambulance arrives and he relays his findings to the paramedics.

They take over with her vitals and getting her on the stretcher into the ambulance.

“Neesy,” Paige calls when she sees she’s standing on the fringe of the gathered crowd.

“Yes?” Neesy responds, stepping forward.

“Can you ride with me to the hospital please?”

“Of course.”

Paige looks around for the man who had been by her side and who called nine one one. She doesn’t see him anywhere.

That’s strange, she thinks. Where did he go?

Grabbing Nessy’s hand, Paige asks “Neesy, what happened to the gentleman who had been helping me?”

“He was right here a minute ago,” Neesy responds and looks around at the people still gathered. “I don’t see him now.”

“Me either. I wanted to thank him for his help.”

Paige continues to look for the gentlemen in the navy scrubs as she’s loaded into the ambulance. She doesn’t see him, and he should be easy to spot as he was well over six feet tall and a brawny. She remembers his slightly mussed, brown hair had fallen over his right eye and his eyes were a deep green. His hands had been strong but gentle when he touched her. Somehow she must find him so she can thank him for his help.

“Neesy, I need to call my boss to let him know my laptop is gone.”

Neesy dials their director and places the call on speaker so Paige can inform him of the events that occurred this morning.

Paige tells her boss that she is on the way to the hospital as it is thought she has a concussion and then advises that the thief got her briefcase that contains her work laptop along with some cash.

Her boss advises her not to worry, he’ll call security about the laptop, and tells Neesy to keep him informed.

Neesy assures him she will.

Upon reaching the hospital, the police are waiting to talk to Paige and gather a statement. While she’s talking to the police, she notices the hospital personnel and paramedics are chatting quietly. She assumes the paramedics are relaying her information or perhaps they know the gentleman who assisted her this morning.

Finishing with the police, the hospital personnel are now gathering her vitals and it isn’t long before they advise she’s got a severe concussion. She’s told no computer work or any work for a week. She asks for that in writing and receives it.

“Do you know the man who helped me?” Paige asks the emergency room personnel. “I’d like to tell him thank you.”

“We’ll let him know when he’s on shift later tonight,” a nurse assures her.

Well that’s helpful, Paige thinks. I know where he works now.

Neesy calls the director to share the news of no work and the police have a report, providing that report number so he can relay to security.

Paige tells Neesy she wants her to act for her until she’s back in the office which the director approves.

Paige is thankful that she had placed her phone in her coat pocket and not her briefcase. She uses an app on her phone to call a car service to take her home with a stop at the office for Neesy. Her car will need to stay at the garage for now.

He is back in his apartment and stewing. He needs to get his hands on the maintenance man.