| A Second Chance |
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| Oh damn! How could I be so stupid? �Oh no, nothing like that,� I said quickly.
�My babies are my pets. Rip Jr. and Silky. Silky can take care of himself; he knows where the litter box is. But Rip needs to be let out and fed so that he doesn�t destroy my house.� He tried to hide it but I heard a sigh of relief escape from his lips then his expression brightened. �I�d still like to help you out somehow. I�d be honored if you�d let me take you home.� I couldn�t help but roll my eyes. How dense was this guy anyway? I had already told him that I had a friend coming to get me, yet he just wouldn�t take no for an answer and he seemed to want to protect me. It was in that way that he reminded me of Jason. �If I let you take me home will you quit pestering me,� I asked, the irritation clearly evident in my voice. He laughed as if I was telling some sort of hilarious joke. �You bet. I�ll just go take care of a few things and bring the car around,� he said excitedly and hurried to do whatever it was he needed to do. After he had gone I sighed, signed my name to the discharge papers, and gave my friend a quick call. I told her thanks, explained to her what was going on and asked if she could come out to my place the next day and check on me. She said it wouldn�t be a problem. As I was putting my cell phone back in my purse the doctor came in and gave me some last minute reminders about how to care for the cast and myself while I was healing. Then he wished me well and a nurse helped me to a wheel chair and wheeled me to the exit. The drive back to my house was longer than it would have taken me, but I admired that he drove the way he did considering the icy weather conditions. Besides, it was getting dark and colder, which meant the roads would only be getting more and more slick. Along the way we chatted and got to know each other a little better. I discovered that not only was he a pediatrician but he was an amateur aspiring author in his free time. He was funny, he was charming and we seemed to have a lot in common. It seemed almost surreal that I would meet someone like this, but it was real and I couldn�t deny it. Something in the back of my mind kept nagging at me though. It was like my mind was warning me not to trust him. For some strange reason, the thought of him being that rapist I had read about in the newspaper the other day, came to mind. He couldn�t be though. He was too charming and too nice. I shoved the thoughts aside when I saw my house in the distance. When we finally arrived at my house in the country, he helped me out of the car. The steps to the house would be too much to handle on the crutches that had been loaned to me. And as I stood there looking at the stairs, wondering how I would get up them, Brad came up behind me and scooped me into his arms without so much as a warning. I told him he didn�t have to and that I could find a way to do it on my own but he insisted and said it wasn�t a problem. Once inside I directed him to my bedroom to which he continued to carry me to and then put me gently on the bed. Rip had started barking at him as soon as he entered with me in his arms, but a snap of my fingers and a point in the direction of the dog bed, made Rip quiet down and go to his bed. �I�ll go bring your things inside,� he said and turned to go. �Would you let Rip out back for me,� I asked as he started out the door. �Sure, no problem,� he said. �Come on Rip, come on boy. Let�s go outside.� Rip wouldn�t go, which was odd. He should have been eager to go out regardless of who was opening the door for him. Brad called him again but still he didn�t move from his bed and instead he growled at Brad. �Don�t worry about it Brad,� I said, shifting on the bed to where I could easily get up with the help of the crutches. �I�ll let him out,� I said, standing up slowly, using the crutches to help support my weight. |