A Bride for 100 Days

twenty-three: if you're here, I'm not

An entire team helped me strip, taking everything for evidence. They photographed me and then a female doctor arrived and they did a full exam. 

Finally, I was allowed to put on scrubs. 

I could hear Jeb speaking in a low voice with Queenie and Jay. Finally, he was allowed back in and Queenie and Jeb followed. My finger was in a splint and I had a few bandages, but otherwise I was fine. 

"I want to go home," I told him. 

"OK," he agreed, leaving to get the discharge papers.  

"You're doing great," Queenie patted my hand. "Alice, something you should know. Lonnie is in critical condition. He got a hunting rifle from the cabin and shot at the officers. They returned fire and he was struck as he was fleeing into the woods. He's in surgery at a different hospital."

"Oh." I had nothing to say to that. Deep inside me, I didn't care if he lived or died. I wondered if that made me a horrible person. 

"The church employee who helped him was arrested."

"Oh." I guess I was numb.

Jeb came back with a wheelchair. "I think it's the same one," he quipped, parking it next to me. He got me back to the cabin and onto the couch. Gayle was making Levi macaroni and cheese. She made me a bowl as well. 

"Rafe delivered your truck about 20 minutes ago," she told Jeb, pointing to the keys on the hook. 

"I saw, thanks," he pulled a beer out of the fridge and popped the cap. 

"Glad you're ok, Alice." 

"Thanks," I couldn't meet her eyes. I curled up on the couch next to Levi and watched Daniel Tiger. I don't know when I fell asleep but it was full dark when I opened my eyes again. 

"Hey," Jeb said softly. "How are you?"

"Stiff all over. Where's Levi?"

"Long asleep. It's past 11." He got me some water and Motrin. "I've gotten some calls for you. People have figured out your phone is out of order. Let's see - Katie, a few times. And Paige. I told them both you were all right. That dude, Ari, called. He needs some serious anxiety therapy, by the way."

"Tell me about it," I rolled my eyes. "How did they all know?"

Jeb winced. "Katie knew 'cuz I called her. The rest? Well...it was on the news."

What? 

Jeb opened his MacBook and turned so I could watch the video on the local news site; "Alonzo Carrick, the son of Living Faith Bible Church co-founder Pastor Garth Carrick, is in serious condition tonight following a gunshot wound sustained in what is being reported as an armed showdown with the police in unincorporated Duke Henry County. Carrick had allegedly kidnapped a young woman from the Church earlier this morning. The victim was able to report her location and police were quickly summoned to the scene. Carrick is a Pastor within the Music Ministry department of the Church. We will have updates on this story as they become available." 

The video in the background was of police cars in front of the church. And then a close-up of the website - a picture of just Lonnie, one of him with the family, and then the famous one of him and I. 

I groaned. "Way to protect my privacy."

"Who knew if they had any idea you were the person he kidnapped?" Jeb put the laptop back on the coffee table. "Queenie called. Your mother has been asking the police for your contact information. Of course they didn't give it out but she passed along the message and a number." He pointed to a pad of paper. "But before you do anything, you should know that Garth was arrested."