his palm against the fence; wanting to yell in frustration.
"Where the hell is she?" he muttered.
He turned to head back the way he had come when he heard a sound. He paused and listened intently. There it was again; a small cry near a grey dumpster.
He hurried to the trash bin and looked all around it without finding anything. Then he heard the noise again. It was coming from inside. He threw the lid open and looked in.
"Jen!"
She was semi-conscious, spread over an assorted mess of garbage bags and greasy cardboard boxes with her eyes barely open. The smell of the bin was unbearable and London reflexively turned his head to take a breath before leaning in and attempting to scoop her up. Jennifer groaned and tried to push away from him.
"Jen, it's okay. It's me, London. I've got you, babe," he murmured. "I've got you."
Without turning her head toward him or opening her eyes enough to see, she relaxed her arms and allowed him to lift her out. Once firmly in his arms, he carried her away from the dumpster and gently placed her against the brick wall of a nearby building. He put his arms around her and held her tightly.
"Jen," he said softly. "Can you look at me?"
He placed his index finger under her chin to tilt her head up.
"Open your eyes, Jen."
Her eyelids fluttered for a moment but remained simply cracked.
"Try, Jen. Please. You can do it," he encouraged.
She heard his soft voice urging her to open her eyes. Her lids were so heavy and she just wanted to sleep but she forced herself to try. They crept open and the light poured in, burning and causing tears to spill on to her cheeks. She fought to keep them open.
"That's my girl," London whispered.
"London?"
"I'm here, babe," he said, gently stroking her hair.
Jennifer suddenly felt the tremendous pain at the back of her head. She lifted her trembling hand to the burning spot and squeezed her eyes shut once again.
"It hurts, London," she cried out.
"I'm sorry, Jen. Let's get you to a doctor," he said empathetically.
London carried her two blocks to the local doctor amid curious onlookers. Jennifer tucked her head into his shoulder and hid her eyes from the inquisitive stares. When they arrived at the clinic they were immediately led into an examination room.
From the initial conversation between the doctor and London, Jennifer could tell that they knew each other very well. She opened her gleaming blue eyes to see a medium height, young blond man smiling down at her.
"You're awake. Good. I'm doctor Kevin Sanders. Let's get some pictures of your head, shall we?" he said frankly as he shined a light in her eyes and gently palpated the bump on the back of her head.
Jennifer was whisked through several hallways and into a room with a large, tube-like machine. London lowered her down onto the cushioned platform as the doctor directed.
"This is an MRI machine and it will tell us if you have sustained an injury to your brain," Kevin said. "I'm sure you haven't but we are going to make sure."
Jennifer nodded. London was holding her hand. He squeezed it for encouragement then let the doctor and his staff take over. Jennifer closed her eyes as she felt herself being moved into the scanner.
"Remain completely still," Kevin said.
After what seemed like hours inside the machine, Jennifer was taken to a room with a bed while Dr. Sanders waited for the test results. London sat next to her, holding her hand. As they waited, he explained what had transpired at his meeting. He knew it wasn't the right time but he wanted to keep her mind off of the pain by talking about something other than what had happened.
She wondered why he didn't question her about leaving his house. She had acted against his wishes and had paid dearly for it, but he didn't even mention it. That left Jennifer wondering when, or even if , the hammer would fall.
Dr.
"Where the hell is she?" he muttered.
He turned to head back the way he had come when he heard a sound. He paused and listened intently. There it was again; a small cry near a grey dumpster.
He hurried to the trash bin and looked all around it without finding anything. Then he heard the noise again. It was coming from inside. He threw the lid open and looked in.
"Jen!"
She was semi-conscious, spread over an assorted mess of garbage bags and greasy cardboard boxes with her eyes barely open. The smell of the bin was unbearable and London reflexively turned his head to take a breath before leaning in and attempting to scoop her up. Jennifer groaned and tried to push away from him.
"Jen, it's okay. It's me, London. I've got you, babe," he murmured. "I've got you."
Without turning her head toward him or opening her eyes enough to see, she relaxed her arms and allowed him to lift her out. Once firmly in his arms, he carried her away from the dumpster and gently placed her against the brick wall of a nearby building. He put his arms around her and held her tightly.
"Jen," he said softly. "Can you look at me?"
He placed his index finger under her chin to tilt her head up.
"Open your eyes, Jen."
Her eyelids fluttered for a moment but remained simply cracked.
"Try, Jen. Please. You can do it," he encouraged.
She heard his soft voice urging her to open her eyes. Her lids were so heavy and she just wanted to sleep but she forced herself to try. They crept open and the light poured in, burning and causing tears to spill on to her cheeks. She fought to keep them open.
"That's my girl," London whispered.
"London?"
"I'm here, babe," he said, gently stroking her hair.
Jennifer suddenly felt the tremendous pain at the back of her head. She lifted her trembling hand to the burning spot and squeezed her eyes shut once again.
"It hurts, London," she cried out.
"I'm sorry, Jen. Let's get you to a doctor," he said empathetically.
London carried her two blocks to the local doctor amid curious onlookers. Jennifer tucked her head into his shoulder and hid her eyes from the inquisitive stares. When they arrived at the clinic they were immediately led into an examination room.
From the initial conversation between the doctor and London, Jennifer could tell that they knew each other very well. She opened her gleaming blue eyes to see a medium height, young blond man smiling down at her.
"You're awake. Good. I'm doctor Kevin Sanders. Let's get some pictures of your head, shall we?" he said frankly as he shined a light in her eyes and gently palpated the bump on the back of her head.
Jennifer was whisked through several hallways and into a room with a large, tube-like machine. London lowered her down onto the cushioned platform as the doctor directed.
"This is an MRI machine and it will tell us if you have sustained an injury to your brain," Kevin said. "I'm sure you haven't but we are going to make sure."
Jennifer nodded. London was holding her hand. He squeezed it for encouragement then let the doctor and his staff take over. Jennifer closed her eyes as she felt herself being moved into the scanner.
"Remain completely still," Kevin said.
After what seemed like hours inside the machine, Jennifer was taken to a room with a bed while Dr. Sanders waited for the test results. London sat next to her, holding her hand. As they waited, he explained what had transpired at his meeting. He knew it wasn't the right time but he wanted to keep her mind off of the pain by talking about something other than what had happened.
She wondered why he didn't question her about leaving his house. She had acted against his wishes and had paid dearly for it, but he didn't even mention it. That left Jennifer wondering when, or even if , the hammer would fall.
Dr.
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