Chapter 34 - Dorothea

Two months had passed, in that time, Mara had had her 3^rd skin graft and was healing really well, The detective had Dorothea’s mom in custody with no bail, and I still had the kids and Dorothea seemed resigned to the fact and had ceased all communication. Deep down inside though, I knew the calm would not last and it was rising ready for a storm. I was just not prepared for the storm when it eventually arrived....

 I was sitting with Mara, my Mom and Ruth chatting about nothing, when one of the Drs’s looking after Mara walked in.

"Ah, Jon, Mara," he nodded acknowledgement to my mom and Ruth.

"I am glad you’re all here together.”

 Standing at the foot of Mara's bed, he had a smile etched across his face as he spoke...

"Well young lady your third skin graft has gone exceptionally well, and your body has healed at a tremendous pace, we are delighted with your progress. So much in fact, we are discharging you from our care on Friday. There is just one more graft to have but that’s it. What do you say to that?”

Mara smiled, and tears of joy rolled down her cheeks, “really?” she beckoned for the Dr to move forward and as he lent forward she pulled him in for a hug. "Thank you, thank you so much..."

"Dr, the final skin graft, will that be by an outpatient appointment?"

The Dr pulled back from the hug and addressed my question,

"Yes Mr Bongiovi it will, I just need to finalise a few things but I will return with all those details before Mara is discharged. ...She will have to come back in for the graft and stay for a short spell to recover once it is in place, but no more than a week or so.

We won’t be looking at doing the final graft for about 6 months or maybe more. We will write you when it is to be.

Given how well Mara has recovered we have decided the next part of her recovery needs to take place at home. “he smiled as he turned back to face Mara.

“When can I return to work Dr?”

“Not for some time I’m afraid, your skin is very delicate and could tear very easily.

I’m afraid you need to give yourself at least 12 months maybe more to heal fully before resuming your work.”

“twelve months? But I am a fitness instructor... I can’t not work Dr?”

From a high, Mara hit a low, her career was her life, and she loved helping people.”

“Well from now on, it will be standing and watching only.... and desk work....” seeing the disappointment on her face, he softened a little...”  look; we will access your progress as we move on, ok? If you’re ready before we will tell you. Deal?”

Mara smiled weakly and nodded her head.

So, are there anymore questions?” silence, as we just shook our heads...

“ No? Ok, I'll leave you all too it then, but if you need anything else just ask” 

“Thank you Doc. “

Acknowledging us he turned and left the room.

Ruth spoke first,

"Oh Mara sweetheart, that’s fantastic news, you can come home..."

"But I don't have a home anymore mom, it was burnt down, all my personal belongings gone forever, things I can never replace.

Mara put her head down and tears of sadness began to fall onto her cheeks.

“I know sweetheart, but your alive, material things are trivial against your life, right?”

“I guess so, but the pictures I had, mom, my graduation certificates, pictures of Brian, my school projects, those things are priceless and no against my life they are worthless, but they were like pure gold to me... and now they are gone...” she continued to sob......

“Honey, I have some of those things you mention, especially Brian’s pictures, and some of your reports and exam grades, and your graduation things, we had copies done remember? I can get copies for you, not everything is lost.” Touching her daughters arm and rubbing gently she waited for Mara’s reply.

It never came, Mara just raised her head, and touching Ruth’s hand she smiled. Mother and daughter sharing a moment, as only mother and daughter can.

I felt guilt in my heart, guilt not because I had caused the fire and Mara’s home to burn down, but because of me, my mom in law for whatever reason decided to take revenge by trying to kill my girlfriend. That was something I was living with daily. I knew what I had to do and what I really wanted so I spoke next...

"You have a home Mara, with me, if you want too? “

I waited for Mara to reply; when she did I was not expecting what came out of her mouth....

Looking up at me, and wiping her tears from her face, her eye's held my gaze as she spat her reply...

"Live with you Jon? are you sure you want that, I am no beauty anymore, well I never was, but I'm even less so now.... do you really want this...." she gestured over her features and body as she spoke....

I was stunned and shocked...

“How can you say that? I thought you knew me, I thought you understood me? I love you Mara. Nothing on earth could ever stop that, nothing... yes, I do want to be with you, I want to be with you forever.... but do you want to be with me? ”

“I don’t know Jon, I think I just need time to think...  her voice had softened but not much, “it has been a big day, and I guess I just need to take it all in.”

“Do you want me to go?”

“Yes, please, I do”

Rising to my feet I headed to the door, “Just a minute Jon.... “

“Mara, what has come over you? Don’t treat Jon like that, he has been nothing but kindnesses to you.... what an earth are you thinking? Take it back and apologise at once”

“Leave it mom, please,” rolling on to her side facing away from us, “can you all leave... just leave me alone... I need time, time to think.... I have lost a lot and I just need to re-adjust to it all in my head, 24 hours that’s all... please....”

We all left Mara’s room; outside her door we just stood in silence, all of us unsure what had just taken place.

I looked at my Mom, and Ruth held her head in shame.

“I am so sorry Jon; I have never seen Mara behave like that before. That was totally out of character for her. I know she didn’t mean it. You won’t hold it against her will you?”

I shook my head, “Never in a million years, I love Mara, I want to make her happy as she has me... God Damn it, if I could turn back the clock and make it all right I would... but I can’t Ruth, I can’t... I am so sorry.... sorry that Mara is a victim in all of this..... “

“Stop Jon, you did not light the match and do those awful things, you saved Mara, you have covered her medical bills. I know you love my daughter. Just hang in there ok? She will come good, you will see.”

As we stood not knowing what to do, I was aware of my cell ringing in my pocket, reaching in I took the phone and answered the call....

"Jesse, what’s up buddy?"

"It's mom dad, she is on her way to the hospital, she is drunk Dad and raging.... she came here looking for you..... Dad, I'm sorry I had to tell... she got so mad.... I didn't want to but I had too...."

"calm down son, it's ok, when was this?"

"she left here 10 minutes ago..."

" was she driving?"

"Yeah, I think so..."

"which car did she have?"

" Erm... I don't know "

"ok, don’t worry, are you and Jake and Steph ok?, she didn't hurt you did she?"

"No pop, it was just me, the others are out back in the yard by the lake, I don't think they knew she was here, I'm just shaken ... but I’m ok?"

"So, what happened?"

“I was fixing some food for us in the kitchen, we were going to eat out back by the lakes, and the doorbell rang.  I opened it and Mom just walked right in, she spat in anger asking me to go get my low life cheating son of bitch father ;I told her you weren't home and she flipped, she started smashing things, then she picked up a letter opener off the kitchen side and held it to my throat, she demanded to know where you were, that's when I told her where you are... I'm sorry pop..."

"Jesus Jesse, are you ok?”

“Yes, I’m ok pop, just shook up? Mom scared me; I have never seen her like that before”

“But you’re ok? No cuts or anything? You sure?”

 “Yeah, I’m fine, honest, no cuts nothing... as soon as I told her where you were she dropped the letter opener and left....will you be ok? She looked like she could kill dad?”

“Yes, I will be fine, listen Jesse, you guys just stay safe ok, lock the doors and don’t let anyone in till I get back ok?

“Ok pop, will you be long?”

“Not too long I’ll ring when I leave Ok?”

“Ok”

Hanging up from the call, I spoke to Ruth and my Mom,

“Its Dot Mom, she is on her way here to the hospital, I know Mara wants to be alone but we can’t leave just yet. Can you sit outside her room, I’m gonna go call Detective Ross, shit to all hell, I knew something like this would happen.”

My mom and Ruth agreed to go sit outside Mara’s room and make sure that Dot did not get in; I made the Dr’s aware and then stepped outside to call the Detective.

It went straight to answer phone, I tried twice more same thing. In total frustration I left a message asking him to call me as soon as possible.

I paced up and down outside the hospital waiting for the Detective to call me back. My patience was all but worn out.

Eventually Detective Ross called; he apologised that he missed my calls and after me telling him about what happened to Jesse, he was sending a squad car to watch out for Dorothea and arrest her. He told me it was being despatched with the utmost urgency. I told him I would wait outside the hospital for the officers.

I stood waiting, watching everyone coming and going to and from the hospital, all the time watching for the cops and for any sign of Dorothea.

Soon enough the police arrived. They said their presence outside the hospital would deter Dorothea from coming so they were going to move their car out of view and sit and wait.

I was not comfortable that they were going to be out of view so agreed I would stand guard. The police confirmed they could see me and when I raised my hand they would move in and arrest my ex wife.

I stood waiting for over an hour when finally I saw her walking towards the hospital, she saw me outside and started to run towards me shouting as she ran.

“Jon, you low down lying cheating son of a bitch, I want a word with you, where is the tart that has destroyed my marriage, eh where is she?”

“What are you going on about?”

“The bitch, where is she?, eh? You can’t protect her? How could you do this to me?”

“Do what to you?”

“Cheat on me again eh? I keep forgiving you and you keep on cheating why? Tell me why?”

“I aint cheating on you,  cause we aint married anymore remember,”

“Yeah I remember cause of that bitch....how could you? Eh and in our marital bed?”

“Dot? What are you taking?”

“I’m taking nothing you fucking assole...”

Her words were slurred and her breath stank of alcohol. I managed to raise my hand and summon the cops, but they did not respond.  With each word Dot tried to get nearer to the hospital and through the doors to head to Mara’s room.

“Dot, your drunk, let me call you a cab eh, go home”

“who the fuck are you to tell me what to do? You left me for that bitch... and .... and you have taken my kids away from me... are you poisoning them against me too, eh are ya?”

“Dot, I have not left you, I did not sleep with Mara in our Marital bed, I am not married to you and haven’t been for seven years, as for the kids they have chose to live with me cause they are sick of your drinking. I want our kids to be normal and happy.  Dot and that is something you have not provided for them for a long time. Now I will call you a cab and I want you to go home.”

I went to get my cell from my pocket as she lunged forward and stuck something into me. I looked down and saw blood oozing from my shoulder, dropping the phone I looked at Dot, she had her hands to her mouth and total shock on her face at what she had done, as she was backing away to run the police grabbed her and cuffed her, putting her in the back of the car, the other officer walked me back into the hospital to get treated. In my shoulder was a long 9 inch kitchen knife. I was in shock as I was led to emergency for treatment.

“What the fuck just happened? How the hell am I now sitting here in hospital with a knife in my shoulder?, I raised my hand where the fuck where you guys?”

“I’m sorry Mr Bongiovi, we could not make a move until you ex wife tried something.”

“Right, so you wait until she stabs me eh? Did Detective not tell you about this case?”

“No sir, we were just sent to prevent an incident occurring in the hospital, the sketch we were given was brief.”

“No fucking shit, it was brief...”