Benjamin pushed her hair out of her face as he whispered for her to calm down. “I think I should have something that will remove the dye, paint, or whatever it is. There is a shower here,” he told her as he wiped her tears. “Maybe someone was playing a joke, and you got the wrong bottle?” he suggested like he was trying to figure out how it had happened.
“Who would play a joke where someone turns blue?” she asked silently and her mind came up with one answer. “Fucking Derrik!” she hissed.
“How the hell did he do it?‘
The only thing she used that morning was body wash and moisturizer. As she didn’t turn blue on Saturday, that only left Sunday that Derrik somehow had gotten into her house. The only people that were noted to have been going into her home were security and they were checked out by the police!
“Come on, we should get this washed off,” Benjamin whispered, but he sounded as if he was holding back his anger.
‘I need to call in to work,” she sobbed as he helped her to stand. “That’s if I still have a freaking job.”
“I’m sure you will; your boss seems to care for you.”
“Yeah, he’s my godfather, and the best friend of my father,” she told him, only finding it a little odd. She never told Derrik about how close her father and Aron were without being forced to tell.
Derrik actually accused her of sleeping with Aron at one time, because of how rapidly she had been promoted in the company.
“He’ll understand,” Benjamin said again, leaving no room to argue.
He sat her in his office. “Take your gloves and jacket off, I will be right back.”
She took her jacket and gloves off and right away, she saw her hands weren’t blue. Moving her pant legs up, she saw only the side of her left leg was blue. Letting out a sob, she pulled her arm from her sweater and noticed her upper left arm was blue. The majority of her left side was blue, as well.
“Let’s see if I can get this off, or at least lessen it.” Benjamin brought out a cloth from a basin of water and knelt in front of her. He started to rub her face and neck with the cloth. He was so gentle with her that it was almost breaking her heart as well as healing it.
His eyes flashed to hers. “You smell,” he stated and she was instantly taken back a little.
She forced out a chuckle and tried not to cry. “Hey, I showered right before I came here.”
“What? No, I don’t mean it in a bad way. I mean you smell like Blue Raspberry Kool–Aid.”
Pandora turned her nose to her left shoulder and sniffed. He was right. That was exactly what she smelled like. “How would that get on my skin?” she asked.
“Well, one time, when I was at football camp-
“You went to football camp? she questioned, interrupting him.
“Yeah, when I was old enough to help out at camp, I attended. Anyway, this one boy was being bullied and one of the pranks played on him was putting Kool–Aid powder in his bed. He looked the same, only some parts of him were blue, just like you.”
Pandora frowned while thinking over what he said. “So Derrik has sprinkled blue Kool–Aid in my bed?”
Yes! her mind answered as she asked the question.
“Fucker,” she muttered with a sigh.
“It’s mostly off your neck and face, go in and use my shower to wash up and I’ll check you over,” Benjamin said, sounding as if he was talking through his teeth. “When you are finished, come back in here. I’ll use another room for the time being.”
Pandora moved to his shower, taking more time and care to wash than she did that morning. When she was finished showering and dressed, she stood at his door. Seeing Benjamin, she noticed that he seemed to be in deep thought.
Hi,” she said, hoping to not interrupt him.
“Hey, feel better?”
She nodded at him and he jumped up, moving over to her. He helped her to a chair by his desk and as she sat down. He knelt in front of her.
1/2
*Pandora, if he is abusing you, you’d tell me, right? I mean, I swear that I’d help you get away from him.”
“What?” she mumbled, feeling confused.
“Your husband Derrik, if he is hurting you
then….
Pandora’s mouth dropped open. Yes, Derrik had been harassing her, and in that regard abusing her. It was just not the way he thought. She opened her mouth to explain, but he covered her mouth.
“I know that I am stepping way over the line, but you could stay with me, I have a large home. It’s more than big enough for you and the babies. You’d be safe there, at least until you found somewhere else to go.”
“Benj-” She only got the start of his name out when the door burst open.
“Dr. Parks, there’s an emergency at the hospital. It’s Maisey, she’s been in a car crash,” the nurse said.
Benjamin leaped up, looking worried. He looked back down at Pandora.”
“Go,‘ she told him, but she found that she needed to reassure him with her eyes. He nodded before starting to look frantic. As he moved to the door, he held his cell up, and she moved quickly with him.
Dad, how’s Maisey?” he asked as he struggled to get his jacket on. So, Pandora moved to him, holding it open. “Fuck, that’s bad, he mumbled, pulling at his hair. “I am calm!” he yelled out as he brought out his car keys. “I’ll be there soon. Don’t worry about me, I always drive safely.”
Knowing the look of fear and shakiness, she snatched the cell from him. “Hi, I’m Pandora, and I will drive him to the hospital. Which hospital should I bring him to? Okay, I will get him there, no worries,” she quickly said, pulling Benjamin toward her car.
“Get in,” she ordered him as he just looked at her. “You are a doctor, and this is safer and you know it.”
He nodded and opened the door, getting in. Only then did she give him back his phone.
“Yes, Dad, someone’s driving me,” Benjamin hissed out but sounded upset. “She’s going to be okay, right Dad?”
Pandora closed her eyes, feeling the pain in Benjamin’s voice. She looked up at the sky as she started her car.
“You have to save her, she prayed to the heavens and her own body wanted to cry.. She knew this because Benjamin was an amazing man, and loved his wife deeply.
‘Is that the only reason why? a small voice in her head asked.
