“Amber, wake up.” I recognize that voice. Opening my eyes, I see a dimly lit room. I look to my left realizing the neck brace is gone. My left arm is also in a royal blue cast. ‘How did they know my favorite color?’, I think to myself. I realize Nick is sitting beside me. He must of have did a little research while checking my emergency info. “You're in the ICU. While you were asleep, they took a CT scan and MRI. They showed no major trauma. You have a mild concussion and a head wound from what they told me. How are you feeling?”

I couldn’t feel anything. They must of gave me pain meds to stop the pain. “Numb.”

“That’s probably from the pain medication they gave you. They also contacted your parents and told them that you were....”

“AMBER!!! AMBER, WHERE ARE YOU?!?!?!”

Looking at me, he says, “Guess they got the memo.”

“Jessica, calm down before you get us kicked out. We will find her. Look, here’s her room.”

My mom comes bursting through the door to my room followed by my more calm and collected dad. Running up to me, she envelopes me in a hug. Her red hair falls over my shoulder and the scent of apple cinnamon envelopes me. “Amber, oh my god. I’m glad you’re ok. When the hospital answered your phone and said that something had happened to you, I thought that….” She starts to cry.

My dad walks up to my bedside and picks up my hand. “Amber, we’re glad you’re alive.”

Now just noticing Nick, my dad turns to him. Narrowing his eyes and drawing his gun, he questions, “Who are you and what are you doing in my daughter’s room?”

Raising his hands, Nick says, “I mean no harm to your daughter. I was the one who saved her life. I found her on the trail near the water crossing.”

Lowering his gun, my dad takes a deep breath. Reaching towards Nick, he shakes his hand. “I’m Alex Smith, Amber’s father. You can call me Mr. Smith.” Motioning towards my mom, he says, “Thank you from both Jessica and I for saving our daughter.”

Wiping her tear stained face, my mom says, “Yes, thank you Nick. If you wouldn’t have been there, then then….” Tears start to flow down my mom’s face once again.

Offering my mom a tissue, Nick explains, “Here Mrs. Smith. It’s nice to meet you both. I just did what any good samaritan would of did if they had found her.”

“Would you excuse me for a moment. I need to make a call.” My dad leaves the room. We all sit in silence, not knowing what to say. A few moments later, my dad returns. “I made a call to the station. They’re arranging to have someone set up outside the room and to also have someone come interview Amber, if your up to it.”

“I think I am Dad. The sooner they find him, the safer I’ll be.”

Monitors beep around me while the hospital bed creaks and moans beneath me. The pain from my injuries is dulled due to the high dose pain meds I was given. My leg is numb from the block they had given me a few hours ago. Two cops stand on the right side of the bed. Nick sits on my left side in a chair while my parents stand beside me. My mom is holding my hand, crying. Dad’s face is expressionless, motionless. One of the cops is writing things down on a notepad while the other questions me. “Who is the man that did this to you? He will be arrested and charged with attempted murder.”

I am shaking with fear but take a deep breath. “Philip. His name is Philip Forge. You might also want to add abuse to the charges.”

My dad’s gaze turns revenge filled. He kicks the bed. “Dammit. I always knew that bastard was trouble from the day I met him. All of those broken bones and injuries that you had told me that he wasn’t what he seemed to be.”

My mom turns to me. “Amber, why didn’t you come to see us and tell us he was abusive?”

Not meeting my mother’s gaze, I whisper, “I was afraid of him finding out that I told you guys. I decided to end the relationship without you knowing either and wound up here.” Sobs of regret start to shake my body as hot tears flow down my cheeks.

Pulling me into a hug, my mother shushes me. “Amber, if you would’ve came to us sooner, your dad would have had a warrant for his arrest placed, a restraining order, plus security monitoring you 24/7.”

Turning to her, I say, “But that won’t stop him. He has friends that assisted in the attack and they would do the dirty work for him if he gets arrested.”

“But we could bait all of them, including Philip, using you Amber.”

“ALEX ARE YOU NUTS!?!? YOU WANT TO RISK AMBER’S LIFE AGAIN JUST TO LURE IN THAT ASSHOLE NAMED PHILIP AND HIS FRIENDS!?!?”

“Jessica, relax. I would have a full blown SWAT team ready to take them down during the baiting. Amber would be completely safe. We will only do it once she’s healed and if she's up to it.” Turning to me, ignoring my mother ranting about how he’s risking their daughter’s life for this and a few other choice things that I don’t want to mention, he asks, “Amber, would you be up to it?”

“Yes. I want him off the streets away from me. Put away where he can’t touch me ever again.”