[HANSON STORIES]

To Look Within My Soul

Chapter 30 - Follow Me - Continued



Sherri listened with Amy as Sam hung up the phone smiling. After a few hours his men finally picked them up and was now bringing them back to the store. Ben sipped on some coffee as he thought about opening up the store for business for another day.
"Well? Did they find…" Sherri began excitedly seeing Sam raise his hand up to stop her from talking, knowing that both the girls were just hearing the news about them because Old Ben let them sleep in late knowing they were both up most of the night filled with worry.
"They… Jason, Walker, Isaac, and Zac found them a few hours ago!" Sam exclaimed seeing Amy look up at the ceiling smiling from ear to ear.
"Is Taylor okay? How is he?" Sherri asked with anticipation as her eyes darted from side to side. Sam smiled nodding his head.
"Actually they found Taylor with that guy and I guess they had a fight with Taylor coming out being the victor. He was leading them through the wilderness with David's hands tied behind his back." Sam explained seeing Sherri's eyes grow wide with wonder and happiness.
"Taylor beat him up?" Amy asked coming up next to Sherri wanting to know more.
"Yep! He must have turned the tables on the guy. I really don't know exactly what happened but they will be here soon. My guys are driving them here now." Sam smiled seeing Sherri and Amy bolt for the door.
"Hey! You two put on some coats before you think of going outside!" Ben bellowed happily seeing them both turn around and ran to the back to get their winter coats. He chuckled shaking his head and then looked up at Sam who looked finally relived that the ordeal was now over.
"Hey I could use that cup of coffee if you are still offering." Sam smiled as Ben got off his stool and walked over to the pot of coffee and poured him a cup. He came back and then handed him the steaming cup of coffee. Sam wrapped his fingers around the cup and took a sip when suddenly Sherri and Amy came back dressed up in their coats and mittens and smiling.
"We are going to wait outside grandpa." Amy gushed seeing him nod.
"Okay. I think I hear a car coming now." Ben said as they both dashed for the door and flew outside. Ben and Sam grabbed their coats and went outside also as the car pulled into the parking area.

Taylor looked outside the window from the back seat of the police car seeing Sherri and Amy looking excited and happy. He knew they were waiting as he turned facing Isaac who sat next to him.
"Do I look bad?" Taylor asked feeling worn out and still cold.
"Tay don't worry about it. Jason will fix you up once we get inside." Isaac assured him as Jason got out of the car first and then Walker slid out from the front seat after Jason. The policeman then looked to the back seeing Zac open his door as he watched Jason from outside open the door on Taylor's side. Jason helped Taylor out with Isaac coming up behind him.
Sherri sucked in a sharp breath of air when she saw Taylor's battered face. She put her hand over her mouth as fear struck her heart. Amy sadly watched as Taylor walked slowly toward them.
"Taylor?" Sherri moaned noticing that Taylor looked weak as Isaac and Jason walked carefully with him up to the door.
"I'm okay Sherri." Taylor said knowing that she was worried about him as everyone went back inside the store. She watched seeing that he was limping like every step he took was painful. Jason eased him into a chair.
"Are you sure you don't want to go to the hospital Tay?" Jason asked seeing Taylor shake his head.
"No. I just feel sore from being beaten up. I'll be alright. I just want to get back home again." Taylor smiled and then smelled coffee in the air. "I sure could use a hot cup of coffee though."
"Sure I will get you cup. Does anyone else want one?" Ben asked seeing everyone nod.
"Oh Taylor." Sherri murmured sadly looking at his bruises that covered his right side of his face. She could see that there were some bruises around his neck also.
"Sherri?" Taylor looked at her and reached out his hand as she came up to him. He grabbed her hand gently in his and pulled her down in front of him. "He won't be bothering you anymore. I promise you that."
"Tay?" Sherri asked searching his eyes as he cradled her face in his hands gently as everyone watched.
"If you think I look bad you should see him." Taylor smiled seeing her smile back.
"Really? I do think you look awful." Sherri stated licking her lips.
"Sherri? Believe him! David looked like a mess. Taylor really beat the crap out of him!" Zac bellowed as everyone laughed.
"Well maybe not the crap but I think I got my point across the hard way. He is being taken to the hospital to fix his broken nose and then he will transported to the mental institution." Taylor explained sucking in a deep breath of air.
"You broke his nose? Oh… I wish I could have seen that!" Amy shouted raising her fist into the air as Zac chuckled then grabbed her into a hug.
"Here's your coffee Taylor." Ben smiled as Taylor looked up and then grabbed the cup and sipped it carefully feeling his jaw hurt as he winced.
"I still think we should have taken you there too. I would like a X-ray of that jaw bone." Jason said as Taylor looked up into his eyes.
"It is just sore. I can move it." Taylor stated as he took another sip liking the heat warming up his insides.
"Are you sure?" Sherri asked still squatting in front of him looking up at him with concern.
"I'm okay. I just want to go home." Taylor smiled feeling exhausted.
"I want to take a look at your feet." Jason said as Sherri stood up and moved back away from him to let her father come in front. He carefully took off Taylor's shoes and then his socks as he frowned seeing the deep colored bruises on his feet.
"He really did a number on them." Jason said as Taylor jumped when he pressed his thumb into the ball of his right foot.
"Can you move your toes Tay?" Walker asked with concern. Taylor wriggled his toes slowly on both feet to show that they weren't broken.
"Ben can you get some ice? I want to put some on his jaw there to bring down the swelling. If it doesn't go down Taylor, I don't care what you say because then I am going to bring you to the hospital." Jason informed him as Taylor nodded not wanting to argue knowing that Jason was very concerned.
"I could really use some sleep. I didn't get any sleep last night." Taylor mumbled as he yawned with tears filling his eyes. "But first I could use a hot shower and maybe something to eat."
Jason smiled and nodded.
"You are really something Taylor. You know that?" Jason chuckled as everyone smiled.
"I'll help you Tay." Isaac offered helping Taylor to stand up. Everyone watched as he leaned heavily against Isaac as he slowly led Taylor to Ben's house in the back.
"Do you think he will be okay Jason?" Walker asked turning to look at him, who accepted a cup of coffee from Ben as he handed him one.
"Walker? As long as he doesn't develop a fever I think he will be just fine. We'll watch over him tonight and see what happens. And after he takes a shower I want to put that ice on his jaw." Jason said wanting to assure him.
"I'm just glad that Taylor made it back okay and finally David will not be interfering in our lives anymore." Walker exclaimed crinkling his eyebrows together remembering how David was quiet the whole way back through the wilderness and how he just followed what he was told without a fight when they reached the other men.
"How can we be sure of that?" Sherri questioned with fear in her eyes.
"Sherri? I think he realized that he was wrong and that is a start. Taylor must have said something to him during the fight between them because he did say he was sorry about everything that he did. I don't know if he really meant it but before he didn't say those words. He kept thinking he was right in what he did to you and Taylor. He looked very beaten down and helpless when they took him away." Jason assured her watching her nod.

**********


A few hours later after Taylor took a shower and ate Jason sat by him watching him sleep wanting to keep a watch over him. He was happy that the swelling did go down in his jawbone. He reached out and gently caressed his forehead noticing that Taylor didn't have a fever. He felt assured that he was going to be just fine. He smiled thinking how much this young man went through and was proud that he came through the whole thing with flying colors. He remembered how he explained to everyone how he was tricked by David and what happened during his time with him in the barn. He looked down and saw that Taylor was looking at him.

"Hey Taylor." Jason whispered seeing him swallow and smile up at him.
"Aren't you going to go to bed?" Taylor asked as he turned his head and looked out the window noticing that it was dark outside.
"Soon. I just wanted to make sure that you were okay first."
"And how am I?" Taylor smiled licking at his lips.
"You're doing great." Jason laughed and then thought he heard a phone ringing and then noticed it stopped knowing someone must have answered it.
"What a day… huh?" Taylor asked and then saw the door open with his father looking anxious.
"Umm… Jason? Alice is going into labor!" Walker announced excitedly by the door as Jason bolted up out of the chair.
"The baby? The baby is coming?!" Jason bellowed as his heart started to race. Taylor sat up feeling excited at the news.
"We have to fly back home right now! I told Isaac and Zac and Sherri to get ready to go. Diana called and said that there were complications and she had to be rushed to the hospital in order to save the baby." Walker sadly stated seeing Jason look into his eyes with desperate fear.
"What? Oh no! Dear God let her and baby be alright!" Jason moaned swallowing hard as a sick feeling rushed through his body. Taylor got up out of bed and quickly grabbed his pants that hung over a chair slipping them on with his heart starting to beat faster not believing that something could go wrong with Alice and their baby.
"Ben called the airport Jason and told your pilot to be ready. I'm sure they are doing everything possible for her and the child." Walker consoled hating that Jason looked petrified with fear as he nodded his head slowly with tears flooding his eyes.


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