Protecting What's Not Mine Chapter 3

David spent the next few nights after that dropping in at the diner to see if he could figure Marie out, even though he spent those days arguing with himself why he shouldn't. However, his curiosity won out every time. She knew like clockwork when he was going to show; he was trying to break her into talking about herself, but she knew she couldn't tell him, he wouldn't understand what she had been through much less believe her because nobody back in Florida did. The only proof of the violence she had been through was the scars her previous boyfriend had left that he somehow convinced everyone else that she had caused herself.

The bells sound off as the diner door opens and of course Marie isn't surprised to hear David's voice as he sits at his usual spot and orders a sweet tea and his same breakfast order of eggs, grits, and toast. "Well, are you going to tell me your story today? Or do I have to break out my secret weapon?" David smiled brightly. Marie watched him trying to find ways to crack her, and she couldn't help but give a real heartfelt giggle; something she hadn't done in a long time. She shook her head as she asked herself how someone like this could make her feel this way after so much she had been through. "You may have to break out that secret weapon because I ain't talking without my lawyer." She gave her best mafia accent and walked away to pick up his food. David was amazed by her humor and broke out in laughter; This too was something new for him. "Hey Marie, would you have dinner with me tonight?" He blurted it out before he got cold feet. Marie came to a complete standstill; shocked. "You want to have dinner with me, and you don't know the first thing about me. Do you always so boldly and bluntly ask a girl out that could be damaged goods or worse a psycho?" She was trying to scare him off, but she had a feeling it wasn't going to work.

"Define psycho. Killer psycho, or stalker psycho? I can make it easy on both of us, and just a background check on you and find out most of what I need to know." He was joking, but the look on her face went from and pleasant pink to ghost white then to a very sickly green. "Excuse me." Marie took off, running for the bathroom. Something felt real off she felt unstable, and then she started throwing up everything she swore it was everything Marie had eaten since she had arrived in Las Vegas just two weeks ago. Once her world calms back down, Marie managed to walk to the front and ask for her uncle; however, that was as far as Marie got before the room began to start spinning once again and nausea took over. David jumped when he noticed she was going to pass out. "Hey, are you okay, Marie? Look at me, what's wrong?" David was trying to stay calm, but for some reason, she had him freaking out.

It wasn't long after that they were sitting in the emergency room waiting to find out what was going on with her. So far all the doctors have said is that she is dehydrated and giving her fluids while running other tests. Of course, David not being family they wouldn't allow him to be with her and asked him to wait in the lobby.

Marie was finally able to sit up without feeling sick. She looked around and asked the nurse, "Do you know what's wrong with me?" The nurse looked at her and smiled sweetly. "Oh honey, don't you worry about a thing, you are perfectly fine; the first trimester of pregnancy is always rough." Marie's world stood still for what seemed forever. "PREGNANT!!! There must be some mistake I can't be pregnant. No, not now, not by that monster." Tears fell from her eyes like water from a pouring faucet. "I don't want it; take it out of me now." She screamed. The nurse didn't know what to do; she felt confused. She did the only thing she knew to do and went out to Marie's uncle; maybe he could calm her down enough to help her think about this decision before she made it. "Excuse me, Mike, I need to speak with you about your niece and what is going on with her." He asked David to join him in the conversation since he had been there the whole time, and Mike felt the detective deserved to know after all the help he has given. "Marie is about five weeks pregnant, she is completely against this pregnancy and is asking for it terminated, but before this decision is made, I think she needs to calm down and think about it. Maybe you can help her? Will you talk to her and help her process this properly?" Her uncle looked at David with the hope that he would help out this one last time.

Mike didn't have to ask David couldn't seem to turn his back on her. However, he didn't understand why she wouldn't want her baby. Maybe that's what caught David's interest because he didn't take her for someone that would go for such a thing as an abortion. David needed to know what happened to her while she was in Florida. They entered the room to find Marie balled up in the corner of the room, crying and asking herself why this was happening to her. After a couple of attempts of her uncle trying to talk to her, he just held his head in sadness and walked out to speak with the nurse.

"Marie, look at me, please. Why do you not want this baby? There has to be more to the story than your old boyfriend was a control freak. I can help, but I need to know the truth." David waited patiently, not sure that she would even talk to him at all, but as he went to get up and walk out, she spoke. "At first, when we started dating everything was great. We would go to places. Then after a few months of that, he insisted that I move in with him. At first, I resisted, but I eventually gave in. Things continued to go well he was a little demanding about how things should be taken care of around the house, then he started telling me how I was to dress before leaving the house and if I didn't meet his approval he locks me in the bathroom for hours until I got it right. It just escalated from that point."

Wow, he didn't see that coming. "Look I know things seem horrible because of everything he has done to you but is that any reason not to give this child a fighting chance?" He didn't have a damn clue of what he was talking about, but something in his gut said it was right. She looked at him with shame she knew it wasn't the baby's fault, but how was she supposed to raise a child and protect it from the monster that helped create it. "Why do you care what happens to this baby? I can't take care of a baby by myself, and I have nothing. And how do I protect this child if he finds us?" David didn't give it a second thought or even a first thought when his mouth opened, "I will help, and I will make damn sure that nothing happens to that baby." Marie shook her head and just laughed at the insanity David was speaking. "Are you insane? Not only is this child not yours but the birth father is a mad man and will have no problem of taking any one of us out including this child to keep everything he has done to me quietly. I will not allow you to risk your life or take responsibility for something that's not your problem." It was like air going through one ear and out the other. "What if I told you I wanted to? Look I am just saying I think you should take this as a sign that life is offering you a new and fresh start." He wasn't sure if she would listen to him at all, but it was worth a shot. He felt he was already in over his head, but something told him she was worth it.