I didn’t give much thought to how I would get home from the hospital until I stood outside of its doors.
It was the early morning, so a few hours remained until the sun came up. It wasn’t the smartest decision I’d ever made, but I decided to walk home. I didn’t live too far away. Buses had stopped running hours ago. I could have called the Todorovs or Nelle or even George, but I didn’t want to be a nuisance.
A car would have been nice at a moment like this. Not too long ago I made the choice between car payments and groceries. Nourishment won out on the priority list. Not by much.
The way home from the hospital didn’t exactly take me through the best part of town. I held my purse close to my chest. There might not have been much in there, but I wanted to keep it. And I was not averse to fighting off a mugger.
Each sound of the night—dogs barking, doors closing—inclined me to speed up my pace. The safety tips that had been drilled into my head years before replayed in my mind. Stay in well lit areas. Stay away from bushes and doorways. Be aware of what’s going on around you.
I was on the third rule when I recognized the hum of a car engine behind me. Willing myself to stay calm to prevent any more panic attacks, I walked faster. The car continued to coast idly behind me.
I pulled out my cell phone and dialed 9-1-1 for the second time tonight but waited to press the call button. Maybe if I stopped walking, the car would drive away and I could continue on my merry way.
With the phone in my hand, I stopped beneath the weak glow of a streetlight. The car sped up. I resisted the urge to sigh. The medication the doctor prescribed couldn’t have come at a better time because I really needed to get a hold of myself.
“Do you need a ride, miss?”
I turned my head and shrieked.
The driver of a yellow taxi—who had apparently been following me—held up a hand in a surrendering gesture. The car stopped beside me.
I took a small, tentative step back on the sidewalk. I didn’t want to make it obvious that I was about to make a run for it. I doubted I could outrun the taxi. Hopefully, the police got to me before this man did.
The man gave what I presumed he thought was a friendly smile. To me, it made him look like a serial killer. “No need to be afraid. I don’t want to harm you.” That’s probably what all murderers and rapists said. “I saw you leave the hospital alone and I followed you to make sure you got home safely. There are a lot of weirdoes out here. If you’d like, I can give you a ride free of charge.”
What kind of taxi driver gave a ride free of charge? One that wanted me dead, that’s who.
I shook my head and took another step backwards. “No thank you.”
“Look, I’m not going to hurt you. Allow me to take you home. If you just came from the hospital then you’re not in the best condition. I will even leave the cab doors unlocked so that you can jump out at any time. I see you have your phone out. You can call the police if you feel threatened.”
“If you want to kill me just say it. Don’t try to make me trust you.”
The man actually had the nerve to laugh. From the abrupt way he stopped laughing he must have caught sight of the annoyed expression on my face.
He sobered. “Miss, I give my word to you and whatever deity you believe in that I will not harm you. Please, let me take you home. I would feel awful if something happened to you.”
I folded my arms across my chest, my phone still clutched tightly in my hand. If this guy really wanted to kill me, he was going through a lot of trouble to convince me otherwise. I agonized over the decision for a minute. Then I made probably the dumbest and worst decision of my life. It was a night full of them.
“Fine, you can take me home.”
I climbed into the back of the cab and sat as close to the door as possible in case I needed to escape. The man shut the meter off. The identification beside it named the driver as Joseph Johnson.
I looked in the rearview mirror and saw the driver clearly for the first time. He appeared to be in his late twenties or early thirties with short, dark hair and equally dark eyes. Though he was sitting, he was well-built, tall with broad shoulders.
“Where am I taking you?” he asked.
I told him the address and the car pulled away from the curb.
He looked at me through the mirror. “Do you mind if I ask what you went to the hospital for?”
No harm in telling. “Panic attack.”
“Hmm.”
I leaned forward, my head nearly hitting the glass separating us. “What? You don’t believe me?” Who was he to doubt what I went to the hospital for?
“It’s not that. It’s just… Forget it.”
“Go ahead. Say it.”
“I’m not going to say anything because you’re being defensive and I don’t want to argue. I guess it’s true that no good deed goes unpunished,” he muttered.
“Humph.”
We rode in silence for a while. Joseph’s eyes constantly flickered to me and back on the road ahead. He probably thought I was a lunatic, which wasn’t too far off from how I felt about myself. Apparently my self-esteem needed an adjustment.
“So, do you follow all your passengers from hospitals?” I asked, trying to make small talk.
“Just the sick ones,” Joseph responded.
“Good strategy. I’m sure no one thinks you’re a stalker.”
“Well, there was one lady who thought I was a murderer.”
I rolled my eyes. “She still does.”
The cab pulled up to my apartment building. I got out, grateful to make it home safely.
Turning to Joseph, I took a deep breath and said, “Thank you. I appreciate the gratis ride. It was much faster than walking.”
“No problem.” He tipped an invisible hat. “It’s always my pleasure to help a woman in need.”
I didn’t bother telling him that I didn’t need his help. I was doing just fine before he offered me a ride, but I had a feeling it would land on deaf ears.
I went into the building. My apartment was just as I left it. I went to the window and tried not to read much into the fact that the taxi driver did not pull away until I looked down at him.
****
Find out what happens to Vivi next in State of Restraint.
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