Chapter 22

Leon

My head was about to explode from the pain. I was very nauseous. I try to turn my head, and I can't.

- Señor Vitorino? Señor Vitorino! - I hear someone calling me, and I didn't know who it was.

- Where am I? - I ask, trying to open my eyes, but the brightness has blinded me, making me groan.

- You are in a hospital.

- Where is my girlfriend? Is she hurt? I need to see her! - I try to sit up, and the dizziness I feel is so strong that I almost fall, if it weren't for the nurses. I close my eyes quickly.

- Try to stay calm - I hear a woman's voice trying to reassure me.

- Please, tell me where my fiancée is - I ask again, afraid that something bad has happened to my queen. I could not bear it.

- You were found lying alone on the bathroom floor," the voice speaks. I open my eyes again to see who I am talking to and find a woman who I deduce is the doctor.

- Where is she then?

- Sir, there really wasn't anyone near you.

- I need you to find her.

- Do you want me to call someone?

- Yes, please call my sister-in-law. And I also want you to call the police.

- OK, sir, let's warn your sister-in-law As for the police, they are already here.

- Thank you, doctor Then send them in, I need to talk to them - I ask urgently.

- Come in, the patient wants to see you - I hear them thanking me and try to open my eyes again, the dizziness is gone. Then I come face to face with a couple of policemen who look at me worried.

- Mr. Vitorino, my name is Gustavo Boa Ventura, and this is my partner Tatiana Lins - the officer greets me.

- Thank you for being here.

- Are you well enough to give a statement?

- Yes, but first I need you to look for my girlfriend! - I ask, desperate.

- Before looking for her... Do you remember what happened?

- Yes, I remember everything.

- Then tell us what happened.

- As soon as we woke up in the morning, we had breakfast and I drove her to the college. Then I went to my company to work and stayed there until almost the time I picked her up from school, and then I left the company to go meet her - I get a little dizzy in the position I was in.

- Mr. Vitorino, are you okay? - the policewoman asks, worried.

- I'm a little dizzy.

- Will you stop?

- I'm fine! I don't want to stop talking.

- Then you'd better lie down - I hear the doctor's voice, and with their help I lie down.

- What happened to me, doctor? - I ask, feeling my head throbbing.

- You suffered a severe blow to the head from a gun butt.

- I understand - I look at the policeman and warn him: - I want to continue telling you.

- OK, we're listening.

- So, where did I stop?

- You said you left your factory and went to your girlfriend's college to pick her up.

- So as soon as I got to the college, I was waiting for her leaning against the car, and that's when she got out and waved at me. She was coming towards me when a student, who I imagine is from her class, grabbed her arm and kept talking to her like she was fighting.

- And who is he, do you know?

- I heard her call him Pedro.

- And this Pedro, do you know anything about him?

- Not a thing. Maria Eduarda and I have been dating for a short time. We met through her sister, who works with me.

- So, what did you do when you saw that this Pedro had grabbed your girlfriend's arm?

- Well, I managed to get his arms off her, I threatened him saying that if he went back to look for her he would see me.

- And after that, what happened?

- Pedro threatened me saying that he would destroy me, but I didn't believe him. Then we went to the mall for lunch and then to buy a new cell phone for her, because she is being chased by a maniac," I answer, feeling the anger again.

- Let's go back, about the mall, and then I want to know more about this maniac, as you said yourself.

- So, after lunch, we stop to buy some ice cream for Duda, and we play and talk until she finishes. She said she needed to go to the bathroom, and I went too. We agreed to meet in the hallway, from where we would go to the store. But as soon as I reached the bathroom door, I pulled her out and felt a horrible pain in my head and passed out. When I woke up, my girlfriend was not here beside me.

- I understand, and so far she hasn't contacted anyone?

- Not that I know of. I asked them to notify my sister-in-law, her sister Vanessa Sanches.

- Now tell me about this maniac who is stalking your girlfriend.

- So, two years ago my girlfriend was raped, on her 18th birthday," I answer, trying to control my anger.

- And the rapist was caught?

- Not that we know of. About two days ago he started stalking you again," I comment thoughtfully, still wondering how he found out your number.

- And you were not able to find out who it was?

- No. And the weird thing is that he found out where she goes to school, and my girlfriend even fainted because of this lunatic.

- So he started stalking her again?

- Yes, and also sending messages cursing her for being with me and making threats.

- And, other than that, your girlfriend doesn't have a problem with anyone else?

- No, my sister doesn't have a problem with anyone! - I hear Vanessa's voice at the bedroom door, look at her and sit down again. Groaning softly, I ask hopefully:

- Vane, Duda! Did you get through to her?

But the look she gave me was sad:

- Leon, I can't talk to her, what happened?

I tell her what happened, and when I finish she asks, afraid:

- So he's back?

- I'm afraid so! - I look at the policemen who were still there and ask: - Now, what are you going to do to bring my girlfriend back to me?

- Mr. Vitorino, we are going to file a report of aggression against you and we will investigate what happened, and then we will follow up and file a missing persons report, but for it to be made official we have to wait at least twenty-four hours," says the policeman, and I look at him shocked:

- How is it?

- That's what you heard, I'm sorry!

- No, I'm not going to stay here waiting for the twenty-four hours so you can go after my girlfriend.

- Mr. Vitorino, you can't do anything.

- Oh, let's see if there isn't! I want to see the footage from the mall and I want to find out where my girlfriend went.

- I'd like to ask you some questions about your sister, Miss Sanches - I hear the policewoman asking Vane, who looks at me and says:

- I'll be right back, Leon! - I nod in agreement and try to look for my cell phone.

- Where is my cell phone?

- When you arrived here, at the hospital, we kept it - answers the doctor.

- Doctor, I need it to call a cab," I warn, already losing patience with them. - I'll go look for my girlfriend myself!

- You have to calm down, Mr. Vitorino - asks the doctor, who I didn't even know was still in the room listening to everything.

- Me, calm down, doctor? - I answer, ironically, pulling the strings of the serum. I start to bleed, and she looks at me in horror.

- Calm down, Mr. Vitorino! - she asks again.

- I can't calm down when I don't know where my girlfriend is! How am I supposed to calm down when I don't even know if my girlfriend is hurt or not?

- You are hurt and bleeding! - the doctor says, and I look at her badge. Her name is Luana Rezende, and I watch her signal to the nurses, who were soon beside me, laying me down and holding me tightly.

- Let me go! - I shout, desperate. - I have to go after my girlfriend!

- Mr. Vitorino, you were admitted to the hospital with a concussion to the head and we need to let you spend the night here to verify that you have no sequels.

- Nooooo, I don't want to stay here! - I shout, scared.

- Mr. Vitorino, try to stay calm, we're going after your girlfriend," the policeman tells me.

- I want to go too!

- No, you will follow what the doctor said!

- I'm not going to follow anyone's orders, I'm going to get out of here, and I'm going to do it now! - I shout loudly, and feel that the nurses were holding me tightly.

- Prepare a mild sedative to calm him down," the doctor asks, and I look at her in panic. I couldn't sleep. I had to stay alert, my queen needed me.

- No, please, I can't sleep! - I beg, desperately, watching them bring a syringe. Soon my arm was being tied with a rubber band, and I was trying to get it off so as not to get the injection.

- I'm sorry, Mr. Vitorino, but you need a sedative to keep you calm.

Then I watch the doctor give the signal and soon feel the sting on my arm. The nurses let me go and leave.

- You couldn't have given me that injection!

- It was for your own good, Mr. Vitorino.

- It wasn't for my own good! - I feel my eyes begin to close and before I lose consciousness, my last thought went to my queen, and it was as if I could see her there beside me. Forgive me, my queen, for not being able to come to your rescue! - I feel the tears begin to well up in my eyes and I am sucked into the darkness that I have been placed in.