Date: Fri, 11 Feb 2005 00:01:28 -0000 From: Beverly Taff Subject: Dog Day Afternoon 15 Two by Two Chapter 3 The relationship between Vicky and Steve was triggered by an ugly event just off campus one evening. A drunk in a bar had approached Vicky and she had only managed to peel him off with the help of one of the bouncers. After finishing her drink, Vicky made her excuses to the other academics and left to walk back to her rooms on the campus. The route was well lit and there were plenty of people around. Vicky had every reason to believe she was safe. Unfortunately, the drunk was a persistent abuser and he resented Vicky's treatment of his advances in the bar. He followed her back. Halfway across the campus, Vicky remembered something in the lab and decided to go and get it. This took her to the less public area in the courtyard outside her laboratory block. The labs were not usually used much at night and the area was not so busy. Vicky was thinking about the notes she wanted from the lab and had entered the quadrangle before she realised the place was deserted. She paused to check that it was safe but this was her undoing. It was here that the drunk made his move. Suddenly, Vicky found her path blocked by the dark hulking figure. She however knew that she was only a hundred yards from the well- frequented dormitories so she kept her head and let off a deafening scream before the drunk could get a word out. He lunged forward and grabbed her throat to silence her but her scream had fortunately been heard. It was not heard in the dormitories though. The penetrating sound alerted Steve who was, as always, working late. He realised that the scream was close at hand but he was angry at being disturbed at his work. In his younger life, Steve had heard similar such screams before outside the auditorium at his high-school prom. In his naive youth he had assumed it to be high spirits and giggling screaming girls. It was not until the following morning that he had learned of the attack. The girl was in hospital with serious injuries and Steve never forgave himself for failing to investigate the scream. This time he knew better. The scream had been a piercing desperate female cry for help. Cursing under his breath, he called to Zac and they went to investigate. Zac was by now fully-grown and well trained. His huge head was over waist high to Steve but the obedient faithful Alsatian remained close to heel as the pair trotted down the corridor and into the enclosed courtyard. From the deep shadows Steve saw a woman struggling with a large man under the only light in the tiny courtyard. Steve let out a loud bellow and the attacker stopped to curse angrily. He dropped Vicky like a sack and she slumped to the floor in relief. The thug grinned menacingly then approached Steve with a knife held hidden down by his side. Vicky saw the dull glint and screamed again. "Watch out! He's got a knife!" The man snarled menacingly for he only saw Steve's head and shoulders emerging from the cloistered doorway into the light. The huge shape of Zac stood in the deep shadows unseen behind one of the pillars. "You'd better put the knife down." Warned Steve. Vicky sagged with relief and squealed as she recognised her rescuer. "Steve! Be careful! The knife is in his left hand." "It's all right woman, I've got Zac." The approaching attacker hesitated for a moment, because he did not know who or what a 'Zac' was. Then he decided to take the initiative. He rushed forward only to meet a tawny ball of fury and suddenly find his wrist locked in a vicelike pair of jaws. The vicious rows of teeth were already ripping his skin. "Arrgh." He screeched as the knife fell from his numbed fingers. Zac's teeth had bitten to the bone. "Gerr-im off!" Squealed the thug. Steve ordered Zac to 'Hold!' and Zac's jaws slackened slightly but still remained locked tight. The thug was trapped and now started to whine. "He's broken my wrist! I can't feel anything." "He'll rip your throat out if you don't stop wriggling. And don't even think of thumping his head with your other fist. He'll have your other hand before you've moved a muscle." The thug tried to move his bitten wrist and realised the dog's immense jaws had almost paralysed his arm. The whole limb felt limp and useless in the dog's vicious grip. He finally realised the power behind the immense jaws and gave up the struggle as his shoulders slumped. Steve recognised the thug's defeated posture and cautioned the thug before giving Zac the final instructions. "Hold him Zac. Stay!" Ordered Steve softly and the thug realised he was under close arrest, canine style. Once certain that the thug posed no more threat, Steve pulled out his cell phone and called the police. Finally he approached the collapsed Vicky with the inevitable stupid question. "Are you all right?" No woman who has just been attacked in a dark lonely place is ever 'all right'. Vicky was exasperated at Steve's insensitivity but still desperately grateful for his appearance. "No! I'm not all bloody right! I've just been bloody attacked!" Steve finally caught her drift and recognised her terrified anger. "Oh I'm sorry. You'd better come in and have a cup of tea to calm your nerves." Vicky was furious with frustration. She had expected the man to come rushing to her rescue then take her in his arms and wrap them around her in total protection. She had desperately wanted to fling herself into his secure embrace and hug him to her like some hero in shining armour. Instead, all she merited was, - 'Are you all right?' Her temper simmered under her shaking body. Eventually she stopped trembling and gathered her composure. "Is that all you can offer? A cup of bloody tea!" "It's a laboratory I'm afraid, not A&E." His answer flummoxed her. She snatched up her handbag by its broken strap then made to gather the knife. Steve stopped her curtly. "Don't touch that. It's evidence at the scene. If your fingerprints are on it, he might try and screw you in court by saying it was yours. Leave it exactly where it dropped. Forensic would prefer that." His cold logic rankled her a bit for it demonstrated his insensitive, social dysfunctionality. The man seemed to operate at only one level, namely cold logic. 'Who else would have remembered the forensic evidence angle?' She fumed as she stomped after him into the laboratory block. "What about that bastard outside?" She demanded. "He won't move, Zac will keep him quiet. D'you want me to check you over?" "I suppose so. My neck and my wrist hurts." "Well I haven't got an X-ray machine but there's plenty of light." "There's an X-ray in my lab and some pain-killers." Steve turned from his lab door and followed Vicky into her lab. Once inside, Vicky sat up on a table and bent her neck for Steve's inspection. "There's some nasty bruising just here. It wouldn't do any harm to X-ray it." "And my wrist? That's much more painful." Inquired Vicky enjoying the unexpected delicacy of the scruffy doctor's fingers. "Can you move it?" She flexed it and winced. "Yes. We'd best check that over first, being as it seems to be the more painful injury." The man perplexed Vicky. His manner was brusque and curt but his touch was exquisite. His expert fingers gently traced the bones and he declared his suspicions. Vicky was amazed at the gentleness of his touch. The X-rays exactly confirmed his diagnosis and Vicky grinned. "Quite the A and E expert aren't you?" "I am a doctor you know." He snapped, 'somewhat un-necessarily,' she thought. "I had to work in the E.R. during my internship. What would you expect?" It was the first time Vicky had ever seen him react with obvious irritation and her eyes widened with surprise. "Maybe he was human after all.' She reflected. Steve however, quickly reverted to his usual manner and glanced around Vicky's laboratory. "There's no plaster or bandages here. We'll have to take you to the Emergency department." "And what about my attacker?" An approaching siren immediately answered her question so he made her settle in her own comfortable armchair and went to meet the police. He returned with two ambulance staff and several police escorting her attacker in handcuffs. It was only now she realised the size of her attacker. Even the scruffy doctor would have had his hands full without the dog. Still she was truly grateful for their combined intervention although the dog Zac was the true hero. The attacker was complaining about his bitten hand and Vicky was forced to admit that the dog had done some real damage. She looked at the magnificent animal sitting erect and alert in the doorway and wanted to hug him close to her. Sadly her neck and wrist hurt too much. Recognising her pain and real injuries, the paramedics ordered her straight into their ambulance whilst they radioed a second one to collect the mugger, after the police had finished with him. Steve stayed behind to describe his version of events whilst Vicky was whisked off to casualty. The following morning he and Zac took her a bouquet of flowers. He realised he had been a bit short with her in the courtyard but he had been running an important experiment coupled with some complicated ideas brewing his brain, when he was interrupted. Her shout had completely thrown his thoughts off course and now he had to repeat the tests. He appeared in the doorway to Vicky's ward as a nurse was checking the plaster on her wrist. Her shocked expression turned to a smile as he produced the flowers from behind his back and Zac put his huge head around the door. The dog whined but remained firmly seated in the corridor. "Good God You do have a heart then." "I was a bit irritable last night. Your shout distracted me." "Oh. You mean the great thoughts were disturbed. Well sorryee! Next time I'll get myself attacked somewhere else." "Sarcasm's uncalled for. I may not have done much but he saved you didn't he?" "Oh yes. No thanks to you but all thanks to your dog." "He's got a name you know." It was Vicky's turn to be embarrassed. "Oh yes." She turned to smile at the dog. "Sorry again. Thank you Zac, and thank you for the flowers. Did you make him buy them?" She turned again to Steve. "Tell me, what am apologising for." "I don't know. I didn't ask for an apology. I was coming to apologise for not being more sympathetic last night but you don't give people a chance. I'd better go." He turned to leave and Vicky suddenly felt the whole thing had got off to a bad start. "No don't go. The flowers were a nice thought. It was just, so - so unexpected, that's all. Thanks, thanks for everything. Let Zac come in." "He's not allowed. Hygiene and all that." "I'm not bleeding or anything. There's no risk of infection. I've had all my shots. I'm a vet for heaven's sake. Bugger the rules!" Steve shrugged and motioned to Zac. The huge Alsatian padded forward and rested his head on the bed beside Vicky. She wrapped her good arm around his neck and pressed her cheek to his head. "Thanks Zac. You're a very brave dog." "When will you be out?" Interrupted Steve. "In a few minutes, the doctor's on his way now. It's only a minor break in the wrist, but you already know that." As she spoke the consultant appeared and recognised both his colleagues. He glanced at the dog and frowned slightly but the news of the attack was all around the campus. Zac was already a hero. Exceptions could be made. He complimented Zac and Steve for their deed then checked Vicky's wrist. She was advised to avoid driving for a week and to rest the wrist. The professor then updated them about the attacker. "They've connected his DNA to several serious assaults with rape and two definite murders. You're a lucky girl Vicky." Vick sucked her lip thoughtfully. 'This man, this big scruffy Steve and his dog had really saved her life and no mistake.' She fell silent unsure of how to further thank him. "I'd better drive you home then, if you've to rest that wrist," offered Steve, totally failing to recognise Vicky's embarrassed gratitude. His offer gave her an escape and Vicky accepted the lift gracefully. She signed the 'self-release' forms then got dressed immediately. They dropped by the police station to complete some formalities about the attack then finally; Steve dropped Vicky off at her apartment. "Would you like to come in for a coffee?" She asked. "Er, no. I've got those tests to re-run and notes to write up." "I don't bite." Added Vicky, a little miffed at his refusal. There wasn't another man on the campus, who would have refused her invitation. But then there wasn't another man on the campus she would have invited. She knew this one to be safe! "When I said coffee, I meant coffee!" "I'm sure you did. And when I said I have notes to write up, I meant that as well. Call me some other time perhaps, when I can have some advance warning. I've got to go back to the tests. Time's critical. Come on Zac." So saying he raced the dog across the lawns to his car and laughed when the animal easily outpaced him. Vicky couldn't help smiling. The two of them were like a young boy and his puppy. Later that afternoon, she passed his lab and saw him hunched over some apparatus. She was wearing flat shoes so her approach was silent. Only Zac detected her approach and stared at her through the windows with his ears alert as he lay spread out on the big saggy armchair. Zac did not bark, he knew not to disturb Steve when he was busy. Vicky also knew better than to disturb the man during his work. The night of the attack had made that painfully obvious. Anyway, she had a mountain of marking in her good arm so had little time to go socialising. She entered her own lab where fortunately, the door had a flip-down lever handle so she could operate it with her butt. The bundle of papers flopped onto her desk and she set to marking the students work. It was dark when she had finished. She secured the papers in her safe then locked the lab and set off down the corridor. When she got to the door that led through the cloisters into the courtyard she suddenly froze. Through the glass panels, she saw the feeble pool of light in the courtyard where she had been attacked and she simply could not move a step further. Memories flashed back and she felt faint as she lurched back from the door and back along the corridor. She heaved a sigh of relief as she noted the familiar figure still busy in his lab then she stumbled to her own lab and flopped into her own arm chair to wait until Steve finished for the night. It was gone one o'clock when Steve finally finished and Vicky was fast asleep in her chair. It was Zac who sensed her presence and he gave a soft woof as he padded into her lab and pushed his cold damp against her hand. "What's up boy?" called Steve from the corridor. Vicky's voice answered him sleepily "Oh is that you Steve." "Who else. It's gone one o'clock, got a lot on have you?" "I uhhm, yes. Had to mark these test papers to see exactly where these new students are." "Oh. Don't forget the lights then when you leave." "Well- I've uhhm finished now. I might as well walk back with you." Silently thankful that the dog had woken her, she joined him in the walk across the campus to their staff block. "Now d'you want some coffee?" She asked. "Bit late isn't it. I've got a lecture at ten." "OK then. Let me know when you are available. You're impossible to pin down." "Wednesdays. Late on Wednesday afternoons, that's when I shop for food and stuff. It would have to be about half five to six." "OK then make it next Wednesday." "Yeah. OK. Remind me on Wednesday morning. Come on Zac." Zac whined and showed an obvious reluctance to leave Vicky's side "He wants to see me safe inside." Chuckled Vicky. "Come on you daft dog. She's safe now." Zac refused to move and sat stubbornly on the step. Steve stood nonplussed on the pathway then finally reached a solution. "Open your door and let him in. Are you frightened or something?" Vicky was loath to admit her morbid fear and breathed with relief when she opened the door and the dog forced his way past her. Steve let out a chuckle. "He always does that with me. Though god knows what a burglar would find in my apartment. I sometimes think he does it to check there's nothing for me to trip over." Zac returned and licked Vicky's injured hand almost as if trying to reassure her. 'Did the dog sense her fear' she wondered. She stepped inside and finally Zac responded to Steven's order. From her unlit window she watched the pair stroll unconcernedly across the lawn to his own block. "What it was to be a man, she sighed. Safe from attack and rape!" Wednesday came and Steve fulfilled the outstanding invitation. He enjoyed himself and found Vicky's company to be pleasant and stimulating. 'The girl was not just a 'bimbo'' he reflected as he and Zac strolled home. He never actually had believed her to be one but her stunning good looks and popularity had caused him to quite unconsciously assume she would never show any interest in him. Steve knew his faults better than anybody else and he had no illusions about any social prospects. It simply didn't bother him. Despite this, the Wednesday evening rendezvous had proved enjoyable. They had chatted at length about things medical and consequently, the weekly evenings became a regular event. Invariably, Zac accompanied Steve, as he did everywhere the man went, and Vicky began to jokingly refer to him as Steve's chaperone. Deep down, Vicky was as fond of Zac as she was of Steve. There was always an extra titbit for him waiting in the special bowl she had purchased. Their work also threw them closer together. Both were new professors and they were hard pressed as they prepared new courses of lectures for their first year each in their new posts. It was to be nearly two months however, before Steve finally cottoned on to why Vicky was often to be found asleep at her desk. If she had to work late, (which was several times per week, preparing lectures,) then she could not face the dark courtyard alone. She was too ashamed to admit her fear and too frightened ask Steve directly to escort her because she understood the intensity of the man's devotion to his work. Consequently, he, or rather Zac, often found her curled up asleep in her armchair when he finished work and prepared to lock up. He eventually realised that Vicky was waiting for the offer of an escort. "But why didn't you ask?" He pressed after finally realising the truth. "I- I didn't want to disturb you." "But Zac could see you home. He knows the way for heavens sake!" "It seemed intrusive of me to ask. As though I was taking advantage." "Good god woman. Zac would jump at the chance. He would enjoy the exercise. And everybody on campus knows him. He would never be mistaken for a stray as he returns. Everybody recognises that big red collar and blue handkerchief." Vicky's eyes fell on Zac's alert head and she felt a wave of affection thud through her body. 'Oh yes,' she admitted to herself, 'having Zac escort her home every night would be wonderful.' She only wished Steve would let Zac live permanently with her. He made a wonderful companion. But ruefully she concluded that Zac was only the wonderful companion he was, because of Steve's excellent treatment and training. Man and dog seemed to operate in perfect, friendly harmony. She envied them both. The following few nights, they tested the idea. Steve gave Zac a couple of training runs to ensure his prompt and speedy return and within a week, Zac had a regular job of escorting Vicky home whenever she needed. It was a job he came to love for there was always a tasty snack at Vicky's before he loped off back to the labs. His unaccompanied return became a regular site on campus and many a female student felt a wave of relief when his loping form went trotting past. Some even got to learn the command from Vicky and used him to accompany them back to their sorority houses if they were accidentally late and happened to encounter Zac on route. However, faithful to the last, Zac always returned to Steve's lab and used the new dog flap to get in without disturbing Steve's researches. It was inevitable then that eventually, Vicky and Steve became emotionally attached.