The Sixth Floor
The sounds of sirens blaring are ringing in Leighton’s ears. She’s in complete shock. The on looker is sitting with her, rubbing her hands trying to console her.
Onlooker: Honey, what is your name?
Leighton: Leighton…Leighton Murray.
Onlooker: Okay, I’m Rita. It’s nice to meet you, I’m sorry it’s under these circumstances.
Leighton manages a small smile but she’s rocking back and forth to comfort herself.
L: I have to call her parents…I have to call my parents.
A police officer walks over to them.
P: Ma’am, what is your name?
L: Leighton Murray
P: How are you connected to the victim?
L: She’s my girlfriend.
P: And what is her name and age?
L: Tatum…Tatum ******. She’s 21.
Police officer nods.
P: Ma’am we’re going to bring you down to the station
L: No! I want to go to the hospital.
P: We need to get details on what exactly happened here.
Leighton, beginning to get angry: Her bitch ex-girlfriend followed us here and stabbed her, what the hell else do you need to know?!!
P: Calm down, ma’am.
L: I’m not going to calm down! I have Tatum’s blood all over me because of some crazy bitch! I don’t even know if she’s alive or dead!
P: Okay, ma’am, we will drive you to the hospital.
It takes about fifteen minutes to get to the hospital.
As they walk into the lobby, Leighton sees a young man yelling at the staff.
He’s tall, handsome, with wavy blonde hair, blue eyes and full lips. This is no doubt Tatum’s twin brother, Taron.
Taron: Where the fuck is my sister?! Tell me right now, or so help me…
Hospital security: Sir, you will not threaten the staff! Pull yourself together or I will throw you out of here, I don’t give a damn who your grandfather is.
Taron seethes but relaxes: I just want to know where my sister is.
Security: She’s on the sixth floor.
Taron: Thank you! Goddamnit!
Leighton and the police officer walk behind Taron towards the elevator.
Taron, who is furiously texting on his phone, gives them a quick stare, sees the blood on Leighton and stops: Leighton?
Leighton nods.
Taron, pressing the button to open the elevator: Gotta give it to my sister, she’s got impeccable taste. She’s on the sixth floor.
Leighton: We will follow you.
Taron nods. His phone rings: Pop! She’s on the sixth floor. They’re not telling me anything. I was in Brooklyn with Carrie for a weekend trip and got a phone call that Tatum was stabbed!
Leighton can hear George on the other end: What the hell do you mean she was stabbed?! By who?
Taron: I don’t know, Pop. Not yet. But Leighton is here, I’ll find out.
George: Okay, your mother and I will be down there as soon as possible.
Taron: Alright, Pop.
They all arrive on the sixth floor and a nurse sees Leighton covered in blood and runs over to check on her.
Leighton attempts to shoo her away: I’m fine. The blood isn’t mine.
Nurse: Come with me.
The police officer squints at Leighton and non verbally tells her to follow the nurse: I’m coming with you. I’ll stay outside.
The nurse gathers Leighton’s clothes and puts them in a bag. She hands them to the officer waiting outside.
She finds Leighton a gown.
Leighton looks around the room and can’t believe what’s happening. She bursts into tears.
I can’t even believe this. I cannot lose her.
The police officer comes in and for the next hour or two: Leighton recounts what happened. She and Tatum were coming from the US Open and had walked into the lobby of the hotel when they were confronted by Tatum’s ex-girlfriend Stacey.
Leighton: She hasn’t gotten over Tatum breaking up with her. She has followed us before. Tatum was going to ask her uncle to take a look into it. He used to be a cop.
Police: Okay, we’ll look into that.
Just then, the door opens and it’s not George and Sharon but Henry and Mimi.
Leighton runs to them: Dad! Mom!
They run to hug her.
Henry: Honey, what happened?
Leighton begins to cry again: Her crazy ex-girlfriend tried to attack me and Tatum got in the way. She put herself in harm’s way to save me. I have no idea what’s going on.
Henry turns to the cop: Is she finished?
Police: For now. We’ll be contacting her again.
Mimi has a bag: I brought you some clothes, honey.
Leighton changes into a red blouse and blue jeans.
All three Murrays walk out into the lobby.
George and his wife Sharon embrace Henry and Mimi, respectively.
Then George bear hugs Leighton: Leighton, my dear, how are you?
L: I’m fine. A little bit shook up but I’m fine. How is she?
Leighton notices George has tears in his eyes.
George: They haven’t told us anything. What happened Leighton?
Leighton: Stacey…
George interrupts: That Goins girl! I knew it!
Sharon, who overheard George bellow out Stacey’s last name comes over.
Sharon: Goins? Like the professor? She did this?!
George: Honey, no. Her daughter did.
Sharon: Her daughter? George what is going on?
George closes his eyes and then takes a deep breath: Tatum unknowingly got involved with the professor’s daughter. She never mentioned it to you for obvious reasons.
Sharon: This is crazy! How do you know?
George: Well…
Sharon: She talks to you about her dating life and not me.
George: She doesn’t feel comfortable, honey.
Taron walks over: She had Uncle Pete look her up.
Sharon: My brother knows about this?!
Taron: Mother, this is not about you right now!
Leighton looks at all three of the ****** as they have an animated discussion. Taron is literally the male version of Tatum. From the face to the eyes to the lips to the inflection in his voice to his mannerisms, it was uncanny.
Sharon is a beautiful woman. She is where Taron, Tatum and their younger brother Trevor get their hair and looks from. Also it seems their haughty attitude.
Sharon: My daughter was attacked by some crazy girl with a knife who couldn’t handle rejection. This is my child, Taron! I gave birth to her and you six minutes apart. It is about me! And who does she feel she can’t turn to when she’s in distress? Me! She turns to her father, or her uncle or you or Maddie (who just walked in with a very pretty girl with reddish brown hair) but not me!
Four of Tatum’s teammates appear in the lobby including Kate and Brenda. Both are in tears.
The two nurses in the lobby slowly start to realize that the person that they’ve got in surgery is kind of a big deal. One of the nurses recognizes Sharon as the daughter of Earl Sherman, a CEO of a large company in Long Island.
Nurse Giles: Hey I have seen that lady on the news. Her dad is a big deal. This whole damn wing smells like money!
Nurse King: You ain’t lying. Homegirl’s earrings over there look like they cost more than my rent!
Giles: This sounds like some mess happened. Apparently the girl in surgery is dating home girl in the red blouse *points at a distressed Leighton*
King: For real?
Giles: The ex of the one in surgery went after them.
King: Damn!
Leighton looks over at the nurses curiously.
They’re definitely talking about us, she thinks to herself. If I had the strength, I would tell them to shut it but I’m tired and this is rather salacious, to be honest . God, why won’t they tell us what is going on?! I’m sure they won’t let me see her seeing as we’re just dating. Everyone is going to blame me aren’t they? But damnit, Tatum…always looking to protect me. She saved me from that wretched Stacey! If she pulls out of this, I will never hear the end of it! But what I wouldn’t give to see her smile and brag about being a heroine!
Leighton notices the girl with the reddish brown hair looking at her intensely.
Oh my god, who is she?
The police officer “quietly” speaks to Tatum’s family: Right now, Stacey Martin Goins is being charged with aggravated assault in the first degree. Charges can be increased depending on if your daughter survives. Ms. Goins is currently on suicide watch.
Sharon: And what about her whore mother?
Officer: Ma’am, the mother doesn’t appear to have anything to do with what happened to your daughter. Your daughter and the younger Goins were involved in a romantic relationship that your daughter ended a couple of months ago. Ms. Goins didn’t handle it too well, obviously. She was upset that your daughter began dating multiple women after their breakup.
George becoming annoyed: So you’re saying this is Tatum’s fault?
Officer: No sir, not at all. I’m just explaining what’s going on. Your daughter was very clear about the break up. She did nothing to warrant what happened. Ms. Murray did nothing to warrant Ms. Goins attacking them.
Sharon eyes a listening Leighton.
Now we spoke to your brother ma’am, a Retired Sgt. Peter Sherman and he told us that Tatum spoke to him about Ms. Goins. We found out some info. She had stalked your daughter before when Tatum was dating another young lady that was not Ms. Murray (It was Brandi). Tatum was considering getting a TRO on Goins but it never materialized. She also followed Ms Murray and Tatum previously when they went to dinner near their college campus in Vermont.
Leighton nods in agreement: That is correct.
The officer lowers his voice: I shouldn’t be telling you this but Ms. Goins did have another complaint lodged against her by a previous romantic partner.
George: How is she allowed to roam around like this?
Officer: I don’t have an answer for that, sir.
Just then the surgeon comes out and asks for Tatum’s family to come to him. The expression on his face is grim. All Leighton heard was “she lost a lot of blood…” Sharon collapses in George’s arms.
Leighton felt like she might throw up so she leaves the lobby and runs into the bathroom. She reaches the sink and splashes cold water on her face. Just then the reddish brown haired girl comes into the bathroom.
“Hello Leighton…my name is…”
Before she could say it, it clicks for Leighton, who blurts out: Lydia!
To be continued….