Chapter 4 - The Aftermath in the Yard
The arrival of the paramedics transformed the backyard from an arena of silent terror into a chaos of flashing red lights and white-uniformed first responders.
Two paramedics rushed through the wooden side gate carrying a stretcher and medical kits. The lead medic took one look at Leo's arm and immediately began prepping a sterile burn wrap and pain relief.
"Second-degree severe," the medic reported to his partner. "We need to get him to the regional burn center for debridement."
As they loaded Leo onto the gurney, two police officers walked into the yard, taking in the scene. Derek was sitting on the grass, holding an ice pack to his neck, his face red and bruised. Arthur was trying to explain what happened, but his story was a tangled, embarrassed mess.
"He fell," Arthur lied quickly, his pride preventing him from admitting to the police that his eldest, college-football-star son had been dismantled by a florist. "It was just an accident. A barbecue slip."
"He didn't slip," I said, stepping forward.
The police officers turned to look at me. The older officer pulled out a notepad. "Ma'am? What happened here?"
"My brother-in-law, Derek, was intoxicated," I explained calmly, pointing to the smoker and the red-hot tongs still laying in the grass. "He threatened me with heated tongs, and when my husband intervened to protect me, Derek assaulted him, throwing him into a four-hundred-degree smoker. I used proportional physical force to neutralize the threat until you arrived."
"Proportional force?" Derek choked out from the ground, his voice hoarse. "She almost broke my neck! She's a trained killer! She hid who she was!"
The older officer looked at Derek, then looked at me, taking in my torn sundress, my calm composure, and the size difference between Derek's 230-pound frame and my 120-pound build.
"Sir," the officer said to Derek, his tone flat. "Are you telling me this young woman beat you up?"
A muffled gasp came from Vanessa, while Arthur looked down at his shoes in absolute humiliation.
"She... she took me by surprise!" Derek sputtered, his face burning hotter than the coals in the grill.
"We have security cameras on the back patio," Evelyn blurted out, glaring at me with pure hatred. "The footage will prove she attacked my son!"
"Good," I said, looking straight at Evelyn. "Please, show the officers the video. Let them see Derek holding glowing metal an inch from my throat, and let them see him hurling Leo into the smoker. I'm sure the prosecutor will find it very illuminating."
Evelyn's mouth snapped shut. She realized in an instant that producing the footage would send her favorite son straight to jail on charges of felony aggravated assault.
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"We... we don't need to involve the courts," Arthur said quickly, his voice cracking. "It’s a family matter."
"It's not a family matter, Arthur," I said, walking toward the ambulance where Leo was being loaded. "It's a crime. And if you ever come near Leo or me again, I won't just use my hands. I'll use the law."
