Sophie Ch. 06

This is Chapter 6 in a series and will make much more sense if you read them in order.

Friday continued (The Test)

Doc Smith walked down the hall. He thought about Sophie and wondered what he was going to do to make someone smile this afternoon. He had sort of taken her suggestion as an order. He had done it every night this week and he was not planning on stopping now. He got to the door and grabbed the handle. He looked back down the hall and saw a man walking towards him. The man was carrying a large box but he was still pretty far down the hall. Doc Smith let go of the handle and waited.

The man approached the door and Doc opened it for him.

"Thanks, man, appreciate it." The man said and smiled at him.

"You're welcome" he responded.

"Have a great weekend." The man said to him.

"Thanks, you too." Doc responded.

He found himself standing under the awning looking at an absolute cloudburst. The rain was so heavy now he could hardly see the parking lot.

"Dammit" He heard the man say as he started to open his umbrella.

Doc realized he didn't have his own umbrella with him but he also wasn't carrying a box so he could run if he had to. The man nodded to him and started out in the rain, balancing the box and umbrella and doing a pretty good job. Doc looked and saw his car, it was on the front row. That was good, he thought.

He lifted his briefcase over his head, took a deep breath and started to sprint towards his car. He loved to run, it brought back memories of school when he was much younger. He reached his car quickly and hit the button to unlock the doors. He jumped in and slammed the door quickly. He dropped his briefcase on the seat next to him and looked at his clothes. He hadn't gotten very wet at all. He shivered once from the chill of the rain on his arms.

He turned on the car and let it run, trying to get the heater to warm up. He grabbed his GPS and started looking for the closest grocery. He needed to pick up something to eat to begin his bachelor weekend. He found one relatively close and he placed the GPS back in the holder. He looked at the temperature gauge and noticed it had moved slightly. He turned on the heater to take the chill off the inside of the car.

He looked down to see where the GPS wanted him to go and he put the car in reverse. He pulled out of the parking lot and turned right on the street. His windshield wipers were working overtime, banging against the side of the windshield. He was moving rather slowly as he got accustomed to the limited visibility. The light in front of him turned yellow and he stopped. He looked to his right and saw someone standing on the side of the road. They were at the bus stop but he noticed the stop did not have a roof. The person was hunched over and leaning on the side of the enclosure.

He looked at the person through his window. They looked small, almost like a child but children would still be in school and not standing at a city bus stop. It was most likely a homeless lady stuck in the rain. He noticed they weren't making any attempt to cover themselves. The person was wearing a dark coat and holding a bag. He thought about maybe doing something to help but then thought of just driving on and forgetting about it. He wanted to get home and out of this weather as fast as he could. The light changed and he turned forward, away from the person.

He heard a car horn honk and he realized he was still sitting at the green light. He looked in the mirror and saw the person in the car behind him making wild hand gestures. He turned back to look at the person at the bus stop and they hadn't moved. He could see their head was down and the rain was running off the top of their head. He looked over at his front seat and saw his briefcase sitting on his suede leather seat. He looked back at the person and then forward again, slowly taking his foot off the brake.

The second blast of the horn behind him did it for him and he threw the car in park. He grabbed the briefcase and tossed it in the back seat. He saw the car behind him swerve around him, giving him the middle finger salute as he passed, leaning on his horn. He hit the button to lower the passenger window and yelled to the person at the stop. He saw them lift their head slightly but their wet hair was covering most of their face. He yelled again for them to get in the car and he saw the person reach for the handle of the door.

He grimaced as he watched the door open and the person slide into the front seat. The water poured off of them and started to soak his seat. He felt a tinge of regret as he wondered if the leather would be ruined but he pushed it back. The person closed the door with what looked like maximum effort and leaned back into the seat. He could not see their face as they had the hood of the coat over their head.

"Are you ok?" He asked softly and he saw the head turn slowly towards him.

"I am now Doc." He heard the small voice and saw a glimmer of green sparkle through the wet hair.

"Oh my God, Sophie." He felt his heartbeat speed up and he leaned over to push her hair out of her face.

Her face was now really pale and her lips looked almost blue. He pulled the heavy wet hood off her head. She was smiling at him with her head against the seat. He felt like a schmuck immediately. He knew she didn't have an umbrella and he knew she rode the bus. Why didn't he think of that when he saw the rain. He didn't know the bus stop was so useless but that didn't make him feel any better.

"Sophie, I'm so sorry." He said, running his fingers across her cold cheek.

"It's ok, Doc, I knew you would stop." She said and coughed a little.

He felt bad again as he realized how close he had come to just driving off and leaving her. What was he thinking? Why did he even hesitate?

"I am so proud of you Doc." She whispered.

He looked at her strangely. She must be delirious was the first thought that crossed his mind. She wasn't making sense.

"Sophie, what are you saying?" He asked.

"You offered your clean dry car to a perfect stranger. You didn't know it was me." She said in a soft scratchy voice.

Her words hit him hard for two reasons. First, she was right. He didn't know it was her and he did know his seat was going to be ruined by all the water. He felt a little proud for that. Secondly, here she was unable to hold her head up and she was proud of him? He felt so little sitting next to her. How could she be thinking of him at a time like this. He looked into her eyes and saw she was still smiling at him.

"Sophie, let me take you home." He said.

"Ok." She said.

"What is your address?" He asked and grabbed his GPS.

She whispered her address and he punched it in. He set the unit down and threw the car into drive.

"We'll be there in about ten minutes." He said and punched the accelerator.

"Thanks, Doc. You are so good to me." She said.

He felt a lump in his throat and looked over at her. Her eyes were drooping but she was still smiling.

"Just relax sweetie. You'll be home soon." He said and raced onto the freeway.

He took the exit that the GPS indicated. He had never been on this road. He turned right and continued on a little country road. He looked over at her and her eyes were closed, her head still leaning back into the seat. He turned back and stopped at a red light in the middle of nowhere. He felt stupid sitting at this light with no other car in sight.

"Doc, I'm c-c-cold." He heard a little sound next to him.

He looked over and saw her eyes were half open but she was now shivering. He reached down and cranked the heater. He felt the blast of warm air from the floor. He touched her cheek and she smiled.

"Thanks." She said.

The light changed and he hit the accelerator hard. The GPS said they would be there in three minutes but he didn't see a house anywhere. He flew down the road and saw a grove of trees on the right. The GPS told him he was arriving at the location and he saw a mailbox right next to a little dirt road that led into the grove of trees. He turned and hit a huge pothole right away. The car bounced and he saw her head come forward and then bounce back down. He reached over and put his hand across her chest as he continued down the road.

The trees opened into a clearing after about what seemed like a quarter mile. There was a little white house sitting amidst a yard full of stuff. He could make out an old lawn tractor, an old swingset, a BBQ pit and what looked like a bunch of furniture leaning against the side of the house. He pulled up close to the front porch.

"Sophie, we're here." He said and looked at her.

She did not respond so he touched her shoulder.

"Sophie, you ok?" He said and shook her softly.

He saw her head drop forward and his heart stopped. He ripped open his door and ran around the car. He hadn't even noticed it was still raining until he had to run through puddles to get to the other side of the car. He tore open the door and unhooked her seatbelt. Her body was limp and fell into his arms. He fought back the tears and lifted her into his arms. Her head and arms flopped down as he held her. He ran to the porch and climbed the three steps. He was thankful the porch had a roof as he felt the rain stop hitting him.

He looked for a doorbell but couldn't find one. There was no screen and he tried to knock but he couldn't free his hands. He looked down at her face and then kicked the bottom of the door three times. He heard noises from inside and then the door opened slowly. He saw a young woman with dark hair staring at him. Her blue eyes sparkled out of her pretty face and she looked down at Sophie. Her hands shot to her mouth and she stepped onto the porch.

"What happened?" She said and took Sophie's head in her hands.

"She collapsed in the car on the way home." He responded.

The woman looked up at him and she had a strange look on her face.

"Are you Doc Smith?" She asked, still holding Sophie's face.

He nodded and he saw a huge smile light up her face. She leaned down and kissed Sophie on the forehead.

"Oh Solvia, my baby, my sweet girl." She said and put her cheek against Sophie's.

"Ok, Doc, let's get her inside." She said and stepped back in, holding the door for him.

He stepped in and she closed the door. The house felt warm as he looked around. It was not Spartan by any stretch of the imagination but it was not like the yard. There was a lot of furniture but it all looked soft and warm. It seemed cozy and comfortable and he felt a warm feeling run through him. The woman was walking down the hall and he followed.

"Put her on the bed." She said as she entered a room and walked past the bed and into another room.

He placed Sophie on the bed and he heard water running in the other room. The woman came back and went to the other side of the bed. She knelt on the bed and unzipped Sophie's coat. She looked up at him.

"Doc, lift her so I can get this wet stuff off of her." She said to him.

He knelt on the bed and put his arm under Sophie's back, lifting her to a sitting position. Her head flopped forward.

"Hold her head up." The woman said to him in a calm, kind voice.

He put his left hand on the side of Sophie's head and held it upright. Her hair was dripping water and her skin felt so cold. He watched the woman slowly pull the drenched coat off of her arms. He was amazed at how she could remain so calm. She pulled the coat away and tossed it on the floor. He saw her reach up and start to unbutton Sophie's shirt. She looked up at him and saw the look of terror on his face.

"It's ok Doc. She trusts you." The woman said and undid another button.

He tried to process what she meant as he watched Sophie's shirt slowly open. He saw she had on the green lace bra again and it stood out even more now against her pale skin. He couldn't help but notice her cleavage as it was right in front of his eyes. He smiled as he realized she was still so beautiful, even in her condition.

"Ah, green." The woman said.

She pulled the shirt out of her pants and slid it down her limp arms. He looked at her face. She tossed the shirt on the floor over the coat and he caught her eye.

"You can lay her down now, Doc." She said.

He lowered Sophie onto the bed and looked back at the woman. She was unsnapping Sophie's jeans. He stood up next to the bed.

"You know, she spent all her babysitting money. She came home Monday in a frenzy, went right into her room and came back with a wad of bills. His favorite color is green, Mom, and I have nothing green, she said and hightailed it out the door." He heard the woman say as she unzipped the jeans.

He felt his throat tighten and he fought back the tears as she started to pull the wet jeans down Sophie's legs. He saw the green lace panties against her pale skin as the soaked jeans were pulled off her long, smooth legs. He realized he was staring at her when he heard a voice.

"Doc, can you carry her into the bathroom for me?" The woman said.

He snapped out of his trance and lifted her quickly. Her arms and head were still droopy as he followed the woman into the bathroom.

"Doc, please lower her into the water." She said and he noticed the bathtub was full of water. He could see steam rising from the tub.

He lowered her gently into the tub. He kept his hand behind her head and laid it softly against the porcelain edge of the tub. He noticed the woman had gone around to the other side and then he noticed the tub was one of those old style clawfoot ones and it sat right in the middle of the bathroom. He looked around and noticed there was no shower. There was a simple sink and a toilet behind a little screen. The floor was old linoleum. He was amazed as he looked around. He felt like he was in a museum.

He still had his hand behind Sophie's head when he looked back down to see the woman pulling the green bra off of her. He panicked as he looked down at two perfect breasts bouncing free and settling on her chest. They were not overly large but definitely not small. The little pink nipples sat on top of them in a small little areola. They stood straight out from her chest. He looked away quickly.

"It's ok, Doc, really. You don't have to be nervous." The woman said.

"But I shouldn't be in here." He heard himself say.

"Don't be silly, you are her savior, she would want you here." The woman said and reached for a cloth that was hanging on the edge of the tub.

She dipped it in the water and ran it across Sophie's face. She pushed the hair back and held the cloth on her forehead.

"It's ok, baby. You're safe now. Nice and warm." The woman's soft voice was like music as he watched her caress Sophie's face.

He saw Sophie's eyes flicker and then open slowly. He saw her focus on the woman and a smile hit her face.

"Hi Momma." He heard her whisper.

He saw the woman nod towards him and Sophie turned her head to look at him. He saw those sparkly green eyes and her face brightened immediately into a wide smile.

"Hi Doc. I knew you would come." She said in barely a whisper.

He felt the first tear roll out of his eye and hit his cheek. His throat was tight and he was fighting hard. He hadn't cried in years. He blinked to try and gain control. She made a strange pout with her mouth.

"Don't be sad, Doc, it'll be ok." She said and turned her head towards the woman.

"See Momma, I told you." She said.

"Yes, baby girl, you certainly did. You certainly did." The woman said and kissed her on the forehead.

"Doc, can you get that robe there on the hook behind the door please?" The woman said.

He jumped up and grabbed the robe. He turned back to see the woman was working Sophie's panties down her legs.

"And grab one of those towels on that shelf by the sink." He heard her say and whipped his head around, thankful for the task to take him away from what was happening.

He turned back around and tried to keep his eyes above the tub. He found himself staring at the wall. He heard a little laugh below and he looked down slowly.

"See how funny he is Momma?" He heard Sophie say and heard her little giggle, softer than normal.

"Yes, he is pretty funny. You were on the money with that one too." The woman said and looked up at him as she pulled the drain plug.

"Doc, can you help me lift her up?" she asked.

He hesitated and then knelt down, placing the towel and robe on a chair sitting next to the tub. He tried to keep his eyes fixed on her face as he ran his hands under her body. He tried but he couldn't help seeing the patch of soft brown hair between her legs. Her body was perfect, compact but curvy in all the perfect places. He lifted her to a standing position with his arm around her back. The Woman had the towel and was drying her face. He watched her towel off her pretty face and then wrap her hair up and create a turban on her head. She walked over and got another towel and came back to the tub while he held her up.

"Doc, thank you so much." He heard Sophie's voice and turned his head to look into her eyes.

He noticed some color had returned to her cheeks as she smiled at him. He couldn't make his mouth say anything as he stared at this perfect creature. The woman started to dry her body off. He saw her dry her breasts and he could not stop watching. They looked so full and firm as the woman worked them in the towel. He watched her run the towel over her flat stomach and then around her waist. He looked down and saw a perfect bottom. It was round and distinct but not flabby at all. He felt embarrassed as he stared and moved his eyes forward. He noticed for the first time that her toenails were painted green. How cute could this girl get?

The woman grabbed the robe and put it around Sophie. She put her arms in the sleeves and wrapped it around her little body.

"Doc, can you carry her back to the bed for me please?" he heard the woman's voice.

He snapped back out of his trance. He lifted Sophie into his arms and she put her head against his chest. He squeezed her and he felt her arms wrap around his neck. He followed the woman into the bedroom. She went to the bed and started to pull off the linens.

"Doc, can you hold her while I change these wet sheets?" She asked.

"Yes, maam." He responded and realized he could hold her forever.

He felt a slight warmth from her body as he held her. He looked down and saw her eyes were closed again. Her breathing was slow and he felt her arms relax around him. He shifted her up higher and her arms fell down and hung limp. He panicked a little and looked at her again. She looked to be asleep as he could still see her breathing.

"Ok, Doc, you can bring her over." He heard the woman and looked up to see her pulling back a sheet and blanket.

He walked over to the bed and laid her down gently. She felt like a rag doll. The woman put Sophie's arms over her stomach and arranged the pillow under her head. She pulled the covers over her up to her chin. He saw Sophie open her eyes slowly.

"Cold again, momma." He heard in a soft whisper.

The woman put her lips against Sophie's forehead and then put her hands on her cheeks.

"You're gonna be fine, baby girl, your sisters will be here in about a half hour." The woman said in a soft, calm voice.

"Thanks Momma, tired now." He heard Sophie say and her eyes closed.

He felt his heart drop as he looked at her. With her eyes closed she looked pale and sick. There were dark bags under her eyes and he could now hear her breathing was ragged. The woman touched his arm.

"Let's let her get some rest." She said and indicated he should follow her.