All the Colors of the Dark
by Chris Whitaker
Contents
Chapter 128
Overview
Saint's confession that she is pregnant and considered ending the pregnancy triggers Jimmy's sudden physical assault, exposing the full extent of the danger inside her marriage. The attack transforms Saint's domestic crisis into immediate violence and emotionally drives her back toward Patch, the person she still associates with safety and rescue.
Summary
Saint tells Jimmy that she is pregnant. At first Jimmy seems pleased and moves toward her with a smile, but the moment changes when Saint explains that she went to a clinic in the city intending to end the pregnancy and that she is trying to be honest with him.
Before Saint can finish, Jimmy reacts with violence. He punches her hard enough to knock her to the floor, then continues attacking her with more blows and kicks, turning Saint's attempt at honesty into a brutal assault.
As Jimmy beats her, Saint's mind flashes to her training placements in Uniform Crime Reporting and Victim Assistance, where she saw battered women and learned from agent Dana Cowell how common male violence and violated trust could be. Curled up on the floor, Saint shuts her eyes, thinks of Patch, and cries out for him to help her the way he did when they were children.
Who Appears
- SaintReveals her pregnancy and clinic visit, then endures Jimmy's violent assault and calls for Patch.
- JimmySaint's husband; reacts to her confession with a sudden, brutal physical attack.
- PatchAppears in Saint's thoughts as the person she associates with childhood protection and rescue.
- Dana CowellAgent from Saint's training memories whose lessons about abuse shape Saint's understanding of the attack.