9. Chapter 7
Chapter 7
Matt
M y initial instinct is to try and fix it for her, to go and shout at the monster who did this. To phone the police and send them after him. But I don’t move, I don’t say anything, I just sit here and hold her. I know she’s safe now, I won’t let anything happen to her and that somehow gives me some peace.
Egon, who had been sitting on the floor nosing at the visitor, decides she’s in need of some cuddles and jumps into her lap where he curls up and starts to purr.
“That’s Egon,” I introduce him.
“And the other one?” Nat asks quietly. Her fingers have started to scratch between Egon’s ears and he clearly likes that, lifting his head towards her. His purring seems to calm her down and the tears stop.
“Venkman.”
“Venkman?” She looks at me with her good eye. Her left eye is almost completely swollen shut. There is dried blood on her cheek and chin, probably from the cut on her lip. The rest of the left side of her face is red so that it looks like she’s wearing a mask.
“Yes. Venkman.”
“Where're Ray and Winston?” she asks, leaning her head against my shoulder so her forehead touches my neck.
“Only two Ghostbusters in this house, I’m afraid.” It’s such a ridiculous conversation to have in this moment but it’s also a safe topic.
“Aren't you going to ask what happened?” Nat sniffles finally.
“I’m here if you want to tell me Nat.” Really I want to ask her a thousand questions but what I need is irrelevant at this point.
“Someone took a photo of me pulling the key from your jeans. Al accused me of… I don’t know, us having an affair, I guess. After the pub he had made me promise to tell him if I heard from you again and I hadn’t.”
There are so many fucking things wrong with that. Who the fuck does he think he is? I swallow all my anger as best as I can. Nat doesn’t need me angry, she needs me to keep her safe.
“I should have told him, I—”
"Nat," I say, taking a deep breath, "we’re adults. Hitting someone, for any reason, is just plain childish and, honestly, a bit primitive. If a grown man feels the need to throw a punch instead of having a proper conversation, then he’s not behaving like a man at all. The only time it might be remotely acceptable to hit someone is if your life or someone else's is genuinely at risk. But to hit someone just to assert your authority or force your will on them is completely wrong. So nothing you’ve said or done justifies this. Absolutely nothing. " My voice is steady but I can’t hide my emotions.
Nat is quiet for a moment before sighing, “There were moments over the last few months when I thought so myself. But then… to be honest he didn’t lash out often. Just a few times and he apologised… and usually I—”
“Nothing, Nat,” I remind her.
“What now?” she asks, which is a fucking good question.
“What do you want to do?”
“Stay here in your arms,” she whispers. “I feel like he can’t find me here.”
It’s probably not a bad assumption because I doubt he knows where I live… for now. But then it is Fellside and it’s not difficult to find out where the new vet in the village lives. People are gossips.
“He might eventually—” I say carefully and I immediately feel her body stiffen. Egon also notices the shift and blinks at her before nudging his head against her hand lying frozen on her stomach.
“I won’t let him hurt you. I promise you,” I say softly.
“I don’t know what to do Matt. Please tell me what to do,” she cries.
“Hey, hey,” I stroke her back. “Do you want me to call the police?” I ask carefully.
“I… I don’t know.”
"I’m really worried about you, and I want you to be safe. You don’t deserve this. The police are there to help protect you and they can offer support and have the power to deal with him.” I can’t say his name. It humanises him and anyone who can do this is just a monster.
“It’s a big step but going to the police could get him out of your life. You don’t have to do this alone—I’ll be with you every step of the way." She lifts her head from my chest leaving a wet spot from her tears on my T-shirt.
“You’ll come with me?”
“I’ll come with you,” I promise. Nat wiggles in my lap pulling something from her pocket.
“He ripped my necklace off because he realised it was from you.” In her palm is the little bookworm pendant. Another tear escapes from her healthy eye. I wipe it away.
“We’ll get you a new chain,” I promise her. This is something I can fix.
“Maybe, … Matt, can you drive me to—” She pauses and I hold my breath.
Say it Nat. Come on you can say it. I try to will her to say the words I desperately need to hear.
“Can you drive me to the police station?” she finally asks, stuffing the little pendant back into her pocket.
“Of course.” I’m so relieved I almost cheer. I shoo Egon off her lap and help her right herself. She winces and holds her side when we get off the sofa.
“Are you okay?”
“Yes, he… he kicked me in the side,” she lifts her hoody and T-shirt and I see a large bruise forming near where her kidney is.
“Nat, I think it’s better if I take you to the hospital in Keswick to get this checked out and we can ask the police to meet us there.”
“Oh we don’t need to cause any inconvenience to the police,” she objects.
“Nat they get paid to do this. They won’t care if they meet us here, at the station or at the hospital. I can take you to the hospital and then to the police after if you prefer but the hospital will most likely call them anyway.” She fidgets with the sleeves of her jumper before giving me a nod.
My hands tremble a bit as I steer the car towards the hospital. Natalie’s sitting next to me, quiet, her face pale except for the angry bruises blooming on her cheek and eye. I keep glancing over at her and trying to reassure her with a squeeze of her hand but I can’t find the right words. Nothing I say will take away what happened.
I pull up to A&E, parking as close as I can to the entrance. “Come on Nat,” I say softly, getting out and hurrying around to help her. She flinches as she moves, her whole body stiff with pain. I want to carry her inside but I know she’d hate drawing attention to her so I just stay close, ready to catch her if she stumbles.
Inside, the bright lights and antiseptic smell make everything feel too real. I tell the receptionist what happened and we’re taken to a quieter area, away from the chaos. The nurse who checks her over is gentle, asking questions in a calm voice. Natalie answers quietly, almost looking embarrassed. Her eyes focus somewhere far away. I hate seeing her like this, a shadow of herself.
As we wait for the doctor, two police constables come in. I called them during the drive and they promised to send someone out but I wasn’t sure if they’d meet us here or come by later. They introduce themselves—one’s a woman, her voice kind but firm, the other a guy who hangs back to let her take the lead.
“Hi Natalie, my name is PC Pitman. I need to ask you a few questions, is that okay?”
Nat shrugs and looks at me instead.
“Sir, can I ask you to wait outside?” PC Pitman’s colleague asks me in a stern voice.
“No, please,” Nat’s hand shoots out and grabs mine. “Please can he stay?” she begs.
“If you are sure Natalie?” PC Pitman eyes us.
“It… Matt is my friend. It wasn’t Matt who did—” A small tear rolls over her face and I give her hand a gentle squeeze.
“Natalie I know this is hard,” PC Pitman says, sitting down next to her. “But we need to get your statement while everything’s still fresh. We’ll take it slow and you can stop anytime you need to.”
Natalie nods and I squeeze her hand again. She glances at me and I see a flicker of something—gratitude, maybe—before she looks back at PC Pitman. Her voice is shaky as she starts talking about the wanker, about how it started with the usual shouting and then escalated, how she thought it was her fault. I feel a surge of anger, so intense it almost scares me, but I try to ignore it because this isn’t about me. It’s about making sure Nat is safe.
The constable writes everything down, asking gentle questions to clarify the details. I notice the other PC watching me, probably to make sure I’m not going to lose it. It's true, every detail she shares feels like a punch to the gut, and all I want is to make sure that monster stays away from her for good. But getting angry right now won’t help. What Nat needs from me right now is to be there for her, so I keep my focus on her. When she hesitates, I give her hand another reassuring squeeze to let her know I’m here.
The officer finally closes her notebook after what feels like hours. “That’s all we need for now Natalie. You’ve been really brave. We’ll take it from here.”
Natalie nods again and she's exhausted, completely drained.
“We’ll issue a Domestic Violence Protection Notice. This means Mr Brooke will not be able to enter your flat for seventy-two hours so you can get back and pick up some items. If you don’t have anywhere to stay we can extend that notice further.” PC Pitman explains.
“You can stay with me. I have a guest bedroom... if you want,” I offer and Nat looks at me with grateful eyes.
“Are you okay with that?” PC Pitman asks and watches us carefully.
“Yes. Yes. I’ll be safe with Matt.”
“Okay, good.” The male officer takes down my address and phone number and they promise to call us when we can go to the flat to pick up Nat’s stuff. They also confirm they will send an officer over to help us file a non-molestation order request.
I don’t want this wanker anywhere near her and if he’s smart he won’t violate the order as it would count against him in court.
PC Pitman gives me her card before they leave and I slip it into my back pocket.
The doctor comes in to examine Nat properly and I step back to give them some space. As the doctor tends to Nat I feel a mix of relief and helplessness. I’m glad she’s getting the care she needs but I wish I could do more. When they’re done, I help Natalie back to the car, supporting her gently as we walk. Luckily there are no internal injuries, only the bruising.
As I drive her home I realise this isn’t the end of this story—far from it. But at least it’s a start to get her away from him and make sure she is safe. And if she wants me to I’ll be there with her every step of the way.