Chapter Seven
Rouge
“ Ouchie! Ouchie!” I cried as Elliot placed stitches in the cut above my eye. He’d numbed the area, but it still hurt.
“Elliot, fucking be more gentle,” Leland scolded. It would have been funny if I wasn’t in so much pain.
My ribs and stomach hurt the most. Every breath was uncomfortable.
“I’m sorry, papa bear, I’m being as gentle as I can.”
Squeezing the bunny Elliot had given me tighter, I tried to think about how the rest of the night would go. I could go home, take a bubble bath, get in my soft sleepshirt and go to bed. Maybe I could spend all day watching horror movies tomorrow.
“Can I have tomorrow off?” I asked Leland once Elliot had finished with my face.
When several people chuckled, I looked back at him to meet his eyes.
“Little one, you’re going to have lots of days off.”
“I think I’ll be fine with just one.”
“Darlin’, you’re not going to be able to work for at least the rest of the week. You are still running on a bit of adrenaline, but when it wears off, you are going to be a very sore Little girl,” Elliot explained.
“I’m not a Little g…” I started, but the words fell short on my lips. I was a Little girl. I didn’t deserve to be one, but I was. Instinctively I reached up and tried to pull my hair, but Leland was quicker than I was.
“Everything is okay. You’re surrounded by friends and people that accept you. It’s okay to admit your needs,” he whispered in my ear.
I sat quietly for a few minutes as Elliot shined a light in my eyes, for what I swore was the seventeenth time, even though I’d told them I hadn’t hit my head at all.
“I am a Little,” I admitted. “And… Leland is going to be my Daddy for the next several weeks while we work together to try and figure out ways to help me handle all the anger inside of me.”
“Fucking finally,” Kay said, tossing her head back dramatically. “I didn’t know who was in more denial. You or Bash.”
“What’s Bash in denial about?” I asked, laying back on Leland as Elliot examined my ribs again. Grunting in pain, I tried to get more comfortable.
“I’m sorry, darlin,” Elliot said sympathetically when he hit a really tender spot. “I just want to make sure nothing’s broken one more time.”
“What the fuck am I in denial about?” Bash asked from where he was sitting on Leland’s desk. I’m pretty sure his question was meant to be a distraction and it worked.
“Probably the red-headed sweetheart that comes in just to bring Kay muffins,” Elliot teased, stepping back from me and grabbing something from his kit. “I don’t even work here, but I’ve heard all about how huffy you get when she comes into the shop.”
“She’s too trusting, she’s going to get hurt,” Bash mumbled.
I giggled and the room got quiet. I wasn’t really known for laughing… maybe yelling, but it was funny to realize that’s why Bash was so stompy on Thursdays.
“You like Willow?”
“Little one, I will feed you straight to the giraffes if you don’t shush. Straight to the giraffes. I heard they love nosy Little girls.”
Feed me to the giraffes? I giggle-snorted at that imagery. Then I giggled again because I snorted. Things were suddenly looking a lot brighter.
“Ah, the pain medication has kicked in,” Elliot said, patting my leg gently. “Let’s try and get her to your house while she’s comfortable.”
“Alright. Blade, will you pull my truck around?”
“On it, boss.” Blade was probably glad to have a job. He’d been standing with his hands in his pockets, looking nervous.
“It was nice meeting you.” I said to Elliot, well I tried to say it. I think my tongue was sleeping. Was it sleeping? Reaching up, I tried to feel it with my fingers, but Leland rudely pulled my hand away.
Kay laughed.
What’s funny?
Leland kissed the top of my head and held me tighter.
“Is that normal?” he asked Elliot.
Was what normal?
My head fell to the side and I cried out.
Oh no. Was it falling off?
“My head!” I cried.
“What’s wrong with it, darlin’? Does it hurt?” Elliot asked. Leland sat me up a little straighter and my head fell forward. It was definitely falling off. Why couldn’t they see?
“Is falling off! Is gonna fall on the floor! My head came off! Help! Help!”
Suddenly I was laying in Leland’s arms like a baby. My butt was in his lap and one of his arms was under my legs and the other was on my back. My head was nestled into the crook of his elbow.
“It’s okay, baby. Your head is just fine. The medicine is making you feel a little wonky, okay?” Elliot explained. He was laughing too. What was so funny?
“Daddy won’t let your noggin’ fall off, Sugar. I’ve got you,” Leland said, looking down at me.
“You promise? Cause we’re already short one artist and we can’t manage to be down two, so my head really needs to stay on my body, ‘kay?”
“Okay, baby. I got it.”
***
Leland
A strongly medicated Rouge was hilarious. Once I’d promised I wouldn’t let her head fall off for the third time, she fell asleep in my arms. I was thankful, though; she’d been in so much pain. I’d driven her home while Bash took care of locking up the shop for me. Kay and Elliot followed behind me in their own cars. Every once in a while she would rouse enough to say something silly, then fall right back to sleep.
Carrying Rouge into my house just felt right, but having her in my bedroom felt even better. Laying her gently on my bed, I took the warm cloth from Kay and cleaned up her face a bit more. The bastard who’d hit her had been wearing a ring. That’s what had caused the gash above her eye. Elliot didn’t believe any of her ribs were broken or that she had a concussion, but was graciously staying the night to help me wake her every hour. He really was a good man.
Rouge stirred and whined. I patted her belly softly.
“Hot,” she groaned, pulling at her long dress. “Turn the microwave off.”
“Rouge, do you want Daddy to change your clothes?”
She was asleep before she could even answer me.
“Do you want to change her clothes?” Kay whispered, trying not to laugh at Rouge. Poor girl was high as a kite.
“Yeah. Do you mind helping?”
“No, I’d be glad to. Where are your shirts?”
“In the dresser, second drawer to the left,” I answered, taking her boots and socks off. Ten black-polished toenails brought a smile to my face. Even her feet were precious.
Kay grabbed the shirt as I started peeling her long sleeve Lolita dress off. I swear it had twenty buttons down the front. She loved to wear them, but I didn’t know how she could stand it in the Georgia heat. Finally the last button was undone and I slowly pulled her left arm out of the fabric. What I saw made me freeze. Cuts, seven of them covered her arm. Most were angry and red, some pink, and some white. Scars. These weren’t from tonight. “Fuck.”
“Leland?” Kay asked, her voice shaky. She’d seen them too.
“She’s been cutting,” I said, stating the obvious.
Kay’s hand on my shoulder was encouraging. I reached up and patted it.
“Well get her through this, Leland. She’s already doing much better.”
I nodded, but couldn’t form the words to answer her. My sweet girl had been hurting much worse than I knew. Maneuvering her other arm from the dress, I was relieved to see it was unmarked.
As I managed to pull her fishnets off her legs, I got angry at the bastard that hurt her all over again. Her pale legs were covered in fresh bruises. Gently working her into the shirt, I checked her body for any more injuries. Satisfied, I tucked her under the covers.
I followed Kay back into my kitchen and started a pot of coffee. “Do you want a cup for the road?”
“I’m staying here, Leland. I’m too worried about our girl to leave.”
“Kay, it’s been a long day and it will be an even longer night. Go home and get some sleep.”
She rolled her eyes at me and my palm itched to swat her ass.
“Kay,” I tried again before being interrupted by a soft knock on the front door.
Who the hell was at my house at 2 am?
Palming the gun on my hip, I looked through the peephole on my door and snatched it open when I saw Bash, Smoke, and Blade standing on my front porch.
“What’s wrong?”
“Um, Rouge is hurt?” Smoke answered, shouldering his way inside. He handed Elliot a soda before tossing some paper bags down on the coffee table. “Sorry, the only thing open was a McDonald’s.”
“You guys came to bring food?” I asked, watching Bash bring in several grocery bags.
“No, we came so we could help with Rouge.”
Fucking shit. Tears filled my eyes and I looked away, embarrassed of my sudden emotions.
“We all love her, Leland, and we love you. We’re here for you guys,” Blade said, settling onto my couch.
I couldn’t wait for Rouge to wake up so I could show her the living room full of people who’d spent the night just to make sure she was okay. I hoped she could see how truly loved she was then.