Chapter Seventeen
Michelle…
After the guys went for coffee, the girls, except for Sweets, surrounded me on the bed. She stayed at the foot, probably worried I’d kick her. I still wouldn’t call us friends, but as long as she treated Cyn okay we’d be fine. But she’d better not cause any more shit.
“You really don’t remember anything?” Cyn asked.
“No. Last thing I remember is being in the piano bar listening to you guys singing.”
“You told me you needed to get to bed because of school and Teresa went with you since she had to get up early for work.”
“Nope, none of it just a vague memory of getting into bed. That’s it.”
“That’s something right?” Candy asked in her soft smoky voice. She reminded me of a blues singer. If she wasn’t so shy she’d have guys hanging all over her. She was like night and day compared to Sweets who was over the top flamboyant.
“Yeah I guess so. It’s freaking me out though.”
“Give yourself a break. You were drugged what do you expect?” Cyn asked. She didn’t look at me and it was a dead giveaway she was hiding something from me.
“What’s going on? Why are you acting like I’m broken?”
“Huh?” Sweets said. Typical, she’d been texting the entire time we’d been talking and she probably didn’t even know what the hell we’re talking about. Would she ever grow up? Then the lightbulb went off.
“You know about the rape kit, don’t you?
Cyn’s cheeks turned pink. Bingo. It’s how I always beat her when we played cards, she couldn’t hide her thoughts, they were always clear as day. “Yeah.”
“So you’re all thinking if I was raped I’m going to lose it? Well I don’t need a rape kit to tell me I wasn’t raped. I don’t know what happened but it wasn’t that.”
Candy leaned forward and hugged me. “I’ve been so worried. I couldn’t imagine how you’d get over it. Flame is freaked out too…”
“What is Flame freaked out about?” The voice preceded the body by only a few seconds and the room was filled with people again. I might as well set them all straight. I didn’t want a pity party.
“That I was raped. While you’re all here let’s get this straight, I may not remember but I know I wasn’t raped. I know my body, I’d have to know. There’s no way I was raped. So now let’s drop this shit before I take you all outside and kick your asses.”
Rage laughed the loudest, and yeah I knew why. Looking at his six foot four inch body, bulging with muscles I didn’t have a hope in hell of kicking his ass. Maybe Sweets and Candy and definitely Cyn but the rest of them, nah. I was dreaming.
Flame handed me a coffee and gave me a kiss. “I’m sorry. I’ve been going crazy thinking some douchebag fucking touched you. Go ahead call me a jerk, ass, or whatever but I was worried.”
“I’m not mad. I just don’t want everyone worrying.
I’m fine. As soon as the doctor gets here I’m sure he’ll say the same thing.
” I smiled and hoped they’d understand, especially Flame.
Emotions were hard for me to deal with, Cyn knew it and I wish she’d explained it to everyone.
Doesn’t it always figure that what you want shared isn’t and what you want kept secret everyone finds out about?
The coffee was hot and smelled like heaven. The thought of the caffeine jolt made me smile until I saw the label on the side of the cup. Decaf? DECAF?
“You gave me the wrong coffee.”
“Nope sorry babe, the nurse said no caffeine for you. I figured decaf was better than nothing, right?”
Wrong. Yuck. Why bother to drink coffee if you can’t have caffeine.
I didn’t say it though, I’d have sounded like a bitch who didn’t appreciate the gesture.
It’s the thought that counts, right? But I really wanted to growl, throw something, and kick someone.
It was a triple; frustrated, pissed off, and now deprived of my caffeine.
“Right. Thanks.” Yuck. Even the one small sip it was obviously decaf. It tasted wrong, I don’t know how to explain it, but it was missing something. Duh…caffeine. Apparently removing caffeine also removed the yummy.
Cyn tried to hide her grin. She knew all too well how I felt about coffee and that I was trying to be nice. I’m glad someone was enjoying my situation—not. Damn I was being cranky. Maybe it’s the after effects from being roofied?
“We might as well tell her the rest of it,” Cyn said as she stared at Flame.
“What rest of it?” Flame couldn’t meet my eyes. “Just tell me.”
“When Teresa called Mrs. Pincher she said you were fired. To come and get your stuff as soon as you could.”
“Of course she did. The evil old hag. I really expected it anyway. Is that all now? Or did you decide I don’t need to know something else for my own good?”
“That’s it. I wanted to tell you but Flame wanted to wait. I knew you could handle it.”
“Babe, you need to stop protecting me. I’m a big girl I can handle this shit, you know.”
He grabbed my hand and kissed me as there was a knock on the door and a middle-aged man with glasses and a white coat came in. Yay, the doctor—finally. I couldn’t wait to get the IV out and escape. It smelled like antiseptic and sick people.
“Miss DeAngelo, I’m Dr. O’Brien.” The guys moved aside to make room for him to get closer to me.
“Hi, doctor.”
He looked around at the people-filled room and shook his head.
“You’re all going to have to step outside while I do my examination and talk to the patient.
” His voice was firm and surprisingly no one objected.
Flame placed a kiss on my forehead and told me he’d wait in the hall.
Once they’d all left, the room seemed a whole lot bigger.
“Can I leave?”
He chuckled in a doctor sort of way. “Anxious to be discharged are you?”
“Yeah, actually I am. I feel fine.”
“That’s good to know. I’m sure someone has told you by now that you were drugged with Flunitrazepam.”
“Yes, the nurse and my boyfriend.”
He nodded again and looked at my chart. “The rest of your blood work was fine. You might feel some residual dizziness or nausea for a few days. I wouldn’t drive a car until the end of the week, or longer if you’re still feeling symptoms.”
“So does this mean I can leave?”
“Yes, it does. As soon as your discharge papers are processed. There is one more thing I need to discuss with you…”
“I wasn’t raped.”
His eyes widened, he wasn’t expecting that reaction. “I’m sorry I thought you didn’t remember anything.”
“I don’t…well not really. I think I remember being in bed but that’s about it.”
“Well you’re right. You weren’t raped, or we don’t think you were. There was no bruising or tearing but there was semen evidence obtained. I’m guessing that the DNA will match the sample we took from your boyfriend.”
My cheeks got warm and I had to be blushing. “Yes I’m sure it will. See I knew I wasn’t raped.”
“I’m curious how you’re so positive.”
“Umm well, okay, there’s no easy way to say this. I’ve only been with two men ever and think I’d just have to know. Maybe I’m wrong but I think if I’d been violated I’d know even if I couldn’t remember anything else.”
“Medically speaking I have to disagree. You’d probably have realized when you woke up, but I don’t think you’d be able to know for sure.
But it doesn’t really matter. I’m certain your friends will be relieved.
They were quite adamant about wanting to know before you did, but with HIPPA laws I couldn’t tell them anything without your written permission. ”
“I understand. I know they were worried about me. They’re the closest thing I have to family.”
“Okay then. I’ll have the nurse come in and remove the IV and get the discharge papers started. It shouldn’t be longer than a couple of hours before you can leave. Just remember what I said about driving and possible dizziness.”
“I will. Thank you. Oh, are there any other restrictions?”
He stopped and thought about it for a minute. “No, I don’t think so. Are you worried about something in particular?”
“Yeah. Actually I am. Can I have caffeine?”
He chuckled again. He wasn’t so bad as far as doctors go. Straightforward and didn’t talk over my head. “Yes you may. Here’s my card if you have any other questions. Good luck, Miss DeAngelo.”
“Thank you.”
“I’ll send your entourage back in now.”
I burst out laughing and he winked on his way out the door. My entourage? Too funny.
Flame came through the door so fast I’m sure the doctor’s head was spinning. He was followed by Cyn and the rest of the group.
“Well what did he say?” Flame asked, I knew he was really asking about the rape kit, but I didn’t want to discuss it in front of everyone even if they all knew or thought they did.
It was private or should have been. Especially if I really was raped.
Oh. My. God. I would probably have killed him.
The last thing I’d want would be pity from any of them.
Thank God I didn’t have to deal with it.
“He’s discharging me, so I should be out of here in a couple of hours.”
“That’s excellent. We’ll need to get you some clothes since you weren’t wearing any when they brought you in,” Cyn said.
Oh shit. I slept naked. So a whole lot of people got to see a whole lot of me.
Maybe it was a blessing in disguise I don’t remember anything.
My cheeks must be flaming red from the grin on Flame’s face.
Man, I’m going to sack punch him one of these days.
Nah probably not, but it sounded like a good plan.
“Could you get them now? I don’t know how long it will take and I’d love to get out of here as soon as they say go.”
“Sure no problem. Why don’t we all go?”
“I’m not going, I’ll stay with Michelle.”
Of course he was, I knew it before the words were out of his mouth, and Cyn rolled her eyes and grinned.
Actually it’s what I was hoping for. A little alone time with Flame to tell him what the doctor said and figure out what else was going on.
I knew him well enough now to know he was trying to hide something.
Joe gave me a hug and explained he was going back to New Jersey, but if I needed anything to text him.
I was sorry he’d had to come into the city again over all of this, but he reminded me it was his job.
I’m not part of the band though, so maybe he was there to keep it quiet and out of the news and I was all for that.
He’d call tomorrow to check on us. He might be the band manager but I swear he was more like a surrogate dad, not that I was complaining.
“We’ll be back in a little bit with some stuff for you to wear. Do you want any makeup?”
“No it’s okay. I’ll want to shower when I get back to the hotel.” I motioned to Cyn to come closer and she leaned in closer. “Could just you and Chaos come back and leave everyone else behind. I don’t need everyone here I’m not dying.”
She laughed. “No problem. I’ll find a way to ditch them,” she whispered.
If anyone could do it she could. The tightness in my shoulders eased just knowing I was getting out of the hospital. Getting rid of their pitiful looks would help a lot too.
“Okay, now you’ve gotten rid of everyone else, you better freakin’ tell me what the doc said.”
He looked so panicked it was obvious he’d been thinking the worst. I didn’t help any when I didn’t say anything right away, but damn it, it’s not exactly a conversation you want to have with a group of people.
None of them should have known in the first place.
We were going to have to talk about boundaries and sharing I guess.
But for now I took pity on him. The poor guy was practically wringing his hands.
“I wasn’t raped, the kit came back negative so did their examination. See, I told you.”
I swear he deflated like a balloon. One minute he was so stressed he looked like he was going to explode and the next he was wilted, hunched over and holding me so tight I could barely breathe.