Chapter 2 #2
I sobbed as I scrubbed the blood from my hands.
I felt dirty, like I was a walking billboard for what Phil had done to her.
I wondered how many people in the ER stared at that blood, suspecting whose it was and how it got on me.
It needed to be erased, so no one could see it or ask questions.
The stares and questions she will get when they discharge her will be hard enough.
This is her story to tell if she so chooses, not mine.
When the nurse told me I needed to go, I didn’t fight her.
I kissed Hazel’s forehead, one of the few places not completely battered on her body, and told her I’d be back as soon as they would let me.
As I left her room, I saw a middle-aged cop sitting behind the nurse’s desk.
He reminded me of Roger. My stomach twisted knowing I’d have to call him.
With everything going on, I didn’t think about work today. Fuck.
Erick and Bobby watched me with pained expressions as I walked back into the waiting room.
I told them the extent of her injuries and that she was resting well.
They were relieved, but not by much. Bobby went to get us coffee as I hunted down Roger’s phone number.
I was terrified to call him. My hand shook as I dialed his number and hovered over the send button.
Roger isn’t a horrible boss. But I feared when I told him I needed time off to care for Hazel, he might fire me. I need this job.
Erick leaned over and gave me a kiss, then slipped the phone from my hand.
He hit send then walked away where I couldn’t hear him, taking my anxiety with him.
I would be lost without him right now. He’s been my wall to lean on tonight, but Erick needs to know that I’m here for him too.
Same for Bobby. I didn’t witness this alone. I’m not the only one hurting.
Bobby and I were sipping the dirty coffee when Erick got back. He sat down and wrapped his arm around my shoulders, taking the sewer water Bobby offered him.
“Roger will be here at eight for visiting hours,” Erick said before taking a sip of his coffee and making a face.
“What? No, he doesn’t need to see her like this.”
“Cady, Roger loves her too. He needs to see her as much as the rest of us do,” Erick said, reasoning with me.
I nodded my head, but silently disagreed with him. It was Hazel’s choice who saw her like that. I sat my drink down on the table and leaned against Erick, falling asleep on the waiting room couch while we waited for visiting hours to begin.
It felt like only seconds before Bobby shook my shoulder to wake me. I lifted my head to see Roger sitting solemnly on the opposite couch.
“It’s almost time for visiting hours,” Bobby said quietly, his voice rough from lack of sleep and crying.
I patted his stubble-covered cheek, and he closed his eyes accepting the comfort.
“Erick, wake up.” I nudged him with my arm. He stirred and sat up straighter, rubbing his face.
I went to Roger, and he took my hand in his, patting the back of it soothingly. It was enough to have me crying again, except I didn’t know if I could anymore. I shed so many tears last night that my well may have run dry. My eyes felt scratchy, and like they may turn to dust.
“Will you tell me what happened?” Roger asked.
“No,” I answered, and his brows pulled together. “I don’t know what happened. I just know what we walked in on.”
Roger nodded his head and squeezed my hand. “How bad is she? Is she going to be okay?”
I took a deep, shuddering breath, struggling to contain my emotions, and turned to him. “Physically, she looks worse than she is. I would like to go back and see her before anyone else does to let her know she has visitors, and make sure she’s okay with people seeing her right now.”
He nodded again but remained silent. Probably forming his own picture of her in his mind.
I know he cares for Hazel. They’ve worked together for years, and he always invited her over for cookouts and family gatherings knowing she doesn’t have anyone.
Hazel has loved him for that, and he has become somewhat like family to her.
“Roger, I know I just started, and it puts you in a bind, but I’m going to need some time off to take care of her.” The words rushed from my mouth, and I held my breath waiting for his response.
“Absolutely,” he stated firmly.
My chin dropped to my chest as I exhaled thankfully. Roger’s finger lifted it up. “We’ll get everything figured out, Cady. Let’s just get Hazel well.”
I threw my arms around him, and he held me tight. Tears I didn’t think I could shed rolled down my cheeks. When we parted, he was crying too.
We sat there and watched the clock tick down.
At 7:59, I rushed the ICU to get to Hazel.
I had already waited too long, and I wasn’t waiting for that final minute to pass.
She was in the same position when I left her hours ago.
I gripped her hand in mine, taking in the darkening bruises on her face.
The doctor told us it would get worse before it got better.
I wasn’t expecting them to turn almost black, though.
I watched as her lids fluttered, and her head moved slightly. But when my hand squeezed hers reassuringly, she jerked awake and pulled from my grasp, terrified. I jumped as she shrieked and looked around, trying to figure out where she was.
“You’re safe, Hazel. It’s okay,” I said, gripping the railing of her bed.
The nurse rushed in to check on her, and I backed up to get out of her way.
She worked efficiently, and calmly, speaking to Hazel in soft tones to soothe her as she checked her vitals and explained where she was.
I watched as she injected something into her IV to help her relax, then said the doctor would be in shortly to speak with her.
When the nurse left the room, Hazel saw me plastered against the wall in fear. I was scared to touch her again, afraid that I would unintentionally hurt her. Tears rolled down her cheeks before she turned away from me.
“No, Hazel.” I rushed to her side and gripped the rail once again. “Please don’t do that. Don’t shut me out.”
Hazel reached for my hand. I grabbed it like a lifeline, holding on for fear of her slipping away from me.
She was letting me in, and I wasn’t going to let her go through this by herself.
I would walk through Hell barefoot for her any day.
It didn’t matter how many times it took to reach her; I would do it.
The doctor came in, interrupting our moment, and explained the same stuff to Hazel that he had explained to us earlier. She appeared hollow, as if she wasn’t here, instead reliving each moment that caused her injuries all over again.
“I know this is hard for you, but the police are here. They would like to speak to you about what happened.”
Hazel closed her eyes tight and gripped my hand fiercely.
She nodded her head to the doctor, and he left.
A moment later, the middle-aged cop from earlier that reminded me of Roger tapped lightly on the glass.
He was accompanied by a woman with a camera hanging around her neck.
Hazel eyed her suspiciously as they approached the foot of her bed.
“Hello, Miss Watson,” the cop said and inclined his head toward her. “I’m Detective Thomas, and this is Officer Callahan.”
“What’s the camera for?” Hazel asked, her voice a scratchy croak.
“We need to take your statement, Miss Watson. When we finish, we will need to take photos of what was done to you for evidence. It will be used during prosecution,” Detective Thomas stated.
Worry crossed his face as he waited for Hazel to respond. My guess was that he has never had to request this before. It needs to be done, though. Without those photographs, Phil could walk away scot-free. That isn’t going to happen. That sick fuck is going down.
Hazel gripped my hand as she stared at the officers in fear. I wasn’t going anywhere, even if she asked me to. She would only be trying to protect me from what he did to her, but I already knew. I found her. I knew the worst of it already.
Hesitantly, Hazel nodded once. Officer Callahan closed the door and shut the curtain over the glass, so those outside couldn’t see or hear.
I stood by her side as she recounted the evening to the cops.
She gripped my hand tightly as she spoke, her voice wavering and her eyes brimming with tears.
It took everything I had not to break down as I listened.
I stood strong, holding my emotions in check just like my best friend.
If she could remain strong after everything she had been through, I could too.
I needed to. Because if I caved, she wouldn’t be able to see the interview to the end.
When Hazel stated that it was Phil who assaulted her, the detective’s face was priceless.
He knew exactly what kind of person Phil was, and it made me wonder how much Phil had gotten away with over the years.
Like I said, money talks, and Phil’s family has enough of it so that others won’t.
It makes life hard for the rest of us who aren’t in the know. Hazel is proof of that.
When she was done giving her statement, Detective Thomas left the room to give Hazel some form of privacy so Officer Callahan could take the photos they needed.
Hazel is smart enough to know how many people will see those pictures, Thomas included, but she appreciated his compassionate gesture.
After the session was over, Detective Thomas came back in to give Hazel his card and let her know he would contact her soon.
Officer Callahan asked Hazel if she had seen her injuries yet.
She hadn’t and opted out of looking in a mirror for fear of what she would see.
I got the feeling that if she did, she wouldn’t allow for the photos to be taken.
Callahan, bless her heart, was somehow able to keep the emotions from her face, even if she couldn’t hide them in her eyes.
She gently directed us through the process, trying to make Hazel more comfortable, only uncovering the parts of her body that she was photographing until she needed full body shots.
By the time she was done, she had taken dozens of pictures of Hazel’s naked body.
The officer excused herself, but not before her walls crashed down, and we could see the effect the assault had on her.
She fled from the room, wiping her face as she went.
“Hazel, Erick and Bobby are waiting to see you. They have been scared shitless since last night. Roger’s here, too,” I told her as I situated her pillow and got her as comfortable as possible.
She sat there for a moment before turning her face up to mine and smiling sadly.
That’s my girl, always a ray of sunshine in the middle of a fucking storm.
I hoped she didn’t think she had to pretend to be strong right now.
She has every right to lose her shit. For some fucked up reason, I want her to.
I want her to know it’s okay to hurt, and that she doesn’t have to trap it all inside.
“Can you send in Roger first? I know he’ll have lots to do today and won’t stay long, especially after he sees me,” she whispered.
“Do you want me to stay with you while he visits?”
“No, I’ll be okay.” She reassured me. “It’ll just be a cry fest.”
“Alright. I’ll be back in with the boys when he leaves.”
I kissed her forehead and smiled weakly at her. As I was walking out the door, Hazel said, “Will you give him a heads-up, so he’s not surprised when he sees me?”
“Sure,” I choked out.
Explaining to Roger how Hazel looks was harder than I thought it would be.
He cried, I cried, and then I had to calm him down before he went back there.
I couldn’t have him sobbing as he walked into her room.
She needed us to be strong for her. Otherwise, she would shut down and try to make us feel better instead of healing herself.
Roger got himself under control and went back.
When he came out about twenty minutes later, he pulled me into a hug and unleashed his tears on my shoulder.
I didn’t say a word. I just let him. Hazel isn’t the only one who needs to heal after this.
When Phil did this to her, he hurt all of us.
Our happy little existence shattered at his hands, exposing us to the rotten bits that eat away at the world.
Bobby and Erick and didn’t fare much better.
They couldn’t hold back their tears in front of her, causing all of us to cry.
The nurse interrupted us to take Hazel for the rest of her tests.
If all goes well, they will send her home tonight.
She doesn’t need to go home. Not yet. Not until they catch Phil.
Hazel needs to be somewhere safe, where she can relax. Where she can be guarded.
Those thoughts brought Cash to mind. Where is he right now and what will he say when he finds out what happened to Hazel?
Something like this would normally cause a person to run, especially if they don’t know the person very well.
But Cash seems drawn to her, and I hope it doesn’t scare him off.
Hazel will need him to get through this, and so will we.