I wake to someone stroking my hand, the feeling is comforting and for a moment, I forget where I am. Prying open my good eye I look down at my hand to find Reid with his head laying on the bed, hand stroking mine. I bring up my thumb and stroke the side of his hand, this makes his head snap up and focus on mine, he looks at me as if he is dreaming “Beck’s! you’re awake! I’ve been waiting days for you to wake up. I’m so glad you’re okay” he says as he kisses my hand, he looks so relieved… wait... “Days? I’ve been asleep for days?” I ask my voice not sounding like my own. It can’t be, it was only yesterday I dragged my beaten body to his door. I didn’t know where else to go and I didn’t think my body would let me go much further, “Its Saturday Beck’s. you’ve been here since Tuesday” he says as he looks at me with so much sympathy. How can it be Saturday already? Hearing then the door jiggle, I clam up and squeeze Reid’s hand. He stands up to see who it is, when a man in a white coat walks in with a clipboard in his hand “Hello Becca, I’m glad to see you awake” he says in a soft tone. He stays at the other side of the room and for that I’m glad, even though I know he’s a doctor, I still don’t want him too close to me “I’m Doctor Allen, I’ve been treating you since you arrived here” he says, I don’t know how I feel about a man touching me while I was unconscious, even if he is a Doctor.
”Do you remember what happened?” he asks me which instantly brings tears to my eyes, as if I could forget what happened.
I’ll never forget.
Giving him a slight nod, he continues “Ok, so you suffered a severe concussion which is why you’ve been asleep so long. We sedated you for a few days to allow your body to heal and to make doubly sure there was no bleeding to your brain” he says while looking over his clipboard “There isn’t though is there doc?” Reid asks, still holding my hand “No, we did a CT scan to be sure but you were lucky Miss Hughes” Lucky! Lucky he says, I sure don’t feel lucky, I feel broken. “You also have several bruises to your face and ribs, but nothing is broken. I’ve contacted a councillor to talk you through some things and the rape kit results have been sent to the authorities. You sustained some minor tearing in your vagina, but it will heal on its own” he says with a sad smile. Rape… I’m a rape victim, I choke on a sob as my reality crashes down on me. He took something I wasn’t willing to give, he forced my innocence from my body while I screamed. I take my hand away from Reid’s as I cover my face with my hands, hearing that word makes me relive the whole thing, the pain I felt, the panic, it’s suffocating me.
“Babe shhhh, please don’t cry,. We will get through this, together” Reid says as he cradles my head carefully so not to hurt me “I’ll leave you two alone. Please press the buzzer if you need anything” the doctor says quietly as he leaves the room. I can’t control the sobs leaving my body, I’m feel like I’m losing control of myself. Reid gets on the little bit of space on the bed and holds me while I break down, stroking my hair, he tells me how beautiful I am while I fall apart. I cry until I have no tears left and I’m left spent, only silent sobs remain, that’s how we stay until I finally fall asleep.
Officers come in the next day to question me and get my statement. I’m thankful that they sent two women, as I probably wouldn’t be able to be around men right now, let alone talk to them. They tell me they know who the man is as he left DNA all over the house and is known to the police. They have a warrant out for him and my mum. His name is Gary Spurgeon, apparently this isn’t the first time he’s done something like this. He’s been in prison before but was released on good behaviour. He’s on the register and is meant to see a parole officer, but he’s gone missing since he attacked me. They leave with assurances that they are doing all they can to find him. Reid sits with me holding my hand in a death grip the whole time. I’m rooting myself to him at the moment, he’s the only reason I’m holding it together enough to get through the questions, having to relive every moment of what happened to the police was the hardest thing I’ve ever done. Reid was tense the whole time and at certain parts he got up and paced around while trying not to rip his hair out, It’s only a matter of time before he leaves, he won’t want me now. Before I was untouched, pure…. Now
