* * *
One light blinds me. It takes me a few seconds before I hear the voices.
“Hailey, can you hear me? I’m Dr. Hewitt. Can you hear me?”
The doctor repeats this phrase a couple of times, and I wake up.
“Yes, I hear you. Please stop with that light. Where is my daughter?” I look around.
“Don’t worry, she’s with your husband and mother-in-law. Do you know where you are?”
“At home… I’m not at home…Where am I? What happened?”
“You passed out in the shower. Apparently, you had quite a lot of blood loss.”
“Yes...” I don’t add anything else.
“We need to have a gynecological examination to figure out how to stop this flow. Relax,” the doctor tells me.
I squeeze my eyes to stop the tears, but they still come.
“Hailey, are you all right?” he asks worriedly, “I know it hurts. You gave birth four days ago, according to your file. Don’t worry. As soon as you feel too much pain, I’ll stop, but we have to stop this flow.”
I nod.
“Well, let’s see.” Silence. I open my eyes and see the ceiling lights.
“Hailey, have you had intercourse?”
“Yes,” I reply, closing my eyes.
“Have you been advised of the postpartum procedure and the timing of recovery?”
“Yes.” I start to cry
“Was it consensual?” he asks cautiously.
I don’t answer.
“Hailey, I need your help. I can’t help you if you don’t help me. Was it consensual?”
“No,” I reply.
“Nurse, please call Sergeant Reiley.”
“No, please, he is… he’s a renowned lawyer, and he’ll get even madder. Please don’t call anyone.”
“Okay, calm down. Can we call someone you trust?”
“Yes, Danny or Andrew. I’ll just write both the numbers but please, no police,” I beg him as I write.
“Hailey, Annabelle is someone you can trust. Talk to her while I call the numbers you wrote.”
When Sergeant Riley enters the room, I begin to fidget.
“Ma’am, my name is Annabelle Reiley. How do you feel?”
“Not well.”
