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 hishead 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 theend.
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. Shefled 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 Ihad 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.
CHAPTER 3
HAZEL
MOTIONS.That’s what I’ve gone through. It’s the only thing keeping me grounded. Go through the motions. Do what is asked of me. Keep my eyes straight ahead. Don’t look or I’ll crack. I can’t crack here. I need to be away from the syringe stabbing nurses in order to deal. The thought of being sedated again terrifies me. What if he comes back to finish what he started? What if they can’t protect me?
The blood pressure cuff swells around my bruised arm making me wince and distracting me from my thoughts for a moment. It’s the only time I feel a bit of serenity in this Hell. Go figure. The throbbing is a constant reminder of where Phil’s hands destroyed me, sending my thoughts spiraling out of control. But the moment when something else makes the pain hurt worse is a breath of relief. I’ve found myself digging my thumb into the side of my thigh where a large bruise is to bring reality back. So fucked up.
The cop sitting at the nurse’s desk, I suppose to keep me safe, pays no attention to me. He flirtswith the female nurses as they rush around the ward and jokes with the male nurses. All these people see horrible things daily. They are just as jaded as those lying in the beds wondering if they’ll live to see another day. It’s always the small things that make ushering in tomorrow worth fighting for.
