Katy asked.
“A family friend. I think this time he will actually stay in
jail.”
The doctor yelled for Katy so she turned and ran back into
the room, doing whatever she could to help this bruised and scared girl.
*****
She didn't leave after her shift was over. Katy stayed by
the bed of Shelby, the fourteen year old who had been both sexually and
physically abused by her mother's boyfriend who was now sitting in jail.
Shelby's mother was also sitting in jail on charges of child endangerment. It
sickened Katy to think of a mother allowing that to happen to her child. Her
heart had broken for Shelby and she couldn't leave her; she wouldn’t leave her alone.
Officer Robbins came back to the hospital a few hours later
with news that Shelby's grandmother was coming from Wisconsin, but wouldn't
arrive in Portland ‘til late tomorrow. Katy promised him she would stay with
the girl. She didn't have anything better to do.
The sky darkened outside and Katy sat in the chair next to
Shelby's bed. They would be taking her to surgery soon to fix the compound
fracture in her arm. The bastard had certainly beaten her with obvious intent
to kill. Fortunately the neighbor had heard her scream and called the police or
else this would have been a very different outcome. Shelby was heavily medicated
and drifted in and out of consciousness. Katy had told her who she was but she
didn't think Shelby would remember.
Katy had been in this very same room only a few short months
ago. The memories flooded her mind and she closed her eyes as the emotions
washed over her, drowning her. She could see him. She could smell him. She felt
him hovering over her. She could still feel his hands on her. She could feel
him licking her. She remembered his warm breath on her skin. She felt the bile
rise in her throat just like it had then. Katy ran to the bathroom, slamming
the door behind her and vomited ‘til she thought she'd broken a rib, and then she’d
sank to the floor and cried, cried for her and cried for Shelby, cried like
she'd never cried before.
Katy hadn’t given herself permission to cry. She’d had to
keep it together for Janie. Who wanted a sad pathetic maid of honor at their
wedding? No, she wouldn’t ruin Janie’s big day, and she hadn’t. And then with
each passing day it just became easier to try and pretend it had never
happened. But sitting in Shelby’s room, watching the frightened and battered
young girl, had allowed her to cry, a therapeutic cry. Thirty minutes later,
she realized how much she had needed it.
When she finally was able to pull herself together and leave
the bathroom, Shelby was gone from the ER.
"Where is she?" she panicked.
Ted was also covering in the ER and calmed her.
"She's gone to surgery," he explained. "Why
don’t you get something to eat and rest for a bit.”
"Someone needs to be there when she comes out,"
Katy was adamant. "I’ll change clothes, but then I'll wait for her."
Ted smiled and told her if she needed anything he was
working ‘til five the next morning.
Katy thanked him and headed for the locker room where she
kept extra scrubs.
*****
She'd only closed her eyes for a minute, or so she thought, when
the OR nurse gently tapped Katy on the shoulder.
"She's waking up. Do you want to come and sit with
her?"
Katy jumped from the chair and briskly walked into the
recovery room. She grabbed a stool and pulled it next to Shelby's bed. She
gently took her hand in hers and waited for her eyes to open.
"Katy?" Shelby asked groggily.
"I'm here Shelby."
Shelby's eyes closed and she went back to sleep.
*****
Katy stretched in the recliner in Shelby's room on the fifth
floor. It was just starting to get light outside and Shelby was still asleep.
Katy stood and checked her vitals and looked at the chart by
the door. It was heartbreaking to read what had happened to this young girl,
but she was safe now and her body would eventually heal. Sadly, Katy knew it
wasn't the physical scars
“A family friend. I think this time he will actually stay in
jail.”
The doctor yelled for Katy so she turned and ran back into
the room, doing whatever she could to help this bruised and scared girl.
*****
She didn't leave after her shift was over. Katy stayed by
the bed of Shelby, the fourteen year old who had been both sexually and
physically abused by her mother's boyfriend who was now sitting in jail.
Shelby's mother was also sitting in jail on charges of child endangerment. It
sickened Katy to think of a mother allowing that to happen to her child. Her
heart had broken for Shelby and she couldn't leave her; she wouldn’t leave her alone.
Officer Robbins came back to the hospital a few hours later
with news that Shelby's grandmother was coming from Wisconsin, but wouldn't
arrive in Portland ‘til late tomorrow. Katy promised him she would stay with
the girl. She didn't have anything better to do.
The sky darkened outside and Katy sat in the chair next to
Shelby's bed. They would be taking her to surgery soon to fix the compound
fracture in her arm. The bastard had certainly beaten her with obvious intent
to kill. Fortunately the neighbor had heard her scream and called the police or
else this would have been a very different outcome. Shelby was heavily medicated
and drifted in and out of consciousness. Katy had told her who she was but she
didn't think Shelby would remember.
Katy had been in this very same room only a few short months
ago. The memories flooded her mind and she closed her eyes as the emotions
washed over her, drowning her. She could see him. She could smell him. She felt
him hovering over her. She could still feel his hands on her. She could feel
him licking her. She remembered his warm breath on her skin. She felt the bile
rise in her throat just like it had then. Katy ran to the bathroom, slamming
the door behind her and vomited ‘til she thought she'd broken a rib, and then she’d
sank to the floor and cried, cried for her and cried for Shelby, cried like
she'd never cried before.
Katy hadn’t given herself permission to cry. She’d had to
keep it together for Janie. Who wanted a sad pathetic maid of honor at their
wedding? No, she wouldn’t ruin Janie’s big day, and she hadn’t. And then with
each passing day it just became easier to try and pretend it had never
happened. But sitting in Shelby’s room, watching the frightened and battered
young girl, had allowed her to cry, a therapeutic cry. Thirty minutes later,
she realized how much she had needed it.
When she finally was able to pull herself together and leave
the bathroom, Shelby was gone from the ER.
"Where is she?" she panicked.
Ted was also covering in the ER and calmed her.
"She's gone to surgery," he explained. "Why
don’t you get something to eat and rest for a bit.”
"Someone needs to be there when she comes out,"
Katy was adamant. "I’ll change clothes, but then I'll wait for her."
Ted smiled and told her if she needed anything he was
working ‘til five the next morning.
Katy thanked him and headed for the locker room where she
kept extra scrubs.
*****
She'd only closed her eyes for a minute, or so she thought, when
the OR nurse gently tapped Katy on the shoulder.
"She's waking up. Do you want to come and sit with
her?"
Katy jumped from the chair and briskly walked into the
recovery room. She grabbed a stool and pulled it next to Shelby's bed. She
gently took her hand in hers and waited for her eyes to open.
"Katy?" Shelby asked groggily.
"I'm here Shelby."
Shelby's eyes closed and she went back to sleep.
*****
Katy stretched in the recliner in Shelby's room on the fifth
floor. It was just starting to get light outside and Shelby was still asleep.
Katy stood and checked her vitals and looked at the chart by
the door. It was heartbreaking to read what had happened to this young girl,
but she was safe now and her body would eventually heal. Sadly, Katy knew it
wasn't the physical scars
Similar Books
