Status: Active.
Shiver.
a way out
I lay on the bed waiting for about five minutes before two men ran up the stairs.
"Oh thank God," I murmured before everything went black.
"Come back to us sweet heart, come on back," a voice told me. I struggled to open my eyes to see a doctor standing above me.
"I'm alive?" I asked. The doctor nodded.
"Barely," he said. "We had to keep you under for over a week. You were in pretty bad shape when they brought you in."
"A week?" I repeated. "I've been here for a week? What happened?"
"You don't know?" He asked. I shook my head.
"No, I..." I shook my head again. I couldn't tell him that Hunter had done this to me. Instead I needed to pretend that I couldn't remember anything.
"Well the police are outside. They have questions. Are you up to it?" I nodded, figuring I might as well get it over with. He left the room and a moment later two men walked in. One was about my dad's age, the other somewhere in his late twenties.
"Hello Grace," the older one said. "I'm James, and this is my partner Auggie. We were hoping you could anwer some questions for us."
"Okay," I agreed. "I don't remember anything though so I don't know how much help I'll be." The detectives exchanged a glance. Then Auggie sat close to my bed on one side and James went to stand by my feet on the other. "Are my parents here?" I asked, trying to sit up.
"No," James said sadly. "They were contacted when you were brought in but they have chosen not to come." My jaw started to tremble. I avoided eye contact with the two men as I struggled to keep my tears under control.
"Honey is there anyone else we can call to take care of you?" Auggie asked.
"No," I whispered. "There's no one."
"What is the last thing you remember?" James pressed.
"It was my birthday. Liz and Liam had just left from celebrating with me. I locked up the house and went upstairs," I said. "That's it."
"Were you going to bed? Do you know what you were doing immediately after you got upstairs?"
"No, I don't know," I lied. The detectives asked a few more questions but seemed frustrated that I wasn't giving them anything to work with. Finally they were ready to go. James walked out the door but Auggie hesitated.
"We know you're protecting someone," he said quietly. I glanced up at him, startled. "If you don't tell us who it is we can't stop him from doing this again. Just give us his name and we can arrest him."
"I don't know," I repeated, raising my voice a little this time. Auggie shook his head, clearly upset. He left a card on the nightstand.
"Please call me when you get tired of being his punching bag," he said. "He's not going to stop. It's only going to get worse until one day he kills you. A man who beats a little girl this badly won't flinch when he realizes he's beaten you to death."
"Why are you saying these things?" I asked, crying now. I felt tears rushing down my cheeks.
"Because I want you to live," he said. He sighed and walked out into the hallway. I started sobbing so hard I could barely breathe. I knew that my chance to get out of my relationship with Hunter had just walked out the door but I couldn't bear the thought of having him arrested. I couldn't send him to jail like that.
"Oh thank God," I murmured before everything went black.
"Come back to us sweet heart, come on back," a voice told me. I struggled to open my eyes to see a doctor standing above me.
"I'm alive?" I asked. The doctor nodded.
"Barely," he said. "We had to keep you under for over a week. You were in pretty bad shape when they brought you in."
"A week?" I repeated. "I've been here for a week? What happened?"
"You don't know?" He asked. I shook my head.
"No, I..." I shook my head again. I couldn't tell him that Hunter had done this to me. Instead I needed to pretend that I couldn't remember anything.
"Well the police are outside. They have questions. Are you up to it?" I nodded, figuring I might as well get it over with. He left the room and a moment later two men walked in. One was about my dad's age, the other somewhere in his late twenties.
"Hello Grace," the older one said. "I'm James, and this is my partner Auggie. We were hoping you could anwer some questions for us."
"Okay," I agreed. "I don't remember anything though so I don't know how much help I'll be." The detectives exchanged a glance. Then Auggie sat close to my bed on one side and James went to stand by my feet on the other. "Are my parents here?" I asked, trying to sit up.
"No," James said sadly. "They were contacted when you were brought in but they have chosen not to come." My jaw started to tremble. I avoided eye contact with the two men as I struggled to keep my tears under control.
"Honey is there anyone else we can call to take care of you?" Auggie asked.
"No," I whispered. "There's no one."
"What is the last thing you remember?" James pressed.
"It was my birthday. Liz and Liam had just left from celebrating with me. I locked up the house and went upstairs," I said. "That's it."
"Were you going to bed? Do you know what you were doing immediately after you got upstairs?"
"No, I don't know," I lied. The detectives asked a few more questions but seemed frustrated that I wasn't giving them anything to work with. Finally they were ready to go. James walked out the door but Auggie hesitated.
"We know you're protecting someone," he said quietly. I glanced up at him, startled. "If you don't tell us who it is we can't stop him from doing this again. Just give us his name and we can arrest him."
"I don't know," I repeated, raising my voice a little this time. Auggie shook his head, clearly upset. He left a card on the nightstand.
"Please call me when you get tired of being his punching bag," he said. "He's not going to stop. It's only going to get worse until one day he kills you. A man who beats a little girl this badly won't flinch when he realizes he's beaten you to death."
"Why are you saying these things?" I asked, crying now. I felt tears rushing down my cheeks.
"Because I want you to live," he said. He sighed and walked out into the hallway. I started sobbing so hard I could barely breathe. I knew that my chance to get out of my relationship with Hunter had just walked out the door but I couldn't bear the thought of having him arrested. I couldn't send him to jail like that.