“We can get you some ice for those.”
I shook my head. “I’m more concerned about Julie. Please, can you tell me anything?”
He sat opposite me, his face drawn and tired. “First of all, she wouldn’t let me anywhere near her, so my female staff have been looking after her. Secondly, I wouldn’t normally be able to tell you anything, but under the circumstances, I’d rather save her the pain of having to answer your questions, so I’ll tell you what I can.”
I pulled at the neck of my t-shirt, suddenly feeling like it was choking me.
“He raped her.” I finally said quietly, and the doc nodded.
“They did a rape kit. It’s procedure, but it’s not being put into the system. It’s more of a box ticking exercise. We can’t report it, without risking you being locked up. And that won’t help her. My understanding is that he didn’t ejaculate. We certainly didn’t find semen, although there was visible injury. You stopped him before he could finish, but it was still rape. He still… forced himself inside her. As I said, there’s some damage, but it’ll heal. The emotional side is where we need to focus. That’s where this is going to hit her hardest.”
I was still dwelling on those words… ‘forced himself inside her’. He raped her. He raped my little angel. My fragile, petite little angel. I squeezed my eyes closed, trying to stop the tears from burning their way out.
I felt a hand on my shoulder.
“This is a horrible thing to have to deal with. The worst. And you’ll both need help. Everyone will focus on Julie, because they should, because she was violated by someone she trusted. She’ll need a lot of help. But Adam, don’t overlook how this is going to hit you too. You’ll have to look after your own health too. You got someone you can talk to out there, among all those big bastards? If not, call me any time.”
I sighed heavily, the weight of my guilt practically choking me. “Marco… uh… he said to lean on him. I guess I know him best out of everyone.”
Doc Jeffrey smiled. “That’s good. Marco’s as good a man as you can know in their line of work. But the Bennetts aren’t so bad. They’ve already made it clear that they’re covering all of the medical bills, and that includes any mental health help she needs, now and ongoing. They seem like bastards sometimes, but they’re people you can rely on.”
I stared at him, brushing at my eyes. “I learned today just who the monsters really are. I know I was wrong about them. Mostly.”
He nodded. “Now, I’m sending in one of the nurses to check on Julie. She’s been alone for a while, and I want to make sure she doesn’t retreat into herself too much. Lenore wants to be there for her, because of her experience with helping women in her situation, and her own personal experience. Don’t take it to heart, if Julie doesn’t want to see you just yet. She knows you love her. She just may struggle to let any man near her right now.”
I nodded, slumping in the seat, exhausted by everything, desperate to see my little angel, and so damn afraid that I’m just going to keep letting her down.
He stood up. “You stay in here as long as you need to. It’s what the room is for. There are just too many of you to fit. As soon as Julie asks for you, we’ll get you in there with her.”
He patted my shoulder, and left the room, pulling the door closed behind him.