She nods her head at me, clasping her hands nervously between her knees. “That's what Anthony was just calling about, to see if he could get a doctor over here sometime tomorrow to take care of it.” Her voice is quiet. I wonder if she's always quiet or if this has something to do with what's happened to her. “I'm sorry for intruding on your visit like this. I just didn't know where else to go.” Now that I am hearing an apology I know for a fact that this has something to do with abuse. Abused women have a bad habit of apologizing for everything, especially those things that are under control that might inconvenience people because that's how the man they’re with makes them feel. Like everything they do is a burden, turning around every bad moment on to them so that the fault will be off of the narcissist. Being a quiet observer like I am gets me a lot of places.
She begins to pick up and sip the tea I gave her, and I wonder if it would get me anywhere to ask her any questions or if it would be too much. But she seems to be better now, so I take one chance. “Do you mind if I ask what happened? And there's nothing to be sorry for. I'm sure whatever happened to you, you certainly didn't plan.”
She finishes the tea I gave her before finally deciding to speak as I wait patiently. I don’t think she needs to be pushed right now, but my blood is boiling right under the surface as I think about the kind of person that would do this.
“It's my ex-husband, or rather, I guess he is technically still my husband. I haven't figured out all the details yet considering I just left him a couple of days ago. He showed up drunk at my hotel room. I guess you found me because our credit cards are linked. Everything is linked.” She gives a dark chuckle before continuing. “He was trying to get me back, and he didn't take no for an answer very well. Hotel security suggested that I make a police report and then find somewhere else to stay so I would be safer.”
She's awfully calm about this confession, and I wonder if this is the first time that he's been violent.
“There is never an excuse to hit a woman, but certainly not when she's already left you. I hope you understand that it wasn't your fault.” I meet her eyes again and there is something there, passing between us, so I look away quickly. This is not necessarily the time for a hookup or anything more than that either. “Of course, I know that. He’s just an ass. I just never expected him to take it this far.” I am a little surprised at her words and am taken aback before I smile at the brashness of her words. I should have known any friend of Natasha’s would be like that. “I am just feeling so many things right now, sorry,” she says with a shrug, but I get the feeling it is a knee jerk reaction and she meant exactly what she said.
“So, I am guessing it is over, then?” She scoffs and rolls her eyes like I should know the answer. “What are you going to do?”
“Ugh, I guess get a divorce, though I don’t see how easy that will be with the way he is acting.” She sighs, her head off in some cloud. “Right now, though, I want to just think about minute by minute, day by day. That’s all I can handle.”
I nod. “Seems fair enough. So, what is it you want to do right this minute?”
“I don’t know. Something crazy. Like dye my hair blue or pink or purple,” she says before laughing. “Is that stupid? I know it’s so cliché.”
I shake my head. “Clichés are generally that way for a reason.”
I can't help but be kind to her. So, I wait until she falls asleep before I leave the room.