Save me from myself:
"I'm Ed, I'm with the Strategic Response Unit. What's your name? Would you like to talk to me?" He stayed focused on the young woman that was sitting on the railing, nervously, agitated. He maintained a little distance between him and the young woman, not wanting to spook her. He could hear the chatter of other members of the team. He knew they would not kill this young woman. He motioned them to stay back.
"Just please, leave me alone. You can't help me, and neither can anyone else. so just please leave. It's probably all my fault anyway." Ed set his gun down and moved to lean against the railing. Close enough to grab her, far enough that she wouldn't feel threatened.
"Ok. I hear you. You want to be left alone. Why do you want to be left alone? Did something happen to make you want to be left alone? talk to me, I can help you." The woman looked to be about 30. She was slim, pretty, except for the ugly bruise that covered most of the arm that he could see. He could see her shivering slightly. that gave him a way to build trust.
Thinking quickly and turning away briefly he murmured into his headset quietly for someone to bring a jacket or a hoodie to him immediately, as well as a mug of cocoa. He faintly heard someone say 'copy', before turning his attention back to this young woman and the predictament that she found herself in at the moment.
"Can I ask your name please? I'd like to know who I'm talking to." He smiled at her. He caught a faint smile and a glimmer in her hand. Too tiny to be a gun of any sort. His eyes widened slightly when he realized that it was a razor. He mentioned it to the team.
"Excuse me, Ed. Here are the items you requested. Will there be anything else?" Sam brought the jacket and cocoa and set them down. He made brief eye contact with the young woman and nodded slightly, a smile on his face. She tried to smile back. Ed shook his head.
"No, this is all. Thank you Sam." Sam left and retreated just out of sight, ready to help Ed at a moment's notice.
"I had a member of my team bring up a jacket and a cup of cocoa for you. You looked cold. I'll just place the jacket here if that's alright with you." The girl nodded. after he moved away, she gingerly picked up the jacket and slipped it on, reveling in the warmth. She ran her hand up her left wrist. wincing as a small whimper left her lips.
"Is there anything else that I can get for you? I have a mug of cocoa here if you'd like some. Or coffee if you prefer that. Would you like some food." The girl tilted her head as if considering his offer.
"Amy." Ed looked at her.
"What did you say?" she looked at him.
"My name is Amy. Hi."
"Well, this changes things. Hi Amy. Would you like to tell me what has us both on this ledge?" Amy shook her head. He could see that she was a little less agitated but still spooked. Ed could see how she tensed up when he pushed the jacket closer to her. He was going out on a limb, but one that would pay off if he was right."
"It's a guy isn't it? He hurt you real bad and now you are upset and scared. We're dogs honey. Alot of men are. What did he do to you? Cheat on you? Slap you? Break up with you? please tell me so that I can help you sort this out." He took a deep breath and listened to what Greg was saying in his ear bud.
'Ed. From what she's acting like, and what little she's saying, she sounds like a rape or sexual assault victim. tread very softly. I'm serious. She could go active at any moment. I can have Jules there in a heartbeat if you want replaced." Ed copied said no to the idea of jules being up here and looked at Amy again.
She sat there on the ledge, shaking from the cold, probably hungry, upset, hurting because of injuries, and scared. Ed knew just how to get her talking. He only hoped that she wasn't too emotionally distraught.
"It's not your fault you know. what happened. You know you remind me of this girl that I knew in high school. She was such a sweet girl. Lots of friends, lots of things going for her. She got together with this guy from school. Everyone knew he was a pig, but no one said anything. He seemed to genuinely care about her. One night he told her he wanted sex. She was saving herself for marriage so she said no. He beat the shit out of her. She couldn't walk afterwards because he had hit her so hard. He raped her. over and over. She thought it was all her fault."
He paused a minute to see her shaking a little more. He pushed ahead.
"Amy, I am going out on a limb and I might be wrong, but I don't think I am. Were you raped? If you were, we can help you. We can get you to the hospital, we can pick up the guy who did it, and help you press charges. but it is your choice. But I want to make damn sure that you know it was not now nor will it ever be your fault."
Ed was quiet for a few minutes to give her time to think about what he had said. he could hear her crying. Heart wrenching sobs. Ed closed his eyes briefly and wanted to hold her and shield her, but that would result in her freaking out and going active. He sat himself on the railing near her but not too near.
"He raped me. I didn't want him to. I said no at least a dozen times that I can remember. I'm engaged to be married. How can I face my future husband and tell him what happened and still expect him to marry me. How can I expect him to give me away after what he's done to me? I'm better off dead." Amy pushed the sleeves of the jacket up and took out the razor from her jeans pocket.
'Subject is about to go active. I repeat subject is about to go active. Anyone got a solution? Somebody talk to me.'
"Amy, DON'T!. Stay with me. We can work through this. I know we can. Talk to me please. Who was it Amy? Was it your father who hurt you?" Amy flinched visibly. She pressed the blade against her arm, not at the wrist, but the back of her arm. Ed relaxed slightly. She wasn't suicidal. She just wanted the pain to be something that she could control.
"Amy. I can give the order to my team and they will go pick up your father and arrest him. Take him to the police station. You can control that." Amy startled and looked right at him when he said that. Ed looked back.
"Yeah. Thats right. You want to control something. that's why you want to cut yourself. it's pain you can control. You could not control the abuse or the rape. And you are desperate to control something. even if it's cutting yourself. Work with me Amy. Help me control what happens here. You can control this situation. All I ask is a gesture of good faith. Throw down the razor. You don't need it. Please." Amy shook her head vehemently. She fisted her hands, one of them still holding the razor.
"NO! There's only one way to end this drama." She took several deep breaths. Ed hooked his belt onto one of the beams.
"Amy. If you try to kill yourself, I'm going over the ledge too. Because I'm going to stop you. I don't want you to kill yourself. I was in your shoes about 15 years ago." Amy looked at him.
"What do you mean?" Ed took a deep breath.
"About 15 years ago. Before I started with SRU, I was walking back to my place one night. Some guys jumped me. Beat my ass. A couple of them raped me. I wanted to kill myself. So much. I tried a couple times to overdose. I tried slitting my wrists. Nothing worked. Not until the intervention of a good friend who is now my boss. He helped me see that there was more than just killing myself." Ed paused and showed his wrists to Amy.
"There's not a day that goes by where I don't think about what happened. Where I don't wonder what happened to those guys. About five years ago, we arrested them both. For raping others. I never told. And so many people got hurt because of it. You have the chance to keep your father from hurting anyone else. Don't deny yourself the chance to help yourself."
"Are you going to arrest me? Take me to jail?" Amy looked so lost sitting there. Scared too. Ed shook his head.
"No. I have to handcuff you. But we aren't going to arrest you. You need help, not jail. We are going to take you to the hospital to get your wrist checked, and an exam to collect evidence. That is if it is ok with you. then we are going to have a long long chat, get you some food, and get you in to see a therapist. And anything else you need. Are you ready to come back over here?" Amy Shrugged.
"Will you give me your hand and I will help you back over?" Amy nodded and took the offered hand. Ed helped her over and hugged her in a bear hug. Then he scooped her up in his arms and walked to the elevator with her.
"It's over now Amy, and it's been a pleasure talking with you. I will be with you every step of the way, for as long as I can be."