Sitting in the staffroom, Rita walked up to the shaking Cal. In all honesty, she was worried about him. He'd worked with a few cases like this before, so she wondered what was making him so nervous. She sat down next to him and Cal almost jumped out of his skin.
Through darkness, hearing screams. Scared, muffled screams. Pain as his arms were pushed harder. Darkness.
"Rita!" Cal gasped in shock. "Don't do that!" Rita looked at him sympathetically before continuing.
"Do you want me to get another doctor to be with her?" She asked softly. Cal rose, anger boiling within him, unsure of where it came from.
"Are you saying I can't do my job?!" He spat menacingly at her. She was taken aback at the man's tone, one which she had never heard before, but she couldn't say anything in response for Ethan had beaten her do it. Silently, Rita was glad Cal's brother had walked in. Ethan approached his brother and spoke.
"Cal, is everything alright?" Cal nodded vigorously, coming to his senses a little more and starting to feel bad about what he said to Rita. "Why didn't you come home last night, Cal?" Ethan spoke worriedly. He knew Cal had been drinking, but couldn't help but think there was something more to it.
"I spent the night in a hotel. That's all." Cal replied dismissively, before rushing out of the staffroom to his patient. Rita stood up to Ethan and they both looked at Cal's retreating back.
"Something's off with him. He seems so on edge." Rita told Ethan, who nodded in agreement.
"I'll try and get to him, but we haven't been the best of brothers since...well...you know." Ethan ran a hand through his hair and he and Rita too made their way out of the staffroom.
Cal pulled open the curtain to see Imogen looking just as scared as earlier. Rita walked in after Cal and went over to comfort her. "It will be okay, darling. Whatever you want to do, we'll back you up."
"But...but it was my fault..." Imogen cried. "It was all my fault..."
"None of this is your fault, Imogen..." Rita started, but she was cut off by Imogen, trying to speak through her sobbing.
"...but he offered me a drink, and I was so careless I accepted it, not even bothering to think whether it was spiked..." She continued. Imogen knew that she wanted to go ahead with pressing charges, but she knew she would have to tell Rita about the other man there. "I can tell you two anything, right?" She asked, uncertainly clear in her voice. Both Rita and Cal nodded. "There was someone else there...there were three men. Two of them were ...well...you know. But, one of them...he was like me. She told them. Cal immediately knew this was the girl. There was no doubt about it.
Imogen saw Cal shift of his feel uncomfortably, and Rita knew he seemed slightly nervous. She saw a thin sheen of swear across his brow. "Cal, it is hot. Why don't you wear short sleeves?" She asked.
"No...no, I'm...er...I'm not hot..." He could feel himself sweating, but he couldn't roll his sleeves up.
"You're sweating..." Rita continued, but the firm shake of Cal's head made her stop and turn back to Imogen. "Can you remember what he looks like, darling?" Rita asked, gently.
"Sort of...I mean I kept blacking out, but...er...he had short light hair I think. Muscular. Er...stubble...he was scared, very scared." She confirmed. Rita had a sick feeling to the pit of her stomach as she saw Cal straighten up slightly and walk away. "Can you call my boyfriend?" She asked timidly. Rita nodded and got the number off of Imogen.
Imogen's boyfriend arrived 10 minutes afterwards, and Rita's search for Cal was unsuccessful, but she was thankful when he walked into the cubicle. Just after, Imogen's boyfriend walked in. Cal recognised him immediately, and Imogen spoke confidently to Rita, trying to hide her shaking voice.
"Rita...my boyfriend was one of them..." She confessed to her. "Him and his mate, Mike." Her voice quavered slightly and she saw Cal widen his shoulders and grab the man before he had the chance to escape.
Twist the arm, it breaks. Cal was in the perfect position to break this man's arms. How satisfying it would be, but he couldn't. That would cause suspicion. Just before he was dragged away by the police he shouted something in Cal's direction. "Keep Schtum!" Rita's sick feeling just got worse.
"Right, can I have a few minutes alone with my patient, Rita?" Cal asked, rather aggressively. She seemed uncertain whether to leave Imogen but decided to anyway. She left and closed the curtain behind her. She didn't want to let this go so stood in earshot, and more importantly, recording shot as she recorded their whole conversation on her phone.
"Your boyfriend, and his best mate raped you?!" He whispered disbelievingly. She cowered into the back of the bed before speaking.
"And you..." She bit back. She noticed a sudden change in her doctor as Cal realised she knew. "Knew it."
"No. You are not to tell anyone, understand?!" He realised he was being harsh on this venerable young woman, but the anger he felt was unimaginable.
"Why shouldn't I? They'll find out sooner or later..." She reminded him. He sighed and ran a shaky hand through his short hair.
"They won't. I'll make sure they don't." He took a seat ln the bed, defeated. How could he had been so stupid in the first place?! This time, it was his fault. He could only imagine what people would tell him if they found out. About his stupidity, his idiocy. They couldn't find out. They wouldn't.
"They will. What about your bruised arms or chest? Your obvious nervousness..." She spoke, gaining more confidence talking to the broken man sat by her.
"Don't tell them. Just...don't. Anyway, do you have a number for Mike?" He asked innocently, like the previous conversation had never happened. She nodded and gave it to him. "I'm going to have words with him." Cal spoke determined and left a confused Imogen and a concerned Rita behind.
Rita walked into Imogen's cubicle. "What was that all about?" She saw Imogen shuffle about a bit before she dismissed it with the shake of her head. Rita pressed play on the first part of the recording and Imogen gasped. "Well, we can get SARC. You can be examined, and maybe you could talk our doctor round to see sense..." At the mention of SARC, Imogen tensed.
"Can you be with me?" She asked nervously, picking at the sheets and looking anywhere but Rita's eyes. She nodded, surprised that Imogen seemed less nervous than anyone else she had been with. She correctly assumed that it was because the culprits were known and would be arrested.
Rita walked up to Ethan and took him somewhere private. He didn't have the time to ask questions before Rita played the recording and she saw Ethan crumble visibly before her. "I need to find him..."
"I think we need tell Connie..." She told Ethan. He looked at her strangely.
"Are you mad?! Cal will blow his nut if anyone finds out." He nearly shouted at the nurse, but Rita stood her ground.
"Ethan...Cal was drugged and raped..." She spoke soothingly. He nodded, knowing it was best, but secretly wishing Cal would confide in Ethan.
Cal stood on a street corner, where he intended to meet the rapist. He was sure that he would be confident when facing this man. He'd seen a few in his time as a medic, but nothing was scarier when you were facing your own rapist.
Mike gingerly walked up to him, looking smug to say the least. Now Cal was beginning to have regrets about meeting him, but he couldn't tell anyone. It was all his fault it happened in the first place. He's in the wrong. Cal took a step back when Mike walked too close to him. All Cal wanted to do was run, but found he was frozen to the spot by fear. He couldn't move and the usually confident Cal was terrified.
"I wondered when I'd be meeting you again..." Mike grinned slyly. Cal had no response whatsoever. He just shrugged, and could feel nervous trembles rolling throughout his body as he tried to get over his fear. The immense fear as the man stepped even closer to him.
The warm breath all too familiar. The girl passed out as all Cal knew was drunken memories and pain.
"The police are on their way..." Cal stuttered. Mike took a step back, seemingly scared. That act was over in a matter of seconds.
"You see, I don't think they are." His menacing laugh that Cal had heard throughout the night. Then he got angry. It was less of the fact that his rapist was standing before him, but more that he raped an innocent young girl.
Mike felt a punch to his stomach, followed by one to his jawline. God, Cal knew how to throw a punch. The next thing Cal defiantly wasn't expecting. Mike fought back with a kick to Cal's ribs and a definite crack. Then a punch just to make it that bit more painful. Doubling over from the pain and one final blow to the head. Darkness consumed Cal again, darkness that Cal had grown to like.
For darkness meant no pain. No memories. No stupidity. Just, darkness.
Okay, I don't know how long this will be, but longer than I originally planned! Thank you for the reviews on the first chapter, I'm glad you are enjoying it!
Thoughts on this chapter?