Juliet helped Alex sit back up on the counter top and gently brought the make-up remover to her face. She began to wipe it off, revealing massive bruises. Alex bit back a whimper and Juliet hesitated. She wanted more than anything to just forget the whole thing and comfort Alex, but she needed to be her doctor before she could be her girlfriend. Juliet began the gentle strokes and slowly got all the make-up off Alex's face. Alex wouldn't even look up, tears spilled from the younger girl's eyes and the vampire wrapped Alex up in a hug.
"Hey, look at me. I know this is hard, but we will get through this together. You're being really brave." Juliet comforted.
"Thank you, Juliet for…helping me with all of this. I know it's hard on you too. And I'm so sorry. But I'll try to get over it soon, I'm so sorry this is all my fault…" Alex whispered.
"No Alex, no it isn't don't think that for one second! This was a monster's fault, I won't know until you can talk about it, but it was by no means, your fault."
The young wizard began to shake and Juliet smelled a massive wave a self-hatred and fear crash over her girlfriend. Juliet wrapped her in a long embrace and held her there.
"Juliet? I love being in your arms, but can I please just get some sleep and forget today ever happened?" The brunette pleaded.
Juliet almost said yes before she remembered, she had to do a FULL body physical.
This is going to terrify her, but what can I do? She could be seriously injured! Who am I kidding she IS seriously injured and I need to see if I can help her and the only way is to get her to let me look at her. She was so self-conscious before this happened so it might get ugly. Should I put her to sleep? No, she'd be furious and feel betrayed. Okay, I'll just play it cool.
"Um, not just yet baby." The vampire walked over to the bathroom door and locked it.
This was a very bad idea; it sent Alex into a flashback of what happened. She started crying and shaking, she curled up in a ball in a corner of the bathroom, begging Juliet not to hurt her. Apologizing, crying, shaking and begging in the corner, Juliet had never felt more pain or terror off of anyone before. She felt terrible; she just hadn't wanted Alex to run away.
"Alex? Sweetie, it's just me Juliet. I won't hurt you, I swear." Juliet coaxed.
"P-please, I'll do anything you want just don't hurt me again." Alex pleaded, curling up in a tighter ball in the corner of the bathroom.
Juliet was torn; she wanted to hold Alex but was also afraid of what would happen if she touched her. She never should have locked the door. She knew she needed to get Alex relaxed before she gave herself another panic attack.
"Alex, I won't hurt you, I won't let anything hurt you ever again. I promise, now let's just get you calmed down and I can take care of you." Juliet whispered.
Alex was shaking so hard you could see her body vibrate with choked sobs.
Juliet took a cautious step toward Alex and checked her emotions: Fear, terror, pain, sadness, insecurity, and oddly, loneliness. Alex came out of her flashback, her eyes darted around the room, looking for anything familiar and safe. Her eyes landed on Juliet, she wanted to run out and hug her. Alex wanted to kiss Juliet and get HIM off her skin, she could feel him everywhere.
"J-Juliet?" Alex called.
"I'm right here baby." Juliet said, crossing the room at human speed so she didn't frighten Alex she reached a hand out to touch her. Alex flinched away, afraid but then looked up to see the heartbreak and concern in Juliet's eyes. She took a deep, shaky breath and shivered.
Juliet caught the shiver and her eyes narrowed. The smell of blood in the air so strongly she could feel the burn in her throat.
Crap! That means there has to be internal bleeding. Which means she was hurt worse than I thought. I really need to get her to let me do this. I can't put her to sleep, she wouldn't trust me. Maybe I can get her to take a shower that might work. I just need to convince her to let me do take it with her. After that I can do a quick exam and then worry about treatment in to morning, she's been through enough.
"Alex? Baby please, I hate seeing you like this. Why don't we just get you showered and you can go to bed. We can finish this up tomorrow okay?" Juliet coaxed.
Alex sniffled, stood up and nodded. She sat on the toilet and tried to start the water. She turned the first two knobs to turn the water hot. She stood up, felt dizzy and then fell back. Juliet's strong, protective arms caught Alex and held her steady.
"Thanks." Alex mumbled, she stood up to support herself when Juliet tightened her grip. Juliet could smell the fear and pain and embarrassment off Alex all too well.
"Anytime." Juliet whispered.
"Listen, you're in no condition to take a shower by yourself. I think you'll get hurt, worse than you already are. So I think if you're okay with it, I should join you. I can help take care of you, if you'd just let me." Juliet said soothingly.
Alex's body went tense and ridged in Juliet's arms.
"Y-you mean shower together?" Alex asked, terrified.
Juliet felt Alex's heart race and her panic level rise.
"Whoa, whoa shhhh, Alex it's alright. I just thought it would make things easier on you." Juliet comforted.
Alex sigh, weak with defeat "Okay" she said quietly.
Juliet felt her heart ache, her Alex, her stubborn, loveable Alex had given up, lost the will to fight with Juliet any more.
"Aw Alex, it won't be so bad." Juliet joked
Alex turned around and buried her head in Juliet's arms.
"Just tell me when you're ready." Juliet whispered
Alex sighs and nodded. Alex opened her eyes. She looked down at her body and cringed at what Juliet was about to see. Juliet felt Alex's panic rise and followed her girlfriend's eyes to the hoodie hem. Juliet nodded silently understanding that Alex would need help getting undressed and into the shower. Juliet's hands reach for the hoodie but Alex caught her wrist and shook her head.
"I can't do it." Alex whimpered pain evident in her tone. "I want the first time you see me, without all this, I want you to think I'm beautiful, not all covered in bruises, cuts and blood."
Juliet tilted Alex's head up and wrapped a gentle arm around her love's waist.
"Listen Alex, I'll always love you, no matter what. You know that. But I also think you are the most beautiful and amazing thing in the whole world, not matter what's on the surface of your skin. So please, just this once let your guard down, and let me take care of you" Juliet whispered in Alex's ear.
"I'm scared" Alex whispered back.
"I know its okay. I would be too, you're doing really well." Juliet soothed.
"Okay." Alex whispered, her whole body started to tremble again. Juliet sigh and moved her hands back to Alex's hoodie. She flinched and winced, but didn't pull away. Juliet then gently and slowly pull it over Alex's head. When the hoodie was off, it was just a t-shirt and jeans left. Juliet turned back to Alex and gasped. Every inch of Alex was covered in bruises, burn marks, and cuts. Juliet traced Alex's bare arms. When she sensed the pain rise, she guessed the left arm was broken. She'd have to put a cast on that later. The bruises and marks were both old and new. This couldn't have been the first time this had happened.
Tears leaked from Alex's eyes.
"I thought it would go like that." Alex choked out and reached for her hoodie back. Juliet's hand stopped her with vampire speed and strength.
"Oh Alex. I'm so sorry, I didn't know you were this hurt or I would have been more careful." Juliet told her.
"Its okay, I'm fine. Now I think I might just need to get some sleep." Alex said in a monotone.
Juliet wrapped her arms delicately around Alex's waist. Juliet saw Alex using her walls, trying to crawl back inside herself so she couldn't feel anything. Not this time though, Juliet would have to force Alex out of her shell.
"Sorry Alex, but I really just need to do this exam. Don't shut me out, just bring down all your walls, they're stressing you out. I can feel every mental block you have up." Juliet reminded her.
Alex stiffened, then sigh. She took a deep breath them wrapped her bruised arms around herself. She shivered again and looked at Juliet with pleading eyes before moving her shaking hands down to the hem of her shirt. Alex winced and bit back a scream and she quickly slid out of the shirt, trying to avoid all the spots with that were still bleeding.
"Oh my god Alex. This is really serious." Juliet said, using her senses she took another look at Alex's physical condition. Her hands gently grazed spots with blood, spots that were bruised or tender. Some places even had boot marks. Alex winced and doubled over when Juliet hit the spot where he kicked her.
Juliet helped her back to a standing position. After doing her assessment she decided she could wait to go to a hospital but would need immediate care . Alex looked over at the shower longingly and Juliet decided to do another exam, but not for injuries. She really looked at Alex and saw the bags under her eyes from a serious lack of sleep. No wonder she was so keen to get some rest, it looked like she hadn't slept well in a weeks. She looked back down at Alex's stomach and saw all her ribs, even the broken ones were visible. She looked tiny, and helpless. She figured Alex was shaking from fear but it seemed now it might be from how cold she was or the blood loss. Juliet would know for sure when she got Alex to take her jeans off but it really seemed like sexual abuse, from home. Juliet shuddered at the thought. She brought her eyes back to Alex's tear-filled, terrified, rejected eyes that refused to meet hers.
"Alex? Hey, come on look at me. You're amazing. You still look beautiful, absolutely stunning. I need to get the clerk to send a first-aid kit up here so I can take care of this. Can you please take you're jeans off for me? Then you can take a shower and be done with this mess. Okay?" Juliet said softly.
Alex sigh and with trembling hands went down to the button of her jeans. She undid it and the zipper, she took a deep breath and slid them off. Juliet could see the blood right underneath and around her underwear. Deeper, longer cuts and worse burn marks were all over. The hand bruises on her legs and upper thighs confirmed it, Alex, HER Alex had been raped.
Juliet fought to control her anger, she wanted to kill whoever did this but Alex needed her more. This was probably the hardest thing Alex had ever done in her life. Juliet needed to be strong and be there for Alex.
"Alex, sweetie just stay here for a second I'll be right back." Juliet said.
"No! Please Juliet, please don't leave me alone." Alex begged. Alex, realizing how weak she sounded shook her head and walked over to the shower. Juliet grabbed her hand, softly, but firmly. Alex winced and shot Juliet a look.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to leave you alone. I just need to call the clerk, and get him to send up a first aid kit and cancel our maid service. We should also get some food for you. I ate before our date so I'm fine for at least 3 days. You, on the other look like you haven't eaten in a month."
"Don't bother, I can't eat anything." Alex whimpered.
Juliet's expression softened, Alex had been through a lot and she was strained. Juliet knew she needed to get her a shower and then to bed, but she also needed to do a rape kit. Alex just didn't know that part yet.
Juliet opened the bathroom door, offering Alex a robe (which Alex took immediately and covered herself) and took the trembling brunette into her arms. Juliet walked over to the phone and called up the clerk. She ordered a first aid kit, with the story that her girlfriend fell off her bike and scraped up pretty bad. She also ordered a soda and pizza for Alex. Alex was in a daze, the only things she could feel was pain and Juliet's arms around her. Juliet spoke something very fast and Alex snapped out of her trance and tried to listen but Juliet was already done, guiding Alex to the couch to watch T.V and wait. Juliet watched Alex curl up into a ball and shake, staring mindlessly at the TV. Juliet sat on the other side of the couch just watching her. She crawled over to Alex and pulled her into her lap. Alex jumped and struggled at first and then sank back into Juliet. Alex's breathing was just starting to return to normal and Juliet thought she might actually have Alex relaxed when the doorbell rang. Alex jumped and tried to run away and hide but Juliet held strong. She pulled Alex up with her and seated her in the kitchen. Juliet walked over, thanked the man and gathered all their things. She placed the pizza and soda in from of Alex.
"Alex, just try it. It's really good, I think. You need to eat something though." Juliet chided.
"You really think I can stand to eat anytime after this happens to me?" Alex whispered brokenly.
Juliet looked frozen, this was the first time Alex admitted to anything going on. So she NEVER ate after? How many times had this happen to her?
"Oh honey, come here." Juliet pulled Alex close into her lap and it wasn't long before Alex was sobbing into her chest. She held Alex as tightly as she could without hurting her worse for about half an hour until Alex had no more tears. She took Alex's hand, two boxes (rape kit and first aid kit) and walked back into the bathroom.
"Alex, I'll help you shower just as soon as I help you with these injuries as much as I can. Then…then, baby I need to do a rape kit."
"NO! No way, absolutely not! I don't want any proof of this. Juliet please? Don't make me do this. I'll do anything else. I swear, just n-not this." Alex sobbed.
"Alex, I hate doing this but we need to. It's for your own safety. I'm so sorry, after we clean you up we can go to bed and stay there all day. God knows you need the sleep." Juliet muttered.
"Okay, I'll do whatever you want, just please. Can we forget this whole thing ever happened in the morning?" Alex pleaded, her spirit broken.
Juliet ignored the question and almost wanted to her cry herself. Her Alex, giving up? Juliet closed the bathroom door and slid off Alex's robe. With a shudder from both girls they pulled out the rape kit.
"I'm sorry Alex, but I need you to take everything off. From this moment until we get in the shower, I'm not your girlfriend, I'm your doctor okay? Since I can't take you to a real one like this, we need to be professional about this."
Juliet looked at Alex's terrified expression. Juliet sigh, she took Alex in her arms for a hug and asked in a whisper if she needed help, Alex only nodded. Juliet reach around un hooked Alex's bra and slid off her underwear. Juliet put on gloves and took samples. (I'm not going into detail on how to do a rape kit) When she finished, she left a shocked and terrified Alex alone for a moment. She came back to find her curled up in a ball, terrified to move. It felt like she'd just been reminded of the entire thing. Juliet approached her slowly and helped her up. The blonde vampire turned the water on hot and low pressure. She taped up all the exposed, bloody, burned, and cut wounds so that they could get in the shower. She didn't need her getting an infection, but she would need to do some more serious wound care tomorrow. Then took off her own shirt and jeans. Leaving on her undergarments, she and Alex stepped under the hot water. Alex went to one side as far as she could. The water felt good on her tense muscles. A pair of arms snaked around Alex's waist from behind, she jumped and turned around to see Juliet there, a bittersweet smile on her face. Alex made a move to get away from Juliet but she held her close and asked her "Do you trust me?"
"I don't know how, or why Juliet, but I still do. With my life." Alex said.
"Then let me help you do this" Juliet said
Alex looked unsure and her emotions were all over the place.
Juliet whispered in Alex's ear "I'll be gentle baby, nice and slow I swear."
Alex just nodded. Not long into the shower Alex's tears and blood were mixed into the water. Juliet replaced all the bitter cries with warm hands and comforting words. She washed Alex's hair and rubbed her tense muscles. She was about to wash Alex's body but a hand stopped her. Alex jus gave her an unsure look and Juliet knew she wasn't comfortable. She held Alex under the water for a long time. Juliet finally turned the water off and wrapped a towel around herself and another one around Alex. Juliet re-wrapped the bandages around Alex's wounds. Juliet led them both into their bedroom. She got dressed while Alex sat in a daze on the bed wearing her towel. Juliet put on her pajamas and then walked over and gently helped Alex dress in hers.
"Hey, Alex talk to me. Baby, I'm worried sick over here." Juliet said, strain in her tone.
"Sorry, just…thinking is all." Alex replied. "I think I need to get some sleep if you don't mind."
"No, yeah I mean totally. You should. I'll lay with you, if you'd like."
"Yes, please. And Juliet?"
Juliet sensed the hesitation in Alex's tone and got nervous. "Yeah Alex?"
"I feel stupid asking this, but could you hold me until I fall asleep? I-I just want to feel safe. And that's the only way I've felt safe since this happened." Alex asked in a quiet, embarrassed tone.
Juliet took a sniff and check Alex's emotions. They were a little better now. She was still panicked, still tense, still nervous, still terrified, but she also felt a little safe, and love. Juliet smiled.
"Alex, you don't even need to ask. I'm just not sure how comfortable you'll be with this."
"I'll be fine Juliet, I'm not made of glass."
No, but you're just as breakable. Juliet thought.