AUTHOR: BeautifulPixy
RATING: PG13
SPOILERS: None
DISCLAIMER: don't own them never did never will except for Jaci
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Re posted b/c it was the wrong freakin version of chapter 3
Enjoy!!
Chapter 3 Broken Spirit
The ambulance arrived. At the request of Becca, Jaci rode to the hospital with her, leaving Grissom and Nick to rummage through the scene for an explanation of what had happened there. Brass knew there was no way in hell he would be riding with the victim, so Jaci managed to get Becca's last name for him before they left. Brass had the task of finding out about the life and times of Becca Rogers.
The ride to the hospital was quite. Becca had begun to relax a bit once they were on the road. Perhaps she realized that her trauma was over, she was safe. Or perhaps having Jaci and her .40 caliber Beretta near by eased her fear. If anyone attempted to hurt her now, they might die trying. Jaci asked only general questions, not wanting to rush the process. She learned that Becca was twenty years old, a Las Vegas native, and did not have any family that she wished to be contacted. She explained that she was an only child and her parents had died in an automobile accident last year. She worked at a bookstore and asked that Jaci call her boss to explain her absences. Jaci assured her that the explanation given would be very vague. Becca nodded her thanks.
After they arrived at the hospital, Becca was taken away to be examined. Jaci expected Becca to protest, but she was obviously too tired to put up any more of a fight. Almost an hour later, the doctor returned and talked with Jaci, confirming that Becca had in fact been raped. She also had sustained numerous bruises and cuts, a sprained ankle, several bruised ribs, and two broken fingers. Jaci mentally added a broken spirit, a damaged psyche, and an everlasting distrust of people knowing that no one would mention those items on an official list of injuries.
Becca was now being given pain meds and would be unable to answer questions for the rest of the night. Jaci stuck her head in the private room where the girl lay, to say goodbye. Becca was crying softly, she tried to hide her face when she saw that Jaci was watching. At the sight of the girl, Jaci felt like a hand was squeezing her heart. The dirt had been wiped away but that only allowed the bruises to stand out more clearly. The handprints of her attacker(s) could be seen on her arms, where she had been held down. Jaci walked to the side of the bed.
"Hey. Shhhhhhhh. It's all over now." Jaci said in a soft voice.
Becca wiped her eyes with the palms of her hands. The two broken fingers on her right hand stuck up, taped together. "I'm such a mess. This is such a mess. What I have I done?"
"You haven't done anything, Becca. This is not your fault." Jaci replied.
"How can you say that? You don't know what happened...don't know me."
"You're right. I don't know, but I have a pretty good idea of what happened. And you didn't deserve any of that. No matter what I learn about you, Becca. Okay?"
Becca was gripping the blanket. She looked up at Jaci with piercing eyes, "I'm not an angel. You should know that."
Jaci nodded. "And you should know that I lost my wings a long time ago too. Now try to get some rest and I will see you in the morning. We can talk about all this then. Will you talk to me tomorrow?"
Becca just shrugged and looked down at the bed. Jaci pulled a card from her pocket and placed it on the nightstand. "That's my card, it has all my numbers listed on it. If you need anything, you can call me, alright? Seriously, anything at all, you call me." Becca nodded her head slightly. "Ok, I'm going to go. I'll see you tomorrow." Jaci backed away from the bed and started toward the door.
"Jaci?" Becca said softly. Jaci turned and raised her eyebrows. "Will you stay with me? Just, just until I fall asleep?"
"Absolutely." Jaci replied and sat back down by the bed. Several minutes passed and the drugs pulled Becca toward sleep. Jaci was staring at the ceiling, lost in thought, when Becca spoke abruptly. "These are going to be crooked." Jaci saw the girl staring at her broken fingers. "Just like a football player's." The girl added, frowning. Jaci smiled and held up her own right hand. She tensed her fingers, her fourth finger bending unnaturally. Becca's eyebrows raised, "How did you break yours?"
"Playing football. I always was a bit of a tomboy." Jaci replied sheepishly. Becca smiled slightly and dozed off.
Jaci left the hospital and headed back to the crime lab. She needed to find Brass to give him an update on the situation. She figured he should have at least some vague details of Becca's life by now. Plus, she wanted to know what Grissom and Nick had learned about the forest scene. Jaci got lucky and found all three men in a layout room.
"Hey guys." Jaci said as she walked in the room.
Brass glanced at his watch as he spoke, "It's about time."
Jaci waved him off as she walked over to get a closer look at the now bandaged cut above Nick's eye. "You know hospitals, don't get in a hurry for anyone." She left out the part about her spending the last hour waiting for Becca to fall asleep. Grissom and Brass were not big fans of extended personal contact with victims.
"Amen to that. That's why I just had Griss throw a butterfly stitch on this thing." Nick said, pointing to his eye.
"So? What did the doctor tell you?" Brass asked.
"Confirmation of the obvious. She was definitely raped. Plus took a beating, lots of bruises, a few broken bones." Jaci pulled up a seat around the table the guys were seated around.
"Geez. I hate having to break that news to parents." Brass replied.
Jaci had her head in her hands, eyes closed, massaging her forehead. All the day's excitement had given her a headache. "Well, you don't have to worry about it this time. Her parents are dead. Killed in a car accident last year."
Grissom had been tapping his pencil on the tabletop. After hearing Jaci's statement he abruptly stopped and raised his eyebrows at Brass across the table. "Uh, did Becca tell you that about her parents?" Brass asked warily.
"Who else, Brass? I didn't make it up on my own." Jaci smarted off, her head still down.
"Well, I think she did. Her parents are not dead, they are very much alive." Brass looked down at his notes. "Stan and Marcy Rogers. 7913 Remington Court."
Nick let out a whistle. "Remington Court? Apparently they are alive and loaded!"
Jaci's head shot up. "Are you sure? I mean Rogers is a pretty common name.."
"I'm sure. What else did she tell you?" Brass asked Jaci.
"That she was twenty years old, lived here in Vegas, and worked in a bookstore. She asked me to call her boss and excuse her absence. And that bit about dead parents."
"So, she left out the part about a criminal record?' Brass asked with smile. "You're shitting me.." Jaci leaned back in her chair.
"Miss Becca was busted last year for minor in possession of alcohol and a controlled substance, pot to be exact. I was just about to go talk with her infamous parents. Coming?" Brass asked as he headed toward the door.
"Oh yeah. Wouldn't want to miss that." Jaci replied.
After Brass had left the room, Jaci remained seated, lost in thought momentarily. "Becca did tell me one other thing."
Grissom asked, "What was that?"
"That she was no angel." Jaci replied with a sad smile.
Grissom shrugged, "Well, she was truthful about something."
TBC...
RATING: PG13
SPOILERS: None
DISCLAIMER: don't own them never did never will except for Jaci
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Re posted b/c it was the wrong freakin version of chapter 3
Enjoy!!
Chapter 3 Broken Spirit
The ambulance arrived. At the request of Becca, Jaci rode to the hospital with her, leaving Grissom and Nick to rummage through the scene for an explanation of what had happened there. Brass knew there was no way in hell he would be riding with the victim, so Jaci managed to get Becca's last name for him before they left. Brass had the task of finding out about the life and times of Becca Rogers.
The ride to the hospital was quite. Becca had begun to relax a bit once they were on the road. Perhaps she realized that her trauma was over, she was safe. Or perhaps having Jaci and her .40 caliber Beretta near by eased her fear. If anyone attempted to hurt her now, they might die trying. Jaci asked only general questions, not wanting to rush the process. She learned that Becca was twenty years old, a Las Vegas native, and did not have any family that she wished to be contacted. She explained that she was an only child and her parents had died in an automobile accident last year. She worked at a bookstore and asked that Jaci call her boss to explain her absences. Jaci assured her that the explanation given would be very vague. Becca nodded her thanks.
After they arrived at the hospital, Becca was taken away to be examined. Jaci expected Becca to protest, but she was obviously too tired to put up any more of a fight. Almost an hour later, the doctor returned and talked with Jaci, confirming that Becca had in fact been raped. She also had sustained numerous bruises and cuts, a sprained ankle, several bruised ribs, and two broken fingers. Jaci mentally added a broken spirit, a damaged psyche, and an everlasting distrust of people knowing that no one would mention those items on an official list of injuries.
Becca was now being given pain meds and would be unable to answer questions for the rest of the night. Jaci stuck her head in the private room where the girl lay, to say goodbye. Becca was crying softly, she tried to hide her face when she saw that Jaci was watching. At the sight of the girl, Jaci felt like a hand was squeezing her heart. The dirt had been wiped away but that only allowed the bruises to stand out more clearly. The handprints of her attacker(s) could be seen on her arms, where she had been held down. Jaci walked to the side of the bed.
"Hey. Shhhhhhhh. It's all over now." Jaci said in a soft voice.
Becca wiped her eyes with the palms of her hands. The two broken fingers on her right hand stuck up, taped together. "I'm such a mess. This is such a mess. What I have I done?"
"You haven't done anything, Becca. This is not your fault." Jaci replied.
"How can you say that? You don't know what happened...don't know me."
"You're right. I don't know, but I have a pretty good idea of what happened. And you didn't deserve any of that. No matter what I learn about you, Becca. Okay?"
Becca was gripping the blanket. She looked up at Jaci with piercing eyes, "I'm not an angel. You should know that."
Jaci nodded. "And you should know that I lost my wings a long time ago too. Now try to get some rest and I will see you in the morning. We can talk about all this then. Will you talk to me tomorrow?"
Becca just shrugged and looked down at the bed. Jaci pulled a card from her pocket and placed it on the nightstand. "That's my card, it has all my numbers listed on it. If you need anything, you can call me, alright? Seriously, anything at all, you call me." Becca nodded her head slightly. "Ok, I'm going to go. I'll see you tomorrow." Jaci backed away from the bed and started toward the door.
"Jaci?" Becca said softly. Jaci turned and raised her eyebrows. "Will you stay with me? Just, just until I fall asleep?"
"Absolutely." Jaci replied and sat back down by the bed. Several minutes passed and the drugs pulled Becca toward sleep. Jaci was staring at the ceiling, lost in thought, when Becca spoke abruptly. "These are going to be crooked." Jaci saw the girl staring at her broken fingers. "Just like a football player's." The girl added, frowning. Jaci smiled and held up her own right hand. She tensed her fingers, her fourth finger bending unnaturally. Becca's eyebrows raised, "How did you break yours?"
"Playing football. I always was a bit of a tomboy." Jaci replied sheepishly. Becca smiled slightly and dozed off.
Jaci left the hospital and headed back to the crime lab. She needed to find Brass to give him an update on the situation. She figured he should have at least some vague details of Becca's life by now. Plus, she wanted to know what Grissom and Nick had learned about the forest scene. Jaci got lucky and found all three men in a layout room.
"Hey guys." Jaci said as she walked in the room.
Brass glanced at his watch as he spoke, "It's about time."
Jaci waved him off as she walked over to get a closer look at the now bandaged cut above Nick's eye. "You know hospitals, don't get in a hurry for anyone." She left out the part about her spending the last hour waiting for Becca to fall asleep. Grissom and Brass were not big fans of extended personal contact with victims.
"Amen to that. That's why I just had Griss throw a butterfly stitch on this thing." Nick said, pointing to his eye.
"So? What did the doctor tell you?" Brass asked.
"Confirmation of the obvious. She was definitely raped. Plus took a beating, lots of bruises, a few broken bones." Jaci pulled up a seat around the table the guys were seated around.
"Geez. I hate having to break that news to parents." Brass replied.
Jaci had her head in her hands, eyes closed, massaging her forehead. All the day's excitement had given her a headache. "Well, you don't have to worry about it this time. Her parents are dead. Killed in a car accident last year."
Grissom had been tapping his pencil on the tabletop. After hearing Jaci's statement he abruptly stopped and raised his eyebrows at Brass across the table. "Uh, did Becca tell you that about her parents?" Brass asked warily.
"Who else, Brass? I didn't make it up on my own." Jaci smarted off, her head still down.
"Well, I think she did. Her parents are not dead, they are very much alive." Brass looked down at his notes. "Stan and Marcy Rogers. 7913 Remington Court."
Nick let out a whistle. "Remington Court? Apparently they are alive and loaded!"
Jaci's head shot up. "Are you sure? I mean Rogers is a pretty common name.."
"I'm sure. What else did she tell you?" Brass asked Jaci.
"That she was twenty years old, lived here in Vegas, and worked in a bookstore. She asked me to call her boss and excuse her absence. And that bit about dead parents."
"So, she left out the part about a criminal record?' Brass asked with smile. "You're shitting me.." Jaci leaned back in her chair.
"Miss Becca was busted last year for minor in possession of alcohol and a controlled substance, pot to be exact. I was just about to go talk with her infamous parents. Coming?" Brass asked as he headed toward the door.
"Oh yeah. Wouldn't want to miss that." Jaci replied.
After Brass had left the room, Jaci remained seated, lost in thought momentarily. "Becca did tell me one other thing."
Grissom asked, "What was that?"
"That she was no angel." Jaci replied with a sad smile.
Grissom shrugged, "Well, she was truthful about something."
TBC...
