Chapter Three - The Rape Kit II.
Nick and Brian decide to go back up to the waiting area. It's been about forty-five minutes and they had to give their table up to people who were actually eating. They take an elevator where they share cute exchanges with a toddler child. They get off on the second floor, the E.R. Like clockwork, the guys get off to find Dr. Price coming their way.
"Hey how's Liv?" Brian asks anxiously. The doctor stares down at the concern looks on the two men faces. They must really care about this detective. Taking a cliche doctor's sigh, Dr. Price answers, "well right now we're preparing to administer the rape kit.."
Brian's skin crawls as he cuts the good doctor off, "preparing?" A baffled look is painted across Cassidy's face, "we thought that's what you guys were doing, you telling me you're just preparing to do that now, come on."
Amaro steps in as he hears the irritation in Brian's tone, "look we need this to go right so it's gonna take some time." Amaro has an epiphany. "We can take her to a hospital close by the city." He gazes at Brian and asks, "what Mercy's good right."
"You did the right thing by bringing her here. Looks like she needed immediate care... More immediate than suspected. We did an MRI to check for internal bleeding. Luckily, there was none but there is still serious trauma to her body. Three of her ribs are broken. She's in a great deal of pain right now. Both arms are fractured. Looks like her cuts and burns are gravely infected. She has torn ligaments-"
Brian steps in, not able to take anymore shattering information about the lady in his life, "can I see her."
Dr. Price stumps on Brian's hope when answering. "No, in a few hours, maybe." Her eyes fall to the floor, not sure what next to say. "You're partner is very strong but-"
Brian cuts her off once more. "My partner?" He smirks. "No she's my girlfriend and no one's stopping me, I'm going to find her."
Dr. Price grabs Brian's arm as he pushes pass her, she hesitates but finally admits, "we had to sedate Detective Benson."
"Why," Amaro asks as Brian becomes speechless.
"Something triggered her or someone. PTSD, it's early on yes but... It's very common. Trauma patients often relive their attack when triggered by something. However? And in her case, I have no idea what triggered detective Benson's flashback."
It was the sound of the lady screaming in the next room that sent Liv flying back into the most powerless moment of her ordeal.
Minutes before her flashback...
Dr. Price got Liv through the MRI and moved her to another room, one floor up. That room was more warm and comfortable. It was an inpatient room. The walls were painted a rosey pink with flowered wallpaper. Designed like her previous room, but more life-like.
Liv refused to take any pain meds so after they ran more tests, Liv was still in great pain. The pills and alcohol was long gone from her system but just the thought of being in that incoherent state repulsed Benson. She was so ready to get home. To shower. If she could, Liv thought about fleeing. She could run to Oregan. No one would know her. No one would know what happened to her. A place where no one knows your name was sounding more and more peaceful to Olivia. However, she knew she had to stay and deal. The worst part was over, right?
After Dr. Price settled Benson into the new room, the nurse finally arrived to assist in the rape kit. Before they began, the sound of the screaming lady pierced Liv ears.
She knew that scream. She knew that scream very well. Mrs. Mayer? To confirm her suspicions, she saw a redhead pass by running frantically. Liv eyes were becoming more and more swollen but she knew damn well who that was, Lewis's lawyer.
After that very second, Liv was thrown back into the Mayer's home. Flying back into the most powerless moment of her ordeal.
All she saw was Lewis tearing the older woman to pieces. The screaming was endlessly. Her hands are taped to the chair. Mrs. Mayer is begging for Liv's help. Lewis is grunting and grunting as he rams himself repeatedly into the older woman's womanhood. Her screams are haunting.
Liv was lying in the bed when the screaming started. She was calm and relaxed when the sudden memory popped into her head. Dr. Price tried to pull Liv out of the flashback. The nurse even tried to get through to Benson but she fought them both. Liv was just staring blinkly into space while kicking and screaming. Her eyes were dead. It escalated when Liv started scratching at the back of her wrist, causing it to bleed. Dr. Price tried to grab Liv's hands. Liv punched the doctor once in her left temple, causing her to fall over. The nurse paged for help.
The orderlies in Mrs. Mayer's room came rushing into Liv's room. Dr. Price was helped off the floor and ordered the nurse to grab the Thorazine out of the lock cabinet. The cabinet was clear and full of medicine and syringes. The nurse grabbed the drug and syringe quickly. With the orderlies holding Liv down, Dr. Price injected Benson with the Thorazine filled syringe. A few seconds followed and Detective Benson's fight was over, yet her eyes remained wide open.
The doctor ordered the nurse to prepare Liv for the rape examination while she walked out of the room to find Amaro and Brian.
Dr. Price makes her way to the elevator where she gets off on the second floor. She's alone on the elevator and tries to cope with the look in the detective's eyes. It was as if the detective had seen what it was like to live in actual hell. There was nothing she could do to snap Olivia out of it, other than, medicate her.
Dr. Price has seen horrific things in her years as a doctor but this is by far the worst. She sighs as she remembers her conversations with Melinda. Her college friend has always traded the most bizarre stories and Dr. Maxine Price believed Melinda fabricated some parts. Being branded with cigarettes and repeatedly beaten in such an inhumane way? No sane person could ever fabricate those things. She's not naive. She knows that their is evil in this world. However, for a woman who seldomly leaves Long Island, Liv's ordeal is a little too much...
The elevator lands, she steps out, and makes a beeline for the two men who brought in the broken detective.
"Hey how's Liv?" Brian asks anxiously. The doctor stares down at the concern looks on the two men faces. They must really care about this detective. Taking a cliche doctor's sigh, Dr. Price answers, "well right now we're preparing to administer the rape kit.."
Brian's skin crawls as he cuts the good doctor off, "preparing?" A baffled look is painted across Cassidy's face, "we thought that's what you guys were doing, you telling me you're just preparing to do that now, come on."
Amaro steps in as he hears the irritation in Brian's tone, "look we need this to go right so it's gonna take some time." Amaro has an epiphany. "We can take her to a hospital close by the city." He gazes at Brian and asks, "what Mercy's good right."
"You did the right thing by bringing her here. Looks like she needed immediate care... More immediate than suspected. We did an MRI to check for internal bleeding. Luckily, there was none but there is still serious trauma to her body. Three of her ribs are broken. She's in a great deal of pain right now. Both arms are fractured. Looks like her cuts and burns are gravely infected. She has torn ligaments-"
Brian steps in, not able to take anymore shattering information about the lady in his life, "can I see her."
Dr. Price stumps on Brian's hope when answering. "No, in a few hours, maybe." Her eyes fall to the floor, not sure what next to say. "You're partner is very strong but-"
Brian cuts her off once more. "My partner?" He smirks. "No she's my girlfriend and no one's stopping me, I'm going to find her."
Dr. Price grabs Brian's arm as he pushes pass her, she hesitates but finally admits, "we had to sedate Detective Benson."
"Why," Amaro asks as Brian becomes speechless.
"Something triggered her or someone. PTSD, it's early on yes but... It's very common. Trauma patients often relive their attack when triggered by something. However? And in her case, I have no idea what triggered detective Benson's flashback."
Amaro sighs, he knew this would not be easy. "When can we see her, I mean, how long are you planning on keeping her here. We need to take her home-her statement-"
Dr. Price abruptly interrupts, "and you'll get it but your first priority should be detective Benson's health."
Amaro looks to Brian, who is still speechless, and tries to calm down from the anger that's boiling inside. Nick reminds himself that he's letting his personal feelings get in the way. He knows that everything the doctor's doing is for the good of Olivia. "You're right. You're right. Look this... This is my partner and.." He wipes his face with one hand, exhausted, "I need to call my captain, give him an update, excuse me."
As Amaro walks off, Dr. Price gives Brian a firm look, the I'll keep you informed speech, and walks off. Brian knees go weak. He feels the emotions creeping in. He strolls pass Amaro and makes a beeline for the nearest male restroom. Inside the restroom, Brian finds himself alone. After he peeks under the two stalls, he uses the door jam to lock himself inside. He heads inside one of the stalls and briefly pukes into the toilet.
After he finishes, he falls to his knees. He's lost in thought. Things happen so fast. One minute we're going at it and the next... Brian places his hands in his head. Closing his eyes, he remembers Liv's battered face. His tears come falling like rain. After a few seconds, Brian begins beating the wall with his elbow. He needs this. He needs to get it all out in order to truly be there for Olivia.
Dr. Price returns to Liv's room where the nurse helps her into her hospital gown. Although she's sedated, Liv can still control what's happening. She looks up to find Dr. Price closing the door behind her, "lets get this over with," Liv says, still in a blank stare.
To Be Continued...