Chapter 4

Misty was squatting next to them when he looked up from the woman in his arms. "She said, 'sorry', Admiral," Misty told him.

He looked for Mac next, knowing she would have her cell phone with her, and said, "Call for an ambulance!" Mac already had the phone to her ear waiting for her 911 call to be answered. AJ turned to Misty and said, "You should call her husband and let him know what happened."

"I don't think she would want me to, Admiral."

"Why not, Ms. Austen?"

"I would rather not say, Sir."

"Are you implying that he has something to do with her condition?" AJ demanded, as he checked her breathing. Her face was cool to the touch, she was very pale, and her pulse was slow.

"Mac, loosen her clothes so she is not constricted in any way."

"Yes, Sir!" she said as she kneeled next to them to comply. Quickly unbuttoning Katherine's blouse, Mac gasped at what was revealed.

AJ had been so busy checking her vital signs that he hadn't been looking at what Mac was doing, he also wanted to preserve Katherine's privacy. However, at Mac's gasp he glanced at the area she had just uncovered. Katherine's entire rib cage was covered in bruises of different ages. Some very new, through to some that were almost healed. He drew in a hissed angry breath.

It didn't take long for the ambulance to arrive. The quickly placed an oxygen mask over her face and laid her on the stretcher. Misty was going to ride in the ambulance with her in case she came to and needed her interpreter.

"I'll stop by the hospital later and see how she is doing," AJ told Misty.

"That's not a good idea, Admiral. Her husband thinks she went to school as usual this morning," Misty said, as she followed the stretcher out of the courtroom.

The rest of the trial was over quickly after that. Katherine's testimony had pretty much wrapped up the case for them. AJ and Mac left the courtroom together and he asked her to join him in his office.

"No calls, Tiner," the Admiral said as the walked passed him.

"Aye, aye, Sir!"

"Mac, what do you make of what Ms. Austin said about Mr. Kelso?"

"If I had to hazard a guess, I would say he is the one beating her."

"Ms. Austin seemed to think that my visiting her would be a bad idea, but maybe another woman…" he trailed off, looking at her expectantly.

"One not in uniform, too, Sir, if her husband didn't know she was here today."

"Good thinking, Mac."

"I'll change and go right after work."

"Call me at home then, Mac, and let me know how she is."

"I will, Sir."

To be continued…..