Chapter 4
"You ready, Tom?"
"Yeah, give me a moment."
Tom looked into the mirror and surveyed the fading bruise on his cheek. He sighed. They'd been asked to go downtown to identify Jackson and his group for the upcoming trial.
He put his jacket on and joined Doug at the door. "Okay, let's go."
--
Tom stared through the two-way mirror, an icy feeling gripping his heart as he saw the person who had raped him. Jackson was looking comfortable in the chair while Judy sat across from him, looking irritated.
"Baby, I didn't do nothin' but scare that bitch cop," he drawled, sending Judy a smirk across the table.
Beside Tom, Doug cracked his knuckles and muttered under his breath.
"That's him," Tom said quietly, nodding to the police officer standing in the room with them, holding a clipboard.
Inside the interrogation room, Jackson was refusing to answer Judy's questions, looking behind her and through the mirror, as if he knew Tom was there.
The young cop stepped back, suddenly afraid. Judy stood up, shouting, "Don't look out there, look at me!"
"Is he there?" Jackson asked maliciously, looking behind her again.
"Can we go?" Tom asked, turning away from the window.
"Hanson, you better tell 'em!" Jackson shouted, sounding deranged. "I'll get you one way or another!"
"Can we leave, please?" Tom asked Doug, closing his eyes to clear his head.
As Doug reached to grab Tom's hand, Jackson pushed past Judy and swore, "I'll make you pay!"
"Doug, please, let's go," Tom begged, trying to keep himself calm. Doug wrapped his arm around Tom's shoulders and led him away, Jackson's voice still ringing in their ears.
--
He nervously sat in the psychologist's office, waiting as the man finished reading his report.
"So, Tommy –"
"Tom. It's just Tom," he interrupted the man firmly.
"Alright- Tom," the doctor replied. "Well, I'm Dr. Williams. Your Captain has made a few appointments for you over the next little while."
"Okay."
"So, the case you were working on had some pretty tough guys, huh?"
"To say the least," Tom replied bitterly.
"And what happened?"
"You know what happened," the young officer said, glancing at the report.
After realizing that the man was going to make him say it, Tom uncomfortably looked down and murmured, "They attacked me."
The man folded his hands on top of the young cop's file and replied, "How did it happen?"
"They… they just…" Tom tried to keep steady eye contact with him, but it was impossible. "They grabbed me and pinned me against the wall, and their 'leader' did it."
The doctor spent a few moments writing notes onto a paper, then looked back up at Tom.
"Weren't you with your partner… Officer Penhall?"
Tom shook his head. "No, Doug was waiting outside the alley."
"It says here that you and he also have a personal relationship."
The dark-haired cop nodded.
"How is Doug taking this whole situation?"
"Um, he's fine, I suppose. Worried about me."
"Why?"
"I keep having nightmares."
"What kind of nightmares?" the man prompted.
Tom sighed. "Always about that night. And it starts out the same, but in the dreams, Doug isn't there with me."
"Well, that could translate to you feeling that Doug is your protector in your conscious mind," the doctor offered.
Tom shrugged his shoulders, feeling himself not react to the fact that the man in front of him implied that he couldn't take care of himself.
"Well, Mr. Hanson," Dr. Williams said, closing the file and standing up, "I believe you're going to get through this without too much trouble. It's always a rough situation, so your next appointment is in two weeks."
"Okay, thank you, Doctor," Tom replied, standing up as well and shaking his hand.
On his way out of the office, he kept wondering, Maybe I can't take care of myself. I probably could have defended myself if I tried…
Mind reeling with fresh thoughts, Tom Hanson walked to his car and drove home in silence.
