Chapter 9: Lindsey
Bright lights keep beating on her eyelids and Lindsey reluctantly awoke. Her face scrunched up at the intrusion of the electricity and she heard a relieved voice.
"Honey, are you okay?" Her mother's voice, she realized and she turned her head to her mother's direction.
"Mom? Where are you?" She asked, fear beginning to sink in.
"You're looking right at me, darling. What do you mean?" Catherine grew worried when Lindsey's eyes looked right past her.
"I can't see you. Mom, what's wrong with me?" Now fear gripped her and Catherine reached out and took her daughter's hand.
"We'll find out, darling. I promise." Catherine kissed Lindsey's hand and let go.
"I'm going to talk to the doctors, let them know you're awake." Catherine slipped out of the room and flagged down the nearest doctor.
"I'm Catherine Willows. My daughter Lindsey was brought in as a rape victim a few hours ago. She's awake but she can't see." She informed him, a hitch of alarm in her smooth voice.
"I'll get her tested for brain damage right away. Why don't you stay with her and keep her calm until we are ready in the CAT scan room?" The doctor, a kind-hearted young man reassured her and he made a note on Lindsey's chart.
As Catherine was returning to Lindsey's room, she saw Warrick and Nick approaching.
"Hey, Cath, how's she doing?" Warrick greeted Catherine affectionately and she swallowed.
"She's awake now, but she can't see. They're going to test her. I would do anything to switch places with her, to take away her pain. Come in and talk to her with me, okay?" Catherine requested uneasily and Nick nodded, stepping into the room with her.
Lindsey turned her head to face them and smiled. "Hi, Nick, hi Warrick. Mom, I'm hungry."
Warrick saw her sightless blue eyes staring past him and sat next to her on the bed.
"Hey kiddo. Here's the deal. You'll get real food just as soon as they finish running some tests on you."
"Sign me up ASAP, then. Man this food sucks. I…" she froze.
"What is it honey?" Cath asked immediately, seeing the frightened look on her daughter's face.
"Mom, it's him. He's here…the one who…did this to me." Lindsey whispered and Cath spun, Nick and Warrick on her feet. True to Lindsey's word, there stood Leon.
"What are you doing here?" Catherine snarled angrily, blocking Lindsey from his view. Nick and Warrick had their hands on their guns, and were aiming them steadily at him.
"I am out on bail. You wouldn't let them use those on me, would you sister?" Leon smiled charmingly at Catherine.
"I'm not your sister and I never was. Eddie is dead, Leon. That eliminates the slight connection you and I had, with you being his illegitimate brother and Lindsey being his sole heir to the family fortune." Catherine growled, as Leon took a step closer to her. Nick cocked the trigger on the gun and the man stopped in his tracks.
"One day I will catch you when they aren't around and your pretty daughter is gone. She was good, better than I expected. A virgin is always better than a whore like you." Leon again smiled menacingly at her and then turned, vanishing down the hallway.
"Mom?" Lindsey's voice was tight with fear and Catherine sat next to her daughter and gathered her child into her arms.
"I'm here." Catherine reassured the frightened teenager and Lindsey's tears escaped.
"Oh, Mom. I'm so sorry…I didn't mean to disobey you…I…" she gasped as the sobs wracked her.
Nick left discreetly as he was unable to cope with a woman's tears but Warrick sat next to Lindsey.
"Lindsey, you always star-gazed at the same time. He's probably been planning this for a while and there was nothing you could have done to prevent it. You're going to be okay." Lindsey offered him a weak smile and he kissed her forehead.
Little did they know, things were going to get a lot worse before they got better.