Just a word of warning, this chapter has mentions of a brutal sexual assault and beating. If this bothers you, I apologize. Please enjoy and review.
Loss of Time
Chapter 10
Thursday, Mike was late getting off work due to some disciplinary issues with a few of the recruits. It was almost eight before he got to the apartment and Christine was also working late. Mike hated the idea of his kids being alone but knew it was something they were used to. As Mike walked into the ground floor of the apartment building, he noticed a couple of the gang bangers hanging around the entrance to the basement. Instead of breaking them up like he should have he walked up the stairs but kept an eye on them. His gut was telling him something was going on but he just wanted to get to his kids. When he unlocked the door and then knocked on it; he was shocked to see Mikey answer the door. Usually Hannah let him in but she was nowhere in sight. Courtney was lying on the couch, watching TV and the twins were playing on the floor, when they should have been getting ready for bed.
"Court, where's Hannah?" Mike leaned over the back of the couch and shook his oldest daughter's arm to get her attention.
"Basement doing laundry." Courtney looked back to the TV but Mike's heart was racing.
"How long has she been down there?" Mike threw his briefcase down on the chair and shook Courtney again.
"Jeez, Dad. Since supper. I needed an outfit washed for tomorrow." Courtney had Mike's temperament but Mike didn't care.
"Stay in this apartment. I mean it. Get these kids to bed. I'm going downstairs." Mikey and Sarah Elizabeth drew back a bit at his raised voice and even Courtney rose up off the couch.
"Dad, she's probably just drawing. She gets distracted easy. She probably started drawing and forgot she had supper dishes to do." Mike just shook his head at Courtney. It was irritating.
"Lock the chain." Mike shut the door behind him and realized he didn't have a weapon. He looked towards the Miller's door and decided to chance making Edwin mad to borrow his. He lightly pounded on the door so not to wake Mrs. Miller up and finally Edwin opened the door.
"Is everything okay?" The old man looked worried and Mike noticed him looking towards the other apartment door.
"Do you have a weapon I can borrow? Hannah has been downstairs for over two hours. The gang bangers were hanging around when I came in. It's a bad feeling but…" Edwin nodded at Mike and opened the door. Mike figured he would just be handed a gun and told to return it but the old man handed Mike a Glock 19 and grabbed a .357 revolver for himself.
"My wife will be alright. You aren't going down there by yourself, sonny. No telling what you'll find when you get there." Edwin had a very odd look on his face and Mike's stomach was flip flopping.
"Do you know something?" Mike was guiding the old man down the steps and had to ask.
"I hear things and that gang...their new initiation is to take turns with a girl. Sometimes it's consensual and sometimes not. I think the cops call it gang raping." Mike felt like his heart had been ripped out of his chest. As soon as he and Edwin got to the bottom of the steps, the bangers started running out the doors. Part of Mike, the cop part of him, wanting to run after them but both Mike and Edwin could hear someone crying. "Sonny, I'll stay up here. There is no telling what shape she'll be in and I doubt she'll want an old man to see that. She won't want you to see it either but its better that you do than me. I have my cellphone and I'll call Christine and the police."
"She should be about here." Mike started down the basement steps with the gun out in case he encountered anymore gang bangers. As he got to the bottom of the dingy steps, the crying got louder and he could tell it was Hannah. "Sweetie, it's me. No one will hurt you but I can't see you. It's too dark. Where are you?"
"Here. Daddy, can I have your coat? My clothes are all ripped and I don't want you to see." Mike glanced to his left and immediately put the gun in his waistband and took the coat off and tossed it towards Hannah's voice and then turned his back so she could have privacy to cover herself up. Mike's heart had completely broken and he hadn't even actually seen Hannah. As his eyes adjusted to the dark, he could tell there had been quite the struggle.
"Mom will be here soon but can I turn around? I need to be able to assess your injuries." Mike's training as a cop and the medical training he had taken for it took over. There was a fair amount of blood on the floor, telling him that Hannah might be seriously injured.
"I…I'm scared. Please don't hurt me."
"Oh, baby." Mike turned around and walked towards Hannah's voice. As he got closer, he noticed the absolutely shattered look on her face. As soon as he reached for her, she drew back. She had the coat clutched around her and was sitting on the ground, with her knees drawn up in a defensive manner and was rocking back and forth. There was blood on her face and he could see bruising starting on both arms. "Sweetie, tell me what happened. I won't hurt you and I'm not mad."
"I tried to fight back but there were so many of them. I should have…when's Mom going to be here? I want Mom." Mike knelt down in front of her and started to put his hand on her shoulder but she drew back and swung at him. He was easily able to duck her strike but it meant that he could not control any of the bleeding or help her with an obviously broken wrist. He was at a total loss as to what to do.
"Okay, Hannah, you have some type of wound on your stomach and I really need to put pressure on that wound because it looks like they may have knicked an artery. I also need to lay you down so you don't go into shock. I can help you up the stairs if you want but I will have to touch you to make that happen. Mom isn't due home for a half hour or so but I can call her. I just don't have phone reception down her and I won't leave you alone. I know whatever they did to you is horrible and you don't trust anyone right now but you know I won't hurt you, baby. I have to be able to help you. You could die and Mom and I can't lose you."
Hannah had her eyes squeezed shut and finally leaned forward. Mike very gently and delicately picked her up. She was as stiff as a board and completely dead weight as Mike carried her up the stairs. She hadn't opened her eyes and he was worried she was losing consciousness. As soon as he got to the top of the stairs, he very gently laid her down and started assessing her injuries. Edwin came up beside him and put his flannel shirt under Hannah's head. She opened her eyes for a second but then closed them again.
"I'll call 9-1-1 back and tell them we need an ambulance. They said the police will be here shortly." Edwin struggled to get back on his feet while Mike was trying to stop the bleeding from a stab wound on Hannah's upper abdomen.
"Tell them she needs a female paramedic. She has a stab wound to her upper left quadrant in her abdomen, and a broken wrist. She also has a head wound that is bleeding heavily. I do believe there may be some arterial damage in her abdomen and I am trying to stop the bleeding. And definite on the sexual assault by numerous assailants."
"How can you tell?" Edwin was looking at Mike in curiosity.
"She wore a skirt to school this morning and her panties were on the floor about ten feet from her. Her general demeanor is also leading me to believe it." Mike had only briefly looked up at Edwin. When he looked back down towards Hannah, her eyes had opened back up and she had a look of total shame. As Edwin walked back outside to make the call; Mike struggled to come up with something to say to her.
"There were eight of them. They took turns and one would hold me down while the other ones raped me. I tried to fight back but they said they would kill the twins. I finally just stopped fighting. I didn't want them to hurt Sarah Elizabeth or Mikey. I wish they had just killed me." Hannah had tears rolling down her face and Mike's heart was breaking. He had no words of wisdom and he was terrified that Hannah would give up.
"It's okay. Just hang on a little longer, sweetie. I know it all hurts but you're so tough. I am so proud of you." Hannah just shook her head at Mike and closed her eyes again. Edwin walked back in and stood next to Mike.
"They're sending a female officer and the ambulance that's on its way has a female paramedic and EMT. I also went ahead and called Christine. She's left work early and is on her way home."
"Mom? I want Mom." Hannah had opened her eyes again when she heard Edwin say Christine's name.
"She'll be here really soon, sweetie. Real soon. Just hang on." Mike could hear the approaching sirens and all he could do was hope that Hannah would just hang on. The wound on her stomach was bleeding profusely and Mike had blood all over his hands. He had also noticed that she had a handprint shaped bruising forming on her throat and a slash mark beside it. The slash was not overly deep. It had been a very brutal attack. A female officer and her partner walked in and the female officer leaned down next to Mike while her partner kept his distance.
"I am Officer Jadwin. My partner, Officer Smith is over there." She said quietly to Mike as she put a pair of gloves on to assist Mike in controlling the bleeding. Hannah's eyes opened again and gave Mike the most hopeless look.
"This is Hannah Slattery. Age fifteen. My name is Mike Slattery, her dad. I was a homicide detective in Chicago years ago. The attack occurred down in the basement and you do have an active crime scene down there but I removed her from it to better assess her injuries. It was too dark down there. She is conscious but only has said that there were eight of them, with one holding her down. Obviously she fought back, looking at the defensive wounds on her hands. She did say that they told her if she continued fighting, they would kill her younger brother and sister. When I came in from work, I noticed several young males, all races and dressed in gang garb, milling around here. That in itself isn't so unusual but when I got upstairs, I realized that Hannah was downstairs doing laundry, I came down here with Edwin Miller. The gang bangers ran off then and I went to the basement. Hannah was in the corner on the southeast side. Her panties were approximately 10 feet to the left of her. She wore a skirt to school this morning and it was pushed up and her shirt was ripped. She asked for my coat to cover up with." Mike hated how disassociated it made him sound. He had to not look at it as a father and look at it as a former cop. Fortunately the paramedic and her partner walked in. They immediately started tending to Hannah, who fortunately was allowing them to. Officer Smith had gone downstairs to secure the crime scene and call for a detective.
"Can she identify any of them?" Officer Jadwin had stood up at the same time Mike had to give the paramedic and EMT room to work on Hannah.
"Maybe. It was really dark though so it's hard to say. I have not pushed for a full statement. I didn't want to taint the case, especially if she is unable to give a statement later. My wife, her mother should be getting here soon." Mike was watching every move the medical crew was making. Hannah's eyes were still open and she was crying. It was one of the saddest things Mike had ever seen.
"Mom? Mommy?" Hannah was looking at Mike and he bent down next to her again and gave her as much of a smile as he could muster. He had noticed her reverting back to calling him Daddy and calling Christine Mommy. It was disconcerting.
"She should be getting here really soon." Mike could hear Officer Jadwin's radio telling her that another officer outside was sending a family member in and Christine quickly came through the door. She gave Mike a horrified look when she got closer but like Mike, immediately disassociated herself from the severity of the injuries.
"It's okay, baby. It's okay." Christine was running her hand through Hannah's hair and gave her a soft smile. The EMT stood up and went outside, presumably to get the gurney.
"Okay, she is ready to go. Mom, if you want to ride with us, you are more than welcome. It might be better, by the way. My name is Sarah and my partner is Josie." The paramedic was talking to both Mike and Christine as she assessed the wound on Hannah's neck.
"Yes. I will. Mike, the kids?"
"Upstairs with Court. I'll go up and change clothes and make sure they are okay before I follow you to the hospital. Our insurance is Military and we have an agreement with Mercy General." Sarah nodded at Mike and her partner wheeled the gurney in. Between Christine, Sarah, Josie and Officer Jadwin, they had Hannah on it and no time with the blanket up to her waist. Mike was handed his coat but it was covered in blood. Mike leaned down next to the gurney and kissed Hannah's forehead.
"I am so, so, sorry I didn't get here sooner. I love you, sweetheart." Mike gave her another kiss before they started rolling her away. Christine put both hands on Mike's shoulders and he leaned into her for just a moment.
"You okay?"
"No. She's terrified. How is she ever going to be okay again? There were eight of them. They took turns with her and threatened Mikey and Sarah Elizabeth because she fought back." Mike pulled away so Christine could go to ambulance.
"Why was she down there anyway?"
"Courtney needed something washed for tomorrow. She'd been downstairs since dinnertime. I'll go see about the laundry, go up and make sure the twins are in bed and Courtney has what she needs." Christine nodded at Mike and reached up and gave him a kiss.
"See you in a bit. And take it easy on Courtney. I get that you are angry right now. If it had been her that had gone downstairs to do laundry, we'd be going to the hospital with her. Although, I am really worried about Hannah now. She just isn't as strong as Courtney."
"I know, me too. She might surprise us though. See you in a bit." Mike gave Christine another kiss and made his way downstairs to speak with Officer Jadwin. The laundry was in a basket, unwashed. It was not being taken into evidence so Mike could take it with him. He gave her his contact information so the detective could reach out for a statement. The detective would also be going to the hospital to get the rape kit but Hannah wouldn't be ready for a statement. She would be having surgery on her stomach.
Edwin had gone upstairs to check on the kids and to be with his wife. On the walk up the stairs, Mike calmed himself down so he didn't say anything stupid to Courtney. It really wasn't her fault because knowing Hannah, she had probably volunteered to do the laundry. It was just a horribly, tragic situation. When he walked into the apartment, the twins were still awake and Courtney had apparently not even tried to get them settled. Mike was having trouble keeping his temper in check but it definitely wasn't the twin's fault.
"Alright, Mikey, Sarah Elizabeth, bedtime. I'll tuck you in." Mike picked Mikey up and gave Sarah Elizabeth his hand. Thankfully they were being compliant.
"Daddy, where's Hannah and Mommy? If Mommy isn't home, Hannah stays with us until we go to sleep." Sarah Elizabeth followed Mike into the bedroom and he ran his hand through her curls. How was he going to explain to two six year olds that their favorite sibling had been brutally attacked?
"Mommy and Hannah had to go see a doctor and I need to get there too. Hannah got a little hurt and she needs some help from the doctor." Thankfully the kids were in their pajamas. Mike tucked them in and gave them both a kiss. Both kids looked scared.
"Are Hannah and Mommy going to be home tonight?" Mikey had risen up slightly but Mike rubbed his shoulder to calm him.
"I don't think so but Courtney will be and I will try and get back here as soon as possible. Now, I do need you guys to go to sleep. I'll be here in the morning when you wake up, okay? And I'll take you to school." Mikey and Sarah Elizabeth looked at each other and then back at Mike. They both nodded at each other and squeezed their eyes shut, willing themselves to sleep. If Mike hadn't been so worried about Hannah, he would have found it funny. Instead he just kissed them both on the forehead. "Be good for your sister. I love you guys." The twins kept their eyes shut but nodded at Mike. He watched them for a minute and then got up and went into the living room after grabbing a change of clothes.
"Dad, what's going on?" Courtney met him in the kitchen and Mike bit back an angry response.
"Hannah was attacked in the basement. Pretty brutally. She was raped, stabbed and beaten. Your mom is riding with her to the hospital and she will most likely have to have surgery. I need you to watch the kids tonight. They were all but asleep. I will be back before school to take you guys. Keep the apartment locked up and use the chain. I need to change clothes but could you get a bag of comfortable clothes for Hannah?" Mike dodged into the bathroom to change his own clothes and he could hear Courtney moving around. When he walked out of the bathroom, there was a tote bag on the couch and Courtney was waiting on him. "If you all need anything, Edwin is next door and you have my cellphone number. Call me. Mom will have her hands full with Hannah." Mike turned away because he was still trying to calm himself. He leaned over and gave Courtney a kiss goodnight, grabbed the tote bag and headed for the door.
"Dad, I have an after school thing tomorrow. I need you or Mom home because I won't be able to watch the twins. It's Hannah's job anyway." Mike paused at the door and rubbed his face. He had washed his hands but they were still stained with Hannah's blood.
"I will try. No promises. Your mom is going to be busy with Hannah and Hannah is completely out of commission right now. You are going to have to take some responsibility. See you in the morning. Call me if you need anything." Mike walked out of the door before Courtney could say anything else. She didn't seem to grasp how seriously Hannah was injured.
The trip to the hospital only took Mike about five minutes and he found parking in the long term parking lot, hoping it wouldn't be that long. As he was walking into the hospital, Tom called him. Mike remembered he also had work the next morning and he was going to need help. He answered the phone, praying that Tom would help him.
"Hey, Sasha and I are going to have a dinner party tomorrow night and wanted to invite you and Christine and the kids."
"Thanks, but I don't know if we'll make it. I am walking into the hospital right now."
"What's going on?" Mike could pick up on the concern in Tom's voice and so he paused in the lobby of the E.R.
"Hannah was attacked in the basement of the apartment building. She was raped, beaten and stabbed. She fought back but there were eight assailants. Christine is with her now and I just got to the hospital."
"Oh my God. How badly beaten and stabbed?"
"The stab wound is to the upper abdomen and they hit an artery. I put pressure on it once I found her but I'm not sure. She also has a broken wrist and they had tried to strangle her. Despite all that, she also had defensive wounds on both hands and arms. She fought back hard."
"Damn monsters. I know what you need but don't want to ask for. I'll cover you at work. As long as you need."
"Thanks. I hated asking. Hannah is going to be leaning on her mom more so but I will need to cover the other three kids so Christy can handle Hannah. Andrea is working on some policies concerning the female recruits. She can brief you on them. I also had to discipline a couple of them for starting a fight in a bar. Wilson, Alexander and Grover. You'll find my notes in their files. I need to concentrate on better recruitments the next class. These are the bottom of the barrel so to speak."
"I will handle it. Don't worry about a thing and I will explain everything to the President. Just concentrate on your kids and Christine."
"Thank you so much. Call me if you need anything."
"Will do and likewise. If you all need anything, help with the kids or anything at all, just call."
"Thanks."
Mike hung up the phone and entered the busy E.R. He looked around for Christine but didn't see her. He finally had to stop and ask a nurse at the front desk.
"I'm Mike Slattery, Hannah Slattery's father. I don't see her or my wife anywhere." Mike was getting scared and the nurse seemed to sense it.
"I was here when she was brought in. We were able to get the bleeding to that wound in her stomach clamped off without surgery. A surgeon is confident that she is okay. Her left wrist is broken, but also not requiring surgery. They have taken X-Rays of her throat to make sure it's okay. Aside from numerous lacerations from defending herself and broken ribs, she's okay aside from the sexual assault. They just finished the sexual assault exam and her mother is with her and a counselor. Your wife mentioned that she thought you are a universal donor?" The nurse had stood up and was guiding Mike down a hallway.
"I am. Does Hannah need blood? She lost a lot at the scene."
"Yes, sir. Normally we would have just used blood from blood bank but there was a pile up on I-44 tonight and we are out. If you would be willing to donate to Hannah, we might actually be able to get her out of here tonight."
"Little soon, don't you think? And of course I will donate."
"Good. The counselor hasn't released her yet so it may not happen tonight and she is begging to go home. She's highly embarrassed by all this which isn't an uncommon reaction." The nurse guided Mike into a room and began the process for a blood donation.
"She doesn't need to be embarrassed." Mike could hear Christine's voice and another voice but not Hannah's. He was trying to listen into the conversation but there were was too much noise and Christine would tell him everything anyway.
"Embarrassment and blaming herself is going to be normal. She is very deeply traumatized but she is a tough girl. Most young women would have given into it and would have died but your daughter fought back and persevered. The thing with a sexual assault; one as brutal as hers; is that it's not so much about surviving the rape but surviving the storm it causes. That is where your wife and you come in. I know this is a storm for your entire family but Hannah is going to lean on you and her mom especially. With you, she'll have to learn to trust men again and every girl needs her mom in something like this. It's going to take time but I think she'll be alright." The nurse finished up with Mike and indicated for her to follow her. In the room next to where Mike had been, Christine was standing next to a hospital room with an older woman next to her. Another nurse was working on Hannah's left arm, putting a cast on it. Mike stood and watched them for a minute and the one thing he noticed was how strong Hannah seemed. She was bruised and beaten but there was an odd strength emanating from her.