Disclaimer: I own nothing.
Note: Two more chapters to go. We're heading into the home stretch, my dear readers. As always, thank you for hanging in with me and these fcked up characters.
Chapter Fourteen
In the following weeks, Casey continued her downward spiral, barely spending any time at home. When she wasn't working at the pub, she was out partying with her friends and people she met at work. George would often wait up for her, just to hear her car pull in and the front door open. Only when he was satisfied that she was safe in her room – alone – would he go to sleep.
Derek was keeping tabs on Casey through George and Edwin, who would call him a few times a week to update him on Casey's activities. Derek often felt sick at the description that Edwin would give him about Casey and her behavior. It was like she was possessed or something. Edwin actually called her a "mere shell" of her former self. What Edwin didn't tell Derek, or George for that matter, was that Casey often snuck into his room at night to sleep on the floor just so she wouldn't have to be alone. So far she hadn't tried anything else on Edwin, and for that he was grateful.
Casey looked at herself in the full-length mirror. Nowadays, she was finding it hard to locate anything in her closet that didn't just fall off her. She hadn't weighed herself lately, but she knew she must be at least 15 pounds down based on how her clothing fit – or didn't, as was the case. She slipped on a jean skirt and put on a belt, cinching it to the last hole, which was still a bit loose. She shrugged a red tank top over her head and brushed her hair, which seemed to be coming out in handfuls these days. Casey wasn't totally oblivious. She knew she wasn't taking care of herself. The thing was – she didn't care. But she knew that the family did, even going so far as to get Emily to call the other day. Casey had spent half an hour trying to convince Emily that she was fine – no, she wasn't using drugs, yes, she was eating. Emily was talking about getting on a plane to come visit, but Casey vehemently argued her out of it. Because as much as she loved Emily, she didn't need her hanging around nagging Casey about her lifestyle and decisions. She looked at herself one last time before heading out into the night.
Edwin looked up in time to see Casey blow past on her way out the door and opened his mouth to ask where, but he was too slow, and before he knew it the door was again shut, leaving Ed there to ponder what kind of trouble she was heading into.
Casey was at her favorite dive bar – Eddies – where she was shooting pool with a burly motorcycle type named Bubba. Cliché, she knew, but she wasn't about to laugh at the guy for it. She sunk the eight ball and lay down her stick. "Pay up, dude." She said cockily.
Bubba scowled and dug into his pocket, opening his wallet and handing over two twenties. "Dammit. I hate losing to a chick." He said grumpily.
Casey smiled predatorily. "Well, that's what you get for underestimating this chick." She said before turning and heading back to her stool. She laughed as she heard him grumbling behind her.
"She's not here, Derek." Edwin said to him on the phone. "She left hours ago. And no, I don't know where."
"Dammit! She's trying to kill herself, isn't she?" Derek said angrily. He was in his apartment, trying to study for his last exam but his mind kept wandering to Casey. He had finally given up and called home.
Edwin was a little taken aback at the depth of his brother's concern. He knew that Derek and Casey had gotten closer over the years, but this was surprising. "Derek, chill. There's nothing we can do for her right now. If we try to help her, she just shuts down, making everything 10 times worse around here." Edwin said, rubbing the bridge of his nose. This whole conversation was giving him a headache.
"You guys are coming for my graduation, right?" Derek asked, already knowing the answer.
"Of course, Derek. I have to document this, otherwise no one will believe it." Edwin said, a smile in his voice.
"Funny, Ed, real funny." Derek replied. "Do you think Casey will come?" He asked softly.
Edwin was silent for a moment. "I honestly don't know, bro. I'm hoping there's still a shred of humanity in there somewhere, but right now, I'm doubting it." He paused and then added, "If she doesn't, don't take it personally. She's barely aware of us, let alone someone who lives an hour away."
Derek nodded before saying goodbye and hanging up. He itched to call Casey again, but so far she hadn't answered any of the 50 voice mails he had left. His breath hitched and he lay back on the bed, wondering how he was going to get through to her – before it was too late.
Casey was on the back of a motorcycle, her hands in the air. She was screaming at the top of her lungs, which made the biker in front of her scowl. She didn't care – she just relished the feel of the wind in her hair. Moments later, they pulled up in front of a dumpy house and she got off the motorcycle, following the guy in.
George had a bad feeling – a real bad feeling. He paced the kitchen until he couldn't take it anymore and made himself a drink, nursing it while he waited for Casey to return. The lack of sleep was starting to take its toll on him, too. He had dark circles forming under his eyes, and he was finding it harder and harder to focus while at work. Something had to give soon, he knew. However, he was afraid of what that something would be.
Derek tossed and turned in his bed – again. After sitting up and going to the kitchen for a drink, he got dressed and grabbed his keys, heading out the door. A few minutes later, he was pulling up in front of Gwen's place. After being buzzed in, she opened the door to him and led him into her bedroom, silently passing her roommates, who watched them, but said nothing.
Gwen led him to her bed and lay him down before settling herself next to him. "Derek, you can't go on like this. You need to talk to her." She said, brushing her fingers through his hair.
He closed his eyes at the contact. "I know. Don't you think I've been trying to talk to her? I've left her like a hundred messages, but she's blowing me off." He said frustrated.
"Well, you need to go see her in person and make her listen to you." Gwen added, running her hand down his face and massaging his shoulder.
"I can't. Not until after graduation. I can't screw this up, Gwen. I've worked so hard for this . . ." He said trailing off.
Gwen felt for him. "I know you have, Derek. But it sounds like she's quickly deteriorating. If you don't see her soon, you might regret it." She said gently.
Derek said nothing, but sighed deeply. He rolled over and buried his face into her neck, hugging her tightly. In turn, she wrapped her arms around him and kissed the top of his head, slowly rubbing his back. After a few minutes of this, Derek lifted up his head and looked into Gwen's eyes. She knew that expression and opened her mouth to respond when he nodded his head and lay back down again, both of them silent.
Hours later, when Derek was sleeping soundly beside her, Gwen was wide awake, thinking. She knew what Derek wanted, but she couldn't give him that anymore. Not when he was so obviously taken with someone else. They might have found comfort in each other at one time, but that was over. Gwen resolved to help Derek get the girl he really wanted – Casey.
The ringing of the phone cut through the silence of the Venturi house at 3:30 a.m. George sat up and grabbed it, bringing it to his ear. "Hello?" He said.
"Yes, is this George Venturi?" An official voice said in his ear.
Immediately, George was wide awake and his heart started to race. "Yes."
"Mr. Venturi, this is Sgt. Robinson with the London Police Department. I'm calling to inform you that we have a Ms. Cassandra McDonald down here at London Memorial Hospital. You are listed as her next-of-kin."
"Oh god, is she OK? What happened?" George said, trying to remain calm.
"Mr. Venturi, we can't give that information over the phone, but we'd like to ask you a few questions. I think you should get down here as soon as you can." The sergeant said gravely.
"Yeah, OK. I'll be right there." George said before hanging up. After dressing quickly, he ran up the stairs to wake Edwin. "Ed, I have to go. It's Casey." He said, shaking his son.
"What? What's the matter?" Edwin said fuzzily.
"I just got a call from the police. Casey's in the hospital. I'm heading up there right now." He said before turning to leave.
Edwin sat straight up. "Dad, wait, I'll come with you." He said, jumping up and pulling on a pair of jeans from the floor.
"OK, I'll be downstairs." George said before leaving.
While waiting for Edwin to come down, George paced back and forth debating whether or not to call Derek. It was the middle of the night, and he didn't have any details about Casey's condition. He decided to wait until he found out more. Minutes later he and Edwin headed out into the night.
Having sped all the way to the hospital, George and Edwin parked and headed into the Emergency entrance of the hospital. George approached the desk. "Yes, my step-daughter was brought in a few hours ago. Casey McDonald?" he said, leaning over the counter.
The attendant looked it up on the computer. "Yes, sir. She's in ICU right now. Follow me."
Nodding, George and Edwin silently followed her down the hall to the elevators. "Take it to the fourth floor. The waiting room is directly on the left." She said before turning and heading back to her desk.
As soon as they exited the elevator, they ran into a police officer, who apparently, was waiting for them. "Mr. Venturi?" he asked.
"Yes, I'm George Venturi." He said looking at the officer.
"I'm Sgt. Robinson. We spoke on the phone." He said, offering his hand.
"Yes, I remember," George said somewhat impatiently, shaking his hand. "This is my son, Edwin." He said, motioning to Ed.
The officer shook Edwin's hand and motioned for them to follow him into the waiting room. They all sat down at a table. "Mr. Venturi . . ."
George cut him off. "Please. Call me George." He waved casually.
"OK, George. I need to ask you a few questions. Procedure, you know." He said, somewhat offhandedly.
George nodded, waiting for the officer to continue.
"Where were you earlier this evening?" He asked, looking at George intently.
George was ready for this. He was a lawyer. "I was home with my son." He answered evenly.
"Uh huh. And do you have any other witnesses to corroborate this?" He asked, scribbling on his note pad.
George and Edwin shared a look. They only had each other's word. "No, it was just the two of us."
"OK. When was the last time you saw Ms. McDonald?" He asked, looking at both George and Edwin.
Edwin spoke up. "I saw her last night at around 9:30. I only know that because I was watching a show that usually comes on at that time." He said, trying not to sound guilty. Cops had a way of making you feel like you were guilty even when you weren't.
"Oh? And what show was that?" The sergeant asked, focusing on Edwin.
"Deadliest Catch." Edwin replied, trying to keep his voice even. "It's on every Tuesday. I try not to miss it." He shut up when he caught George's look, which said, "You're babbling, you can stop now."
"OK." The sergeant replied, scribbling again. "And how would you describe your relationship with Ms. McDonald?" He said, raising his eyes to George again.
George swallowed. This could be tricky. "Well, we had a close relationship, up until my wife – her mother – died. Then she started acting out and was very hostile to me and my son." George said, motioning with his head to Edwin.
"Can you elaborate on that, George? What were her actions? And is there anyone you know who could have wanted to harm Ms. McDonald?"
George bit back his irritation at the use of Casey's last name. It was so formal. "Sergeant Robinson, I will gladly answer any and all questions you may have about Casey. But I would really like to see her, or at least talk to the doctor about her condition. Can I do that, please?"
The officer said nothing for a moment, simply staring at George as if trying to gauge the depth of his involvement. Apparently satisfied with what he did – or didn't – find, he nodded and stood up. "I'll go see if the doctor is available to speak with you."
"Thank you." George said, relieved. He understood that the police were just doing their job, but a member of his family was lying somewhere in there and he had no idea what her condition was. He sighed and got up, moving to the vending machine. He hated hospital coffee, but if that's all he could get, it would have to do. "I'm having coffee. Do you want some?" George asked Edwin, who was sitting there with his head in his hand.
"Sure." Edwin said dully. His stomach was in knots and he could still feel the officer's eyes on him, measuring him up. It made him extremely nervous. "Dad, shouldn't we call Derek and the rest of the family to let them know about Casey?"
George returned with two cups of coffee and sat down across from him. "Not yet, Ed. We haven't seen her, and we have no idea what happened. Plus, it's the middle of the night, and they couldn't do anything anyway, being so far away. I promise I'll call as soon as we know more, probably in the morning."
Edwin said nothing, but nodded in agreement.
A half an hour later, a doctor entered the waiting room heading for George. He got up and wiped his hands on his legs, eager to hear any news about Casey. "Mr. Venturi, I'm Doctor Bradley. I'll be looking after your daughter for the night." He said, shaking George's hand.
"Call me George." 'These people and their formalities!' "How is she, doctor?" George asked anxiously.
"Well, I'm not sure what the police told you, but I can tell you this. When she arrived, she was unconscious with a head injury."
George blew out a breath at this, and he heard Edwin's breath catch also.
"There were also signs of an assault." The doctor paused, gauging George's reaction. "Whoever did this was very angry. They beat her up pretty good."
"Can we see her?" He asked, his voice strangled.
"Yes, but you can't stay long. She's still out, plus we have her sedated, although we didn't give her much because of the level of alcohol in her system."
George nodded. "Yes, she's been drinking heavily since her mother died." He said, running a hand over his face.
"Yes, well, there are also signs that she is malnourished. In addition, she is suffering from pneumonia and low iron levels. She'll need to stay for a few days at least until we get her back where she needs to be." said the doctor seriously.
"Yes, of course." George agreed. He and Edwin followed the doctor to Casey's room.
"Remember, just a few minutes," the doctor cautioned again before turning and walking away.
They didn't move, instead taking in her appearance. Casey was hooked up to a few machines and her head was wrapped with gauze. Both her eyes were blackened, and her arm was in a sling. George moved forward slowly, Edwin close behind. They stood over her, their eyes taking in her form. George reached forward and grasped Casey's hand, which was cold to the touch. He examined her fingers, showing several broken fingernails. She must have struggled with whoever did this to her, and George vowed to help the police do everything they could do to find them.
They sat there for awhile until a nurse came in and kicked them out. "Why don't you go home and get some sleep, Mr. Venturi? She'll be here tomorrow." The nurse, a kindly looking older woman, said to him.
George didn't want to leave, but knew he had to. He had to call in to work and grab some clothes and other things for Casey. Edwin also needed to get some sleep. He nodded and together, he and Edwin went home, neither saying anything on the way there.
Casey awoke in unfamiliar surroundings. All she knew was she was having trouble seeing. What little she could make out was white. All white. She groaned and shifted, causing pain to shoot through her body, especially her left arm. A nurse appeared and stood at the side of the bed. "Ms. McDonald! I'm so happy to see you awake. How are you feeling?"
Casey groaned. "I feel like shit. Where am I?'
"London Memorial Hospital. You're in the ICU. Do you remember anything that happened last night?" The nurse pressed. The police told her to call them as soon as she woke up, but in the meantime, she tried to get as much information as she could.
"I remember playing pool and riding on a motorcycle, but after that it's all a blank." Casey said putting the hand not in the sling to her head. "What happened to me?"
"Well, it looks like someone mistook you for a punching bag. Do you know anyone who would want to hurt you?" The nurse asked gently.
Casey snorted. "Only everyone." She said sarcastically.
The nurse didn't know what to say to that and left to call the police.
After a few hours of sleep, George called in to work to let them know he would be out for a few days. He would have his cell in case there was an emergency. He showered and dressed, going to Casey's room to collect some toiletries and clothing for her. He had no idea how long she would be in the hospital, so he also grabbed a few of her favorite books and her ipod. George left a note for Edwin, not wanting to wake him up, before leaving for the hospital.
Casey had spoken to the police, but wasn't able to provide them with much information. They asked about her relationship with George and Edwin, and she told them in no uncertain terms that neither of them was responsible for her attack. She told them about Eddies, and how she had hustled pool before taking off with a guy on his motorcycle. She gave them his description, but couldn't remember his name. Casey tried to remember where the house he took her to was, but so far wasn't having any luck. The officers left and promised they would do some investigating before coming back.
Shortly after the cops left, her doctor came in and pulled up a chair next to the bed. "Hello, Casey. How are you feeling? Any pain?" He asked kindly.
"Yeah, my whole body hurts." She answered annoyed.
He nodded but said nothing. After a beat, he asked, "Were you able to provide the police with any information about your attacker?"
"No, I can't remember a damn thing."
The doctor looked at her chart, which was resting on his lap before continuing. "Casey, during our examination, we found evidence that you were sexually assaulted." He said nothing after that, watching her eyes for any recognition.
She shrugged. Figures. "OK," was all she said.
The doctor's eyes widened. "We were going to administer the morning-after pill, but before then we had to take your blood." A pause, "To rule out pregnancy."
She stared at him, her face blank.
The doctor continued. "Casey. Your blood levels indicated pregnancy."
Casey said nothing, absorbing the information. 'I'm pregnant?' "Wait, you can tell that I'm pregnant already from last night?" She asked incredulously.
The doctor looked confused for a moment, then shook his head. "No, what I meant was, you were pregnant before last night's assault." He said slowly.
Casey's eyes widened. "Oh."
The doctor said nothing, waiting for Casey to say more. When she didn't, he again spoke. "Unfortunately, we also discovered that the fetus is no longer viable."
Casey shook her head. "What?"
"Your baby – it's no longer alive." He said, his eyes sympathetic.
Involuntarily, tears sprung to her eyes. She wiped them away and asked, "How far along was I?"
"From what we could tell, about four months." Casey was stunned. How could she be pregnant for four months and not know it? You think she would have noticed not having her period, but now that she thought about it, there were many things that escaped her attention. "Was it a boy or a girl?" she whispered, clutching the hospital blanket that covered her.
"The tests we conducted didn't give us that information. Casey, we'll have to go in and retrieve the fetus – do a D&C."
"What's that?" Casey asked, her eyes shadowed.
"It's like an abortion. We need to get in there and remove all traces of the fetal tissue." He paused, and then added, "We're thinking of doing that tomorrow, if you're up to it."
Casey nodded silently. "Whatever you think is best."
The doctor stood. "I'm going to let you rest now. I'm sure the other doctors have filled you in on your pneumonia and anemia?"
She nodded, looking down.
"OK. Well, I'll be back tomorrow morning. If you need anything, you know to push the button for the nurse, right?"
"Yes, thank you, doctor." She said softly.
"You're welcome." He said, before turning to head out the door.
"Doctor?" Casey's voice stopped his progress.
"Yes?" He said, turning around.
"Does anyone else know about my baby?"
The doctor looked at her for a moment before answering. "No. It's not our place to disclose that information."
Casey nodded and turned her head toward the window, ending the conversation. She didn't hear the doctor leave.
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