Mercedes laid in nothing but a ratty shirt on the cold bed, she had no idea how long it had been, and she was giving up hope on being rescued. She was weak and not sure how much more she could take. Not sure if she ever wanted to be found alive at this point. The damage was done, and she wasn't sure she could ever look at Sam again, even if it wasn't really him.

Cap was the best boy. He did as Master River instructed, only ever hesitating a handful of times. Scum came out a few times, which was worse than Cap because Scum never questioned; he simply did as he was told. River could manipulate the hell out of Scum.

Cap curled up in his makeshift nest of blankets in the corner. Good boys got comfy beds.

Mercedes heard River get up and move around, and she feared what he was about to do to her. She curled up more; pretending to be asleep never worked, but she still tried.

There was a knock at the door. River immediately went on the defensive, pulling out his gun.

Mercedes immediately began to worry when River pulled out the gun.

"Cap. Closet. Now."

Cap immediately went over to Mercedes and pulled her towards the closet.

Mercedes struggled as Cap overpowered her and took her to the closet.

The park ranger banged again.

River approached the door. "How can I help you, Sir?"

Park Ranger Jordan smiled. "Hey Keith, how you doing out here."

River smiled. "Doing well. Love the quiet, you know?"

He nodded. "I know. I just, well, you should know some officers are looking for you. I told them you were here alone, but you know those meatheads always thinking they are right."

He tilted his head to the side. "That's odd. Thank you for the heads up."

"Yeah, I thought so too. Well, just be careful; they are checking all cabins, and since you have been coming here for a decade, I wanted to make sure you were okay."

"Thanks, Jordan. I appreciate it."

Jordan lifted his hand to shake River's and nodded, walking back to his car.

Fuck. They needed to get out of here.

Mercedes struggled against Cap, his right hand covering her mouth and his left gripping her cuffs.

Cap tried to hold her still. "Shhhh..." he pleaded.

She mumbled against his hand, tears falling as she moved.

River opened the closet door. "We're leaving. Now."

Mercedes pulled away from Cap and ended up falling as the door opened.

Cap shook like mad.

River grabbed her by the hair.

Mercedes screamed as he grabbed her. "Stop! Let go!"

"Let's go..." he snapped.

Cap followed behind head down.

Mercedes tugged at her shirt as she stood up wobbly.

She caught herself from falling just as the door barged open, revealing a very angry Gerald. "You fucking bastard."

Mercedes could barely stand and fell back to the ground. The abuse, both violent and sexual, took its toll, and she couldn't move. She didn't even register her dad was there.

River grabbed Cap and held the gun to his head. "One step closer, and I kill him."

Cap whimpered.

Mercedes shook her head. She didn't know why River wanted to kill Cap; she was good. "I'm sorry. I am so sorry. Don't hurt him. I can stand; I can try."

Gerald angrily moved towards River. "My daughter? My fucking daughter? I am gonna tear you limb from limb."

River held Cap tighter. "One more step, and he's a dead man."

"Like I fucking care!" Gerald barked. "My daughter is all I care about, and you know that."

Mercedes curled up into a ball.

"I'll shoot her too..."

"You won't have enough time." He said through gritted teeth.

A gunshot rang out, and Cap fell to the floor; River turned the gun on Mercedes. "Try me, Jericho."

Gerald didn't even think he just charged for River tackling the man to the ground.

The gun flew to the side. River punched at Gerald.

Mercedes screamed out again as wetness moved towards her. She glanced down and cried, seeing the blood coming from Cap. He hurt her, he pulled her bad chose River over her, but he had Sam's face...Sam was inside of him, and she couldn't let him die. She moved to put pressure on the wound.

Gerald pummeled River, punching him before slamming his head against the ground.

Cap was losing consciousness fast.

The slam against the ground left him dazed.

Mercedes screamed for some kind of help. "Please, Please, I am so sorry."

Gerald used River, being dazed, to grab the gun and turn it on him. "I told you, I would kill you for what you did to her. I told you." He said before pulling the trigger and shooting him in the leg. "And now, you will suffer."

River screamed out in agony.

Cap looked at her. "I'm a be okay, Merce…."

Gerald shot his shoulder. As Two officers ran into the room.

Mercedes screamed again at the shot then looked at Cap. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry."

The officers pulled Gerald off of River.

Caps eyes closed. "I love you, Merce, and I am so sorry...tell... tell Joey that I... that I love him too."

Gerald struggled getting off one last shot as the officers came to him.

Mercedes shook her head. "No! You better not die on me. Sam is still in there. I need him, I need to see him before... don't do this to me." she cried out, breaking.

"Sam's... be fine..." His voice grew whispy.

Mercedes cried harder. "Please, I am so sorry, please."

And with that, Cap lost consciousness.

The officers pulled Gerald off of River.

"I was good, I was good, why...he hurt me, but I was good..." Mercedes cried harder. She didn't know what was happening.

"I told you! He raped my daughter! He hurt her!"

Cap was gone.

The officers held him back.

Mercedes stared at the lifeless body, and she 3654stared to hyperventilate. He was gone, and if he was gone, Sam was gone.

One of the officers approached Mercedes and Cap. They immediately radioed in for help.

She eyed the gun on the ground that her dad dropped. Without Sam, she had nothing. She couldn't control reaching over for the gun. Her father was being detained. The officers were tending to Cap's lifeless body. She could do it. She had to. She wanted to be with Sam.

"He's got a pulse..." The Officer replied. One of the officers turned to Mercedes.

Gerald noticed Mercedes and shook the officers off. "No! Baby, no." He said, trying to reach for the gun.

"I don't. Wanna. Live." she cried, hiccuping with each word.

Paramedics came and swiftly took Sam away.

Gerald took her hands. "Baby, please. Please. I'm sorry I couldn't protect you, but you have to put it down."

Mercedes eyed River and gripped the gun, but Gerald shook his head. "No, no, it's not worth it. Put the gun down, baby."

Mercedes shuttered tearfully as she put the gun down. Gerald lifted his hands for the paramedic to come and help her.

Mercedes felt weak, and when they tried to help her up and pain shot through her, then nothing but darkness.

Mercedes awoke, surrounded by white and a beeping sound; she swallowed, trying to move, but she felt like she was being weighed down by something.

Brax held her hand. They all took turns at her side.

Sam was in the bed next to her.

Mercedes blinked, staring at him. "B-Brax? Am I- is this real?"

Brax nodded and kissed the back of her hand. "Thank God you're awake."

"Where am I?"

"The hospital."

She closed her eyes. "I never thought I would see you again."

"Me too..." he exhaled.

She was torn. She wanted to ask about Cap, Sam. But she couldn't, after what happened she didn't know if she could ever see him the same, but if he was dead, she wouldn't forgive herself.

"Sam's out cold... he hasn't woken up yet."

She looked away from him at the mention of Sam.

"He's been through a few surgeries. He's... he's gonna be okay, though."

She shook her head. "I can't...I can't."

"What's wrong?"

"Cap...he made Cap...He..." She shook her head. "I can't..."

"I don't understand..."

She closed her eyes. "River...he used Cap to.." She shook her head. "I can't. I just can't..."

Brax held her hand tighter. He got the gist of it. "I'm so sorry."

She looked at him through her tears. "How can I look at him?"

"He was forced .."

She shook her head, "No...Sam would be forced. But Cap...and the other...they just did it."

"Did they? or were they told to?"

"He could have said no...should have..." She shook her head. "I can't..."

"Could he, though? You know how they are."

She just looked away from him.

Brax sighed. "it's gonna be okay."

"Nothing will ever be the same again." She whispered.

"You can't believe that."

She turned on her side, not wanting to talk about it anymore. She couldn't.

Joey felt his heartbreak, he heard everything Mercedes had said, and he knew it wasn't black and white, but he also knew that trauma wasn't easy to let go of either. He swallowed, holding Sam's hand. "It's gonna be okay...it has to be."

Sam was not out of the woods yet.

Brax rubbed her arm gently.

Mercedes closed her eyes, wanting to think, and the next thing she heard was the Officer she saw at the cabin asking if they would let her talk about what happened to her. She froze; she couldn't do that.

Brax sighed quietly. "Want me to leave?"

She squeezed his hand. "I don't want to be alone..."

"Then I won't go anywhere..."

Mercedes swallowed, sitting up, it then she noticed Sam and Joey... "Can..can you close that, please?"

Brax nodded as he stood and kissed the top of his sleeping boyfriend's head before closing the curtain.

Mercedes sighed as the Officer stood beside her. "Can you tell me how you ended up at the cabin?"

Mercedes bit her lip. "R-River made Cap trick me...he tricked me into going to the garage, and River kidnapped me."

"And who is this Cap guy?"

Mercedes swallowed. "It doesn't matter...I watched him die." She said, remembering Cap's words.

Brax held her hand tightly.

The Officer wrote something down and looked back at her. "And at the Cabin? What happened?"

Mercedes glanced up at him. "A sadist has you alone in the cabin. What do you think he's doing?" She spat,

Brax sighed and squeezed her hand. "Merce..."

She grew angry and didn't even know why she just was. "No! I don't want to talk about this anymore! That man is dangerous, and I hope he's dead!"

Brax pulled his hand away. He felt so helpless. He didn't know what to say or what to do in this situation.

She reached for the wires and tubes attached to her. "I need to get out of here."

"Mercedes, please stop," Brax pleaded. "You're still very weak."

She couldn't breathe; it felt like she was suffocating.

"Mercedes. Look at me. I need you to breathe with me."

Mercedes felt the room spinning; was she dying? She scratched at her chest. "I... can't...breathe."

Brax grabbed both of her hands. "Breath, Merce... focus on me."

Mercedes looked at him as he took her hands and nodded, trying to breathe.

Brax took deep breaths. "Breathe with me."

Mercedes did as Brax asked. Breathing with him.

The Officer moved forward. "I have a few more questions."

Brax ignored him for a moment. "Deep breaths."

The Officer watched then moved closer. "We need to know in detail what happened to you so we can properly charge Keith Haynes."

Mercedes looked at Brax pleadingly.

Brax held her hands for a few moments. "I won't go anywhere, Merce... but if you don't tell them, he might walk free."

Mercedes nodded. She closed her eyes. "He forced... he forced Cap to sexually assault me. He then made Cap service him."

"So Keith never touched you?"

"Hehe, raped me, beat me. Forced me to...forced." she shook her head. "I'm gonna be sick."

Brax felt a mixture of anger and sickness inside of him. "You're okay, Merce. You're safe now."

Mercedes bit her bottom lip. "I've been afraid to ask how long we were there?"

"11 days and 8 hours," Brax whispered.

"11...11 days and 8..." Silent tears fell from her eyes as she swallowed hard.

Brax held her hands tight. "We got you now."

"What if he comes back again? What if he kills me?"

"He's gonna be locked away for a long time if you testify against him."

She shook her head. "I can't face him."

"Please, Merce? I want him locked away."

She shook her head. "The things he did...he took Sam from me, and he knows it."

He looked to the Officer. "Can she testify not in front of him?"

The Officer sighed. "Unfortunately, he has the right to face his accuser. "

"Accuser?" She sat up. "Accuser?! You were there, you saw!"

Brax held her hand tighter. "Calm down, Merce... you're pulse is spiking."

Mercedes closed her eyes. "I don't want to see him again."

"Please," he begged her.

She looked away from him. She knew what she had to do, but it was hard.

Brax continued to hold her hand. "Please..."

She sighed. "You-you won't leave me?"

He shook his head. "Never. You're my best friend."

"Okay, I'll do it. "

"Thank you. So much."

She didn't smile. This was hell...she only nodded.

Brax looked at the Officer. "Are we good?"

The Officer nodded. "Yeah." He walked out of the room.

Brax held her hand close to his chest and rubbed his hand over her hair.

"Do you really think he's gonna get put away?"

"Yes."

Mercedes nodded. "Okay...I wanted to kill him." She said above a whisper. "My dad stopped. Let me."

Brax kissed the top of her head. "I know..."

"He told you?"

"Yes."

She shook her head. "That man turned me into a murderer because I would have pulled that trigger... that's what he did to me, he made me be something I am not...that's a lot. "

"You were tortured. I would have done the same thing."

Mercedes tried looking over to Sam but her heart just hurt. She closed her eyes. "I want to go away. I want to move...start over."

"You can do whatever you need to do."

She held his hand tighter. "You guys can't tell Sam what happened...what River made him...Cap do. Promise me he won't know...he can't handle that."

Brax frowned. "I won't tell him."

"Please just make sure he's okay. He is happy? And just...I don't know what you can tell him, but he can't come after me. He needs to start over when I don't remind him of what he went through."

"Wait... I'm confused. You can't go anywhere without him."

"What are you talking about? Brax, I told you I can't...I can barely look at him...why would I take him?"

"He'll be absolutely devastated."

"And he won't be knowing that a personality in his body forced himself on me?"

Brax frowned. "I don't think that's a good idea... you leaving him again..."

"Then tell me what to do; I am begging you, Brax, please, please tell me what to do."

"You can't run from this, Merce. It's not something you can run from."

"So what, we both just leave here and try to put it all behind us?

"You'll have to discuss it with him."

She looked over to Sam, finally forcing her eyes to linger. "This shouldn't have happened."

Sam looked awful. He was managing to breathe on his own, but it wasn't good.

"I know."

She felt her lip tremble. "Is he gonna die?"

Brax shrugged. "We don't know. He's breathing on his own, which they say is good."

"Can I ask you something?"

"Always, Merce."

"If you were held hostage and you were forced to hurt Joey, but you had no idea you were doing it, you know, like with Sam and Cap...would you want to know what you did? Would Joey forgive you?"

"I don't know," he replied after a pause. "It's... complicated." He looked over at the still sleeping Joey.

"Would you want to know what you did?"

"I think so."

"And if you were hurt by someone you loved. But they didn't know they hurt you. Would you be able to be with them?"

"I don't know." He paused. "This is so complicated, Mercy, but I think that you should give him a chance to understand. Leaving him might destroy him."

"You know I don't want that?"

Brax looked away. "I know you don't."

She sighed. "How is Joey holding up?"

"He feels awful. He didn't know how to comfort Joey and that hurt. He's guilty about what happened and scared."

She nodded, "It's not his fault."

Brax sighed. "He'll still blame himself. He... he feels like he needs to pay Sam back for everything he did." He rubbed at the back of his neck with his free hand.

Mercedes tried to sit up, wincing at the pain in her wrist and side; she fell back in pain. "Why can't I sit up?"

"Because you have a broken rib, and you're weak and dehydrated."

She bit her lips, closing her eyes. "Did they say what was wrong with Sam?"

"The gunshot went through his stomach. It hit a few organs. They went through a bunch of surgeries to try and fix him."

"This is gonna sound... this is gonna sound so crazy, but something happened up there...after the shots and while I was trying to save him..."

"What happened?"

She chewed her bottom lip. "I think Cap died...I know Sam is alive, but I saw the life leave his eyes. I felt him take his last breath."

Brax blinked a few times. "That... that's scary."

"I thought, I thought Sam was dead too,"

"I'm sorry. I... I think he'll make it."

She nodded. "Sam needs to be okay, and Joey will be okay. I just need to let it go..."

"We'll all be here to help you through it."

"How are you doing with all this?"

"I'm managing," he replied. "You three are far more important."

She shook her head. "No, we aren't more important we are all important

He was utterly exhausted.

"You three are my priority."

"And you are ours."

He sighed. "I don't have to be."

She closed her eyes, forcing herself up slowly, not caring about the pain. "Brax, you are my best friend. "She said breathlessly. "You mean the world to me. And Joey, that man loves you."

"Does he?" he asked softly. "I love him... I love him more than I thought I could love someone... but I worry."

She nodded. "I do. And what makes you worry?"

"I'm... I don't know," he sighed. "I don't know how to put it into words."

"You are amazing, and he is lucky to have you."

"But what if... it's just that. I'm scared he might leave..."

Mercedes put her arms up for him to hug her. "Brax, he won't leave you."

Brax hugged her tightly. "I'm so scared."

She winced at the hug but held him still. "I know...I am too."

He felt the wince and let up. "sorry."

"It's okay, you need me, and I need you."

Brax was on the verge of a complete breakdown.

Mercedes sighed. "It's okay to feel upset... it's okay to feel this way."

"I've been trying to be strong..."

"You are strong."

"I don't feel strong."

She nodded, holding him close to her. "I know, but you are; you are holding it together for me. I know I need help, strength."

"I'm strong for you... and for Joey."

"See, and we can be strong for you, I promise."

He sighed quietly. "Promise?"

She nodded, kissing his forehead, "I promise."

Tears fell. "Thank you."

She sniffed, letting her own tears fall down her eyes.

"I love you, Merce. So much."

"I love you too, Brax, Always."

"I... I know I can be a shitty person sometimes..."

She shook her head. "Not when you care, not to those you love."

"You're right..."

"I know... I have to be if I am going to get through this."

"We'll get through it together."

She nodded. "Yes, we will."

He looked over at Joey.

She nodded and sighed. "Come lay with me; sitting up hurts, and I am afraid to go to sleep alone."

Brax looked at her. "I don't think I'm allowed to."

"I don't care what they think, I have been through hell, and I think that trumps their rules."

Brax offered her a small smile. "Okay"