Chapter 6 The Truth revealed
Some time later...
"Push with all your strength now." Cecelia said to Rahne. Rahne was lying on a mat on the floor with Cecelia holding Rahne's her legs in the air, bent slightly back. Rahne had been trying for the last five minutes to extend her leg while Cecelia tried to stop it by pressing her hands against the base of Rahne's feet. The point of the exercise was to build back up the strength in Rahne's legs that had been lost following her injures. Rahne, for her part, really wasn't cooperating.
"I'm tryin'." Rahne said, dejectedly.
"No you're not. You've barely even tried. The sooner you do this, the sooner you can do something else." Cecelia chided
Without responding, Rahne tried to lash out with her leg as best she could, hoping to 'accidentally' hit Cecelia and shut her up. Cecelia expected that however, and continued the exercise. Cecelia had to admit, she was very impressed that Rahne's legs showed the strength that they did, though that it wasn't much.
"Her body's recovery is unlike anything I've ever seen." The young doctor observed to herself, "Her body's still in relatively good shape, atrophy is minimum, she shows no physical signs of depression whatsoever despite the fact that has a severe case, and her recovery is faster than anyone that I've ever seen. She'll be ready for crutches in days, if that. How long before she recovers mentally though?"
"Ms. Reyes?"
"Yes, Rahne?"
"When... will I be able t' walk again?" Rahne asked carefully, not exactly certain she wanted an answer
Cecelia gritted her teeth. Despite the many, many times she had done it in the past, she was never very comfortable about delivering bad news when it came to a person's long-term health. The pleading she saw in their eyes, for her to somehow defy medical science and make them all better, pulled at her soul every time.
"It's...complicated. When you were... experimented on, they did massive damage to your leg cartilage and muscles. What's worse is that you suffered considerable atrophy because of how long you were strapped down to a bed. We were able reattach and repair most of the damaged muscles, but the damage was already done by then. I'm afraid that you'll likely need crutches for the rest of your life."
"Oh, I... see." Was Rahne's only reaction, which worried Cecelia immensely.
"I can't believe how strongly she's repressing her pain. Anger seems to be the only emotion she's allowing herself to feel." Cecelia thought.
"A cripple. A bloody cripple. Serves me right, f'r muh sins." Rahne thought to herself.
"We've done enough exercise for today Rahne. Why don't we get you back to your room so you can rest?" Cecelia suggested
Rahne didn't respond. She just crawled back up into her wheel chair, waving off any help from Cecelia.
"I'll take that as a yes." Cecelia wheeled Rahne back to her room, and helped her get back into her bed.
"Is there anything you need Rahne? A book, perhaps?" Cecelia suggested
"Yes. Fer... everyone... tae... leave... me... alone. I don' deserve anyone's concern, sympathy or pity!" Rahne said emphatically.
"And why is that Rahne? You keep saying that, but you never say why. What makes you think that you deserved what happened to you?"
Rahne was silent.
"Before I removed the scars from the front of your body, I saw evidence of sulfuric acid burns along with signs of frost bite. I also saw evidence that your toe and fingernails had pulled out. Why did you deserve that? How could you deserve that?" Cecelia demanded.
Rahne didn't respond at first, but tears were forming in her eyes and she bit her bottom lip so hard that it bled.
"I... jus' do." Rahne said as she wiped the small speck of blood away.
She didn't have to respond, though. Cecelia, recalling what Dani had told her about Rahne's upbringing, how strict and harsh it was, and suddenly realized why Rahne blamed herself so strongly. Cecelia had seen it a thousand times in the E.R and right now, wanted to kick herself for not realizing it sooner. Cecelia quickly changed the subject.
"Look, Rahne, we can take those casts off your arm today. Let me find Dani, and we'll get that done, okay?"
Rahne just nodded her head in agreement.
***
Although she was surrounded by the Brood with no means of retreat, Danielle Moonstar couldn't really bring herself to much focus on her predicament.
"Why her, of all people?" Dani thought to herself as she hit another broodling with one of her psychic arrows. Dani needed to burn off some hatred, hatred at those who had tortured her closest friend, hatred at the great spirits or whatever Supreme Being there was for letting something so horrible happen to some one so innocent, before she saw Rahne again, and the Danger Room was the perfect place to do it, even if it made Dani feel guilty for not being at Rahne's side. Only it wasn't working as planned. Dani was still pissed. She rolled and hit another one of creatures without breaking a sweat.
"I'm too used to hitting something to solve my problems." Dani thought to herself, "And that's not about to help bring back the old Rahne. The old Rahne who blushed the entire time in sex education, who was always so full of life, who had the sweetest smile."
Two more brood launched themselves at Dani while she deep in thought. In a fluid motion, she ducked under them and unleashed her powers at the deadly alien insects, hit them her arrows.
"Spirits, I miss that smile so much now. She was such an innocent and naïve girl. She was the only New Mutant who didn't know that Craig was her father. Why on earth does she think that she deserved what happened to her?"
Lost in her thoughts, Dani almost didn't notice a single broodling sneak up behind her. Almost. She readied a psychic arrow and steadied herself but before she could do anything, it faded away and the entire environment disappeared. Dani spun around and saw Cecelia standing by the control panel. For some reason, Dani dreaded what Cecelia was going to say, even though she had no idea what it was, just by judging from the expression on her face.
"Dani, we need to talk about Rahne."
"What's wrong? Is she okay? Spirits, stupid question, I mean, is there another problem?" Dani asked worriedly
"I think I know why Rahne blames herself for what happened to her, Dani and... it's pretty bad." When Cecelia explained her suspicions and told Dani her supporting evidence, Dani felt weak in the knees and was crying for her friend.
"Nononononononono, not her please not her not Rahne," Dani pleaded as she shook her head, as if in the hopes to dislodge the suspicions of the X- Men's doctor from her mind, "please not that, no..."
"I'm so sorry." Cecelia said as she put her hands on Dani's shoulder to both comfort and steady her, "I know this is hard."
"Are you sure? Couldn't you be wrong?" she asked desperately.
"I don't think so. I really wish I was. But I've worked the E.R enough recognize to the symptoms, and I talked to Hank before I came here. We compared notes, and he agrees with me. She's hurt and confused right now, emotionally unable to come to terms with what happened. I think that's why she's lashing out at everyone."
"Spirits, why the hell didn't you tell me about this sooner!?" Dani asked as she smacked Cecelia's hand away. Dani was livid now, her only defense mechanism against breaking down herself.
"Because we didn't know and we all thought it was best that Rahne come to us about what happened, rather than trying to pry it out of her. But, if I'm right, that may not be a good idea. Do you think you can get her to open up?"
"I...I'll... do my best. I'll confront her about it once we get her casts off. I like Hel that you're wrong."
"So do I, Dani. So do I."
Dani took a moment to collect herself, wiping the tears from her face, "What do I need to know to help her, if you're right?"
***
"They don' know. What will they think of me when they do?" Rahne fearfully asked herself as she heard Cecelia and Dani return. She wasn't sure how long she could keep her secret from them and that worried her incredibly. In time they would know, and they would hate her for it.
"We're ready to get those casts off your arms now Rahne. Dani, could you help me hold her arms steady?" Cecelia asked as she looked around for her surgical scissors. Once she found them, she walked towards Rahne, but that's not what, and who, Rahne saw.
Rahne saw a faceless doctor in medical scrubs that were splattered in blood. Her blood. The same doctor who had tortured her so many times before. She looked around and saw that she was back the room where she had been experimented in for so long, strapped down nude to a medical bed in preparation to be tortured further. She could hear the woman walk towards her, smell the anti-septic in the room and feel the straps on her wrists and ankles holding her down, making her helpless to defend herself.
"No! Nooo! Get away!!" Rahne screamed as she thrashed about frantically.
"Rahne! Rainy! Calm down! It's okay, It's okay!" Dani said as she tried to restrain her friend to prevent her from hurting herself. Rahne blinked twice, and realized she was still at the mansion, still safe.
"I... was there, back in the labs. I... know I was. I could even smell it..." Rahne explained, quite dumfounded and shaking like a leaf.
"No, you weren't, Rahne. You were here the entire time..." Dani reassured her.
"She must have had a flash back when she saw me, Dani." Cecelia explained, "They happen in cases of trauma like... this."
"What do ye mean, 'in cases like this'?" Rahne asked, still quaking from what she 'saw'.
"It's hard to explain, Rahne. Sometimes when a person lives thru something as... traumatic as what you survived Rahne, sometimes they may... relive the experience when they see something that reminds them of what they went thru. Sometimes it happens with P.O.Ws, or in cases of child abuse."
"So, I'm ne'er gonna truly be free o' the labs, am I?" Rahne said miserably
"You're already are free, Rahne. And I promise you, with our help, you'll be free of the nightmares as well."
Rahne looked away, as though she couldn't truly believe Cecelia.
"Rahne, why don't you close you eyes while she takes your casts off? It might be easier for you." Dani said. Rahne nodded in response. Cecelia quickly cut the casts off and peeled them back. Rahne's skin underneath was pale and flaky, since it had been weeks since they were exposed to the air.
"I think we ought to give you a bath now that we got those casts off, Rahne. It'll help wash away all the dead skin and I'm sure you'll feel a lot better afterwards." Cecelia suggested
"I may as well. I feel filthy as it is." Rahne said. Cecelia and Dani glanced at each other, as though the statement confirmed a suspicion. Dani helped her out of her bed and into her wheel chair. When they got to the tub, Rahne tried to stand up to get in the tub with her cloths still on, but almost fell down before Dani caught her.
"Whoa! Slow down a sec, Rahne! You have to get undressed first before you take a bath, you know."
"I ken bathe muhself, thank ye, Dani. I don' need yuir help." Rahne said coarsely.
"Not in your condition, Rahne. We've been thru this already. There's no shame in admitting that you need help, and we're both women here. Now hold your legs out so we can get these sweat pants off." Dani said. Rahne complied, and once Dani got Rahne's shirt off, Dani again saw all the scars that littered Rahne's back. There were at least two-dozen of them all over. Some were small; others were somewhat oddly shaped, while a several, rugged and twisted like ropes, ran the entire length of her back. On some parts, Rahne's scars had scars on them, several looked sickeningly like cigarette burns. Rahne's entire back looked like one might expect the back of a rebellious slave of the old South to look like, rough and ugly undeserved scars on every inch, marring the body of an innocent.
"Spirits, there are so many." Dani sighed silently, and not for the first time.
"It's a tic tac toe board, isn't it?" Rahne asked, "I cannae even feel muh back anymore."
"It's... nothing we can't fix, Rahne. Don't you worry about it." Dani said as she helped Rahne into the tub. Dani couldn't help but notice how Rahne was trembling when she was fully inside the tub.
"Something wrong, Rahne? You look uncomfortable." Dani asked
"It's jus' that...they...nothin'. I'm fine."
Dani turned the water on and left to get some washcloths. When she came back, the room was thick with steam. Dani could see that Rahne had started filling the tub, and she went over to test the water with her hand.
"Yow!" She yelped. Dani quickly turned the hot water down and turned the cold water up. Rahne didn't seem the least bit concerned about, or effected by, the heat.
"Cripes Rahne, you could have burned yourself! What were you thinking?" Dani demanded as she looked Rahne over for any signs of scalding. Thankfully, she didn't find any.
Rahne just looked away, unable to meet Dani's gaze. "I'm filthy. I jus' want...I need tae be clean, is all an' I've had enough o' cold water."
"Well, that's why we're here. I'll wash your back, okay?"
"Fine."
As Dani helped Rahne bathe, Dani noted how Rahne scrubbed herself with the washcloth. Rahne was slow and deliberate, concentrating mainly on her lower body, and scrubbed herself so hard that Rahne left red marks on her skin. Rahne did that all over her body for a considerable amount of time. Dani also noticed that Rahne seemed to wince, ever so slightly, every time she touched her. This was all nothing new of course, but Dani didn't see these actions in the same light as she did before. Dani took a shampoo bottle and placed a small amount in Rahne's short hair and scrubbed it in.
"Okay, Rahne, you're going to need to lean back to get this out." Dani started to gently pull Rahne back so that they could rinse the soap out of her hair, but Rahne's arms shot to the side of the tub with incredible speed and strength, holding her firmly in place.
"I'm nae leanin' back, Dani." Rahne said, her voice filled with fear.
"What? Why?"
"I jus' don' want tae."
"Rahne, it'll be alright. I'm right here and I won't let you drown." Dani said soothingly "We just need to get the shampoo out of your hair. It'll only take a minute, promise."
"It ken stay in muh hair f'r all I care, Dani. I'm nae leanin' back."
Dani decided not to press the point. She cupped her hands, and poured the water over Rahne's head to get the shampoo out.
"Is there any reason why you don't want to lean back?" Dani asked.
Rahne didn't reply, but she insisted on bathing for two hours before she finally agreed to get out. Dani helped her out of the tub and into a robe before she took Rahne back to her room. When Dani got Rahne back into bed, Dani closed the door to the room and locked it shut.
"Time for the moment of truth, Moonstar." She thought to herself.
Dani took a deep breath. Dani knew what she had to do, but she would have preferred it that Rahne come to her for help, that she didn't have to tear it out of Rahne like this. But Dani also knew that Rahne would never come to her, or indeed anyone, about something like this. Rahne would just bottle up it up while it ate away at her soul for the rest of her life.
And Dani would die a thousands times before she let that happen to anyone, let alone Rahne.
Dani walked over to Rahne and sat down beside her, her hands clasped together in front of her.
"Rahne, we... need to talk about something."
"I told ye, time an' again, I dinnae remember whit those horrid men did t' me, Dani! Why won't anyone believe me?" Rahne said emphatically
"Because, one, you then told me that you deserved what happened to you and two, you were lying. You're lying now. It's something you don't do very well, remember? You can't even keep your story straight. You don't just forget torture, though you may think you do. It's called denial and it sure as hell isn't healthy."
"Why the bloody hell do I have tae tell ye what happened tae me? Why cannae ye jus' leave it be!" Rahne all but screamed.
"Because like I explained, you can't be expected to cope with what happened to you on your own, and you don't have too." Dani said. With an amazing amount of willpower, Dani said, "While you were a prisoner on that island, you were raped, weren't you?"
It was more a statement of fact than a question. Rahne's heart stopped for a moment and a look of fear, shock and shame came across her face when Dani said that. Dani could almost feel it when Rahne's heart started pounding again.
"That's...silly, Dani. They did...a lot o' things t' me...but nae..." Rahne couldn't bring herself to finish her sentence. Her eyes started to water, "I don' want ta talk aboot it. Yuir wrong, Dani. You. Are. Wrong. They dinnae rape me."
"You're lying to me again, Rahne. If they didn't rape you, why did you freak out when Kurt touched you? Why do you hate to be touched by anyone? Why don't you want to talk to any of your male friends? Why did you just scrub yourself so hard that you left red marks? Those are all post rape symptoms! Now tell me what happened while you were a prisoner, please!"
Rahne looked away, unable to look Dani in the eyes and not for the first time,
"Please, Rahne, whatever happened, I won't think any less of you, and you know that. I love you and just want to help you. But I can't do that if you won't tell me what happened. I'm begging you Rahne, tell me what happened."
Rahne took moment to control her emotions, and started to recount what had happened to her shortly after she was captured...
"If ye must know..."
***
"Whatever ye dae tae me an' the others, the X-Men will make ye regret it!" Rahne shouted defiantly. When they first captured her, they had foolishly held her with the other superhuman prisoners before they moved her, where she met had Kyle Dibney, A.K.A Wild Child. He had prevented Feral from trying to rip Rahne's throat out. Of course, Rahne could have wiped the floor with Feral, she'd done it before after all, but it wouldn't have been very productive. While they were gathered in the cell, John Calvin appeared over a holographic message to thank them for helping the cause of medical science and gave some high and mighty speech about how the goods of the many came before the good of the few. Of course, they all resolved to work together to break out after they heard that line. As they were waiting for the guard shift, Wolfsbane made small talk with Wild Child, catching up on what had happened with X-Factor after she had left the team. Rahne learned that Kyle had just regained his humanity before he was captured, and was uncertain if he was still human anymore. Rahne related her own stories of self-loathing and how she had overcome her own fear, which helped him a lot. Their plans to escape, however, were not to be. They had flooded the cell with knock out gas in preparation to moving them into their individual cells. Only Rahne, who expected that tactic and could hold her breath longer, was still conscience when they came in. She managed to tag some of the guards, but the tasers the guards used combined with the gas took her out before she could make any real progress.
The fact that Rahne was still very depressed over the death of her mother did nothing to hinder her resistance. She still fought her captors with all her strength every chance she got. In her first day as a prisoner, she had already disabled three more guards before she was thrown in her own personal cell. Rather than waste her strength on the bars that she knew could withstand her strength, she lay down on the cot they provide and tried to think of a way to escape and get help. They let her stew for a little bit before two guards came to collect her.
"Get up, mutie. You're coming with us." The man said lecherously
"Ye better have somethin' tae back that up, because I'm nae aboot tae go anywhere with ye." With a thought, Rahne changed into her wolf form and flashed her claws. These men didn't scare Wolfsbane in the slightest.
Without replying, one of the guards pulled out a dart gun and shot Rahne in the thigh with it. The dart barely broke the skin and Rahne quickly pulled it out, but it was too late. Her brown fur and claws disappeared back into her body and she couldn't 'feel' her powers anymore.
"That drug effectively turns your powers off for two days. Now, if I have to come in there, I'll be very unhappy. And you don't want that."
Swallowing her pride, Rahne walked out of her cell peacefully. The two guards led her thru the complex to what seemed like a cafeteria filled with at least three-dozen men.
"The entertainments here, boys! Gather 'round!" The first guard shouted.
"Entertainment? What...what are ye talking aboot?" Rahne still hadn't realized their intentions yet, but she was afraid all the same. One of the other men, who Rahne guessed was the leader, stepped forward. He was tall with a heavy set and an unshaved face wearing imitation military fatigues. Normally, the sight of such a man wouldn't scare Rahne in the least, but at the moment, she was nothing more than a powerless eighteen year-old girl.
"Name's Jack. Me and the boys haven't had any fun in a while, what with being cooped on this island for so long, so the bosses decided that we could have a little fun with the patients before they cut them up. Seeing as how you're the best lookin' of the bunch, you've been elected."
Rahne suddenly realized what they wanted and she started to struggle with all her strength. The two guards, however, easily restrained her. Jack walked up to Rahne and punched her hard in the stomach, driving the air out of her lungs. Rahne dropped to the floor on her knees, barely able to breath or see.
"Knock it off, bitch. You're not impressing anyone." He said. The other two guards let go of Rahne and he pushed her down on her back. Rahne was in too much agony to resist as he ripped her shirt off and yanked her pants down around her ankles. Rahne tried to resist, but two other men took her wrists and stood on them. Jack took out a cigarette and lit it, waiting for Rahne to regain her wits.
"Don', please don't ...anythin' but that..." Rahne begged as she gasped for air. Jack just smiled in response.
"You should be flattered, girl. You get the attentions of all these men just for you!" Jack smiled as he unbuckled his pants. Rahne closed her eyes and looked away as he approached her. Rahne promised herself that she wouldn't scream as she felt him enter her, and ruthlessly tore thru her maidenhead. Horrible pain from between her legs shot thru her body as he cruelly took her virginity, her innocence. Deciding that raping her wasn't enough, Jack took the cigarette and held just barely over Rahne's left breast, so that she could feel the heat but wasn't burned.
"Open your eyes and look, you little bitch, or I'll burn you." He threatened. Rahne, too afraid to disobey him, did as she was told. Jack looked into her tear filled eyes, smiling and very pleased with himself. "See? That's not so bad is it? You're even starting to enjoy it, aren't you, you little slut? This slut is wet already!"
The other men started to cheer and laugh at the comment. Rahne didn't respond. She just wanted to die, to be taken away from all this pain and humiliation. Rahne couldn't tell how long Jack grinded himself against her body, her first rape was just a blur of pain and degradation. She finally felt him shutter in climax, and as he stood up, he kicked her hard in the ribs, almost breaking them.
"Homo superior, huh? Sure don't seem so superior to me!" He sneered as Rahne lay on her side, her vision swimming from the pain and degradation. That comment brought even more cheers as another man replaced Jack inside of her. And then another. And another. Rahne had little idea about how many men had violated her, even though they made her watch every one of her rapes, beating her if she closed her eyes or cried too hard. One man made her sing 'I'm dreaming of a white Christmas', while another made her pretend that she was enjoying herself by yelling how he was a sex god and that she was thankful that he had taken her. But after a while, all the men just blended into one man, continually abusing and humiliating her.
When they were finally done with her, they forced her to clean up the room she had been violated in, 'for fun'. They forced her to clean the room on her hands and knees nude, using her ripped T-shirt and jeans that her mother had given her for her birthday as rags, all the while leering at her body. By the time they dragged her back to her cell to recover, she had recovered her powers but she never used the chance to use them to escape. Rahne never resisted them again after that, even after they started their painful experiments on her.
***
Dani was horrified, to say the least, as Rahne described what had happened to her, and by the fact that Rahne, for the most part, seemed quite calm about describing it. But only on the surface.
"Why the hell do you think that you deserved to be raped, Rahne? You were a victim!"
"Because_I_enjoyed_it! They treated me like a whore... an' I liked it!"
"What the hell are you talking about, Rahne?"
"While they their way wit' me, muh body...reacted...I was... aroused, like some slut! A whore... like...like Craig always said I was! He was right aboot me!" She replied. Rahne started to shake slightly and tears were forming in her eyes...
With anyone else, Dani would have been fighting the urge to smack them upside the head and yell at them for thinking something so foolish, so stupid, but Dani understood Rahne in a way few others did, "Rahne, you're the innocent victim of a horrible crime, and nothing more! Your body is like a machine, and it will always, always react to stimulus, regardless of consent!"
"But...I..."
"If you're cut and you bleed, does that mean you want to bleed?"
"O'... course nae, but I..."
"If you're cold, you shiver, right?" Dani said quickly
"Yes...but..."
"And if you're hot, Rahne, you sweat! And as a woman, your body will always react a certain way during sex, regardless of consent or pleasure! I know you're not an expert on sex, but you've worked with one of the best doctors in the world, you know it's true!" Dani pulled Rahne close to comfort her, and held her tight as Rahne started to tremble even more, tears flowing more freely now.
"I know the lies Craig filled your mind with when you were growing up. He told you that women who were raped were asking for it, didn't he?" Dani asked, though she already knew the answer, "That they somehow, in someway, deserved it, because of how they acted or dressed."
"Aye." Rahne confirmed, "He... once said that... a woman who was... raped... brought... it on herself...because o' how...she...she...acted...or dressed... that...she was...t' blame...always..."
"And he was wrong, Rahne." Dani growled, without really meaning to, "Just like he was wrong about you being a devilspawn, and just like he was wrong about all mutants being evil. You never once gave them consent, Rahne. You know that, so don't blame yourself for what your body did, please! They took the ultimate expression of love between a man and woman and twisted it to hurt you, but it. wasn't. your. fault!"
"I... always hoped... muh... f...f...first time... would be ...wit'...with someone I loved... an' who... loved me," Rahne sobbed.
"I know, Rahne, I know. I'm so sorry."
"I shid have...have... fought them harder," Rahne choked, "I...jus' dinnae want... tae be hurt like...like...that... again. I was ...so weak..."
"You weren't weak, Rahne. You did what you had to too survive, and that's what's truly important. You...you haven't cried about what happened to you, have you? About how they hurt you." Dani asked, though she already knew the answer.
Rahne was visibly quacking by now, with tears running down her face and Dani could sense that Rahne was just barely holding back the floodgates of her pain. Rahne started to look away, unable to face her friend, but Dani put her hand under Rahne's chin and gently brought Rahne back face to face with her.
"Have you?" Dani asked again
"A... wee bit. I've tried ...s...s... so verra hard... not tae," Rahne stammered, her voice growing weaker with each and every word, "I'm afraid... that... if I start, I... don' think that... I'd be able... t' stop..."
"Try, Rahne. Stop blaming your self for what happened, because it wasn't your fault. You never asked to be raped, and you sure as hell didn't, couldn't deserve it. Just let it go."
And she did. Rahne stopped repressing all the pain, shame and anguish that she had holding down for so very, very long. Dani comforted her as best she could as Rahne buried her face in Dani's chest, sobbing violently as she clung to Dani for comfort.
"I'msosorryI'msosorryI'msosorry," Rahne said hysterically as she cried in her friend's arms, "Ithoughtyewouldthinklesso'meorbemadatme...f'r...f'r..."
"Ssshhh...It's okay now, Rahne, it's okay sweet heart. You have nothing to apologize for. I understand, and I could never think less of you because you were raped." Dani said as she herself fought back her tears for Rahne and gently rocked the weeping Rahne back and forth.
"You have to be strong for her, You have to be strong for her," Dani repeated to herself again and again.
"It's...jus'... nae... fair! I've tried...all muh life...tae live...muh life...like... the good book...says! So what... did...I e'er do... t' deserve... somethin' like this?"
"Not a damn thing, Rahne. Not a goddamn thing. " Dani replied, without a moment's hesitation.
Some time later...
"Push with all your strength now." Cecelia said to Rahne. Rahne was lying on a mat on the floor with Cecelia holding Rahne's her legs in the air, bent slightly back. Rahne had been trying for the last five minutes to extend her leg while Cecelia tried to stop it by pressing her hands against the base of Rahne's feet. The point of the exercise was to build back up the strength in Rahne's legs that had been lost following her injures. Rahne, for her part, really wasn't cooperating.
"I'm tryin'." Rahne said, dejectedly.
"No you're not. You've barely even tried. The sooner you do this, the sooner you can do something else." Cecelia chided
Without responding, Rahne tried to lash out with her leg as best she could, hoping to 'accidentally' hit Cecelia and shut her up. Cecelia expected that however, and continued the exercise. Cecelia had to admit, she was very impressed that Rahne's legs showed the strength that they did, though that it wasn't much.
"Her body's recovery is unlike anything I've ever seen." The young doctor observed to herself, "Her body's still in relatively good shape, atrophy is minimum, she shows no physical signs of depression whatsoever despite the fact that has a severe case, and her recovery is faster than anyone that I've ever seen. She'll be ready for crutches in days, if that. How long before she recovers mentally though?"
"Ms. Reyes?"
"Yes, Rahne?"
"When... will I be able t' walk again?" Rahne asked carefully, not exactly certain she wanted an answer
Cecelia gritted her teeth. Despite the many, many times she had done it in the past, she was never very comfortable about delivering bad news when it came to a person's long-term health. The pleading she saw in their eyes, for her to somehow defy medical science and make them all better, pulled at her soul every time.
"It's...complicated. When you were... experimented on, they did massive damage to your leg cartilage and muscles. What's worse is that you suffered considerable atrophy because of how long you were strapped down to a bed. We were able reattach and repair most of the damaged muscles, but the damage was already done by then. I'm afraid that you'll likely need crutches for the rest of your life."
"Oh, I... see." Was Rahne's only reaction, which worried Cecelia immensely.
"I can't believe how strongly she's repressing her pain. Anger seems to be the only emotion she's allowing herself to feel." Cecelia thought.
"A cripple. A bloody cripple. Serves me right, f'r muh sins." Rahne thought to herself.
"We've done enough exercise for today Rahne. Why don't we get you back to your room so you can rest?" Cecelia suggested
Rahne didn't respond. She just crawled back up into her wheel chair, waving off any help from Cecelia.
"I'll take that as a yes." Cecelia wheeled Rahne back to her room, and helped her get back into her bed.
"Is there anything you need Rahne? A book, perhaps?" Cecelia suggested
"Yes. Fer... everyone... tae... leave... me... alone. I don' deserve anyone's concern, sympathy or pity!" Rahne said emphatically.
"And why is that Rahne? You keep saying that, but you never say why. What makes you think that you deserved what happened to you?"
Rahne was silent.
"Before I removed the scars from the front of your body, I saw evidence of sulfuric acid burns along with signs of frost bite. I also saw evidence that your toe and fingernails had pulled out. Why did you deserve that? How could you deserve that?" Cecelia demanded.
Rahne didn't respond at first, but tears were forming in her eyes and she bit her bottom lip so hard that it bled.
"I... jus' do." Rahne said as she wiped the small speck of blood away.
She didn't have to respond, though. Cecelia, recalling what Dani had told her about Rahne's upbringing, how strict and harsh it was, and suddenly realized why Rahne blamed herself so strongly. Cecelia had seen it a thousand times in the E.R and right now, wanted to kick herself for not realizing it sooner. Cecelia quickly changed the subject.
"Look, Rahne, we can take those casts off your arm today. Let me find Dani, and we'll get that done, okay?"
Rahne just nodded her head in agreement.
***
Although she was surrounded by the Brood with no means of retreat, Danielle Moonstar couldn't really bring herself to much focus on her predicament.
"Why her, of all people?" Dani thought to herself as she hit another broodling with one of her psychic arrows. Dani needed to burn off some hatred, hatred at those who had tortured her closest friend, hatred at the great spirits or whatever Supreme Being there was for letting something so horrible happen to some one so innocent, before she saw Rahne again, and the Danger Room was the perfect place to do it, even if it made Dani feel guilty for not being at Rahne's side. Only it wasn't working as planned. Dani was still pissed. She rolled and hit another one of creatures without breaking a sweat.
"I'm too used to hitting something to solve my problems." Dani thought to herself, "And that's not about to help bring back the old Rahne. The old Rahne who blushed the entire time in sex education, who was always so full of life, who had the sweetest smile."
Two more brood launched themselves at Dani while she deep in thought. In a fluid motion, she ducked under them and unleashed her powers at the deadly alien insects, hit them her arrows.
"Spirits, I miss that smile so much now. She was such an innocent and naïve girl. She was the only New Mutant who didn't know that Craig was her father. Why on earth does she think that she deserved what happened to her?"
Lost in her thoughts, Dani almost didn't notice a single broodling sneak up behind her. Almost. She readied a psychic arrow and steadied herself but before she could do anything, it faded away and the entire environment disappeared. Dani spun around and saw Cecelia standing by the control panel. For some reason, Dani dreaded what Cecelia was going to say, even though she had no idea what it was, just by judging from the expression on her face.
"Dani, we need to talk about Rahne."
"What's wrong? Is she okay? Spirits, stupid question, I mean, is there another problem?" Dani asked worriedly
"I think I know why Rahne blames herself for what happened to her, Dani and... it's pretty bad." When Cecelia explained her suspicions and told Dani her supporting evidence, Dani felt weak in the knees and was crying for her friend.
"Nononononononono, not her please not her not Rahne," Dani pleaded as she shook her head, as if in the hopes to dislodge the suspicions of the X- Men's doctor from her mind, "please not that, no..."
"I'm so sorry." Cecelia said as she put her hands on Dani's shoulder to both comfort and steady her, "I know this is hard."
"Are you sure? Couldn't you be wrong?" she asked desperately.
"I don't think so. I really wish I was. But I've worked the E.R enough recognize to the symptoms, and I talked to Hank before I came here. We compared notes, and he agrees with me. She's hurt and confused right now, emotionally unable to come to terms with what happened. I think that's why she's lashing out at everyone."
"Spirits, why the hell didn't you tell me about this sooner!?" Dani asked as she smacked Cecelia's hand away. Dani was livid now, her only defense mechanism against breaking down herself.
"Because we didn't know and we all thought it was best that Rahne come to us about what happened, rather than trying to pry it out of her. But, if I'm right, that may not be a good idea. Do you think you can get her to open up?"
"I...I'll... do my best. I'll confront her about it once we get her casts off. I like Hel that you're wrong."
"So do I, Dani. So do I."
Dani took a moment to collect herself, wiping the tears from her face, "What do I need to know to help her, if you're right?"
***
"They don' know. What will they think of me when they do?" Rahne fearfully asked herself as she heard Cecelia and Dani return. She wasn't sure how long she could keep her secret from them and that worried her incredibly. In time they would know, and they would hate her for it.
"We're ready to get those casts off your arms now Rahne. Dani, could you help me hold her arms steady?" Cecelia asked as she looked around for her surgical scissors. Once she found them, she walked towards Rahne, but that's not what, and who, Rahne saw.
Rahne saw a faceless doctor in medical scrubs that were splattered in blood. Her blood. The same doctor who had tortured her so many times before. She looked around and saw that she was back the room where she had been experimented in for so long, strapped down nude to a medical bed in preparation to be tortured further. She could hear the woman walk towards her, smell the anti-septic in the room and feel the straps on her wrists and ankles holding her down, making her helpless to defend herself.
"No! Nooo! Get away!!" Rahne screamed as she thrashed about frantically.
"Rahne! Rainy! Calm down! It's okay, It's okay!" Dani said as she tried to restrain her friend to prevent her from hurting herself. Rahne blinked twice, and realized she was still at the mansion, still safe.
"I... was there, back in the labs. I... know I was. I could even smell it..." Rahne explained, quite dumfounded and shaking like a leaf.
"No, you weren't, Rahne. You were here the entire time..." Dani reassured her.
"She must have had a flash back when she saw me, Dani." Cecelia explained, "They happen in cases of trauma like... this."
"What do ye mean, 'in cases like this'?" Rahne asked, still quaking from what she 'saw'.
"It's hard to explain, Rahne. Sometimes when a person lives thru something as... traumatic as what you survived Rahne, sometimes they may... relive the experience when they see something that reminds them of what they went thru. Sometimes it happens with P.O.Ws, or in cases of child abuse."
"So, I'm ne'er gonna truly be free o' the labs, am I?" Rahne said miserably
"You're already are free, Rahne. And I promise you, with our help, you'll be free of the nightmares as well."
Rahne looked away, as though she couldn't truly believe Cecelia.
"Rahne, why don't you close you eyes while she takes your casts off? It might be easier for you." Dani said. Rahne nodded in response. Cecelia quickly cut the casts off and peeled them back. Rahne's skin underneath was pale and flaky, since it had been weeks since they were exposed to the air.
"I think we ought to give you a bath now that we got those casts off, Rahne. It'll help wash away all the dead skin and I'm sure you'll feel a lot better afterwards." Cecelia suggested
"I may as well. I feel filthy as it is." Rahne said. Cecelia and Dani glanced at each other, as though the statement confirmed a suspicion. Dani helped her out of her bed and into her wheel chair. When they got to the tub, Rahne tried to stand up to get in the tub with her cloths still on, but almost fell down before Dani caught her.
"Whoa! Slow down a sec, Rahne! You have to get undressed first before you take a bath, you know."
"I ken bathe muhself, thank ye, Dani. I don' need yuir help." Rahne said coarsely.
"Not in your condition, Rahne. We've been thru this already. There's no shame in admitting that you need help, and we're both women here. Now hold your legs out so we can get these sweat pants off." Dani said. Rahne complied, and once Dani got Rahne's shirt off, Dani again saw all the scars that littered Rahne's back. There were at least two-dozen of them all over. Some were small; others were somewhat oddly shaped, while a several, rugged and twisted like ropes, ran the entire length of her back. On some parts, Rahne's scars had scars on them, several looked sickeningly like cigarette burns. Rahne's entire back looked like one might expect the back of a rebellious slave of the old South to look like, rough and ugly undeserved scars on every inch, marring the body of an innocent.
"Spirits, there are so many." Dani sighed silently, and not for the first time.
"It's a tic tac toe board, isn't it?" Rahne asked, "I cannae even feel muh back anymore."
"It's... nothing we can't fix, Rahne. Don't you worry about it." Dani said as she helped Rahne into the tub. Dani couldn't help but notice how Rahne was trembling when she was fully inside the tub.
"Something wrong, Rahne? You look uncomfortable." Dani asked
"It's jus' that...they...nothin'. I'm fine."
Dani turned the water on and left to get some washcloths. When she came back, the room was thick with steam. Dani could see that Rahne had started filling the tub, and she went over to test the water with her hand.
"Yow!" She yelped. Dani quickly turned the hot water down and turned the cold water up. Rahne didn't seem the least bit concerned about, or effected by, the heat.
"Cripes Rahne, you could have burned yourself! What were you thinking?" Dani demanded as she looked Rahne over for any signs of scalding. Thankfully, she didn't find any.
Rahne just looked away, unable to meet Dani's gaze. "I'm filthy. I jus' want...I need tae be clean, is all an' I've had enough o' cold water."
"Well, that's why we're here. I'll wash your back, okay?"
"Fine."
As Dani helped Rahne bathe, Dani noted how Rahne scrubbed herself with the washcloth. Rahne was slow and deliberate, concentrating mainly on her lower body, and scrubbed herself so hard that Rahne left red marks on her skin. Rahne did that all over her body for a considerable amount of time. Dani also noticed that Rahne seemed to wince, ever so slightly, every time she touched her. This was all nothing new of course, but Dani didn't see these actions in the same light as she did before. Dani took a shampoo bottle and placed a small amount in Rahne's short hair and scrubbed it in.
"Okay, Rahne, you're going to need to lean back to get this out." Dani started to gently pull Rahne back so that they could rinse the soap out of her hair, but Rahne's arms shot to the side of the tub with incredible speed and strength, holding her firmly in place.
"I'm nae leanin' back, Dani." Rahne said, her voice filled with fear.
"What? Why?"
"I jus' don' want tae."
"Rahne, it'll be alright. I'm right here and I won't let you drown." Dani said soothingly "We just need to get the shampoo out of your hair. It'll only take a minute, promise."
"It ken stay in muh hair f'r all I care, Dani. I'm nae leanin' back."
Dani decided not to press the point. She cupped her hands, and poured the water over Rahne's head to get the shampoo out.
"Is there any reason why you don't want to lean back?" Dani asked.
Rahne didn't reply, but she insisted on bathing for two hours before she finally agreed to get out. Dani helped her out of the tub and into a robe before she took Rahne back to her room. When Dani got Rahne back into bed, Dani closed the door to the room and locked it shut.
"Time for the moment of truth, Moonstar." She thought to herself.
Dani took a deep breath. Dani knew what she had to do, but she would have preferred it that Rahne come to her for help, that she didn't have to tear it out of Rahne like this. But Dani also knew that Rahne would never come to her, or indeed anyone, about something like this. Rahne would just bottle up it up while it ate away at her soul for the rest of her life.
And Dani would die a thousands times before she let that happen to anyone, let alone Rahne.
Dani walked over to Rahne and sat down beside her, her hands clasped together in front of her.
"Rahne, we... need to talk about something."
"I told ye, time an' again, I dinnae remember whit those horrid men did t' me, Dani! Why won't anyone believe me?" Rahne said emphatically
"Because, one, you then told me that you deserved what happened to you and two, you were lying. You're lying now. It's something you don't do very well, remember? You can't even keep your story straight. You don't just forget torture, though you may think you do. It's called denial and it sure as hell isn't healthy."
"Why the bloody hell do I have tae tell ye what happened tae me? Why cannae ye jus' leave it be!" Rahne all but screamed.
"Because like I explained, you can't be expected to cope with what happened to you on your own, and you don't have too." Dani said. With an amazing amount of willpower, Dani said, "While you were a prisoner on that island, you were raped, weren't you?"
It was more a statement of fact than a question. Rahne's heart stopped for a moment and a look of fear, shock and shame came across her face when Dani said that. Dani could almost feel it when Rahne's heart started pounding again.
"That's...silly, Dani. They did...a lot o' things t' me...but nae..." Rahne couldn't bring herself to finish her sentence. Her eyes started to water, "I don' want ta talk aboot it. Yuir wrong, Dani. You. Are. Wrong. They dinnae rape me."
"You're lying to me again, Rahne. If they didn't rape you, why did you freak out when Kurt touched you? Why do you hate to be touched by anyone? Why don't you want to talk to any of your male friends? Why did you just scrub yourself so hard that you left red marks? Those are all post rape symptoms! Now tell me what happened while you were a prisoner, please!"
Rahne looked away, unable to look Dani in the eyes and not for the first time,
"Please, Rahne, whatever happened, I won't think any less of you, and you know that. I love you and just want to help you. But I can't do that if you won't tell me what happened. I'm begging you Rahne, tell me what happened."
Rahne took moment to control her emotions, and started to recount what had happened to her shortly after she was captured...
"If ye must know..."
***
"Whatever ye dae tae me an' the others, the X-Men will make ye regret it!" Rahne shouted defiantly. When they first captured her, they had foolishly held her with the other superhuman prisoners before they moved her, where she met had Kyle Dibney, A.K.A Wild Child. He had prevented Feral from trying to rip Rahne's throat out. Of course, Rahne could have wiped the floor with Feral, she'd done it before after all, but it wouldn't have been very productive. While they were gathered in the cell, John Calvin appeared over a holographic message to thank them for helping the cause of medical science and gave some high and mighty speech about how the goods of the many came before the good of the few. Of course, they all resolved to work together to break out after they heard that line. As they were waiting for the guard shift, Wolfsbane made small talk with Wild Child, catching up on what had happened with X-Factor after she had left the team. Rahne learned that Kyle had just regained his humanity before he was captured, and was uncertain if he was still human anymore. Rahne related her own stories of self-loathing and how she had overcome her own fear, which helped him a lot. Their plans to escape, however, were not to be. They had flooded the cell with knock out gas in preparation to moving them into their individual cells. Only Rahne, who expected that tactic and could hold her breath longer, was still conscience when they came in. She managed to tag some of the guards, but the tasers the guards used combined with the gas took her out before she could make any real progress.
The fact that Rahne was still very depressed over the death of her mother did nothing to hinder her resistance. She still fought her captors with all her strength every chance she got. In her first day as a prisoner, she had already disabled three more guards before she was thrown in her own personal cell. Rather than waste her strength on the bars that she knew could withstand her strength, she lay down on the cot they provide and tried to think of a way to escape and get help. They let her stew for a little bit before two guards came to collect her.
"Get up, mutie. You're coming with us." The man said lecherously
"Ye better have somethin' tae back that up, because I'm nae aboot tae go anywhere with ye." With a thought, Rahne changed into her wolf form and flashed her claws. These men didn't scare Wolfsbane in the slightest.
Without replying, one of the guards pulled out a dart gun and shot Rahne in the thigh with it. The dart barely broke the skin and Rahne quickly pulled it out, but it was too late. Her brown fur and claws disappeared back into her body and she couldn't 'feel' her powers anymore.
"That drug effectively turns your powers off for two days. Now, if I have to come in there, I'll be very unhappy. And you don't want that."
Swallowing her pride, Rahne walked out of her cell peacefully. The two guards led her thru the complex to what seemed like a cafeteria filled with at least three-dozen men.
"The entertainments here, boys! Gather 'round!" The first guard shouted.
"Entertainment? What...what are ye talking aboot?" Rahne still hadn't realized their intentions yet, but she was afraid all the same. One of the other men, who Rahne guessed was the leader, stepped forward. He was tall with a heavy set and an unshaved face wearing imitation military fatigues. Normally, the sight of such a man wouldn't scare Rahne in the least, but at the moment, she was nothing more than a powerless eighteen year-old girl.
"Name's Jack. Me and the boys haven't had any fun in a while, what with being cooped on this island for so long, so the bosses decided that we could have a little fun with the patients before they cut them up. Seeing as how you're the best lookin' of the bunch, you've been elected."
Rahne suddenly realized what they wanted and she started to struggle with all her strength. The two guards, however, easily restrained her. Jack walked up to Rahne and punched her hard in the stomach, driving the air out of her lungs. Rahne dropped to the floor on her knees, barely able to breath or see.
"Knock it off, bitch. You're not impressing anyone." He said. The other two guards let go of Rahne and he pushed her down on her back. Rahne was in too much agony to resist as he ripped her shirt off and yanked her pants down around her ankles. Rahne tried to resist, but two other men took her wrists and stood on them. Jack took out a cigarette and lit it, waiting for Rahne to regain her wits.
"Don', please don't ...anythin' but that..." Rahne begged as she gasped for air. Jack just smiled in response.
"You should be flattered, girl. You get the attentions of all these men just for you!" Jack smiled as he unbuckled his pants. Rahne closed her eyes and looked away as he approached her. Rahne promised herself that she wouldn't scream as she felt him enter her, and ruthlessly tore thru her maidenhead. Horrible pain from between her legs shot thru her body as he cruelly took her virginity, her innocence. Deciding that raping her wasn't enough, Jack took the cigarette and held just barely over Rahne's left breast, so that she could feel the heat but wasn't burned.
"Open your eyes and look, you little bitch, or I'll burn you." He threatened. Rahne, too afraid to disobey him, did as she was told. Jack looked into her tear filled eyes, smiling and very pleased with himself. "See? That's not so bad is it? You're even starting to enjoy it, aren't you, you little slut? This slut is wet already!"
The other men started to cheer and laugh at the comment. Rahne didn't respond. She just wanted to die, to be taken away from all this pain and humiliation. Rahne couldn't tell how long Jack grinded himself against her body, her first rape was just a blur of pain and degradation. She finally felt him shutter in climax, and as he stood up, he kicked her hard in the ribs, almost breaking them.
"Homo superior, huh? Sure don't seem so superior to me!" He sneered as Rahne lay on her side, her vision swimming from the pain and degradation. That comment brought even more cheers as another man replaced Jack inside of her. And then another. And another. Rahne had little idea about how many men had violated her, even though they made her watch every one of her rapes, beating her if she closed her eyes or cried too hard. One man made her sing 'I'm dreaming of a white Christmas', while another made her pretend that she was enjoying herself by yelling how he was a sex god and that she was thankful that he had taken her. But after a while, all the men just blended into one man, continually abusing and humiliating her.
When they were finally done with her, they forced her to clean up the room she had been violated in, 'for fun'. They forced her to clean the room on her hands and knees nude, using her ripped T-shirt and jeans that her mother had given her for her birthday as rags, all the while leering at her body. By the time they dragged her back to her cell to recover, she had recovered her powers but she never used the chance to use them to escape. Rahne never resisted them again after that, even after they started their painful experiments on her.
***
Dani was horrified, to say the least, as Rahne described what had happened to her, and by the fact that Rahne, for the most part, seemed quite calm about describing it. But only on the surface.
"Why the hell do you think that you deserved to be raped, Rahne? You were a victim!"
"Because_I_enjoyed_it! They treated me like a whore... an' I liked it!"
"What the hell are you talking about, Rahne?"
"While they their way wit' me, muh body...reacted...I was... aroused, like some slut! A whore... like...like Craig always said I was! He was right aboot me!" She replied. Rahne started to shake slightly and tears were forming in her eyes...
With anyone else, Dani would have been fighting the urge to smack them upside the head and yell at them for thinking something so foolish, so stupid, but Dani understood Rahne in a way few others did, "Rahne, you're the innocent victim of a horrible crime, and nothing more! Your body is like a machine, and it will always, always react to stimulus, regardless of consent!"
"But...I..."
"If you're cut and you bleed, does that mean you want to bleed?"
"O'... course nae, but I..."
"If you're cold, you shiver, right?" Dani said quickly
"Yes...but..."
"And if you're hot, Rahne, you sweat! And as a woman, your body will always react a certain way during sex, regardless of consent or pleasure! I know you're not an expert on sex, but you've worked with one of the best doctors in the world, you know it's true!" Dani pulled Rahne close to comfort her, and held her tight as Rahne started to tremble even more, tears flowing more freely now.
"I know the lies Craig filled your mind with when you were growing up. He told you that women who were raped were asking for it, didn't he?" Dani asked, though she already knew the answer, "That they somehow, in someway, deserved it, because of how they acted or dressed."
"Aye." Rahne confirmed, "He... once said that... a woman who was... raped... brought... it on herself...because o' how...she...she...acted...or dressed... that...she was...t' blame...always..."
"And he was wrong, Rahne." Dani growled, without really meaning to, "Just like he was wrong about you being a devilspawn, and just like he was wrong about all mutants being evil. You never once gave them consent, Rahne. You know that, so don't blame yourself for what your body did, please! They took the ultimate expression of love between a man and woman and twisted it to hurt you, but it. wasn't. your. fault!"
"I... always hoped... muh... f...f...first time... would be ...wit'...with someone I loved... an' who... loved me," Rahne sobbed.
"I know, Rahne, I know. I'm so sorry."
"I shid have...have... fought them harder," Rahne choked, "I...jus' dinnae want... tae be hurt like...like...that... again. I was ...so weak..."
"You weren't weak, Rahne. You did what you had to too survive, and that's what's truly important. You...you haven't cried about what happened to you, have you? About how they hurt you." Dani asked, though she already knew the answer.
Rahne was visibly quacking by now, with tears running down her face and Dani could sense that Rahne was just barely holding back the floodgates of her pain. Rahne started to look away, unable to face her friend, but Dani put her hand under Rahne's chin and gently brought Rahne back face to face with her.
"Have you?" Dani asked again
"A... wee bit. I've tried ...s...s... so verra hard... not tae," Rahne stammered, her voice growing weaker with each and every word, "I'm afraid... that... if I start, I... don' think that... I'd be able... t' stop..."
"Try, Rahne. Stop blaming your self for what happened, because it wasn't your fault. You never asked to be raped, and you sure as hell didn't, couldn't deserve it. Just let it go."
And she did. Rahne stopped repressing all the pain, shame and anguish that she had holding down for so very, very long. Dani comforted her as best she could as Rahne buried her face in Dani's chest, sobbing violently as she clung to Dani for comfort.
"I'msosorryI'msosorryI'msosorry," Rahne said hysterically as she cried in her friend's arms, "Ithoughtyewouldthinklesso'meorbemadatme...f'r...f'r..."
"Ssshhh...It's okay now, Rahne, it's okay sweet heart. You have nothing to apologize for. I understand, and I could never think less of you because you were raped." Dani said as she herself fought back her tears for Rahne and gently rocked the weeping Rahne back and forth.
"You have to be strong for her, You have to be strong for her," Dani repeated to herself again and again.
"It's...jus'... nae... fair! I've tried...all muh life...tae live...muh life...like... the good book...says! So what... did...I e'er do... t' deserve... somethin' like this?"
"Not a damn thing, Rahne. Not a goddamn thing. " Dani replied, without a moment's hesitation.