Chapter 8: Discover and Recovery
Dominic forced open the door. The glass was brushed to one side as it swung open. The living was clean, except for the glass from the front door.
They walked down the hall towards Kristine's room, cautious of anything that might harm them. Theresa turned her head and starred right into the hole the size of herself.
"Holy shit." She whispered under her breath. Dominic came to her side as Marcus walked into the room.
The shower was running in the adjacent bathroom. He walked in and called for help. The two came running and starred at what the shower.
Kristine laid there naked, tied with barbed wire, blood washing away from the wounds they left. Her entire face was swollen, and cuts lined her body.
"Is she still."Theresa moved closer.
Marcus checked and then pulled her out. "Yeah, but barely. She needs help now."
He went to lay her on the bed. It was covered in bed, most likely hers.
He laid her on the floor and carefully undid the barbed wire before wrapping in a towel.
"Hey Dom, I think you might want to get out of here before the cops come." Theresa said, hanging up her cell phone.
"Right." He kissed her and left.
The sirens of the police and an ambulance followed the sound of him leaving.
They came in and pushed Marcus aside. They did all the necessary things before transporting her away.
Marcus road with her while Theresa followed close behind.
She pulled out her cell phone and called Sandy.
"Hello?"
"Kickass, get to the hospital."
"Which one?"
"Saint Francis." "What? Why?"
"It's Kris. She's been attacked. It's fucking bad too."
"What happened?" Sherrie said in the background.
"Kris is hurt."
"How?"
"Stop with all the damn side convo. Shit, just get there."
"Al'right." Sandy hung up the phone. Theresa threw hers in the glove department as they pulled into the hospital. ***************
Both teams waited in silence in the waiting room. The paramedics had lost a heartbeat on the way and were in the middle of resuscitation when she was rushed into the ER.
That had been two hours ago. Now they waited for the doctor to come out and tell them what's going on. And it seemed they got their wish.
A short man with a round stomach and small face walked out and went to Marcus. Everyone surrounded him, making him a bit uncomfortable.
"I'm Doctor Atwater. Right Kristine is in ICU. She is in shock but it's coming down. She also lost a lot of blood."
"What else doc?" Theresa asked.
"I think we should go to a private room." He replied.
"Is it big enough for all of us?"
"Yes but ."
"But nothing. This is her family. We're all she's got now."
"All right. Follow me." The doctor led the way to a conference room. Vince, the last one in the room, closed the door.
"Okay, would you like the whole story?"
"It would help." Theresa said.
"Okay. Like I said, she's in shock. She has also been rapped. And I have never seen anything like it. Her arm is broken and.
"Wait." Sandy said. "What do you mean you've never seen anything like it?"
"She was. she was cut. Badly."
"I know. I saw the wounds. What does that have to do with her being raped?" Marcus stated.
"She was cut in her vagina. She has rope burns on her wrist, which means she was tied. Her jawbone is fractured. Three of her ribs are broken, her right lung almost collapsed." The doctor had to start reading from the chart. " A small stab wound in the back, and a concussion." The doctor closed the chart and looked at everyone in the room.
"I doubt she will be the same mentally if she heals from all of this."
"If?" Sherrie repeated.
"Yes if. She is in a coma. There's a chance she might not make it through the night."
Everyone turned to one another. The women of team Intensity looked at each other. One of their-own might die. And it was the one they though would be the last to go. They had been together since high school. Now that might not be the case.
"We've given her three pints of blood and we have repaired the physical damage but it's up to her to fight for life. You can go visit her but only three people at a time."
The doctor turned and left to talk to the police who waited for him in his office.
Marcus stood and went to the nurse's station to find her room.
He walked in alone. The room held no walls. The only sounds came from the life support machine. Kristine laid in the bed, her arm in a cast, her jaw wired shut and her head bandaged.
He had always felt uncomfortable about hospitals, ever since his uncle's death.
He moved to her sided and took her hand. He noticed how her skin had become pale and her lips colorless and chapped. How her hands seemed to be unable to steal any heat from his. She seemed asleep, her eyes moving every once in a while.
He kissed her hand and bowed his head in pray when Theresa and Dom came in. They waited for him to finish before they moved to the bed.
Theresa broke the silence. "Damn. I never thought this would happen."
"Her hand is bruised." Dom pointed out. "She fought back."
Theresa walked beside Marcus.
"How you holding up?"
"I'm going to kill them. All of 'em."
"How long have you known her?" Dom asked him.
"Since last week. But, I don't know. I feel connected to her. Like I've known for longer." He starred out at the wall. "I hope they burn in hell for this."
Theresa looked out the window to find Sand and Sherrie getting in a car and leaving.
"What the fuck?" Theresa ran to the door.
"What?" Dom asked.
"They're going after Tran." Theresa ran out the room with Dominic on her heels.
Marcus kissed her hand again.
"I'm going to avenge this. Tonight."
He kissed her forehead and left, knowing no one saw him leave the hospital.
Dominic forced open the door. The glass was brushed to one side as it swung open. The living was clean, except for the glass from the front door.
They walked down the hall towards Kristine's room, cautious of anything that might harm them. Theresa turned her head and starred right into the hole the size of herself.
"Holy shit." She whispered under her breath. Dominic came to her side as Marcus walked into the room.
The shower was running in the adjacent bathroom. He walked in and called for help. The two came running and starred at what the shower.
Kristine laid there naked, tied with barbed wire, blood washing away from the wounds they left. Her entire face was swollen, and cuts lined her body.
"Is she still."Theresa moved closer.
Marcus checked and then pulled her out. "Yeah, but barely. She needs help now."
He went to lay her on the bed. It was covered in bed, most likely hers.
He laid her on the floor and carefully undid the barbed wire before wrapping in a towel.
"Hey Dom, I think you might want to get out of here before the cops come." Theresa said, hanging up her cell phone.
"Right." He kissed her and left.
The sirens of the police and an ambulance followed the sound of him leaving.
They came in and pushed Marcus aside. They did all the necessary things before transporting her away.
Marcus road with her while Theresa followed close behind.
She pulled out her cell phone and called Sandy.
"Hello?"
"Kickass, get to the hospital."
"Which one?"
"Saint Francis." "What? Why?"
"It's Kris. She's been attacked. It's fucking bad too."
"What happened?" Sherrie said in the background.
"Kris is hurt."
"How?"
"Stop with all the damn side convo. Shit, just get there."
"Al'right." Sandy hung up the phone. Theresa threw hers in the glove department as they pulled into the hospital. ***************
Both teams waited in silence in the waiting room. The paramedics had lost a heartbeat on the way and were in the middle of resuscitation when she was rushed into the ER.
That had been two hours ago. Now they waited for the doctor to come out and tell them what's going on. And it seemed they got their wish.
A short man with a round stomach and small face walked out and went to Marcus. Everyone surrounded him, making him a bit uncomfortable.
"I'm Doctor Atwater. Right Kristine is in ICU. She is in shock but it's coming down. She also lost a lot of blood."
"What else doc?" Theresa asked.
"I think we should go to a private room." He replied.
"Is it big enough for all of us?"
"Yes but ."
"But nothing. This is her family. We're all she's got now."
"All right. Follow me." The doctor led the way to a conference room. Vince, the last one in the room, closed the door.
"Okay, would you like the whole story?"
"It would help." Theresa said.
"Okay. Like I said, she's in shock. She has also been rapped. And I have never seen anything like it. Her arm is broken and.
"Wait." Sandy said. "What do you mean you've never seen anything like it?"
"She was. she was cut. Badly."
"I know. I saw the wounds. What does that have to do with her being raped?" Marcus stated.
"She was cut in her vagina. She has rope burns on her wrist, which means she was tied. Her jawbone is fractured. Three of her ribs are broken, her right lung almost collapsed." The doctor had to start reading from the chart. " A small stab wound in the back, and a concussion." The doctor closed the chart and looked at everyone in the room.
"I doubt she will be the same mentally if she heals from all of this."
"If?" Sherrie repeated.
"Yes if. She is in a coma. There's a chance she might not make it through the night."
Everyone turned to one another. The women of team Intensity looked at each other. One of their-own might die. And it was the one they though would be the last to go. They had been together since high school. Now that might not be the case.
"We've given her three pints of blood and we have repaired the physical damage but it's up to her to fight for life. You can go visit her but only three people at a time."
The doctor turned and left to talk to the police who waited for him in his office.
Marcus stood and went to the nurse's station to find her room.
He walked in alone. The room held no walls. The only sounds came from the life support machine. Kristine laid in the bed, her arm in a cast, her jaw wired shut and her head bandaged.
He had always felt uncomfortable about hospitals, ever since his uncle's death.
He moved to her sided and took her hand. He noticed how her skin had become pale and her lips colorless and chapped. How her hands seemed to be unable to steal any heat from his. She seemed asleep, her eyes moving every once in a while.
He kissed her hand and bowed his head in pray when Theresa and Dom came in. They waited for him to finish before they moved to the bed.
Theresa broke the silence. "Damn. I never thought this would happen."
"Her hand is bruised." Dom pointed out. "She fought back."
Theresa walked beside Marcus.
"How you holding up?"
"I'm going to kill them. All of 'em."
"How long have you known her?" Dom asked him.
"Since last week. But, I don't know. I feel connected to her. Like I've known for longer." He starred out at the wall. "I hope they burn in hell for this."
Theresa looked out the window to find Sand and Sherrie getting in a car and leaving.
"What the fuck?" Theresa ran to the door.
"What?" Dom asked.
"They're going after Tran." Theresa ran out the room with Dominic on her heels.
Marcus kissed her hand again.
"I'm going to avenge this. Tonight."
He kissed her forehead and left, knowing no one saw him leave the hospital.