Danny screamed, as the knife entered his shoulder and he rolled off of Max. Max felt numb, and like she couldn't move. Her whole body felt like it was one big bruise, and her mind was screaming in agony. Shivering she wrapped her arms around herself, and pulled up her torn pants. Bleary eyed, she saw Jimmy radio for back up, and read Danny his rights. She felt a hand on her shoulder, and Max sprung to her feet ready to fight again.
"Don't touch me!" she yelled, pushing the hand away.
Kenny stepped back, and saw the blind terror on her face. There was an innate wildness in her eyes, and she was shaking so badly that all he wanted to do was hold her and tell her everything would be alright. From the way she was wrapped around herself, Kenny knew that would only make things worse. Max stared at him like she didn't even know who he was.
"Max?" he said cautiously, not wanting to frighten her anymore. Kenny's relief that she was alive knew no bounds, but she was scaring him at that moment. "It's going to be okay."
She shook her head at that, but still couldn't bring herself to speak. The whole world seemed to blur, and she could hear and see the people around her, but they didn't seem quite real. Shaking, she sunk to the ground again, and prayed for it to swallow her up. Max didn't want to deal with the pain. Kenny crouched down beside her, and wrapped his jacket around her shivering form. He and Jimmy locked eyes over Max's head, as Danny was being lead back to the squad cars, after they staunched the bleeding in his shoulder. Max had driven the knife in deeply, and the blood flowed quickly.
"You bitch!" Danny continued to scream as he was led away. "I'll kill you for this! You're just like all the others!"
Max moaned, as Jimmy sent the others to search the abandoned mill where Danny had been hiding all these months. He knelt down beside Kenny, and immediately wanted to kill Danny Shreve himself for the angst he saw in Max's face. Shaking, dirty, battered, and bruised, she looked like she had been through a war.
"We're going to get you out of here," he said gently. "Can you walk?"
Max nodded weakly, and tried to focus on what was going on. She struggled to get to her feet, and felt a wave of dizziness came over her as she stood. Stumbling, she knelt down, and tried to regain some control over her body. Taking a deep breath, she tried to steady herself, both physically and mentally.
Kenny felt sick while he watched her, and wanted to blow Danny's head off. Looking at her torn clothes, and the scratches and bruises on her body, he wanted the man dead. Jimmy, his face set like a stone, radioed for an ambulance to meet them at the road.
"Max?" Kenny said carefully, as she turned to look at him with an expression of hopelessness. "Hey, he's gone now. You're-''
She shook her head and replied lowly. "He'll never be gone."
Kenny felt his heart break when she said that. Max looked like she had given up on life, and it killed him to see her like this. In the years that they had known each other, he had never seen her give up on anything. Max could be like a dog with a bone when she had her mind set on something. Glancing at Jimmy again, and feeling totally helpless with this deadly quiet version of the woman he loved, he turned back to her.
"Yes he will be. Shh, don't think about it now, don't worry about anything. Max, you're going to get out of here, and get you checked out at the hospital," Kenny said softly, as she just stared silently at him. "Can I help you up?"
He held out his hand to her, and Max grasped it like a lifeline. Jimmy motioned Skeeter over, and said. "Go with them to the hospital."
Skeeter nodded, and looked over at the young couple. Max looked shaky, and Skeeter felt a huge wave of sympathy pass over him, and he knew if anyone hurt his wife or kids the way Danny had hurt Max, he would probably kill them. She was holding Kenny's hand, and Skeeter was positive that it was the only thing keeping her up.
"Hey guys," Skeeter said quietly. "You ready to go?"
Kenny nodded, and before she could protest lifted Max into his arms. She felt the momentary urge to fight, but she hurt so much. She buried her face into his shoulder, and tried to ignore the feelings of despair running through her.
"Jimmy," Kneelson called, as he approached the mill. "You have to see all of this."
He followed Kneelson into the mill, and the immediate smell of decay hit him. Kneelson gestured towards the closet, green faced. Jimmy peered in, and recoiled at the familiar faces staring back at him. The faces of all the victims that Danny had killed were mounted on the wall in the closet. He closed the door, and replied. "Leave it until the forensics team arrives. Nobody is going to touch that until then."
Kneelson nodded, and Jimmy couldn't get those four faces out of his mind. Rachel Harris, he thought, thinking to his battles with her when she was the mayor. He knew Jill was going to be devastated by Rachel's death, especially following the loss of Joey so soon. He followed Kneelson into the back of the mill, where they found the room where Max had been kept for the past 17 hours. Handcuffs dangling from the metal bedposts, and a bobby pin lying on the pillow. Jimmy felt immediately proud of her resourcefulness.
"Look at this," Erickson called, gesturing to the envelope full of pictures of the murder that were spilled out in the next room. "He has more pile of pictures too. I don't know how long he has been following Max for, but he has enough photos to start his own gallery."
"Bag everything," Jimmy said, as the forensics team arrived.
999999999999999
Max sat alone in the examining room, wearing nothing but a paper robe. She crossed her arms across her chest, and thought about how much she didn't want to be here. She didn't want anybody to know what Danny had done to her. When she closed her eyes, Max could still see him leering over her. She could feel his hands touching her, and the realization that he was probably going to kill her and there was nothing she could do about it. She buried her face in her hands, and wished for anything that would make the last 24 hours disappear.
Jill paused at the door of the examining room, and studied Max. After she talked to Kenny and Skeeter, Jill realized that they didn't know anything either, and Max certainly wasn't talking. The poor woman, Jill thought, and felt guilty because she had worked with Danny for years and not realized what a nut he was.
"Max," Jill said, venturing into the room, as her head shot up. Jill didn't like the look in her eyes, so she didn't venture in to close. "I want to take a look at you to make sure everything is alright. Did he hurt you?"
"He hit me," she whispered, thinking back to their tangle in the woods. "He threw me to the ground, and…."
Jill waited patiently as Max paused to collect herself before continuing.
"He raped me," she finished, her voice trembling as she choked the words out.
"Okay," Jill said sadly, trying to retain her professionalism. "I'm going to examine you, and I promise I won't hurt you."
"I don't want anyone to know," she whimpered. "Please."
"That's not an option," Jill said gently. "You know that, and I know you don't want Danny to get away with this."
Max flinched at the sound of his name, but nodded.
"Relax and lie back," Jill coaxed, as she reached for the rape kit. "I promise you that you'll be okay. You're a strong and intelligent woman, and I know you'll work through it."
Max didn't say anything as she lay back on the examining table, but she wasn't sure she agreed with Jill. She bit her lip, and held in a scream as Jill examined her down there and took the samples for evidence.
999999999999999
Jimmy walked into the hospital waiting room, as Jill was completing the rape kit. Kenny looked completely drained, and Skeeter was covered in filth from stomping through the woods all night.
"Any word?" Jimmy asked.
"Jill's in there with her," Kenny replied. "And one of the photographers went in there to take pictures of the bruising."
"How is she? Has she said anything?" Jimmy asked feeling concerned for his honorary daughter.
Kenny shook his head. "She's in shock, just going through the motions. I could kill Danny for this."
"He won't hurt anyone again, we have enough evidence to put him away for life," Jimmy replied, knowing that it wasn't much comfort then, but it was something. Jill came out of the examine room there, and spoke to a nurse quickly before heading over to the three men.
"Is she okay?" Kenny asked quickly.
"Physically, she'll be fine," Jill started. "It's a lot of bruises and scratches, but it's more Max's mental state that I'm worried about. He raped her and beat her badly, and she's handling the way most people do. Max is in strong denial right now, and she wants it all to go away."
Kenny felt like someone kicked him when he heard that the bastard had raped her. It was one thing to suspect, but it took on a whole new level to have his suspicions confirmed. She's alive; he tried to reason to himself, he didn't kill her. If I have my way, he'll never get near her again.
"It is going to take some time," Jill continued. "We all know that. Go easy on Max when you question her. She is in a bad place right now."
"Is she up to questions?" Jimmy asked.
Jill shook her head. "Not tonight. Let her rest, it's going to be an uphill battle. She's fine to go home though."
"Can I see her?" Kenny asked.
Jill nodded cautiously. "Remember that she's just been through something traumatic, and she's not really herself right now."
"I know," Kenny agreed, thinking of her reactions in the woods, the fear clear on her face. Jill gestured towards the door, and Kenny felt momentarily afraid of Max's response to him. He had dealt with rape victims before, and he had seen some severe reactions before. If he had to pick one crime that disgusted him above all others, this would be it. He remembered when his sister had been raped, and even now 10 years later she was still dealing with it. Hesitantly, he rapped on the door before inching it open.
Max looked up when he entered, dressed in donated gray sweats and black shirt. Kenny tried not to stare at the huge bruise running down the right side of her face down to her shoulder.
"Hi," she whispered, not knowing what else to say.
"Hey, how you feeling?" he asked, pushing the door closed behind him and taking a few tentative steps forward and pausing waiting for her reaction. She looks half dead he thought.
"I'm okay," she replied, not sounding like she really meant it.
"Jill says you can go home," Kenny said. "She has some stuff to give you though."
"Yeah, she talked about therapy. Isn't that how this all got started?" Max said bitterly lashing out.
Kenny ignored the venom in her words, and moved a few feet closer to her. "It's up to you. I'm not going to push you on this."
"That's generous," she snapped back. "Just leave me alone."
Kenny could practically feel the wall she was putting up, and he vowed no matter how hard she tried to push him away, he wouldn't let her. He knew her too well to let her get away with that.
"I'm not going anywhere," Kenny replied. "Max, I love you, and you're stuck with me."
She averted her eyes, not wanting him to see her tears. How can he still look at me like that, Max wondered. Like he feels the same way he did yesterday, before Danny did this to me? She could tell he was waiting for some sort of response, and part of Max just wanted him to wrap his arms around her, and tell her that everything was fine. The bigger part, just wanted everything to go away. Max didn't know which way to go. She hurt, and felt so used.
Kenny watched the emotions chase across her face, and didn't know what to do. Cautiously he sat down on the examining table next to her, and continued in her silence. "You don't have to say anything. I'm here, okay? You're not alone."
"I know," she replied softly. "I'm so scared, and I feel so… different than before. I wish he had killed me rather than left me like this."
"Don't say that," Kenny replied, shaken to his core. "We need you here. I need you."
Going against his best judgment, he reached out touched her arm softly. Max flinched away at first, but then turned towards him. She reached up and took his hand between hers, and squeezed softly. Sitting here with him made her feel slightly better, and Max knew that his concern for her was genuine. She wished that she could say something that might provide him some comfort, but she couldn't find anything remotely comforting to think about right then.
999999999999999
"Don't touch me," Max yelled out in her sleep, kicking the blanket off. "Keep your fucking hands off me!"
Kenny jerked from other side of the bed, glad now that he didn't let Max talk him into leaving. Flipping on the light, he called. "Max, hey Honey, wake up. Max?"
Her eyes flew open, as she felt his hand on her, and she yanked herself away from him. Pulling the blanket up to cover herself, despite the sweat running down her body Max realized that she was having a nightmare.
"Kenny," she said coming back to reality, as she saw that Danny wasn't here.
"Just a dream," he said. "It's not real."
"It seemed like it was. I could feel him touching me again," Max swallowed., tugging the blanket around herself.
Bastard, Kenny thought. "He's locked up in the hospital, and that wound that you gave him will keep him from going anywhere."
"I should have stabbed him in the heart," Max replied quietly, thinking back. She threw back the covers, not feeling the least bit tired anymore.
"Don't think that anyone would have had a problem with that," Kenny agreed, joining her at the foot of the bed. "You probably shouldn't go around saying that to anybody."
"You're not just anybody," Max replied, feeling nervous at his closeness, and hating herself for it. This is Kenny, she thought, and I trust him with my life. I love him, but everything is just so messed up now.
"Neither are you," Kenny said, and he was rewarded with a small smile. "You don't want to sleep, do you?"
"Not right now," Max agreed, even though it was four in the morning. "You don't have to wait up with me though."
"I want to."
999999999999999
"You're worried about her," Jimmy stated flat out to Kenny a week later.
"Of course I'm worried about her. She says and does the right things, but there's nothing to them," Kenny proclaimed, feeling frustrated. "She won't talk to me."
"She won't do therapy?" Jimmy asked.
"She says that's what started all of this," Kenny replied. "You know Max as well as I do, once she digs her heels in there is no changing her mind."
Jimmy thought back to her monotone statement that they took three days after the rape, and he knew that Kenny was right. There was no fire in her, and it didn't seem like she really cared about anything. He hated to see anyone like this, especially someone who he considered family.
"What about a support group, or something?" Jimmy suggested. "It's not really therapy, but it would give her an outlet."
Kenny shrugged. "It's worth a shot, I'm not sure Max will go for it."
Jimmy nodded, knowing his deputy well. "And how are you doing?"
Kenny shrugged again. "It isn't about me."
999999999999999
Danny paced in his jail cell, and his left shoulder throbbed in pain with Max stabbed him. His Max, he thought angrily, how dare she betray me like this. The Rome deputies glared at him whenever they walked down by his cell. He felt eyes watching him, and stood to face Jimmy.
"Your trial starts next week," Jimmy said without preamble. "Wambaugh wouldn't represent you. You hurt anyone in this town again Danny, and you'll answer to me. Do you understand that?"
"Don't threaten me Sheriff," he growled.
999999999999999
"Group counseling," Max asked disbelieving, as Kenny and Jill presented their case to her. Kenny had recruited Jill earlier in the day to help him convince Max that this might do her some good.
"I know how you feel about therapy, and right now that's understandable," Jill said carefully, her heart aching for this young woman. "You need to talk to someone about it. Neither of us understand what you're going through, and Max you can't keep it bottled up inside like this. It'll eat you up."
"It's been a couple weeks, and you can't keep lying around like this," Kenny continued, "I've never seen you give up without a fight."
"Don't let him do this to you," Jill picked up. "I know it's different from this side, and I know you're hurt and scared. Give it a chance."
"I can't do this," Max blurted out. "I have these awful nightmares, and I'm scared to go outside, to be around people. My whole perspective on life has been turned upside down, and I don't know who I am anymore."
"These counselors can help you get it back," Jill finished. "One time, see how it goes."
Max paused, and reflected on their words and her own, before nodding slightly.
999999999999999
That night Max lay awake in bed conscious of the fact that Kenny slept soundly next to her. It didn't bother her to have him there, and she knew that he was purposefully sleeping on the edge of the other side so that he wouldn't startle her in the night. She missed waking up in his arms though, how he held her even when they were sleeping. The way he ran his hands through her hair, and looked at her like she was the most beautiful woman in the world. Max would catch him looking at her now, and she saw a lot of worry on his face, but she also saw that he still thought of her that way. And that amazed her because she felt so ugly and dirty, and Max realized that she also felt guilty for not getting away from Danny before he raped her. I could have fought harder, she thought, but knowing that she did everything that she possibly could to get away.
Group therapy, she mused, not really knowing if she was ready to discuss this with anyone yet. Kenny had tried to get it out of her, but she wasn't ready to talk about her feelings yet. I don't know if I can do this, she thought, as she drifted back off to sleep.
999999999999999
The next morning, Max approached the counseling center slowly. The building looked harmless enough, she thought. Fingering her fading bruise covered in make-up, Max paused before entering. Then with a deep breath, she watched as other woman came and went. I'm so ashamed, she thought, even though she knew she shouldn't be. How many woman have I told it's not their fault, she argued. If they can do this, so can you. Kenny and Jill are right, I can do this, and with that she opened the door and went inside.
The receptionist pointed in the direction of the group, and Max fought the urge to run. It was one thing getting the unwanted sympathy from her friends, but she didn't know if she could take the pity from complete stranger.
"Excuse me, are you coming in?" a woman called from the doorway.
Max paused and thought, in or out before replying. "Yes."
999999999999999
Following the stranger into the room, she settled into a chair in the circle.
"Hello, welcome. I'm Caroline," the stranger said. "We use first names only here, and we're all here to listen to each other. Nothing that is said will leave this room, it's all completely confidential."
As each woman began to tell her story, Max felt oddly comforted to know she wasn't alone in this. Consciously she knew she wasn't the first woman to ever be raped, but it was still a relief to know that there was somebody out there who understood how she felt. Her friends had tried, but it wasn't like that. Realizing that it was her turn, Max felt at ease with these woman as she began to tell her story.
"Hi, I'm Max," she started, and the words began to flow.
999999999999999
"You're not going to let him plea it out," Jimmy barked at the newly arrived D.A. Georgia Garrett. "This man killed at least four woman, and kidnapped and raped one of my deputies. He's not getting off here."
"This is the same deputy that stabbed him," the blond woman answered.
"Yes," Jimmy said feeling his blood beginning to boil. "That has nothing to do with this."
"It will buy him sympathy with the jury," she countered.
"He killed four women," Jimmy repeated. "You're not making a deal with his lawyer."
"All of you are personally involved in this. The mayor, the corner, your entire department and yourself. Take a step back," Georgia continued. "That won't play well either."
"We have enough evidence to put this guy in prison for life. Do your job."
Georgia nodded, and stalked back to her office.
999999999999999
Max sat on her back porch that afternoon, and savored the taste of the beer. Reflecting on her counseling session that morning, she felt lighter then she had in a few weeks. Just getting the whole story off of her chest made her feel more human again, and knowing that there was somebody who would understand how she felt. Max also realized that there were a lot of woman out there in worse situations then she was, and she felt torn over that. As a cop she wanted to throw the men that raped these women in jail, but knowing that she couldn't betray their trust. Max couldn't even comprehend why they would stay with these men. Jumping slightly at the footsteps behind her, she turned to see Kenny.
"Are you checking up on me?" Max asked with a small smile.
"Just wanted to see how your day went," Kenny replied, happy to see her in a good mood. "And you gave me a key."
"It's like when I got out of the hospital before, all I do is sit around and watch television. And think." Kenny plopped down next to her, as she continued. "The group thing was good. I feel half way human again. Those woman… I want to do something for them."
"Like what?" he prodded, feeling encouraged that she was showing interest in something.
"Some of them still live with the men who did this too them," Max said vaguely. "It's confidential there, but that just doesn't seem right to me. How could they stay?"
"It's a screwed up world, Honey," Kenny ventured, knowing they were treading on a dangerous subject. "Talk to them, convince them to turn them in."
"They don't want anyone to know. I didn't want anyone to know, and I've seen woman got through this before. I knew how it worked, and it still freaked me out. I know Danny's in jail, and he's going to stay there. But I hate him for this, Kenny. He did the same thing he did two years ago, he messed with my head."
"You're going to fight through this," Kenny replied.
"I know," she agreed. "It's going to be an uphill battle. I know I haven't been the easiest person to be around… you've been my rock through all of this. I don't even know how to thank you for that. I've yelled, pushed you away, and have been a general bitch to deal with. I love you, even though I haven't really shown it toowell yet."
Kenny saw the tears brimming in her eyes, and he fought to hold his own in as he spoke. "The thought of losing you again so soon after I got you back… I made myself a promise if you came through this okay."
"What was that?" Max asked.
"I didn't plan on doing this now," Kenny said faltering. "Are you okay?"
"I'm working on it," she replied, as the emotions of the day overtook her. For the first time since she had been raped a month ago, Max let the tears fall as Kenny pulled her into his arms. And if Max hadn't know better, she would have sworn she felt his tears on the back of her neck.