Chapter 7 see chap 5 for disclaimer
Jennifer Haywood pulled up in front of a very familiar place. She had been to pick Catherine up many times after Eddie had come home drunk. She was a family practitioner whom Catherine had met through a friend who was also suffering physical abuse at the hands of her husband. Dr. Haywood made a lot of home visits to many different women. She, too, had been in an abusive relationship and understood the women not wanting to make matters worse by going to the hospital. Sara heard the doorbell ring and instinctively drew her weapon. Looking out the peephole she saw a small woman with a little black bag and opened the door.
Reaching out her hand, "I'm Jennifer Haywood. Where's Catherine?"
Sara silently led her back to Catherine who was awake.
Dr. Haywood took one look at Catherine and gasped. "Catherine, you should have gone to the hospital."
"Old habits die hard doc" Catherine replied in a raspy voice. "Besides, you know what he'd do."
"You're not married anymore Cath." Taking a seat next to her, Dr. Haywood started to examine her patient. The bruising had only gotten worse since Sara looked her over not so long ago.
Sara couldn't look at her beaten friend's body anymore and excused herself from the room. Taking pictures with Catherine's digital camera before starting, Sara picked up the pieces of glass and tried to clean up a little. While discarding the pieces in the trash under the sink, Sara noticed the long bladed knife sitting on the counter. She could only imagine what Eddie had said to Catherine. Dr. Haywood startled Sara as she entered the kitchen.
"Is she going to be ok?" a concerned Sara asked.
"She's pretty beaten. Just like always he didn't mark her face or her arms. She's got some bruised ribs, none broken though. She's got a mild concussion so someone has to stay with her for the next 24 hours to make sure she's ok. She has to be woken up every two hours and make to get up and talk a bit. Can you stay with her?"
"Sure. Did she say anything about Grissom? I mean I know he's helped her out before with Eddie."
"She didn't say anything about him. That said, if I know Eddie, I think it would be a very good idea to let Grissom in on everything going on. You look like you can take care of yourself, but when Eddie's drunk or high he's a match for no one I know and will make good on every threat he made to Catherine earlier today." She takes out a piece of paper and pen and begins to write. "Call this guy as soon as I leave. He will come out and fix that door and check all the other doors and windows and make them secure. Don't worry. He works with the same organization I do. There won't be any charge. Don't be afraid when you see him. He looks like he belongs to a motorcycle gang. After being a punching bag for their boyfriends or husbands it makes the women we help feel safer knowing there's someone there to help that can beat the shit out of anybody who may come to cause trouble. Oh, and he won't be in a typical repair truck. These guys want to be as discrete as possible. It helps protect the women they help."
"Wow. Ok. Thanks for coming. I knew Catherine needed some help but she wouldn't go to the hospital."
"None of the women we help want to. It usually only makes matters worse. I don't understand why it takes so long for the legal system to get involved in helping these women. Anyway, if you have any questions or she takes a turn for the worse, page me at this number and I'll be right over."
Jennifer Haywood pulled up in front of a very familiar place. She had been to pick Catherine up many times after Eddie had come home drunk. She was a family practitioner whom Catherine had met through a friend who was also suffering physical abuse at the hands of her husband. Dr. Haywood made a lot of home visits to many different women. She, too, had been in an abusive relationship and understood the women not wanting to make matters worse by going to the hospital. Sara heard the doorbell ring and instinctively drew her weapon. Looking out the peephole she saw a small woman with a little black bag and opened the door.
Reaching out her hand, "I'm Jennifer Haywood. Where's Catherine?"
Sara silently led her back to Catherine who was awake.
Dr. Haywood took one look at Catherine and gasped. "Catherine, you should have gone to the hospital."
"Old habits die hard doc" Catherine replied in a raspy voice. "Besides, you know what he'd do."
"You're not married anymore Cath." Taking a seat next to her, Dr. Haywood started to examine her patient. The bruising had only gotten worse since Sara looked her over not so long ago.
Sara couldn't look at her beaten friend's body anymore and excused herself from the room. Taking pictures with Catherine's digital camera before starting, Sara picked up the pieces of glass and tried to clean up a little. While discarding the pieces in the trash under the sink, Sara noticed the long bladed knife sitting on the counter. She could only imagine what Eddie had said to Catherine. Dr. Haywood startled Sara as she entered the kitchen.
"Is she going to be ok?" a concerned Sara asked.
"She's pretty beaten. Just like always he didn't mark her face or her arms. She's got some bruised ribs, none broken though. She's got a mild concussion so someone has to stay with her for the next 24 hours to make sure she's ok. She has to be woken up every two hours and make to get up and talk a bit. Can you stay with her?"
"Sure. Did she say anything about Grissom? I mean I know he's helped her out before with Eddie."
"She didn't say anything about him. That said, if I know Eddie, I think it would be a very good idea to let Grissom in on everything going on. You look like you can take care of yourself, but when Eddie's drunk or high he's a match for no one I know and will make good on every threat he made to Catherine earlier today." She takes out a piece of paper and pen and begins to write. "Call this guy as soon as I leave. He will come out and fix that door and check all the other doors and windows and make them secure. Don't worry. He works with the same organization I do. There won't be any charge. Don't be afraid when you see him. He looks like he belongs to a motorcycle gang. After being a punching bag for their boyfriends or husbands it makes the women we help feel safer knowing there's someone there to help that can beat the shit out of anybody who may come to cause trouble. Oh, and he won't be in a typical repair truck. These guys want to be as discrete as possible. It helps protect the women they help."
"Wow. Ok. Thanks for coming. I knew Catherine needed some help but she wouldn't go to the hospital."
"None of the women we help want to. It usually only makes matters worse. I don't understand why it takes so long for the legal system to get involved in helping these women. Anyway, if you have any questions or she takes a turn for the worse, page me at this number and I'll be right over."
