Chapter 1

Recovery



I don't know how long I had been unconscious, but when I woke, it was still dark outside. I opened my eyes slowly, looking around. Brad was sitting by the bed, his head lay against the bed. I moaned, and he woke up, looking around quickly.

"Oh Skye, you're up," he said, and leaped forward to give me a hug. I embraced him weakly.

"Oh, I was so worried about you," he told me as he rained my face with kisses. I sighed. He pulled away, and looked into my eyes. When I looked back, I saw Zach smirking. I screamed quickly, and released him, curling up into a ball.

"No Skye, It's me Brad, Brad," he said quickly, and crawled into the bed next to me. My body was trembling, and tears pooled in my eyes. He embraced me slowly, bringing me to his body. The doctor walked in, and I looked up.

"Good evening Skye," he greeted merrily. I swallowed a lump that had formed in my throat. He looked at the clipboard that he held in his hands.

"How are you feeling?" I didn't answer. He sighed, and walked over to the edge of the bed, glancing at my charts, then shoving them back into the slot at the front of the bed.

"Well, you seem to be physically fine," he commented to me with a sincere smile. I smiled weakly.

"Skye, the police mentioned to me that you were . . . raped," he blurted carelessly. The image drifted into my mind, projecting itself in front of my eyes. I shivered. "How many times did he rape you?"

"About 5," I whispered hoarsely. He nodded, and thought for a moment.

"I'd like to run a pregnancy test on you," he replied. "There is a chance that you could be carrying Zachary James' child." My eyes widened and my lip trembled.

"I'll be right back," the doctor said, and hurried out of the room. I turned to Brad. He bit his lip nervously. That wasn't giving me much support, which made me burst out into tears. Brad held me tighter, stroking my hair back. I closed my eyes, wishing that this was all just a big nightmare.

The doctor entered the room. "By the way, I'm Dr. Broadsen," he introduced himself. I nodded quickly. He handed me a cup. I inched to the side of the bed, and stood up, my legs weak. I held onto the bed for support, and took the cup from his hands, and went into the bathroom to do what I had to do. I came out and handed the cup back to Dr. Broadsen. He nodded, and hurried out of the room. I crawled back into bed, and pulled the covers up to my chin.

"Why did this happen to me?" I whispered to myself, a stray tear falling down my cheek. Brad flicked it away from me, and sighed heavily. It looked like he didn't know what to say. I didn't either. I sat there, staring at the bed, waiting for the results of the test to come back.

Time passed quickly, and Dr. Broadsen came back, carrying the results. I wrung my hands nervously, awaiting the answer. He began with a sigh.

"Skye, you have three options. One. You could have the baby sent into an adoption center-"

"I'm pregnant!" I wailed, and burst out into another set of tears. Brad held me tighter.

"Yes you are. Now as I was saying. You could have the baby send to an adoption center, you could raise the child, or abort it."

"Abort! Abort! Abort!" I screamed. He held up his hand to silence me.

"OK then. Then that shall be done. Are you sure?"

"Yes I'm sure!" I snapped. He nodded.

"I'll make the arrangements," he mumbled, and hurried out of the room. I looked at Brad.

"Skye," he said, and closed his eyes. I shook my head.

"It's all a big nightmare, it's all a big nightmare," I repeated to myself, shaking my head. He cupped my face, and kissed me. I flashed back to Zach kissing me, his hands crawling up my body. I pulled away, and clenched my hands into fists, resisting the urge to scream.

"I just can't," I said softly to Brad, turning to him. He nodded.

"I know darling, I should have thought of that," he muttered, scratching the back of his head. I sighed, and the doctor came back.

"OK Skye, let's get ready," he said. Brad crawled off of the bed, took my hand, and gingerly kissed it.

"I'll be waiting for you," he said softly, and shuffled out of the room, his head lowered. It tore my heart in two to see him so disappointed. The doctor did something to the bed, and started to wheel me out of the room. I closed my eyes, sighed, and waited for it to be over.

I woke up again, in a recovery room. The doctor was looking his clipboard, and noticed that I had awaken.

"The abortion was a success," he told me. I smiled weakly.

"Since you haven't been harmed, we're going to release you tomorrow morning," he reported. I nodded.

"Can I get something to eat?" I asked.

"Sure, of course, you haven't had anything to eat since yesterday."

"Yesterday?"

"Yes. You slept for a long time," he reported to me. I sighed, and shrugged quickly.

"I'll bring something back from the cafeteria," he said quickly, and waltzed out of the room. I lay back on the pillows, and closed my eyes.

Where was mommy? Surely she must have heard of the news, and must be rushing down here to feel sorry for me, I thought. Someone walked into the room.

"That was quick," I said, figuring it was the doctor, but it was the police woman that had taken me to the hospital.

"Hello," she greeted, walking over to the chair by my bedside and sat down, gripping the railing. "I wanted to see how you were feeling."

"I'm OK," I said in a small voice, looking down.

"Just to let you know, Zach was booked in the county jail last night," she reported. I looked up. Her brown hair was pulled back into a sharp bun. Her hazel eyes reflected her emotion, and her fair skin was glowing.

"I'm glad," I muttered, scowling.

"I thought that you could use a good lawyer, so I'm going to recommend my lawyer." She handed me a cream colored business card. I nodded.

"Thank you," I said softly.

"Her name is Lydia Becker. She's quite good," she replied.

"I'll give her a call," I mumbled, and lay the card on the table next to me. The doctor walked back in the room, carrying a tray full of food. He walked over to me and placed it in my lap.

"Thanks," I said, and picked up the fork and started to eat. The woman police officer stood.

"Hope you feel better," she said. I smiled.

"I didn't catch you're name," I called to her.

"Robin Monroe," she replied, and walked out of the room. I started to eat again as the doctor followed her out. I munched quietly, wondering where Brad could be. Finally, he came in and smiled.

"How did everything go?" he asked, coming over to kiss my cheek.

"The doctor says that everything was fine," I told him. He nodded, and sat down, sighing as he did so.

"Skye, I shouldn't have left when Zach told me that you were gone," he said sadly. I looked up.

"It wasn't your fault," I said as the image flashed through my mind. I blinked it away.

"I wasn't even thinking about it. I just wanted to see you," he said quickly. I took his hand and laced my fingers with his.

"Brad. . ." my voice trailed off, and I bit my lip. He shook his head, and was about to say something, but I pressed my fingers to his lips.

"Let's not talk about it," I said quickly, and kissed his cheek. He nodded and smiled, crawling onto the bed with me.

"I found an apartment just perfect for the two of us. I'm moving in my stuff tomorrow. A few days after you get home, we can go back and get your things," he said. I shuddered.

"OK," I choked. He smiled and put my head on his shoulder.

"You're going to be OK," he said, and stroked back my hair. I closed my eyes. I hope I was going to be OK.

The next morning, I was brought to Brad's house. His mother welcomed me warmly, tears in her eyes.

"I'm so glad you're OK," she sobbed, and embraced me tightly. I nodded and wiped away some tears. She held me out in front of her, smiled and kissed my cheek.

"I'll have the guest bedroom prepared for you," she said quickly, and went upstairs to do so. I turned to Brad. He smiled, and took my hand and led me into the kitchen.

"Do you want anything to eat?" he asked, looking through the refrigerator. I shrugged.

"I'm not really hungry," I muttered, and looked around. I remembered having dinner here so many times, which brought a smile to my face. Brad poured a glass of water for himself, and gulped it down quickly. He walked over to me and put his arm around my shoulders.

"The bedroom is ready," Lucille Collington announced, and stepped into the living room. Zach scooped me up, and carried me into the guest room, lying me down on the bed.

It was a good sized room, with a bookshelf full of books, a small desk, a dresser, and a night stand. I curled up into a ball, and closed my eyes. Brad slowly lay himself beside me.

"Welcome home," he whispered in my ear, and kissed my cheek. I sighed, and drifted off into sleep.



Later on that night, Zach knocked on my door. It was about dinner time, so I expected that he was calling me to dinner. I put the book down that I was reading, and opened the door. "Yes?" I asked.

"Good evening. Dinner, is served," he said, nodding his head once and smiling. I raised my eyebrow.

"Are you OK?" I asked, looking at him oddly.

"I'm fine, and you will be too when you come downstairs." He took my hand and pulled me downstairs.

"What's going on?" I asked. He brought me into the dining room, and he stopped. So did my heart.

The lights were turned off, only candles illuminating the room. My eyes widened as he led me to my seat. I sat down, glaring at the table. All of my favorite dishes were placed out on fancy plates that I had never seen before.

"I cooked it all myself. That's my grandmother's China," he said, nodding to the plates. I smiled weakly. He sat down across from me, and began to eat, pouring a glass of wine. I took it from him, and sipped it. Zach stared at me as I ate quietly. I darted my glance away, feeling uncomfortable when he stared at me so intently. When I was finished, I shoved my plate in front of me, and stood up. I had a few glasses of wine, which made me dizzy, and I grabbed the back of the chair. Zach tossed his napkin on his plate, and came to my side.

"Are you OK?" he asked. I nodded.

"I'm just going to go to bed," I said, heading towards the stairs. My knees weakened, and I started to fall to the floor, but Zach caught me before I could hit the ground. He sighed, and headed towards the stairs. When we passed my room, I started to babble to him about it.

"They are fixing something in your bathroom. You'll have to sleep in my room tonight," he explained. My heart stopped.

"But aren't there guests rooms I can stay in?" I sputtered quickly.

"They are also fixing something in the rooms. The only room that isn't being repaired is mine," he said, heading towards his room.

"No, Zach, that's OK, I'll just sleep downstairs," I stammered, but we had already entered his room, and he shut the door, closing out all of my hope. He carried me to the bed, and I scrambled off of it, but he had pinned me down.

"I hope you sleep well tonight," he said sneakily, a devilish smile on his face. My eyes widened as I attempted to get away from him. He kept his grip strong.

"You don't even know how long I've wanted you here. Even from the moment I met you. You're everything that a wife is supposed to be: Smart, caring, and especially beautiful. Skye, I love you so bad, it hurts," he brought his face closer to mine. I turned my head away. He turned my head back.

"I intend to have things go my way tonight, no mistakes. I've let you escape before, but this time, you can't get away." And with those last words, he kissed me, his tongue trying to get into my mouth. I turned my head away, but he turned it back, crawling on the bed, straddling my legs. I tried to scream, but it was impossible while he was kissing me, his hand crawled up and reached my breast. I tried to brush it away, but he kept it planted there. He pulled away, and started to take off my shirt. I screamed like hell. As loud as I could, hopefully ear shattering. He slapped his hand over my mouth.

"Don't even start screaming," he warned, and lifted my shirt slowly. I shook my head, telling myself that this wasn't true, but it was as real as it got, unfortunately. He had my shirt off now, and tossed it on the ground.

"Zach, please," I moaned. He smiled.

"You'll be moaning my name soon, I promise," he whispered. I gasped, and used all of my strength to wriggle out from underneath him, but that exhausted me quickly, and gave him a better advantage. Tears streamed down my cheeks.

"Zach, don't do this!" I screamed, but then he kissed me, forcing his tongue to meet mine. He was slowly undressing me, tossing my clothes on the floor. After I was undressed, he peeled away his clothes, and lay them beside mine in a pile. He kissed me, then entered me. I gasped, then screamed.

"Zach!" I screamed, pounding on his back with my free hand. He kept his eyes closed.

"Skye, oh Skye," he moaned. I screamed louder, and harder, wondering if anyone could hear me. He caressed my body, raining kissed everywhere. I cried, I screamed, I moaned in pain as he continued on.

Finally, after I thought that it would never end, he stopped, and lay beside me, trembling. He grabbed me, and pulled me over to his bare chest.

"Wasn't that good darling?" he whispered in my ear, kissing my cheek. I shook my head.

"No," I moaned, feeling dirty inside.

"There isn't anything to worry about darling. Nobody will know," he coaxed. I continued to shake my head.

"Zach, please, don't do this," I moaned, my eyelids growing heavier. I had no choice but to close my eyes and go to sleep.

"Yes, that's it darling, relax," he whispered before I fell asleep.

I woke up screaming. I looked around the room, sweat pouring from my brow. Brad bolted into the room, wearing only his boxers.

"Skye, what's wrong?" he asked, running over to the bed and kneeling beside it. I shook my head.

"Zach . . . he," I breathed, my heart racing beyond it's normal speed.

"Shh," Brad crooned, pulling me into his embrace. I caught my breath, and sighed.

"That's better," he whispered and kissed my forehead. He released me, and pulled back the covers on the bed. I shook my head.

"Can I sleep in your room tonight?" I asked softly. He smiled.

"Sure," he said, and took my hand and helped me up, taking me into his room. He shut the door, and helped me into his bed. I pulled the covers up to my chin and looked at Brad. He smiled, and closed his eyes.

"Good night," he said, and slung his arm around my waist. I exhaled and closed my eyes, making myself believe that Zach couldn't hurt me again.

In the morning, I woke up with Brad beside me, silently sleeping. I sat up, scratched my head, and looked at the clock. It was about 10. I groaned and flopped back down, trying to go to sleep, but it was no use. I sighed, and threw the covers off of me, making sure that I didn't wake up Brad. I went downstairs to make myself something for breakfast, but Lucille was already making breakfast. She glanced my way and smiled.

"Good morning," she said sincerely and cracked an egg into the pan. I smiled and sat down at the table.

"How did you sleep?" she asked. I gulped.

"OK, I guess," I mumbled, and looked down at the table. Brad walked into the kitchen.

"Good morning," he mumbled to his mother, and sat down next to me. His mother finished making breakfast, and slid the eggs on to two plate and put them in front of us with a fork.

"Just let me know if you need anything." She walked out of the room. Me and Brad ate quietly, either from lack of sleep, or just trying to find something to say.

"I'm moving my things out today," Brad announced, finishing the last of his meal and standing up to put it into the kitchen. He took my plate also.

"Oh," I muttered, and wiped my mouth off.

"Do you want to get your things today? You don't have any clothes with you," he pointed out. I froze. Just the thought of going back into Dark Shadows gave me a cold shiver that ran up my spine. I swallowed. Brad looked at me.

"We don't have to go today," he said quickly, putting our plates in the sink with a loud clash. I shook my head.

"No, no. We'll go today," I whispered, standing up. He smiled.

"Let me get dressed, and we'll be on our way," he declared, and raced up to his room to dress. I paced around the kitchen nervously. Relax Skye, you're just going to get your things. There's no harm in that, is there? I asked myself. I shook my head in dissagreement.

You don't even know.