The flight was smooth and uneventful. When they deplaned onto the
concourse in Seattle, Edwin kept his hand on the small of Kit's back,
guiding her through the crowd to their waiting ride, his younger sister.
She grins as she spots him in the crowd, carrying both duffle bags and
guiding Kit.
"So, you finally did it, huh?"
"Did what?"
"You finally fell. I can't believe that you finally fell, Edwin." She laughs, teasing him about his relationship with Kit.
"Sandy, there's more to the story than you'll ever find out from me or Kit. You wouldn't be laughing if you knew the entire story," he advises her. "You're a crisis counselor, right? Maybe I can put you to use while we're here. I'll tell you about it later, when we get to the house."
They pile into Sandy's car, and there's animated conversation between the siblings about Sandy's driving, but Kit shows no emotion whatsoever over anything. She just stares out the window. Sandy watches her in the rearview mirror. Not even a couple of near misses could make her flinch.
"She's been hurt bad, bro. She's in severe shock and if my guess is right, because of the way you're acting, you were the one that hurt her. Am I right?" Sandy asks quietly.
Edwin turns to look out of the window, not willing to see the censure in his sister's eyes as he tells her what had happened. "I was forced to rape her multiple times a week ago. You heard about that medical center that was taken hostage while they were hosting a convention for combat medics? We were right in the center of it. We got back to the base a couple of hours before we caught our flight and left, and as soon as I could swing it, I got her as safe as I could. I brought her here with me. God, I didn't want to do it. But, what else can you do with a gun to the back of your head and the most beautiful woman that you had ever seen, naked, underneath you, with the guy holding the gun telling you to screw her or die?"
"What was her past like? Anything that may have made it easier for her to choose to go catatonic?"
"She's had a very rough life, Sandy. I've never seen anyone as abused as she was who managed to survive and turn his or her life around as much as she has. The scar on her face is from her mother, a "gift" on her birthday, just minutes before she was told to leave and never return. She was eight at the time. She considers herself so hideous that it isn't funny. She's afraid of people, and is so painfully shy that it's hard for her to do her job at times. I discovered when I did this to her that she had been raped somewhere in her childhood. I'm scared, Sandy. What if she never comes out of it? I can't stand the fact that I was the cause of it. I don't know what I'll do if she never comes back to us. And what if she's pregnant? In her condition, who knows how it'll affect her?" He groans in regret.
Sandy leans over and takes his hand, squeezing it. "It'll be okay, Edwin, you'll see. Things will turn out for the best. It may be a while, but things will get better. You just have to stay optimistic."
"I know, Sandy. I just hate to see the poor little girl like this. Usually, she's so animated herself. At least when she's with people that she's used to being around. She's the medical division's premier practical joker. She's usually up to something and never lets on. I remember the first time I fell for one of her pranks. She gave me a coffee cup with a frog glued to the inside of the bottom one day. I was drinking my usual coffee that morning and nearly freaked out when I found the frog. She was sitting at the other table in the lounge, reading a book and never even looked up. Kept a perfectly straight face until I yelled. That's when she burst out laughing and told Kenny and Tommy 'told you so'. And that's just before Kurt, until then our unofficial prank king, started an all out prank war that ended with him losing, and the rest of us crowning a new queen of prankdom."
Sandy smiles. "You really did fall hard, bro. You're so far gone you don't even realize it."
"I know. I was lost the moment I first saw her on the base, dodging the rest of the boys playing paintball and carrying a box of three-week-old fox kits. S'when I gave her her nickname. I love her, Sandy. That's the only thing I can say about it. I love her."
"So, you finally did it, huh?"
"Did what?"
"You finally fell. I can't believe that you finally fell, Edwin." She laughs, teasing him about his relationship with Kit.
"Sandy, there's more to the story than you'll ever find out from me or Kit. You wouldn't be laughing if you knew the entire story," he advises her. "You're a crisis counselor, right? Maybe I can put you to use while we're here. I'll tell you about it later, when we get to the house."
They pile into Sandy's car, and there's animated conversation between the siblings about Sandy's driving, but Kit shows no emotion whatsoever over anything. She just stares out the window. Sandy watches her in the rearview mirror. Not even a couple of near misses could make her flinch.
"She's been hurt bad, bro. She's in severe shock and if my guess is right, because of the way you're acting, you were the one that hurt her. Am I right?" Sandy asks quietly.
Edwin turns to look out of the window, not willing to see the censure in his sister's eyes as he tells her what had happened. "I was forced to rape her multiple times a week ago. You heard about that medical center that was taken hostage while they were hosting a convention for combat medics? We were right in the center of it. We got back to the base a couple of hours before we caught our flight and left, and as soon as I could swing it, I got her as safe as I could. I brought her here with me. God, I didn't want to do it. But, what else can you do with a gun to the back of your head and the most beautiful woman that you had ever seen, naked, underneath you, with the guy holding the gun telling you to screw her or die?"
"What was her past like? Anything that may have made it easier for her to choose to go catatonic?"
"She's had a very rough life, Sandy. I've never seen anyone as abused as she was who managed to survive and turn his or her life around as much as she has. The scar on her face is from her mother, a "gift" on her birthday, just minutes before she was told to leave and never return. She was eight at the time. She considers herself so hideous that it isn't funny. She's afraid of people, and is so painfully shy that it's hard for her to do her job at times. I discovered when I did this to her that she had been raped somewhere in her childhood. I'm scared, Sandy. What if she never comes out of it? I can't stand the fact that I was the cause of it. I don't know what I'll do if she never comes back to us. And what if she's pregnant? In her condition, who knows how it'll affect her?" He groans in regret.
Sandy leans over and takes his hand, squeezing it. "It'll be okay, Edwin, you'll see. Things will turn out for the best. It may be a while, but things will get better. You just have to stay optimistic."
"I know, Sandy. I just hate to see the poor little girl like this. Usually, she's so animated herself. At least when she's with people that she's used to being around. She's the medical division's premier practical joker. She's usually up to something and never lets on. I remember the first time I fell for one of her pranks. She gave me a coffee cup with a frog glued to the inside of the bottom one day. I was drinking my usual coffee that morning and nearly freaked out when I found the frog. She was sitting at the other table in the lounge, reading a book and never even looked up. Kept a perfectly straight face until I yelled. That's when she burst out laughing and told Kenny and Tommy 'told you so'. And that's just before Kurt, until then our unofficial prank king, started an all out prank war that ended with him losing, and the rest of us crowning a new queen of prankdom."
Sandy smiles. "You really did fall hard, bro. You're so far gone you don't even realize it."
"I know. I was lost the moment I first saw her on the base, dodging the rest of the boys playing paintball and carrying a box of three-week-old fox kits. S'when I gave her her nickname. I love her, Sandy. That's the only thing I can say about it. I love her."