They get to his dad's house and Edwin opens the back door of the car and
scoops Kit into his arms. He carries her into the house and into his old
room. He tenderly undresses her and puts her pajamas on her, laying her in
the bed, undressing himself down to his boxer briefs and sliding in next to
her, pulling her into his arms and tucking the blankets around them. Sandy
turns the lights out, shuts the door and goes downstairs to get a cup of
coffee and warn her parents what is going on when they get up.
While she's drinking the coffee, she thinks back about what Edwin had told her about what had happened. A couple of hours later, she is so deep in thought that she doesn't notice that her dad is up until he sets his coffee cup on the table and says something.
"What are you doing up so early, Sandy? And what were you out doing that you finally get home at two thirty in the morning?"
Sandy sighs. "I was at the airport, picking someone up. The soonest commercial flight that they could get was the red eye from Philadelphia International. If you check Edwin's old room, you'll find it occupied. Please don't disturb them, though. They both need the rest."
"Who, Sandy? Who's taken up residence in Edwin's old room?"
Edwin sleepily wanders in, yawning. "I did. Well, a friend and I did," he answers, stretching. His father immediately jumps up and hugs him. He seats him at the table and plunks a cup of coffee in front of him.
"Tell me about her."
Edwin sips his coffee and looks at his dad. "Well, the first thing you should know is that right now she's deeply in shock, and catatonic, thanks to me, and what happened at that convention we were at last week."
"Edwin Christopher Steen, what did you do to her? You better not have hurt her, son."
He bows his head in shame. "I was forced to rape her, Dad. I...I didn't want to do it, because of her past. She's been hurt by far too many people, and I didn't want to add on to it, but I was forced to. It was a case of either me doing it, or one of those animals, and who knows what all diseases they might have had, and how much damage they might have done to her?"
"Unless someone held a gun to your head, that's no excuse."
"Um, Dad, that's exactly what happened. Remember hearing about that com- med convention that was taken hostage in that convention center a week or so ago?" He nods.
"Lieutenant De Havilland and I were right in the center of it. Apparently the terrorist leader was also a closet pervert and decided to force us male medics to rape the girls we were with. Kit and the rest of the girls were drugged and beaten, and then, on top of that, we were forced to do that to them. I felt so sick that day, and I still feel that way. I feel so guilty for putting her in this situation. Every time I look at those bruises that I put on her, I get sick to my stomach about the situation. Kit's made a major turnaround in her life. She's the kind of girl that makes you want to hold her and keep her safe from the world. She's had nothing but pain since she was a tiny little girl. She practically raised herself on the streets of New Orleans, and is now one of the toughest medics in the unit. She's so elfin, yet she's one of the most physically powerful people that I've ever worked with. She can leg press about as much as Tommy can bench press, and he's a former Olympic champion in weightlifting."
He gets up and puts his coffee cup in the sink, stretches again and yawns. "I'm going to go back to bed, just in case she wakes up. Call me when breakfast is ready."
"No problem son. I understand now. It wasn't your fault, what happened. You tried to make it as bearable for her as you could. I'm proud of you, Edwin. You did what you thought was best under the circumstances."
He goes up the stairs and slips back into the bed with Kit, cradling her petite body close to his protectively, pillowing her head on his shoulder and twining his legs with hers. This same event happens each morning for the next week or so. The only thing that differed was the conversation. Each day it got harder and harder for him to deal with the catatonia that she was in, and he prayed that she'd soon come out of it.
While she's drinking the coffee, she thinks back about what Edwin had told her about what had happened. A couple of hours later, she is so deep in thought that she doesn't notice that her dad is up until he sets his coffee cup on the table and says something.
"What are you doing up so early, Sandy? And what were you out doing that you finally get home at two thirty in the morning?"
Sandy sighs. "I was at the airport, picking someone up. The soonest commercial flight that they could get was the red eye from Philadelphia International. If you check Edwin's old room, you'll find it occupied. Please don't disturb them, though. They both need the rest."
"Who, Sandy? Who's taken up residence in Edwin's old room?"
Edwin sleepily wanders in, yawning. "I did. Well, a friend and I did," he answers, stretching. His father immediately jumps up and hugs him. He seats him at the table and plunks a cup of coffee in front of him.
"Tell me about her."
Edwin sips his coffee and looks at his dad. "Well, the first thing you should know is that right now she's deeply in shock, and catatonic, thanks to me, and what happened at that convention we were at last week."
"Edwin Christopher Steen, what did you do to her? You better not have hurt her, son."
He bows his head in shame. "I was forced to rape her, Dad. I...I didn't want to do it, because of her past. She's been hurt by far too many people, and I didn't want to add on to it, but I was forced to. It was a case of either me doing it, or one of those animals, and who knows what all diseases they might have had, and how much damage they might have done to her?"
"Unless someone held a gun to your head, that's no excuse."
"Um, Dad, that's exactly what happened. Remember hearing about that com- med convention that was taken hostage in that convention center a week or so ago?" He nods.
"Lieutenant De Havilland and I were right in the center of it. Apparently the terrorist leader was also a closet pervert and decided to force us male medics to rape the girls we were with. Kit and the rest of the girls were drugged and beaten, and then, on top of that, we were forced to do that to them. I felt so sick that day, and I still feel that way. I feel so guilty for putting her in this situation. Every time I look at those bruises that I put on her, I get sick to my stomach about the situation. Kit's made a major turnaround in her life. She's the kind of girl that makes you want to hold her and keep her safe from the world. She's had nothing but pain since she was a tiny little girl. She practically raised herself on the streets of New Orleans, and is now one of the toughest medics in the unit. She's so elfin, yet she's one of the most physically powerful people that I've ever worked with. She can leg press about as much as Tommy can bench press, and he's a former Olympic champion in weightlifting."
He gets up and puts his coffee cup in the sink, stretches again and yawns. "I'm going to go back to bed, just in case she wakes up. Call me when breakfast is ready."
"No problem son. I understand now. It wasn't your fault, what happened. You tried to make it as bearable for her as you could. I'm proud of you, Edwin. You did what you thought was best under the circumstances."
He goes up the stairs and slips back into the bed with Kit, cradling her petite body close to his protectively, pillowing her head on his shoulder and twining his legs with hers. This same event happens each morning for the next week or so. The only thing that differed was the conversation. Each day it got harder and harder for him to deal with the catatonia that she was in, and he prayed that she'd soon come out of it.