I know this is going really slowly at the moment, but I'm at college now and struggling to find the time to work on it. Thank you to everyone who is sticking with it.


Chapter 8

'Keep an eye on him,' Susan whispered in Abby's ear as she left the room.

Gallant moved to follow her, but she gestured that he stay.

'Kate, do you have any chest pain?' Luka asked softly. She shook her head. 'Anything else?'

'My head hurts,' she said, speaking quietly. 'I think I knocked it.'

'Okay, I'm going to have to examine you to make sure nothing's broken or fractured.'

Kate nodded bleakly, her faced still turned away from him, her gaze still fixed to the floor.

He slowly lowered the bed from it's upright position until she was laid almost flat. She turned her head the other way and closed her eyes. Luka forced himself to take his eyes away from her face. She was just a patient. He was just doing his job. He gently moved the dressing gown to expose the bruise on her chest. Remembering that she was wearing nothing underneath, he turned to Gallant.

'Gallant, could you go and get a gown please?'

Gallant paused and glanced at Abby, before realising that he was being asked to leave he room. He nodded and left.

Luka carefully examined Kate's chest and stomach, which was also bruised in places. She winced a little as he applied pressure, but he concluded that despite some severe looking bruises, nothing was broken.

'Okay,' Luka said. 'I'm going to sit you up now.'

She shuffled uncomfortably as he did so, self-consciously readjusting the dressing gown. Luka gently took her chin with his hand and turned her head towards him. He carefully examined her swollen cheek, conscious that she was shaking slightly as he touched her.

'Okay Kate, nothing is broken, but because you were unconscious for a bit you're going to need a head CT,' Luka said. 'Abby, would you call them please?'

'Sure.' Abby glanced awkwardly from Kate to Luka before she left the room, and Luka supposed that Susan had told Abby to keep an eye on him. He didn't really care.

Luka pulled up a stool and sat on it next to Kate so he was at her eye level.

'Kate, what happened?'

Silence.

'Who did this to you?'

There was a long pause before she answered.

'I don't know,' she said, her voice a whisper.

'Tell me what happened,' Luka said gently.

Again she didn't reply. Her face was still turned away from him, but he could see she was crying softly. Luka closed his eyes tightly in an attempt to fight the overwhelming urge to wipe away her tears. He struggled to keep himself together. She needed him to do his job. She needed him to be her doctor. When he opened his eyes he found himself looking straight into hers. Her wide eyes searched his face. Looking to him to help her. Looking for him, Luka. Not the stranger who was methodically treating his patient, keeping as detached as humanly possible. She was looking for the man she'd been intimate with. The man who had done, and was still doing, his very best to separate himself from her, and yet she intuitively knew that he wanted to do just the opposite. As wary and suspicious of people in general she felt right now, she couldn't help but feel she could trust Luka. And heaven knows, she really did need someone to trust right now.

Luka had to force himself to not look away, her desperate need tearing at him.

'Kate, were you raped?'

She turned away and he exhaled, breathing rapidly, unaware that he had been holding his breath. She was frowning now, and looking frustrated, almost angry.

'No,' she said with force.

Luka paused, slightly bewildered and lost for words.

She answered his unspoken question.

'It was just sex.'

'Kate, someone hurt you,' Luka said, urgently trying to calm his emotions and the rising volume of his voice. 'Sex shouldn't hurt you like that'

She gave a rueful snort-like laugh. 'Don't you think I know that?' she said, turning back to face him, her own voice rising.

"Then why did you let someone do this to you?' asked Luka, fully aware of the answer even as he spoke the question.

'I didn't let him,' she spat, the growing anger she felt towards her attacker, Luka, and herself finally showing. 'I tried to stop him, I did,' she stammered, the tears now streaming down her face. 'But he was too strong.'

Luka couldn't stop himself from taking hold of her hands, which were now covering her face. 'Then that's rape, Kate.'

He let go of her and she sank further down the bed still crying softly, one hand covering her face, and the other wrapped around herself. Once again he found himself wanting to hold her, and he quickly stood up and moved away. He watched her for a while as the sobs slowed and she was silent again. Then he turned to leave the room and walked up to Abby, who was stood outside the door watching.

"Did you call them?' he asked.

'Err, what?' she mumbled, confused.

'CT. Did you call CT?'

'Yeah, but they're backed-up and seeing as she's stable now we're going to have to wait a bit.'

'Okay, would you move her to a free exam? She doesn't need to be in a trauma room.'

Abby nodded. 'Sure.'

'And would you get a rape kit?'

Abby just half-nodded, not surprised but unsure of what to say. She knew that she had to intervene but she didn't know how. As Luka turned to walk away she opened her mouth to speak but didn't need to, as he spoke first.

'I'll go and get Susan,' he said.