Fran and Maxwell walked through the door. It was quiet. They figured
C.C. might have got home so Fran went upstairs to check Maxwell's office.
She walked in but then let out a high-pitched scream. C.C. lay there, a
towel draped over her bare body. She had bruises on her arms and legs and
blood streamed from her head. Her ankle was severely swollen. Fran bent
down weakly to check her pulse. She was still alive to Fran's relief.
Maxwell dashed into the room at that moment and gasped loudly. He went and
got a wet cloth and put it again C.C.'s forehead. All of a sudden she woke
up. Her eyes focused. Then she remembered. She put her hand over her mouth
and began sobbing.
Fran held her and said, "It's ok sweetie, it's ok hun, just tell us what happened."
"H-he...." Said C.C. choking on her words, "m-my father c-came b-back and h-he d-did it a-a-again!" She cried even more. I'll kill that man thought Fran angrily as she stroked C.C.'s back.
"Maxwell" said Fran quickly, "go get C.C. a nightgown from my dresser alright?" She guided C.C. into the bathroom and washed her face. Fran got the nightgown from Maxwell, gave it to C.C., then left the bathroom. C.C. quickly got dressed and pulled the brown barrette from her hair. She thought about her father. She gripped the sink to keep from falling. Pain rose up in her chest again and she began to cry silently. C.C. quickly opened the bathroom cabinet. She quickly searched through it and found a pair of small fabric scissors with sharp ends. She grabbed a small black washcloth and sat on the toilet, doing something she hadn't done in a long time.
The blade slid over her arm, blood seeping into the dark cloth. C.C. had started cutting when she was ten years old after her father had raped her for the second time. She quickly wiped off the scissors and put them back. She stared at her cut, and then had a flashback:
It was a Saturday afternoon. Ten year old C.C. got home from a sleepover with her best friend, Myra. She decided to take a shower. She shampooed her hair. She didn't hear the door open. All of a sudden the shower curtain pulled back and there stood her father. C.C. had a flashback of when she was six and began immediately covering herself and asked in a scared tone, "D-daddy what a-are you doing?" He only had a towel wrapped around his lower body. He smiled sickly. "Joining you" he said. He dropped the towel and C.C. screamed. She tried to get out, but he shoved her against the shower wall and pulled back the curtain. He grabbed her under the armpits, and as she struggled he slapped her. He was apparently stoned. He shoved her against the wall and brought her into him. She screamed in pain and soon the water was the color of red. After he had left, C.C. had sat, crying against the wall as cold water showered her. She turned off the water and stepped on to the bathroom floor, her long hair in front of her face. She looked in the mirror. She opened the cabinet. She grabbed a pair of fabric scissors. She slid the blade down the length of her arm, and blood dripped onto her wet feet.........
C.C. tried to grab the sink again but fell back and fainted. Fran walked into the bathroom. She fell to C.C.'s side, and called for Maxwell. Before he could come up from the living room Niles entered through the door. He saw Maxwell's red face. He asked him what was wrong. Maxwell told him the entire thing. Niles face turned red with anger and the two men dashed upstairs. They rushed to the bathroom where Fran was yelling for them.
"Oh Niles" she said, "you're here. I'm sure Maxwell has explained everything to you. She fainted again, but her pulse is fine. Niles, could you take her to the guest room and care for her wounds?"
Niles nodded quickly. Fran and Maxwell went downstairs to the kitchen. Niles stared at C.C. He hated her father, how could a man abuse a human being this beautiful, this angelic? He carried her into the guest room, her soft curls draping over his arm. He pulled back the covers and lay her on the bed gently. He put medicine on her head wound and bound her ankle with a white bandage. He left some ice water and advil by her bed side, and then he pulled the red comforter over her body and kissed her gently on the forehead.
Niles went down to see Fran and Max and they all ate a big gallon of Rocky Road ice cream. (AN: the kids were all on a two week camping trip).
C.C. woke up around eight. "Oh god" she said grumpily, "I feel like shit." She then saw a glass of water and two advils. She took them. Then she looked around. She wasn't at her apartment. She breathed a sigh of relief, she was in Maxwell's guestroom. Then she remembered all of last night. She took weary sighs and dug a morning after pill out of her purse. She had had to take these when she was twelve and fourteen when her father had done it to her again. She took one, knowing she would have a bad stomach ache today. She found she was wearing one of Fran's nightgowns and smiled. Her friend was so thoughtful. She walked down the stairs into the kitchen, slightly limping on her bound ankle. Fran and Max greeted her with little hugs, and Niles was still sleeping. She asked Fran if she could borrow some clothes. Fran said yes and after breakfast C.C. went upstairs into Fran's bedroom. She searched through her dresser and picked out a long black sweater and tight jeans. She combed her hair and went into Maxwell's office to work.
"Oh no C.C." said Maxwell batting her away with his hand, "you don't have to work after all that has happened.............." his voice trailed off.
"Look Maxwell" she said firmly, "I may be undergoing emotional pain but not physical so I think I'll be alright......OWWW!!!!" she yelled as her stomach began throbbing. The morning after pill had began to work. She explained it to him. She took the day off.
Niles drove her over to her apartment in silence. C.C. carefully unbuttoned Fran's jeans just so she could breath. She collapsed on the couch and watched TV.
She fell asleep, and was woken around five pm by the phone. She answered it. It was Fran.
CC: Hello? Fran: hey CC CC: hey Fran Fran: I feel so bad about leaving you all alone last night....... CC: it wasn't your fault stop blaming yourself OK? My mother did and she...... Fran: Oh ok well I think Niles blames himself CC: What? Fran: Nothing........so what are you going to do about your father CC: Fran, I think I'm going to file a lawsuit.
Fran held her and said, "It's ok sweetie, it's ok hun, just tell us what happened."
"H-he...." Said C.C. choking on her words, "m-my father c-came b-back and h-he d-did it a-a-again!" She cried even more. I'll kill that man thought Fran angrily as she stroked C.C.'s back.
"Maxwell" said Fran quickly, "go get C.C. a nightgown from my dresser alright?" She guided C.C. into the bathroom and washed her face. Fran got the nightgown from Maxwell, gave it to C.C., then left the bathroom. C.C. quickly got dressed and pulled the brown barrette from her hair. She thought about her father. She gripped the sink to keep from falling. Pain rose up in her chest again and she began to cry silently. C.C. quickly opened the bathroom cabinet. She quickly searched through it and found a pair of small fabric scissors with sharp ends. She grabbed a small black washcloth and sat on the toilet, doing something she hadn't done in a long time.
The blade slid over her arm, blood seeping into the dark cloth. C.C. had started cutting when she was ten years old after her father had raped her for the second time. She quickly wiped off the scissors and put them back. She stared at her cut, and then had a flashback:
It was a Saturday afternoon. Ten year old C.C. got home from a sleepover with her best friend, Myra. She decided to take a shower. She shampooed her hair. She didn't hear the door open. All of a sudden the shower curtain pulled back and there stood her father. C.C. had a flashback of when she was six and began immediately covering herself and asked in a scared tone, "D-daddy what a-are you doing?" He only had a towel wrapped around his lower body. He smiled sickly. "Joining you" he said. He dropped the towel and C.C. screamed. She tried to get out, but he shoved her against the shower wall and pulled back the curtain. He grabbed her under the armpits, and as she struggled he slapped her. He was apparently stoned. He shoved her against the wall and brought her into him. She screamed in pain and soon the water was the color of red. After he had left, C.C. had sat, crying against the wall as cold water showered her. She turned off the water and stepped on to the bathroom floor, her long hair in front of her face. She looked in the mirror. She opened the cabinet. She grabbed a pair of fabric scissors. She slid the blade down the length of her arm, and blood dripped onto her wet feet.........
C.C. tried to grab the sink again but fell back and fainted. Fran walked into the bathroom. She fell to C.C.'s side, and called for Maxwell. Before he could come up from the living room Niles entered through the door. He saw Maxwell's red face. He asked him what was wrong. Maxwell told him the entire thing. Niles face turned red with anger and the two men dashed upstairs. They rushed to the bathroom where Fran was yelling for them.
"Oh Niles" she said, "you're here. I'm sure Maxwell has explained everything to you. She fainted again, but her pulse is fine. Niles, could you take her to the guest room and care for her wounds?"
Niles nodded quickly. Fran and Maxwell went downstairs to the kitchen. Niles stared at C.C. He hated her father, how could a man abuse a human being this beautiful, this angelic? He carried her into the guest room, her soft curls draping over his arm. He pulled back the covers and lay her on the bed gently. He put medicine on her head wound and bound her ankle with a white bandage. He left some ice water and advil by her bed side, and then he pulled the red comforter over her body and kissed her gently on the forehead.
Niles went down to see Fran and Max and they all ate a big gallon of Rocky Road ice cream. (AN: the kids were all on a two week camping trip).
C.C. woke up around eight. "Oh god" she said grumpily, "I feel like shit." She then saw a glass of water and two advils. She took them. Then she looked around. She wasn't at her apartment. She breathed a sigh of relief, she was in Maxwell's guestroom. Then she remembered all of last night. She took weary sighs and dug a morning after pill out of her purse. She had had to take these when she was twelve and fourteen when her father had done it to her again. She took one, knowing she would have a bad stomach ache today. She found she was wearing one of Fran's nightgowns and smiled. Her friend was so thoughtful. She walked down the stairs into the kitchen, slightly limping on her bound ankle. Fran and Max greeted her with little hugs, and Niles was still sleeping. She asked Fran if she could borrow some clothes. Fran said yes and after breakfast C.C. went upstairs into Fran's bedroom. She searched through her dresser and picked out a long black sweater and tight jeans. She combed her hair and went into Maxwell's office to work.
"Oh no C.C." said Maxwell batting her away with his hand, "you don't have to work after all that has happened.............." his voice trailed off.
"Look Maxwell" she said firmly, "I may be undergoing emotional pain but not physical so I think I'll be alright......OWWW!!!!" she yelled as her stomach began throbbing. The morning after pill had began to work. She explained it to him. She took the day off.
Niles drove her over to her apartment in silence. C.C. carefully unbuttoned Fran's jeans just so she could breath. She collapsed on the couch and watched TV.
She fell asleep, and was woken around five pm by the phone. She answered it. It was Fran.
CC: Hello? Fran: hey CC CC: hey Fran Fran: I feel so bad about leaving you all alone last night....... CC: it wasn't your fault stop blaming yourself OK? My mother did and she...... Fran: Oh ok well I think Niles blames himself CC: What? Fran: Nothing........so what are you going to do about your father CC: Fran, I think I'm going to file a lawsuit.