Authors Notes: I know there other post Skin fics out there now, but I'm avoiding reading them until mine is done, so I don't inveterately get influenced. Please forgive me for any errors, I've been writing this during my break at work, which is at 3AM.

"What?" Susan asked, as she slipped the monitors back on. "What is it that you feel like you can't tell?"

Abby just shook her head and broke eye contact with Susan. She tried to close her eyes, but as soon as she did, she could see the gun pointed at her. So she kept her eyes open, but didn't let them focus on Susan, or anything else in the room for that matter.

Susan felt helpless as she watched Abby withdraw more and more into herself. She had no clue how to get Abby to open up. Obviously something terrible had happened, but there was no way to know for sure exactly what without Abby's cooperation.

Luka entered the room quietly, noticing that Abby never looked up when he opened the door. And as he looked at Susan he could see the concern etched in her face. He waved her over so he could ask her what she found without upsetting Abby further. "Did you find anything?" he asked, his gaze again shifting back to Abby.

"I didn't find any injuries," Susan said with a heavy sigh, "But she got even more upset when I tried to take her scrub pants off. Do you think she was raped?"

Luka swallowed hard, fighting down a sudden rise of nausea at hearing that ugly word. He didn't even want to think of rape and Abby in the same sentence. "But that wouldn't explain the blood," he said, reaching for any other explanation.

"Unless she defended herself," Susan answered, her gaze joining Luka's in the direction of their friend curled up on the gurney. They walked across the room together, and Susan watched Luka gently pick up Abby's shaking hand and she was relieved to see that Abby didn't pull away.

"You are safe, Abby," Luka said, his accent stronger that usual. "We are here with you. Take your time, we just need to know what happened to you so that we can help." Luka noticed that her hand continue to tremble and her palm getting moist.

Abby felt her chest get tight, it was becoming harder and harder for her to breath. As hard as she tried she felt like she just couldn't get any air into her lungs. She wanted to tell them what happened, but she knew if she said anything, those boys would find out and they would hunt her down and kill her. She didn't know why they hadn't already. She was sure when she lost CJ it was just a matter of time before they turned those guns on her one last time and pulled the trigger. So no matter how much she trusted Luka and Susan, there was no way she was going to say a word.

A beep from the monitor pulled Susan's attention. Abby's pulse was accelerating and her blood pressure was sky high. As much as they wanted to know what had happened, Susan realized that there was no way Abby could physically handle any more questions right now. She cleared her throat, which caused Luka to look up and see the monitors.

"Okay, Abby. No more questions now," Luka said, squeezing her hand tighter, his eyes locking with Susan's.

"We need to sedate her, Luka, " Susan said softly, as they watched the numbers on the monitor continue to rise. "I'll start a line, can you get the Ativan?"

Luka nodded his agreement, then hurried to the drug lockup. He hated this unsure feeling, the not knowing. When Abby had been assaulted by her neighbor he knew what had happened and he had a way to deal with it. Of course he didn't plan on hitting anyone again after what happened last time, but if he found out that someone violated Abby, he might not be able to help himself. He pulled the ativan off the shelf then hurried back to the exam room. He hated that they had to give Abby drugs, knowing that with her history she really didn't like to take anything, but with her vitals so out of control they really didn't have a choice. Returning to Exam Two he quickly drew up then gave Abby the dose. "Has she said anything?" he asked Susan.

"No, and she didn't flinch when I stuck her for the line. She's in shock," Susan said. She picked up one of Abby's hands, watching Luka do the same with the other. Together they watched her closely until her eyes drifted closed and her vitals started to return to normal. After a while Susan broke the silence. "I need to go tell Weaver that something went on. Can you stay with her?"

"Of course I'll stay," Luka said, his watching eyes on Abby's now sleeping form. Susan slid a stool beside Luka before quietly letting herself out of the room. Luka sat with her, never letting go of her hand and occasionally whispering encouraging words in Croatian until he noticed her hand getting cold. He thought about calling a nurse to sit with her while he got a blanket from the warmer, but remembering what a private person she was, he figured she would be alright for just a minute. He set her hand down, gave her a soft kiss on the forehead then went in search of the warm blanket.

Maybe subconsciously sensing she was alone, Abby started to toss and turn, deep in the throws of a nightmare. She felt herself being tossed into the SUV, and the absolute terror she felt when she first saw the gun. The images of wounds to grave for her to fix and the ever watchful eyes of her captors assaulted her. She felt her heart start to race as she lay in the back of that SUV, dreading the moment it was going to stop and the bullet would slice through her brain. She sat bolt upright on the gurney.

"John!" She screamed, "JOHN, HELP ME."