Samantha was dozing when she heard her daughters cry. Opening her eyes, she tried to move but remembered she couldn't. Pain shot through her body and she cried out in pain. Viv entered the room quickly with Abby in her arms. "Samantha what's wrong?"
"Moved too quickly. Heard her cry." She managed to tell Viv.
"Sorry, but she's hungry and won't take a bottle."
"Give her here." Samantha asked as she made herself as comfortable as she could. Opening her hospital gown, Viv tried her hardest not to gasp at Samantha's injuries. "Don't worry, I'm doing all right now."
"Wish you had told us." Viv told her as she handed the baby down to her mom. Watching as the baby latched onto Samantha and drank hungrily. "Guess she really was hungry?"
"I am still trying to wean from me and onto formula, but it isn't working all that well as you can see and I haven't expressed for a while so it's all right." Samantha looked lovingly down to her daughter.
"Doesn't it hurt, with your injuries?" Viv asked sitting on the plastic chair beside her bed.
"Actually no it doesn't. It's the only part of the day when I am not in pain." Samantha explained as she softly stroked Abby's head. "Aidan and Abby are my lifeline and when ever I see them I am not in pain any more."
Viv smiled sadly at her friend, knowing how hard it must be for her to talk about this to anyone, especially her friends and colleagues. "Can I ask what happened?"
Samantha took a minute before starting that she hadn't wanted to tell anyone. "It started not long after Abby was born. I don't know what changed in him, but something did. He would look at me with such hate in his eyes I couldn't take it. I would spend most of my time with the children, kept the house tidy and had his dinner ready when he came in from work but nothing seemed to please him. The first time he hit me I didn't think anything of it. He promised he would never do it again and stupidly I believed him. But over time things just kept getting worse and worse. When I came back to work that was when it got really bad. But the last week have been the worst. Last night is the first time he lashed out at Aidan. But Aidan was only trying to protect me." Tears blinded Samantha. "He's only three and doesn't know what's going on. Paul told him one time that we were playing a game. But last night Aidan seemed to know it wasn't a game and got hit for interrupting."
"He's okay though Samantha. Danny has him. He is being so brave and has told us what he has seen." This only made the tears in Samantha's eyes fall faster. "Hey, it's all right. Samantha I promise you, you will get through this."
"I know, but will they?" She questioned looking down to where her daughter had fallen asleep against her breast.
Upstairs in the bullpen Martin sat with Aidan. "Uncle Martin, is mommy all right?"
"She is sore Aid, but she will get better. Once Auntie Viv comes back up stairs we can go and see her." Martin reassured the little boy.
"Daddy always said it was a game, but it didn't look like a fun game. Mommy always says that hitting is wrong and if someone hits you, you should tell someone."
"That's right Aidan, you should tell, but daddy should never have hit mommy or you."
The little boy sat in quiet contemplation thinking over what Martin had told him. Before long the elevator doors opened and Viv appeared back in the bullpen. "Auntie Viv, where's Abby?" The little boy sounded panicked.
"Mommy has her and she wants to see her brave little man." Viv told the boy as she crouched down to his level.
"Uncle Martin's going to take me, aren't you?" Martin nodded. "Come on then." Aidan grabbed Martin's hand and dragged him to the elevator.
Aidan and Martin reached Samantha's room door. "Now Aidan remember, Mommy is in pain. So go easy."
"I promise I will." He said. Martin opened the door and Aidan ran in and stood beside Samantha's bed. "Hi mommy."
"There's my hero." Samantha smiled weakly at Aidan. "You got a hug for me?"
"Uncle Martin said I was to go easy, cause you're hurt."
"I am hurt but I really need a hug from my best boy. Maybe Uncle Martin will lift you up and put you on the bed beside me." Abby was already asleep in Samantha's other arm. Martin lifted Aidan up and placed him on Samantha's side. "I love you so much Aidan."
"I love you too mommy." The little boy said as he yawned. Slowly his eyes closed and he slipped into a peaceful sleep.
"You have the touch." Martin commented, watching Samantha with her sleeping children.
"Yeah." She said his voice quivering. "I told Jack to go ahead and press charges."
"It's for the best Samantha."
"Is it really?" She questioned before her eyes too slipped shut.
A.N – Sorry it has taken me so long to get this next chapter up. My muse kinda left me and life took over. But thanks for the encouraging reviews so far. Hopefully I will find my muse hanging about somewhere soon.