If She Were Alone

Twenty minutes into her sleep Trish woke up screaming. "I'm sorry, no, don't please. I can't"

"Whoa, honey, honey." Hunter held her and stroked her hair. "Wake up Trishy, it's a nightmare."

Trish opened her eyes and saw Hunter holding her. "It was horrible, it was like a movie playing the fight over and over." She moved closer to him and put her arm around his chest. "I can't close my eyes again Hunter. I'll see it again. I can't see him again." She started crying .

"Oh, girly, come here. Dave! Come here." Hunter kissed Trish's head and stroked her hair some more. He was holding her hand when a half asleep Dave walked in the room. "Help me." Hunter whispered. Dave crawled over Hunter and Trish and held Trish's other hand.

"What's going on Trish?" He asked, rubbing her sides.

"I had a nightmare. I can't sleep. If I close my eyes I'll see him, I can't do that again." Hunter shushed her again and pulled her tighter. "Ow! Watch it Hunter, I think he might of broke that rib." Dave pulled down the sheet and pulled up her shirt a little. Revealing a very purple area on her side.

"Trish, you're sure you're pregnant?" Dave asked looking at the mark. "Hunter...? Look." Hunter leaned over and stared at the purple bruise.

He stood up quickly and grabbed his shoes and coat. He went to his closet and grabbed a coat for Trish. "Yeah, are you sure you're pregnant?"

"Yeah, the test was positive and I'm pretty late."

"How late?"

"I lied to Shawn, I told him four days, but it's been about a week and a half and I'm normally early."

"Get up kid, I'll help." Hunter signaled for Dave to go start the truck. "We have to take you to the emergency room."

"Why? Hunter is there something wrong?"

"If you have a broken rib chances are the baby is in danger. Let's go." The drive to the hospital was quiet besides the occaisional sob from Trish and the shush from Dave coming from the backseat. The inside of the hospital was pretty quiet too. The silence started to annoy Hunter who had wanted to scream since Trish had showed up at her doorstep earlier. "Dave I'll get a wheelchair stay with her." Dave held her hand and waited for Hunter. Once he got back to the truck Dave picked up Trish and sat her down in th wheelchair.

"I can't breathe guys." Trish whined. "My stomach." She fainted at the last word. Hunter ran with her to the E.R.

"She's pregnant." He told the Triage Nurse. "And look here." He showed her the bruises on her side and the nurse opened the door. Hunter took her to the room the nurse told him to and laid her on the bed. He sat next to her and held her hand whispering wake up every once in awhile.

"Hello, I'm Doctor Myers, what seems to be the problem?"

"She's pregnant Doctor, and her boyfriend beat her up, we think he broke her rib. Then she passed out on her way to the E.R., I'm worried." Dave looked away from Trish, unable to look at his little sister without crying. And crying was not cool infront of Hunter.

"Well, we'll run tests on the baby, how far along is she?"

"She found out today, but she was a week and a half late." Hunter said, squeezing Trishs hand harder. "Just get off my ass and help her huh? I can't see her like this anymore." Trish laid there almost lifeless, showing a sign of life through a whimper every so often. "Come on Trishmas, you can wake up. You're a strong girl, you remember the accident, you came out of lifethreatening injuries then, do it now." Hunter stopped talking and looked at Dave, Dave just looked farther away from Trish.

"I can't look at her. She's been hurt too many times. And it hurts me."

"Shawn?" Trish asked without opening her eyes. "Shawn is that you?"

"No honey, it's me Hunter, and Dave."

"Shawn, what the hell, haven't done anything to you, and you hit me, a lot. And you hurt your baby. And me, bad. You said you loved me."

"How much did I hit you?" Hunter asked taking the role of Shawn, trying to pry answers out of her.

"Well, you have slapped me around a lot before, and the night you tried to rape still plays in my mind when I try to sleep. I hate you Shawn."

Hunter looked over to Dave who stood up so fast that his chair tipped over. "I'll go have a few words with Shawn." Dave said softly and left. Before he went out the door he said, "Maybe these two will be neighbors for a few days. Until she gets out. I'll make it a point that he doesn't." Hunter winked at Dave and held Trish's hand tighter.