Chapter Three

"Take them off of her," Robert demanded, as he stood next to Anna's bed.

"Sir, this is for her own protection," the nurse stated.

"Are you crazy? Have you not heard a word I said since I brought her here? She spent seven years in captivity. Knowing that…you do not get to put restraints on her…even for her own good. Look at her…Can you not see that she is terrified. Take the bloody restraints off now?"

Nurse April felt her blood run cold when Robert stared at her with eyes as cold as ice; his jaw clenched in simmering rage. She walked to the bed without a sound, untied the restraints to both her hands and legs, and promptly left the room. It was almost frightening how Robert could elicit results with just one bone-chilling look.

"Anna," he calls as he sits on the edge of the bed. "Please look at me Anna. I'm not going to hurt you."

His voice sounds so far away as she recoils from his touch. "No don't…don't touch me…please don't touch me," she cries. He pulls his hand immediately away from her, knowing she is lost in her memories. Dear God, what happened to his wife? What made her so afraid…even of him?

"Talk to me Anna…Say my name…"

"Robert…Robert, is that really you?"

"It's me Annie…I'm right here. You can trust me. You know that right?"

Her lips tremble when she speaks but she still manages to tell him that she knows he would never hurt her. It reassures him. Just a little. The thought of her being afraid of him ties him up in knots. He wants to help her get through this. He wants to be there for her.

"Who did this to you Luv…who took you away from me? You can tell me."

"But what if you look at me different? I can't stand the thought that you could ever be disgusted by me."

"Oh Annie…what did that monster do to you? How could you possibly think that I could ever feel that way about you…I know things are kind of weird between us right now but you have to know how much I care about you…Please tell me you know."

"You might feel differently once you see…I'm not pretty anymore."

"Where are you getting your information Luv…You are breathtakingly beautiful. Nothing you could ever show me is going to change that, you hear me. NOTHING."

He takes her hands into his own, gently massaging them. Anna's fingers began to regain their feeling as Robert continued to warm them with his own. "Please let me help you Annie. Do not be afraid of me. I would never hurt you."

"I know that Robert," she sobs. "I know that."

"Then show me…show me what you are so afraid for me to see…Let me prove to you that there is nothing that will make me turn away from you. Come on Luv, it is going to be okay. I promise you it will."

"When you say it like that," she admits, "How can I ever not believe you?"

She lets him pull her off the bed and they walk into the hospital bathroom. He locks the door and she sits down on the toilet. He kneels down next to her, pleading with her to remove her hospital gown.

"Are you sure you want to see Robert? I don't want to hurt you anymore than I already have."

"Hey…It's okay. Regardless of what happens between us romantically, I am still your friend. I still care. Show me?"

"Will you help me?"

"Always," he says.

Her knees shake when he removes the tie of the gown. There are burns and scratches across her back, and bruises that have turned a deep shade of purple on her thighs. He kisses each one of them. He notices what might be bite marks aligning her arms, and he kisses them too.

"Robert," she sighs.

"I know. I just want you to know that you are still beautiful. These scars…they are signs that you survived. They are not weaknesses."

"You still…find me attractive," she questions.

"So much that I have to remind myself that we are not there right now. I am worried about you Anna. Whatever happened to you for those seven years is still effecting you. Do not fight it okay. Do not ever be afraid to admit that you need someone. You are not going to heal if you do not let yourself feel. "

"It hurts Robert. It hurts so much."

"Let me take care of you Anna. Just for tonight. Let me help you."

She does not say a word so he runs her a bath. He can hear the nurse shuffling inside the bedroom so he opens the door slightly.

"I'm giving her a bath. You don't need to do any more tests do you?"

"No sir. We have all we need."

"Very Well. I can take it from here. She's exhausted."

April does not say anything. The warmth is back in his eyes. If her patient is more comfortable with this man bathing her then who was she to argue. She finishes cleaning up and leaves the room for a second time.

++++

Anna sinks back into the warmth of the soapy water as Robert washes her hair.

"That feels so good, Robert," she says, as he massages her scalp.

"You relax Luv. You've been through far too much for one lifetime."

He finishes washing her hair and moves to clean the remainder of her body, being careful not to press too hard on all of her wounds…the physical ones anyways. He knows she is not ready to face all that happened to her when she was in captivity but he will be there to listen when she is. He needs to know what happened just as much as she needs to say it.

"Robert," she says.

"What is it Luv?"

"Thank you…not just for taking care of me but for being here. I'm sorry if I'm keeping you from your wife."

"That's the thing Anna…I don't even know who my wife is anymore…legally."

"You'll figure it out Robert…we all will."

He holds out a towel and she climbs out of the tub. He helps her dry off and hands her a clean hospital gown. He carries her back to the bed and gently brushes her hair.

"You rest now. I'll be here if you need anything."

"You should go home now Robert. Holly has to be worried by now."

"I can't leave you tonight okay. I need to know that you are going to be okay. Just rest. We'll figure out where to go in the morning when you have your test results."

"Robert?"

"Yes Luv."

"I know I shouldn't ask but if you insist on staying, can you…can you just hold me. I'm scared to close my eyes."

"Nothing will ever hurt you again Luv," he promises, as he climbs in next to her and wraps his arms around her. "Not as long as there is a breath in me."

As soon as Anna is asleep, he quietly picks up the phone to call Holly.

"I can't talk right now but I wanted you to know I'm okay. I'll be home tomorrow."

He hates himself for not saying I love you too.

He wants so bad to do the right thing but at the moment he does not know what that is…He does love Holly…There is a part of him who always will…and yet…there is Anna…His Anna…He loved her madly once…he knows he still does…"

"Oh Annie, what am I supposed to do," he whispers. "Our marriage didn't end because I stopped loving you. It ended because you died…and now…now there is someone else at home who is waiting for me. I wish I knew what the right thing was…If I had known you were alive, I never would have moved on. Some would say I have not moved on at all. There are still parts of me that I keep hidden from Holly. I guess that is the sad reality…after you, I never could give all of myself. The risk was too much after knowing how it hurt when it ended…And now that I know that Sean set you up to take the fall for being the double agent…It just makes me even more confused. Our last moments together consisted of a lie meant to break us…it ended up costing us seven years. I am sorry Anna. I'm so incredibly sorry."

Her head is resting on his chest so he turns out the light and closes his eyes. He would have to face the truth tomorrow. Tonight he would just hold her and wish for guidance.