THE MORNING AFTER - CHAPTER 5
"Danny, I don't want to be here anymore. I want to go home."
The young man swallowed the huge lump in his throat. "Montana, you've been seriously hurt. You must stay here so you can receive proper medical attention."
Lindsay sighed stubbornly. "I can't stand it much longer."
Danny failed in his attempt to smile. "I must ask you some questions regarding the incident. At any point you feel uncomfortable, tell me an' I'll stop."
She closed her eyes. "I remember everything. His dank breath on my face, his hands crawling over my body like some evil slime…I tried to fight him but I couldn't. He was too strong."
Danny felt his blood boil with anger, but he kept a calm exterior. "Can you tell me what happened prior to?"
Her voice trembled, and he noticed that she was slightly shaking. "I...I opened the apartment, and he came up from behind. He clamped his hand over my mouth and forced me inside, where he threw me on the floor. He kicked me, than tossed me onto the bed like a piece of garbage."
He rubbed her shoulder gently. "Do you remember what he looked like? Any unique scars or features?"
Lindsay's eyes snapped open, and she turned her gaze to him. The chestnut hue had vanished from her irises; he was staring at twin grey orbs. Her face had suddenly drained of colour, and she shook her head vigorously.
"I can't tell you."
---
Clasping Lindsay's hand, Danny's heart faltered as he watched her reaction to the movement on the screen. Dr. Evans had required that she be notified of the pregnancy, concerned that if she found out on her own, her symptoms would worsen and she would attempt suicide. He had seen it before and was not prepared to have it happened again.
The young woman stared with unblinking eyes at the grainy black-and-white screen. A tiny circular mass pulsated slightly as the being shifted, and Danny's fingers turned red from her vice-like grip. Tears welled in her eyes, and Dr. Evans immediately turned off the ultrasound, glancing at her apologetically.
"We would like to keep you here a bit longer, just to monitor your activity."
Lindsay moaned in agony. She desperately wanted to leave; she felt as if they were holding her prisoner. She buried her face in Danny's chest, releasing the tears freely. He swayed gently back and forth, whispering soft words to her. Dr. Evans nodded to the young man respectively.
"I'll leave you two alone for a moment."
---
Lindsay gripped Danny's shirt in her hands tightly, still not quite believing the news. "It's not true. Tell me it's not true."
Danny's spirit faltered under the enormity of the situation. "Listen to me, Montana. I'll help you get through this. You have to trust me. I'll be with you every step of the way, alright?"
She sniffed and wiped away a falling tear. "It's my fault. I brought this on myself."
"Don't say that. Don't make yourself feel guilty for something you didn't do."
"What if he knows?" Lindsay's voice held a note of fear. "What if he comes back to kill me?"
He kissed her forehead, noting her ever-so-slight jump. "He'll have to get through me first."
---
Upon arriving on the NYPD team, Lindsay had quickly established herself as a strong-willed person. Everyone knew she was tough. So it came to no surprise when she made a quick recovery. Although the emotional and physical scars would always remain, and still far-off from being fully recovered, she had managed to gather enough strength to be sent home by Dr. Evans about two weeks following the event. The four men on the team assisted with moving her belongings over to Stella's apartment, who would be staying with Mac for the time being. It was hard for them to go back to the crime scene, but Danny took it the heaviest. His eyes were rigid as they gathered up Lindsay's clothes and headed for the temporary apartment, gritting his teeth in frustration as he took one last look in the bedroom and headed to the corridor, praying to whatever gods that were still listening that they would find the one responsible for this evil crime.
---
"Stop squirming, or I'll slit your throat!"
Lindsay was terrified; her entire body immediately froze in fear. Matt was on top of her, snarling wickedly as he held her wrists down. His face was shrouded in darkness, but there was no denying the sinister voice that echoed in her ears. Her breath caught in her lungs as he leaned close to her face, hissing as his hands trailed over her exposed skin.
"Tell me how it feels, Monroe. Does it bring you back to when you tortured me? I loved you!"
Lindsay's eyes snapped shut, trying to drown out the horrible reality. Matt cruelly forced her eyelids open, shaking his head in pity.
"Don't you want to see me?"
Lindsay screeched in horror as he once again plunged into her, and once again she was immobilized in complete and utter terror.
---
She awoke with a scream, beads of perspiration lining her temple and glistening in the early morning sunlight. She jumped as the bedroom door flung open, revealing a bare-chested Danny. He had been ordered by Mac to stay with Lindsay for some time, assisting her in the painstakingly slow recovery process. Roughly six weeks has passed since the ordeal. As to not frighten her, he remained in the doorframe and spoke in as calm a tone as he could manage.
"Are you alright, Montana?"
"It was him, Danny." Head in hands, she rocked back and forth, sobbing quietly. Danny slowly edged himself over to the bed, where he sat down beside her.
"Who, Lindsay? Tell me who hurt you."
Her choked sobs made his heart crumble. "He'll come back and kill me if I tell."
"Was it Matt? Did Matt do this to you?"
It was the wrong question. Lindsay literally exploded in screams, throwing her head back and howling like a mad person. The high-pitched noise shook ornaments on Stella's dresser, almost toppling them onto the floor. Cursing himself for speaking, Danny watched as she tore away from the bed, running into the bathroom and slamming the door shut. He could hear her wrench, presumably in the toilet, coughing and sputtering through cries. His hands immediately curled into fists and slammed down on the mattress, eyes blazing in anger. Just by her reaction he knew that Matt was the perpetrator, but he also knew that the evidence would have to be sufficient enough in order to interrogate him. He so desperately wanted to get through to Lindsay, to hold her and say everything would be alright. In the past few weeks she had showed numerous symptoms of rape: constant mood swings, several showers a day - almost as if she were cleansing herself from the assault – and often shutting herself out from the world, hiding like a scared child in the corner of Stella's bedroom, her eyes darting back and forth like twin hornets. He was somewhat surprised, however, that she allowed him to comfort her, but he knew it wouldn't last long. Rape victims swiftly lost their sense of trust, especially those who were in a relationship. Danny feared for her well-being, and because of this he was determined to catch the rapist before he harmed another innocent soul.
---
Mac rubbed the bridge of his nose in frustration, leaning back in his desk chair and watching the lab workers pass by his office. He had received somewhat encouraging news from Hawkes a few days ago: a second sperm donor had been found on Lindsay's sheets. However, the sample was too degraded to extract DNA from. Despite the lack of evidence – and Lindsay's reluctance to reveal the rapist – Mac was not willing to give up so easily. He had Stella and Flack return to the apartment and examine everything carefully. Fingerprints and bodily fluids came back to no match in AFIS. They had no idea who was responsible for the crime, and only time would tell if Lindsay chose to speak.
---
As Danny sat in the bedroom pondering, Lindsay was still in the bathroom hunched over the toilet, gripping the sides with her fingers. Remnants of her stomach contents coated her chin, and her head swirled around dizzily. She felt drowsy and longed to sleep again, yet she could not tear herself away from the toilet bowl. Steadying herself up, she peered at herself in the mirror. A wreck of a face stared back. Her hair was matted and flat, eyes rimmed with redness, and her breathing raspy. Her chest felt tight as well, and she tore off her shirt to examine her breasts. They were much larger than usual, but were tender to the touch. Lindsay's breath hitched in her throat; these were all sure signs of pregnancy. Straining to keep her headache from running out of control, she clamped both hands down on her ears, groaning as the pain worsened. After cleaning herself up quickly, she fumbled for the doorknob and dragged herself out to an awaiting Danny, who appeared slightly startled.
"Danny, I'm scared."
He held out his arms, and after a few moments of hesitation she reluctantly entered his warm embrace. Danny was careful not to hold on too tight; she was already in an agitated state. The last thing he needed was for her to turn on him.
"Me too."