Ian pulled me close as I continued to weep in his arms. I winced at the pain the contact made. Every inch of me seemed to ache. Jared remained motionless; he face was that unreadable mask I was familiar with. After a moment he removed his shirt, and walked over to me. Tears blurred my vision as Ian comforted me with a light hug and gentle reassurances; he was trying his best not to hurt me.
"Who do you think did it?" Jared answered, disgust clear in his voice. He gave Ian a knowing look.
"Kyle of coarse." Ian replied full of hatred. "Son of a bitch." Jared handed me his t-shirt and they both glanced away as I slipped it over me. I swam in the shirt; it fit me like a baggy dress.
"Thanks," I replied shyly. I knew Jared didn't like me very much; he had made that very clear. It was embarrassing, having them both here while I was so exposed and broken. He nodded and stood up. Ian pulled away from me and glanced over my body, fire scorching his beautiful blue eyes. He saw what I knew were deep purple bruises on my thighs and the scratches all over my body. He saw the marks that were surely on my face and neck from Kyle's beating while he attempted to stop my struggling, and as his gaze lowered he saw the blood smearing down my legs. I had never seen rage like this in Ian's eyes. In an instant it switched to compassion.
"I'm so sorry Wanda. If only I had been there, I should have never left you--I cannot believe he would do this to you—I" His eyes welled with tears I knew he would never let fall.
"What do you mean you can't stay here anymore?" Jared asked, cutting Ian off. He studied my face intensely while he waited for an answer.
"I—I have to leave, that's why he—he wanted me to leave, he said it was his payback for everything I had done. I think in a way it was a rebellion against all the souls, taken out on me. I just—I have to leave the caves." I replied between sobs.
"You're not going anywhere." Ian replied, shifting his weight and lifting me gently. I winced again at the pain that shot through my body. "Sorry," he apologized, cradling me in his arms. He looked down on me with such remorse it stung. As ridicules as it sounds, I felt bad for the pain this was causing him.
"Take her to Doc." Jared replied. He had been standing so still I'd almost forgotten he was even there. I glanced over at him; he had given his shirt to me and was now only wearing old jeans. Even at a time like this it was hard to ignore his beauty; his perfect body. "I'll take care of Kyle." He walked over to me and for a second the mask fell. His eyes showed how truly bad he really felt; he grasped my hand for a moment. "Don't worry, you will be safe here, we'll figure out what to do with Kyle." He said gently. Jared wiped away a fresh tear from my cheek, and just as quickly as it had left, the mask was back. He stormed away angrily, cursing under his breath.
I huddled closer to Ian, wrapping my arms around him and sobbing as he slowly and carefully carried me to Doc. His eye's never left mine; he watched for any sign that he might be hurting me and tried to adjust accordingly. There was no escaping all the pain, it was everywhere, and it was the worst around my and privates. "What kind of man, no matter what, would take advantage like that? How could he harm another person like that? I don't care what his intentions were, sac of scum." Ian was mumbling to himself in complete fury at his brother.
"He doesn't see me as a person Ian, I'm like an animal to him."
"I'm ashamed to call him a brother," Ian replied. "You are a person Wanda, and as much of a human as the rest of us, defiantly more of a human than Kyle. He's the animal in my eyes." Ian replied wiping the hair from my face and then wiping silent tears that still fell from my eyes. I couldn't control myself. This was the most violent thing I had ever been through; I was traumatized and humiliated. We began to stumble around on uneven ground as we walked through the south tunnel, getting closer to the hospital. Every step Ian took was painful and I tried not to let it show. I tried and failed, Ian apologized every time I winced and tried his best not to hurt me, shifting my body weight accordingly in his arms. Finally, I saw the tunnel lighten and knew we were almost there.