Umm yeah… I don't know what else to say besides sorry. I was going through a crisis and… yeah, enjoy.

Would she be able to handle it? Will she be just like I think mom would? Will she cry and gasp and judge me? Alex thought, walking through the door into a large room, clamped to the hand of her Colombian 'grandmother'. Alex took a breath and looked around. It looked just like a regular hospital room, just bigger, more cabinets, a small, ineffective curtain…a tray with a camera and other…things.

She flinched into Gloria when she felt a hand on her upper arm. Not only did it already hurt, no one could do anything to her now without narrating their actions unless they wanted to provoke a breakdown out of her. Slowly, she came back down from her internal mini freak-out and turned to face the women. They were watching her every move, weary and noting everything that made her flinch. She felt like a museum exhibit, watched and studied, being tested on it later.

"Alex? The first thing I want to do is ask you some questions while I do a few of the fundamentals, height, weight, and other questions." The nurse, Christina said. Alex nodded and looked around, finally feeling comfortable enough to lean her weight, scarce as it was, back into the older woman by her side, allowing herself to be comforted.

"I'm going to have you stand over here and pull off your shoes" she said, pointing to a paper 'cloth' that had been laid on the floor. She moved to stand on it, finally having to break from Gloria's comforting presence. Alex pulled off the sandals she wore, leaving them on the mat as she stepped back off and wandered back over to take Gloria's hand. They watched intently as the other nurse, Bobbie, wrapped the cloth around the shoes and fit them in a paper bag marked "SHOES".

"Good, let's step over here to take your height, 5' 3 ½ ", weight is around… umm… wow… 83 lbs." She stepped nervously off the scale. She wasn't really trying so hard to be super skinny, she just…stopped eating, she wasn't anorexic…she isn't. She stared at the curtain, she knew what it was for, she'd have to go behind there… that's where you undress, where they finally…study you.

"Alright, hop up on the table, I'm going to feel your throat for swelling, I'm gonna listen to your heart, I'm going to take your blood pressure, look in your ears, eyes, and throat. I'm also going to check your heart rate to make sure it's pretty normal alright? I'm going to ask you some questions along the way." Alex nodded again and made her way slowly to the table, hopping up with little grace as she tried to keep herself upright and not on the floor in pain.

She began with her throat, feeling along it to check for swelling, "Are your periods regular?"

"They were" Bobbie wrote it down

"Do you know when the last was?" she shrank away as the nurse hit a sore spot, she didn't move her hands, just waited for the scared teen to return.

She did, "No, I don't"

"Is there a possibility you could be pregnant?"

She paused and didn't say anything. That was her first mistake. Christina ducked to look her in the eye; "I need you to tell me and be honest" she stood and continued with her exam.

"…I guess…"

"So he didn't use a condom?"

"Are you always this blunt?"

"Alex!" her Colombian 'grandmother' reprimanded. She wasn't reacting to this, just sitting there…in the chair…watching. Why?

"…no…" she answered, regretting it.

"Have you had sexual partners before this?"

"No… I haven't"

"Is that the truth?"

"Yes, I'm 15, what do expect?"

"Alright, I'm done here, I need you now, to be brave and stand behind the curtain and hand me the clothes that I ask for okay?" there was no movement from the teenager sitting on the table. A single tear slid out of one eye and she turned away from Gloria, taking a slow, steady breath.

"I changed my mind… I don't want Gloria here anymore…" she said, causing everyone to look taken aback. Christina pursed her lips and looked to Gloria, who just stood, graciously, and made her way to the door, she gave a tight smile before reaching out for the handle. Alex didn't see the gesture Christina gave her, telling her to wait for a few moments.

"Alex…" she said, placing a hand on the girl's arm. She flinched all the way away, landing on the floor and scrambling away.

"NO! NO! PLEASE! I DIDN'T DO IT! PLEASE!" she screamed, continuing into the far corner of the room. "NO! Please! I don't deserve this anymore! I don't owe you! I didn't do anything! Why do you hate me?!" she panicked, beginning to sweat, she landed in the corner, hugging her knees to her chest, rocking back and forth, blocking everyone out as she chanted 'no'.

Christina glanced at Gloria, who put up a finger and finally left the room, leaving Christina and Bobbie to their own devices to deal with the broken teenager until the woman returned. This would be the longest rape-kit either one had ever done, because though they were hard, and they were rare in the first place, neither of them had dealt with a reaction that was this violent before. All they could do was wait and watch in horror as the teen slipped farther and farther away.

Gloria appeared in the waiting room. Hayley had her arms around her mother's waist, her legs draped over Claire's thighs, head tucked to her chest. Claire looked up at the sound of Gloria's heels clicking on the gray flooring. Fear danced in her eyes, worry played on her features, and tears rolled down her cheeks, silently, slowly, steadily.

"What's wrong? What happened? Is she okay?" she asked frantically.

"I think she needs her mother, Claire, I watch Hayley, don't worry" Gloria told her. She walked over to them carefully, moving slowly to gently wrap a hand around Hayley's upper arm. She didn't move, just held tighter around Claire's waist.

Claire stared down at her, then back up at Gloria, and began to pull out of Hayley's grasp. But she held tighter to her mother, not wanting to be yanked away because the only thing she wanted right now was the comfort of her mother's embrace in this time of need. She was scared to let go, scared that if she let go, she'd lose her mother too. She knew that letting go meant this was actually happening and that someone did actually have to be here to comfort her.

"Please, no, I want you…" she trailed.

Claire looked up once more to Gloria, suddenly feeling like she wanted the woman to be older so that she could feel better going to her for help and feeling more as though it were her step-mom and not her sister. But she couldn't get anything; Gloria had this glazed look on her face, even though the episode in the other room didn't really seem to faze her.

She opened her mouth to speak, but was suddenly cut off by the other nurse, Bobbie, "She wants her sister" she stated plainly with a nod of her head before disappearing back into the hallway behind her to return to her duty in the room of horrors.

Hayley looked up at her mom, shock playing harshly on her delicate features. Claire looked back at her in terror before turning her head up to stare into the eyes of her step-mom. Gloria still didn't seem fazed, she just stood there. Was she trying to be the rock? Was she trying so hard to be the strong one for everyone to fall back on? She didn't know, but she was grateful for having someone that could do such a thing-be so strong.

"I think she can do it" Gloria stated with a definitive nod of the head, "They'll be okay. If anything goes wrong, they'll help her out of there… if she's up for it…" Gloria added quietly.

Claire stared back down at her daughter, feeling almost as if she would soon be displaying the actual physical symptoms of shock. She nodded and helped Hayley to a standing position. Hayley reached absentmindedly for Gloria's hand, only realizing she'd done it when its softness held back. But she didn't react, it seemed nearly deliberate.

And then Gloria began walking, pulling Hayley back into reality and with her as she did. And they were gone, because deep down inside, no matter how much she taunted her, Hayley would do absolutely anything for her sister-even be there to hold her hand during the nightmare that had exposed itself in the very room they were headed to. The hallway was empty; the floor was made up of slate colored tiles, looking almost like a floor would in a dance studio. The walls were dull and gray; there were a few inspirational posters, and floor assignments by the elevators. The hallway was empty, eerily quiet, and the closer they got to their destination room, the more present the anxiety in Hayley's was.

Standing outside the room where she could barely hear the sobs coming from her little sister on the other side of the door. She stared at the door: wooden, no window, one of those draft tubs at the bottom-probably so as little sound as possible would escape during whatever happens on the other side of that door.

"Are you sure?" Gloria asked, holding Hayley by the tops of her arms and forcing the teenager to look directly into her eyes.

"She needs me" Hayley stated plainly and turned to the door. Gloria gave her a sad smile and kissed her hand. Drawing in another shaky breath, Hayley pulled down on the door handle and slipped inside.

Without acknowledging either of the two women, Hayley beeline for the source of the sobs. There was Alex, in the corner, knees tucked to her chest, rocking back and forth. Reaching her sister, Hayley squatted down to her level to make eye contact with her. She reached out to touch the young girl's knee, allowing her to realize that Hayley had in fact come to her rescue. Alex lunged for her sister, securing her arms around the older brunette's neck and bringing her to the floor beside her. They sat thee for five minutes. Hayley shushed her little sister, knowing that taking control of this situation was so far out of her league.

Hayley sucked in another wavering breath, "Alex, you have to do this. We!" she emphasized, "have to do this. You have to get better. You have to get better for me" She added in a quiet whisper. Hayley began to stand, bringing along her sister as she did.

"Alright hon" Christina said, "Can you stand behind the curtain for me?" she asked, gauging the girl's reaction closely, hoping she didn't panic again.

But she didn't. Alex began to move, unaware of the grip that she was holding on her sister, and unaware that she was pulling her along. However, as soon as they reached the curtain, and then arm's lengths apart, pulling their arms taught with each other, she stopped and turned, confused at this sudden halt to their movement. Her eyes pleaded with her older sister, pleaded with her to help her through this. She wanted to finally be close to Hayley, even if it took something like this to make that happen. She wanted- she needed Hayley to do this with her, and not from afar.

"You should do this by yourself Alex" Hayley stated plainly.

"No, Please, I want- I want you to be with me… I need you to be with me… I need you" Alex whimpered, visibly deflating.

"I know. And I'm here, I will be right here. But I think this part you should do on your own but I will be holding your hand for every step of the way after this." Hayley stated, allowing her hand to go limp in Alex's.

So Alex dropped the hand and turned back toward the curtain to finally, once and for all, begin what she came here to do.