Korra steeled her grip on her gun as marching could be heard up the steps.
"Riko! Sweetie, we have to leave!" The yell was cut off as the father barged into the bedroom.
Korra stood opposite of him with her gun raised. "Derek Walker, you're under arrest."
The man chuckled in reply. "Oh no. You don't have me yet." He then pulled out a switchblade from his pocket.
Korra shifted her weight. "Derek, if you come at me, I won't have any choice but to shoot you. And I'd rather not kill a father in front of his daughter."
"Heh, you won't kill me."
Korra took a step back and looked past Derek. The man noticed the glance and turned around in time to steady himself as Mako tackled him. The two fell to the floor, wrestling over the knife.
The blade fell from Derek's hand and Korra kicked it under the bed. The two men continued to fight. Derek suddenly pushed Mako up and punched him in the face. Derek rushed to his feet and reached out for his daughter. However, Korra tackled him into the wall before he could even touch the girl. "Don't you dare touch her!"
"I didn't do anything! You've got no proof!" Derek started screaming with his face shoved into the wall. Mako regained his balance and helped handcuff the man. Police sirens started approaching the street and sudden footsteps dashed up the stairs. Kuvira and Bolin skidded into the room to find Mako telling Derek his rights and Korra was comforting the child.
Bolin sighed in relief while Kuvira scoffed. "You two always get the arrest."
Korra picked up the girl, still wrapped up in her jacket. "I'm gonna ride with her to the hospital."
Kuvira nodded and let her through. "I'm gonna let Mako and Bolin handle this guy then."
Korra paused before continuing down the stairs. "That's fine."
~ warning for emotional distress caused by abuse
November 3rd, 2015
9:44pm
New York Memorial Hospital
Riko's emotional distress during the examination only confirmed Korra's worst fear. The doctor told her officially for the record. Riko was raped and abused by her own father. The police officer had to step out of the room for a few minutes to calm down her rattled nerves. They had found the body of a woman just that morning, and by nightfall the husband was arrested and the daughter was in the hospital. It's not often a case gets solved so quickly, but things weren't over yet.
Korra knocked on the door to let the young child know she was coming in. The girl sniffled as she glanced up. She quickly wiped away her tears and sat up straight. "You're the one who saved me."
The officer smiled gently. "Yes, my name's Korra, remember? I'm a detective. I need to ask you some questions."
Riko pulled the blanket closer to her. "Okay…"
Korra nodded and sat down in the chair. "Alright, when's the last time you saw your mother?"
New tears appeared in the kid's eyes. "A week ago… She's dead, isn't she?"
Korra tensed up as she listened to the girl breakdown again. "I'm sorry, dear. She has passed on."
Riko suddenly lurched forward, trying to hide her tears. "Daddy did it! I always heard them fighting and then one day last week it just stopped and daddy kept me locked up! He wouldn't let me leave the house even go to school!"
"I'm so sorry, Riko. Did he ever hit you?" Korra asked carefully.
Riko nodded. "Yeah, he started hitting me around a few months ago. Then daddy started picking me up from school. He…"
Korra eyed her shaking form. "Riko, what did he do to you then?"
The child sniffed and rubbed her eyes again. "He started touching me, like how daddy used to touch mommy. She found out and she tried to leave with me, but daddy wouldn't let us leave! He pushed her into the wall and I ran upstairs. I didn't see anything else, but I could hear them fighting. When I came out the next morning, mommy was gone and daddy locked me in my room!"
"Shh, shh! It's okay, dear. You don't have to tell me everything at once. He's not gonna hurt you anymore." Korra soothed her and rubbed her back.
The girl cried for a few more minutes before speaking up again. "After mommy disappeared, everything got so much worse…"
"He's going to pay for it. You don't have to worry about that."
~ end trigger scene
Nov 4th, 2015
9:18am
NYPD Interrogation Room #3
"I want a lawyer."
Mako scoffed and dropped a folder on the table. "That's what every guilty man says, Derek. Are you guilty of something?"
"Oh please, I didn't do anything but what was best for my family."
Bolin stood behind his brother with his arms crossed, looking unconvinced. "Well this must be quite a coincidence then. For us to find your house the way it was…"
"I didn't do any of that."
"Sir, you had the whole night to rest and get your story together, so I'm just going to get straight to the point." Mako started. "What's been going on in your house since your wife went missing?"
Derek growled. "That brat is setting me up."
"Who? Your daughter? Derek, do you really think she's capable of that?" Bolin asked.
The man remained quiet and hung his head. There was really no point in lying about the situation they found the girl in.
"But as you said, you want a lawyer. So I guess we'll have to wait-" Mako was shortly interrupted.
"I never touched my daughter if that's what you're thinking."
"That's not really what we're here to discuss. Test results will show what really happened to your daughter. No, right now we wanna talk about Sydney." Bolin spoke up.
Derek scoffed and spit blood on the ground from where he had been punched during the fight. "Fine, have you even found my wife yet?"
The room went quiet before Mako spoke up. "Tell me again when the last time you saw her was."
"I told your partner there I saw her 6 nights ago now! I threw her outside when she tried to take Riko. Do you think I did something to her?!"
"In fact, I do!" Mako replied. "You were the last person to see her. I need details of that night."
Derek sighed and slouched in his seat. "We got into a fight that evening. She didn't like that I started picking Riko up from school. I just wanted to help. She's the one with the job after all. But she wasn't happy about it and tried to take my daughter away. She was way too angry for the situation and I told her to come back later when she calmed down so we could talk like civil adults. She left. Her last words as she walked down the street were something along the lines of getting a lawyer."
Mako held a stoic look on his face. "That's quite a story Mr. Walker. A jury might buy it."
Derek growled again. "It's not a story. It's the truth."
Mako shuffled through some papers before producing a photo. "Is this what Sydney looked like the last time you saw her?"
Derek gasped and shakily reached for the photo of his wife on the examiner's table. "She… She's dead? How?!"
Mako shook his head. "You tell us."
Derek barred his teeth and jumped from his seat. "I didn't do this! She was alive the last time I saw her!"
Mako stood up and stared him down. "We found blood in several areas of your home! I'd be willing to bet it'll come back as Sydney's DNA! There were obvious signs of abuse all over the place! Now you look me in the eye and say that none of this is your fault even a little bit!"
Derek went wide-eyed and slowly retreated back to his seat.
Mako sighed and turned to the door. "Bolin, can you get some coffee for our guest? He's going to be here for a while."
Lieutenant Tenzin and DA Bei Fong stood in front of the glass panel looking unimpressed. "His story has holes in it." Mako said to them. Bolin left the room after him and fetched coffee.
"What would those be exactly, Detective?" Tenzin asked.
"He first said he threw her out of the house, but then changed it so that she left willingly. Also, he has no alibi for that night, other than the fight."
Lin spoke up tensely. "Look, the small details are superficial in a case like this. That won't hold in court. You need something more definitive than something that could simply be a memory issue. Who's to say that he's telling the truth and she was killed after she left the apartment?"
"Lin, there was blood all over the house." Mako replied.
"Yes, but just as you said, there were signs of long-term abuse. We can't say for certain how the blood got there."
"I've got something more definitive." A new voice spoke up from behind them. They turned around to see Korra. "Sorry I'm late. What did he have to say?"
Mako scoffed and glanced at the glass panel. "What they all say: he didn't do it."
"What do you have, Korra?" Tenzin asked impatiently.
Korra held up a folder of paperwork. "Riko Walker's test results. Doctor said she was abused and raped by someone with the same DNA as hers. Derek is the only male relative she has. I talked to her to make sure and she confirmed that the rape started a week ago and she's been physically abused for the past four months."
They all turned to Lin, who sighed and rubbed her forehead. "That does clarify as important evidence. Good work, Korra. Now if you would excuse me, I shouldn't even be hearing all of this until the case is wrapped up. You all know that. Come find me when you're finished." Before she disappeared, she had one last thing to say. "Also, it seems odd for abuse to start so randomly. Find out what caused this shift in behavior."
Korra blinked and thought back to all they knew about the case so far. Lin was right. The wife had been abused at least two years before he switched to the daughter. What happened four months ago?
As Bei Fong left, Bolin came running in. "Korra, the hospital called! They say something's wrong with the girl!"
Korra wasted no time and grabbed her jacket as she ran out of the office.
November 4th, 2015
10:33am
New York Memorial Hospital
"Oh, Detective! This way!"
"I know where her room is!" Korra responded as she ran past the desk. She dashed through the hall, avoiding other patients and nurses. As she skidded to a stop outside of the girl's room, she heard childish screams and nurses trying to calm her down. She barged in.
"Oh good, you're here Korra!" The doctor hissed as she held a needle in her hand and failed repeatedly to administer the medicine. "Do you think you can help?"
Korra nodded and pushed through the nurses in the way who were trying to hold her down. Since her hands were held down, she gently tipped her chin back to force her to see her. "K-Korra?"
"Yeah, it's me Riko. I'm here to help, remember?" Korra tried to persuade.
Riko shook her head roughly, making Korra worry she could give herself whiplash. "N-No! Get away! Don't touch me!"
Korra quickly sat behind her and pulled her into her lap. The nurses were forced to let go as the detective wrapped her arms around the young child, keeping her still. She laid her legs over her as to keep her from kicking. She nodded to the doctor, but also whispered in the girl's ear. "It's okay, Riko. No one is going to hurt you here. Remember, I'll keep you safe. They just want to help."
Riko shook as the needle was injected and continued to push against Korra's arms. It took a few minutes, but eventually the girl began to calm down thanks to the medicine. Just as Korra was about the let her go and let her lay down, Riko suddenly tried to jump from her grasp again. Luckily Korra reacted fast enough to stop an elbow to her face. "Whoa kid, that was quite sneaky."
Riko couldn't respond as the medicine really was starting to take effect. She slouched back against the detective as sleep took over her body. "Get some rest. I'll be here when you wake up."
The child finally closed her eyes as she was laid back onto the bed. Korra cautiously slid off of the bed. The nurses slowly proceeded with needed tests as the doctor motioned Korra outside with her. She stepped outside of the room with her hands shoved in her pockets. "What's going on here?"
"Well, Detective, she appeared to have a panic attack once a male nurse tried to give her medicine. Now I know we usually keep same-sex nurses with cases like this, but it was just a simple injection in her IV. We didn't think she'd freak out so much. She punched the man and tried to run away."
"And this is the result of that?" Korra asked.
The doctor nodded. "Yes, other nurses ran in to help. They paged me, wanting me to give her an anesthesia to calm her down so they could continue with the tests."
The hall went quiet as Korra lowered her head. The other woman spoke up again. "I think she needs a psych evaluation, maybe even stay inpatient for a few days until she sorts through whatever she's going through."
Korra immediately looked up again. "You think it's that bad?"
"I do. This isn't the first time she's had a panic attack like this. Shortly after you left last night, she was unable to sleep and ended up driving herself into mania. We had to sedate her then, as well. She woke up a few hours later and began crying and screaming at every person who entered her room. And then what you just saw was after a male nurse attempted to administer medicine. I do believe this goes beyond physical injury." The doctor explained.
Korra slowly nodded her head. "Okay… If you really think so, do what you need to. Please let me know about whatever you plan."
After talking with the doctor, Korra wandered to the third floor where she knew a certain person would be. She glanced at the sign above the double doors. 'Psychiatric Ward'. They could possibly send Riko here if she doesn't get better.
Korra sighed and walked into the hall of offices. '307 – Sato.' The detective sighed and knocked on the door that was partway open. She really hoped she wasn't with a patient right now. She peered into the doctor's therapy room/office. Past the empty couches and bookshelves stood a large desk covered in paperwork. There she saw her favorite person in the whole wide world scribbling notes like the nerd she was. She still hadn't looked up, even after Korra knocked a second time.
"Paging Dr. Sato. You're amazing, dorky wife is here." Korra mimicked an intercom.
The doctor blinked and looked up in confusion, then smiled brightly. "Korra! What're you doing here?!" The woman dashed out of her seat and hugged her tightly.
Korra returned the smile just as bright. "I was in the area and wanted to know if you wanted to sneak out for lunch."
Asami chuckled and grabbed Korra's hand. "I would love to dear. Just give me a few minutes."
Korra nodded and began looking around the room. "It looks like you've been busy."
The doctor sighed and shuffled her papers around on her desk. "I'm always busy, hun."
"I know, but I meant more busy than usual. You were also quite happy to see me when I walked in." Korra responded.
Asami finished stacking her papers and returned to her wife's side. She began pulling her out of the building in search of food. "Yes well, there's talk of getting a new child patient, which is always scary. They already filed paperwork for her to be a patient of mine, too."
The detective blinked. "You're getting her?!"
Asami stopped to look at her. "What're you talking about? You know who it is?"
Korra gulped. "Riko Walker?" The other woman nodded while wide-eyed. "Yeah, that's the girl we rescued last night. I didn't think her mental state was that bad, though."
"I wouldn't be so sure, either. But that's why they have psychiatrists like me to evaluate her."
Korra gave a small smile. "If anyone can help her, it's you."
Asami shook her head good-naturedly. "I'm sure you've helped her a lot already. I know you. But enough about work. I'm hungry and I want ramen."
"Tsk, that's all you ever eat! No, we're going to an actual diner this time. You know, good ole homemade food that I can never cook because I burn everything?"
Asami smiled at the several memories that came to mind of her wife attempting to cook a decent meal. "Okay, fine. I could use a change in pace."
"Good. Besides, we need to talk about Christmas gifts for everyone!"
"Korra, already? Christmas is still two months away."
Korra scowled and wrapped an arm around her wife's shoulder. "It's only 52 days away. If we don't start now, all of the good gifts will be taken!" Asami sighed happily as Korra guided her to a nearby restaurant. The woman had gone quiet until they reached the door. "What should we even get Mako and Bolin?"
Asami giggled and patted the woman's hand. "Do we really go through this every year? You know Mako doesn't really care and Bolin will be happy with anything! But I do know alcohol makes them happy."
Korra frowned as memories of last Christmas came to the forefront. "Umm, no let's not do alcohol gifts this year. That turned out awful last time. I think I'm still mentally scarred from it."
A waitress led them to a two person table and retrieved their requested drinks. Meanwhile, Asami traced the lines on Korra's hand. "You know, if you're that mentally scarred, I can help with that."
The doctor looked up in time to see a dark blush across the detective's face along with a playful smile. "You know I'll accept that offer no matter what."
Asami laughed and pressed her thumb into the woman's hand. "You better. We haven't had any alone time in weeks."