Authors Note

Ok, so I know I am a horrible person. It has been way to long since I last updated and I give my sincerest apologies to everyone. Life got in my way. I had my final exams that lasted two weeks due to our umpteenth amount of snow days. I couldn't write then because I was studying. Then the next week my brain was fried so I couldn't even give you a sentence that made sense. Then well my sister was arrested for being a dumbass so we have to deal with her two young children because her beau is in jail too. So I've been busy out the kazoo. For those of you waiting for Healing Powers I plan on updating that tomorrow. I know that my excuses are just that excuses, but I don't have internet at home so I am sitting at my grandmas posting! Well I hope you like the long waited for chapter 3 in Found

~Ranger'sBabe16

Warnings

This chapter isn't that bad. It has some explanation of her injuries in little detail. References to rape, torture, and some minor bad words as seen above in my AN.

Found

Chapter 3: Unexpected Revelations

Bobby P.O.V.

I watched Ranger and Lester walk up the stairs to another part of the house before my mind drifted to the girl chained to the wall. She looked eighteen maybe. I rushed over to her with my med bag and set to work. If I was going to save this girls life it was going to take a miracle. It was a miracle that she wasn't already dead. There wasn't a part of her that wasn't covered in a bruise, cut, or burn. I'd seen lots of torture victims in my time in the army, but this was one of the worst ones I'd seen in my twenty-four years on this planet. I picked the locks on the chains holding her to the wall and she fell forward. I stuck my arms out to catch her and keep her from hitting the ground. When she landed in my arms I was horrorstruck to feel how light she was. It couldn't be more that one hundred pounds, if that more like in the eighty's. We needed to get nutrients in her if Ranger wanted her to live. I turned to Cal,

"Go get a car ready and tell Ranger if he wants her to live; she needs to get to a hospital ASAP." I didn't even look to see if he left, I had bigger fish to fry. She had so many injuries that I didn't know where to start. I sighed; this was going to be a long night.

Frank P.O.V.

I sat and pondered what my life had become like. I was a father of two girls one, a spitting image of my wife Helen, personality included, the other like me in some ways, but different in others. One lived with her cheating husband Steve three houses down in the Burg with their two daughters Angie and Mary Alice. The other was somewhere no one but the bastards who took her know. Now if asked about Steph I would nod my head and answer all the questions and pretend that I had moved on, but in reality I wanted to curl up in a ball and cry over my missing pumpkin. She was my pride and joy, MY perfect daughter not some carbon copy of her mother. I still hadn't given up hope, even after all these years. I looked over at the T.V. and stared at the hunting show on that I wasn't paying attention too. About half way through the program the phone rang and I knew Helen wasn't home to answer the phone so I got up.

"'Ello?" I answered.

"Frank, it's me Carlos, I've found Steph." He said in a rush before pulling yelling something at someone else.

"Is she ok? Where is she?" I asked running to grab my coat and throw on my shoes. I was out the door the phone in my hand and the Buick started.

"She not ok, she's been tortured Frank. We're on our way to the General Hospital in Trenton." He told me "See you there." He said before the dial tone sounded in my ear. I threw the phone into the passenger seat and stepped on it. Please baby girl, daddy will be there soon. I prayed.

Ranger P.O.V.

I paced the waiting room in Trenton General waiting for some news on Steph. I thought back on when we brought her in.

Flashback

I jumped out of the car before it even stopped. Bobby with an unconscious Steph in his arms followed.

"Help, this girl needs help!" I boomed when I entered the room. All eyes turned to me, as I walked confidently into the room. I knew the panic I'd been feeling was plain on my face, yet I glared at every single person in that waiting room daring them to challenge me. Bobby walked into the ER and the attendants jumped into action. A gurney was pushed out by several doctors; Bobby placed Steph on the gurney and the doctors wheeled her away shouting out orders and observations about Steph. I watched the gurney with Steph's prone still form until it was gone behind swinging hospital doors. I turned back to Bobby and Lester who had entered the hospital without my knowledge. I was slipping. I was so worried about Steph that I wasn't aware of my surroundings. Lester put his hand on my arm and nodded over to a seat in the corner that looked over the ER. I slumped down in the uncomfortable chair my face in my hands. So many thoughts were running through my mind that I didn't know what to think. I would just have to pray for her safety, something I hadn't done in years.

'Oh God, please don't let Steph die. There is so much I regret with her that I have to amend.'

End Flashback

I sat back down in the seat that I had been occupying for the last four hours wondering about Steph's health, mentally and physically. Not many people could survive that long mental stable in the end. I started pulling on my hair when a hand settled on my neck. I looked up into the kind eyes of Frank Plum. Whatever I was going through I knew his was ten times worse. This was his daughter, the light of his life in the hospital after sixteen years of endless torture.

"Its ok son, Steph's a fighter. She won't give up, not after being rescued." His eyes held no malice or ill intent towards me and I still couldn't believe it. This man who had lost his daughter on my watch didn't blame me. I blinked, my vision blurred. I was shocked to say the least. I hadn't cried since I was seven and Steph had been taken. I didn't think I still knew how. Frank Plum pulled me up into a hug and we clung to each other like our lives depended on it. I know not very me, very Ranger, but every strong man has a breaking point and I had just reached mine. We sat down when the doors swung open and a very tired doctor walked out over to the receptionist. He asked a question and she pointed to us before going back to her paperwork. He slowly walked over to us, the floor seemed to grow into a never ending line, yet shorten considerately.

"Are you Mr. Plum, a one…" he looked down at his clipboard and back up "…Stephanie Michelle Plums father?" He asked looking in between the two of us waiting for an answer.

"I am, and this is Carlos Manoso Steph's best friend." He told the doctor. He nodded and looked me over before turning back to Frank.

"I am Dr. Henderson. If you will follow me, I will take you to my office and explain what is to happen from here on out concerning your daughter. "Frank and me followed him, but before we got to the doors he turned on me.

"No one but immediate family is allowed to come; you may wait in the ER Mr. Manoso." He told me like I was some insolent child that needed scolding.

"Anything that you have to tell me you can tell to Mr. Manoso. He is just as good as immediate family." Frank told Dr. Henderson with a stern glare. Dr. Henderson nodded and we continued on our marry way. We entered a small office with papers all over the desk and the cabinets that littered the room.

"Now Mr. Plum your daughter's condition is very bad, but she is currently stable. She has many lacerations, ranging from deep and needing many stitches to ones that look like mere paper cuts. The lacerations litter about three forth's of her body, and many are infected. Most of her cuts are on top of old scars that she will have, and she will have lots of them. We have started her on an antibacterial IV drip to help her body fight the infections. Now, she also has burns ranging from cigarette burns to three degree lost nerves and feeling in certain areas. The most obvious and horrendous ones being on her left leg. Her upper thigh will most likely have very little feeling to it. She may be able to walk, or she may need a wheel chair depending on if we can repair the nerve damage. The burns do cover about half of her body, mostly the lower half. She has several broken bones that we have set, but she has many more that we broken over the course of the last sixteen years that did not heal right and will hinder her. We had her sedated and we rebroke some of them so that they will be set right and save her pain in the long run. We didn't do that to all or she would be in a full body cast that is not possible at the moment. She has most definitely been raped numerous times and has extensive scaring in her vagina. This will not prevent sexual intercourse but it will take awhile before she is ready for that, in my best guess. It also looks like she was recently pregnant but the baby was killed inside of her. That has been corrected. We had to remove her spleen and parts of her intestines due to extensive scarring. Her right eye has been forcibly removed and there is nothing we can do to help her develop sight in that eye. We can give her a glass eye so she doesn't go around with an eye and a socket. The nerves in her body are very alert and sensitive so she will be jumpy and shaky for months possibly years as her body tries to a just to this new life. She is very malnourished and we have started her on a IV that helps her regain some of that. Her mind is severely underdeveloped. She will not know many things that a normal child would know at the age of six. She will not understand many things. You will need to be patient with her and teach her like a child in that sense, as well as some others. Her vocal cords are ripped to shreds' and there is no fixing them. She will never be able to talk; I suggest teaching her sigh language as well as English. Her right ear is also injured. All sounds in that ear will be diminished and will likely stay that way. Now teaching adults new things is normally hard, but Steph's mind is that of a six year old. She will need extensive work for her to be able to function properly in today's society. I suggest she live with someone that can help her and teach her. So think on that, but remember that she will need constant care and will most likely be on crutches or in a wheel chair for a few years. She will be staying here in the hospital for no less than the next three months at the earliest. If you have any questions you may ask. If not we can go see her, but she will be lightly sedated for the next few weeks so she has some time to heal." Dr. Henderson told us. I nodded my head ready to see her again. For the umpteenth time I wondered who had done this to her and what was the most painful way to die.

"I am ready to go see my daughter." Frank said. Dr. Henderson stood and nodded before walking into the drear hallway and down to Steph's room.

"Here she is, be gentle and I will be back in several hours." Dr. Henderson said walking out and leaving us to sit with her. I looked at her sleeping form and sighed. I wasn't leaving so I settled down and quietly fell asleep with the sight of Tank and Lester guarding the door.

Authors Note

Phew! That took a lot of time. I hope you like it. Feel free to review even if it is to yell at me for not updating sooner. I apologize again; hope this redeems me a little in your eyes. I love all of you and your reviews. They mean a lot to an old geezer like me (joke bout the geezer part). Enjoy I'm going to try and update this weekend. I love you all! Thanks so much for all the support and patients!

~Ranger'sBabe16