Don't get too spoiled and expect so many updates all at once very often! I had a 4 day weekend due to Presidents' Day, so I am indulging a little and letting myself read and write a lot this weekend!

Thanks so much for all of the great reviews, private messages, alerts, and favorites! I can't believe the reviews are already up over 100! You Babes sure know how to make a girl feel special!

Previously:

Just then we heard a commotion in the hallway. There were several loud voices and some banging around. Eddie scraped his chair back and stood up, opening the door. I peeked around him and saw Ranger arguing with a rookie cop.

"I don't care what your procedure is! You will show me where you are holding Stephanie Plum, and you will show me right now!"

The rookie was looking like he might have a heart attack right there in the hallway, but you had to give him credit. He was trying to do his job and follow the rules.

"Ranger!" I cried.

He turned towards the interview room, and when he saw me standing there, I could see the relief wash across his face.

I pushed past Eddie and ran over to him, launching myself into his arms. He caught me quickly and wrapped his arms around me. "Thank God you're OK." He murmured into my hair.

I leaned back to give him a kiss, and a furious expression flickered across his features before his blank face slammed down. "What the hell happened to your cheek?" he snarled.

Chapter 6 – The Exam

I opened my mouth to tell Ranger what had happened, but I was interrupted by Robin Russell. I hadn't even noticed her walking down the hall towards us, but there she was. Standing right beside us, she shot Ranger a look of disdain as he held me. I slowly slid down to my feet, but I held onto Ranger's hand. I couldn't stand the look on Robin's face. I was sure that Joe had spoken to her and that she was now one of the many officers at TPD who thought that Ranger was abusing me. Ranger had on his blank face, I'm sure trying to decide exactly what he had done to get on Robin's bad side. In general, Ranger and his men had a pretty good working relationship with the police.

"Stephanie," Robin began. "I need you to come with me."

I looked between Robin and Ranger. "Why?" I asked.

Robin refused to even look in Ranger's direction. "The doctor is here to assess your injuries."

Ranger's hands settled protectively on my shoulders.

Robin kept her eyes on me. "The doctor will check you over for bruises and document how they happened. If you wish to file any charges against your abuser, we can help you with that." She glanced briefly up at Ranger and then back to me. I know she was trying to be sneaky about telling me that they could help me press charges against Ranger if he was the only who had really abused me, not Morelli.

I didn't think that now was a good time to tell Ranger about the rumors that Joe was spreading around the station. He would probably go ballistic, and I was going to be in another room, being examined. Maybe once the doctor had looked me over I would have a chance to sit down and talk to him. This wasn't really the kind of thing to say over your shoulder as you walked away, after all. Oh, by the way, Morelli has told all of the guys here at the station that YOU are the one who assaulted me.

I looked up at Ranger questioningly. He had said not to do or say anything without an attorney present. Did that include the exam? After all, all they would be doing was looking at my cheek. They may need to take pictures, but I should be in and out in just a few minutes, right?

Ranger gave me a kiss on the forehead. "I'll wait here for the lawyer, Babe. Go ahead."

I nodded and followed Robin down the hall. Instead of leading me towards another interview room, she led me into the chief's office. I had been in here a few times when this office belonged to Joe Juniak. He was a distant relative and a good friend of the family. In the past year or so, he had begun pursuing a life in politics. His replacement, Chief Doyle, was someone that I didn't know very well at all. I had heard Morelli and the guys talk about him, and I had seen him in passing at the station. That was it.

I looked over at Robin. "I thought you wanted to examine my cheek and maybe take some pictures? Why are we going into the Chief's office?"

Robin guided me through the door. "We thought maybe you'd be more comfortable in here for your exam, that's all."

My eyebrows drew together, but I allowed Robin to gently push me through the door.

There were several people in the office- Chief Doyle, a uniformed officer holding a camera, a woman in a lab coat, and another woman in a business suit. The officer handed Robin the camera and walked out of the room without a word. Chief Doyle crossed the room and shook my hand. "Ms. Plum, I'm so sorry that we have to meet under these circumstances. I know about your close relationships with both Detective Morelli and Congressman Juniak. As a favor to them and to you, we are trying to handle everything here at the station quietly so that you don't have to go to St. Francis. Is that OK, my dear?"

I nodded. I really didn't need another rumor about me circulating the Burg right now. It seemed as though the gossip from my latest disaster had finally calmed down, and I was in no hurry to provide a new story. At some point, I figured that everything with Joe would come out, but for the mean time, it could stay quiet.

Chief Doyle gestured to the women in the room. "Let me introduce you to the women here to help you today, then. We asked that Robin replace our usual photographer. She is more than capable of gathering the evidence needed, and we thought that you may feel more comfortable with her since she is a woman."

I nodded blankly. I didn't really care if the person taking pictures of my face was a male or female, but Robin was nice.

Doyle continued. "Dr. Weston is here to assess your injuries. She does many of our abuse cases for us." Dr. Weston nodded her hello. "And Dr. Greenwood is a therapist. She'll talk with you more after Dr. Weston's exam."

I wasn't sure why they thought I may need to talk to a therapist, but whatever. I just nodded again at the Chief, and he turned back to the ladies. "I'll leave so that you can gather your evidence. If you need anything, please let me know." Then he, too, walked out of the room.

Dr. Weston walked over with a smock that looked like it had been stolen from St. Francis. She asked me to go into the Chief's private bathroom and take off all of my clothing, coming out only in the gown.

I raised my eyebrows at her and gave her my what the hell is going on here expression. I thought they were just taking pictures of my cheek.

Dr. Weston smiled gently. "We're just going to look to see if the bruising is limited only to your cheek, my dear. Nothing to be concerned about, but for the safety of all parties involved, we need to document any other trauma or bruising."

I remembered the bruises that were on my arms. Those should probably be documented as well, since they were also left by Joe. I picked up the gown and headed to the bathroom. Quickly shedding my RangeMan uniform and donning the thin cotton gown, I headed back into the Chief's main office. At least I now knew why there were only women present in the room.

"Ms. Plum, we've locked the door to the Chief's office so that no one accidentally wanders in. Are you comfortable with that? Or would you rather keep it unlocked?" Dr. Weston asked.

I shook my head. "No, locked is fine. I don't really want the guys roaming in and out. And please call me Stephanie or Steph. Ms. Plum is much too formal."

Dr. Weston smiled. "Alright, Stephanie."

Robin walked over then with a tape recorder and turned it on, stating the names of everyone in the room as well as the date and time. "This is just to keep an accurate record of everything that we're documenting, Stephanie. Is it OK with you if I use the recorder? Since I'm also taking pictures, I want to be sure not to miss anything."

I nodded. Robin smiled at me. "Stephanie has nodded, but Stephanie would you mind answering out loud? Just so that your consent to be recorded is official?"

"Oh, sorry!" I blushed. "Yeah, that's fine, Robin. I understand you need to record what's happening."

Dr. Weston walked over to me. "OK, Stephanie. Usually I like to do a top-down approach when examining abuse victims. That simply means that I start at the top of the body- the head- and work my way down to your toes. It's the easiest way to be sure that we don't miss anything. Otherwise, it can be easy to be distracted by a bruise here and there and end up jumping around, missing things."

I nodded my understanding and the doctor began gently massaging my scalp. "I don't feel any bumps underneath Stephanie's hair. I'm also not noticing any bruising or redness. Stephanie, are there any areas of tenderness on your scalp area?"

"No." I answered calmly.

"OK, then I'll move to the facial area. There are no marks on the forehead or on the right side of Stephanie's face. However, there is a large developing bruise on her left cheek. The bruise looks fairly new and may eventually lead to a black eye as well. This would most likely indicate that Stephanie was struck by someone who was right handed, assuming they were facing her during the attack. I am going to ask Officer Russell to document this injury."

Robin stepped over. "Stephanie, can you tell me what happened to your cheek?"

I almost blurted out Joe smacked me without even thinking about it, but then I remembered Ranger's advice. Clearing my throat, I said "I think I'd like to wait to talk about my injuries until my attorney is present. I'd rather that you just gathered the evidence now."

Robin raised an eyebrow but didn't say a word. She took several pictures. Some were of my whole face and some were close-ups of the bruise. When she was satisfied with her documentation, she stepped back out of the doctor's way.

Dr. Weston spoke again. "I'll just finish the facial exam. Please open your mouth, Stephanie, so that I can take a quick look." I complied and Dr. Weston pulled out a flashlight.

"No loose teeth?" she questioned.

"No."

"Her mouth appears to be free of injuries. No loose, chipped, or missing teeth. Her lips are not cracked, swollen, or bleeding. I will move to the neck and shoulder area."

Dr. Weston had me move my head from side to side as she examined my neck. "There are several small bruises covering the neck area."

I blushed as Robin walked over and began to document my bruised neck. "Those aren't from the assault!" I squeaked out, but Robin kept clicking the camera anyway.

"Moving on to the trunk area." Dr. Weston announced as she untied the gown and pulled it apart in the back. I heard a sharp intake of breath and realized that she was staring at my back. Crap!

"Stephanie's back is heavily marked with what appear to be very recent abrasions and small cuts." She took out some small rulers and she and Robin worked together to photograph and verbally document the sizes of some of the larger marks on my back. I just sat there frozen, only partially aware of what they were saying.

When they finished with my back, they moved to my chest and stomach area. Again, they documented several "small bruises" that Carlos had left this morning as well as a light set of handprints on my hips that I didn't even know were there. They didn't hurt, and I didn't remember Carlos leaving them. Obviously I had been just as far gone as he had been when they were left there.

Dr. Weston had me put the gown back on and announced that she was moving on to my limbs. When she examined my arms, Dr. Weston found the handprints left by Joe. My legs were fine, except for more nips and small bruises left by Carlos this morning. I was absolutely mortified. How was I going to explain that some of these marks were left in anger while others were left in the throes of passion? And by two different men?

Once she was finished, Dr. Weston pulled a chair in front of me and took my hands. "I just have one last exam to do, Stephanie, but I'd like to give you a break first if you need one."

I was at a loss. I was pretty sure that close to every square inch of my body had been examined, photographed, and was now property of the Trenton police department.

Seeing my blank face, Dr. Weston explained. "I have been asked to do a rape kit."

I held the gown closed over my body and sat up straighter. "What?" I shrieked.

Dr. Weston patted my hand calmly. "Stephanie, often partners who are physically abusive are also verbally and sexually abusive. When we are called in to document an abuse case, we look at all of those possibilities. Officer Russell and I have already processed the evidence of your physical abuse. Dr. Greenwood is here to help you with any emotional abuse that you may have suffered. The rape kit will provide us with proof of any sexual abuse that you may have recently sustained."

I shook my head. "But I don't understand. He didn't rape me. He grabbed my shoulders and slapped me across the face. Why would a rape kit be necessary?"

Dr. Weston continued calmly. "You have the right to refuse one, Stephanie, but it is really in everyone's best interest for you to have one done. The police department is responsible for making sure that the right person is charged with the right crimes. If, in fact, your attacker did rape you, this will provide that evidence. If he did not, then there will be evidence to prove that that allegation would be false."

I just sat there confused. I didn't know what to do. I wasn't planning on accusing Joe of rape. If they did a rape kit, it would show that nothing had happened. I didn't really see the point in doing it, but I did understand what Dr. Weston was saying. It was just another piece of evidence. When I finally gave my consent, Dr. Weston helped me to lie back on the small couch in the Chief's office. She opened several swabs and tubes and asked Robin to verify the proper collection of the samples. I zoned out while she performed the kit, but I did hear snatches of their quiet conversation. Presence of semen… redness in the vaginal area… and when I flinched, tenderness in the vaginal area.

They were finally done, and Dr. Weston helped me to sit up. "Thank you, Stephanie. You have been most cooperative." She smiled and patted my hand.

I moved into the Chief's bathroom to get redressed, and when I came back out, only Dr. Greenwood remained. She was sitting in one of the leather chairs in front of the desk. The second chair had been turned to face her, and she motioned me over to sit down.

"Stephanie, Officer Russell has taken the recorder with her. Nothing that you say right now will be documented. It will all be purely confidential. I am here to help you with any emotional needs that you may have following your attack."

I just stared at her, so Dr. Greenwood continued. "For example, Dr. Weston indicated that there was a presence of semen when she completed the rape kit. How do you feel about that?"

I was mortified! That's how I felt about that! And scared. What if I was pregnant?

Evidently I had said all of that out loud because Dr. Greenwood nodded. "Those are all normal reactions to have, Stephanie. I can help you with some of that if you'd like. I am able to give you a prescription for the morning after pill in case you have become pregnant against your wishes. The pill is effective for up to 5 days after unprotected intercourse, but it is most effective the sooner that you use it. Ideally within 3 days. How would you feel about me giving you a prescription for that?"

I just stared at her, shocked. "But I'm Catholic." I whispered.

She took my hands. "I understand that, Stephanie, but it is still an option. If you aren't comfortable with that, then we can explore other options."

I looked at her questioningly. "Well, you may want to have a blood test done for STDs as well. Since you were not using protection, any STDs that your partner had may have been passed on to you. When we do the blood test in a few weeks, we can check for pregnancy at that time. If you are pregnant, we can discuss further options including terminating the pregnancy, adoption, or resources that can help you to raise the baby on your own. The Trenton Women's Center offers low cost or no cost housing for victims of domestic abuse. They also have many helpful programs there such as job training and daycare while you work."

My eyebrows knit together. "But I'm not in an abusive relationship." I protested.

"Stephanie. A man who loves you would not leave marks like that on your body."

I could feel my cheeks flaming a bright red. "Those marks are not from my boyfriend." It felt strange to refer to Carlos as my boyfriend. But what else could I call him? My manfriend? My Batfriend?

Dr. Greenwood raised her eyebrows at me. "None of those marks are from your boyfriend?"

I cleared my throat. "Well, a few of them may be, but it's not what you think! We just got a little carried away last night. He would never hurt me!"

"What do you mean a few of them may be?"

I twisted my hands together and cleared my throat. I pointed at my neck. "These are… um…" I cleared my throat.

"Hickeys?" Dr. Greenwood offered.

I nodded. God, that sounded so juvenile! But it's what they were, right?

I pointed to my chest and legs. "Those are hickeys, too. Ranger would never hurt me."

"Then where did the other marks come from, Stephanie?"

"My ex-boyfriend. He's a cop here at TPD. He came over last night and things got a little heated. Then he pulled me over this morning and things escalated again."

She nodded. "And how do you feel about that, Stephanie?"

"Confused, I guess. In all of the time that we dated, Joe never laid a finger on me. Now that he seems to have accepted that we are done for good, he's hurt me twice in as many days. I just never thought that he would act like that."

She made some notes on her tablet. "Are you afraid of him?"

I sat back in my chair and thought hard about that. Before last night, I never would have been afraid of Joe. Even when he was screaming and waving his arms around. But this morning when he pulled me out of the SUV, I had been terrified of him. I looked up at Dr. Greenwood. "Yes. I never thought I would be afraid of him. He's been in my life forever. Sometimes just as a neighbor or distant friend, sometimes as a romantic partner. I would have never thought that this is where things would head with us."

"Has he assaulted you sexually in the past two days, Stephanie? Or just physically?"

"Just physically."

"So the traces of semen that Dr. Weston found…?"

"Are my from my boyfriend." I looked down at my hands. "Although that wasn't intentional. We just kind of forgot to use protection. Well I forgot. I think that he thought I was on the pill." I amended.

"How would you feel about getting pregnant with your boyfriend right now?"

I blew out a deep breath and scrubbed my hands across my face. "I've never wanted to have children. It's just never been something that appealed to me. To be honest, it terrifies me. I may want to have kids someday, but I don't think I want them right now. My boyfriend and I have been in a weird "friends with some benefits" relationship for years now. We just finally got together. We've only really been an official couple for a few short days. I think we need some time to figure out where the two of us are headed before we add anybody else into the mix."

Dr. Greenwood nodded. "And how do you think your boyfriend would react if you were pregnant?"

I shook my head and swallowed hard. "He has a daughter from a previous marriage, but she lives in Florida. I don't think he wants any more kids."

Dr. Greenwood wrote something on a pad of paper and ripped off the top sheet. "Here is a prescription for the morning after pill, Stephanie. You don't have to fill it. It's just an option. I think that you and your boyfriend need to sit down and have a long talk about how you both feel about the possibility of having a little one right now. If you decide to use the pill, get the prescription filled. If you decide not use it, shred the paper."

I took the paper and looked down at it.

"Now, Stephanie, is there anything else that I can do for you right now?"

I cleared my throat and looked up. I attempted a smile, but I think I only managed a weak grimace. "I don't think so."

She reached over and clasped my hands. "I have many resources at my disposal. If you need further counseling, bloodwork, contraceptives, prenatal care, or a safe place to stay, please give me a call." She handed me a business card with her name and contact information on it.

"Thank you."

We both stood up and walked to the door. Dr. Greenwood opened the door, and I found Robin waiting on the other side. "Your attorney is here, Stephanie. I'm going to take you to an interview room and give you a chance to talk to him before we talk about any formal charges that need to be made."

Robin led me down the hall and into the same small room I had been in earlier. Ranger was sitting at the table with a very handsome man dressed in a suit that probably cost more than my last car. I was guessing that he was my attorney.

Ranger stood up when I walked in. "Babe! You were gone for an hour and half! What's going on?" To anyone else, his face would look cool and composed, but I've been around Ranger long enough to know how to look for the little signs that pointed to his true mood. The lines around his eyes and mouth always gave him away when he was angry or stressed. Right now, I predicted that he was a little bit of both.

I walked over and gave him a hug. I knew that I needed to talk to him, but right now I just wanted a hug. I needed reassurance. I wrapped my arms around his waist and squeezed him tight. Ranger quickly wrapped me up in his arms and returned the hug.

Pulling back, he searched my face, looking for clues as to what was going on. He reached down to tug me over to the chair next to his and noticed the paper clutched in my hand. He quirked an eyebrow at me, and I handed him the prescription. He quickly read it and then raised his eyes to look at me.

TBC

Hmmm… How will Ranger feel about the prescription? Will he want her to get it filled or not?