Creation began on 05-12-16
Creation ended on 05-16-16
Chains of Lust
Rehabilitation
Relief. That was all any of them could feel after getting their test results from their doctors. It was needed after all they went through.
Miki, Hiroko and Shizue, after months of capture and sexual torture, combined with unwanted pregnancies, were confirmed to be clear of any STDs from any of their rapists. There would be no need for any medication beyond what they were taking to cease their milk production after their babies died and were confirmed to have died from a complete lack of prenatal healthcare. It would also be a while before they were completely over what had happened to them.
The police (the ones that were honest and by the book, that is) and the DA would inform the victims of any trial date (should one ever occur) or if their rapists had agreed to serving time in prison for their crimes against them.
-x-
"…Miki?" Miki's therapist asked her as she sat in the long chair, nearly a month after her most recent visit to the doctor with her mother to confirm that their breasts had stopped producing milk. "Miki, you were saying?"
"What?" Miki responded.
"You were saying that…the worst part of what happened to you?" The woman repeated.
"The worst part of what happened…was that I feared I was never going to get home, that I was never going to see my family. That was the worst of it. But not the absolute worst of it."
"Yes, that's right. What you went through was the absolute worst."
"I haven't been back to school since I got out of the hospital. I haven't spoken to my friends. I don't know if they'll treat me any different, but I want to put this nightmare behind me…and leave it buried."
-x-
"…Last night, my husband held me close as we slept," Shizue informed her therapist as she laid in the long chair. "We didn't do it, but he let me know that he still loved me."
"And that helps you in your recovery," her therapist questioned, "to know that he still cares about you? Despite what had happened?"
"Yes, it does. I called my sister's, too, just to see how she and Miki were doing. I guess after what happened to us, it just helps me to know that they're still near."
-x-
"…Whenever I see his picture, I get angry about what he did to us," Hiroko told her therapist as she sat in front of her. "It doesn't ease what I did to him, but if I hadn't done it, he was going to hurt another woman."
"I read the psyche report, but tell me how do you feel about what you did to him," she responded to Hiroko; Masaki Kitazawa's murder was ruled out as a justifiable homicide, use of deadly force in defense of her daughter and sister, not just herself.
"I felt that he deserved what was coming to him," she told her. "He kidnapped my daughter and had no intention of letting her go. Then, he kidnapped my sister. I didn't want to kill him or anyone, but I knew that he was never going to stop. So…I found the broken piece of chain…and stabbed him in his neck and let him bleed out. He couldn't hurt anyone after that. He won't hurt anyone, anymore."
"You know, some women would consider you a hero for doing what you did."
"Maybe…but I don't see myself as one. I was just a mother and sister willing to do whatever she had to for her family's sake, even if it meant I had to end someone's life because they reneged on what they said to me."
-x-
"…I honestly hope there's no trial," Miki told her therapist, informing her about what the men that hurt her that night still going through the tortures of being handled by the honest police and limited privileges of being behind bars. "I really just want to forget about everything that happened."
-x-
"…So long as they go away for a long time, I'll be alright with the outcome," Shizue told her therapist. "Nobody like them should be allowed to walk away with their crimes unpunished."
-x-
"…I would answer any questions they'd throw at me at any possible trial, but I hope that they keep my daughter and sister out of it," Hiroko expressed. "I would spare them any further pain. If they asked me why it took so long to do anything, I'll be honest and say what needs to be said."
-x-
As all three women stepped out of their respective therapist's office and met up with on another, Shizue's cell phone rang and she picked up.
"Hello?" She asked, and found out it was her husband calling. "Hey, there. What? Really? Well, that's…that's great news. I'm with Hiroko and Miki right now. I'll let them know. Thank you, dear."
She hung up and told her sister and niece what she had discovered.
"Those men from that night…have taken pleas to do prison time instead of dealing with a trial," she told them.
"How long are their sentences?" Hiroko asked her.
"Real long. Multiple counts to be served consecutively."
"What does that mean?" Miki asked.
"They serve one sentence after another until they're all done. They got the equivalent to life without parole, ladies."
"You mean…"
"They're never getting out. Ever. It was either that or the death sentence."
Miki and Hiroko looked at each other and smiled. It was another good thing after so long.
To be continued…
A/N: In addition to the degradation and brutality inflicted upon the victims shown in the Law & Order franchise, they do show signs of recovery and moving on. This is also true in some anime and manga, but not as true in others. This chapter shows that the road to recovery is within reach for these three ladies that didn't deserve what was done to them in the anime.