**For authors notes, disclaimer etc see chapter 1**
Seven Days and Counting 12
Gripping Sandra's hand a little tighter Gerry watched as she slept not having properly regained consciousness since they arrived at the hospital. The cheap negligee she'd been wearing when they found her had long ago been taken away by forensics and the stark white of the hospital gown seemed to only heighted the pale sheen of her skin and the angry cut on her lip and bruise on her cheek.
"What did that bastard do to you sweetheart?" He whispered stroking her hand as feeling his heart break as she whimpered in her sleep her arms flailing around as she cried out and her eyes shot open terror radiating from them. "Sandra its ok I'm here you're safe."
"Gerry? Oh god I thought…" Sandra whispered as he sat on the edge of the bed holding her tightly and gently kissing the top of her head as she cried.
"It's ok it's over he can't hurt you now he's back at the station with Brian and Jack and Strickland will be making sure he is never on the street again." He said quietly as she started to calm again and he took a deep breath knowing he had to broach the subject that had been eating away at him since Jack had phoned half an hour before. "Sandra forensics what to do a sexual assault kit, they've left it with the doctor. Did he….did he do anything…. Jesus Sandra I'm sorry but did he rape you?"
"No, not while I was conscious anyway." Sandra replied her voice cracking as he kissed her softly determined to show her that nothing she could tell him would make him love her any less. "He drugged me, more than once, but I think I'd have known if…..if he'd done that while I was unconscious. It was what he planned to do, if you hadn't found me in the seven days he was planning on doing what he wanted with me then murdering me but he seems to have believed in sticking to his seven day limit."
"They still need to do the kit, I'm sorry if there was any other way I'd….." Gerry sighed as she nodded refusing to let go of his hand as he got off the bed. "I'll be right outside the door sweetheart I'll send the doctor in he'll do what he has to as quickly as possible then I'll be right by your side again."
"Gerry please….please stay while he does it I don't want to be away from you right now." Sandra said quietly as he nodded leaving the room for a moment before returning with the doctor and sitting on the bed his back to the other man as he began taking swabs.
"I love you Sandra Pullman and I promise I'll never let anyone hurt you again." Gerry whispered as she flinched slightly as the doctor finished taking swabs and began his internal examination. "When you get out of here I don't plan on letting you out of my sight again, I was so scared I'd lost you."
"That's everything done your forensics guys asked for." The doctor interrupted smiling as Sandra nodded. "Obviously they'll have to analyse the swabs but let me put your mind at rest. From what I've seen in the internal examination I'll be putting in my report that there is no bruising consistent with sexual assault and in fact nothing to suggest any sexual activity in the previous 5-7 days."
"Oh thank god." Sandra whispered tears starting again as the doctor closed the door and Gerry brushed them away with the pad of his thumb. "I was so scared Gerry, every time he touched me, every time I woke up and he was watching me I thought that was it. I thought he'd lose patience and I'd never see you again. All I could think was that I was going to die without ever having told you how much I love you and how happy you've made me over the last year."
"I know." Gerry replied trying to push away the images that had been haunting him while she was gone. "I know how much you love me and I hope you know how much I love you too. Jack thinks it's time we stopped hiding and put things on a more firm footing and I think he's right."
"Jack?" Sandra gasped as he saw panic cross her eyes and smiled reassuringly.
"Yeah him and Brian know, Jack worked it out when we were at your place after he took you." Gerry explained shrugging as she looked at him expectantly and he knew she wanted more of an explanation. "When we got their I checked your drawer to see if you'd had time to get to your gun Jack knew immediately that there had to be a reason I knew it was there. He asked me straight out how long we'd been together, when we told Brian but Strickland doesn't know."
"How did they react?" Sandra asked the concern in her eyes making him smile.
"They're happy for us but I think you should prepare yourself because when you get out of here we're going to have some explaining to do and according to Esther the drinks are on us for not having told them for so long."
"I should have known." Sandra laughed taking his hand and kissing him again as the fact it was actually over began to sink in. They'd found her just like she knew they would and now that she was back in his arms where she belonged she didn't care how much explaining she had to do she was just pleased to be here to do it.