Chapter Two - The Rape Kit I.
Brian Cassidy gawks at his girlfriend's battered face. Rage is building up in his blood. He imagines himself beating the fuck out of Lewis and torturing him to death. His face turns red as he notices her wrist. Son of a bitch.. He tied her up like some sex slave. His eyes stings as he tries to fight the tears that are coming. He remembers the bargain he made with God and tries to be grateful that she's alive. He needs her wrapped tightly in his arms. It's strange, Brian figured, Liv is the strongest woman, human, he knows. Seeing his other half this battered and this broken is a very surreal moment in his life.
He makes his way closer to where Liv and Amaro stands. The E.R entrance isn't very busy for an ugly summer's day. The pavilion they all stand under is blocking the hidden sun. A nurse strolls by pushing an elderly man in a wheel chair. Three paramedics walk out of the sliding door entrance, seemingly already off for the day. Security is redirecting visitors to a viable parking lot, only ambulances are allowed to park in the E.R zone.
Brian doesn't notice anyone other than Olivia. He can't seem to take his eyes off of Liv. The closer he walks towards Liv, the more he feels a heart attack brewing. "You ok?" Brian couldn't think of anything else to ask his girl. When Liv doesn't answer, he grabs her hands.
"No." Liv's voice is sharp as she jerks her hand away from Brian. She notices the puppy dog look on his face. Amaro stares Brian down with sympathy. "Sorry, " Liv replies softly, shaking her head confusingly. She turns her attention to Nick, who turns his attention to Brian, Brian then turns his attention to Liv, and Liv turns her attention back on Brian.
"Look I'm gonna go and get Dr. Price. She knows you're coming, she's a friend of Melinda's. Right i'll just. Leave you two alone. To talk." Amaro feels the couple needs a few moments alone. Or so he thinks.
"No I'll come with you. I want to get-get this over with now." Benson faces Nick who agrees with her demands.
"I'm going with you." Brian nearly pushes Nick out the way and allows his girlfriend to lean on his shoulder. Liv inhales Brian's scent. Her heart almost melts because of the familiarity. It was her safe haven. Together, the three of them walk inside the hospital.
The first thing Liv notices is the female doctor heading her way. The small group of outpatients awaiting in the dreary orange-colored waiting area suspects Liv to be a VIP patient. Most of the people have been waiting since the morning. Liv is able to get medical attention before she even gets into the room. It was only to avoid the press before the tips on the missing detective's whereabouts went public. "Hello detective Benson, I'm Dr. Maxine Price. I'll be examining you today. Will you come with me?"
Wanting to answer the doctor, but not wanting to speak in a loud pitch, Liv pulls herself away from Brian's grip to answer the doctor at a closer range. "Okay." Liv looks to Amaro then to Brian. They both assure her that they were not going anywhere. Brian even unthinkingly asks the tall and light skinned doctor to sit in the examination room. He wants to hold her hands and comfort her as best as he possibly could. Liv protests, of course, and the doctor suggests that one of the men help fill out some forms. Olivia follows the doctor down a long and vacant hallway. When Liv and Dr. Fields reaches the room, all the way to the end of the hall, the doctor ushers Liv inside.
A hit of fresh pine wax attacks her senses. The fresh aroma reminds her of her first days at the academy. Her eyes focuses on the marbled floors. The floor was so clean. For a second, Liv envies the shining floor. If only there was cleaning wax to wipe away the dirt Lewis left on her body.
"Before we begin, I want to explain to you, how this works." The doctor closes the door tightly as she tries to explain the process of a rape kit to Liv.
Cutting the doctor off, Liv tiredly announces, "yes I know how it works."
Dr. Price agrees with Liv by nodding her head. "Of course you do. I'm sorry."
Liv examines the ordinary patient room. One twin size hospice bed. White sheets, white pillow cases. EKG's, about thirteen cabinets glued to the walls, one hospital gown lying on the counter near the sink, white ceilings, other machines near the EKG that she has no idea of its purpose, and antibacterial gel hung up on every corner of the room. One window that has a beautiful view of the city but ugly colored drapes. A flatscreen built into the wall that may or may not be working. Liv sits on the hospital bed. She groans quietly as her butt mistakenly sits on an unused bedpan. "No. I'm sorry I just want to get this over with as soon as possible." Liv tosses the pan on the floor.
"I understand and as soon as my nurse arrives, I will administer the kit, we need to focus on your other injuries right now..."
Liv smirks at the doctor in a sarcastic way. Before looking out of the window, Liv's sarcasm continues as she answers the doctor, "great." Benson watches as Dr. Price takes out her stethoscope then blows her warm breath on it, "I need you to give me one breath." The doctor places the stethoscope on Liv's chest without noticing anything else. Dr. Price listens as Liv takes an almost unbearable breath. "Ok good," the doctor replies as she takes off the stethoscope.
"I need you to lie down for me okay?"
Liv struggles to lie her body down on the bed.
Dr. Price fluffs the pillow Liv's head rests on before asking, "well aside from the broken nose, the black eye, and the gash on your head, can you tell me what happened to you."
"Kidnapped. I was kidnapped..." Liv begins to remember the smell of Lewis's breath. The smell hits her hard but she tries to block it out of her mind. "He had me for four days." The next scent smashes into her in a much more powerful way. She tries to tame her reaction but her entire body feels as if it's convulsing. The smell of strong and cheap alcohol invades her nostrils. She takes in a painful breath and composes herself. "Uh he kept me drugged, feed me alcohol.."
The doctor interrupts Liv, "do you know what kinds of drugs?"
"No," Liv blinks her eyes repeatedly, "maybe sleeping pills."
Dr. Price begins hooking Liv to an IV. "Four days? You're dehyrated. Did he feed you?"
Benson shakes her head, "water but only small amounts."
"What about the amount of toxins he gave you?" Dr. Price begins patching up Liv's facial cuts and tending to her bruises.
"I don't know." Liv gasps when the doctor patches up her broken nose.
"Im sorry... Do you feel nauseous, dizzy?"
"No."
"The last time he gave you anything was how long?"
"I think yesterday night," Liv flashes back to Lewis forcing alcohol down her throat in the SUV, "yea, yesterday night."
As the doctor places the defibrillation pads onto Benson's chest, she can't help but notice the cuts and burns. "Did he burn you?"
"Yes," Liv answers in a strangled voice.
"What else?"
"I think, maybe, my ribs are fractured, he kicked me." Liv is taken back to her apartment when she's cowering as Lewis beats her senselessly. "He kicked me so many times."
The doctor raises up Liv's shirt and notices the blue bruises on her abdomen. "You're right. Looks like he fracture a few of your ribs. I need to take an X-ray."
Liv watches as the doctor grabs a hospital gown from one of the many cabinets. Benson lifts her head to get a better view of the doctor, "look I feel," Liv thinks of a word to say as pain silently shoots all over her body, "I feel fine, just do the kit first and we'll worry about the rest later."
Dr. Price stops dry as she watches Liv trying to hide her physical pain. "Detective I need you to be honest with me. Ok?" The doctor doesn't wait for Liv's response when she begins pressing her hand gently into Liv's abdomen. "Does it hurt when I press down here?" The doctor takes a mental note as Liv winces in pain.
"Not really," Liv replies. Dr. Price then presses her hand in a less gently way, "what about now?" When Liv cries out, the doctor pages for a nurse to assist her on the X-ray. Much to Liv's dismay, Dr. Price let's her know that she may have internal bleeding. The doctor also adds that the safe kit is not the number one priority anymore. "Keeping you from hemorrhaging internally is the most important thing right now. The rape kit will have to wait. I'm sorry."
Brian and Amaro are sitting at a round table in the hospital's cafeteria. Unlike the E.R, the cafeteria is packed and crowded. The place is so spacious that it may just be the largest room in the entire medical center. It comes off as a forest-like theme. There are over one hundred real and fake plants decorating the burgundy colored cafeteria. Paintings of mountains, trees, city skylines, beaches and other scenic glory nailed to the walls. A large window sits in the back of the room, possibly added only for visitors and staff to enjoy the view.
The table the guys are sitting at is located in the center of the room. Amaro nibbles on a Cobb salad while Brian stares blindly at his unused Dasani water bottle. "Hey-That bottle of water is getting a little warm, why don't you drink up," Amaro says trying to break the ice.
"No man i'm not hungry." Brian's low pitched tone is hardly heard over the other hundreds of conversation going on the crowded cafeteria.
"Yea but its- Water." Nick tries to figure out Brian's mood. Ever since Liv left to be examined, Brian has not said a word. "Hey Cassidy look I know what you're feeling-".
Brian cuts Nick off, "oh you know what I'm feeling hmm?" He finally looks Amaro in the face, "no you don't," tears form in Brian's eyes. "Back off man."
Amaro only wants to help and he chooses to ignore Cassidy's animosity. "Look Cassidy I'm just trying to help."
"Right but I don't need your help. I don't need to talk. I need to be with Liv. I shouldn't of let you talk me into coming down here." Brian rolls his eyes before standing. "I'm going back up."
Amaro stands to his feet. "Look Liv, she's gonna be a while. I mean you know how this works, no need to be go back in the waiting room just to work up more rage right."
Brian takes in Amaro's advice and mentally agrees. Sitting back down, Brian twists open the bottle of water, "hey it should've been me that helped her out the house, not you." Brian sighs. "You know how hard that was for me to not be the first face she saw? I wasn't there man."
Amaro agrees with Brian and sits back in his chair. "Well you're here now." Nick tries to reassure Brian with a sincere half smile. "And you should eat something ya know. Liv needs you strong."
To Be Continued...