Chapter Seven - Numb

Two days.

Two days had passed since Olivia last saw William Lewis. Two days had passed since Olivia lost pieces of her life. Two days since Olivia last spoken to anyone, even Brian. Two days since Olivia has cut off almost all of her hair. Two days since she's eaten, two days since she's slept, and two days since she's been aware. Two days.

Brian walks inside of his apartment to find Liv in the same spot she's been in for two days. She's lying in his bed, wearing his sweats and socks. She stares back at the tv, which is on, but is the television is watching her instead. In his hands, Brian has a suitcase of her clothing and other personal items. He didn't want to leave her side but knew she needed her things. He's taken time off just to be with her. She hasn't said a word to him since the day they returned from giving her statement. It was as if she shut down. It was as if she had taken a vow of silence.

This was the first time Brian has left her side in those two days. He was only gone for a half of an hour. Brian went into Liv's place, grabbed a few things, and hurried back. Before he left, he told Liv where he was going. Liv was a million miles away, mentally. Brian knew she would probably not notice his absence, just like, now, she doesn't notice his presence.

"Hey Liv? I'm back... I was thinking maybe I cook your favorite tonight? Clam sauce right?" Brian places the suitcase on the side of the bed. He glances up at the television and chuckles, "Tony Goldwyn's playing the president, come on?" Brian gently sits on his bed, next to Liv, "Tony was the guy in ghost and now he's the president." Brian looks over his shoulders at Liv's sullen face. What can he do? She hasn't said anything to him. He vowed to be there for her but he has worries. What if she never speaks again? How much was Brian really taking in here?

"Liv look. Ya gotta talk to me. Ya gotta talk.. To someone. I gotta say, you're scaring me here Liv.. You're not eating, you don't sleep. You don't do anything except take showers, all day right." Brian's words travels into Liv's ears. He doesn't feel as if he's getting through, is she even listening..

"Liv?" Brian feels his tears coming. To fight his tears, Brian takes in a deep breath. "I can't just hang around and watch... The way you are right now? This isn't you." He stands to his feet as a tear rolls from his eye. "Liv? Look. Talk to me..." Brian comes to a halt when he hears her sobs. "Hey it's ok, it's ok." He climbs back into the bed expecting to lie next to her, but Liv sits up.

"Stop Brian just stop talking." Liv stands to her feet. She grabs some clothing from her suitcase and heads to the bathroom.

Brian hears Liv closing the bathroom door. Another shower. He lies on the bed and sighs as he hears the water running, feeling completely hopeless.

After taking that shower, Liv managed to fall asleep. It was the sleep deprivation that sent her into dreamland. A body can only take so many hours without sleep.

Brian is grateful that she's finally asleep. He decides to start on dinner. Inside his kitchen, he gathers all the right spices and all the right pots. He frowns as he remembers to call his ma. Another night I gotta lie to her and skip out dinner. Liv needs her privacy. Brian knows how pushy his mother is and inviting her over would not be in Liv's favor.

Brian's becoming Liv's personal assistant. Every time her friends call, Brian is there to keep them away. Oh you know Liv. She's a fighter, she just needs a little R&R.. I'll get her to call you back ASAP. Brian has that lie memorized. They want to know how she's holding up but Brian can't tell them the absolute truth. He considers telling her friends how she really is in hopes of a mini intervention. Maybe telling her friends can do more good than harm. Still, Brian doesn't want to take that chance. Trust and patience is all Brian feels Olivia needs fright now.

As he chops up the vegetables from his fridge, Brian hears Liv waking up. Before he puts down the knife to greet her, Liv escapes inside the bathroom. Brian picks the knife back up and continues to chop up the vegetables. He tries to think of ways to break down Liv's wall. Not being able to reach her is cutting him like the knife he holds in his hand. Pushing him away would be more helpful to Brian than what's she's doing now. She's not pushing him away. She's not letting him in at all.

Inside the bathroom, Liv sits on the toilet. Nothing is going through her mind. She's in a blank state. Her body is finally getting the worst of the injuries. They gave her medicine to help but she doesn't take a single pill. They also gave her sleeping meds but, again, she doesn't take a single pill. The bruises on her face are even more horrible than before.

It still burns when she urinates. Flushing the toilet, Liv involuntarily pukes. She wipes her mouth and heads back to the bedroom. Pulling the covers back, she hears Brian yell, "Liv I was wondering what we could have for dessert." She gets into the bed, pulls the cover over her head, and closes her eyes. Brian continues to converse. "Hey how does chocolate pretzels sound?" Brian waits about ten seconds to continue cooking. He knows that she will not answer his question. Day two, still numb, still unreachable.

There is so much emptiness inside of Olivia. She clutches to the covers tightly as she slips back into her daze. Lewis had not raped her and she tries to hold on to that but it wasn't helping. He got inside of her head. He's still inside of her head. Her will is broken. He raped her mind. The violation Lewis brought upon Olivia is now molding the strong woman into a shell.

She feels nothing. She's alive but wishes she was dead. Her numbness is evident. Her humiliation is profound. She tries to close her eyes, hoping to sleep her pain away. Every time she blinks her eyes, she catches glimpse of Lewis's face.

The sound of her phone ringing causes her to sit up. She wasn't going to answer at first. So many people have already been calling but she's always screening their calls. This time, however, she picks up her cell and is shocked to see who's calling.

Taking a deep breath, Liv answers. "El?

To Be Continued...