I had to use the name Charlie because I found Lopez's reaction hilarious. So, welcome to part one!
A figure flew through the shadows. Little splashes of water matched with every step of the quiet footfalls sprinting in the torrential downpour. Lightening flashed and thunder roared, unusual for a desert city like LA. Streets had been swept underwater with small currents forming as the rain continued. The sprinting figure went on, refusing to quit as the downpour intensified.
Two men pursued the tiny figure flying in the shadows. These large muscled men seemed to labor more with every step against the current in the street. Both held flashlights and continued to scan in pursuit of their escaped prize. Stride, inhale, land, exhale. All parties followed the pattern through what felt like miles down dark streets and alleys. Fatigue was beginning to affect everyone and the possible outcomes of the situation were not in anyone's favor. If the smaller figure were to falter, escape would become impossible and likely lead a violent punishment. If the men returned without their charge, they could be maimed or easily executed. It was time to get clever.
Hugging every turn and avoiding large hills made the practice more efficient. Having figured this method out earlier, the tiny blur still held onto a lead. Despite the warm rain, it was chilling the shadowy figure to what would be closer to hypothermia than the standard overheating that was so common in a giant desert. Deserts are notoriously known for cooling down at night which wasn't helping. The dysregulated temperature was becoming an issue. Those little legs would not hold out forever and near the escapee knew time was running out. Scanning for a place where the men couldn't catch their prize, the shadow saw a still-open door to a building. Opening their stride as swiftly as possible, the shadowy figure barely made it in time. The door closed behind quickly enough to hopefully save the wet shadow from what horrors could come of being recaptured.
Lights inside the building revealed a drenched teenaged girl shivering and panting in what appeared to be an upscale apartment lobby. She limped up the large main staircase and waited to see if her captors would have the ability to invade. The chase had ruined her bare feet. To her horror, door pulled open. Apparently it had never locked or perhaps the lock itself was faulty. Luckily the girl had had a moment to catch her breath. It felt like the exhaustive chase was never going to end. Still fortunate enough to have a head start, she turned and sprinted up the rest of the stairs and down a hallway, disregarding her painful feet and the tendons swelling in her already exhausted legs.
Lucy sat next to Tim as they settled down for a movie. They were ready to enjoy it when a crash vibrated through the apartment. Startled, the couple opened the door to find a collapsed, waterlogged, shaking girl at their feet.
"Oh my god. What's going on? What happened to you?" No answer. Lucy knelt down and noticed how beaten and bloodied the girl was.
"We have to call this in. Someone did some serious damage to this kid." Tim squatted down for a better view with a look of concern on his face. That was when the two pursuers emerged, sprinting towards them down the hallway. Instinctively, Lucy pulled the hyperventilating girl into the apartment. Tim identified himself as an officer and the men turned and ran the other way. He ran after them until Lucy called out.
"We can find them in the morning! For now, let's help her!" She gestured at the small ball of panic. He sighed and returned inside.
"I'm gonna call this in. The sooner we can get help, the better," Tim picked up his phone.
"No!" After realizing that her volume scared the girl, Lucy softened her voice, "Well yes, call it in, but if we bring her somewhere else already panicking like this, I don't think she'll say a word. She's already shut down." Hyperventilating sobs emerged from the curled up ball of a person. He regarded her for a moment.
"Fine. Let's do what we can to calm her down for now. I can call Bailey and Nolan to give her a sedative or something."
"I don't think sedating her would help either. If she can come out of this by herself I think it would be better to be in a softer quiet place. The hospital would easily scare her more than waking up here. We don't even know if she's aware of where she is." Lucy was correct, yet again.
"Fine. We take her in the morning barring any emergent injuries. So, uh, how do we get her to calm down?" Parenting skills zero.
"Basic needs first. She's drenched and shivering so let's dry her off and warm her with a blanket." Tim grabbed a towel and blanket from the closet and put them on the couch. He then gingerly carried the girl further inside, careful to avoid being kicked. She cried out in protest but didn't quite have the energy to put up a proper fight. Together, Lucy and Tim started to dry her off. She continued protesting, unwilling to uncurl herself from that tight defensive position. Realizing that the girl was not calming, they did as much as they could before covering the shivering child with the blanket.
"What do we do now?" Tim had never seen a situation anywhere near similar to what was going on before him. Well, not with a child involved or with someone so shut down. He knew where people in this kind of shape typically came from and prayed the kid wasn't of that world.
"We wait. Hopefully she calms down on her own or passes out from exhaustion. I know we'll have to call Bailey in if she can't stop." Lucy watched as the kid writhed in panic.
Eventually, her breathing steadied and she warmed to a more acceptable temperature. Still shaking, she groaned and rolled her head around as consciousness grew closer. Her thoughts returned steadily as she awoke in what was by far the most peaceful situation she'd ever experienced. Eyes now open, she slowly looked around the room. It was softly lit with a large bookshelf near the couch. Everything felt so soft, even the rug she was pressed against. Wait, what!? Suddenly her thoughts returned and what went through her head sent her back into a panic-inducing flight mindset. She sat up swiftly, still wrapped in her blanket. Eyes wide, she looked back and forth at the people who sat before her, unsure how to react.
"Welcome back. It looks like you got into some trouble out there," the asian woman said. She a soft composure with kind eyes.
"What's your name? Can you tell us what happened to you?" The man looked intimidating to her, though he had a gentle composure. Men in her head were monsters, but this one seemed to show genuine concern. She took a shaky breath to steady herself. If she was to get any help, she would have to talk a little.
"Charlie. M-my name is Charlie," she said softly with a small shake in her voice and her eyes downcast.
"Hi Charlie. I'm Lucy and this is Tim. We're officers with the LAPD. You crashed into our doorway earlier and you were being chased. Can you tell us what happened?" Lucy noted her black eye. What could she have done to get into this position?
"I ran away." Shame filled her face.
"From whom? It looks like they hurt you." Charlie shifted and stretched her legs out. They had some cuts and her feet looked raw from the running.
"I dunno. I've lived with them as long as I can remember." Lucy and Tim exchanged a glance.
"Are they your family? Do you know where you came from?" Tim knew they were in for a horrible story.
"No clue. I think I messed up your blanket." She looked at the brown mark her leg had made.
"That's okay. We can clean everything. Did they do anything to you there?" Charlie clenched her jaw and said nothing.
"You don't have to tell us right now," Lucy chimed in, "but could we take some samples from your cuts and other wounds to help us with your case? If I can look through your hair, too, we might be able to get some evidence and put those men who chased you away. We can also get you cleaned up." A tentative nod gave them permission.
"We're just going to swab your cuts and dress your wounds. We also have extra clothes you can wear so we can take yours in as evidence too." Tim grabbed a small evidence kit. Charlie apprehensively looked around as the swabs were taken. None of her cuts were deep but standing up watching her new guardians photograph and clean them was extremely uncomfortable. Every bruise was documented. Even the dirt marks were taken note of. Medicine was applied to the bottoms of her feet. A camera flashed by her face to document the damage. She shook her head and blinked at the brightness. The antiseptic stung and she hated when they touched her. It was a whole different kind of invasion, but not as terrible as the atrocities committed where she'd escaped from. Eventually, all of the wounds had been treated and noted. No obviously dangerous injuries meant that she was there for the night. Charlie sat on her towel while she waited on what was next and overheard the soft conversation Tim and Lucy were having.
"I know she acts like someone who was trafficked but she might not even know what rape is. I know it's possible and that kind of thing would terrify her. You already saw how much she hated being touched," Lucy defended Charlie's innocence.
"Yeah but if she does know and she was, we don't know what kind of illnesses she could have. She could even still have evidence in there!" Tim had a decent point.
"Well then tomorrow when we take her to get tested we'll see what shows up. A standard CBC and disease panel will be more than enough, and we're already gonna test her clothes. It's not a bad idea to ask if she would be willing to go through the testing. I think that if she was also trafficked there would be plenty of bruising on an MRI. It's a much less invasive option. I know she's a minor, but she deserves the choice. Maybe she'll even trust us enough to say something."
"Fine, though she could still wash away all of that evidence. But," he sighed, "you're right. She does have the right to her own body and we should respect it," Tim agreed, though he wasn't happy about all of it. They came back over to Charlie.
"I'm gonna draw you a bath if that's okay. I can look through your hair in there and wash it too, if you like." A hot bath did sound nice. "I can also put in something to help you relax and help with any pain you could be in." Doctor Lucy? Doctor Lucy.
"That sounds good," Charlie agreed. Lucy went to get started on the bath, leaving Charlie with Tim. While she still knew that he was a good person, her fear of men remained automatic. He noticed her expression.
"I know you're afraid, but I can promise that no one here will hurt you. Anyone we bring you to will be kind like we are. I promise. We even have a friend who's a paramedic who can run all of your tests tomorrow. You'll like Bailey," Tim spoke softly and made gentle eye contact. Charlie sighed.
"Okay." It was barely a whisper. Clearly gaining her trust was going to take some time. Hopefully she believed them.
"Are you thirsty? Have you eaten? I can make something if you want." None of that had even crossed Charlie's mind.
"I am thirsty. Water is good." Tim filled a glass for her. She sipped it and as she did, color started to come back into her face. Having more signs of life is always a beautiful thing. Her olive skin was heavily bruised. The ratty clothes she wore were still soaked. Her shirt was heavily worn and her shorts were falling apart. One dark ring formed around one of her amber eyes. They suggested that the girl had a mischievous glint hiding somewhere. The water washed off any blood that was missed while cleaning the blood from her nose. Her hair was still a drenched mess but that was to be sorted soon. A small yawn escaped her mouth indicating that the night had already worn her out. It very much so had, and the calming of the storms seemed to calm her down even more.
"You ready?" Charlie jumped. Lucy had emerged from the bathroom. "Sorry Charlie." She nodded and followed Lucy into the bathroom. Her water glass sat empty on the table.
The big tub was warm and full of bubbles. It wasn't hot enough to be uncomfortable, but was just right to soothe her muscles and get her to ideally relax. Clothes bagged on the counter, Lucy came over with a brush, comb, and some bags. She started at the bottom of Charlie's hair and slowly worked her way up through the tangled mix of waves and curls. The mess was intense and her hair type wasn't helping the process.
"So do you remember your parents at all?" Gentle prodding with careful detangling.
"I don't really remember anything." Getting her to open up was going to be a process.
"We'll find out what happened. Don't worry." Lucy left it with that. It wasn't worth it to ask her to remember such terrible things when it was almost time to sleep. She probably felt vulnerable too, with two people poking and prodding at her and now sitting in a bathtub with another person present. There was a thick layer of bubbles to help her feel protected which seemed to work. Finally clean of particulate matter, Lucy wetted Charlie's hair with clean water and grabbed a shampoo bottle. She didn't know what to expect from touching the kid's head.
At first, it was rigid. She was afraid of the contact, but as Lucy massaged the shampoo into her head, she relaxed and her head lost some of its tension. After a rinse, the lavender conditioner calmed her even more, complementing the chamomile bubbles. Lucy spent a bit more time using the conditioner because she knew of lavender's calming properties and having a little head massage wasn't harming Charlie. She rinsed out the rest of the conditioner, gave Charlie a towel, and left her to change into her clothes.
"I don't think she's ever experienced safe human contact before. She was so tense, but when I was rubbing her head she relaxed and took a breath. I could feel it!" Lucy's new discovery interested Tim.
"So what you're saying is that she's afraid of being touched because of the people she lived with? And now that she experienced the safe version she's gonna be okay?" Tim squinted.
"Not exactly. Right now she still associates being touched with bad things, but if we keep showing her that it can be safe, she could learn to be okay with it. Maybe she'll even like hugs. Haphephobia takes time and consistency to treat properly." Lucy cracked a hopeful smile.
"She can stay with us until we find her a safe place, but you do not need another puppy." He was referring to Tamara.
"She needs more time and consistency but maybe we can find a trauma informed person for her." Lucy very much still wanted to keep Charlie, but that would be a slow buildup. One can dream.
Charlie limped out of the bathroom in her clean clothes and yawned. She obviously didn't get a lot of sleep where life held her. Lucy and Tim gathered a pillow and a clean blanket for her and left her curled up under that new soft blanket. She wasn't quite laying down, but she wasn't upright and tense.
"We'll be right in here. Don't be afraid to wake us if you need anything." Lucy quietly shut the door and snuggled into Tim.
"You're already attached to her, aren't you?" Tim said it in a teasing manner but also knew that it was a likely scenario. Lucy took a breath.
"She's so sweet and has already been through so much. And we just showed her how good people can be. I don't want her to lose that idea in her head. I want her to be able to heal." Lucy sniffed a little having a good idea what Charlie had been through. It was impossible for her to fathom someone doing such terrible things to a kid.
"I'm sure she will, but it might not be with us. We'll be able to find someone. I don't know if I want a puppy," he was not referring to Kojo, "but we can do as much as we can while she's here."
A new crash of thunder shook the entire building. Lucy and Tim both snapped awake from the intensity. The storms were supposed to have passed. It wasn't until they heard a scream from outside that they remembered their little houseguest.
"Oh no she's having another panic attack!" Lucy ran to the door and opened it. Tim followed. Charlie kicked and sobbed and kept screaming the word no. She would punch and then return to curling up into the little ball that Tim and Lucy had first seen. The poor thing was shaking like a leaf while trying to protect herself against whatever imaginary danger she was facing. The fetal position seemed to keep her the safest. They both winced at the potentially horrifying story that would explain why Charlie panicked.
"Hey Charlie, Charlie, shhhhhh you're safe," Lucy soothed and slowly moved to where she could sit with her. The ottoman seemed like the best option. Tim worriedly followed behind her but she motioned for him to stop.
"No! No! No! No!!!!!" It was the girl's only response.
"Shhhhhh Charlie you're safe. It's okay you're still safe," when she sat down Charlie jumped and screamed again, "It's just Lucy. You're safe, I promise. Here, I'm gonna help you calm down. Shhhhhh." Lucy lifted Charlie and wrapped her arms around her, causing Charlie to shout out again. She protested the sudden, unexpected closeness of another person. There was a lot of fight in that tiny body, even in such an ragged state. Eventually she could no longer protest. Her head rested limply onto Lucy's chest, able to hear Lucy's heartbeat as she started to hum a calming melody. Lucy rocked Charlie back and forth while rubbing her head. Another rumble of thunder came through with a smaller reaction from the kid.
"I've got her. She'll be okay. For now I'll stay with her and come back when she's sleeping," Lucy whispered to Tim. He nodded and laid back in bed.
Calming Charlie was another example of having her accept, and maybe even be comforted by human contact. Haphephobia makes things difficult, but her breathing in that moment was less labored and her body stopped shaking. Slowly, she untucked from the fetal position. Lucy softly rested her head on Charlie's and kept whispering comforting things. Charlie's breath evened out. Things had finally quieted down. Eventually she was asleep again, and Lucy couldn't keep her eyes open long enough to move. She sighed and before she knew it, the night took her into a calming dreamland.