Like A Phoenix ➳ Cobra Kai

That Escalated Fast (32)

In the hospital room, Robby sat on a chair inches from Kat, still holding her hand as she rested her eyes. Upon hearing the door creak open, Kat became alert to her surroundings.

A few minutes after Hawk stormed out of the hospital, the doctor, along with two police officers, entered the cluttered room. The doctor, an older female, was the first to speak.

"Hi, Miss Mills. I am happy to inform you that the injuries sustained to your neck are non-lethal, nothing life-threatening or long-lasting. You will notice bruising for weeks and slight, tender bruising of your vocal cords. Other than that, you are discharged so that you can leave at anytime today!"

The doctor addressed while flipping through her clipboard. "And regarding how you sustained these injuries...." She sighed, then pointed to the two officers on her side. "This is Officer Winslow and Officer Brown, and they are here to ask you a few questions. Please let the nurse know if you need anything," she stated before leaving the room.

The chubby African-American man, Officer Winslow, cleared his throat. "Katherine Mills? As I'm sure you guessed, we are here about what happened in, uh, Coyote Creek."

"Right..." Kat sighed.

Officer Winslow frowned. "You're okay now, Kat. Nicholas Bates will never touch you again. We will make sure of it. Now, what was your relationship with Mr. Bates?"

"Oh, I've heard that one before," Kat laughed somewhat hoarsely.

"Wait, should he be in here?" The other cop, Officer Brown asked, pointing to Robby.

"I want him to stay. He makes me feel safe." Kat asserted.

"Very well then," Officer Winslow nodded as he continued to ask questions. The other cop, who was slightly taller, jotted down notes on a small notepad.

Kat never removed her eyes from the chicken shit writing, but she could only make out a single word: disgruntled. She paused before speaking, "Nick is an ex-boyfriend of mine back in Texas."

Officer Brown hummed, "Got it. Do you feel comfortable retelling exactly what happened in Coyote Creek?"

The girl rolled her eyes but nodded. "I got distracted during a game of capture the flag, and he came behind me and held me in a chokehold. I managed to escape his grasp, then we talked, and he strangled me."

"Why do you think he did that?" Officer Winslow asked.

Chuckling, Kat turned her head slightly to look at the officers. "I'm sure you already have his criminal record, and maybe you two are here to corroborate my story. That sick fuck should've been kept in prison. He's an arsonist-a fucking killer! The justice system failed me more than once, so please, what more do you want from me?!" Kat snapped.

As Kat grew more irritated, Robby rubbed circles on the palm of her hands to calm her down. "It's okay, Kat."

The sentiment put Kat at ease, and she resumed answering the cop's questions. "Nick wants me dead. Isn't that obvious? First, he burned my house five years ago and killed my stepfather, who only got five years. Then, he follows me to a completely different state, and only a few weeks back, he drugged me at the Valley Festival while disguised as a popcorn concession worker."

Officer Brown raised his eyebrows and exhaled sharply while writing down each detail Kat mentioned. Next to him, Officer Winslow shook his head.

"Right, uh. Doctor McCall, I believe her name is, mentioned that you have a few scars. Are they self-inflicted?" Officer Winslow asked.

Kat grit her teeth and shakes her head. "I have a bullet wound underneath my collarbone on my right side. That happened a decade ago. The most recent scar was caused by my dead stepfather, Matthew Barlowe."