All Eyes on Me

Chapter 14

Trent was being arrested and hauled off by the troopers while Ben radioed paramedics to get in there now. Maci didn't leave Evan's side, even when he was being lifted into the ambulance.

"Go, go," Ben said, and she jumped into the back of the truck.

She held his hand the whole ride to the hospital, thanking him for saving her. He was always saving her, it seemed like. He was going in and out of consciousness, but the paramedics managed to get him stabilized enough to get him into emergency surgery.

"You saved me, Maci," he quietly told her, squeezing her hand gently as he was wheeled out of the ambulance bay and into the trauma wing. She ran along not far behind them, only to be stopped by a very concerned nurse that took one look at her bruised body and bloodied arm and hauled her off to the nearest station.

"Please," she pleaded with the nurse. "My, my boyfriend, he was just brought in with a gunshot wound! I have to be with him!"

"Not before getting you checked out," the woman said as she cleaned up Maci's cracked lip and gashed arm. She wrapped it up, and took one more look at her before whispering. "Did– ma'am, were you– it's very important that if you were assaulted, we do a rape kit...." she trailed off, and Maci's brows knitted together.

Oh, right. She supposed with her bruised ankles, legs, and wrists, not to mention the baggy, oversized ambulance t-shirt she wore, she probably looked more beaten down than she felt. At least compared to what Evan was going through.

"No, no. I– a man tried to, but my boyfriend, he stopped him before he could." She looked down at her lap for a moment, opening her mouth to ask the nurse if she could find Evan when the curtain was pulled back.

She was relieved to see Ben, who flashed his badge at the nurse.

"Maci, are you alright?" He asked her.

"Yeah, I am. And before you even ask, no, Trent did not sexually assault me. He did not," she emphasized, hoping he would understand that she was in fact, telling the truth.

He nodded, before helping her up and telling the nurse that they were going to check on the status of their friend.

"Op, now wait a moment," the nurse said. "Let me get her some sweat pants to wear."

Maci looked down at her exposed lower thighs and rolled her eyes. Yeah, pants would be good. The nurse was back in a moment, and Ben quickly turned around while she changed into the pants. She was glad they had given her some socks in the ambulance, so she wouldn't look completely like a hobo when she walked out of here.

"Thank you for taking a look at her," he said once he faced forward, and Maci thanked the woman too.

"Sure."

Ben led them over to the help desk for that wing, again flashing his shield and asking where the gunshot wound victim was.

"He's in emergency surgery right now," the lady replied. "Gunshot wound to the upper right quadrant. Made entry through the shoulder, but lodged itself in chest cavity. Once they dig it out, they'll be able to tell the extent of the damage. The doctor will come out to you when they know more."

"Thank you."

Ben and Maci walked towards the smaller waiting room, following the signs. Maci sank down into a chair, not even caring that it was uncomfortable. It was like heaven compared to the hell she just went through.

She sighed, feeling like the weight of the world was on her shoulders.

"Ben?"

"Yeah?"