Nice to Meet You

Chapter 13

Tom was worried. He hadn't been able to get ahold of Monica. He would call her an hour or so before the bar closed. Bruce was usually there with her, or he'd get there shortly after he called. He didn't like the idea of her working the night shift, but she insisted, and Bruce didn't see a problem with it. Worksop was usually a quiet town, but at times the drunks Tom had to deal with were rough, and he didn't fancy Monica being around them. After the 5th unanswered call, he decided to go see her. He knew she couldn't be that busy. He just hoped Bruce was there with her and they were caught up talking, even if he walked in on them doing what young couples do, he preferred to know she was OK. He left his flat and began his 10 minute walk to the bar. As he approached it, he got an eerie feeling, everything seemed too quiet. The street was empty, there wasn't anyone around. He walked up to the door and went to pull it open, but was surprised to see that it was locked. Maybe Monica decided to close up early. Tom pulled out his set of keys from his pocket and unlocked the door, he slowly pulled open the door and peered inside. A struggle seemed to have occurred, there were broken bottles and glasses strewn on the floor. The old man cautiously walked around the bar, not knowing what or who to expect. "Monica? Bruce?" he heard a faint groan from behind the bar, so faint that he may have missed it hadn't he been waiting to hear something. He followed the sound and what he saw shocked him. Monica laid in a pool of blood, her pants had been ripped off, a pool cue had been broken in half and roughly shoved up her anus, her face had been beaten to a pulp, both eyes swollen shut, her head had a gash where he was sure he could see her skull, her shirt was pulled up and she had deep bite marks on her breasts, deep enough where the skin had been broken, Tom felt himself get sick, "Mo...Monica...." he rushed to her, he wanted to hold her, but he didn't want to do more damage, "Monica, it's me Tom. Monica, please stay with me." Monica groaned, "Bru..." Tom tried to calm her down, "Please, don't speak, don't move...who did this to you?" Tom ran to the phone he had next to the cash register and dialed 999. "Please, get me an ambulance fast. I'm at the Boarhound Pub. Please. Something's happened to my son's girlfriend." Tom hung up the phone and went back to Monica. He held her hand and tried to maintain his composure, "I'm here Monica. Help is on their way." At that moment, he heard the door open, he looked up at the clock on the wall and knew that it was Bruce, "Fuck", he thought, "this is going to kill him."

"Monica! Love of my life!" Bruce called out, "Did you miss me?" Bruce walked in the bar and noticed it was quiet, too quiet. Tom stood up from behind the bar and Bruce noticed there was blood on him. Bruce's face went white, "Where is she? What the fuck happened?" he ran behind the bar and saw Monica, saw her prone body. He stood in shock, not knowing what to do, he looked at Tom, "What the fuck happened? Is this a joke? Tom? What the fuck happened to her?" he grabbed the old man by the arms and shook him, tears started to fall down his cheeks, "What the fuck happened?" Tom grabbed Bruce, "I don't know. I came here to check on her and found her like this. I called an ambulance, They're on their way." Bruce ran to Monica's side. "Monica, love, it's me. Please, please...my love. please...don't leave me. Who did this to you. Darling, please, you promised me you'd never leave me...please...."he grabbed her hand and broke down next to her. Monica gave him a slight squeeze, but he noticed it, he looked at her, wanting to kiss her aching face, wanting to kiss her pain away. "Darling, who did this to you?" Monica groaned as she tried to speak, "Bruuu....Roooggggg"....she groaned and turned her head away from him. Bruce's blood ran cold. "Roger? Roger did this to you? Don't worry darling. I'll fucking kill him. If it's the last thing I do. I will fucking kill him." Tom stood by the door, waiting for the ambulance to come. He looked at Bruce and Monica. He blamed himself for not talking her out of taking the nightshift. He hoped to God she would pull through. Bruce had finally found someone that was perfect for him, someone that made him happy and had brought him around, she couldn't leave him know. About 10 minutes after he had placed the call, the ambulance arrived at the door. They came in and stabilized Monica, the police were there as well, wanting to talk to Bruce and Tom. Bruce wanted nothing more than to be with Monica, he didn't want to talk to anyone, he just wanted to be by her side. After talking to them and letting them know what he knew, he got in his car and drove himself to the hospital, hoping his Monica would be OK.
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Monica was put in a medically induced coma for 2 weeks. Her skull had been fractured, she had been vaginally raped and anally raped by a foreign object, broken ribs, a broken eye socket and fractured nose. The doctors believed there were at least 3-4 perpetrators. Bruce was devastated. He blamed himself for leaving her alone. Her parents were by her side, they didn't talk to Bruce, he felt they blamed him as well, for bring her around scum like Roger. He didn't care if they didn't talk to him. He just wanted her to get better. He loved her, he hoped once she pulled out of this she still loved him and wanted to be with him. On one of the days that her parents were there the whole day, he decided to go to his flat to take a shower and get some rest. He'd go back to see her that night. Once he got to his flat, he saw that Tom was there, Tom had the keys to his flat and from time to time would let himself in. Bruce sighed when he saw him, "I don't feel like talking. Please leave me alone." Tom looked up from the couch, "I haven't said anything son, I just thought you may enjoy my company, even if I just stay here and don't speak." Bruce looked at Tom and gave him a weak smile, he sat next to the old man and gave him a hug, "I appreciate it. I just...I miss her. I love her so damn much." Tom nodded, "I know you do, and she loves you, I can see it in her eyes. I called the police you know. I'm the one that got the slaughterhouse closed." Bruce felt as if he'd been slapped across the face, "You did what?" "I'm the one that called." Bruce could feel his anger rise, "Why the fuck would you do that?" Tom stood up and started to pace the living room, "Because Paul, I don't want that kind of scum living in my neighborhood. I don't want that around you or Monica." Bruce stood up and got in Tom's face, his voice eerily calm, "My fucking girlfriend, the love of my fucking life, is on her deathbed because fucking Roger and his cronies thought we ratted on him. And this whole time it had been you?" Tom couldn't look Bruce in the eye, "Don't you think I feel bad about that? I told the cops that she told you it was Roger who did it. He won't be able to hurt you or her again. I"m sorry Paul." Bruce was even more furious when he heard that, "I purposely didn't tell the cops that. I wanted to fucking take care of Roger myself. Why can't you keep your fucking nose out of my business?" Tom tried to grab Bruce, "I'm sorry Son, please forgive me, I thought I was doing what was best." Bruce looked at Tom and laughed at him, "I'm not your fucking Son. Never have been. Never will be. You're a pathetic old man. Fuck you. You're nothing to me." Bruce went to walk away but Tom grabbed at his arm, "Please, you don't mean that Paul, I'm sorry", he sobbed as he pleaded with him, Bruce turned around, swing his fist and connecting with the old mans face. "Don't fucking call me Paul, don't fucking call me Son, don't fucking talk to me again." he walked out of his flat, leaving Tom on the floor, a sobbing mess that had just lost everything he had ever loved.