Recovery (Completed)

3| Aftermath

 The ER was busy when Hattie walked through the sliding doors. She had been through those doors countless times, her steps never faltering, her mind always muting out the sounds of those waiting while she made her way to whatever victim awaited her. This time was different. The sounds were overwhelming, almost causing her to change her mind and head home. A baby cried as she stood just inside the doors, drawing her attention to a small family sitting not far from the entrance. The doors open and closed behind her, then they did it again and again... she blinked and took a few steps forward, her mind shifting to her present state and the fact that she was the reason they wouldn't remain closed.

"Can I help you?" The woman at the nurses station asked when she was close enough to be noticed while she typed on her keyboard.

"I was raped." Hattie said softly.

The nurse looked up from her computer and took in Hattie's swollen face that was starting to bruise. "Sit over there and I'll get you back as soon as I can."

"It hurts to sit." Hattie whispered.

The nurse looked Hattie over, briefly glancing at her backside. "Wait here." She said and quickly disappeared behind some doors.

It wasn't long before she returned with another nurse who took Hattie back to an exam room. She sat carefully on the edge of the bed while she waited and called Liv.

"Hattie?" Liv answered groggily.

"I'm sorry to wake you, but I'm at Bellevue and I was wondering if you could come down here."

"Is there a victim there?" There was a yawn from Liv's end of the line.

"Yeah... Me." Hattie voice cracked.

Liv no longer sounded half awake. "I'm on my way."

Hattie recognized the nurse that entered the room having met her countless times before. She watched as the nurse made a few notes on the chart she was carrying without looking up.

"I have to ask, is it ok if I call the police so that you can file a report."

"That's not necessary Tess, I've already called Liv." Hattie replied.

Tess' eyes shot up from her chart. "Hattie?" She blurted, surprised to see the woman she had known for years now sitting in front of her as a victim instead of an advocate.

Hattie sighed. "Yeah. Do the rape kit, exam, everything." She lifted her shirt as much as she could to show Tess her back. "He did this with his belt. I don't know how bad it is but it feels wet."

Tess moved so she could see Hattie's back. "You're bleeding but it wont take more than a bandage. I'll document the wounds and then we can start patching you up and performing the rape kit."

Hattie knew the process, knew what to expect, but it didn't make it any easier. She walked Tess through what Adam had done to her while fighting the urge to cover herself from the camera documenting her injuries. The room was quieter when Tess worked to pluck and scrape the physical evidence from her body. The fluorescent light flickering above the exam table was somehow comforting in the moment... or maybe it just gave her something to think about besides what was happening.

"Do you want emergency contraceptive?"

Hattie adjusted the gown they'd given her and sat on the edge of the bed, her eyes focusing on Tess' again for the first time what felt like hours... though it was probably less. "I'm on the pill, but I've been kind of lax with it lately..." Hattie trailed off, her mind wandering but to nothing specific. "Yes."