Slaying Dragons

Chapter Thirty Two

It took three days before Marcy was cleared to go. The doctors tried everything to get her to talk but if it wasn't Mal, she didn't say a word. And he couldn't get much out of her himself.

But he was happy to be able to take her home. The doctors advised against bombarding her with people, even family so he was taking her to the villa with Ellen and the kids for a few days.

The drive down was as uneventful as it was silent.

He parked in the spacious garage and helped her into the house. The kids were standing in the lobby with Ellen. "Mommy!"

Marcy backed away in fear.

That hurt a lot of them but none moreso than Mally, who already felt guilt over not being able to protect his beloved mother. "Mommy?"

"It's okay, son." Mal tried to soothe everybody. "Mommy just needs a bit of time."

Mickey nodded. "We can do our homework."

The kids had been out of school until their mother was found. Now they had to get caught up.

"Good girl." Mal praised. "Go to the small dining room and do your work. I'll be back after I tuck Mommy in."

Xindi herded the younger kids out.

Ellen burst into tears.

"Elle." He pinched her chin.

"I want to hug her."

"No, not yet. Come on, Marce." He didn't even touch her much.

Marcy limped to the staircase and pulled herself up slowly.

Ellen didn't know the extent of the damage done to her fiancée but knew the limp was a byproduct.

The trio went upstairs and to their master suite. Mal helped Marcy into the huge bed. She curled up and promptly went to sleep.

Ellen got in beside her, exhausted herself.

Mal waited until both were truly asleep before going to check on the kids.

M&MC

Mal kept people away for three days before the family put their collective foot down and demanded to see Marcy. So he let them in little by little.

It was a disaster.

Marcy screamed anytime anyone got within three feet of her.

Everyone fled but their parents, siblings, Yuria and Jude. Yuria and Jude were the only ones not to get screamed at because they wisely kept their distance.

The moms cried even more than they did while she was gone, fearing there was no coming back for her.

The dads were seriously hurt. The trio had never felt like failures until now.

Marc and Mike didn't know what to do and that killed them. They felt like they were doing something before her rescue but now that they'd saved her, what were they to do? How could they help her?

The girls simply cried.

All of the kids were confused. They didn't understand what was going on. They just wanted to see their relative but she was shut up in her room away from prying eyes.

Ellen was fortunate to get within a yard of Marcy but she surely couldn't touch her.

Mal could touch her but not in any way that could be construed as romantic or loving. He had to touch her like he was touching a stranger. And infrequently at that.

As for Marcy, she was in torment.

M&MC

"I think we should go to the hospital." Mal whispered.

"Why? Is she bleeding again?" Ellen worried.

"No. For you. You're four days overdue."

Ellen didn't care. She wasn't leaving her love.

Mal could tell. He'd give her one more day before he brought in a midwife.

M&MC

Marcy woke up from a particularly terrifying dream to body aches. It hurt more than she was willing to admit to herself but maybe that was her fault? She wouldn't admit to anything so people thought they could do whatever to her?

She wasn't sure about what she was about to do but things had to change. Plus she'd heard Mal and Ellen. She knew Ellen needed to go to the hospital. She didn't want their baby in distress, especially because of her.

Slowly, with difficulty, she reached out her left arm to touch Ellen's face. She smoothed her fingers over her wet cheek as Ellen cried even in her sleep.

Ellen woke up from the light touches. "Marcy?"

"Hi, Sparrow."

Ellen began to cry anew.

Marcy just stroked her face lightly.

Mal woke up from Ellen's light sobs. "Elle?"

"We have to talk."

He was dead shocked- by her talking and her touching someone.

"Now. We need to talk now."

"Okay. What's going on?"

"Bring a chair to this side of the bed."

He got up and pushed a large chair to Ellen's side of the bed.

"Sit. This will take a while."

M&MC

And it did. It took most of the day for Marcy to go into detail about her pain. Not just Yheng's abuse but the torture she'd been going though since she was seven.

When she got to her first sexual abuser, Ellen couldn't take it and threw up.

Mal had ended up having to take breaks himself.

Marcy spoke calmly, emotionlessly. She didn't make eye contact. She didn't leave out a single account. She went into her fears and how Yheng had reminded her of the first abuser and how she felt like a twelve year old all over again with no one to help her or stop this wicked man.

She'd felt helpless and it'd filled her with disgust. She wanted to be strong. To save herself. She had to. Nobody else was going to.

M&MCish

"Have you told anyone else this?" Ellen whispered, still sick to her stomach.

"No." Marcy shook her head slowly.

"But you have a therapist."

"It's only an hour a week."

Ellen could admit this took all day.

Mal cleared his throat. "Are you hungry? Staff is here. Manny could make you something."

Marcy shook her head again.

"Baby, you have to eat."

"No."

"Why not?"

"No."

He'd give her a few hours before he brought her something anyway.

Ellen felt her stomach. "Marcy?"

"Yes?" Marcy monotoned.

"I feel weird."

"About me?"

"No!" Ellen would never want her to think that. "It's just I hurt and I think I just peed myself."

Marcy's brain still worked even if her body was broken. "You're in labor, Sparrow. We have to get to the hospital."

"We?" Ellen was afraid to hope.

"We." Marcy confirmed.

Ellen started crying again, hope in her heart.