Unexpected Valor

23

Minutes, hours, or maybe days later, Val didn't know. She woke up in the hospital. Bright light was stabbing her eyes and she raised a hand to shield her vision. Her consciousness was rising like a lead balloon to the top from a deep abyss of blackness. How did she get here? What had happened? Why was she in the hospital? She squinted her eyes and saw a sleeping form in the chair next to her bed. She tried to use her voice but her throat felt like she had swallowed glass shards. A croak came out and then she started coughing. She felt a stinging pain in her ribs as she was coughing. The figure in the chair woke up at her coughing and stood immediately and searched for some water to give to Val. One eye was nearly swollen shut so her vision wasn't that great. She accepted the water, from who? When the figure spoke she became aware it was Brock next to her. As she reached for the water she saw bandages on her wrists.

"Valentina? I'm here, babe." He was stroking her hair as she leaned back into the pillows.

She was taking deep breaths to recover from the coughing fit. She still didn't trust her vocal cords.

"Valentina, how are you feeling?"

Val gingerly turned to face Brock as she furrowed her brow in confusion. "I feel terrible. What happened?" Her voice was a raspy whisper.

"You don't remember?"

"No. I don't remember. Why am I in the hospital? What's wrong with me?"

Brock closed his eyes and ran a hand over his face. He let out a sigh as he looked at the ground. "I'll go get the nurse. I'll be right back." He leaned down and kissed the top of her head before he left the room.

Val was so confused. She waited a few minutes and then a young nurse walked in along with a police officer.

"Why don't you wait outside, sir."

"I need to be here for her. We're dating," he told the nurse.

She gave him a serious look and then proceeded to bring the chair next to Val's bed.

"My name is Esther and I am going to ask you a few questions. Do you remember anything from the past two days?"

"What is today?"

"Today is Friday."

Val thought for a moment but didn't remember anything except going home from work. "Why can't I remember?" Val was getting a panicky feeling in her stomach.

"You have a really bad concussion, two cracked ribs, lacerations on your wrists, and bruising on various parts of your body." The nurse was searching Val's eyes to see if there was a spark of recognition.

"How did I get a concussion and cracked ribs?" Val still wasn't understanding what the nurse was trying to say.

Brock grasped her hand in both of his as she turned to him. His eyes looked tired, like he hadn't slept in a long time. His stubble was nearly a beard indicating he hadn't shaved in a while either. "What's going on, Brock?"

"Do you remember anything that happened after I dropped you off the other night? You've been unconscious for two days."

"I'm sorry but I don't remember."

Brock took a deep breath and looked down, not wanting to meet Val's eyes. "Babe, I don't know how to tell you. Something bad happened to you after I dropped you off. Someone was in your house, and they... they hurt you... really bad...." He was tearing up, his voice shaking, he tried to keep a sob from escaping his mouth. He put a fist over his mouth as he still held onto her hand. Brock had delivered bad news before, but never to someone he cared about. A soldier dying in a battle was an honorable death, but the assault of a helpless female? And not just any female, his girlfriend. He didn't know his heart could be crushed so hard.

The nurse put a hand on Val's leg and said, "Brock found you and brought you into the emergency room. We did some x-rays and we had to do a rape kit. We believe your house was targeted for a robbery and then you were sexually assaulted. The police have opened..."

It felt like the floor had vanished beneath Val. Her stomach sank and she couldn't hear anything. It was like noise was being heard through a tin pipe and there was a buzzing in her ears. Brock looked up at her but she wasn't looking at him. Her gaze was stuck on a point in the distance, not in the room, not anywhere. She wasn't hearing and she wasn't seeing. Her chest began to rise and fall rapidly like she was running. This couldn't be happening? She was dreaming right? It was all just a bad dream. Maybe she drank too much again or had some bad take out.

She was snapped back to the present as Brock put a hand on her face, saying, "Valentina? Val?"

She focused on his eyes, then looked down to their hands touching and the bandages on her wrists. She pushed his hands away and started to peel the tape off and open the bandage to see the damage they were talking about.

"What are you doing? You need to keep the bandages on." The nurse spoke in a clipped voice.

Val was still struggling with the bandages and Brock grabbed her forearms telling her, "Babe, you gotta stop. Leave those on."

"You're lying! I don't believe you! I don't believe you! I wasn't raped! I don't even remember anything!" She yelled but it hurt to yell. Her voice was so hoarse. Then the tears started to fall as her heart rate increased. "Brock! Let me go!" She was frantic by this point, struggling against him and kicking in the bed. She winced and groaned in pain as she felt her ribs protest her movements. The nurse stood up and drew a syringe from the pocket of her scrubs. She opened the safety cap and then plunged the needle into Val's upper arm. "Wha-What are you doing to me?!"

"It's just a sedative to help you calm down."

Val's struggling became weaker as she looked at Brock, pleading with him. "Help me out of here. Please, please help me... I want to go home.." Her voice trailed off as her eyelids fought a futile battle.

Brock still grasped her forearms and laid his head down in defeat on her lap. He let out a few muffled sobs as his shoulders shook. He should have been there for her. If he had waited until she was inside her house none of this would have happened.

"Sir, we need to let her rest. I'll make sure there is a social worker here for when she wakes up."

Brock reluctantly stood up and released Val's hands. He wiped his face and took a deep breath. He kissed her again on the top of her head before he turned to leave the room. Out in the hallway the same nurse came up to him. "You can leave to get some food. She'll be out for a few more hours."

Brock knew he needed to eat and rest, but he didn't want to leave Valentina's side. As he walked to the exit, he called a friend from SHIELD. "I need to ask a favor."