I shiver at the reason behind it. I honestly don’t want her to know, but I have no control right now.
“Ma’am, have the police talked to you yet?”
“I—”
“No, the police are doing their investigation,” a new voice steps in and I tense up all over again. “We just got a summary.”
“Well, from what we understand, your daughter was put in an industrial freezer for hours.”
“Oh my God,” Nicky cries.
Shocked silence falls over the room. Ugly and painful images start flashing in my head as I remember the darkness, the water dripping close to my head, the smell of blood, the excruciating pain…
“We, uh, we managed to regulate her body temperature as soon as she came in, so that helped because she suffered a bit of frostbite and there was a risk of hypothermia. As you may know, in severe cases, when nerve endings are extremely affected due to the cold temperatures and this much blood loss, the immediate thing to do would have to be to amputate.”
Gasp.
“But we didn’t have to do that with Mia and honestly, the fire department have all agreed that it’s a miracle that she wasn’t burned at all when they were surrounded by a blazing fire. In fact, Mia didn’t inhale any smoke. Thank God for Julian Fitzgerald.”
My poor heart starts pounding with renewed vigor as those words sink into my soul.
Julian saved me.
He came for me and fought for me.
If it wasn’t for him, I don’t know where I’d be now…
There’s silence, broken only by the sound of sobbing.
“What else happened to her?” Nicky demands.
“Well, uh, the police are right outside,” the doctor says hesitantly. “I think it’s best if they—”
“Oh, for God’s sake don’t elongate my suffering! Just tell me, please doctor.”
“Well, there really isn’t an easy way of saying this but upon our examination, we noticed scarring on her body, some long marks all over her skin.”
“What would have caused that?” Nicky demands. I can hear the doctor hesitate. “Tell me, please, doctor.”
“We think your daughter was badly beaten with something.” A loud gasp. “We found samples of natural latex on the wounds so maybe it was something made of that material. Maybe something rubber was used to…” he trails off. They’re speculating but he just hit the nail on the head.
“Oh my God, oh my God.”
“But she’s healing well,” the doctor rushes to calm her down. “It’s a good thing that Mr. Fitzgerald called the ambulance and the police when he did and got her here quickly. Mia rallied as soon as we got to work, and these past three days, I’ve never seen anyone with the will to live as much as she does, considering everything she’s been through.”
“You’re fucking saying that now,” Nathan bolsters, his stupid voice rough and angry making me flinch as unease and dread trickle in my veins. I lie still in the hospital bed, my eyes closed shut so tightly, my eyelids might not open ever again. “Is that why you want to bring in shrinks to see her?”
“Mr. Montague, it is the law. Nothing can change that, especially in cases such as this.”
“Cases such as this?” Nicky whispers brokenly.
“Yes ma’am,” the doctor says softly. “Abuse, assault and not to mention the self-inflicted cuts on her wrists and arms we noticed upon our exam.”
“They’re old cuts! She doesn’t do that anymore.”
Oh God, she knew? How did Nicky know I was hurting myself?
“Unfortunately, we noticed old and fresh cuts. Though it is worth noting, after their initial report from our psych ward, and I quote, ‘the latter cuts are much more shallow, unfocused, unlike the meticulous and methodic cuts of the old wounds. It’s possible that the patient doesn’t really have an intent to harm herself anymore. A one-on-one evaluation with the patient when she is conscious is needed’, end quote.”
My heart beats harder in my chest. Is that what was happening to me?
Was I hurting myself for the sake of it in the two weeks since Julian and I…
“Oh Mia, my sweet, sweet baby,” I hear Nicky say, her voice now closer. I feel a tentative, warm touch on my cold hand right before she lifts my hand and places a soft kiss there, which is lost with the pool of warm tears at the back of my hand. It breaks my heart all over again. “I’m so sorry my love. So, so, sorry.”
I’m sorry too but you have to get away from him.
“I’ll tell you right now, doctor, Mia doesn’t need to see a goddamn shrink or whoever else! When she wakes, she’ll be just fine!” Nathan’s voice thunders in the room.
“That is not up to you, Mr. Montague,” the doctor says sternly but politely.
“I’m a lawyer, I’ll sue you if you so much as force people I didn’t give authority to be near her.”
“Nathan, damn you! Mia needs all the help she can get so she can get better and you piece of shit, you’re not going to stand in the way of that or so help me God, I’ll blow your pathetic life up!” she whispers hotly.
The threat is clear and unlike any other time I’ve heard her angry or pissed, this time her ire is real.
The pain in her voice is heart breaking but the strength… it’s so refreshing coming from her that I’m sure Nathan knows she means it.
“Nicky…”
“Doctor, I want the full, available care for my daughter. I want to be informed of everything.”
“You must be out of your—”
“Try me, Nathan. Just try.”
There’s silence that falls over the room. I want so badly to open my eyes, desperate to find out about Julian, about Kristine and her baby, but I stay put, waiting for Nathan’s reaction.
“Well then, we’ll discuss.”
“There’s nothing to discuss,” Nicky whispers under her breath, squeezing my hand in between hers.
I try my best not to flex against her grip. Who knew it’s pretty hard faking unconsciousness?
“Anyway, doctor, one more question before you go,” Nathan says instead, his voice deceptively low. “Will she remember?”
“Excuse me?”
“That wound on the side of her head, that will certainly affect some part of her brain’s function, won’t it?”
“We have no way of telling at this—”
“Will Mia have her memory intact when she wakes up is what I’m saying.”
I tense up and tighten my grip on Nicky but luckily, she doesn’t feel it in her anger. “What?” she shouts. “That’s what you care about, you selfish, ignorant sonofabitch! You’re the reason Mia is fighting for her life!”
“Uh, is there a problem here?” the doctor questions, unsure and definitely uncomfortable with the mounting tension I can slice with a knife.
“Just answer the question, doctor or you become useless here. Will she remember or not?”
“For God’s sake, didn’t you hear what the doctor just said?”
“Nicky, you’re only here by my grace. Don’t make me change that.”
Silence.
He’s threatening her. That much is clear. Anger flashes in my system as hate blooms in my chest.