Page 14 of Under His Watch

“How did you meet Romeo?” I asked instead.

She didn’t react to how swiftly I changed the subject.

“He was very critical in helping me get out of a challenging predicament.”

Hmm. Another vague reply.

“Would you like me to examine you, Tessa? If you’re concerned about?—”

I laughed once, a hysterical bark of a sound. Then I sniffled and nodded. “I’m concerned about everything. But I’m…”

She pulled out a mini bottle of whiskey. “This might ease your nerves.”

“Thank you.” I seldom drank. Nina and I sometimes shared a beer or two after work, but I needed that numbing buzz. I opened the sealed bottle and took a quick drink, hoping the burn down my throat would quickly turn into a foggy mindset that would further dull my memories.

As Danicia examined me, carefully and telling me every step of the way what she was doing, I tried to block out the fear and stifle my tears. It was similar to a yearly check-up with the gynecologist, yet not.

“Do you want to tell me what happened?” she asked gently.

I didn’t, but some obedient part of me recognized her as a doctor, as a figure of medical authority, and the dam broke. Like someone else was narrating my life, I told her in a monotone, unattached way how the three men had raped me, taking turns to put themselves in both of my holes.

“Only one entered me… there…” My pulse raced as she cleared up the blood near my anus.

“With his fingers or his penis?” she asked clinically.

“Both? I shut down and…”

“I understand. The tear is superficial,” she said, “which will heal faster.”

I didn’t even want to think about how I’d heal. I felt so filthy inside out that I wasn’t sure I ever would.

“They used condoms?” she asked.

I shrugged, losing my control on blocking it all out mentally.

“I see no evidence of semen,” she explained. “And that’s very good.”

I choked on a weak laugh. “Good, huh?”

“I imagine they were cautious of STDs.” She smirked. “Selfish motherfuckers. But that’s a blessing for you. Less risk of anything passed to you.” As she finished up, she sighed heavily. “I’ll run some labs and make sure, anyway. Blood work, these swabs I collected. I’ll cross every T and dot every i.”

“Thank you.”

“Do you have a family doctor you’d like this information to be shared with?” She took off her gloves as I sat up and lowered my legs beneath the sheet.

“No.” I shook my head. “I don’t want my parents to know.” And with Mom working for the largest healthcare network in the city, she’d find out quickly. If not from insurance claims, then from snooping on my chart.

“I have my ways to circumvent the insurance forms and?—”

“No. Please.” As I relaxed in the bed, the exhaustion of the long day and night added to the warmth from the whisky. I yawned, but afterward, I raised my brows in surprise that I could be tired.

“Okay.” Danicia nodded as she continued to explain how to care for my wounds, and she set out a few things from her bag that she brought with her. Antibiotics, salves, creams, painkillers,and another bottle of whiskey. She wasn’t a conventional doctor, that was for sure, giving me alcohol should I want it.

I listened the best I could as she explained how to tend to my wounds, and with her mention of the house being guarded, I sank further under the illusion that I was safe here. Even if I wasn’t, I was too weak to fight this fatigue.

After she backed out of the room and shut the door, I closed my eyes. Just for a moment. One minute turned into more, and I slept on and off for so long that I was disoriented when I woke. Sunlight streamed through the curtains, signaling that I’d slept in for a long time, a rarity I never had a chance to enjoy.

Waking up in an unfamiliar place was jarring, but once I spotted the lampshade that I’d zoned out looking at during Danicia’s examination last night, I tried to slow my heart rate. My blood pressure would likely stay high for a long time, but I attempted to convince myself that I was safe here. I hadn’t been moved. No one, it seemed, had come into this room and bothered me. I was still in the sleep shorts and panties Danicia had offered me. My clothes were intact.

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