The Road To Recovery
966 Words
The nurse who took him back warned him, “The bruising is becoming more pronounced. She's been to hell and back, but she is tough.” She walked him to her room. She placed fresh cold packs against her jaw.
He stood in the doorway in shock. Her face was almost unrecognizable. He started to tear up. He walked into the room and sat next to her. “Can, can I touch her?”
The nurse looked at him endearingly. “Yes you can. It's just her spine. We don't want her to move.”
“Ok. How long will she be in a coma for?”
“Just until the MRI shows the swelling and pressure are off her spinal cord. Hopefully only a day or two. We're giving her medication to help,” she told him. “I'll give you some privacy.”
“Thank you.” He took her hand into his. “Oh Macy, it's killing me to see you like this. I'd change places with you in a heartbeat.” He started to cry. Her jaw was bruised and swollen. Her left arm was propped up on a pillow. Her other wrist was bruised. “What the hell did that mother fucker put you through? I am so sorry. I promise I will take care of you the rest of your life.” He put his head on the bed. He couldn't get the thought of her being r***d out of his head.
The nurse came to check on him. “You should try to get some sleep, Lieutenant. We do have a lounge with a shower and a bed you can go to rest in. She will be fine until you return.”
“Can my buddy and his wife come sit with her?”
“Let me check. One at a time should be ok.”
“They're out in the waiting area. Captain Kent and Maia Marshall.”
“Ok.”
She left the room for a few minutes. She returned with them. Maia went in first. Kent knew she would be more comfort for Jax and waited in the hall. Maia fought showing her shock.
Jax said, “I can't believe what he did to her.”
Maia put her arms around him. She tried to hold back tears. “Oh God, Jax, I'm so sorry this happened to her.”
“Yeah.” He started to cry again. The nurse came back to take him to the lounge.
A little while later, a doctor came in to check on Macy while Maia was in with her. He had the results from the r**e kit.
“Is Lt. Gunner here?” he asked.
“No, a nurse sent him to a lounge to shower and rest. Is everything alright?”
“Let's talk outside her room,” he said. Maia followed. They didn't see Kent in the hall. “She has a fight ahead of her. I wanted to give some results to Lt Gunner that I know he's anxious to get.”
Maia asked, “Is it the r**e kit results?” He nodded. “God, please tell me she wasn’t r***d. This is our biggest fear.”
The doctor asked about Maia’s relationship to Macy. She explained that Macy is her best friend and her husband is Jax’s childhood friend and Captain. “Ok. So the results are somewhat inconclusive.”
“What does that mean?”
“There is evidence of r**e. However, there was no sperm present in the seminal fluid found outside the v****a nor any evidence of lubrication or a condom. Without a DNA sample to compare it to, the only way to know for sure is if Ms Ferrari remembers anything.”
“Oh no…God no.”
He continued, “There is bruising but no visible tears in her genital region. There are signs of penetration, but it is unknown with what. It is possible an attempt was made, but the male couldn’t complete it.”
Maia said, “Doctor, you cannot tell Jax any of that right now. He’s in a very fragile state.”
“At some point he is going to ask if the results are back. What do you want me to do?”
Kent was down the hall but heard the entire conversation. He walked over and said, “Lie.”
The doctor turned around. “You must be the captain.”
“I’m a friend first, and he cannot hear this right now. The NCIS agents will be here later. It can wait until then.”
“I’ll do my best to table it for now,” the doctor added. “But you can’t keep this from him forever cause if she remembers any of what happened to her, she’s going to need him.”
“Yes doctor,” Kent said. The doctor left, so they went back to her room. “s**t, he can't handle this right now.”
“I know,” Maia concurred. “But he is right. He is going to have to be told.”
“Told what?” Jax asked as he walked in the room.
“Doc said she is improving,” Kent responded.
“That's fantastic.”
To change the subject, Maia said, “Kent said you're going to propose to her.”
“I was going to do it last night, but then this s**t went down. We were supposed to go to dinner,” he stopped. He was starting to choke up.
“I'm sorry Jax,” Maia said.
Kent felt this was a good time for them to go out and wait for the NCIS agents. He told Jax he'd come get him when they arrived. They got up and left the room.
- Writer
