Gerald walked into the private room and closed the door quietly behind him. The lights were dim. Lily lay on the bed with bandages covering parts of her face and arms. One eye was swollen and nearly shut. Her lower lip was split. Dark bruises spread across her jaw and disappeared under the hospital gown. She turned her head slowly when she heard his footsteps.
For a moment they only looked at each other.
Gerald pulled a chair close to the bed and sat down. His eyes moved over every visible mark on her skin. The memory of carrying her out of that back room was still fresh. The way her body had felt too still in his arms. The blood on her face. Something heavy sat in his chest as he studied her now and he knew he was not done with Elliot yet.
“How bad is it?” he asked.
Lily’s voice came
