Twisted Choice

What happened?

'Now can I do your obs, please?' Jessica asks politely.

'Sorry' I say, my body is less heavy now and I can move it towards her a little. The pain in my legs are burning more prominently now, it's starting to become uncomfortable. Trying to escape my own body I begin to fidget.

'Are you okay, Lucy?' Jessica is concerned now.

'Its just the pain' I mutter through gritted teeth.

'Okay, the police are waiting just outside, so if youre up for it, you can give them your statement and then I'll give you some more morphine. Does that sound okay?' I nod my head not wanting to waste my energy on anything other than that statement. She heads to the door to invite the officers in.

Two women officers stroll throught the door led by Jessica. The first through the door is a tall slim women, with a tight blonde ponytail, she looks fresh out of school, but I'm sure shes at least a little older than that. Maybe? The second officer is a much shorter, plump lady, pixie cut hair in horrible shades of pink and brown.

'Good afternoon Miss Walsh, My name is officer Samantha Skinner and this is my partner Officer Penelope Hogg' She jestures her hand to the pixie cut lady to her left, but all I can think is how ridiculous their names are. It takes everything in me to squash down the smile wanting to spread across my face and the laughter threatening to bubble up through me.

'We're here to discuss the assault you endured last night, are you feeling up to a few questions?' I nod the reality of the situation bringing me back from my immiturity.

'Okay Miss Welsh'

'Lucy' I interrupt, 'Please, call me Lucy' I say more politely this time.

'Okay Lucy, Can you please tell me what you remember from last night, as much as you can remember.' Officer Skinner is doing all the talking whilst Officer Hogg has taken a seat in the corner ready to take notes.

'We were going to town, we got ready at my house as the children were with my grandma'

'Your grandma's name?' Officer Hogg asks from the corner, for her notes I suspect.

'Clara Walsh' I answer without a beat.

'Please continue' Officer Skinner urges.

'We headed into town via taxi' I continue the pain in my legs irritating me more now.

'We hit a couple pubs along the high street, but we spent most of the night in 'Drop and Stop' where we finished the night' I continue, visibly feeling uncomfortable with the pain and the story I am retelling.

'Who did you go into town with?' Officer Hogg questions.

'My sister Mia Walsh and her best friend Sasha Goldman' I answer without a beat. My sister is my best friend, when our mother walked out and we moved in with our grandma, we only really had each other for support, Grandma tried but we were so much to handle on her own. She became our best friend instead of a guardian, she gives the best advice and can party with the best of us, but being punctual or good at discipline was never her strong point.

'Okay Lucy what happened next?' Officer Skinner brings me out of my thoughts.

'I was getting tired, I haven't been out in a long time and I was struggling to keep up with the girls. They met these guys, very immature looking, they wanted to go on to 'Pink Lemonade' with them to continue the night. I wasn't interested in flirting or continuing the night for that matter, I had the kids to get in the morning, my feet were hurting and overall I was just feeling, well old.' I explained as honestly as I could.

'These men that you sister wanted to leave with, was there anything that felt off about them, anything that would make you suspicious of them?' I frown taken a back by the question, they think one of those guys hurt me? I rack my brain trying to remember them.

'No they were just goofy idiots, they didn't seem harmful at all, if I hadn't trusted they were just immature idiots I wouldnt of let Mia go with them.' I explain as honestly as possible.

'Okay Lucy what happened after your sister told you she was wanting to go with the guys.' Officer Skinner asked.

'Nothing I told her the safety rules that she is never to go anywhere alone, to stay with Sasha at all times, to go home together and to note the registration of the taxi they use before they get into it.'

'Smart' Officer Hogg comments.

'Rules to live by' I reply. Realising again that I didn't follow my own rules.

'What happened next Lucy?' Officer Skinner asked.

'I finished my drink, said goodbye to Mia and headed to the taxi rank, Mick's is only a street away and with everyone moving on to better things I thought I'd be okay, plus I know how to handle myself.' I made sure I took self defence classes after my mum left, 2 young women with no one but their grandmother for protection just didn't sit right

with me, and when I had children I felt the need to protect them and myself even more.

'Unfortunetly, some preditors are cleverer than we will ever be, you did everything right Lucy. Can you remember anything else?' I rack my brain again, remembering the air as it hit me after leaving the club, ice cold and stinking of booze, but then nothing, everything is faded like a cloud is covering my memories. Preventing me from remembering anything, not how I got hurt or how I got here. The pain is now immeasurable, I can feel my thighs burning with the tightness of the bandages against them. My shoulder feels like it has been opened through to the bone and my head is agony, with a headache that could knock out a horse, as I reach up to touch my head, I can feel welts in my scalp, they burn like a graze would, how have a managed to graze my head? But as I shift on the bed, I can feel more pain, pain that I have never felt before, I shift again, trying with everything in me to get this feeling to go away. To find a position on this bed that means that what I'm thinking is wrong.

'Officer Hogg, could you get the nurse please?' Officer Skinner asks realising my discomfort. Jessica is here within seconds, ready to administer more pain medication. But I grab her hand before she can.

'Wait, please just tell me, what happened?' I ask urgently hoping that I'm wrong.

'Lucy, we are very sorry that this attack occured in our town, it is evident to us that you do not remember any significant events from that night, in which we believe you deserve to know the truth about what happened to you. Last night you were drugged, led down an alley, stabbed multiple times and raped.' I lay back into the bed defeated as I listen to Office Hogg ramble on further.

'However we assure you we are going to do everything in our power to find your attacker. For now we will leave you in the capable hands of Nurse Jackson, please try get some rest.' How could this be true? But it is true, I can feel it, I can feel the pain in my groin where I have practically been ripped in two, in my back, my arms and my head, I can feel all the effects of last nights assault but I remember none of it.

Jessica sees them out closing the door behind them, but my mind is racing, tears streak my face like lava burning into my skin.

'You ready for the pain relief?' Jessica asks gently, as if not to brake me further than I already am. I nod, letting the medication take effect taking me away from my horrendous reality.