❝ But I'm only human
and I bleed when I fall down ❞
The Behavioral Analysis Unit team around Aaron Hotchner gets called in to assist on a serial killer case in New York where they meet the young and surprisingly talented Special Agent Skylar Brown...
!TW: mentions of rape, mentions of mental illness and the stigma, mentions of suicide, victim-blaming, mentions of abortion and self-hatred, Skylar is being a little brat again!
if you are not pro-choice i urge you to quit reading this book now while you're at it...
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"How did you manage to escape?"
The red light on the recorder blinked in a steady rhythm. Once every two seconds. Sandra's voice was a faint sound in the background as Skylar thought back to the day in question.
"I didn't," she answered. "I was at the brink of death, I think. He, uh, he saw no use in me anymore, so he took me to his car and dropped me a few miles from my apartment."
"Did you alert the authorities right away?" Sandra asked.
"No. I did the thing we urge rape victims not to do..."
"You went home and took a shower?"
"Exactly. I, uh, I realize it was a mistake-"
"You were traumatized. I wouldn't count it as a mistake."
"I just felt so worthless. I didn't know what else to do. I mean, he let me go. I felt as if maybe I deserved what he did to me."
"Then why did you decide to go to the hospital, if that's what you believed?"
Skylar shrugged. "I guess the pain took me there. I just wanted to get some pain meds, maybe see if anything was severely damaged, you know? Once I was there though, the nice doctor made me realize I couldn't let him get away with this."
"And you said Sergeant Basset contacted your father without telling you," Sandra read from her file. She lifted her head. "Any reason why he made this incriminating statement after seeing your file? I mean, why did he believe that man over you?"
"His career." she scoffed. "It's always been more important than family to him, so I guess I wasn't surprised. Just hurt. Disappointed. He took Basset's word over mine and the proof in the rape kit. I mean, sure, it pictures my injuries that could've been from something else, but the internal injuries... I understand why he didn't believe me, but I don't understand why he didn't believe the pictures or the doctor's opinion. Not even his career should've been so important."
"Well, maybe he was threatened. Maybe the entire team behind the investigation was somehow threatened. Sergeant Basset used to be an influential man in the Army, " Sandra said.
"Used to be?"
"What, you didn't know? He lost all his assets in a case a few years ago. I kind of prayed for that to happen, to be honest. He was never a Saint."
Skylar pursed her lips. She didn't feel guilt, she wasn't sad or felt sorry. "Good," she said. "I'm glad his life is ruined, even if it wasn't for ruining mine. Still feels good though."
