Back To Seattle

Chapter 22

The familiar scent of anaesthetic and hospital cleaner invaded my nostrils as I entered Laura's room. She was sat up in the bed, staring out the window at the rain that streamed down the glass windowpane. The resident on the case had only paged me about the return of her results. She was steadily improving, but it wasn't enough to release her from the hospital yet. I needed to speak with her.

All the signs were there. All the signs I knew first-hand, that I had experienced I just had to convince her that she was safe, that she could trust me enough to tell me what really happened. I had to admit it was slightly hypocritical, since talking about it and trusting others weren't my strongest qualities. And I was letting Jordan get away with all of it – because it was easier that way.

"Good morning, Laura." I offered her a warm smile, standing beside the bed in her line of sight. "How are you feeling today?"

"Better." Her voice was short but the look in her eyes was hopeful, eyes that wanted to escape and get on with life, a panicked type of hopeful. It made me feel awful, because if roles were reversed, I want out as quick as I could. "Can I go home yet? They did all these tests, and I thought, maybe, you were getting ready to discharge me?

"It might be another week before we can discharge you," I said carefully. "Without a known support system to aide your recovery, and your lack of... participation in physical therapy, I'm not inclined to sign off on your discharge just yet, for your own safety."

"Look, I know you're only looking out for me, and I appreciate it, but I can look after myself," Laura said, fidgeting with her blanket and not meeting my gaze.

"You can look after yourself, and I can bet you've spent a lot of time looking after yourself," I sighed slightly, sitting down in the chair beside her bed. "But I think this time, it was worse, wasn't it?"

"I don't know what you're talking about, Dr Grey," Laura dismissed me quickly, turning her head away.

"You have older bruises, fractures that haven't healed properly..." I started, only to be cut off.

"You don't know anything!" Laura lashed out suddenly, her knuckles going white as she gripped the blankets.

My heart thrummed in my chest, threatening to break through. My own fingers were shaking, but I took a deep breath, keeping my cool. If I was going to help Laura, I was going to have to be honest with her.

"The first time... he convinced me it was accident," I started, my voice quiet. "And I believed, I believed it was my own fault. Every time afterwards. I was the one in the wrong, because I'd said the wrong thing, worn the wrong dress, had too much to drink, or not had dinner ready when he got home."

"Oh," Laura exhaled, her wary eyes meeting mine. "It's not... he loves me."

"Then where is he Laura? He left you for dead in a hotel room and didn't even call an ambulance for you." It was the harsh truth, and I felt terrible for the pain creasing her face as her eyes welled with tears. Denial. "I knew I had to leave... he came home drink. He pushed me around, the usual. And then... he was so adamant about wanting a baby. He tried to force me, and I hit my head, passed out."

My voice had dropped to whisper, shaking slightly. I needed to recollect myself. It wasn't about me. This was about Laura.

"When I woke up, beaten and bruised, he'd gone again, left me passed out with a head injury. I could've died, and he didn't care," my hand moved over Laura's slowly. "They don't care. They want control, and power. Don't let him have it."

"I don't have anyone else," Laura's voice broke as she finally spoke, gripping on to my hand as though it were the only thing keeping her here. "He made me... I pushed everyone else away."