Perfection is everything

Chapter 9

(Dipper pov)

I sit on the hospital bed, my right arm in a cast as Bill sits in a chair next to my bed holding my left hand pretending to act like the caring husband everyone thinks he is.

The doctor walks into the room, looking over my chart on his tablet that most hopitals used nowdays. "Mr. Pines-"

"Morgan. His married last name is Morgan." James interrupts the doctor.

"My bad, our system still has him listed as Pines. Mr. Mogan, can you explain what happened again?"

"He told you already, he fell down the stairs. Mason can be a bit of a klutz most days."

"I know that you told me that, but looking over your hospital records I saw that last month Mason broke three ribs and was brought to St. Clair General Hopital where it had been recorded you got the injury from falling down the stairs. A few months before that you were at another hospital with a fractured skull, the explanation was still just a fall down the stairs."

I feel James' nails digging into my skin and I know if I don't say what he wants to hear, then things will just be worse for me.

"I'm clumsy.......a few months ago we just got out stairs carpeted. I have a bad habit of not tying my shoe laces and combine that with having to get use to carpet on the stairs. It's like James said, I am a klutz most days."

"Okay. You can be discharged at the nurses' station right over here."

James follows him out and I just stare at my feet until I hear another voice. "Dipper?"

I look up seeing Bill out of his cop uniform. "Bill? What on earth are you doing here? If James sees you here-"

"Don't worry, I won't be long and the nurse can stall James for about 10 minutes. The hopital called the police station saying that someone came in with signs of domestic abuse and once they gave me your name I was worried he badly hurt you."

"It's nothing. Just-"

"Fell down the stairs. The doctor gave me the story over the phone." He glances back over his shoulder and I see he has the audio recorder in his hand again.

"....you want to know what really happened for evidence."

"It would help a lot but I won't force you."

"It's okay. I'll do it if it helps make this stop."

He gives a nod as he sits next to me and presses a button on the recorder. "Can you please tell me what really happened?"

"James got promoted last night so he had me cook him a celebratory dinner."

"Was there any problems at dinner?"

"No, not at first. I mean besides him insisting that I need to lose weight....he does that many times a day anyway...."

"What happened after dinner?"

"He pulled me upstairs without letting me do the dishes and I knew that he wanted to do it. I told him no, that I wasn't in the mood for it but he wouldn't hear it. He just started saying how I don't appreciate him and he shoved me back. I fell down the stairs and heard something in my arm crack."

"Did he seem worried or want to take you to the hospital right away?"

"No. He was calm as he walked down the stairs and grabbed my left arm roughly pulling me back up. He just took me to the bedroom and told me to shut up. That he would just take me to the hospital in the morning."

"Did he sexually assault you? I need a verbal answer please."

I look down feeling tears stinging my eyes. "....yes."

He stops the recorder and softly kisses my forehead. "Please stay safe."

He leaves and a few minutes later James walks in. "Let's go, Mason. Now."