Sweet Magnolias Autumn

Specs

Annie 

I never really had an opinion on ceiling tiles, but I was coming to hate these white ones, the 24 by 24 tiles with the little brown specs. The whole time they were doing the kit, I just stared at ceiling tiles, trying to count the brown specs; I didn't want to think or feel what they were doing to me. It didn't work. I still felt everything from them taking my blood to the UV lights to the swabs. I could still feel it despite the fact that it was over. 

The doctor and nurse had finished the assault kit and left the room to let Aunt Maddie and Aunt Helen know they could come back in. They left so I could change out of the patient gown and into the pair of dark purple scrubs they brought in for me. They had to take my clothes as part of the kit, so they brought in a pair of scrubs so I would have something to wear when the kit was finished so I could go home - well, to Aunt Maddies.

"On three," I said to myself. I closed my eyes and tried to focus on breathing. 

"Okay...One." I took a deep breath in "Two." I let it out, I wasn't ready to get up, but I needed to. "Three," I said as I went to sit up. Once I was sitting, I took a look around the room because I could feel a sob coming, and I truly felt like I couldn't cry anymore. I didn't want to cry anymore, either. 

I slowly got up to my feet and grabbed the scrubs they had left for me. The top looked like I would drown in it. The pants had an elastic waistband, so they weren't likely to fall off me, which was good. With the luck I've been having lately, they probably would. 

As I adjusted the top so it sat straight on me, there was a quiet knock on the door. 

"Annie," I heard someone say from the other side of the door. 

I assumed it was Aunt Maddie or Aunt Helen, maybe the doctor, on the other side of the door. "Come in," I said.

As soon as I said the words, the door ripped open, and Ty came running in, breathing heavily. He wrapped his arms around me in a tight hug. I didn't want to cry anymore, but as soon as I felt the heat coming off Ty and his arm around me, I couldn't help it. I let the tears fall. 

"They wouldn't let me in; I was so worried. Are you okay?" Ty asked frantically. I nodded my head against his shoulder as my arms slowly came around to return the hug. A sob worked its way up my throat; I let it lose just as Coach stopped in front of the door, followed by Aunt Maddie and Aunt Helen. They all just stood in the doorway, watching us hugging. 

When Ty let go, he slowly brought his hands up to my face and gently used his thumbs to wipe the tears off my cheeks. 

"He doesn't deserve your tears," he whispered to me as he wiped away the last of my tears. Ty took a step back, and Aunt Maddie came up to hug me, one arm wrapping around me and the other coming up to hold my head against her shoulder.    

"I am so proud of you." She whispered into my ear. 

"We all are," Aunt Helen said as she joined the hug. I wanted to thank them or acknowledge their pride in me, but that is not what happened. 

"Please tell me we can go home," I said instead. The room went silent for a few seconds before Aunt Helen spoke. 

"Soon, we have to talk to the doctor first," she said. 

"I promise to be as quick as possible, " Dr. Evans said as she entered the room, glancing around at everyone in the room. "We've grown," she commented. 

"Ty and I will wait in the hall; take as long as you need." Coach said. He stepped aside so Ty could leave; Ty just kept staring at me, almost like he was in a trance, until Coach walked over to Ty and placed his hand on his shoulder, saying something I couldn't hear that seemed to snap Ty out of his trance, Ty glanced back at Coach and to me once more before he turned and headed for the door. Coach gave a nod toward Aunt Maddie before he followed after Ty. 

"Let's sit down." Dr. Evans said as she closed the door and walked over to the desk. 

Aunt Maddie still had her arm wrapped around me. She led me over to the two seats, and we sat down. Aunt Helen came over and joined us; she took one of my hands and held it as she stood beside me. 

"Alright. We were able to complete the kit and examine Annie fully." Dr. Evans glanced down at my chart. "She has severe bruising on her upper arms and around her wrist. My main concern, though, is her right wrist. She has a minor buckle fracture. " 

"A buckle fracture?" Aunt Maddie asked. 

"Yes," she said. It's a small, incomplete fracture. It is probably from the pressure that was applied to it. Annie will just need a splint for about four weeks and ice it if it gets sore or you have a lot of pain. I also want you to use it as little as possible. But that is the worst of her injuries." 

"So we can go now?" I asked.

"Almost; we just need to get you a splint, and then you can go," she said as she walked over to one of the cabinets. "Okay, so I want to ice your wrist for at least twenty minutes tonight. Alright?" 

"Sure," I said, half listening to her, half lost in my own mind. 

"Annie?" Dr. Evans said.

"Yes," I must have zoned out because she had already got the splint and put it on.

"I want to show you how to put on, adjust, and take off the splint, okay?" she asked. I nodded. The doctor reviewed putting on, taking off, and adjusting my splint. Then she had me practice once before she sat back down. 

"I know that this is a lot," she paused momentarily. "It's important that you lean on your support system. I'm going to give you some resources in case you want to talk to someone outside of your support system; I'm going to give you information about a therapist who has some experience helping assault victims. I'm also going to give you information on some victim's resources, anonymous hotlines, a support group, up and some other resources. There is no judgment, and you can use these or not; it is up to you, but I want you to have access to them if you want them. Okay?" Dr. Evans asked. 

I nodded, but it was like everything she was saying wasn't making it into my brain; nothing was making it into my brain. I was completely lost in my thoughts.