Broken Apart

Chapter 6

*1 week later*
LaToya's POV: Michael's been in a coma for a week now. The doctors decided to put him in a medically-induced coma to keep him stable. They found that he had a concussion, broken ribs, a fractured spine, and a fractured ankle. It's a miracle that nothing was ruptured when he was stabbed. I've been here everyday along with Janet. Mom and dad call in once a day to check up on him. The doctors started trying to wake him up two days ago, and we're just hoping it works soon. Police ended up getting a search warrant for Neverland. They found duct tape, rope, spots of dried blood throughout the house, and, of course, the heroin. Maria was arrested right away and her trial is set for next week. She shouldn't even get a trial, she should just be put in jail to rot there for the rest of her life. They want Michael to testify against her, but they're holding it off until he recovers. I'm just hoping he wakes up soon. The doctor walked in and checked on him. He was taken off the ventilator when they started this whole "waking up process". "He's breathing a lot better than before. It seems like he's regaining consciousness. His eyelids are moving, which doesn't happen when someone is not going to wake up. Hopefully he'll be up today." She said. "Thank you doctor." I said. "Just yell if you need something." She said before walking out. Janet looked at the clock. "I gotta go. I have rehearsal in about an hour." She said. She kissed Michael's forehead. "Love ya bro." She whispered in his ear. When she left, the room was silent. I started reading a magazine I brought along, when I heard Michael groan. My head shot up and I saw Michael stretching. A wave of relief came over me. I gave him a hug right away. "I'm so glad you're ok." I said. He really looked dazed and confused. He was still coming back to reality. "Where's Janet? I heard her a minute ago." He said. I guess it's true that you're aware of your surroundings when you're in a coma. "She had to go." I said. "Was Maria arrested?" He asked. "Yes Michael. She's in jail. Her trial's next week, and they need you to testify against her." I said. He let out a sigh. "Ok." He said. I made him laugh to get his mind off of things. After about 3 more days in the hospital, he was able to go home. I was taking care of him, making sure he didn't fall over or something from the concussion. We worked on what he would say at Maria's trial.
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*The next week*
Michael's POV: I feel guilty. I know I shouldn't feel guilty, but I do. Why do I though? I did the right thing by testifying against her, but I feel like I did something wrong. When I first met her, she was the sweetest, kindest girl ever. She wasn't a junkie when I met her. I feel like I caused her addiction, but I know I didn't. It was her own decision, but the heroin controlled her. Without her fix, she turned into a monster. Maria was found guilty on seven charges brought against her, which I forget because according to LaToya I got a concussion and I've been zoning out. Now that Maria's behind bars, I feel so much safer, but I have a while to fully recover. I've got fractures, broken ribs, a concussion, and of course all the scratches, bruises, and the stitches from the stab wound. LaToya and Janet have been helping me out. Even though the physical scars will go away, the emotional ones will always be there. She caused me so much emotional trauma that I started to believe her when she's call me a piece of shit. I'll try my hardest to leave this behind me though. I'm no longer broken apart, I'm being put back together, slowly, but surely...
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*Thank you all for reading as usual. This time, I wanted to create something more serious. I wanted to highlight a serious issue with this story. It's not just men who abuse women. Women abuse men as well. Many men don't speak up, however, because they fear ridicule. Much of this domestic abuse goes unheard of. If you or someone you know has gone through this, please speak up. You can save a life by doing that. Anyways, please vote and comment if you enjoyed, keep an eye out for my future stories, and I will see you in the next story. ~Jess*