IN THIS SKIN -- CHICAGO FIRE

38;

Three days after Marley was suspended from school, she received a visit at the firehouse. It was Voight, Olinsky, Jay and a man who she didn't recognise. As soon as they walked in, Marley felt her stomach churn. She knew that nothing they could say to her would be good news.

"We have good and bad news." Voight announced as he got close to the teenager. Kelly was by her side in an instant, holding her shaky hand. "The good news is, we've got him. He's in custody." It went quiet. Marley was happy- her rapist and Nadia's killer was off the streets, but if that was the good news, what was the bad? "The bad news," Began Voight, already looking sympathetically at Marley, "the bad news is that he and his defence have come up with some story about how Nadia was trying to escape me and the team and you were going with her because she was helping you. Because of Nadia's past, the judge is considering this to be a viable reason for her being with him. He's come up with some bull shit story about how she begged him for help and he was only too willing, especially because a minor was with her. We can tie him to some of the other rapes and murders, but as the majority of those who he killed were at one point prostitutes, his story is sticking. All of his other victims are dead. There is only one victim who is alive and can say she's been through it and seen what he has done." Voight looked warily at the teenager as she dropped her head.
"Me." She stated, her voice breaking at the thought of knowing that they needed her to relive what she went through. It wasn't enough that she still bared the bruises and marks. It wasn't enough that she had been through this once. She had to go through it again.
"Marls, you know we wouldn't ask this of you unless it was absolutely necessary. We need you to testify. It's the only way that he's going to be going to prison and not getting out. Without you speaking against him, he could be out in ten years if the jury believe his story." Alvin said softly, his heart breaking for the girl. Kelly wrapped his arm around Marley, feeling her grow tense and anxious at even the thought of reliving the events.
"All due respect, but is this seriously the only way to get him away? She can barely even think about what happened without having an anxiety attack. I know that you know what she was like not too long ago and I've only just really properly got her back- I won't lose her again." Marley heard Kelly's words and felt her heart break more. She hated that Kelly was constantly worried about her mental health, and hated even more so knowing that Kelly was right- having to talk about this was probably going to be the final trigger for her.
"That's where I might be able to help out." The man who Marley hadn't met before stepped forward, extending his hand. "I'm Doctor Charles, I work at Chicago Med. I'm a psychiatrist." Marley shook his hand. "I'm happy, if you are, to meet with you and help you to find a way that you feel you are more comfortable talking about things, and I'll also be at the trial with you, so if things get too much for you, you can tell me and we'll stop." The man was warm and made Marley feel comfortable enough to agree to his help. She liked him more than her original psychiatrist already.
The four men promised to be in touch with more information soon, and began to leave. Marley watched them begin to exit, before jumping up and grabbing Jay by the arm.
"Has Erin said anything yet?" She asked insistently, her heart dropping when Jay shook his head.
"Look, you know she was just upset that Nadia's gone, if it helps at all, she handed her badge to Voight and she's not been keeping in touch with anyone."
"It doesn't."
"I know, sweetie. I know things are hard right now, but I promise everything will work itself out soon, and if Erin can't see that absolutely none of this was your fault at all, then its her own stupid loss, because you know you've always got us." Jay hugged Marley, and she appreciated knowing she had could rely on him, but the sadness that she was still blamed by Erin, and had caused her to go awol tugged on her mind. She felt guilty.
After they had left, Marley took herself to sit on the couch. A sports match was on the TV, but Marley couldn't say she was paying attention enough to take in who was playing or even what they were playing. The men in the room sat in silence, watching her cautiously in between watching the match. They had all heard what was said, and they all knew how badly this is likely to affect her. Their concerns echoed Kelly's- none of them wanted Marley to go back down the self-destructive path that she had once been on.
Marley's thoughts were going at a thousand miles an hour. She was thinking about Nadia, and Greg, and the fact that she would have to face him again. She tried to stop thinking about it. She tried to watch the game. She tried to think about anything else, but she couldn't. His eyes were permenantly engraved into her brain, and she couldn't stop the tears that began to fall. Her hands immediately flew to her face, trying to stem the tears and stop her sobbing, but to no avail. In the midst of her crying, she felt someone place their hand on her back and guide her away.
"Shhh, it's okay babe." It was Peter. He led her to the conference area, where they sat and she threw herself into his chest.
"Why is it always me? What have I done wrong?" She sobbed, clutching his arm tightly. He stroked her hair and placed a kiss on her head.
"I don't know sweetie, I don't. But you're not alone, ever, I promise you that." Peter's heart clenched. He had no idea what to say to her, and she didn't know what she wanted to hear. She just wanted to feel okay and to be normal and for bad things to stop happening to her. But she didn't know how that was going to happen. All she was sure of at that moment in time was that she couldn't give up.