Finding Jemima

Trauma

MATTY

I'm her legal guardian, I was supposed to keep her safe, and now look at her. She's laying in a hospital bed barely clothed, quivering like a scared kitten, clinging on for dear life to my one of my best friends.

"Ok well let's talk to Jemima first, if you could come with me, you can stay with her, there is also a police officer here." The doctor said to me snapping me out of my thoughts. I went and crouched next to milo.

"Jemima we need to ask you a few questions and then we will take you for some tests" the doctor explained. Jem just lay there curled into a ball with her eyes clenched shut.

"Jem I'm here and milos here and nothing is going to happen ok"

"Jemima did you know the men who were in the hotel room" the officer asked Jem didn't answer or even acknowledge the question.

"She knew Felix, I don't know his last name sorry, he's her boyfriend I mean ex boyfriend" I told the police officer.

"We really need Jemima to answer" the officer looked sympathetically at me.

"Jem please" I pleaded with her, milo placed his free hand on my shoulder, as a reminder to stay calm. The officer repeated the question and Jem nodded in reply

"Did you know all of them"

Jem nodded

"Can you tell us their names?"

Jem shook her head

"Jem we would like to do a rape kit" the doctor added. Jem tensed even more, her knuckles going white again as she gripped onto milo. "Jem is that ok?" the doctor gingerly enquired

She shook her head

"Jem were you conscious the whole time you were in the hotel room?" The Police officer asked. Jem sobbed and shook her head. I flopped my head down on the bed and sighed my mind running through all the worst case scenarios, all the possible things they could have done to her.

"Please Jem do it for me, I promise it will be ok." She opened her eyes and they met mine, they were tear filled and fearful, She nodded weakly

"Ok we'll do that first, then we'll take some bloods and do some xrays just to be safe. If you come with me mr Miller you need to fill in some paperwork." The doctor said quickly as if it was a matter of emergency in case Jem changed her mind.

"Jem I'll be right back"

"Actually you both need to step outside while we do the tests I'm afraid. Don't worry darling I will bring them back as soon as we're done" the doctor said to Jem

"Jem I promise I'll come back and I'll bring Matty ok" milo gently told Jem who released his hand and we both followed the doctor out leaving Jem with the police officer. We waited in the waiting room together, I was pacing up and down as milo was filling the other boys in on what the doctor had said, they sat with their heads in their hands. After that we all sat or stood in complete silence just waiting. After a while the doctor we had spoken to earlier came in to find us.

"Mr Miller?"

"Yeah..is she ok?"

"Why don't we go into her room, I've put her in a side room so it's more private. The poor thing is exhausted, she was sleeping when I left."

I stood up and went to follow her before stopping and turning around
"Wait can they come too, we're family" the doctor smiled warmly

"If Jemima doesn't have a problem with them being there I don't see why not." We all piled into the side room where Jem was asleep. "Ok I'm just going to get the results and xrays and then we will have a chat ok"