The Broken Tale

Who did this

Layla opened her eyes to a blinding white light burning her pupils, her eyelids felt heavy and exhausted. Pain shot through her body right from her toes to the top of her head, her chest hurt, she struggled to breathe and looking down, she reliezed that she was wearing an oxygen mask. Her left arm and her leg were wrapped in casts, an IV was running into her hand. The white surroundings were familiar, she was at the hospital. She looked around to see a familiar figure sitting on the white sofa, his head in his hands, his blonde hair was messy, as if he had never brushed it.
"B-B-Brian..." Layla muttered with the little energy she had.
Brian quickly bolted up and ran to her side, relief washing over his obviously exhausted face.
"Layla?" He said with a smile, "Thank God you're awake!"
Layla looked at her surroundings, "Wh-Why am I h-here?"
Brian stared at her for a moment, the relief still lingering on his face. Staring at the ceiling, the memories hit her. The kicks, the abuse, the blood, she remembered everything. But it sparked horror in her, her fear fought away all the pain.
"Is-is my b-baby ok-okay?" She fought the pain in her chest to ask.
Brian bit his lip, his silence was all Layla needed. Her eyes filled up with tears, she couldn't breathe, it felt like the world had collapsed on her.
"I'll go call the doctor." He murmered, getting to his feet.
Layla watched him leave the room. It felt like someone was sitting on her chest, she couldn't breathe, she couldn't move. She wanted to scream and cry but she couldn't move, frustration added to her pain. Was the pain physical? Or was it emotional? But one thing was certain, no pain she had experienced in her life could come close to this stinging, thumping pain she felt in her chest.
        A few moments felt like a million years, her whole body twitched and tears flowed down her face. She thought she was losing her mind, was this what dying felt like? Was she dying? Brian came back with a tall man in a white coat, the doctor, and three nurses.
"Ah, Mrs.Elmar, you're finally awake!" The doctor exclaimed cheerfully, "How do you feel?"
Layla ignored his question and blurted despite her pain, "Did I lose my baby? Am I still pregnant? Is my baby okay?"
The doctor's enthusiastic smile faded, everyone in the room stared at her with pity.
"I'm sorry, Mrs.Elmar." The doctor finally answered, "But the excessive trauma to your abdomen was too much for the baby to wistand. Embryos are very fragile in the first trimester."
Layla felt like she was sucked into a vacuum. She could see his lips moving but couldn't hear a word he was saying. Her baby was gone? She lost her baby? She couldn't believe it. She was alone again? How? Why? What had her baby done to not deserve to live? The nurses removed her oxygen mask, one was taking notes as the others touched, moved and held up her legs and arms, they tried to slightly push down on her chest, checking the machines hooked up to her.
"You're doing well, Mrs. Elmar." The doctor announced as he checked his clipboard, "But you will need to stay here for at least another few weeks due to the injuries you received. But you will defiantly recover quickly."
Brian glanced between her and the doctor with a grin, "That's amazing, isn't it, Laili?"
Layla ignored him. How could anything be amazing when she lost her baby? She wished that Ali had killed her. Who cared if she recovered? She would have to go back home to Ali and the abuse with no one to keep her going, she was alone again.
"Mrs.Elmar, I hope you don't mind me asking but how did you get so severely injured?" The doctor asked.
The question was direct, nobody would just wake up so injured. She had to lie, Ali and both of their families would kill her if she told the truth.
"I fell down the stairs." She lied.
The doctors and nurses exchanged an unconvinced look.
"Are you sure?" He asked.
Layla nodded, "Yes."
"Mrs. Elmar, your damaged jaw muscles, ribs and injured skull cannot come from falling down five flights of stairs." The doctor said straightforwardly, "Exams also show that you were sexually assaulted."
"Doctor, with all due respect, there is no one I would like to press charges against." Layla protested, "Thank you for your consideration but I don't want anyone overstepping my boundaries."
The doctor turned his gaze to Brian, looking for consent. Brian sighed and patted the doctor's back.
"Leave her to it." Brian said, "If there's something wrong, we'll press charges ourselves."
The doctor nodded, narrowing his lips, "Well, if there is anything wrong, call for help."
Layla nodded with a smile, "Thank you."
As the doctor and nurses left, Brian sighed and sat next to Layla, fidgeting with his hands.
"Who did this to you?" He finally asked nervously.
Layla groaned in annoyance, "None of your business."
"It was him, wasn't it?" He pushed on, "It was Ali, he did this to you."
Layla fought back her tears.
"Go away, Brian, please." She choked.
There was a long silence. Layla kept her eyes on the ceiling, tracing the margins around the lights, trying to fight back her sobs.
"You've been out for two days." Brian stuttered, "I've already told Alexander that you were hurt. He and Talya have already landed and are on their way here."
Layla's eyes bolted to him, "What? Brian-"
"Layla, when I found you passed out with a million and one bruises on your body in a pool of blood, I couldn't think, I needed someone to be here with you and me." Brian interrupted, "Alexander was in Moscow, he flew back to Athens as soon as I told him and he and Talya flew here."
Layla bit her lip, "It's useless to fight, they're already coming."
Brian nodded, "Your phone was in your hand when I found you so I brought it with me. This girl called Raina keeps calling."
Layla smiled to herself, they hadn't spoken in such a while but she still worried about her.
"C-Can I call her back?" Layla asked.
"Yeah, of course." He answered, getting to his feet and grabbing up her phone from a nearby table.
It didn't have a passcode on it, Ali hadn't allowed her to. Brian dialed for her and held up the phone against her ear.
"Hello? Layla?" Raina's concerned voice answered, "Where the fuck have you been?"
Layla looked at Brian, considering telling Raina the truth.
"Rai, I...I'm at the hospital, Raina." Layla finally croaked.
"WHAT?" Raina shouted, "Wh-wh-wh-"
"Calm down, Raina."
Layla heard Raina take deep nervous breaths, "Alright, alright, which hospital are you at."
"Brian, what hospital are we in?" Layla asked Brian in a whisper.
"Cedars Sinai."
"I heard him." Raina said before Layla could answer, "I'll be there right now!"
She left Layla no time to say anything before hanging up on her. Layla shook her head for Brian to put the phone away. He tossed it back on the table, looking down at her.
"We're having more guests?" He asked jokingly.
Layla nodded, "Raina freaked out like a chicken without its head and is running over."
Brian laughed, sinking back into his chair.
      The door swung open so hard that Layla almost felt the air brush against her face. Talya's heels clicked against the tiles as she ran to Layla's side. She lost control over herself, pulling Layla into a tight hug that made Layla wince as pain emerged in her chest.
"Sorry, sorry, sorry." Talya blurted as she set Layla back in her pillow.
Layla laughed despite her pain, "It's fine."
Layla looked up to get s better look at Talya's face. She was drenched in tears, her eyes were puffy red and swollen with eye bags, no make up at all, her reddish-brownish hair was falling over her shoulders in messy, unkept clumps like a lion's mane. Alexander walked over to stand next to Brian, kneeling down to touch Layla's hand tied up in an IV as Talya sobbed uncontrollably.
"I'm so sorry for what happened, Layla." Alexander muttered between glances at Talya.
"Thank you." Layla answered politely.
"He did this, I just know he did!" Talya wailed, "That motherfucking bastard! I don't care who hears it anymore, goddamit!"
Layla gestured for Brian to shut the door. Brian understood and immediately closed the door, locking it as well for safe messures. Layla expected Alexander to ask who Talya was talking about, to ask what happened but he didn't. He just knelt there with his hand on hers.
"Talya, please calm down." Layla said with all her strength.
Talya wiped away her years with the sleeve of her half zipped up jacket.
"Why?" Talya asked, "Everyone here knows anyway so why pretend like bastard Elmar is the sweetest guy in history?"
Only one thing Talya said caught her attention. Everyone here knows? They knew? Alexander knew? What would that mean for Layla? He and Ali hated each other, what if Alexander threw it back at Ali that he abused his wife in one of their fights? Ali would kill her, Alexander and Talya.
          Rage filled Layla, how could Talya tell Alexander her secret? She trusted her! How could she break her trust? Alexander noticed her distress, it was like he read her mind.
"Layla, it's not your fault that you're being abused." He assured, "Talya's here for you and so am I. You're going through so much, you have to let your friends be there for you."
"I don't need help!" Layla denied.
"Yes, you do." Brian cut in firmly.
"No I-" y hey
Layla was interrupted by a series of slow then heavy knocks.
"Layla?" Raina's voice called from behind the door.
"Can you please get the door?" Layla asked Brian, "It's Raina."
Brian unlocked opened the door with a click. Raina ran inside, she was still in her pajama blue shorts and white camisole, her wavy blonde hair tied in a messy bun over her head. Raina wanted to hug Layla but Talya stopped her, remembering how it hurt her. Raina looked just as exhausted as Talya, her eyes red and swollen with tears. Noah followed her inside, kneeling next to Raina by Layla's side, he too was in a pair of black boxers and a red t-shirt, as if they both had just jumped out of bed and ran here. Brian shut the door behind them.
"What happened to you?" Raina asked between sobs, "Th- you said you were pregnant? I-Is the baby okay?"
          Why does everyone want to talk about that? Why can't they just shut up?
           Layla looked away from them, her eyes filled with tears.
          Raina rubbed her hand, avoiding the IV, "It's okay, I'm sorry I asked, nevermind, I'm stupid."
"Ignore this moron, Laili." Noah reassured sweetly, "She's an idiot."
Layla forced a chuckle, "She's an imbecile."
"H-He...your husband did this?" Raina asked, "It was Ali?"
The pain seemed to be too much for anyone of them to hold back that one question in their mind.
Layla looked at them all, they all knew anyway so why lie? Why protect Ali anymore? If he was going to kill her then so be it, she saw no reason to live anymore, she wanted to die, she wanted him to kill her.
"Yes, alright?" Layla blurted angrily, "Yes, it was my husband! He killed my baby and raped me like he always does, are you all fucking happy now?"
There was a long silence. Even though everyone knew that already, it was still a shock to hear it from Layla herself. Everyone was quiet, there wasn't a single sound except Layla's own hysterical sobs.
"He-h-he took m-my baby f-from me." Layla wept, "He t-took everything from me."
"We really need to do something, Laili." Alexander claimed with crossed arms, "You can't live like this forever."
"He's right, Layla, this is illegal." Brian agreed, "You can him arrested."
"Yeah right!" Layla snarled, "He can bail his ass out and stab me to death!"
Talya wiped her tears away, "You guys don't get it."
Raina's tearful, enraged eyes bolted to her, "What the fuck does that mean? We know that she can't go back to him!"
Talya didn't flinch at Raina's yells.
"Her own family will kill her before Ali does." Talya explained calmly, "Life for a girl from a Muslim family from the Middle East can't just 'get a divorce' and walk away. They'll kill her, she'll die and period."
"Oh yeah so let's watch Layla just walk back into his arms, how about it?" Raina continued to growl sarcastically.
"That's not what she's suggesting." Brian cut in, "I think we should be patient enough to figure out a good timing to take her away and have a good, solid excuse to get him locked up for good."
Alexander nodded, "Yeah. Elmar's hardly an angel, rape or no rape, if we look hard enough, I'm sure we can find the right cracks."
"Agreed. What's the point of taking Layla away if he's gonna murder her anyway?" Noah added.
"This is absolutely hopeless." Layla whined, "If you think either one of you can outrun the Elmars and especially Ali, then you're living in a dreamland."
Alexander smirked, "I can get away."
Layla looked at him with annoyance at his arrogance, "Yeah right, good luck."
"Layla, listen." Brian started, kneeling by her side, "You're not alone anymore. We're here for you, you have to go back to him for now but we'll get you away from him. Just be patient."
"He's right. We'll slowly build our case up against him until we make sure we can lock him up for good." Alexander added optimistically, "Just try to stay on his good side once you get back, and gather as much evidence as you can against him."
Talya nodded with a reassuring smile, "You can confide in us all anytime he hurts you. You can get away from him for a while and stay with either one of us."
"We can get you flights to Greece whenever you want us to without Ali finding out." Alexander beamed.
"You can talk to us anytime." Raina said, "Everything will be okay, we're all here for you."
"You'll get through this, Layla." Brian assured confidently, "The wheels of justice turn slowly, remember?"
Layla rolled her eyes, her vision was already too blurry with tears that she could barely see. Everything in her body hurt, her baby was gone. Where was justice in this? What had she done to be force married to Ali? What had she done to deserve this? Did justice even exist? People used to tell her that time could tell all. But what could time tell when her outlook was so bleak? She remembered the fairytales she read and watched as a child, how she thought one day she could ride off into the sunset with her own happily ever after. She chuckled, if only she could go back in time to tell her childhood self how her life would turn out, that life wasn't a fairytale and how bleak the prospect of a happily ever after would be in just a few mere years. Because one of the things that hurt her the most about her abusive life was the crash and shattering of her childhood dreams of a happily ever after. If only someone could warn her childhood self to not build her hopes up so high.
"The higher you go, the harder you'll fall." Layla thought as she lowered her eyelids.