Bending The Rules

Chapter 28

A/N: I was hoping that the last chapter didn't give the illusion of r***. It was a rage assault by a very obsessed and crazed José. I hope that helps! (Ana had enough of that nonsense with her step-father! LOL)

This chapter is of a very introspective Ana...

I had to change/add things to the last chapter at the ending so you may want to backtrack a little bit.

I was so happy to have released over 5500 word chapter that I missed some obvious things, which I will remedy now! LOL

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Chapter 28

Ana POV

The trip home was waylaid by a mandatory stop to the local Emergency Dept to have a check-over. I feel okay, I guess, but Ray would not relent to my protests of 'I feel fine' and he was not to be persuaded otherwise.

So here I sit in a yellow faded one-size-fits-all gown waiting for the doctor. My phone is dead so I toss it in my bag. The female police officer arrived earlier and took additional photographs while the nurse took scrapings of underneath my fingernails and swabs of my shoulder and collar bone. Finger out... scrape, scrape, scrape... next finger out... scrape... until I ran out of digits.

The most interesting (and time wasting?) process was the cold and goopy mould made from the bite marks. And when I asked why all this when I was not getting José charged, they said it was just procedure and 'for just in case' for a trial. Seems pretty vague to me.

The privacy curtain is closed and I lose the concept of the time. Luckily, I know I'm not in the same hospital as Christian and I get both a pain in my chest and instant relief knowing that he can't see this. Ray was in here initially, but thankfully the officer and the nurse insisted that he waited outside in the waiting room. For this I was thankful.  

My mind drifts to what is happening with José. He looked so lost and alone when he left. It was conflicting to the white hot rage which overtook him earlier. I hope he is not being treated badly. I should be angry at him. I owe that to myself and should own that anger –but I won't... My inner self agrees that I should be raging and hysterical –but I'm not... I don't feel anything except numb. Being numb allows me to hear the swish of the opening and closing of other curtains and the ticking of the wall clock in the distance. It allows me to hear the beeping of various instruments and the hum of conversations around me. It allows me to shut down access to my heart and think non-emotionally.

I'm such an idiot; I should have seen the signs:  his constant 'American Boy Scout' helpfulness and his constant nearness. There was always a humming awkwardness which I kept ignoring in my quest to make friends. But his progression from asking me out to forcing himself on me was the wake-up call I needed.

My laugh is almost a horrible gurgle. It dawns on me the sick irony that my fear and stubbornness in refusing to see Christian at the hospital that I jumped blindly feet-first into going with José. I tried to avoid emotional pain with Christian only to receive physical pain from José. Huh...

The curtain opens and the attending doctor comes in. He sets his chart down and closes the curtain. "Miss Steele, how are we today?" His cheerful demeanor seems odd, yet required in an emergency room.

"I'd be lying if I said I'm fine. I'm a bit achy really," I add.

He sits on the castor-wheeled stool and rolls in front of me. I am facing the wall from the edge of the gurney and my feet are dangling over. He takes his flashlight and checks each eye for response. "Looks good."