You Are On My Mind

What Happened?

Linda O'Shea could feel something was off, but couldn't pin point it. She walked through the park with the custodian of the hospital, Tommy LaRue. She hated LaRue- he was sleazy, he was cheap, he was a scumbag.... so why was she eating meals with him? She looked to the sky as she thought about her fiancé. Her fiancé, Danny Reagan, was in Fallujah. He was on the last year of his Marines' tour; a year ago, when back for R&R, he had asked Linda to marry him. Ecstatically she had agreed.
"You're very distant." LaRue's voice broke through her thoughts.
"Just thinkin'."
"'Bout what?"
"Danny. Myself. How our lives together are gonna play out." Linda didn't register the turn into the dark side of the street. If she had, things would've gone very differently.
"Hm." He pushed her into an alley, making her fall to the ground. "Sorry," LaRue helped her up. "Tripped over something."
"Yeah, I'm sure." Linda answered sarcastically as she brushed off the dirt from her skirt. She felt herself being pushed, and before she could protest, she felt the cold, hard brick hit her head. "LaRue! Quit it!"
LaRue held her wrists at her side, "What? I'm just being friendly."
"This is not friendly!" She struggled against his hold to no avail.
"Your fiancé will never know," he pressed his leg in between hers, completely trapping her. His hand moved to her thigh and she screamed. He slapped her across the face, then squeezed her cheeks, "don't make a sound." LaRue growled as he pulled the skirt to her dress up.
Linda didn't listen. She continued to scream; she yelled at the top of her lungs. She felt LaRue's hand yank her panties down, "help! Somebody help me!"
LaRue plunges his fingers into her, and pressed his lips to hers. He drowned out her screams as he sunk his teeth into her bottom lip. He bit the pink flesh until he tasted blood. He was about to throw her to the ground when someone grabbed him.
Linda was barely able to stand as she watched one police officer cuff LaRue, who put up a big struggle. She watched as the other officer jumped in to help his partner.
The youngest officer looked up at the lady. He stood and walked over to her, "Miss..... miss." He touched her shoulder, and she nearly jumped out of her skin.
Linda looked at him with an expression of terror. Her hand clutches her heart as tears welled in her eyes.
"I'm Officer Reed. That's my partner, Officer Malloy. What's your name?"
"Linda."
"Linda What?"
"O'Shea."
"What happened, Miss O'Shea? Do you want to fix your skirt?"
"What?" The blonde looked down and immediately blushed. Her underwear crookedly clung to her thighs, the hem of her dress was at her hips. She was exposed for the whole world to see. She quickly fixed herself, still shocked.
"Are you okay? What happened?"
"I- I don't know."
"You don't know if you're okay? Or what happened?"
"Yeah."
"What's the story?" Malloy walked up to Reed.
"I think she was assaulted. Or close to it. She's in shock, she can't remember what happened. Her name's Linda O'Shea. That's all I've gotten out of her."
Malloy nodded, "Miss O'Shea." He waited for Linda to look at him. "Do you know what happened?"
Linda stood in the same stance, hand over her heart, tears about to fall.
"Let's take her to the station. Maybe she'll be more comfortable there. Miss O'Shea, we need you to come with us."
She nodded, not really registering what was happening.
************
Linda sat at Reed's desk as she held a steaming cup of coffee. A blanket was wrapped around her as she stared at the floor. She had no idea how she was going to tell her fiancé- or is she even should. While her eyes were glued to the floor, she didn't notice a familiar face coming towards her.
Rookie cop Joe Reagan walked through the precinct with his Sargent. Joe was on an adrenaline high- he had just made his first collar and he couldn't be happier. He had gotten a real scumbag off the street. Joe stopped in his tracts when he saw a hunched over figure. She bizarrely looked like his brother's fiancé. "Linda?"
She looked up, "Joe!" She put her coffee down and ran to her soon to be brother in law. She hugged him tightly as her tears finally fell.
Joe was briefed by Malloy as to what had happened. The Reagan's blood boiled, "is she free to go?"
"Yeah. We'll need your help on the paperwork. It's been a circus trying to get information out of her."
"Can it wait till morning?"
"Yeah. You're her....?"
"Soon to be brother in law. I'll take her home, look after her."
"Good. Hope you feel better, Miss."
*********
Joe took Linda to his childhood home. He retold the story to his mother, who was more than ready to help her future daughter in law. After a long bubble bath for Linda, she, Mary, and Joe all agreed that the incident would not be mentioned to Danny. He would go years without knowing, and once he was told, he wished he had never known.