𝐛𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐧 𝐛𝐞𝐧𝐧𝐲 | 𝐛. 𝐫𝐨𝐝𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐮𝐞𝐳

𝐭𝐰𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐲 | 𝐛𝐞𝐧𝐣𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐧

   "FOR THE LAST TIME, no, I have no comment about what happened last night between Tyler Tate, Lennon Davis, Calvin Cooke, and Benjamin Rodriguez. On behalf of the Boston Red Sox, Los Angeles Dodgers, and the rest of Major League Baseball, we would appreciate if you let these people heal on their own terms and come to you with their own testimonies in their own time when they are ready. That's all the time I have, thank you." Daniel says.
Daniel steps into the hospital room, closes the door behind him, and crosses his arms over his chest. He looks over at Cal, then down at me. He exhales sharply, pinching the bridge of his nose.
"What the Hell happened last night, boys? What happened in your minds that made you believe it's okay to attack another player, one of which is on a team we might face if, by the slim chance, we make it to the World Series! I have taught you boys better, we all know that, and I expect a full explanation if you want to play on Tuesday." Daniel says.
      I stare at Lennon, leaning down against my knees, my hands cupped together. Her face is black and blue now where she was hit, her left eye black and blue, her lip dry, the crack more prominent now. The bruise on her neck is dark, the outline where his hands were now more obvious. She hasn't woken up yet, and I'm not entirely sure if I want to see her cry when she wakes up. I want to be there for her, but to see her cry will only fuel the fire in me that yearns to kill him. The door opens and Doctor White steps inside. Doctor Alexander White is a tall man with tanned skin and graying hair. He looks to be a little over fifty, but, miraculously, has the charisma of a twenty year old man. The frown on his face doesn't mean good news.
      "Doctor White," Daniel says, nodding to him. "What can you tell us?"
      Doctor white looks down at the clipboard in his hand and exhales sharply as he flips through the pages.
      "Based on our examination, Miss. Davis was not raped. But that's just based on our examination. When she wakes up, she can tell us her side of the story. Then, she can do the Rape Kit, she can talk to a therapist or counselor, she can take a shower and clean off, or she can talk to the Police just outside this door and press charges. But we need verbal consent for all of those options. As the victim of assault and attempted rape, Verbal consent is the key right now." He says.
      Cal raises an eyebrow, looking over at me carefully, then down at Lennon.
      "She wasn't raped? Benny got there in time and stopped it?" Cal asks.
      Doctor White shrugs and looks over at me with pursed lips.
      "If our examination is correct and she wasn't raped, we believe that Mr. Rodriguez saved her.
And, although Mr. Rodriguez gave another man a concussion, the Police are not interested in arresting him. As soon as Mr. Tate finishes his exam, he will be taken to Jail, if Miss. Davis decides to press charges." He says. "You did a damned good job, both of you."
He leaves, a swarm of questions from the paparazzi outside before they're muffled by the closed door. I exhale sharply, holding my head in my hands.
"Rape? That's why you boys beat Tate? He tried to Rape Lennon?" Daniel asks.
I nod, sitting up, watching her chest rise and fall as she breathes.
"He got her drunk at the bar, then dragged her away to his Hotel room. I had a bad feeling when I saw them talking. I should've just went over at talked to her, made it stop as I soon as it started." I say. "I could've stopped this all from happening."
Cal shakes his head, crossing his arms over his chest. He clears his throat and leans against the wall.
"This is the kind of man he is, Benny. He showed us that. And say you had stopped it, then maybe he would've gone to another talent scout party and found another woman who didn't have a good guy looking out for her. You stopped Tate, you are the reason we know what kind of person he is. Lennon was hit with the shell shock, but you stopped him." He says.
Three and a half hours go by, the day shift leaves, and the night shift arrives. Nurses come in, check Lennon's vitals, and dose her with pain medication to keep her comfortable. Daniel left thirty minutes ago to grab food for Cal and I. The hissing of oxygen in her nasal cannula taunts me to try and sleep, but my desire to be here when she wakes stops me. My eyes burn and my eyelids are heavy from a lack of sleep. I'm exhausted, tired, ready to close my eyes for even ten minutes, but don't. My chair beside the bed is made of the world's most uncomfortable plastic, almost as if they're designed to make visitors want to go home. The TV beside Cal plays the news channel, although nothing talks about Lennon, Cal, and I just yet. Lennon groans quietly, a hoarse grunt escaping her lips. She opens her eyes, looking around the room quickly. I sit up, watching her. Her eyes are red and she looks back and forth at Cal and I.
"Hey," I whisper, leaning closer to her. "You're alright. It's just us."
      She looks around the room carefully, her eyes examining every little thing.
      "It's okay. You're okay. I'm gonna go get Doctor White, I'll be right back." I say.
      Her hand wraps around mine tightly, shocking me slightly. I look down at our hands, an eyebrow raised. When I look back at her eyes, they're wide and desperate, almost as if she's begging me to stay right where I am.
      "I'll go get Doctor White, you stay here, Benny." Cal says, standing up to go find the doctor.
      "Really?" I ask, looking over at him. "You truly don't mind?"
      He shakes his head, exhales sharply, and points to our interlocked hands.
      "She obviously wants you here, Benny. I'll be right back." He says.
      He exits the room, closing the door behind him. I look down at Lennon's hand wrapped around my own.
      "Thank you," She says weakly, reaching up to her throat as her voice breaks.