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I smile back at her and sit next to her, “Work was pretty good. Davis and I have been scoping out a cheating husband for the past few weeks and we finally caught him in the act.”
“Wow, so you win your case, right?”
“We just have to provide the evidence to the wife and she’ll make the final call. But she’ll want some alimony, so she’ll definitely use this against him.”
“That’s awesome. You’re first case. Very proud of you.”
She gives me a high five and I return the favor, “Thanks.”
I glance into the hallway toward Raya’s room, “How was she today?”
Melanie sighs, “Still the same. The therapist is concerned.”
I give Melanie a confused look, “Concerned?”
“Duke, it’s been five weeks since Raya’s been back and she hasn’t left that room. I have to be the one to initiate it. I have to take her to bathroom and wash her up, because if not, I don’t think that she’ll get up on her own. I basically force her to eat and dress her, and she’s still not talking. The medications prescribed for her aren’t doing a damn thing. She either sleeps all day or stares at the wall. I don’t hear a sound come out of her…ever. She’s practically comatose.”
“But her nightmares stopped. It’s been three weeks since she’s had one. That has to count for something, doesn’t it? She has to be getting better, right?”
“Duke, I don’t know. The therapist was talking about having her sent to a facility.”
I shake my head, “Nope, no way. I’m not letting her out of here.”
“But don’t you want her to get help?”
“Yes, of course I do! But not like that. Not cooped up in a dark room somewhere.”
“Where do you think she is now? She hides away in that room, Duke. She chooses not to leave it.”
I jump up off the sofa and pace back and forth. Scrambled thoughts invade my mind about Raya’s condition and the possibility of her leaving. Is she really that damaged that I can’t save her? I guess I’m not enough after all.
Melanie stands up, “Look, I know this is upsetting you, but please think about it. I’ll call you in the morning.”
Melanie leaves and I sink into the sofa, thinking about what I need to do to keep Raya with me. Of course I want her to get better, but at what costs? I walk to her bedroom and slowly open her door to peek my head inside. She’s sleeping, bundled up in the sheets. I lightly stroll over to her to kiss her forehead. A soft moan escapes her lips, causing me to shudder. Just being near her sends chills down my spine. I quietly clean up her room, removing any garbage and empty drinking glasses. Making sure that everything is placed where it needs to be just in case she wakes up, I shut the door behind me and walk into my bedroom to change into a pair of sweats and my wife beater.
Grabbing a cold beer from the fridge, I turn on the television to wind down and relax. I adjust the pillows on the sofa so I’m able to lie down and chill out. Deciding that I don’t want to watch anything too serious, I land on a comedy special. Thirty minutes later, the show’s over and the next segment begins. I set the empty beer bottle on the coffee table and sink further into the sofa, letting it snuggle me.
The laughter from the television jolts me awake as my eyes shoot open. Shit, that startled me. Glancing at the clock on the wall, I see that it’s one thirty in the morning as I grab the remote and click off the television. Ensuring that everything is locked up tight for the night, I make my way to my bedroom.
As I walk down the hallway, I see a light shining from the bathroom door. I glance into Raya’s bedroom only to find an empty bed, so I quietly walk up to the bathroom door and twist the knob, only to realize it’s locked.
I knock softly, “Raya, are you alright? If you need help, let me in.”
A few seconds go by without a response from her, so I knock again. “Raya, let me in. I want to help you.”
I press my ear against the door to hear the faint sound of her cries coming from the room. Panic immediately rises and sets in my bones as my heartbeat fluctuates.
I knock louder, “Raya please. Open the door, sweetie.”
Her cries grow louder as I go into full on panic mode. I begin to pound my hand against the door.
“Raya! Open the door. It’s Duke. Please open up!”
The door doesn’t budge so I decide it’s time to bust my way in. I begin to slam my shoulder into the door, slowly breaking away the lock. After several tries, it’s still locked. Fuck it. I take a step back and swiftly kick my foot into the door and it flies open. I rush into the bathroom to find Raya lying on the floor. Her red eyes are swollen from crying and I there is blood all over her clothes. I bend down to examine her further and notice one of my razors is on the floor. Shit! I glance at her wrist to find that she has completely removed a layer of skin, right where the barcode tattoo is located.
“No, no, no! Raya, what did you do?”
I dig into the medicine cabinet to quickly find some gauze and wrap her wrist to try and stop the bleeding, but within seconds, it’s completely soaked. Raya begins to close her eyes as her tears stop, her breathing becomes shallow, and her body trembles slightly.
