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“Ma'am, can you stay right there until we can get an EMT in here to look you over? We need to have you checked out before you move. My name is Carl, and my partner here is Samson. Can you tell us your name and the man's name?” Carl requests. I try talking, but my voice won't work, and my throat feels raw, like the time I went to a rock concert and ended up screaming my lungs out the entire night. I was put on voice rest for a week. This feels much worse. I end up shaking my head, and tenderly holding my throat to convey that I can't talk. A female officer finally makes her way over and replaces Samson.
“Hi, I'm Sasha.” She gives me a warm smile and exchanges a look with Carl.
“What do we know so far?” She inquiries from him.
“Nothing. She tried talking, but I think her throat or vocal cords might be damaged. She held her throat and shook her head when I started asking questions.” Sasha looks at him and takes a minute to think.
“Okay, let's just do yes or no questions for now, and she can nod. Does that work for you, ma'am?” Sasha looks at me, waiting for my approval or rejection. I nod my consent, and she starts immediately asking questions.
“Do you live here?”
I nod.
“Okay, good. Is that man your husband? Is there anyone else in the house?” I answer yes to both. It’s then I start to worry about Zander. I don't want him to get woken up by someone barging into his room and scaring him. My breathing becomes labored, and I struggle to sit up. Carl holds me down gently.
“Ma'am, please stay in your current position. We don't know your injuries, and don't want you to cause yourself any unnecessary pain.” I shake my head vigorously, trying to convey my reason for panic and distress. I bend my working arm, then swing it back and forth, like I’m holding a baby. Sasha seems to understand.
“Let the other officers know to go cautiously. There's a baby or young child in the house.” She looks to me for confirmation, and I confirm. Then an EMT comes in to look me over.
He’s got a typical light blue, short-sleeved button-down tucked into black cargo pants and black work boots. Setting down his paramedic bag, I take that moment to notice he’s got full sleeves of tattoos covering both arms. The snap of his medical gloves brings me back from my weird daze. Opening his bag, he takes out a pen light to check my eye's responses. The light is bright, and I’m thankful when he moves on to assess the rest of my body. When he seems confident that my injuries won't cause more damage, he helps to sit me up and hands me a pad of paper and a pen.
“Can you write your full name, your child’s, and husband's name along with a basic description of the events that lead to us being here?” Sasha asks me gently. I take the pen and paper. At first, it’s a struggle with my injured hand, and the shaking of what seems to be my entire body. Sasha holds the pad for me, and I begin, what I assume, is going to be a long process. Only I’ve barely gotten my name down, and Sasha places her hand over mine.
“You're Heather? Heather Black?” I nod, not understanding why she’s asking after I’ve only gotten my name down. It’s not like I’m even close to famous. I tilt my head at her in confusion.Did I hit my head harder than I thought?
Probably.
“Do you know a detective named Gemini Daron?” My heart stops at hearing his name. I close my eyes and nod slowly.
“Oh shit, oh fuck,” She whispers as she becomes increasingly alarmed.
“What? What's wrong Sash?” Officer Carl looks between the both of us, waiting for an answer.
“This is Gem’s woman, Heather.” She locks her eyes with Carl, and he balks at her reply. Her words pull me from my current nightmare, back into a different one that started out much the same. Thankfully it ended with someone in my corner that pushed me to find freedom for my son and me.
“Fuck. I'll call him. Maybe we can contain him before he finds out the full extent of what happened here.” Carl turns and grabs the handset attached to the shoulder of his shirt, using his radio to relay this new information.
“Please, continue writing everything you can remember down. Even the most minuscule detail could be important.” She puts her hand on my back and starts rubbing in a slow, light, back-and-forth motion. I get back to writing down the information she needs, ignoring the fact that Gemini is going to know about this much quicker than I’d like.
I was really hoping to give him the bare minimum information and control what he found out, but now that hope is dashed. After a few minutes, I use the pen and paper to ask for some water, showing the pad to Sasha. She gets it for me, and my throat is slightly soothed, just enough that I can talk. Sasha asks a few more questions, but soon after I give my responses, I need to rest it again. Switching back to the pen and pad to continue with my answers. After that, Steven wakes up and starts causing a ruckus, so they take him out of the house, and are none too gentle about it.
I don't know what they do with him after that, and I couldn't care less. As far as I’m concerned, we are more than done. I already have the divorce papers drawn up. I was just waiting to serve him until after Christmas.
“You don't need to use your voice. Save it for your son. I'm sure he'll need it more than we will. We have an officer keeping an eye on him. He's still sleeping, no need to worry. If that changes, we’ll let you know.” I nod my understanding, hoping it conveys my relief and gratitude, and focus again on writing down the events I can remember from last night/early this morning. I’m almost done when Carl comes back in.
“ETA for Gemini is less than five minutes, just a heads up, ladies. Do you want us to let him in?” He’s looking at me, I didn't know keeping him out was an option. I hesitantly nod my head.
Looking around for the first time, I really see all the destruction Steven and I caused during our struggle. The box with the coffee mugs is destroyed. All of the gifts are either shattered beyond repair or broken into a dozen pieces, scattered around the kitchen island. The utensils are strewn around. Most are on the counter, a few made it to the floor.
I don't know how Gemini is going to react, and I can't deal with another angry man right now.What time is it?A quick glance out the bay window shows me the sun’s just rising, creating a beautiful picture on my perfectly manicured lawn. Even if Gemini’s anger is on my behalf, I still can’t face it right now. If he gets too upset, I'll have to have him leave. I just hope he'll have a level head, and not make this harder than it already is.
“Are you going to be okay, Heather? Do you have anyone that can come and help with your son while you recover?” Sasha settles in with me, trying to offer support. I shake my head initially. Then, I use the pen to write out Jaz’s information. I hate that I get her involved so much, but she’s such a big part of my life that I don’t know who else to ask. Plus, I know she’ll be pissed if I don’t contact her.
I don't have anyone else, my family disowned me when I tried early on to go back to them for help, after the first time Steven beat me. Basically, telling me I made my bed, now I have to lay in it.
That was the hardest part of all this. I never understood how they could be so loving and supportive throughout my younger years, and then after the beatings started and I needed them, they turned their backs on me. I don't have other friends because Steven wouldn't allow it. He made me cut all contact with them. But I held fast to Jaz, and for some reason, he allowed it. I think he knew better.
“Give her a call, see when she can come get him.” She turns away from me, pulling her phone out, taking the number I wrote on the pad and punching it into the keypad. I hang my head as shame washes over me, and threatens to consume me.
