Under Her Scars

~Genevieve~

After a long shift at the sports bar, I step out the back door and take a deep breath of fresh air as I lean against the building. There’s talk of severe thunderstorms tonight. So far, it’s been windy, and I’m hoping the storms skip past Amarillo. I don’t like thunderstorms, to be honest, I’m downright scared of them. I don’t want to be caught walking in one. I pull my phone from my back pocket, searching for my mom’s number and pressing send when I find it. I’m hoping that her shift at the hospital is over so she can pick me up on her way home, but no answer.

“Just great,” I mumble to myself as I pocket my phone.

I’m dreading walking this late at night, but there’s nothing I can do about it. If I want a ride, I would have to wait for Paige to finish her closing shift at two in the morning. I walk around to the front of the building that faces the busier street and start the long trek home.

I’ve made it maybe a block from work when the wind starts to pick up, and I start getting the feeling that I’m being watched. I start walking faster I make it almost halfway home. When I see three sinister-looking men step out of a bar just ahead of me. I quickly walk past the three, hoping to avoid any issues with them, and then I hear footsteps following me.

I quicken my pace to the point of nearly jogging at this point. I don’t know why, but I turn my head to look over my shoulder. Huge mistake because I failed to see that there was a cracked section of the sidewalk. Feeling the toe of my shoe catch on it, and I fall onto the sidewalk, landing on my hands and knees. I scramble to get up before they can reach me, but I don’t have that kind of luck because two have stepped in front of me.

“Seems this sweet thing here is trying to avoid us,” one of the men says, eyeing me up and down.

“We just want to have a bit of fun,” a man says from behind me. I can’t help but start to panic.

“Let’s go girly, you owe us for making us chase you down,” the first man says as the man behind me grabs my arm, urging me to follow the other two.

I start struggling against the man holding my arms. I twist my upper body trying to wiggle from his grasp, but he’s stronger than I thought. I stomp down hard on his foot, causing him to stop walking. I try to escape his grip, but one of the others walks over and takes one of my arms. I struggle harder to get away from these creeps, and my struggle only seems to excite them more. The two drag me into the space between two buildings. I scream as loud as I can, and the first guy punches me hard in the stomach for that.

“You’re going to pay for that, girly,” he sneers at me as he pulls a knife out.

I swing my right leg backward and feel my foot connect with the man’s shin. Causing him to holler out in pain as he loosens his grip on my arm. I use my free arm to try hitting the man still holding me, which only causes him to laugh at my struggling. I lift my knee to his groin only for him to block it and gives me an angry look. That’s when Feeling the cold steel of the knife against my throat, causing me to freeze. I know firsthand the kind of damage a knife can do.

“I think that’s enough foreplay. Are you going to be a good little girl now?” the first man asks, feeling tears start streaming down my face, all I can do is nod yes.

“Good girl, I think you’re going to enjoy this,” he says as he removes the knife from my throat.

The man in front of me spins me to face the first man. Seeing the knife isn’t in his hands anymore, I let out a blood-curdling scream. All three of them flinch, then the first man shakes his head at me before landing a punch to my stomach again. He strikes my face with a backhanded blow. The left side of my face erupts in shooting pain, which feels like my head is going to split wide open. The man in front of me inclines his head, then something hard hits the back of my head before everything goes black.

~Andy~

Vincent is at the wheel of the unmarked black charger as we head to one of the few diners that are still open this late. We’re several blocks away, then I hear something that sounds like a scream, but I can’t be too sure. My eyes scan my side of the street, and I see a man leaning against the side of a building. Then I hear what sounds like a woman screaming. I see the man flinch before he disappears between the buildings.

“Vincent, pull over!” I shout without taking my eyes off that spot.

“What’s wrong?” he asks me as he pulls the car over to the shoulder of the street.

“I’m not sure, but I think I heard screams,” I say to him as I unholster my gun.

“Shall we see what these guys are up to?” I ask him as he shuts the car off.

“Let’s keep the injuries to a minimum this time, I don’t need Cat pissed off again,” he says, and I can’t help but chuckle.

We exit the car, both of us quietly closing the doors so we don’t alert these guys. Then we make our way over to the alley the guy disappeared into, only planning to investigate what’s going on. As we get closer, I can hear noises that sound like grunting. I look at Vincent, and he looks at me with a puzzled look. We step a little closer, and the noises continue before one of them speaks.

“This bitch was definitely worth the effort.” I hear a man groaning, and my blood runs cold.

I look to Vincent, who’s on the far side of this space between the buildings. I see him cringe, which tells me that he heard what was said. I peek around the corner to see two men watching a third man fucking a motionless figure on the ground. Without another thought, I cock my gun. All three men freeze, then I hear Vincent cocking his gun, and we see all three men dart down the alley away from us. Vincent goes to follow them as I rush over to the unconscious figure on the ground. Seeing it’s a woman covered in blood with bruises forming on her skin. I kneel next to her to check her pulse, which is weak, and cringe as I take in the state of her.

“Vincent!” I yell after him as I see a small pool of blood near her head.

I don’t have to wait long. I hear his footsteps as he speeds towards me. When he comes to a stop, is when he stows his gun, and he looks pissed.

“What’s the shouting about?” he asks, not hiding the annoyance in his voice.

“Get the car, we need to get her to the hospital,” I say as I start to pick up the unconscious woman in my arms.

“Andy, what the hell are you doing? We need to call this in,” he starts telling me as I walk towards the car.

“If we do that, Vince, she won’t make it,” I shout at him, not stopping.

“Damn it, Andy.” I hear him say as he unlocks the car and rushes to open the rear passenger door of the car.

I manage to get into the back of the car while still holding her. I get her, and I settled into the backseat as Vince closes the door. Then he climbs into the driver’s seat starting the car. Vince doesn’t waste time, and he speeds us towards the hospital. Knowing him, it’s the hospital where Cat works. I hope we make it there in time because this woman doesn’t look like she’s in good shape.

I look down at her, and I can see the bruises darkening on her porcelain skin. That’s when I see a few scars that look like they were deliberate, and I start wondering how she got those. I don’t know who this woman is, but she’s been through hell tonight. Something that no woman should ever have to experience.

“How’s she doing?” Vince asks, not taking his eyes off the road.

“Not so good. They beat her to a bloody pulp.” I say not hiding the anger I’m feeling.

“What’s with you all of a sudden?” he asks me.

“Nothing, why?′ I ask him as I roll my eyes.

“You act as if you care about her, since when do you care about what happens to women?” he asks sarcastically.

“Shut up and drive, Vince.” I snap at him, and I see his smirk in the rear-view mirror.

The rest of the ride to the hospital was silent. Checking her pulse every few minutes and feeling relief when I could feel it, even if it was slow. I started to fear for her the longer it took to get to the hospital. Telling Vince to speed up would be pointless, since he’s already driving like a madman. I lean my head against the back of the seat. Still holding her in my arms, afraid to let go. I hear Vince talking to someone, and I look up to see him on the phone.

“I’m not sure the extent of her injuries, but Andy says her pulse is slow,” he says to someone.

“Better get a rape kit ready too,” he says, lowering his voice, probably in case the woman wakes up.

“Here, I’ll let you ask Andy all this. Andy, phone,” he says before holding the phone over the seat for me.

“Hello,” I say into the phone.

“What the hell are you two bringing me?” I hear Cat’s voice full of annoyance and breathe a sigh of relief.

“Young woman, mid-twenties, beaten and raped. She’s currently unconscious, and her pulse is really slow, Cat.” I tell her, trying to keep myself calm.

“Andy, why didn’t you let Vince call this in?” she asks me, and that means she picked up on something.

“She won’t make it if we had called this in.” I snap into the phone at Cat.

“Alright, Andy, I’ll get an exam spot set up and ready. How close are you guys?” she asks.

“Vince, what’s the E.T.A.?” I ask him.

“Why the hell are you asking me? Are you that blind that you can’t see we’re here?” he asks as he puts the car in park before rushing out to open the door for me.

“We’re coming in, Cat, be ready,” I say before hanging up the phone and dropping it on the seat in front of me.

Vince helps me exit the car because I’m still holding the woman in my arms, and I don’t want to let her go. We make our way into the hospital, Vince is walking in front of me, clearing a path for me as I carry her. We make it to Cat, she motions for me to lay the woman on the gurney as she draws the curtains closed around us. She turns to start examining the woman, but she freezes as soon as she sees the woman.

“Fuck!” I hear Cat curse.

“Cat, what’s wrong?” Vince asks her as he walks into the curtained area.

“Vincent, I need you to go call Maggie and get her here now,” she tells him with a shaky yet stern voice.

“Why do you need Maggie?” he asks her without moving, with a curious look on his face.

“Vincent, you guys just brought me, Gen,” Cat says quietly, and I see Vince pale as his eyes widen.

“Vince, take Andy with you,” she tells him, and I shake my head no before Vince runs off.

“I’m staying, Cat,” I tell her, not taking my eyes off the woman on the gurney, and I hear Cat sigh.

“Fine, Andy. Just stay the hell out of my way,” she snaps at me as she starts the exam.

I move out of her way, standing near the head of the gurney, and I sit in the chair with my head in my hands. I feel relieved that we got her here in time, but there’s something about how Cat acted that has me curious.

“You recognized her,” I say to Cat, and I wasn’t asking.

“Yes,” is all she says.

“Who is she, Cat?” I ask her, and I see she’s shaken up by seeing this woman in here.

“Her name is Genevieve. I treated her about three years ago for wounds worse than this. Afterward, we became friends,” she tells me, her voice cracking a little.

“Her mother is a nurse here, but she went home a while ago,” she informs me.

“How did she have worse wounds than these three years ago?” I ask, curious to find out if that’s how she got the scars.

“Maggie brought her here from New York City like that. She said that Genevieve’s ex is an abusive monster,” she says as she continues her work.

Hearing all this from Cat makes me angry. It’s taking everything in me to keep my temper in check. I don’t know why I’m so worked up over this woman whom I’ve never met until finding her in this condition. This kind of stuff has never bothered me before, considering my line of work. Yet seeing her beaten like this has me on edge. I’m pulled from my thoughts when Vince walks back into the exam area, looking frustrated.

“We have a problem,” he says, looking at the floor.

“What’s the problem?” I ask him.

“I can’t get in touch with Maggie,” he says before taking a deep breath.

“What do you mean you can’t get a hold of her?” Cat asks with a stern voice.

“She’s not answering her phone. I’ve tried a few times, and the nurses confirmed when she went home. more than enough time for her to drive home,” he says, avoiding Cat’s glare.

“Both of you go find her and bring her here,” she commands.

“Now!” she shouts when neither of us moves.

We both exit the exam area, making our way back out to the car, and I can’t stop thinking about Genevieve. I must be losing my mind because this never happens to me, and I don’t need it happening now. Vince and I get into the car. I take a deep breath as I tilt my head against the seat, closing my eyes.

“You’ve been acting strange since we found Gen. What’s with you?” he asks me as he starts the car.

“Nothing is wrong with me.” I snap at him, more out of frustration than anything else.

“You’re so full of shit, Andy. I’m surprised that your eyes aren’t brown,” he says as he pulls the car out of the parking lot and onto the road.

“So, Cat is friends with this Genevieve?” I ask cautiously.

“Yes. I hope she can recover this time,” he says quietly.

“What do you mean by that?” I ask him and hear him sigh.

“Cat treated Gen three years ago. Afterward, they became good friends. For the longest time, Gen wouldn’t stand within five feet of me. When I asked Cat about it, she told me about Gen’s abusive ex, and I understood,” he explains to me, keeping his eyes on the road.

“Was it that bad?” I ask curiously.

“Andy, the douche bag made her terrified of men. I couldn’t even be at the apartment when she was over for the longest time. She’s been doing so much better now. She can at least have a regular job without going into a full-blown panic attack at the sight of men,” he says.

“You don’t think she will recover from this?” I ask him.

“I honestly don’t know Andy. I hope she does. I would hate to watch her revert back to who she was three years ago,” he tells me as he pulls into a parking lot.

“Where the hell did you take us, Vince?” I ask him as I look at this sorry excuse of an apartment building.

“We’re at Maggie & Gen’s apartment building,” he announces before getting out of the car.

“You’ve got to be kidding,” I mumble under my breath as I exit the car.

We enter the building, and it feels like I can catch something just by standing in the building. I reluctantly follow Vince since he seems to know where he’s going. Leading the way upstairs to the third floor of the building. Walking down the hallway until he finds the door he’s looking for, he knocks, but we’re greeted with silence.

“Maggie, it’s Vince,” he calls out as he knocks again.

“Doesn’t seem like she’s home,” I comment and cross my arms.

“Highly unlikely. Considering both Maggie and Gen are either at work or home,” Vince tells me as he knocks for the third time.

“You never know, Vince,” I say, shrugging my shoulders.

“We need to find her, Andy,” he says, leading us back out of the building and to the car.

As soon as we’re in the car, a call comes from dispatch on the radio about a car accident. It’s not too far from our location. I look over at him as he starts the car, and Vince looks truly worried for the first time in a long time.

“Let’s go check it out, Vince,” I tell him, and he puts the car in gear before taking off.

We arrive at the scene of the accident and see that the investigation is already underway. Vincent parks the car out of the way, and we get out and walk over to the scene. I see Detective Boorman near the two vehicles. Officer Campbell is interviewing witnesses while Detective Newton pokes around.

“Why don’t you go see what Campbell has, and I’ll see what I can get from Boorman & Newton,” I say to Vince.

I walk over to Detective Boorman. Who is berating Officer Danielson about the pictures? Detective Newton sees my approach but continues with what he’s doing.

“Boorman, leave Danielson alone so he can do his job,” I say sarcastically to him.

“Detective Ryan, what brings you here?” he asks me, looking curiously at me.

“Vince and I were close by, and we got curious. What happened?” I ask him.

“From what I can tell, it was a drunk driver, and shocking that they weren’t buckled up,” he says, shaking his head.

“Any survivors?” I ask.

“Yes, actually. A Miss Maggie Donnelly, she’s on the way to the hospital right now,” he says.

“Vincent!” I call out to him.

“What?” he snaps as he walks over.

“What’s Maggie’s last name?” I ask him.

“Donnelly, why?” he asks curiously.

“She’s the sole survivor here and on her way to the hospital as we speak,” I explain to him.

“Fuck!” Vince curses.