I found out very soon that a hospital was a freezing, sterile smelling place filled with sick people.

“What’s your name, dear?” The nurse asked. She was an older woman. Not human.

I glanced at West nervously. He gave me an encouraging smile.

“Samuel Finn.”

“How old are you, Samuel?” She asked.

“Eighteen.”

She wrote on a piece of paper, “what’s your date of birth.”

I furrowed my eyebrows in confusion.

“When is your birthday?” she clarified.

“I don’t have one of those.”

She looked confused by my answer and I started to feel self conscious.

“Where are your parents? You look awfully young to be on your own already.”

She looked to West for some form of clarification. West shrugged which brought her attention back to me.

I hesitated before answering, “they passed away when I was eight.”

“I’m sorry for your loss,” the nurse gave me a sad look.

I tilted my head, confused at the statement.

“Who has been taking care of you since you were eight?” The nurse asked as she typed away on the computer, “Were you in an orphanage? A group home maybe?”

Is this lady speaking English still?

What’s an orphanage?

Later.

Someone who’s taking care of me? I guess that would be Reid, right? But he’s not really taking care of me anymore. I looked over at West and pointed to him.

The nurse smiled and shook her head, “I mean is there an adult you’ve been staying with?”

I furrowed my eyebrows, “Reid Valentine, I guess.”

The nurse typed something on her computer, “perfect he seems to be in our system. I’m going to go give Mr. Valentine a call. Let him know you’re here so we can get further information from him.”

I shook my head frantically, “no!”

The nurse looked at me like I was strange and West stood in front of me, “listen his heads bleeding, I’m sure he’s just disorientated he doesn’t have or need a caretaker. Can we just get him checked out and worry about his information after? I’ll take care of any payments. My information should already be in your system. My name is West K Jones.”

The nurse typed some more and smiled, “alright! Please follow her,” she pointed to another nurse.

The nurse left West and I in a room with a bed and a few machines. She instructed me to sit on the bed, which I was a little uneasy about. West helped me walk to it and get comfortable but I didn’t let go of his arm when he went to back away. He took the seat next to me without complaint.

The doctor walked in shortly after, he looked to be in his forties. “Hello. I’m Dr. Keller.” His eyes scanned over me. Over my body and I squeezed West’s arm tighter.

He could hurt us.

My posture became more defensive.

I could tell he also wasn’t human. He had a more animal feel to him. A shifter maybe?

The doctor furrowed his eyebrows, “would you like Mr. Jones to stay in the room with you while we talk?”

I started nodding as soon as he uttered the word “stay.”

“Very well, I’m going to examine your bruises, make sure there aren’t any serious issues. We have no information on your history so I’d also like to do a basic physical exam to make sure everything else is working as it should be. Sound good?”

I didn’t say anything but the man started coming closer and I panicked, “West.” I squeezed him so hard I almost felt bad. My lips curled up in a weak snarl. As I glared at the strange man.

If he so much as-

“It’s okay, Blue. He’s not going to hurt you. He just wants to look at your condition, okay? I’m right here.” West assured, scooting closer to the bed and holding my hand.

The doctor pulled up another chair and sat beside West. It made me feel better having West between us. He asked if he could take a look at my wrists and I held out the one West wasn’t holding. He instructed me to move my wrist in different directions and then he asked me to make a fist and squeeze, asking how much it hurt on a scale from one to ten.

Then he took a look at my bruised neck, asking me to move my head and to scale the pain. He asked if I had any trouble breathing and I said no.

He briefly looked over the bruising on my torso. He wanted to feel around it but I said no.

“I don’t see any signs of broken bones or fractures but I’ll do a CT scan just in case.” The doctor said.

“He also has a bump on the back of his head doc,” West said.

The doctor examined that area as well, “we’ll do the scan there too.”

“Does it hurt anywhere else besides the places I’ve already checked?” Dr. Keller asked.

I nodded.

“Where are you hurt?” Dr. Keller asked.

Shame and embarrassment heated my cheeks as a lump formed in my throat. Before I could even think about it more I heard the words, “I’m not hurt anywhere else,” leaving my mouth roughly. My mind seemed to be out of my control again.

“Blue, remember the doctor is here to help.” West assured quietly.

I watched my body curl more into itself.

This is a doctor. Doctor’s are here to help heal your injuries and sicknesses. This man could help you.

He might get us to the police.

I tried to push through the fuzziness but I was gently held back.

The feeling of reluctance set in before it was overcome with dread and acceptance.

I watched myself take a deep breath and point to where the most pain was coming from. “Here, I was…um” I mumbled as my words trailed off.

The room was quiet and the feeling of shame got more intense.

“I was… I don’t know.” I felt the lump in my throat grow.

West took a deep shaky breath beside me and squeezed my hand. “Good job, Blue. I’m proud of you, bud. It’s okay.”

My body looked down and I knew I couldn’t stop the tears from flowing. This was scary. What happened now? What would they think? What was the doctor going to do? What would the police do? What would Reid do if he knew I told someone?

We’ll figure it out. It’ll be okay. Let’s move one step at a time and focus on our injuries for now.

I was pushed back into my body. I let my limbs relax a little as I watched the doctor.

When I calmed down, Dr. Keller spoke up, “that was very brave. Thank you for telling me. We’re going to help you okay, Samuel? I just need you to answer a few questions for me.”

I sniffed and nodded.

“Do you know who hurt you?”

I nodded.

“When did they hurt you?”

“This morning. But h-he left me alone only a few hours ago.”

“Has this happened before?”

I nodded.

“For how long has this been happening?”

He’s asking these questions so he knows how to help, Sam.

I can’t. I don’t want to say it. They’ll think I’m so dirty.

Let me.

No.

I’m not going to make him say it if he can’t.

I was yanked back from my mind again and felt my body recoil in on itself again as I watched what was happening through blurry eyes filled with tears

I watched as my body went to speak but tensed up with the two sets of eyes on me. Eventually I felt myself take a deep, shaky, breath and speak softly, “si-ince I w-was thir-ir-teen-nn.” As soon as the words were out, panic surged through my mind.

My mind shifted fast again. It made me slightly dizzy.

It’s okay.

But you don’t like being up there.

I heard West take in a stuttering breathe beside me and I was sure he’d be disgusted. But when I looked over at him he had tears in his eyes. He sat up to hug me and all at once I was back in my mind and eagerly pressing my head into his chest.

I liked hugs.

“Would you be comfortable letting me or another doctor, they could be a female if you prefer, take a look to make sure you’re okay?”

I look over to West. He didn’t give me any signs for what I should do. Except for a, “they won’t hurt you, Blue.”

It might be uncomfortable but this is for the best.

I hesitated before nodding.

Dr. Keller smiled at me sadly, “now this is entirely your choice but this is a very serious matter, I recommend getting a Sexual Assault exam done to collect and preserve any DNA evidence in case you decide to report this to the police.”

Sexual Assault.

The words rang in my ears. I hadn’t let myself think about those words or any other word like that. I didn’t think they really pertained to me since I was getting paid to be hurt. But what else would sex like that be called?

Time had passed and I think both West and the doctor took my silence as hesitance.

“Let me talk to him for a minute.” West said.

“Of course,” Dr. Keller stood up and left the room.

I decided to speak up before West could, “whatever you think is best, I’m okay with.”

West stared searchingly at me, “are you sure?”

I nodded, mostly because I don’t know about this stuff and West seems to and I trust him. He hasn’t hurt me.

Plus, my mind felt like it was whirling. I was having a million thoughts at the same time and random bursts of strong emotions. I couldn’t think straight. Much less make a decision about something I didn’t know about.

I think this is a good decision. Even if we don’t go to the police right now we’ll have the evidence to get him in trouble. What he’s done to us isn’t okay.

Despite those words ringing in my head I still felt like I was the wrong one. Like I did all of this to myself.

After I consented to the exam everything after that seemed to go by like a memory. West and Dr. Keller explained what they would do. He said nothing will hurt and I can always tell them to stop and take a break whenever I wanted. I had freaked out twice during the exam but I was able to push through it. West asked my permission to photograph most of my injuries as evidence and kept saying how brave I was. I didn’t feel very brave though.

Dr. Keller came back and explained what injuries I had and how he’d treat them. I had bruising ranging from mild to moderate, a few cuts that a nurse had already disinfected and bandaged, my feet had glass shards stuck in them so the same nurse had to remove those and wrapped both my feet in a white soft cloth. I’m not allowed to walk until they’re fully healed. Dr. Keller said I had no broken bones or fractures but I did have a moderate concussion. He said he didn’t want to give me any painkillers for the next 24 hours and offered me a cold pack for it to ease the headache. I also apparently had no STDS. Which he said was a good thing. He told me to rest and relax and if I need to get up, either West or a nurse has to assist me.

“I want to shower.” Was the first thing I said as soon as the door behind Dr. Keller closed. My skin had been itching for hours now. The feel of Reid everywhere, burning every inch of my skin.

I learned quick that everything in a hospital took triple the time it probably should have. Even when a doctor or nurse said they’d be back in a minute they really meant twenty. Hell, switching rooms was a whole hour long process.

We had moved to a hospital room that looked like a clean white hotel room.

Despite the long waits, I had the feeling I was being spoiled.

West answered me with an understanding, tired, smile, “yea of course. I called my Mom, she’s bringing us food, clothes, and soap. I’ll help you to the shower then. She’ll be here any second now. Would it be okay if she comes in?” West asked.

I nodded, suddenly shy at the idea of meeting his Mom like this. While I’m still dirty. I pulled the blanket on the hospital bed all the way up to my mouth, covering my entire body.

West laughed at me and must have thought I was cold because he opened up another blanket which he placed on top of me.

Only a minute later a knock sounds on the door and West tells the person to come in. A tall beautiful woman with short, wild, curly, black hair and bronze skin walks through the door with a kind smile and a duffel bag in one hand and a fast food bag in the other. West clearly takes after his mother.

West’s Mom sets down the two bags on a table near the corner of the room before making her way over to her son and hugging him before she pulls away with a glare on her face, “you idiot! Why were you out so late! You can’t do that, West Klein Jones! What if some lousy photographers saw you with him! Idiot! Idiot! Idiot!”

“Ma I’m fine. No one saw. I take back streets to get to the beach and I use the spare car. And plus, this town is in the middle of nowhere. Riverstone is hardly on the map. ” West tried to pry her off of him.

“How often have you been doing this?!” She stared daggers into her son.

“Not now, Ma!” He pleaded.

She gave him one last look before she looked at me with a warm smile, “you must be Blue.”

I nodded.

“My name is Angie. I brought y’all some stuff to last a few days and some food. You hungry, dear?”

I shook my head eyeing the large fast food bag. I haven’t eaten out in five years. There has to be at least $20 worth of food in there. I can’t afford to pay her back right now.

“Well I’ll leave it here for you just in case. West, I called your manager already, letting her know your vacation is going to last a little longer.”

“Oh I already know she’s stressing. We had that reality show… never mind, thanks Ma! I’ll call you later.”

“Okay sweetheart. I love you!” Mrs. Jones walked out of the room.

“Love you too!” West called after her. “Ready for that shower?”