Chapter 77

It was about another half hour when the nurse came in again.

How's your girlfriend? OK, I think. She's in the bathroom now.

Your mom is waking up now.

Thank you. She patted my shoulder as I walked towards mom's room.

Mom looked drowsy. Her face drawn. Stained from tears.

A Mack truck of life had just smashed into her stomach.

I sat on the bed next to her.

Oh, Billy honey, how is Carol? We don't know yet mom.

The GYN is up there with her now, examining her inside.

Oh, Billy, she hugged me and started to cry again. Shaking all over.

I'm sure she'll be OK, mom. Lying to myself and her.

Where's dad?

He's up with Annette and Jack to see Jimmy. They're keeping him too.

They set his broken arm and fixed what they could of his face, so far.

Can we go to where Carol is?

No, not yet.

Lisa is down here with me. She's out in the waiting room.

Lisa was bent over with her head in her hands as I helped mom into the room.

She had just thrown up in the bathroom.

How much hurt I felt inside. How much more hurt seeing the women I love in my life with such torture...

My treasured sister beaten and raped so very badly.

Yes. I wanted to kill.

I wanted to stab and cut. I wanted to use dad's old shotgun.

I wanted to kick doors open and blast away.

I wanted to cut pricks off.

One of the detectives had come into the room now... We all looked up at him.

We have three of them now, he said. We're still looking for two more.

How is your sister? We don't know yet. We told him what we DID know.

Those viscious bastards he said.

Two of them were smiling as we cuffed them he said.

I mentioned that we could probably see Jimmy now. He said, I already have a guy in his room now, waiting for any statements he can help us with.

He came over and put his arm around mom. We'll lock these guys away for a long time he said softly to her.

Mom's arms went to his shoulders and he held her, patting her back. The tears just falling down her face.

All I could do was feel the tears well up in my eyes. Feeling my mother's torture.

Jack had come downstairs from Jimmy's room now.

He's awake but still very groggy. He hurts terrible. They are trying to keep him out of pain as much as they can. He too, was still teary eyed.

The detective went to shake his hand. Jack responded with both of his, and begged him to catch the bastards.

We have 3 of them right now. There are still 2 more we're after as I speak.

Good, Jack said. His voice still shaking.

He walked over to hug mom. Her arms went around him, I saw her teary face, all swollen from crying now.

I took Lisa's hand and said we would go up to see Jimmy now.

Jack said he would bring mom up in a few minutes. He needed to talk with the detective for a minute.

How absolutely terrible I felt inside.

All the instant misery spread in both our families.

Jimmy looked pitiful as we looked down at his bandaged face. Bottles of fluids into his arms.

His terribly swollen shut left eye.

Lisa immediately went to lay over his body, but the nurse grabbed her quickly. No honey. There's internal... Please don't.

Tears flowed from her eyes looking down at her brother.

Annette came to her side.

Jack and dad near a corner now, and mom standing next to me as we got our first look at Jimmy.

He couldn't talk very well, and we didn't ask him to.

We had been at the hospital now, for almost 5 hours.

Seeing a large clock on the wall. 2:30 AM.

Don't worry about work tommorrow Billy. Jack said. I called the office. He broke out in tears again.

Lisa went to him and hugged him.

Absolute pure misery in the whole room.

About twenty minutes later, there was a knock on the door. It was the GYN.

Carol's parents???

Yes, right here.

Mom jumped up...

I'm doctor Spence.

Your daughter... well, its hard to say at this point.

I treated her vaginal lacerations, and they will heal.

I expect she will be very sore in there for some time.

I examined her internally. There was bleeding from the uterus, but its contained and stopped now. We have to make certain and check it again hourly, though.

There's a lot of swelling inside, which means that she must have been punched or kicked. Its hard to tell from my initial look at the bruises on her abdomen.

It appears her female organs should be OK. BUT, and I do add BUT... We can't be sure yet.

You will have to keep a close eye on her periods, and signs of any irregular bleeding, for quite some time. Especially the color of her menses.

Oh, I will, I will.

I would guess she'll be in recovery for a day or two.

Then to a regular room for a few days after that.

She's been beaten pretty badly.

After this initial internal swelling goes down, she'll need a complete pelvic exam.

I DO know she has several broken ribs. We were concerned about punctured lungs.

All the other vitals appear OK, at this point. She's been stabilized.

Do you have a regular GYN for her? Oh Yes, mom said.

Matter of fact she was to go with us girls today.

Mom stuttering, half crying.

Oh, God... Mom started to cry again. She was being raped and beaten all during that time...

Dad put his arm around her and asked if we could see Carol.

Maybe in about a half hour. The nurses are still prepping her room and her, with dressings.

In any case ma'am, she's going to need a long recovery and rest.

Dad shook his hand and he left.

Mom turned to Jack and Annette.

I want you all to stay at our house tonight.

It was more of a statement, than a request.