Title: No Mercy (3/?)
Author: X_tremeroswellian
Email: X_tremeroswellian@yahoo.com
Disclaimer: I own nothing. The characters belong to John Wells, Edward Allen Bernero, NBC and a bunch of other people I've never met before in my life.
Rating: R for language, violence and content: deals with the issues of rape
Spoilers: Up through and including "Act Brave."
Summary: When one of their own is attacked by a serial rapist, the third watch crew sets out to find him before he strikes again.
Distribution: If you want it, take it. Just let me know the link. Otherwise, its permanent home is at my site, Only Time: www.oocities.org/angel_roswell/onlytime.html.
Category: Story
Subcategories: Angst, angst, angst, drama, angst, friendship and did I mention angst?
Author's Note: I'm not an expertise in the medical or legal fields. What knowledge I do have comes from: Lights and Sirens: A Writer's Guide to Emergency Rescue Professions by James and Lois Cowan, Police Procedure: A Writer's Guide to the Police and How They Work by Russell Bintliff, and years of watching E.R. and Third Watch. However, if everything isn't accurate, please don't flame me.
Feedback: I crave it. And it tends to make me write faster.
No Mercy (Part Three)
"Where's Carlos?" Sully asked.
"Carlos went to get some coffee. How's he doing?" Alex asked Davis and Sully, nodding towards Bosco, who was sitting alone in a chair on the far side of the hospital waiting room.
Davis glanced over at him. "He didn't say anything the entire ride here. He's been sitting in that chair for an hour and a half."
"What are the doctors saying?"
"No news yet," Sully said with a sigh.
"But she woke up on the way here, right?" Davis asked worriedly, looking at her for reassurance.
"For a couple of minutes. She squeezed my hand. But she was out again before we got here." Alex glanced across the room at Bosco again. "I'm gonna go talk to him."
Without waiting for a response, she walked over and sat down in the chair next to him. He didn't even acknowledge her presence.
"The fact that she woke up in the ambulance is a really good sign. She understood what I said and squeezed my hand, so there probably isn't any brain damage."
"It's my fault."
"What?"
"It's my fault," he repeated, staring at the floor. "I shouldn't have let her walk home alone."
Alex frowned. "She was at her apartment when she was attacked."
His head jerked up and he stared at her. "What?"
"She was at her apartment."
"Her apartment? Where the hell was Fred?" Bosco demanded.
She shook her head. "I don't know. He wasn't there."
"And the kids?"
"They weren't there, either."
"That doesn't make any sense. Where--"
"Bosco?"
They looked over and saw Sully and Davis standing by a doctor. They stood up and hurried over.
"I'm Doctor Brown."
"How is she?" Bosco asked immediately.
Dr. Brown glanced around the group. "She woke up long enough to consent to a rape kit. Along with that, we took some x-rays, a cat scan and a blood panel. The x-rays showed two cracked ribs. We ran the cat scan to make sure there was no internal injury to the brain. That came back fine. She does, however, have a concussion from the trauma to the side of her head, probably caused by a blunt object. We'll keep her here for at least twenty four hours to make sure there are no side effects from that. She had a slight laceration on the other side of her head, but it wasn't deep enough to require stitches. The blood work hasn't come back from the lab yet."
"Wait. The laceration wasn't deep enough to require stitches?" Taylor asked, her eyebrows furrowed. "It took me almost fifteen minutes to get the bleeding to stop."
Dr. Brown frowned. "Well, her platelet count may be down for one reason or another. We should have that answer when the blood work is back."
"What about the results of the rape kit?" Davis asked, his tone quiet but steady.
"There's definite evidence of intercourse. We collected samples of semen both from her body and clothes. We also performed fingernail scrapings and did hair combings. There are bruises on her inner thighs, as well as on her neck that are consistent with finger patterns. We've bagged up the clothes she was wearing, and have taken photographs of her various physical injuries. At Faith's request, we've administered Plan B, also known as the 'morning after pill.' We're treating her with antibiotics for the prevention of any possible STD's, but she'll need to be tested again in two weeks, and then again after that in six weeks. We've given her Demerol for the pain."
Bosco stood there, staring at the floor.
"Is she awake?" Sully asked, his voice tense.
"She's been in and out of consciousness. The Demerol should take effect very quickly and once it does, she'll probably sleep for several hours." Dr. Brown glanced around at them. "I noticed that she's wearing a wedding ring. Does anyone here know how to contact her husband?"
Sully, Davis and Taylor all looked at Bosco.
"I don't know where he'd be if he wasn't at the apartment."
"What about her other family members? Her parents, siblings?"
"We should wait. Faith's not really close with her family. She may not want them here."
Dr. Brown nodded. "All right."
"Can I see her?" Bosco asked quietly.
He hesitated. "For a few minutes. She needs her rest."
Bosco nodded and followed the doctor down the hallway. Dr. Brown motioned to a room and Bosco stepped inside. He swallowed hard and moved closer to the bed, not comprehending that the pale woman lying there was his partner.
He winced at the sight of the huge bruise on one side of her head; the other side was covered by a large bandage. There was a ring of yellowish-green bruises around her neck. There were also cuts and bruises on both of her arms. She was covered with a thin white blanket, and an I.V. needle was stuck in her hand. Tubes ran from it to a bag of potassium chloride that was hanging up.
Bosco felt like someone had punched him in the stomach. He felt like throwing up. He reached out to touch her face, but quickly drew his hand away, afraid he'd hurt her.
He stood there, staring down at his partner, listening to the quiet sound of her breathing, wishing he could help her; wishing he could somehow make it so none of this had ever happened.
And as he stood there, he was consciously aware of the fact that he couldn't go back and change history. But he damn sure wasn't going to stand by and do nothing. Beneath the shock and pain he felt there was a stirring of pure hatred and rage. He let it build for awhile, savoring its familiarity and allowing it to fuel a rush of adrenaline into his system. His fists clenched involuntarily.
"I'm going to make this right, Faith," he promised, his voice barely a whisper. "I swear it."
Bosco turned and left the room. He stormed down the hallway, ignoring the curious stares of passerbys. He was halfway to the exit when he heard Sully call his name. He turned to see Sully, Davis and Taylor looking at him with concerned expressions.
"Where are you going?" Davis asked.
"To work. I'm going to find the lowlife son-of-a-bitch that did this to her and when I do..." Bosco turned and headed for the door without finishing his thought. He knew they were staring after him, but he didn't care. Someone had hurt his partner.
And that someone had hell to pay.
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