Chapter 13

“No, Mike! Please don’t!”
“NO! You ruined my reputation! Now I’m going to ruin you!”


I woke up from the nightmare, with a cold sweat on my face. Did that really happen? Was I really… I can’t remember clearly.  Where was I anyway? And what was that annoying beeping sound?   

Looking around I saw that I was in a hospital bed, with an IV stuck in my arm. Why the fuck was I here?  Looking at the rest of the room I saw that there was a TV and it was on and muted, and that there was a couch with someone sleeping in a what looks like a very uncomfortable position.

“Tom?” I said sitting up in the bed to get a better look at him.
“Bill…Bill? BILL!” he said waking up and running to the bed. “Oh god Bill! Are you OK? Do you need anything? Do you want some water? How about some chips? Or a cookie? Do you like chocolate chip? What about a coke? I’ll get you a coke.” He said jumping up and half running half walking to the door.  
“Tom calm down! I’m fine. And I don’t want anything.” I said before he ran out the door and down the hall
“Sorry,” he said stopping at the door, not moving.
“Are you going to just stand there or come sit and talk to me?”  I asked after he didn’t move for a few minutes.  He stood there for a few more seconds, before turning and walking to the chair next to my bed. “Tom; what happened? Why am I in the hospital?” I asked. He didn’t say anything at first. Just sat there looking at his hands. “Come on Tom, talk to me.”
“You where…raped.” He whispered to his hands.
“How….?” I started to ask.
“After you left to take your shower, I started thinking about how much of a prick I am, and when you got back I was going to apologize. But after three hours, I got worried and started to look for you.” He said moving his hands to his mouth, as tears started to form under his eyes. “I walk in the bathroom and there you are, curled up on the floor crying. I turned off the water, and wrapped you up in a towel. I asked you what happened. And all you would say ‘It hurts, I’m nasty, filthy’ and cry.”  He stopped taking in a ragged breath, before finishing his scary story, “I then called 911 and they came to get you. I didn’t really have a good look at you until then. You had bruises on your stomach and hips. By the time the EMT’s got there you had a death grip on me. You wouldn’t let go of me. Once they pried you off of me you started to scream. They had me come with you so you would stop.” He said, now looking up at me. “It scared the shit out of me.” He said, wiping his tear stained face with the sleeve of his shirt.

By this time my own cheeks where covered in my own tears

“I’m sorry.” I said, wiping my own tears.
“Bill it’s not your fault.”
“It feels like it.” A new wave of tears came. How could I still me crying?

Tom then stood up and wrapped his arms around my shoulders. “It’s not Bill, its not.” we stayed like that until I stopped crying. Tom, rubbing soothing circles on my back. I could stay like that forever.
“Who did it?” What a mood killer
“I can’t tell you.” I said as another wave of tears came over me.
“Why Bill?” Tom asked gripping my shoulders tight. “Don’t you want to stop him?!”
“Tom, you’re hurting me.”
“Why can’t you tell me Bill.” He said loosening his grip.
“He’ll do it again.” I cried in his shoulder “I don’t want it to hurt again Tom”
“I won’t let anyone hurt you again Bill.” He sighed
“It hurt so bad.” I cried grabbing his now wet shirt
“Shush, it’s OK Bill.” He said wrapping me in a hug “It’s ok, I love you.” He barely whispered.

I broke down. Not because of the rape, the pain or thinking that it might happen again. But because he loves me. And I think that I love him too.

After what seemed like days, Tom pulled away and wiped the tears from my wet cheeks.

“Get some sleep Bill, you’ve had a rough night.”
“Will you stay with me?” I asked laying back down.
“Of course.” He said standing and bending down to my face. “G’night Bill.” He said giving my forehead a light kiss before turning the light’s off and going back to the couch and laying down.
“Night Tom,” I said turning on my side to look at him. “I love you too.” I said in a quiet whisper, letting sleep over take me.