by Mary Head
David’s hand fell from her face as he looked up, concern knitting his brow. He started to move forward but Juliet held up a hand to stop him, shaking her head when he frowned down at her.
“I’ll check on her. She’s taking a shower, right?” Juliet asked, raising her eyebrows a little, and David nodded. “Then I don’t think she really wants you to see her naked,” she continued, her eyebrows rising higher.
David’s eyes widened, and he shook his head quickly. “Right. No.”
Juliet smiled as she set her coffee cup down. “I’ll call you if we need you.”
David nodded, and Juliet headed up the stairs, stopping at the door just beside Hannah’s bedroom and knocking gently.
“Sweetie?” she said, raising her voice to be heard over the sound of running water. “It’s Jules, are you okay?”
The water shut off after a moment and there was a soft sigh before Hannah said miserably, “No.”
“Can I come in?”
Hannah gave her permission, and Juliet twisted the knob, carefully pushing the door open. Hannah was sitting on the closed lid of the toilet, wrapped in a towel, and she sighed again as Juliet stepped into the bathroom.
“I tried to get into the shower and sort of. . . fell a little,” Hannah explained, looking embarrassed.
Juliet smiled as she moved towards her.
“It’s okay to need help, Han,” she said quietly, kneeling down in front of Hannah. “You’ve been through a lot; you can’t do everything on your own. You really shouldn’t try.”
Hannah bit her lip, her brow creasing. “I just don’t want to be a bother.”
“You are not a bother,” Juliet said firmly. “Not to me, and not to your father. We just want to help you.”
Hannah nodded, trying to smile, and Juliet straightened and stepped over to the bathtub.
“C’mon, let’s get you into the tub. You should take a bath, not a shower. You’ll feel better.”
Hannah nodded again, and Juliet turned the water back on, adjusting the temperature before turning to help Hannah stand. Her wrist brace was on the counter, and Juliet gently gripped her left elbow as opposed to her hand, not wanting to do anything to hurt her wrist.
When she was on her feet, Hannah hesitated briefly before pulling the towel from around her, twisting to lay it over the lid of the toilet.
A wave of sadness swept through Juliet as she stared at the bruises that covered Hannah’s body. They dotted her legs, some big and some small, and there was a large, angry looking one on her right hip, so dark it was almost black. There were more bruises on her arms, and some that circled her wrists like bracelets.
When Hannah turned back Juliet saw another large bruise on the left side of her torso, just under her breast, along with some smaller ones right above it that were suspiciously finger shaped.
Juliet frowned but didn’t say anything as she guided Hannah over to the tub, helping her to step in without falling. She carefully lowered Hannah down so that her back faced the tap and as she sat, Juliet noticed another large, painful looking bruise on the inside of her left thigh. The alarm bell began to ring at full volume in Juliet’s mind, and her eyes flicked back to the finger shaped bruises on Hannah’s ribs before she met her gaze. She knew Hannah could see the fear on her face, and the younger girl shook her head.
“He didn’t, Jules,” she said quietly. “He – he threatened to, but it was just – just talk.”
An expression Juliet couldn’t quite place passed fleetingly over Hannah’s face, but she didn’t press the issue. Something had clearly happened, but Juliet didn’t think Hannah would keep it a secret if the bastard had raped her; if and when she wanted to talk about it, Juliet would listen, but she wasn’t going to make her if she wasn’t ready.
She lowered Hannah the rest of the way and made sure she was settled before reaching for the plastic cup sitting on the edge of the tub.
“Hair first?” Juliet asked, grinning in anticipation of Hannah’s response.
“Oh, God, yes.”
Hannah tilted her head back, and Juliet laughed as she sat on the edge of the tub to fill the cup with warm water. She poured it over Hannah’s hair, wetting it thoroughly before reaching for her shampoo. She worked it into Hannah’s hair, lathering down to the ends and then moving back up to gently massage her scalp, smiling at the happy look on Hannah’s face.
Juliet enjoyed being Hannah’s friend, but she also liked being something of a mother to her. She had known Hannah for almost fourteen years, and had been there through all of those teenage girl milestones, first bra and first period, first date and first kiss, things that girls didn’t want to talk to their fathers about, no matter how much they loved them. Juliet’s mother had been there for her when she went through all of that, and when Juliet had met Hannah, she felt sorry that she didn’t really have a mother there for her. Accepting David’s request for help had only seemed natural, and she had never regretted that decision.
Juliet picked up the cup and rinsed the shampoo from Hannah’s hair, making sure the water ran clear. She started to reach for the conditioner but Hannah stopped her and Juliet looked down at her.
“Wash it again?” Hannah asked, her eyebrows raised hopefully, and Juliet smiled, nodding as she sat back down.
When she finished with Hannah’s hair, she helped her turn around in the tub and twisted the knob a little, pushing the stopper down into the drain and letting the tub fill with steaming water.
Hannah sank down into the water and took a breath, letting herself relax for maybe the first time in days.
“If the water could stay this temperature, I think I could lie here all day,” she murmured, and Juliet laughed softly.
“You should’ve done this in the first place,” she said as she grabbed Hannah’s loofah and body wash from the rack suspended from the showerhead. She handed them to Hannah so she could wash the parts of herself she was able to reach, and then took the loofah from her to wash the bottom of her legs and her feet, taking care not to irritate the cut on her heel.
“Sit up, sweetie,” she said as she moved to the other end of the tub.
Hannah obeyed, and Juliet pushed her hair aside to wash her back. She thought at first that it was the only section of unbruised skin on Hannah’s body, and then she saw the bruise that ran across her lower back, not as dark as some of the others but still another mark on Hannah’s battered body, and another reminder of what she had been through.
Sighing, Juliet carefully scrubbed Hannah’s skin before rinsing the soap off her back.
“Ready to get out?” she asked, dipping her hand into the water for the stopper.
“Not yet,” Hannah murmured, and Juliet smiled slightly.
“We’ll do this then.” Tugging on the stopper, she let the soapy water swirl down the drain before turning the tap on again. She filled the cup with water to make sure Hannah’s skin was soap free and rinsed the loofah, and then replaced the stopper to let the tub refill with fresh hot water.
“Dad’s not gonna like the bill,” Hannah said, raising her eyebrows as she ran her toes under the water.
“He’ll get over it.”
Hannah giggled softly, and Juliet grinned as she adjusted her position on the edge of the tub, shifting back and leaning against the wall.
They sat quietly for a moment, Juliet frowning at the wisps of hair on the sides of her face that were beginning to curl in the slightly humid air.
A flicker of movement caught her eye and she watched as Hannah reached for the rubber duck sitting in the corner of the tub. Juliet started to smile, and then noticed the small crease in Hannah’s brow.
“What’s wrong, sweetie?” she asked, tilting her head to get a better look at Hannah’s face.
“I was just thinking –” Hannah began and then paused, chewing on her bottom lip as she squeezed the duck; there was a quiet sucking noise as water was pulled in through the little hole in the bottom. “I guess you want to talk about what happened,”
she finished, squeezing the duck again and pushing the water out.
Juliet frowned. “Do you want to talk about what happened?”
Hannah shook her head, and Juliet could see the tears building in her eyes.
“No,” Hannah whispered, staring intently at the duck in her hands.
Juliet took a breath and moved from the edge of the tub to the floor, shifting until she was beside Hannah.
“You don’t have to talk about anything until you’re ready,” she said softly, shaking her head. “Nobody’s going to force you. And when you are ready, you know your dad’s there to listen, and if you can’t talk to him, I am always here for you.” Juliet reached up and pushed away the strands of wet hair dangling around Hannah’s face, letting her hand rest on the side of her head. “Okay?”
Hannah nodded, sending a tear splashing into the bath water, and Juliet leaned forward to press a gentle kiss to her temple.
“C’mon, let’s get you dressed. I’m sure your dad’s downstairs wondering what’s taking so long.”
Hannah gave a quick laugh and nodded again, sniffling a little, and Juliet rose to her knees to pull out the stopper before standing and helping Hannah from the tub.
Chapter 60
Dinner was Hannah’s favorite, grilled cheese with bacon and tomatoes, and when they were finished eating, they settled on the couch in the living room to watch some movies.
The windows were dark when the second movie ended. Hannah was dozing with her head on David’s shoulder, and he stretched as Juliet stood and headed towards the kitchen. His gaze rose to the clock on the wall, and he stared at it, his hand slowly falling to Hannah’s arm once more. He watched the second hand until it swept past the twelve, bringing in eight o’clock with silent efficiency.
Eight o’clock, he thought. It was eight o’clock on Tuesday night, and Hannah was right next to him, a little worse for wear but alive and warm against his side.
It hit him suddenly how close he really came to losing her, how close he came to sitting on this couch alone, not just tonight, but for the rest of his life, and his chest tightened painfully as the clock blurred.
Turning towards Hannah, he slipped both arms around her, pulling her tight against him, and a small laugh escaped him when she made a sleepy startled noise.
“Dad, what –”
“Sorry, baby,” he murmured, feeling a tear slide down his face. “Just making sure you’re real.”
She giggled softly, still sounding sleepy, and hugged him back, pressing her face against his neck.
“Same here,” she said quietly, and he smiled, touching a kiss to her head.
They separated after a moment, and he looked at her, raising a hand to her hair.
“You look tired,” he murmured, and the corner of his mouth lifted when she yawned. “You want to go to bed?”
She nodded and shifted, wincing as she did so.
“Pain pill too?”
She nodded again, and he touched another kiss to her forehead before standing and walking into the kitchen where her medicine was still on the counter.
Juliet was leaning against the counter, staring at the microwave as the bag of popcorn inside slowly inflated, and she looked over at David when he entered.
“She hurting?” she asked, frowning a little as he picked up the pill bottle.
David nodded, peering at the label. “I’m gonna give her a pill and then take her up to bed. Maybe come help her get changed?” he added, looking up at Juliet. She smiled and nodded, stepping away from the counter to follow him back into the living room.
He shook a pill into Hannah’s palm and she swallowed it with a sip from her glass of water, and then he helped her to her feet.
They climbed the stairs slowly, Juliet walking patiently behind, ready to help if she needed to, and eventually made it to Hannah’s bedroom.
Hannah pulled a pair of shorts and a t-shirt from her dresser, and walked with Juliet into the bathroom to change. After she brushed her teeth and Juliet helped put her hair up, they moved back into the bedroom.
Juliet smiled as she pulled Hannah into a hug. “Night, sweetie.”
“Night, Jules,” Hannah replied, squeezing her back, and then added quietly, “Thank you.”
“Of course,” Juliet said when Hannah pulled away, smiling again and pressing a kiss to her forehead. “Sleep well.”
Hannah grinned and nodded, turning towards her bed as Juliet slipped from the room. David stood to help and pulled back the covers as Hannah climbed carefully into bed. He watched as she shifted, and then his breath caught when he saw the bruise on the inside of her thigh. It made him sick to think about how it might have gotten there, and he swallowed hard, forcing a smile when Hannah looked up at him.
He pulled the covers over her, his smile relaxing when she sighed happily, bunching her pillow up under her head.
“Comfortable?” he asked. She nodded, and his smile widened as he leaned down to kiss her temple before telling her good night. He started to move away, but stopped when he felt her grab his hand.
“Stay?” she asked in a small voice. “Just until I fall asleep?”
He nodded, and she shifted so he could settle beside her on the bed. Her eyes drifted closed, and though she didn’t ask, he began to quietly sing her song, rubbing his hand gently over her back.
When he thought she was asleep, he stood carefully and started towards the door, but turned when he heard her shift. She stared at him, biting her lip gently, and he walked back over to her, bending and touching a kiss to her head.
“You’re okay, baby,” he murmured, stroking her hair. “Go to sleep.”
“I just –” She bit her lip again, looking embarrassed as her gaze flicked to his face, and then whispered, “The dark.”
Even though her words made his heart ache, he smiled and stood to flip the light switch. Her overhead light turned off and the nightlight beside the door flickered to life, the Winnie the Pooh cover creating a warm orange glow. A grin spread across her face when she saw it, a soft laugh escaping her, and he smiled again.
“Night, baby.”
“Night, Dad.”
She burrowed under the covers, her eyes on the nightlight, and David stepped into the hallway, leaving the door open just a crack before he headed back downstairs.
Juliet was on the couch, a small bowl of popcorn in her lap as she flipped through the channels on the TV, and she looked up at David as he entered the room.
“Is she asleep?” she asked, setting the remote down as she straightened a little. He nodded, sighing as he took the seat beside her.
“Glad I thought to get her nightlight out,” he murmured and looked up at Juliet, smiling a little sadly. “She’s afraid of the dark.”
Juliet reached over and squeezed his arm. “It’ll pass.”
He nodded, though his expression was still troubled. Juliet set her bowl on the coffee table and shifted closer, sliding her hand down David’s arm to weave her fingers through his.
“What’s wrong?”
He took a breath and glanced at her. “There’s a – a bruise,” he said, his voice shaking, “on the inside of her left thigh.” His eyes flicked between her face and their hands as he talked, and he took a deep breath, trying to calm himself. “It looks like – like somebody – like he –”
“Shh,” Juliet murmured, raising her other hand to his back. “It’s okay, David, she said he didn’t.”
David looked at her, his eyes wet but hopeful. “Are you sure?”
She nodded. “Something obviously happened, but she said he didn’t rape her, and I don’t think she’d lie.”
David shook his head, murmuring, “No, she wouldn’t,” before blowing out a relieved breath. “Christ, I was so worried.” He ran his hand down his cheek, his fingers tightening momentarily around Juliet’s. “I’ve seen the aftermath of that, and I just couldn’t imagine her having to go through it.”
“I know,” Juliet replied softly, gently rubbing his
back.
“Her recovery’s going to be hard enough as it is,” he continued quietly.
Juliet nodded and gave him a small encouraging smile. “She’ll be okay, though. She won’t get over it, but eventually she’ll move on.”
“I can’t help wondering what they did do to her,” he said, his gaze darting up the stairs. “All those bruises –”
“She’ll talk about it when she’s ready to. And she’s got you to listen.”
“And you,” David added, a smile flickering across his face.
Juliet raised her eyebrows, a small smile playing on her lips. “She’s got a whole army.”
David’s smile widened and he nodded his agreement.
“Some of those bruises are defensive,” he said, a small note of pride in his voice. “She fought back.”
“Learned that from you,” Juliet said, nudging his shoulder.
He chuckled, and then gave a rueful shake of his head. “Never thought she’d need it.”
Juliet sighed, sliding the hand on his back to his shoulder as she leaned against his side, wrapping her other arm around his.
David frowned a little. “She’s so concerned about the other guy. Jackie. I don’t get it, I mean, he was part of it. She said he didn’t hurt her, but he clearly didn’t do anything to help her.”
Juliet was quiet a moment, and then she shrugged, trying to choose her words carefully. “I don’t know, David. The cut on her foot is half healed, and she said she didn’t eat much, but she obviously ate some. Somebody took care of her.” She paused, and then continued softly, “Maybe it was him.”
David didn’t respond, his expression troubled, and Juliet squeezed his arm, turning her head to gently kiss his shoulder.
They were silent a few minutes, and then he looked over at her again. “Karen stopped by the hospital earlier,” he said in a low voice, raising his free hand to rub the back of his neck. “I think she really wants to reconcile with Han.”
Juliet sighed, her head still resting against his shoulder. “Like I said this morning, if Han wants a relationship with her mother, then fine, but I cannot bear to see that woman hurt her again.”