The police officer arrived, surveyed the scene and took Sarah’s statement. She was mortified because it was the same officer that had picked her underwear out of the yard not too long ago. He looked at her sympathetically and wrote down everything. Several other police patrol cars began to arrive and officers filled the tiny bakery.
They insisted on doing a physical on her and doing a rape check on her since she had lost consciousness. Sarah assumed she hadn't been raped since that seemed to be the only place on her that didn't hurt and her pants were still on her body. One police officer asked her to describe Tyler, and asked if she wanted to press assault charges against him. Sarah nodded. Throw the book at him, her mind screamed.
Officer Jacob Hunter asked gently if there was anyone to contact and Sarah broke down crying. She didn't want Matt to see her like this. She asked for her purse, so she could get her phone. He handed it to her, her phone was intact but the phone screen was cracked. Jacob reached for the phone off the wall, gave her the handset off the receiver and handed it to her.
Matt answered on the second ring and said, “Hey, baby,” ...and Sarah started crying again, only in big, shaky, heart-wrenching sobs when she heard his voice. The officer took the phone from her, identified himself and informed him that EMS was taking her to the hospital and suggested he meet them there.
Matt could feel his heart shatter. The officer said she was injured and would discuss if he was immediate family, which he was not. Matt wanted to be sick and was glad he was pulled over and had just dropped off a package because he was pretty sure he would have had an accident. He called his boss, and asked someone to take over his shift, explaining the call he had just received. He raced back to the depot, dropped off the delivery truck and grabbed his car.
Matt arrived at emergency and scanned the waiting area. Sarah was nowhere to be seen. He checked in at the desk, they had already taken her back and had to clear it with her since he was not immediate family. Matt paced, scared, as to what had happened?
The nurse finally came back and pulled him aside. She informed him that the doctors were still checking her and he could go back but needed to prepare himself that she had been injured but would be ok. Matt nodded anxiously. The nurse led the way down the hallway into a room with an officer that stood near the door. She walked in and pulled back a curtain as the doctor shone a light quickly from one of Sarah’s eyes to the other. Matt was floored.
Sarah had a large black eye, bruises on her jaw and her lip was swollen on the right side. She had massive bruises on her arms that were sticking out from the hospital gown and had seen one on her back where the gown gaped. She would not look Matt in the face. The doctor shook Matt’s hand and asked Sarah if it was all right to speak with him. She just nodded and curled up into a tight ball, as if to protect herself.
Matt left the room with the doctor and when the door shut, he asked him what had happened. The doctor informed him that she had been beaten into unconsciousness and that they had done a rape kit test on her to be on the safe side.
The test had shown evidence of semen, collected some hairs and blood. They were unsure how long she had laid unconscious and what exactly had happened. She had told them that Matt had made love to her the night before but they were unsure at the semen collected was his or Tyler’s. They knew she had been beaten severely, she had several bruises on her face, upper arms, torso and one cracked rib.
The officer standing at the door, introduced himself and informed Matt that he was at the scene first. He was the one that had called him. Matt asked if they knew who it was and revealed that it had been Tyler that had beat her.
Matt thought he was going to be sick and would beat Tyler within an inch of his life if he ever saw him again. They reassured him that they would do all they could for Sarah to make sure she felt better soon and would keep her safe. Matt nodded, shocked and returned to the room.
He gently sat on the edge of the bed and tried to hold Sarah to comfort her. Sarah cried and cried as he rocked her gently. She did not talk, she just wept. Matt held her for what seemed to be hours until she wore herself out and gave a wobbly sigh.
Matt pushed the button and asked for something to help Sarah sleep. When Sarah protested, he smoothed her hair and reassured her he would be here to watch her. Sarah began cried again as she realized she was supposed to have had the alarm installed today and that there was little chance of that preventing today’s events.
The nurse entered the room and gave a small injection into the IV line, helped Sarah lay back comfortably and pulled up the blankets. Sarah would not let go of Matt’s hand. He scooted a chair right next to the hospital bed in order to be close by. He held her hand while she slept and for a long time afterwards, just thinking, he watched her.
The nurses checked on her several times throughout the night, gave her something for the pain and to help her sleep. Matt stayed with her the entire night, his heart breaking when he heard her cry in her sleep and heard her moaning in fear. He would hold her hand, kiss her forehead and tell her softly that “I’m here and it was okay” and she seemed to settle down. Sarah had not talked about what had happened yet, but he had a very good idea from what the officer and doctor had revealed to him.
His little Sarah had fought and fought hard...and Tyler? Tyler was a dead man if he found him before the police did. The doctor told him that she had not been raped according to her statement, but she had been beaten severely. The officer thought that there may have been some interruption during the assault because she had been beaten to unconsciousness and partially disrobed, however her clothes on her lower extremities had been present still and not disturbed.
The back door to the bakery had still been locked, and they assumed he had exited from the front of the bakery, which explained how a customer had found her. The doctor said they would keep her overnight for observation, but that he didn't recommend she go home alone. Matt’s exact thoughts, as he ran a thumb over the back of her delicate hands and frowned at the bruises on her wrists.
As Sarah slept, Matt looked at the clothes that were removed from her upon arrival. Her shirt was in tatters and her bra destroyed. It angered and saddened him as he thought of his precious Sarah being attacked by that monster. He would ask the nurse for a scrub top for Sarah, or see if they had something in the gift shop that she could wear when they left tomorrow.
Sarah awoke sometime later when the nurse came in humming a tune and placed a dish in front of her. “Here you are, sweetie, your five star meal served on the finest china!” she joked and pulled off the plastic lid with a flourish. She plumped up Sarah’s pillow and leaned the bed upwards. “How about we remove this thing today?” she said gesturing at the IV “and let’s get you home with this fine young man,” she said jovially. The nurse tried her best to lighten the somber mood in the room.
Sarah nodded and waited patiently as they removed the IV from her hand. She picked away at the food and was surprisingly hungry. Matt was very glad to see she had an appetite and hoped that it was a good sign that her spirit was not broken. She had cried so very much yesterday night and he was very worried about her.
They brought her a hospital toiletry kit and invited her to take a shower to see how she felt. There was a stool in the shower in case she felt she needed to rest. Sarah got up and walked to the bathroom, she shut the door firmly and Matt could hear her gasp clear across the room.
He ran over and opened the door. Sarah was just staring at the mirror and looking at her arms. Her eye was severely black and the cornea of her eye was red from the impact of Tyler’s fist. Her jaw was mottled purple and green. Sarah’s lip was split along the side and also swollen, discolored. Her arms were covered in bruises and there was no telling what was underneath the hospital gown.
Matt pulled her into his arms and turned her away from the mirror. “Don't worry, baby, the bruises will fade... I just need you to be okay for me.” He kissed her hair gently and smoothed his hands over her shoulders, feeling her
tense up. “Want me to leave the room or stay?” he asked quietly.
“Stay” Sarah whispered. She did not want to be alone. Matt turned her around and undid the ties at the back of her gown, carefully not saying a word and masking his face. She turned and looked at him and avoided the mirror’s reflection. “It’s bad, isn't it?” she whispered softly.
“Baby, it is fine. Do not worry about it, you just need time to heal,” he reassured her and ushered her into the warm water of the shower. He did not dare tell her how bad it really was, all she had to do was look down. There were large blotches covering her chest and waist but what shocked him the most was the painful looking bite marks on her delicate chest and shoulders... where he had just touched her. No wonder she jumped, he was sure that was painful!
Sarah let the water slide all over her. She felt so dirty and so ashamed. She cried for some time in the shower. She heard Matt offer to wash her hair and declined. She gingerly washed her hair several times, and tried to clean out the tangled mess but it was so sore and did not seem to really be coming out. Pushing or scrubbing at the scabbed area was so tender! She finally finished in the shower and tried to dry off as fast as possible due to the temperature of the room. She was shivering by the time she had finished. She thanked him as he handed her the scrub top acquired from the nurses station. Sarah dressed quickly saying nothing about the lack of bra or panties (confiscated with the rape kit) and her pants. She moved back to the bed, and she saw he moved to the recliner to be close. Sarah picked at her hair for quite some time with the comb trying to undo the snarls and knots. She saw he watched her silently, not moving. She wondered what was going through his mind.
The doctor came in and spoke with her. He informed her that the rape kit had come back and was being turned over to the police for evidence. He assured her that the bruising would heal and to give herself time. He asked her if she would like to speak with a chaplain or counselor. Sarah shook her head no. He gave her instructions to rest, drink plenty of water, and allow her body to heal. The doctor said she would need to check in with the police because more information may be needed. He said the nurse would be in shortly with discharge papers and she would be free to go home soon.
Sarah began to cry. She was scared to go home and they had just discussed that the other day about how she felt like she needed to give them more time and more space. Here she was now, needing a place to stay once again. She did not want to go home. She was terrified that Tyler would show up at her house.
Matt pulled her in his arms. He tried to reassure her. “Baby, if you want to go home, I will take you and we can stay there. We will get you a gun, or a huge dog, or something,” he said trying to lighten the moment. Right now, all he wanted was for her to come home with him and to hide her away from the world so she could heal.
Sarah hugged him and nodded. She signed the discharge papers and the nurse wheeled her to the doorway, Sarah protested the whole way. Matt took that time to race down to the parking lot and pull his car around to the front of the hospital so Sarah could get inside. She was silent the whole way home to her condo.
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Matt took her to her place because it had to be her idea and her decision, even if it was against his wishes. He thought this was a bad idea and had no clue what brought on the fact that she was wanting to go home. He pulled up front and walked her to the doorway, Sarah unlocked it and Matt went inside first.
Sarah walked in and could feel tears begin to roll down her cheeks. Her pretty little home was still in shambles from where it had been ransacked the other day. She was frustrated that it was still unknown who had done it, although she was certain herself at who it was--and he was still out there.
Matt asked if she minded him cleaning up a bit while she rested. He placed the pillows back on the couch, and picked up a blanket on the floor for her to cover herself in. He got her comfortable on the couch and handed her the remote while he moved to the bedroom to pick up there first so she could sleep.
He hung clothes and shoved items back into drawers. He stripped the bed and asked her where the sheets were. He remade the bed, picked up the pieces of the planter that had been thrown against the wall, and washed the dirt off the wall. Matt removed the police tape from her bathroom knobs and used glass cleaner to get the black powder used for fingerprints off the handles.
Sarah got up and got out the vacuum and proceeded to help. She could not just stand by and watch him clean her house and go through her things; it was awkward. She asked him if he could take her to the hardware store and get some latches for the doors after she vacuumed.
He offered to go and let her rest, but she didn't want to be alone. He took the vacuum from her and asked her to rest again. He watched as she stubbornly shook her head. “Sarah, I don't want to argue about this, you need to rest,” he said firmly.
Sarah again shook her head and said, “No.” and tugged on the vacuum. “I cannot let you do everything, I am not helpless,” she said insisting on aiding him. She watched as he gave her the vacuum and moved to pick up items from the kitchen area that had been thrown onto the floor. He picked up pieces of stoneware plates, glass, scooped up debris from plants she had on the counter and shredded cookbooks. It looked like there had been a small battle in the kitchen. Sarah finished vacuuming and moved to sit back down on the couch, exhausted. She was more worn out than she realized.
Matt suggested that maybe they should stay the night at his place, until they could make this one a bit safer for her. Sarah nodded silently. He surveyed the rest of the small condo, making note of things he may need to get in order to finish the cleanup. He watched as Sarah gathered a few more items from her drawers and closet, a few toiletries and put them in a plastic bag. She picked up the bag and placed it over her shoulder, he saw her flinch and took the bag from her stubborn hands. Matt checked the back door making sure it was locked, he then walked her to the front door and pulled it tight, locking it with Sarah’s keys. They headed back to his apartment in silence. When he arrived, Sarah was dozing in the passenger seat.
She got out of the car, stumbled against Matt and walked with him groggily up the stairs. He took her straight back towards the bedroom and laid her down. He went back to the car and got her bag. Matt returned, locking the door behind him and went to check on her. She was sound asleep fully dressed. Matt slipped off her shoes, socks, and covered her gently.
The next few days were spent relaxing together. They played a few games around the apartment, going on walks around the park and a few errands. Matt took her to a gun range in hopes of her getting her conceal/carry license or some other form of security. He was genuinely concerned that Tyler was still out there and going to come after her again.
Sarah was very apprehensive about shooting a gun and it terrified her to think of injuring someone. She was not ready yet, but agreed with Matt that she needed something of the sort. She wimped out and bought a few small cans of mace. One for the store, one for her purse, her car and her apartment. He tried to have her get a stun gun but the loud pop of it activating made her jump and she was afraid she would drop it before it got used. Plus, you had to get close enough to reach out and touch the assailant.
They went together to the police department and she gave her statement. Matt held her hand for support as she spoke with the detective. It made his stomach roll listening to her talk about it. She had not wanted to talk about it prior and he was more concerned now than ever before. Tyler could have easily killed her. He knew he had hit her repeatedly but he could have done so much more too, especially when she lost consciousness.
She did not remember getting bitten or being punched in the stomach, however, the bruising said otherwise. So, he had continued his assault on her after she had passed out...what made him stop? Whatever it was he was sincerely thankful.
Sarah asked if they had any idea of Tyler’s whereabouts or any leads. The police informed her they were patrolling her neighborhood and watching her store, but nothing as of y
et. Tyler had not returned to his home and his car was nowhere to be seen. This did not comfort her at all.
Sarah asked when it would be safe to return to her shop and the police advised her to get security measures in place and she just needed to be cautious. Sarah left the station very frustrated and dejected. How was she supposed to run her business if she couldn't open the shop or was terrified it was going to happen to her again…or worse?
Matt was also concerned. He knew Sarah was absolutely determined to make sure her shop was successful, it was her livelihood. She had not said much over the last few days about her house and the bills, but he was sure it was silently eating at her. Matt was going to have to return to his work too. He was currently using up vacation time he had accrued. Thankfully his supervisor understood completely and allowed him to take the time off with such short notice.
Matt called the security system company again. He explained what had happened and how they had ‘missed’ the installation appointment. The receptionist was extremely understanding and offered to send someone out in the morning. Matt thanked her and agreed to meet them at the bakery early. He asked if they could do a second install at her condo too, and again they agreed.
Sarah was thrilled that she was going in to her shop tomorrow, unbeknownst to Matt she planned on opening up to get some sort of income in the door. She was afraid that her savings would not be enough to cover her bills and she wanted to throw herself back into her work, to get in a routine again and move forward.
That night, as they lay in bed together, Matt spooned Sarah and just held her. Sarah broke the silence and whispered to Matt “I am so sorry it happened.” She wondered if she had led Tyler on at some point. She looked back over the last few months, tried to figure out what she had missed and came up blank, other than Tyler had been interested in her. She felt ashamed that she was such a bad judge of character, that it had put her in danger.
Sweet Heat Rising (Thoroughbred Men Series) Page 14