Wildlands (rskde & BurningWillows)

[BurningWillows]

He got down on his knees, "I want my lawyer."

 

[Risky]

Alex walks over to the man, putting the barrel of the gun under his chin and pulling the trigger, watching the bullet exit from his head. He grabs Jordan's hand while slipping his arm into his shirt sleeve, rubbing his hand all over the gun before wrapping his fingers around it, allowing it to sit at his lap.

Alex rips off his long sleeve sweater and jogs out of the room and out of the clinic, by the time he is in his car the police have arrived. He shows them his badge before driving off, picking up his cell phone and calling Arya again.

"What do you need?" He asks her.

 

[BurningWillows]

Later that night everyone sat in Alex and Serena's apartment, having helped clean it up. Serena was still AWOL, and her phone was left at home, making tracking her impossible. Even with Katerina's sources in the FBI, they hadn't been able to find her. And worse yet, none of them knew the full story, obviously taking Jordan's words as complete lies.

Katerina was making supper for the group while the rest comforted Alex when his phone on the table rang. She grabbed it, realizing it was Alex's and answers it.

"Hello?"

"Hello. This is the San Fransico PD. Is...Alex there?"

"Uh yeah, hold on," she moves over handing it to him and mouthing the word 'cop'.

 

[Risky]

"Officer Miller speaking, is there any way I can assist you?" He asks over the phone, holding it to his ear as he listens. He bites the bottom of his lip softly, part of him wants to break down because of Serena, another part of him is scared that they found evidence that he killed Jordan.

 

[BurningWillows]

"Officer Miller, we have news on a Serena Pierce. You are listed as the emergency contact. Is that right?"

 

[Risky]

"Yes! Where is she?!" He asks, jumping up out of his chair and pacing. "Please, tell me you know where she is.." He says over the phone quietly, dread starting to fill him.

 

[BurningWillows]

There was a small pause, almost as if he was going to tell her she was deceased.

"She is on the way to the hospital via an ambulance right now Officer Miller. We received a distressed call from someone who found her on the suspension bridge. We are unsure if her intent was to jump or not, but she has inflicted wounds on herself, so they need to take her to the hospital. You can find her there. I know this is hard information to swallow."

 

[Risky]

"Thank you, I'll go there now." He says before hanging up, turning back to the group.

"Serena is in the hospital, self inflicted wounds, we're all going." He says to them as he leads them out of the apartment. They decide to go into Katerina's SUV, they drive down to the hospital.

"Stay out here for a moment." He says to the group as he walks into Serena's room, softly closing the door behind him as he watches her.

 

[BurningWillows]

Now that the makeup was off and her hair had been pulled back, he could see the extensitiviy of the wounds. Her left eye was black, and the bruise along her jaw was actually split open. she had a cut under her bottom lip. If he was to pull the blankets back he'd find a large bruise on her right thigh, along with small bruises resembling fingers on her wrist. He'd also find two shallow cuts on her wrists, now stitched and bandaged.

When the door clicked open her good eye opened a sliver, and she let out a small cough.

"Guess they called you," she wheezed, her voice dry and dull, "Come to pity me too? The nurses have been."

Her eyes peer down at the footboard, where a clipboard sits, all her information scrawled neatly. She knew what it would say. 'Attacked'. 'Self-inflicted cuts'.

Raped.

 

[Risky]

"No, I'm here to be with you, because that's what supportive boyfriends are supposed to do.." He says to her quietly, approaching her and sitting down next to her, pulling up a chair next to her.

"Jordan is dead, I shot him." Alex tells her. "He's never going to hurt you again, okay?" He says to her before breaking down, resting his head on the bedsheets next to her body and sobbing quietly, tears running down his face.

 

[BurningWillows]

Her eyes rim with tears, hearing the word boyfriend.

"I...I thought you didn't love me anymore. Because of what I did. Because I feel...like a slut."

the tears continue to spill as he tells her Jordan's dead, and some part of her is happy about that, gratful he can't touch her anymore.

"Why," she coughed hard, her body hurting, "Why are you crying?"

 

[Risky]

"Because I thought I would never see you again.." He whispers to her. "Of course I love you, I'm not gonna blame you for that bastard, we're gonna get through this.." He says quietly.

"Serena you're beautiful and faithful and amazing, you don't have to think anything else of yourself." He says to her, afraid to even touch her as he looks up at her, his cheeks stained with tears. "I'm so sorry.."

 

[BurningWillows]

She stared into her eyes, still crying although she could barely sob without pain.

"He raped me," she blurted it out, the words stinging her tongue, "He made me show him how those kidnappers touched me. Then he...he..."

It was so painful to even say, but he needed to know. To know the woman he loved had slept with another.

"I tried to escape, but he threw me down on the table and started hitting me. Called me a whore, and a slut. Said I wanted this, that I begged for it. Did I? Maybe..."

She shook her head, then pushed on, the words breaking her heart piece by piece, "He took off all my clothes. Then...then he told me he'd video tape me and send it to you unless I sucked his...his..."

She broke into tears then, the sobs wracking her body, "And after he...he...did things. I'm so sorry, oh god I'm so sorry!"

 

[Risky]

"That's not your fault, you have nothing to be sorry about." He says to her quietly, finally finding the courage to lightly take one of her hands, kissing it softly.

"Hey, hey now.. Stop crying, you need to rest." He says to her softly. "I'm not leaving your side until you're out of here." He says to her, biting the inside of his cheek as he looks over her wounds.

 

[BurningWillows]

"Don't...don't look under the sheets," she whispers, closing her eyes, "You won't like it. Just please...please don't leave again."

She can't squeeze his hand but its the only person she's let touch her. She doesn't want to admit it but as he takes her hand the blanket falls off her one arm and he can see the bruises and the self-inflicted cuts. To make matters worse she bound to the bed by leather straps, a matter she's trying to ignore but sure he'll find out sooner or later. When they had first brought her in she'd been hysterical and they had to strap her arms and legs down to treat her. They had classified her as harmful to herself, so the binds were staying on.

 

[Risky]

His eyes flick over the leather holding her to the bed and he feels himself on the verge of crying. "Serena, I will never leave you, never think that I will." He says to her as he holds her hand.

His eyes move over all of her wounds, they hadn't been there when she was in the apartment with him, he feels tears start to roll down his cheeks again.

 

[BurningWillows]

Just then a nurse came in to ask if they needed anything. Serena shook her head softly and the nurse nodded, adding there was a group still waiting outside.

"Let them in," she whispered, her eyes glued to Alex, "Hide my arm. I don't- don't want them to see me like this. Please."

Serena was still on the edge of a breakdown, able to lose it again if anything pushed her. The nurse pulled Alex aside for a second to explain that, and that with her state of mind, little problems would blow up in her mind, and she wouldn't be able to handle conflict. Easily put, they would need to walk of egg shells around her, until she was in a saner state of mind. The nurse was happy to see how much she trusted and leaned on him, telling Alex to keep doing whatever it was, it was the calmest they had seen her for the past hour.

 

[Risky]

Alex gently puts the blanket back over her arms as the group walks in, asking what had happened and how she was, all of the works.

Alex stares at her the entire time, as if watching over her to make sure nothing happened to her, as if he was paranoid.

 

[BurningWillows]

At first she said hi to everyone, and when they asked her how she was feeling she tried to lighten the mood with a joke. But when they asked what happened she clammed up, her head rolling towards Alex and her good eye looked at Alex, imploring him to speak on her behalf then squeezed shut, unable to talk about it.

But she didn't need to say much. Arya grabbed the clipboard and like any good doctor scanned through her, her breath coming out in a sharp gasp.

"You don't have to tell us a thing sweetheart," she murmured before turning to Kyle, "I'll be right back."

Walking out of the room, Serena opened her good eye to watch, and everyone turns in unison to watch her walk out just as a doctor tried to walk in. The door doesn't even fully close before you can hear her snapping at the doctor, and then out right accusing him.

"I've never seen Arya mad," Serena coughed, flinching when Arya's voice raised to a yell, "What did they do?"

"This," she snapped, throwing the clipboard in his face, "This is highly inappropriate."

"I didn't wri-"

"Shut your mouth and listen," Arya was tearing a strip off of him, "Or I'll take this straight to the board and they can handle you. Don't play words with me, I've been a doctor for a good seven years now. I know idiocy when I see one. This is not how you treat a patient who's been through that trauma."

"Well when they found her they said she seemed highly suicidal."

Her voice lowered to a dangerous whisper, "If someone attacked and raped you, would you feel good? Would you be strolling down the sidewalk whistling? That girl's been through more shit than you could wave a finger at, and your treating her for paranoia?! She's not mentally ill, she scared and in pain!"

"Look ma'am-"

"Don't," she warned, rage gleaming behind her eyes, "You are going to discharge her. Today. And then I'm going to take my friend home and I'll give her the care she needs, because you idiots misdiagnosed her and gave her the wrong drugs! You have five minutes to bring back the damn paperwork, before I start yelling again."

"But ma'am the police brought her-"

"That man at her bedside is the police, and our friends too. Want to keep making fucking excuses?"

The doctor rushed off, and Arya turned on her heel and stormed back in, throwing the clipboard on an empty bed.

"Didn't know you had it in you," Kat smiled, then winced when it moved her realigned nose, that was still bruising, "What drug did they prescribe?"

"Doesn't matter," Arya strolled to Serena's bedside and started shutting down monitors, "They are morons and Serena deserves better. I can set her up at home, and call in a favor at my old job for the equipment."

Serena looked pale, not wanting any of them to see her strapped down, or the bruises on her body.

"Can you guys step out for a second," Arya asked calmly, "Serena will need to get dressed, and I don't think she needs an entourage watching."

As everyone stepped out and shut the door, Arya pulled back the covers and undid the binds, then took out the needles in her arm.

"Don't worry sweetie," she murmured, "I understand. I'm only going to take off the binds then I'll leave too. I won't touch you unless you ask, alright? When we get home, I'll teach Alex to care for you."

Arya wiped a tear off her face, obviously upset over the entire thing, "No one's going to hurt you again."

Her eyes then looked up at Alex, mouthing the silent question, 'Is he dead?'

 

[Risky]

Alex listens to the whole conversation, now too tired to say anything. He watches the whole scenario play out before Arya is asking her silent question. Alex just nods to her,letting her know that Jordan was indeed dead.

 

[BurningWillows]

She nods, mouthing 'Good'.

Finishing up her portion of helping Serena she decides to leave them alone for a minute to track down the doctor she had interogatted, leaving Alex to care for Serena.

Freed of the binds she rubs her wrists, careful not to annoy her bandages. Then with aching slowness she climbs out of the bed, the hospital gown much too short, showing the rest of her injuries. Tears sprang to her eyes as she sees Alex looking her way, obviously noticing the bruise on her thigh, much too close to her crotch to be comfortable.

"I'll just...get dressed," she whispered, turning away and finding her clothes, putting them on with rapid speed, "Please take me home Alex."

 

[Risky]

Alex looks over his shoulder and watches Arya leave before turning back to his girlfriend, noticing the tears in her eyes. He walks forward and carefully wraps his arms around her, closing his eyes as he does so.

"You're coming home." He whispers to her, taking a shaky breath afterwards. This is obviously affecting him as much as it is affecting her.

 

[BurningWillows]

All she wants is to crawl in his arms and forget...everything.

Instead she leans into his embrace, closing her eyes and trying for a second to pretend they weren't in a hospital, and she wasn't in pain, and they lived a happy, normal life. After a few minutes though she took his hand and let him lead her out, feeling only safe with him. It was like he was part of her bubble, and everyone else sat outside it. When someone else got too close or tried to touch her the bubble popped and she panicked, losing that comfort. Only he could touch her without invoking that pain.

 

[Risky]

Alex intertwines his fingers in hers and walks out of the room with her, finding Arya and the others in the Main Lobby waiting for them.

He looks at all of them before raising his eyebrows. "Well? Let's go!" He says to them all, walking out to Katerina's SUV so that they can all go home for the night, as the sun was currently sitting on the western horizon.

 

[BurningWillows]

They all climb in, Serena careful to touch no one. When they arrive home she makes a beeline for her apartment, Arya and Alex at her sides. Katerina mumbles a goodnight and grabs Kevin, wanting to make a quick getaway.

"I want to sleep," Serena whispers, looking at her feet.

"You can," Arya gave her a soft smile, "I just need to talk to Alex first, and then he'll be right in."

Serena nodded, shuffling away to the bedroom, while Arya made Alex hang back.

"I'll swing by tomorrow with some medication for her, and anything else she needs. Rule of thumb, don't bring up what happened, and don't make her think in any way you want to leave, or are thinking about leaving. She's in a vulnerable place, and if she thinks you're rejecting her she might run again. We can't even get her to see a therapist now, that ass ruined that for her too. You're her only hope Al."