Forbidden Love - Segment 40

[itztigress3]

Segment 40 – Safety of your arms
POV: Emily / Zac
Word Count: 3593
Warnings: None

February 11, 2008
 I’d been woken up with the usual sex, but Adam had taken anal while Gary stuck with normal. I tried not to feel it, not to notice, and the choking from them both helped. Although, Adam did not like that I didn’t make a lot of noise with them, I was usually trying not to pass out. I made it to work on time still. I was more careful about movements though; I had learned that slight bumps against boxes could hurt a lot. It did not help that I was seeing at least two of everything, sometimes three. I heard the PA the first time but I was so distracted by not feeling the pain that I didn’t hear what was said. It was Thomas who touched my shoulder, rocking me with a wave of pain.

“Emily, Zac just called you twice to come to his office.”

I nodded and got up carefully. I walked to the steps and went up them very carefully, but I was certain he was going to see through it, he was going to know. I walked down to his office, but I found that all three of them were sitting in his office.

“There here as a precaution.” Zac said.

“Are you feeling ok?” Isaac asked.

I looked toward him but saw three of him. “Yeah.”

The back of my throat hurt from the oral aspect of the past weekend.

“I have a question about Friday’s invoice. I went to put it in but I cannot read your writing.” Zac said.

I looked to him and saw three of him. “Ok, which one?”

He slid an invoice across his desk and I walked over carefully. I had to really focus on the invoice to see it clearly, I remembered everything was there, I really couldn’t read it either.

“It is cleared, everything came in.”

“Ok. I just couldn’t read that. I would have came down and asked but Taylor said that might not be a good idea.”

“Yeah, is that all?” I knew if I stayed too long Zac would read everything in my face.

He looked at me strangely. “Yes.”

I nodded and turned to leave, I nearly walked into the door frame on the way out, and going down the steps was dangerous too. I think the issues were the lack of sleep over the weekend. I checked in the papers but I wondered who would be waiting when I got home. I finally finished the paper at 1:45 and took it up-stairs. I had been taking them to Taylor or Isaac and them handing them in to Zac, but they were getting ready to go, so I went ahead and went to Zac’s office. My whole intention was to drop the paper in the bin and leave, I dropped the paper in what I hoped was the bin and turned but the sudden shock of pain caused me to turn back. Zac had gotten my wrist which was hurting like hell from the handcuffs.

“Wait…”

“I shouldn’t...”

“The blinds are open Emily, everyone can see us.”

Honestly, I hadn’t meant that. I knew if I stayed too long he would catch on. The searing pain in my arm was proof enough.

“Are you ok?”

“Yeah.”

“You’ve been distant the last week.”

“I’m trying not to make waves.”

“I understand.”

He was sitting but his shirt was tight around his arms, ones I really wished I was in right now. I picked a button on his shirt and zeroed my focus there; it seemed to distract my brain from the pain signals. I watched that same button when he got up and came around the desk.

“You look…different.”

“Maybe it’s the make up?”

“Maybe, I haven’t really seen you wear it much. Honestly, I don’t like it when you do.”

He was close to me already and I turned toward him some more, the desire to just make him hold me the rest of the day was overwhelming. He took a step toward me and I stepped back, I couldn’t compromise his divorce. I stepped on one of his stupid ass shoes and stumbled back, the edge of his desk caught me dead center of my ass, Zac completely faded from my vision and my knees got weak as pain shot up my spine and down my legs too. I reached out for the desk to steady myself, because if I fell he was going to ask and I was going to tell. I didn’t feel the pain in my palm; I didn’t feel the letter open slid against my skin. I was too focused on staying upright and that button was so close to me now.

 “Emily?”

 I was fighting it hard to stay standing and when I felt I wouldn’t fall I moved my hands. But, Zac saw the blood dripping off my fingers that I wasn’t even aware of. The shock wave from the desk was barely subsiding when he grabbed my lower arm to see where the blood was coming from. Another wave of pain flowed through me and despite my desire not to, I cried out loudly from the pain.

“Emily?”

I felt his hand wipe my cheek off, didn’t even realize there were tears on my face until his soft fingers wiped them away. I saw a confused look on his face, I was safe right here and that was the last thing I remember before passing out in his arms.

-Zac-

 Emily had bumped into my desk before, with and without my help; she had never acted that way though. She seemed to be trying very hard to hide something and she was not answering me. I figured it was the blood on her hand but when I got her arm and she cried out loudly I wondered why. Again, she did not answer me but there were tears running down her face. I couldn’t help myself; I had to wipe them away. But then her eyes started going back and I let her arm go to catch her when she passed out. I screamed for Taylor and Isaac, who both came running in as I laid her on the sofa.

“What the hell happened?” Isaac asked.

“I don’t really know, she tripped over my shoes and her hand hit I guess the letter opener, but then she passed out.”   

Taylor quickly ran out and returned with a first aid kit, I got her left hand and applied pressure, finding the cut on her palm. This did not explain her outcry of pain when I got her arm. It was still bleeding pretty badly, so I raised her arm up to help slow the bleeding and when I did, her sleeve slipped down. My eyes landed on the bruised and cut areas around her wrist. I held her hand with my left and used my right hand to slide her sleeve down more, bruises covered her arm.

“Isaac.” I said.

“Yeah?”

“I uh, think you should see this.”

Both he and Taylor walked over and looked at her arm, there were clear hand prints on her arm, her wrists looked just as bad.

“That’s a hand print.” I said.

Both of them frowned down at me, Taylor walked to the door and closed it, the blinds, and then closed the main window off as well.

“Tell us exactly what happened.” Isaac said.

I told them both what occurred and what was said, both frowned.

“Isaac and I are going to turn away from the two of you. I want you to check her sides.” Taylor said.

 Both of them walked to the window and peered through the blinds, without moving them. I lifted her shirt up gently, her sides were bruised and more hand prints in both directions and her other arm looked just as bad as the one I was holding. I was truly terrified to look anywhere else, but something was wrong because she had not reacted to the cut at all. I remembered when we packed for tour, she was not fond of turtle necks, yet she had worn them all last week.  I gently put my finger under the collar and pulled it down some, I could feel the heat rising up in my stomach, her entire neck was bruised and I could see hand prints there too.

“Can one of you close your eyes and come over here; I need someone to hold her hand.” I said.

I got a gauze pad and put it over the cut, it had slowed a lot. Taylor walked over, eyes closed and I gently laid her hand in his, he held it with pressure to prevent it from bleeding anymore. I carefully undid the button on her pants, they weren’t that tight either and usually they were. I gently slide the side down just a little bit and saw bruises there. I gently rolled her toward me and found deep purple and black bruises across her ass, and I knew what caused them, the shape and size was consisted with the ones I had, but mine had never left my skin this color. I fixed her cloths and Taylor helped me bandage her hand good.

“Isaac will you please go ask the other employees how she was acting last week.”

He nodded and left the room.

“Zac? What are you thinking?” Taylor asked.

I looked at him and just stared.

“Zachary, what is it?”

“I should have been there Taylor; I should have been there to protect her. This isn’t something that happened over night either. She wore a turtleneck last Monday and she avoided all of us.”

“You don’t think that..Seriously Zac? I don’t think Kate would go this far. I mean, I know she’s abusive emotionally and mentally, but to have someone do this?”

Isaac came back in. “Everyone said she’d been acting a little off since Monday. Samantha said she was sitting down very easily Monday and Tuesday was even easier.”

I looked at her, still passed out. “What do I do?”

“How bad is it?” Taylor asked.

“I couldn’t see her upper thighs or legs obviously but what I could see was heavily bruised and I am talking purple and green colored bruises. The prints on her waists probably mean that…It probably means…” Fuck I couldn’t even say it.

“Do you think that is what happen?” Taylor asked.

“Yes.”

“Then we call the police because really Zac, she needs to go to a hospital now.”

“Wait, we know Thomas is spying for Kate. If she is behind this, the person responsible will be gone.”

Isaac smiled. “It wouldn’t matter Zac, when she started acting odd Monday I called Craig and asked him to turn the cameras in her apartment on. He said he did, they’ve been running since Monday about noon. Whoever was in her apartment will be on camera.”

I bite my bottom lip before I called 911. While we waited I called a contact that Kate didn’t know was on my side, she confirmed that Kate had sent Gary to her apartment Monday but he was only suppose to scare her. I asked her to call my attorney and the police and I was sure she did. The paramedics arrived and I went and got her purse.

“Zac, you shouldn’t…” Taylor said.

“I’m going.”

They were checking her vitals and they eventually loaded her on the stretcher and I went with them to the hospital. Refusing to leave the room or her side, just like she had done me, she was completely out of it. They moved her around, drew blood, started an IV, did a rape kit and that caused me to feel sick because I could see her inner thighs, which were just as bruised. Once they were done and we were just sitting in the ER I called Craig.

“Hey, haven’t heard from you in a while.”

“Emily’s at the hospital and the police know about the cameras. Please, tell me you left them on?”

“Wait, Emily is where?”

“Right now she’s in the emergency room, you want me to tell you more you will tell me those fucking cameras were on all week.”

“Yes. They are still on actually. Now, Zachary I don’t give a damn who you think you are. You are telling me why she is there.”

I explained what happened and that the doctor’s were saying she was mostly bruised, nothing was broken.

“What room?”

“She’s in three.”

“I’ll see you in twenty.”

I hung-up, I knew Craig would call but it really wasn’t his place, so I called Christopher myself.

“Hello?” He asked.

“Christopher? This is Zachary Hanson.”

“Uh, Hi. How did you get my number?”

“I got it from Emily’s phone. Um, I’m calling about her actually.”

“Why is she not calling me?”

“She’s not awake; I’m not sure when she will wake up. She cut her hand in my office and passed out, but I noticed marks on her wrists and arms, after looking farther I found more. Christopher, she’s been hurt and she’s at the emergency room now.”

“Did you hurt her?”

“NO! Hell no! I would never do this to her.”

“Give me some idea on what hurt means. She’s not awake, did she hit her head?”

I was nervous as hell; I knew he was going to be as pissed as I was, as pissed as Craig was. Hell, he might be worse.
I took a deep breath. “She did not hit her head, she’s unconscious we suspect because she couldn’t handle the pain. There are bruises basically everywhere; they gathered evidence when we arrived including photos of the bruises. The worst part is her butt and upper rear thighs, there is deep bruising there and I’ll be honest they came from a drumstick, probably one of mine that got left at her apartment. They also completed a rape kit.”

The other end of the line was very quiet for five full minutes. I knew he was there, I could hear the rage over the phone as he breathed.

“They completed a rape kit, but did they say she was?”

“She was Christopher, the doctor wouldn’t give me details but he did say she was. He seemed concerned when he did the kit. She and I haven’t been together since November but I volunteered a DNA sample anyway because I knew I needed too. But, I can assure you Christopher, I would never do this to her not even if she asked me too, the level and depth of bruising says it occurred for a short period of time. Craig is on his way and he also said he would call the police, he installed cameras in her apartment last December incase my soon to be ex tried anything. I believe I know who did this and I did give the police his name.”

“I’m going to ask a question, please don’t lie to me.”

“Ok.” I said.

“Can you get to her leg either one without doing much?”

“Yes. She’s covered up but there done with her for now. I think there waiting on her to wake up.”
“Please check her inner left thigh, tell me what you see.”

“I don’t need to check, I was here when they did the kit. There was a bite mark on her thigh.”

“It will take me at least an hour or more to get there, I’m at work and I need to call someone in. Do not call Aaron or the others; I will call them once I get more details on her condition.”

“I was not planning too. You are the only one I have met.”

“Ok. Thank you for calling me.”

I hung-up and sat back, waited. Ten minutes later the doctor’s moved her to a room of her own and I sent a message to Craig and Christopher with the room number. I also sent the messages to my brothers and knowing her clothes were now evidence, I asked Taylor to bring her cloths, something warm. I sat beside the bed waiting on her to wake up, Craig sent a message to say the police had him because he had the cameras and that’s what they were going for, made me promise to keep him updated.

-Emily-
  I slowly opened my eyes and found I was warm and comfortable, something I hadn’t felt in a week. But, something was wrong because I was not at home nor was I at the office. The steady beep, slight prick in my arm, and starkness of the room said this was a hospital. I turned my head slightly and saw Zac sitting in the arm chair, looking at me.  I looked briefly to the clock, it was after eight at night I was late. I heard the heart monitor speed up and then I felt Zac’s hand on mine.

“You’re at the hospital.”

I looked at him and it registered in my mind that I was also in a hospital gown and that meant that he probably knew already. The way he was holding my hand gently said he did.

“Did you think that none of us would notice? Did you think I would not notice?”

“You shouldn’t be here.” I whispered.

He smiled and moved, got up from the chair and sat beside me on the bed. He moved his hand over my face gently and I leaned into the touch.

“You could have told me Monday Emily. You should have told me.”

I could hear Adam telling me Zac wouldn’t want me when he was done, wouldn’t love me because of what they did. Zac moved his hand gently across my cheek.

“I should have gone to your apartment and hit Gary for hitting you.”

I looked at him confused. “How did you know Gary was there?”

“Layla’s friend Shelly has been friends with Kate for a while now, Shelly agreed to help us and has been keeping tabs on Kate. She said Kate told her Gary was at your apartment that he was supposed to scare you.”

I knew Kate had sent him. But, what about Adam, had she also sent him?

Zac sat there quietly for several moments. “Emily? What’s wrong? Isaac had Craig turn the cameras on in your apartment; they’ve been running all week. They’ll arrest Gary for this I am sure. You won’t have to worry about him anymore.”

It wasn’t Gary I was afraid of; Gary had not done most of what had been done. Adam would run and he would run far, would they be able to catch him? I could hear the heart monitor speed up as the thoughts raced through my head, 8 years he had waited to have me alone and he had made the best of that time and for the third time he would be robbed of the wedding he wanted.

Again, I could see the sleeves stretched around his arms, remembered that earlier all I wanted was to be there because everything would be ok if I was. He didn’t stop me when I moved, didn’t push me away or tell me no when I climbed into his lap. Despite the pain caused by moving, I didn’t care. I felt his arms around me and that made everything ok. It didn’t really bother me at first that the gown was open until a doctor came in; being that exposed made me uncomfortable. Zac had to let me get back in the bed, but while the doctor was checking vitals Taylor knocked and Zac stepped out, which scared me. He left me alone with the doctor. He was gone no more than three minutes before he was sitting a bag down at the foot of the bed. The doctor removed the IV line, but left the needle in my arm in case they needed to give me anything. He ordered a tray for me and left the room.

“I had Taylor bring you cloths, there some of Natalie’s but she said the underwear was new and she’s never worn them.”

I nodded and Taylor had brought sweat pants and a t-shirt, the t-shirt was not Natalie’s it was Zac’s.

“Maybe he knew?” Zac asked.

He helped me change into the cloths, the t-shirt helped because of the IV. I noticed Zac pulled the blanket off the bed as I put socks on. He then sat down on the bed and I realized exactly what he was doing, so when I got my socks on I crawled back into his lap and he wrapped the blanket around me.

“The police will probably be here soon, they were waiting for you to wake up. Taylor said he and Isaac would visit later but they don’t know what all happened just that you were hurt. Craig is showing the police the video footage, I assume it’s recorded in his apartment, so he was dealing with that and then he would be here. Your brother, Christopher, should be here soon.”

“You called Christopher?”

He looked at me weird, detecting the trace fear and anger. “He’s your brother Emily, he needed to know and Craig was going to call him anyway. He asked me a weird question though; he wanted to know if you had bite marks on your thigh.”

I laid my head down on his shoulder and felt him kiss my temple lightly. I simply laid there in his arms, feeling safe finally.