‘I think he stepped out to get a bite to eat, but he said if you woke to tell you he’d be right back.’ Bethany scooted the table nearer to the bed before picking up the water and wrinkling her nose. ‘Let me go get you some fresh stuff, okay? This looks like it might’ve been sitting here all night. I’ll be right back.’

A few minutes later, Bethany returned with a fresh pitcher of water and a cup of ice. ‘Here you go, hon. Now, you just lay back and relax while I take your blood pressure.’ She secured the cuff around Rachel’s arm and squeezed the bulb, watching the needle and keeping her rambling monologue going.

A fine sheen of cold sweat broke out on Rachel’s skin, and so she concentrated on breathing, reminding herself this was a blood pressure cuff, she was in the hospital, and this was a nurse. She wasn’t in the contraption in The Toybox with her torturers.

‘You and your brother seem close. Blood pressure is 120/74. Excellent.’ Bethany removed the cuff from Rachel’s arm, folded it, and shoved it into a very large pocket on the front of her scrubs. ‘I know most nurses prefer the mechanical cuffs, but I like my old-fashioned one. It hasn’t failed me yet, anyway.’ After she ran the thermometer across Rachel’s forehead and jotted down her temperature, Bethany turned serious.

‘Okay, let’s find out how you’re doing today. On a scale of one to ten, where does your pain or discomfort fall? And be honest because we can’t help you if we don’t know.’

‘Four, five. It’s a little better today.’

‘I can get you something to help with the pain, if you’d like.’

‘I’m okay with acetaminophen or ibuprofen.’

Bethany nodded. ‘If that’s what you prefer, we can work with that. Now, the doctor prescribed an antibiotic to help stave off any possible infections from those lacerations on your back. That’s the extra bag you see hanging there.’ Despite her efforts to remain matter-of-fact, Rachel could see the pity in the nurse’s eyes. Then she tucked the call button remote closer to Rachel, patted her hand, and said, ‘I’ll be in again in just a bit to check on you.’

Just as Bethany reached the door, Rachel stopped her. She had a question, but she’d been afraid to ask Nick. ‘Did anyone… did they do a rape kit on me?’

The nurse crossed back over and gripped Rachel’s hand gently in her own. ‘Yes, they did. You probably don’t remember because you were in and out of consciousness when they brought you in yesterday. They needed to collect whatever evidence they could to help convict the men who did this to you.’

Tears trailed from the corners of Rachel’s eyes as she nodded. How could she admit she was glad she hadn’t been alert enough to know what they were doing? Mentally, she knew it was done to help. Psychologically, she felt as if she’d been violated all over again.