Realistic or Modern Title: Could They Share The Night... MxF

[allybanks00]

She looks at him hestitantly. "Okay." she said to him. "Fine." she said.

The woman had been doing good the last couple of weeks, she wasn't really weaning herself down but she was keeping the journal for him.

One day though, while Chris was at work she was sitting at home when she got a unexpected visit from an ex boyfriend. "Tori I've heard you've been drinking it's time for you to stop drinking.. I've been watching you walking around with that guy.. Who is he? You're new boyfriend?" he asked her.

Victoria tried closing the door in his face but he kept it open with his foot. "Get out." she said to him. When he didn't listen she tried shutting the door again. He got mad and pushed her back inside the house, the woman was drunk so she stumbled back and fell holding a shot glass. He hit her in the face, hard... not once, not twice, three times. He stood up and kicked her in the ribs. "Stay away from that guy, stop drinking, otherwise I'll fucking kill you Tor.. this is outta love." he said he closed the door and left.

Vic lay on the ground curled up in a ball. She tried reaching for her phone. Chris, she needed Chris.

 

[NewToThis]

Chris was a little worried about Victoria. He had unspoken rule about seeing Victoria for two days and not seeing for two days. After all he could be intense if he didn't keep himself in check. In reality it worked out tona few times a week.

Other than some heavy petting and intense kissing...they hadn't gotten as intense as they had that night. And he didn't....need it to be that intense. What she needed came first.

Once she had settled on a landing path so to speak he could probe intensifying things. Even if the memory of that night and all that he wanted and could have done trespassed in his dreams at times.

He really got really worried when his text went unanswered for two hours. He usually texted before calling just to see how she was doing. Laughing about work stuff. Making plans to see comedy shows. Normal relationship stuff.

Something felt wrong. So he sent another text:

"Hey...this may sound crazy but if I don't hear from you in the next thirty minutes. I'm gonna swing by and check on you." He wanted to type that it was ok if she was breaking up with him....but he didn't have to expect the worst. It would happen or it would not.

What he found at Victoria's apartment however...was almost as bad as the worst could be.

 

[allybanks00]

She was laying in her own blood, shattered glass around her. The woman was falling in and out of conciousness from pain and she had started to withdrawal so she was soaked in sweat. She couldn't stand to get any alcohol as she was positive some of her ribs were broken. She didn't know what to do.

She coughed up some blood, the woman had barley heard the door open when Chris came in.

 

[NewToThis]

Chris was greeted by a sight that wasn't wholly unfamiliar.

Victoria was only semi-conscious. Blood smeared her mouth but was a dark crimson ready. It was from internal bleeding or broken rib perforating her lung.

He spoke soberingly to her and maybe she recognized him but she couldn't respond. He checked her body for wounds but it was mostly just broken glass associated and barely deeper than superficial.

Which meant most of the blood came from her nose and mouth. He was quickly on the phone with 911 trying to hold her still and keep her eyes on him. He did everything to stay calm looking as he talked to 911.

Following their directions at the report of a possible lung perforation he had to finesses gently pressing his ear to her stomach as she coughed and moaned.

Her ribs were broken, there was no doubt, and there was some internal bleeding based on the bruising he knew that but based on what he was hearing she likely didn't have a perforated lung, but it was partially collapsed at least.

He lied to the EMTs that he was the fiancee. Riding along and telling them her birthday, which he had learned after their first week, along with favorite color, and flower. And that she was a heavy drinker.

He didn't know how much she could hear but he didn't want to add to her anxieties. That she was possibly going through withdrawals too. Chris knew she was going through hell and it had just started.

 

[allybanks00]

The woman faded in and out of conciseness all the way to the hospital. The paramedic had given her morphine to hopefully simmer down some of the pain. She was still moaning and groaning as the ambulence hit bumps and pot holes.

Once they got her inside the hospital she was whisked away immediately into a room, where they cut her clothes off revealing huge bruises all over her left side, they ended up inserting a chest tube to drain some of the extra fluid that was accumulating around her lungs due to the assult.

Vic was comfortable, a ton of medication sedating her, making her blissfully unaware to the pain she was going to be waking up to.


Meanwhile a doctor and a police officer was with Chris in a seperate room. "So... we have reason to consider this was a domestic violence incident.. We're you angry because of her drinking? Or did she start getting angry and you snapped? What happened? Are you the one who did this to her?" Questions we're being asked at rapid fire speed.

 

[NewToThis]

Chris had a distrust of law enforcement. When seconds counted, they might show up and hour later.

Without responding to them. First thing he did was hold up his phone and show him his phone's surveillance system. It showed him in his office and kitchen a long time. He showed them the texts to her.

All the while ignoring their questions. "Now that we have established I likely had an alibi..." The cop tried to talk and he ignored him as of he wasn't there. "And I sent Victoria text messages wanting to check up on her. I will not be speaking any further to you without the assistance of my attorney who will not be available till tomorrow. So either book me or let me go, someone Victoria's should be here when she wakes up."

The cop wised ass off a few threats and accusations, to wit Chris tilted his head and looked at him keeping silent.

After a few more minutes of the cop being a fool he relented. The cop had no probable cause, stacked against an alibi.

A Doctor did appear and told him he would have to wait in the lobby till Victoria said it was ok for him to visit. He said he understood and wood not be a problem. The hospital naturally did not tell him what room she was in or what was happening to her...which given the circumstances was to be expected.

Hospital coffee....it was shit.

 

[allybanks00]

The woman woke around six hours later. Screaming, thrashing around in bed and trying to pull out her chest tube. She was panicked, withdrawing heavily, and in a lot of pain.

They called an overhead security page that echoed throughout the hospital. "Code White, Assitance needed in ER room 18, Code White." Code white meant unruly patient. Vic was being unruly. But it was because she was petrified, no one was giving her answers, she could barley speak because her face was so swollen her throat began to swell so her throat hurt.

 

[NewToThis]

Chris swore he could hear Victoria's screams. Given that the doctor had likely shift changed out he quietly dismissed himself and looked for the source of the screams.

He tried to walk down hall like belonged there. Hospitals had shit security to begin with. He was on the first floor where ICUs normally were. People recovering right after an operation. Wanting to keep an eye on them till they were stable enough for a private room.

He tried not to move faster the louder the screams were and the harder the thrashing. His heart skipped a beat. So many thought about Victoria filled his. How she could hurt herself just coming out of surgery.

There wasn't a nurse or anyone in sight as he saw Victoria thrashing about. He tried not to approach quickly as he said her name at an even tobe and volume. If she was going to see him, he couldn't be a source of additional fear.

 

[allybanks00]

She tried to pull the tube out her hands yanking on it. The medications they had given her were giving her a hard time, the monitor that was tracking her heart rate was beeping wildly. A bunch of security came in.

"Sir you gotta move" he said as he pushed past Chris.

A nurse pulled Victorias head of her bed down, and inserted some medication into her IV, some sort of sedative. They restrained her tightly to the bed by her ankles and wrists to prevent her from ripping out any of the important tubes that were coming out of her body.

"Victoria.. Victoria you need to relax, someone's here to see you." a nurse was saying gently running her hands through her blood soaked hair. "Shh." the nurse said kindly trying to calm her down.

The restraints just made her panic more, she wasn't in control and she was freaking out. "Chris! Chris!" she thought she was screaming but the words were just coming out as soft jumbles.

 

[NewToThis]

Victoria's unintelligible wails almost brought tears to him eyes but he fought them back. Amongst all the chaos he tried to stand where she could see him, he thought. For another few seconds he watched trying to not get in the way. Them struggling vain as they talked about giving Victoria more sedatives.

Chris took his chance and approached from around the nurse. "She is a chronic and heavy drinker." The nurse asked how much and he responded back enough for her to have complications with opiods of any kind.

He took the moment to stroke Victoria's cheek and speak to her. "Victoria. You are in the hospital. I'm here. I'm not going anywhere. You need to calm down...It's the only way they can take care of you." He took her left hand in his hands and gently held it. "I'm here and I want you. I'm here and I'm not going anywhere."

 

[allybanks00]

The woman wasn't fully relaxed. She had tears dripping down her face but she stopped thrashing. Some of the seditions have worked and her eyes were slightly droopy.

"Victoria once you relax a little we will have a cop come in and speak to you, Unless you don't feel comfortable.. you have broken bones in your face, broken ribs, you have a chest tube in. You need to be careful do not pull it." the nurse said.

"Once you relax we will remove the restraints.. Chris your fiancé can stay in here with you." the nurse said. She then walked out, giving the two some privacy.

 

[NewToThis]

Chris thanked God Victoria didn't react at the "fianncee" word. She could have easily protested; or even reacted with shock. And then the nurse might asked questions.

He could tell she was still upset. Gently Chris wiped the tears from her eyes. He face was starting to bruise over and he wanted kill, slowly, whoever did this. He started thinking of the means and methods to get away with it. It was the only thing, the thought, that was keeping his face placid. Last thing Victoria needed to see was him tearing up. She needed to see love, and the confidence that everything was going to be ok.

The cop walked back into the room and looked daggers at Chris. He wasn't supposed to be back there. Especially when a domestic violence was suspected. With a neckbeard the cop spoke. "Miss, do you fear for your safety from this man?"

 

[allybanks00]

Victoria shook her head. "What?" she said hoarsely. "No of course not." she said to him. She was being honest. It wasn't Chris.

"He's the one who found me on the ground.. If he wasn't there I wouldn't have been able to reach anyone.. I couldn't grab my phone." she said. Her voice was dry, "Can I have some water?" she asks. The nurse who came in to loosen her restraints slightly shook her head. "Not yet honey, I'll go get you an ice chip or two, but that's all I can give you.. we're still waiting to see if you need another surgery and we don't want you aspirating if you drink or eat." the nurse said. She hung up a bag of fluids and some other medicine to try to manage her withdrawal symptoms as she could tell by Victorias fidgeting and sweaty face that she was not only in pain but she was craving her poison.

"Who did this to you Miss. Dibra? we need answers." The cop said to her. Vic closed her eyes, she was fighting to stay awake from the sedatives now. "Victoria, stay awake." the cop said firmly.

"She is under a ton of heavy sedative drugs right now, she has had a very long day if you couldn't already tell. Take your pictures for evidence and then you have to leave, she will talk to you in the morning." the nurse said sternly. She didn't appreciate the officers tone.

Victorias whole left side was black and blue, she had superficial cuts and scrapes all over her back, left side and face from the glass, but her face was the worst apperence wise. It was already bruised, black and blue all over her face, a black eye, and bruising from the three bones that were broken in her face barley recognizable at this point. It would heal in time, but it defiantly hurt like a bitch even with the meds.

 

[NewToThis]

Chris heard the cop say some formalities and leave. Something about someone checking back in the morning to take a statement.

He stayed calm, for Victoria's sake. He was best under pressure. It was one those places he reached a strange zen. He just worked to hold her hand gently and be there. This was her chapter not his, her experience. Between her suffering and the hospital he knew he had a minor role to play at the moment.

Chris ached to soothe her with his touch but besides her hands, he feared hurting her or making her feel self conscious.

He addressed the nurse. "Any kind of ETA on when she is being moved into a private room. I assume it is going to be a few days so somewhere in between I'd figure on getting home and preparing an overnight and picking her up pajamas." He would wait to leave once she settled back down, and hopefully fell asleep. He needed to get phone chargers. Grab his tablet for her. Her place was likely a crime scene so goodbye to her phone for the time being. Probably should pick up a couple of pillow fresh from the store and still under wraps, he had no clue on sterilization requirements. Get a couple of cheap but better than hospital comforters. And hope they had a pullout couch or at least a comfy chair kind of setup.

None of his calculations and list run downs showed on his face. He was just that kind of anal retentive thinker. And thinking of the necessary needs for a short stay kept him from seasawing between his heart going out to Victoria and him wanting to kill the bastard who did this.

"Other than having to run out for somethings and better than hospital food, you got me for the next few days Victoria."

 

[allybanks00]

"She'll be moved up to a private room within the next two or three hours." the nurse said with a nod.

"She'll be in room 216, it is a private room.. there is going to be a little futon couch that you can stay on if you choose to spend the night with her." the nurse says.

Eventually, once Vic fell asleep and Chris left she was moved into a private room. The nurse helped her change into a new hospital gown, She washed her hair in bed, getting all the blood and shattered glass out of her hair.

Vic was still in and out of conciousness, she couldn't breathe very well, the nurse had put her on some oxygen to help her breathe, as she couldn't inhale because of the broken ribs.

 

[NewToThis]

Chris hit his house first. He threw a pair of jeans and a polo shirt in his bag, some gym clothes and assundries. He would take a tie and office shirt in case anyone wanted to have a Zoom conference while he was "caring for his mother in the hospital."

Walmart has everything. He got what he thought were pajamas in Victoria sizes plus some slightly bigger just in case. Some basic panties for underwear, and a robe if all else failed. He stopped and got a couple pillows and some cheap comforters. They weren't great but they would be better than what the hospital offered.

Then he picked off some snacks. Twizzlers and peanut butter cups of course. He looked for some soft foods that were not requiring fridge storage but no such luck. Victoria could tell him needed anything else as he grabbed a couple packs of cans of little soda bottles. He would sort them out in the car as he couldn't bring everything in. He thought about hitting the liquor store but from his last time in a hospital he had learned that they offered beers occassionally to he help with withdrawals....and he wasn't a medical expert.

He looked odd as he had bags in each hand and pillows and comforters under each arm. It was only at that moment that he thought of flowers as he saw Victoria. Women sometimes need flowers and this would have been the perfect time for some...maybe...

 

[allybanks00]

She woke up for a few minutes and was super drowsy. She was sleeping on and off but once Chris got there she tried to stay awake. She gave him a soft smile but fell back asleep until the next morning.

Chris had helped her get into pjamas, which was difficult as she couldn't get out of bed but they managed.

The nurse was in and out hooking Victoria up to various medication drips. Once she left Victoria looked at Chris who was now sitting next to her. "I need a couple of shots." she told him. "Please." she said. She put her head down on the bed, she was miserable; shaky.. and overall just looked like shit.

She knew the officer would be coming back soon to ask her more direct questions as she was a little more with it todayZ

 

[NewToThis]

"Ill talk to the doctor. Try and see if they can help take off the edge but I'm pretty sure If I gave you 'unprescribed' alcohol it could mess up your treatment and get me or both of us kicked out of the hospital. We especially can't afford you getting kicked out."

"You can hate me, you can curse me, but so long as you don't tell me to leave I'm not going." He knew he was in a for rough ride with Victoria. The possibly pleadings, turned anger, turned to him wanting to go away.

Addicts, until they admitted their problem were not able to deal with it like adults.

 

[allybanks00]

"If you hadn't called 911 I wouldn't be here right now and Id be able to be at home resting and not withdrawing!" she said her voice turning angry and upset but she couldn't yell as her throat still hurt.

"Please, just give me one shot, All I need is one shot." she said to him. "Just one." she said. Her eyes were pleading him. "This is making everything so much worse. Please. If you don't do this I'm leaving i'm not staying in this hospital." she said. She needed to get the liquor, if she didn't she'd go crazy.

 

[NewToThis]

Chris sat back and was the adult in the room. Victoria wasn't capable of rational thought outright so he had to try and put it succinctly. "If I didn't call 911 you would be dead. The nurse told you had just been in surgery earlier. You have a chest tube. So deep down you know that isn't true. I'll ask if they can get you anything. Last time I was here a couple years ago for my sister-in-law they offered her beer if she was withdrawing."

Victoria's child-like pleas tore at his heart but he had to be an adult for her. "And if you think you are leaving. I'm telling the doctor you have a chemical dependency that is endangering your recovery and they will put you under a seventy-two hour hold. If I have to be the bad guy I will. I love you too much to let you hurt yourself, and enough to be willing to lose you to keep you alive." He said the last part sternly. He knew wasn't important enough to her to outweigh the disease. He knew she might push him away. He knew he might lose her completely. But he couldn't let her hurt herself like this, at this point especially. She would always be welcomed back.

 

[allybanks00]

She laughed at him. "So you shoulda left me there to die, why don't you fucking get it." she said to him bitterly.

She starts pulling on the wires that we're attached to her, taking them off. She tore the blankets off of her. She went to go take the chest tube out she couldn't pull it out, when she tried she winced. "I'm leaving. Fuck this. Fuck you. Fuck all of you." she said. She tried to swing her legs off the bed and gasped . The pain was unbearable. She was shaking, unable to even push herself up for a sitting position up to her feet.

 

[NewToThis]

Chris was sternly muted watching the site in front. When a child brats you don't feed it the attention it seeks. You don't play to its level. Victoria was a child, not in body, but in mind. Stunted, stunted by what he suspected and knew too well. Now wasn't the time to address it. He hit the nurses button. And stood in front of her so she couldn't get up even she managed to sit up.

Her gasps of pain struck at his heart. He wanted to hug her. So much else was running through her brain but she was addict. She wasn't ready for love and support right now.

He was angry at so much right now. The person who did this. Her for being so....no he couldn't be angry at her. She was sick. He couldn't feed the monster that was her pain but he didn't have the right to fault her.

"You are a mess right now. And you might feel like you want to die. But the doctors won't let you. And my heart doesn't want to let you." She was giving up and just laying on her side a crying mess. When the nurse came in and righted he would sit down with her. Ask the nurse for a beer if it was possible. It was going to a long few days.

 

[allybanks00]

The nurse swung her legs back up on the bed and laid her head back. "I'm going to give you one chance to sit here before so have to restrain you one more time." the nurse said sternl. "I will go get you a beer, however first you need to speak to the police and let them know who did this to you. Once your interview is completed I will come in give you pain medicine, give you a beer and make you as comfortable as possible." the nurse said to her.

To which Victoria just blankly nodded. She looked away from Chris when the officer came in.

"Alright Victoria so who did this? Do you know this person?" he asked her.

Victoria looked at him. "my ex boyfriend- uh Austin Crawfield. He knocked on the door.. I opened it- he threatened me he told me to stop drinking.. told me to stay away from Chris and that what he was going to do was out of love. He shoved me and I was holding a shot glass so it shattered." she said. "Uh.. he kicked me in the side and I remeber him punching me.. I don't know what else happened.. I don't remember." she said.

 

[NewToThis]

Chris squeezed his left into a fist in his pocket. Now he had a name. Now he needed some way to get to him. Or rather...lure him into a situation where it would be obvious to any spectator that he attacked Chris. No witnesses. Just him, and the fucker that attacked Victoria. Let the animal play to its base nature and so he would defensed himself. Letting the wolf chase him until he killed it, you might say.

He would wait till Victoria was asleep. Go to her apartment. The cops probably left the apartment unlocked like idiots. He let the cop continue. He went through the list of what he had in car. Pepper spray. A snub nose .357 magnum. A Glock 9mm subcompact. The Glock for was for if anything went wrong. And nicely, a concealed surveillance chest cam...in case the fucker gave him good footage. But small enough to crush to nothingness and cook the chip in the mircowave in case he didn't.

If Victoria cut him loose after this...well he would have done her at least one kindness.

 

[allybanks00]

"Okay, is there any reason he would've attacked you?" the officer asked her.

"He's done it before.. he did it while we were together, never this bad.." she said quietly. "Did you report it before?" the cop asked.

"No.. I never reported it." she said looking down at the ground. "Alright so we will go through your apartment, we have collected evidence.. once we build a case we will go and arrest him, you will most likely have to go to court." the officer said.

She nodded. "I hope you feel better." the officer said to her and then nodded at Chris before walking out.

Vic looked down at her hands. She was in so much pain that at this moment she wasn't even thinking about the alcohol anymore.