I can’t believe this, Dana was..raped. She’s holding onto my hand so tight that my knuckles are white but I don’t mind the pain.

We walk into the emergency room together, I can’t get the look on her face out of my mind as she whispers to a nurse what that ***** did to her.

I’m gonna kill him..I swear to god…Stop it Shane you can’t think about him. Dana is the most important thing right now.

The nurse takes her free hand, she wants to take her into a room. Dana won’t let my hand go “It’s ok.I’ll be right out here if you need me.” I tell her but she still holds onto me for dear life.

“Can I go with her?” I ask the nurse who smiles but says no. She gives me some line about preserving the evidence, like I’m on his side and would destroy it or something.

Dana starts to cry again, I’ve never heard anything like it, there’s a look in her eyes that breaks my heart.

“I’ll be right here, I swear I won’t leave you.” I hug her close she holds me so tight that I can’t breathe.

A few seconds later she let’s me go “Don’t leave.” She says as she disappears into an exam room.

I take a seat across from the closed door. I wanna be ready when she comes out. A tear slides down my cheek as I let my mind wander back to the street where I found her, she looked like some wounded animal, her eyes were the worst big,lost and blank.

The door to her room comes open, the nurse walks over to me “She won’t let us examine her without you.” She tells me I jump to my feet and beat her back into the room.

God she looks so tiny, sitting there in that hospital gown, head down her hair covering her face.

I close the distance between us, take her hand, she looks up “I can’t do this alone. Shane please don’t make me.”

I shake my head “Your not alone. You got me as long as you need me.”

She flinches when the door to her room opens and a doctor walks inside. She looks at Dana with a sadness in her eyes, as she tells her everything that she will be doing to her.

She asks her to lay back and I help her do so. Dana is so scared. I can see it she’s trying to be so brave but she’s terrified.

I take her hand and lean my face in close to hers “You are the bravest woman I have ever known. I’m gonna take such good care of you. I love you Dana.”

It seems to help until the doctor touches her and she flinches again she looks at me, her eyes begging me to make the woman stop.

“It’s almost over honey.” I lie I can’t think of anything else to say. I will the doctor to hurry up, for Dana’s sake as well as my own.

Her tears bring my own back but I try to hide them, I have to be strong for her, I have to help her.

The doctor finally tells us it’s over but Dana seems not to have heard her. Her eyes are fixed on the ceiling.

“Can we go now?” I ask but she shakes her head and tells us that the police have some questions that have to ask.

“No..” Dana blurts out “I don’t wanna talk to anyone else, I just want to go home. Please Shane don’t make me do this.”

I hold her hand “Are you sure you don’t wanna do this now?”

She shakes her head and I turn to the doctor “You heard her, no cops tonight, that can wait until tomorrow.”

The woman lets out a breath “I’ll go tell them.”

She leaves us alone and Dana sits up. “This is real isn’t it?” she asks turning away from me.

I place a hand on her shoulder and she jumps “I’m sorry.”

She turns back to me “God Shane he really….” her tears wash down her face and I’ve never hated anyone in this moment as much as I hate the monster that did this to her.

I hug her close “When the doctor comes back I’m gonna get you out of here ok.”

A few minutes later the doctor walks back inside but she’s not alone, A man and woman are with her, their cops “She’s not talking to you now.” I tell them pissed that the doctor went against Dana’s wishes.

The female cop shoots me a look “She needs to do this now. It’s important she might forget some…”

“What” Dana is yelling at her “Do you really think I could ever forget what he did to me?”

“You heard her.” I some how manage to get out “This can wait until later, I’m taking her home now.”

The cops seem pissed but they hand Dana a card telling her to call them, she hands it to me as they leave the room.

The doctor makes her sign a few papers and now were free to go.

We walk out together, once again I have white knuckles, but again I don’t mind, I have to get Dana home that’s the only thing that matters right now.