Finding Beauty in the Darkness - Nikki Ash Page 0,22
for me.
She digs into her briefcase and pulls out a couple sanitary pads. “Mr. Valentino, please give us some more privacy, and can you please make sure Aria gets more sanitary pads as well as underwear? She will be bleeding for a few more days.”
Giovanni looks from the doctor to me, his eyes haunted. He nods in understanding, and after placing the waste basket outside, goes back to the sitting room. Once he’s gone, Dr. Fox helps me place a sanitary pad along the inside of the boxers Giovanni left out for me since I have no clothes.
“Let’s look at the rest of you.” She begins to feel across my torso, and I jump once she gets to the right side. “Take a deep breath for me.”
I breathe in and out, the pain in my stomach radiating through me. “That hurts,” I yelp when she hits a super sensitive area.
“It looks like you have a couple bruised ribs on your right side. Let me check to make sure they aren’t broken.” She walks over to a large suitcase and opens it up, pulling some weird looking machine out.
“What is that?” I question.
“A portable x-ray machine.” After she’s done setting it up, she has me lie still while she takes pictures. After assessing them, she says, “They aren’t broken which is encouraging. I don’t want to wrap them up because it can make breathing more difficult.” She grabs something from her briefcase and snaps it in half. “Keep this icepack on you.” Wrapping a small towel around it, she places it on my side, then tapes it on gently.
“It’s like you’re the doctor’s version of Mary Poppins,” I joke, trying to make light of this entire horrendous situation.
“Yes, I guess I am.” She laughs and I join in as well—the sound foreign to my ears—causing my ribs to ache in pain.
“Careful. I don’t want you to get up unless you must. I know you’re going to want to shower and you’ll need to use the bathroom, but make sure someone helps you.” Dr. Fox moves up the bed to look at my face. I can’t even imagine how bad I look. If my pain is any indication, I most likely look like a truck ran me over then reversed to do it all over again.
After running a cleaning wipe over my forehead and face, which stings like a bitch, Dr. Fox says, “This should have gotten stitches, but it’s too late. I’ll glue it the best I can.” She works on my face for a few minutes then gets up to throw the garbage away.
“I want to check your vaginal walls. I know you’re bleeding and normally I would wait, but I want to make sure nothing has been damaged. I did an image test while doing the ultrasound so I know there’s no internal damage, which is a good sign.”
After putting gloves on, she gently pushes my legs apart and begins to check me out. My vagina is extremely sore and I feel myself wincing at her touch. I had assumed the bleeding was from the rough sex I experienced a few days ago—it didn’t start until after Weston and his friends left me in the basement.
“Okay, everything seems normal. I didn’t feel any tears. I’ll check you again once you’re done bleeding.” She takes the gloves off and throws them away. She’s gone for a few minutes, during which time I hear the sink turn on. She must be washing her hands. Knowing we’re about done and she’s about to leave me, my hands begin to shake, my heartbeat going erratic. I feel another anxiety attack coming on. Dr. Fox walks back inside the room and starts putting her equipment into her suitcases.
“Dr. Fox, I know you’re prescribing a low dose of Xanax, but do you think maybe you can give me a little more?” My voice wavers as my heartbeat picks up speed.
She comes over next to me and, taking both my hands in hers, smiles softly. “You’ve been given drugs for quite some time, sweetie. You don’t want to be dependent on them. I am going to recommend you begin to see a psychiatrist as soon as possible. She can be someone for you to talk to, to work through what you’ve been through, and she can also put you on the appropriate medications and doses. I’ll let Mr. Valentino know of a couple I recommend. Ones who specialize in what you’ve been through.”