it okay if I ask you some questions?”
“Sure.”
She gestures to Marika. “Would you like privacy during the interview? Or someone else to be present?”
“She can stay. No one else.”
Officer Dominguez nods. “Your injuries indicate you may have been the victim of an attack. Is that accurate?”
“Yeah.”
She smiles softly. “Do you remember any details?”
“It comes in flashes. There were two men. They were wearing masks—I don’t know who they were.”
Now that my head is clearer, I’ve been thinking about this nonstop. I can’t stop replaying the incident over and over, trying to identify something I may have missed. I didn't recognize their voices, but something seemed familiar about the men who assaulted me, especially the main guy. I keep having these phantom pains of what it felt like when he was crushing me with his weight, pawing at me, beating me. I can still smell the alcohol on his breath as he leered down at my naked body. Feel his erection pressing against my thigh, growing bigger and bigger the more I screamed.
The officer writes notes on the pad she’s carrying. “Take as much time as you need.”
“Um...they came out of nowhere and started chasing me. When one of them caught up with me, he threatened me with a knife, told me he wouldn’t hurt me if I’d just cooperate.”
"Now listen up, you cunt. This is how it's gonna go. You're going to stop trying to maim us, and you're going to open those pretty legs of yours. If you try screaming for help again, I'll slit your fucking throat. If you take it like a good girl until we're done with you, you get to live. Understand?"
"Cooperate, how?"
I swallow the lump in my throat. “He told me to open my legs and take it like a good girl.”
Officer Dominguez takes a deep breath. “And then what?”
“At one point, I got ahold of the knife, but he tried getting it back.” I hold up my left arm. “That’s when this got broken, I guess. Then he stabbed me during the struggle. Things get a little fuzzy after that.”
More note-taking. "Can you remember any details about their physical appearance? Hair color, build, things like that?"
I think about it for a moment. "They were both tall...one guy had a thinner build, like a runner, and the one who stabbed me was pretty muscular. He was really heavy but solid. Their masks covered their whole head, so I don't know about hair color or anything."
She looks me directly in the eye. “I know this next question will be difficult, but I need to ask based on the condition you were in when you arrived. Were you sexually assaulted?”
I clear my throat, cursing the dryness. My nurse must be reading my mind because she turns on the faucet in the little sink and hands me a paper cup filled with water.
“Thank you.” I take a few swallows before continuing. “Yes, but not...fully. He didn’t put anything inside of me. Not for lack of trying, but when he stabbed me, they got freaked out and ran off. I think the knife was just meant to scare me.”
Answering that question was hard enough when one of my nurses first asked, but I understand the officer needs to be thorough.
“Oh, shit, man! You stabbed her! You fucking stabbed her! We need to get the hell out of here!”
"Look what you did, you dumb bitch. You could've just spread your legs, and this would've never happened."
“Did either of them say anything that stands out, or do you know anyone who’d want to potentially harm you?”
“Do you see this gorgeous little pussy? She’s freshly waxed and everything. It’s like she was waiting for us. Our employer will understand.”
“Um...I don’t think so.” I don’t know why I omit those facts, but my gut instinct is telling me to keep it to myself
.
"Can you think of anything else that may help locate your attackers?"
I shake my head. “Not that I can think of.”
"Okay. I think I have enough for now." Officer Dominguez asks for my phone number, then removes a card from her shirt pocket and places it on the bedside table. "Here's my contact info if you remember anything else. Anything at all. Please don’t hesitate to reach out. If I don’t hear from you, I’ll be in touch as soon as I have more information from the crime scene.”
“Thank you.”
I release a heavy sigh as she leaves the room.
"Can I get you anything?" Nurse Marika asks. "They'll be serving lunch