Her Darkest Secrets

Chapter 6

Brandon POV

I watch as one of the nurses comes in and draws blood from Annie while we wait for the psychiatrist to come in. They're running a whole battery of tests for STI's, a complete lab work-up, and even a pregnancy test. "How are you holding up?" I ask her, feeling incredibly stupid for asking her that of all things. We just got her out of a human trafficking ring, there's no way she's holding up okay at all.

"Okay I guess. To be honest, I feel like this is all sort of surreal and I'm worried that once the gravity of what has happened to me settles, I'm going to turn into a basket case. Kind of like, you know when you get an adrenaline rush and it feels like nothing can bring you down, until the rush is over and you're brought back down to earth."

"I know exactly what you mean." The door opens and we both watch as an imposing looking man walks in. Annie shrinks back and I feel her hand reaching for me. I move closer and she grabs my wrist.

"Who the hell are you?" I ask suspiciously since the nurse assured us that only women would be handling our case.

"I'm Kelly Alhart, I'm one of the psychiatrists on staff." He says slowly, clearly surprised at my animosity.

"Please, please go, please make him leave," Annie says, so quietly I'm not sure he's even heard her. I'm about to tell him to leave when one of the nurses comes in and gives him a confused look as well.

"What's going on here?" She asks us.

"You tell me, I thought only women would be treating Annie. Why did you send a male psychiatrist?"

"Shoot," she mutters, "I'm so sorry about that, we had a lot of nurses sending out calls asking for volunteers to come and help us treat the women. I'll bet anything one of the new nurses saw his name and sent him an email about volunteering."

"Well, I did volunteer and I'm here now so why don't we get started?" He says far to sternly for my liking. And Annie's if her whimpering is anything to go by.

"Get out," I practically growl at him.

"I am volunteering to help these women, I deserve-"

"You deserve jack s.hit," I tell him as I move towards him, crowding him into the door. "You don't get brownie points for volunteering where you're not wanted. Now get the h.ell out of this room before I throw you out."

"You can't talk-"

"Kelly, you really need to leave," the nurse interrupts him before he can go off again.

"Fine, but don't ask for my help again." I watch as he turns around and storms out.

"I think it would be best if you have a veteran nurse double check that list so this doesn't happen again." I tell the nurse.

"Yes, you're right, of course. I'll go do that. I was actually just coming to tell you that a few of your tests have come back and I have the results here for you," she's talking to Annie, but her gaze is bouncing back and forth between the two of us.

"I'll take them," Annie whispers, holding her hand out.

"Here you go honey, normally these go through a system to get your results electronically, but since you, and likely most of these women, aren't in the system, you won't be able to get them that way. The doctor will come discuss your results with you and I'll send a different psychiatrist to come and speak with you."

"Thank you." I watch the nurse leave and Annie take a deep breath as she opens the file she was given. She starts crying and I find myself walking towards her.

"Hey, what is it?" I don't know what results she got, but they clearly aren't good. I hope to God she's not pregnant. I don't think she would handle that well, I don't think anyone would.

"It's not, I just, I can't," she dissolves into full blown sobs. I want to wrap my arms around her but I'm not sure she would appreciate that gesture right now.

"I'm sure whatever it is it can't be that-" I'm cut off as she jumps off of the bed and runs into the bathroom. She locks the door and after a few seconds I hear water running, she's started the shower. I knock on the door. "Annie?" I call, but she doesn't answer. I can still hear her crying, but no matter how many times I call her she doesn't answer. I start kicking the door, trying to get to her and I finally get the crappy door to open and see her sitting under a stream of water that was hot enough to steam the entire bathroom in the few minutes it took me to get the door open. I put my hand under the water and immediately pull it away, it's scalding. "Annie, what the f.uck!" I yell as a I reach in and turn the water off.

"Dirty, dirty, dirty," she mumbles.

"Annie whst's dirty honey, look at me," I grab a towel and wrap it around her pulling her into me as sobs wrack her body.

"I'll never get them off, I'll never be clean, I'm so dirty. You shouldn't be touching me," she yells as she tries to jerk out of my arms.

"Don't ever f.ucking say that to me again," I tell her as I hold her tighter.

"But it's t-true."

"Annie, you don't have to tell me anything you don't want to, but I'm guessing this has something to do with those test results, am I right?"

"I, I h-have, I have, I can't even say it," she buries her head in my neck, clearly forgetting that she doesn't want me to touch her and honestly it feels good knowing that she feels she can trust and rely on me. She takes a deep breath and then slowly starts to get up. I let her and follow her back into the room. She picks up the results and hands them to me. I take a look, it takes me a minute to realize what it is I'm looking at. When I do, I almost lose my s.hit. She tested positive for a couple of STI's and she thinks she's dirty because of that. Those motherf.uckers infected her and she thinks she's done something wrong, she thinks they've made her so dirty she'll never be clean again.

"Annie look at me. Look at me," I tell her again when she refuses to make eye contact with me. "There is nothing wrong with you, you are not dirty, you are a f.ucking survivor. And both of these infections are one-hundred percent curable."

"It's not just that, it's not just what that paper says. It just cements that I'm a disgusting, dirty-"

"Please stop," I beg her, "none of what happened to you is your fault. You're breaking my heart Annie, don't say that about yourself."

"He's right you know," we both turn to see a woman standing by the door. "I'm sorry I don't mean to interrupt, I'm the new psychiatrist. I do apologize for the error before, but it looks like the two of you are already starting a dialogue here that I'd like to be a part of. Annie do you want to talk now?"

"I guess so," she tells her after taking a minute to compose herself.

"I'll wait for you right outside," I don't want to intrude. I have a feeling this is going to be difficult for her.

"No, stay please. You already know what's happened to me, I can't get any lower in your eyes." I'm about to tell her to knock it off again when the new therapist steps forward.

"Alright, let's get started then," she says bringing a chair over and taking a seat across from where Annie is sitting on the bed. I brace myself knowing that whatever she's about to share is going to wreck me.