The Girl Who Doesn't Speak

Chapter 5

Rhett and I follow the doctor into a room so we could talk in private once the nurses carried the girl back to her room.

"I want to thank you for helping us out there," he says to us. The name tag on his coat reads Dr Dawn.

"What is wrong with her?" Rhett wants to know.

Dr Dawn shakes his head. "I'm not quite sure." He turns to me. "You said you found her on the beach."

I nod. "Yes, I did."

"Do you know if she had any ID on her, anything to tell us who she is?"

I shake my head. "No, she didn't have any on her. We found her on the beach. I thought she was just a drunk lying on the beach after all of the celebrations. But until I saw her injuries, I knew something had happened."

He nods slowly and then glances down at his clipboard. I wait for him to tell us what was wrong with her, but I knew it was never going to happen. The information was confidential, unless we were family.

"Will it be okay if we see her when she wakes up?" I ask. "I really want to make sure she is alright."

He looks up from his clipboard and gives me a sympathy look. He didn't have to tell me the answer. "It's nice of you to come here and see how she is. But I'm afraid I cannot give you any further information about her. As much as I don't mind you going in to see her, I recommend that you don't. She is reacting negative to men at the moment."

I nod, understanding what he was saying, but I couldn't help feel a wave of disappointment rush over me. I may not know her, but I still wanted to see her. Leaving this hospital will mean I will never know who she is, how she is or find out what really happened down at the beach. It made my head spin wondering about her. The same way I wanted to know what happened on the night my sister was killed.

Without saying a word, I turn to leave. It was no use staying here at all if I wasn't allowed to see her.

"Before you go," Dr Dawn calls to me before Rhett and I walk out the door, "did she have any belongings with her when you were on the beach? I know you said there was no ID on her, but maybe it was left on the beach."

I glance at Rhett in case he had seen something I didn't. From what I remember she had no belongings at all.

"No, there wasn't anything with her," Rhett answers.

"Did she say who she is or even mentioned what had happened?" I ask.

Dr Dawn shakes his head. "I'm afraid not. She won't talk at all."

"Do you know what's wrong with her?"

"I don't. When she wakes up, I will speak to her then. Hopefully this time she will talk."

I nod, feeling completely helpless for coming here. I shouldn't have agreed to come here like Rhett had suggested. I thought I was doing the right thing and coming to check on her to see how she is, hoping it would put a rest with what I had seen. But instead I am being turn away, not being told any kind of information about her. I understand as I am not family, but still I wanted to know if she will be okay.

I thank the doctor and turn to leave with Rhett at my heels. Just as I exit the room, I decided to leave my number with the doctor. Whether or not if he would contact me to let me know how the girl was or if she wanted to contact me, especially if she needed a place to stay if she didn't have anywhere to go to. I'm sure my parents wouldn't mind her staying with us, just until she gets back onto her feet.

"I'm sorry, Riley," Rhett says as we step out of the ward. "I shouldn't have suggested for you to come down here. I thought it would help you to at least get her off your mind if you were to see how she is."