The Bullies' Karma (gxg)

Chapter 11

The police visit went just about as well as expected. I'd made sure that Syd was there with me, ostensibly because I wanted to make sure that if I had any pain during their visit, that she would be there to take care of me. I also had a plan to complain about pain if the interview started to annoy me, and she could help with that too. Truly though, I wanted her to see and understand why I didn't go to them in the first place. I could tell that she'd been upset that I hadn't, even if she hadn't pressed me on the issue, but hopefully this would settle things.

"Miss Mahoe, did you recognize any of the men that did this to you? Were they past associates of yours?"

I looked at the officer in shock. I'd expected them to assume the report that Dickberry filed was correct, but to make that sort of leap was pretty bold. "I don't know what you mean by that, I have no associates. I have classmates, and I have my softball teammates. Beyond that I don't have much of a life. Not to mention, the people that did this were not men."

There were two officers, and I was pretty sure they came out of the same cloning vat. They were both a little over six feet tall, both over 200 pounds of muscle, and both seemed to assume that I was less a victim, and more a criminal done in by my fellow unsavory friends. They both went through their notes in confusion, then continued when they'd settled on a new question.

"But your previous drug contacts, could they have been involved?" Officer number 1 asked. I didn't bother to remember their names.

"The only person that gives me drugs is the pharmacist that gives me my birth control prescription. And to answer the next question, no, there is no ex-boyfriend that could have done it. I only take that because it keeps my periods regular and reduces my cramps." Okay, yeah, I went there only to make them uncomfortable. "I don't have any drug contacts at all."

"So, the pharmacist is a drug dealer?"

Holy shit, they're morons. "No. Oh my god. I can't believe this. That was me being facetious! There is no drug dealer. I have never even met a drug dealer, nor could I tell you a name or what they look like. I have no gang contacts. I don't know any violent offenders other than the three girls that attacked me."

"The girls were drug dealers?"

"I have no idea what they do in their spare time. I didn't get a good look at them. I was hit in the face and woozy right away. Everything was all blurry after that, but I saw three shapes standing over me and they all had female voices. I don't know who they were, but if I had to bet, they were other students," I told them. I didn't want to give them too much information, but if they started asking around school about three girls that hung out together and might bully me, it could potentially scare the crap out of my tormentors. I doubted any of the other students would squeal on them though.

"Thank you, Miss Mahoe. I think we can take it from here. There shouldn't be too many gang members or drug dealers at the academy. We'll follow up with you if we have any more questions." I couldn't even tell if that was officer one or two anymore, they were just blending together.

"Yep. Good luck with your investigation." I had already forgotten them when they left the room.

"Oh my god that was so bad," Syd groaned. "I can understand why you didn't say anything now. They really think that of you?"

I nodded slowly. "Yeah. There is a school resource officer that put in several reports after several of the previous mishaps stating that it was gang related and there was the possibility of drugs, so that the people that really did it would be protected. The police will take that and run with it, as you could see."

"But you know who it really is?" she asked.

I looked over at her and gave her a soft smile. "Syd, I know you're trying to help, and I appreciate that. But trust me when I say it is all under control. I don't want you to get involved in this at all."

She didn't look happy at that. "You really expect me to not worry about you? I care about you Nai'a, you know that. I can't just sit here on my ass and watch nothing happen!"

"Hey, hey! Syd! Come here." I patted the bed next to me and she sighed before sitting next to me. I really wanted to hug her, but I didn't know if the cops might come back or anything, so I just took my hand and slipped it over hers, gently entwining our fingers. "There are things happening, a lot of them. I can't do much, but Heidi can. She does a lot of things for my family's business like investigations and background checks and can get dirt on anyone. Trust me when I say that I'm already satisfied with the information I have, and I can easily ruin all of their lives if I want. I just have to get dirt on a few more people before I do so, because I need to take down the ones enabling them too."

"That sounds ominous." Syd squeezed my hand, and I looked into her eyes. "Are you sure that you won't go too far? If you do that, won't you be just as bad as them? I'm not saying they don't deserve to pay, but how far do you really want to take it? I don't know that I want to be in here treating patients that you or Heidi put in here. And I really don't want to see you back in here for confronting them."

The bigger issue for me was, if I took it too far, would Syd want to be with someone like that? "Nothing I do will be physical. But if I want them punished, what should I do then? I haven't done anything that would hurt them, but I have a lot of information to do so if I wanted to. Or should I just turn the other cheek and let it go?"

"I can't answer that. I don't know if there really is a right answer. I would want them to be punished, I just don't know that you should be the one that does it," she stated sadly. "I guess being a nurse I look at things differently. If the person I hated the most was my patient, I'd still have to treat them as well as any patient, and I would. I know they hurt you, and you have every right to hate them. But what would that say about you if you stooped to their level? I guess I'd rather see the police do something, and then you keep your hands clean. Could the information you have sway the police?"

"But they might not do what needs to be done. You saw the cops that just left, do you think others would be any different? They've been doing this for four years! Why wouldn't I want payback for everything they've done?" I argued. She hadn't lived through it all and had no idea what I'd been feeling.

"And then what?" she asked quietly.

"What do you mean?" I wondered. Was there supposed to be more?

"What happens the next time someone cuts you off in traffic? Or upsets you at work? Are you going to want revenge again? Will it be something you use every time that bad things happen?" She wasn't looking at me now, and I was a little worried.

"No, of course not. I don't think that every situation would need a response like this," I pointed out.

"But where is the line? Do you need to do everything you have planned? Would it make you happy to ruin their lives? I guess what I'm saying is, is your life over now? Yes, you have some scars, but you're free from them now, right? If each of them got a proper punishment for what they'd done by you just turning in all the information, wouldn't that be sufficient? I really like you Nai'a, but I don't know that I could be with someone who is going to take it that far when there is no immediate danger. At some point, someone has to be the one that doesn't escalate it. If you have a chance to end this without making it into something a lot more than it is, wouldn't that be enough?" When she was done, she had tears trickling down her face, and I just sat there unable to respond. She didn't wait for one anyway. Wiping away her tears, she walked out of my room without another glance.

I knew what she was saying. If I wanted, I could easily take that video and turn it over to the police. Maybe I still could. I just didn't want to feel helpless. I also didn't want Principal Clark to get away with covering them up though, and Officer Berry shouldn't either. The video would get the girls put away but leave the adults free to keep doing what they were doing. But I didn't have to blow up the internet and their lives with all the files, did I?

I had a lot to think about.

***

A/N – I know there arepeople that don't like Syd's line of reasoning here, but she also has acompletely different perspective. She's older, less impulsive, and has seen alot of people come through the ER. The last thing she wants is to have to treatsomeone that Nai'a had put there, or worse see Heidi or Nai'a there themselves.She would rather have the authorities have the first crack at it beforeanything else.