Pre-destined

Hospital

"Sis, please. You can't keep this up. Look at your arms. They're all bruised..."

"Keith, I don't want to talk about this," she stopped him with a finger on his mouth. Her brother was the first to reach the hospital and had been by her side since she came out of the operation theatre.

"Look, I'm your brother and I shouldn't do this but this is the worst! How many times must you take all this shit from him? He had beaten you up before and you always insisted not coming for treatment. Now, I can't stand by and just let that bastard beat you up like a punching bag. He shouldn't have done it in the first place!" He was almost shouting now. Lowering down his voice, "I'm not going to let him get away with this. It's not the first time. Sis, I'll get him for everything he had done to you. A wife is not for beating up. I'll get you a lawyer..."

"I'll think about this, give me some time," she waved him out of the ward tiredly. He left after tucking her in. He decided to find help.

~*~*~*~*~

She was in the bedroom. She was afraid to sleep there. Frightened that he might hurt her again. Suddenly, she was tied to the bed. It was the same every time; he'd smile weirdly and waved the lighter in front of him. The room was not so friendly like before. It had become a torture room for her.

"No, please. I beg of you. Lester, please. Aaahhh!" he wouldn't listen. He started belting her hard.

Rita woke up with a start. It was the same nightmare over and over again since she was in hospital. Wiping the beads of perspiration from her forehead, she took a drink of water by the side. Lying back, she tried to think of happy times but the nightmare had done its deeds. She fell asleep fitfully after tossing and turning for a long time.

~*~*~*~*~

 The doctor was tired. He had been going about his rounds and making sure his patients were getting their medications. His nurse was on urgent leave and there was no one free to help him with the schedule so he had looked through it when she called to say the schedule was on his top tray. He wished she was around, there was this old man in one of the wards who was stubborn, he wouldn't take the medication although the good doctor had tried to coax him into it. Giving up, he left the tablets by the bedside hoping that he's take it.

"Doctor Ritan!" he heard someone called him from behind. The man was familiar, then he recalled, his ex-girlfriend's younger brother, Keith.

"Hi Keith," he greeted when he caught up. Keith panted a little and greeted him back. Putting an arm around him, Keith mentioned that he wanted to have a talk with him, since his shift was over, Tim agreed.

~*~*~*~*~

 The door opened. Rita was reading a magazine and looked up on the visitor, it was Keith. He had brought someone along. "Hi Sis, I've brought my friend here. He's a good lawyer. John, this is my sister, Rita. Sis, John." Keith made the introductions and sat down.

"Hi, may I ask you some questions?" John asked.

"Sure, but does my brother have to stay?"

"This is off the record. I'll need some help from him anyway." He smiled reassuringly at her. They took some photos of her bruises and cuts.

"If you want better," wincing at the word, she continued, "photos, you can get them from Dr. Andrews. He took them for some examinations." Nodding, John left after arranging with her for an official appointment.