Real Emergencies (Chicago Med)

Chapter 24

I enter the staffroom with my lunch and see Will sitting alone at the table. I sit across from him and then say, "Where's everyone else?"

"They all went out for lunch. It used to be a Tuesday tradition when I first started here so now everyone is determined to bring it back."

I laugh and then begin to eat my salad. We eat in silence for a few minutes and then Will breaks it by saying, "Alright, I have to get this off my chest."

He looks at me like he's waiting for approval so I say, "Well, get on with it then."

He nods and says, "Sara, I have this sneaking suspicion that your cuts and bruises aren't because you're clumsy. I care about you more than I think you know and I want to make sure that you're safe. I know when someone is lying about their injuries so please just tell me the truth."

I gulp and look down at the table. Will is definitely on to me and I'm not sure if I'm ready or able to fess up about this lie I've been living yet. I take a deep breath to calm my beating heart and decide that I won't tell him anything in this moment.

I look Will right in the eyes and say, "I'm fine. Nothing's wrong."

Will evidently doesn't believe me and keeps pushing me. I keep shrugging him off and telling him that I'm alright. This process continues for a couple minutes but then Will says, "Alright look, as a doctor I can tell when something is seriously wrong with someone. I became a doctor to help people and save lives. Please Sara, let me help you and who knows, maybe it'll even save your life."

I take a deep breath to calm the emotions that have come rushing forward and then I say, "Alright, you want to know what's wrong?"

He nods so I reply, "Fine. My "boyfriend" Aspen has been abusing me for months now. It just kept getting worse and more frequent yet I still held out hope that he would see that what he was doing was wrong. That's why I never told anyone and used clumsiness as a cover up for the abuse marks. It was so foolish of me to think that it would stop. He became an alcoholic and it got even worse after that point. In the past month it's become unbearable. Just last night he beat me with a metal baton and now my entire left side is bruising and swelling and I'm in pain with every little movement. I should've told someone when this whole mess first started but I couldn't bring myself to do that because I was blinded by just how loving he had been and had somehow convinced myself that it would stop. I was so stupid Will! So that's what's wrong."

Will sits there in a stunned silence for a couple seconds and then recovers and says, "Sara, I am beyond sorry. I should've said something sooner and helped you. Can I see your side?"

I nod and lift up my shirt. He gasps loudly and then in a hushed voice says, "Oh my god Sara, I think that's the worst bruising I've ever seen. We'll get you a strong anti-inflammatory, alright?"

I nod in agreement and lower my shirt back down. He reaches across the table and presses my hands in between both of his. He looks me right in the eye and says, "This shouldn't have happened to you. You're too good for this but now that I know I'll help you in whatever ways I can. In fact, why don't I call my brother right now? He's a cop and can help you get a restraining order in place. He can also go with you to your place and arrest Aspen so that you can get your things."

I nod and say, "Could you please do that?"

He nods and pulls out his phone. I excuse myself and then make my way up to Dr. Charles' office. I owe him a massive explanation.

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Hey guys! Thanks for being patient and for 28 000 reads!

So I know that you've all been waiting for this chapter and I just wanted to thank you all for doing just that. When I started this story I knew that the abuse could be a sensitive topic for some people, and I truly hope that it wasn't too much for all of you. No more abuse after this, I promise. And if you guys ever need someone to talk to, my ears are always open no matter what. -Becca