Tommy's Rose

Chapter 27: Bruises Will Heal

It was now late afternoon. I had been home a few hours and I had a warm bath, I asked Polly to help me wash my hair and clean my wounds, I could tell she was shocked at the state of my body but she didn't say anything we talked about how well my brother Charlie was doing and how he had missed me, I too had missed him even if he did get on my nerves, I was very excited to see him.

I went into my room and changed into some fresh clean clothes. I had only been gone a week but I had missed the smell of home, it sounds strange doesn't it, your home having a smell but it really was something I missed.

When I was dressed I walked out of my room searching for Polly and my Father, I peaked into his bedroom but they weren't there, I headed down the stairs and listened out for their voices, I could here quiet chatter so I followed it down the corridor to my Father's Study and I was about to open the door but when I heard the conversation through the vent I stopped dead in my tracks.

"Please don't!" I heard Polly beg. "That girls been through enough, leave her for tonight!"

"Then tell me the truth Pol," My Father said. "How bad is it?"

I knew full well they were talking about me and the state of my body. I wanted Polly to help me in the bathroom because I knew she wouldn't question me about what the men did to us but what I wasn't expecting was for her to go straight to my Father, I thought she'd leave it for a few days but I was wrong...

"Thomas, it's bad," Polly stated. "Thank God she was only there a week. The state of those other children, I don’t want to imagine those people make me sick. Innocent children”"

"What kind of marks?" I heard Lizzie Stark ask.

I frowned and asked myself why on earth Lizzie was here, yes I know her and my Father have a thing still where they see each other for bussiness and sex but I couldn't understand why she was here, now?

I heard Polly sigh. "Let's just say that poor girl has a perfect print of a belt buckle in the middle of her shoulders," She explained.

"We have to talk to her," Lizzie spoke up. "She needs to talk about what happened, it must have been a nightmare."

"No offense Lizzie but I think you'll be the last person who should talk to her," Polly stated. "Thomas has yet to tell her the news and I have a feeling that won’t go down well. He is the king in her story and I don’t think you're in it."

"Alright Pol just don't," My Father quickly said. “I have a list of things to do!”

"You didn't tell her?" Lizzie asked in confusion. “Tommy you said you would!”

My stomach knotted with anxiety. They were keeping something from me, it had something to do with Lizzie and something to do with my Father, I was sure of it but I wanted to know I needed to know.

"How could I tell her Lizzie?" My Father asked. "I just got my daughter back, who is covered head to toe in bruises, in cuts and marks. How the fuck was I supposed to tell my broken child that you were pregnant!"

Everything stopped. My world stopped spinning and my heart shattered into a million pieces as my Father's words hit me and without thinking I threw the door open-

*BANG*
The door slammed against the wall making all three adults look at me; Lizzie gasped when she saw the state of my face.

Tears escaped my eyes. "She's pregnant?" I asked. "You got her pregnant?"

My Father rushed over to me and held my shoulder. "Listen to me, we're going to talk about this another day," He told me softly. "We need to get you better. Ignore us!"