So Many Things I Want To Say

Marks Upon The skin

"How is she today?" Barbra asked.
"She must be living with so much pain, she refuses to speak about what happened but the marks on her skin are terrible" sister julienne frowned.
"I don't know how she can stay so strong" Trixie frowned.
"We must pray she can move past what happened and become herself again" sister julienne frowned.
"The shell must be broken before the bird can fly" sister Monica-Joan smiled.
"I beg your pardon sister?" Trixie asked.
"The shell must be broken before the bird can fly" sister Monica-Joan smiled again, leaving the others to ponder her words.

Shelagh sat on the sofa with her knees pulled up to her chest again. She hadn't eaten much and every time she moved she winced in pain. She still wore the habit, feeling as if it would protect her from the evil of the world. Her face was bright red from crying all night but no one commented on it. Patrick entered the sitting room and gave every one a small smile. He went to take another step into the room but he stopped himself.
"Shelagh in sorry I ran yesterday" he frowned, she didn't move. He gave the others another small smile before he turned to leave.
"Your ashamed" shelagh said quietly making him turn back.
"What?" Patrick said his heart breaking.
"Your ashamed of me. After all I am the nun who had her head turned by the doctor. Why wouldn't I want a random man on the street to use me" shelagh said as more tears slowly began to fall.
"I'm not ashamed of you shelagh. I left yesterday because I was angry and you didn't deserve to see me like that" Patrick frowned.
"God thinks I deserve this so maybe I deserve to see your angry side" shelagh said still not making eye contact with him "God thinks I deserve to have that man's face etched upon my mind, he thinks I deserve to remember what I felt like to have my clothes ripped from me-" shelagh began to cry harder which broke Patrick even more. Trixie went over to shelagh and knelt on the floor next to her stroking her back, soothing her.
"If you know what he looks like shelagh we should be cataloguing your injuries for trial" Patrick tried to sound optimistic.
"For what? So that I can be called upon by a group of men that would put me in the same category as prostitutes that work down the dock row?" Shelagh said growing angry "I've been humiliated enough" shelagh said quietly.
"Patrick's right shelagh. One day when your ready if you want this man to be put away where he belongs we are going to need a list of your inguries" sister julienne tried.
"I'm not likely to forget them. I am reminded every time I move, every time I look at my own body" shelagh said angrily through gritted teeth.
"We need evidence if you want to stop him from hurting other women. I know you Shelagh. And you want to put him away. Maybe not today. Maybe not tomorrow. But one day, this is what you will want and we can't do that without evidence" sister Evangelina offered her a weak smile.
"Fine. But I don't want Patrick in the room" Shelagh said sternly.
"Whatever you want" he agreed.

Shelagh undressed in the middle of the office with the help of sister Evangelina. It broke sister julienne's heart to see the marks on her skin again. Sister Evangelina was shocked to see the extent of her injuries.
"God tests us with pain" Sister Monica Joan assured Shelagh, holding her hands tightly in hers.

Shelagh walked out of the office and there was her friends, her family. Trixie walked over to her and smiled before she flung her arms tightly around Shelagh's neck pulling her close.
"I love you sweetie" Trixie smiled.
"I love you too Trixie" Shelagh said which erupted another flood of tears from her.
"Same for us" Jenny said as her and Cynthia joined in with the hug.
"I'm proud of you Shelagh" Patrick said from further down the hall.
"Thank you" she said avoiding meeting his gaze.