A/N Thank you again to Anna for doing the hard grammar work and helping get these 13516 words done in time for Update Day! And Kitkat for listening to me whine about what my characters are doing and being a huge part of my inspiration for writing in the first place.
Dr. Sean Green POV
I reach around her and snatched my bag.
"I have a cream that will help with the bruises, we will rub that in and then wrap you up with a bandage. Okay?"
Looking up at her I see her eyes are wide, staring at the cream in my hands and understand she is worried about my touching her breasts. "Would you like to apply the cream on your front and then I can get your shoulders and hip for you?"
Her shoulders relax and she lets out a little sigh. She starts to turn toward the mirror, but catches a glimpse of herself and stops. I put my hand under her elbow and pull her a little further away from the vanity and walk behind her. I open the tube of arnica and squeeze a quarter size dollop on my fingers and hand the tube over her shoulder to her. Starting at the worst bruising on the shoulder she fell on I rub in the cream. She still feels tense under my hands so I start talking.
"We found this cream for one of my brothers. Well, he is a part of my family just like Kota is. He does a lot of martial arts and gets all kind of bruises. I wasn't happy just letting him heal naturally. He lives just down the street from here too, I am sure you will meet him soon."
She relaxed as I spoke. I could feel her rubbing the cream on her chest through the arm I was working on. I was tall enough to see over her shoulder and watch as she worked but I was only checking occasionally to make sure she got the worst spots.
"How many 'brothers' do you have?" She asked startling me.
Perceptive. I thought.
"There are nine of us. We have all been friends for a very long time and we consider each other family. Only North and Luke are actually brothers."
I moved on to her hip, tugging her somewhat to the side. I had to pull the pajama pants slightly down and away from her to get the whole bruise.
She peeked up at me, "Nine?" she mused.
"Oh, they are all great fun... well, Owen is a little stiff. North is a bit grouchy and Gabriel swears like a sailor. But they are all great people!" 'Great sell Sean' I thought. Why was I describing them to her? Did I really think she would be meeting them? Yes! I knew she would be a part of our family from the moment I saw her face.
"I am done, Pumpkin!"
"Me too." She handed the cream back to me and stood half facing away with a blush on her cheeks.
"Alright, Miss Sang. We need to address that cracked nipple and then we can wrap you up tight so you will heal easier. But first." I hesitated, I didn't know how she would react to this part. "We should take a few pictures to record the abuse."
Panic showed in her eyes. "We will do whatever we have to to deal with your mother. BELIEVE me, Sang! But evidence might be helpful. Either way, you will be safe from her."
She grimaced but nodded.
I washed my hands then took a few quick pictures of each injury front and back. I went through my bag for antibacterial cream and a square bandage. "I am going to put this cream on your nipple and then add the bandage" I walked around her and handed her the bandage to hold while I added the cream. She winced and jerked back slightly. I attached the bandage and reached back around her to my bag for the thick stretchy bandage to wrap around her. "Let me know if this is too uncomfortable, it should be tight but not hard to breathe or move."
When I was done wrapping her up I helped her into the shirt. She looked up at me with a sad little smile. I gave her the best grin I could manage and she burst into tears. I pulled her into my arms and held her until her sobs turned into hiccups.
I pulled back slightly and looked down into her tear filled eyes. "We should probably go and find Kota. He has most likely counted everything in the pantry by now"
She looked at me in confusion and I laughed. "He counts. Let's go save him from himself!"
*****
Kota was indeed in the pantry when we got downstairs. I shared a conspiratorial smile with Sang when we pulled him out and back into the kitchen. He looked at me with worry when he saw Sang's tearstained face.
I looked at him telling him that it had been a hard process for her and she was ok now and he relaxed his shoulders and his frown eased.
"Sang, are you ok?" She was looking between us, she hadn't missed our communication and seemed interested.
"I'm fine. It feels better now." I doubted that. I had grabbed a Norco from my bag for her as I left the bathroom. Going over to the refrigerator I seized her a water and opened it. Handing her the pill and the water I asked, "When did you last eat? This may upset your stomach. Kota do you have those...?"
"Yeah, Doc. In the freezer. Sang, do you like chicken?"
She just looked back and forth between us and then nodded. I guess I didn't give her a chance to answer me about when she had last eaten. "Chicken sandwich it is! I think I'll have one too. Kota, did you make me hot chocolate?"
"I did. But I think it is cold by now"
"Could you reheat it and make those sandwiches? I need to go grab something from the car." I looked at him significantly. It was time to call Owen. I got a stubborn look-back. He thought it should wait.
'For what?'
I asked with a look. He looked at Sang, I did too. She was still sniffling. But she looked better than when I got here. I shook my head slightly. He sighed in capitulation.
'Fine, make the call'
"Okey Dokey Pookie, I'll be right back! Pookie! That's even better than pumpkin!" I grin at my cleverness.
"Pookie?!" Sang squeaks out
"Yep, it's cute. Just like you!" I wink at her and walk toward the garage.
****
It was still raining slightly so I sat in my car. I also didn't want to look like a burglar standing outside of a house at two in the morning. Why didn't I make Kota make this call? Because Owen would tear him to pieces and I am too sweet for my own good!
I redline him. Ha! If I had to get it then he had too also. His phone was probably sensibly on the nightstand unlike mine had been.
On the second ring, I hear "Dr. Green?" He sounded awake and completely composed. I knew it was a ruse. I had lived with him too long. He somehow had the ability to wake completely when called and be ready for war.
"Hello, Owen! Yes. It is I, Your best friend, 'Sean'!" I snarked at him.
"Dr. Green! I assume you redlined me for a reason at two in the morning?"
That sobered me up slightly. Teasing him was my life's mission but now might not be the time. "Ok, ok. We found an injured Bird..."
He interrupted me. "Who is 'we'?" He asked me like he was speaking to a toddler.
Always the one for a complete report our Owen. That would cost him! "Well... Max is the one who ran her over. Then Kota found her, and he redlined me, and I was having this dream..."
"Dr. Green!" he was trying to get me back on track. He should know better by now. That is not the way to do it.
"You know that dream I keep having about the dancing girls?"
"SEAN!"
"Yes, OWEN? As I was saying. Kota had Max run her down because he felt something was off about her. He discovered she is being abused. When he discovered how severe the abuse was he called me to help patch her up."
"Why wasn't I told earlier?" He was seething. I could hear it in his voice.
"Stop seething Owen. She is skittish around people. I am amazed Kota got her here in the first place. I am flat out shocked that she let me treat her. Especially considering the injuries. But I think she is terrified of going home. She is something special, Owen. We have to help her. I don't know what will happen if we overwhelm her. She may bolt and we won't find her. We can't let that happen." I was rambling. I knew it. But I suddenly had this fear of losing her.
"Sean?"
I took a deep breath. "Yes, Owen?"
"Who is this girl?"
"Her name is Sang Sorenson. She lives in the gray two-story across the street from Kota and down the road from Nathan. That family moved in around a month ago right?"
He 'hmm-ed' through the phone. "Yes, I believe so. Two daughters and a son along with the parents from the visual report if I recall."
"We can't let her go back, Owen. At least not without removing the mother. Permanently if I had any say in the matter." I knew there was murder in my voice. I was still fuming and talking about it was making my blood boil all over again.
"What was done to her, Dr. Green?" Ah, formal Owen was back. I would let it go, for now, I knew it was a way of coping with unpleasant things for him.
"She was tied around the elbows. Then beaten. Slapped across the breasts until blood was drawn from a nipple... I took pictures as evidence in case we needed it."
I pulled my phone away from my ear and sent off a picture to him. The one of her from the neck down to her stomach. You could see her bruised elbows in the picture as well.
A second later I heard a ding and then a curse.
"There wasn't much I could do." I was stalling to give him a minute to process. "I was able to use the cream that Nathan uses and wrap an ace bandage around her tightly. It will give her skin a chance to tighten and heal again... "
"Thank you, Dr. Green. I have just sent a message off to Mr. Morgan to research Miss Sorenson and her family and see what we can discover. We should have a report in the morning."
Poor Victor. How many of us were going to get redlined in the middle of the night because of this one Bird?
"When are you coming over Owen?" It was a given that he was coming over I just wasn't sure when.
"I'll be there in the morning after I receive the report on Miss Sorenson from Mr. Morgan. You should go home and get some rest, Sean."
"I think I will stay here. I am sure Kota is going to convince Sang to stay here tonight. I can sleep on the couch or the floor for all I care. If she has a reaction to the medicine I gave her or has any other problems I would like to be here. I should be here as a buffer for when you show up! You are a bit prickly to the uninitiated. Plus I love Erica's cooking!"
"Don't annoy Erica! She works too hard to be making breakfast for you." Owen scolded me like I was still the sixteen-year-old he was trying to get to quit smoking.
"Hey! I work hard. I am a doctor you know, Owen!"
"Oh, I know! Who helped you study for all those years?", he sighed, "Just take care of Miss Sorenson and Mr. Lee until I can find out what Mr. Morgan discovers and I can get there in the morning."
I saluted my windshield smartly, "Yes Sir. Mr. Blackbourne, Sir!"
I heard a loud sigh, "Goodnight Sean. Please get some rest tonight?"
"Alright Owen, I will try. Goodnight."
I sat in the car for a moment looking in at the light in the kitchen. Owen was going to be just as taken with her as Kota and I had been. He was already concerned for her wellbeing. But there was more to her than just the danger she was in. She was perceptive and intent. The way she had picked up that I had 'brothers' and asked about them and I saw the way she noticed Kota and I communicating with our looks. She was intriguing.
Getting out of the car I groaned a little. Three hours of sleep was not enough. I did need to rest, luckily I had tomorrow, or I guess, today off.
Walking back into the kitchen I hoped that Kota has figured out a way to convince Sang to stay here and that he made that sandwich for me. I am starved.
I hear murmurs and a quiet giggle. Oh, that laugh is going to kill me! I turn the corner into the kitchen. They are leaning against the counter companionably. Sang has a sandwich halfway to her lips and is snickering at something Kota has said. Kota is holding a mug of hot chocolate and is smiling at her and staring into her eyes.
"No giggling Pookie!" I announce as I walk the rest of the way into the room so they can see me. Sang jumps slightly "That's how you start fires... Well close."
Kota blushed and slid an inch or two away from Sang. I walked over to the plate that had the other sandwich on it and snatched it up. "Thanks, Kota! So what are we up to now? Playing truth or dare? Dancing in the pale moonlight? Having a sleepover? I am down for any of those!", I wink at Sang and get her to blush too. I should be counting blushes and see how many I can get a day... that would be a fun game to play with myself, I mused.
I shook the thought out of my head as Kota said, "Sang is going to be staying here. On the pullout bed. You are welcome to stay too, Doc."
I nodded sagely and added, "Thanks, I think I would like to stay. Owen is coming over in the morning too. I want to be able to check on Pookie's injuries later tomorrow, though. But we should probably forgo the truth or dare tonight it is late and Gabriel would be upset if he missed it!"
Sang's mouth fell open "Truth or dare? I have never played. You are joking right?"
Kota shook his head a little sadly and I burst out laughing. "Oh, no. Now it is going to happen for sure Kota! Think of North wearing lipstick..." I rub my hands together in excitement.
"Doc, Calm down she hasn't even met all the guys yet. You can't be planning pranks already!"
I looked over at Sang and saw a small glow of happiness about her. Did she think she would get away from us so easily? We take care of our family and she signed up whether she knows it or not.
"Ok. Children. Off to bed." I put on my best doctor voice and chivy them back toward the stairs, Kota leading the way. I hear a mutter float back from him "...ust planning on putting North in lipstick and now is calling us children?"
Sang giggled between us and I harrumphed. "I've got that doctor's cure for giggles right here, missy" I pointed to my lips as we gained the top of the stairs. Her eyes widened and her blush grew deeper. But she stared at my lips as she quieted.
I think she has never been kissed before. Oh, how I wanted to be the one to kiss her!