Mel's only outside visitors in the hospital came in blue uniforms and wanted an official statement.
"Good afternoon, Miss Jackson. I'm Chief Swan, and this here is Officer Bennett."
Chief Swan's voice was gruff but fatherly. His dark hair peaked out from under a police hat. He stood tall with a pot of flowers resting in his hands. He set the light purple sunburst flowers on the counter.
The younger man beside Chief Swan looked fresh out of training. Officer Bennett had wavy blond hair and a baby face with barely a brush of facial hair. His smile was kind, but his blue eyes looked sad.
Chief Swan rubbed his bushy mustache before pulling out a notepad and getting down to business. "We'd like to ask you a few questions, if that's okay."
"I-I guess." Mel fiddled with her cast.
"No need to be nervous," Chief Swan assured her. "Just answer our questions truthfully and as fully as possible, alright?"
Mel only nodded. Her throat had constricted. Her hands began to shake against the frumpy bedsheets. Her anxiety only increased as the police offers pressed for more details about Jeremy's abuse.
She knew that she wanted to wake from this dream, but one sharp nail against her arm proved that the situation was real. For the first time since she encountered Jeremy Jackson, Melaina let the flood gates open and talked. Every beating, every scream, every cry for mercy...
She cried as she recalled the memories of her past. She couldn't help it. The world she knew was crashing and burning around her.
She rambled while the officers took notes of her words. Her voice rose higher and came out faster as she detailed horrors she had buried in the back of her mind. There was no turning back now.
The heartrate machine beeped frantically. A nurse rushed in and convinced the officers to let Mel take a break to calm down.
She couldn't calm. She could barely even breathe. The nurse silenced her hyperventilating with a needle to Melaina's arm. Drowsiness overtook Mel within minutes, and she gratefully faded away from the bright white room.
~*~
Both Chief Swan and Officer Bennett came back to talk to Mel the next morning. They brought donuts this time, to Melaina's delight. Hospital food was the equivalent of pig slop.
Mel munched happily on the end of her chocolate glazed donut. "So what is going to happen to Jeremy now that I ratted him out?" She wiped her sticky fingers on a napkin, then picked up another donut.
"You did the right thing telling us the truth, Miss Jackson. We now have the means for a warrant to arrest your stepfather for domestic abuse, as well as child abuse and child endangerment." Mel paused, her donut resting against her lips. She lowered her shaking arm.
Melaina gulped. She knew that Jeremy deserved what he had coming, but the inevitable thought of his refueled anger at her almost made her wish that she kept her trap shut. Almost.
"So wh-what happens to me? I don't have anyone else."
Her answer arrived the next day in nude heels and a bachelor's degree in social work.