Alex woke up to the sounds of soft moans and crying in her ear.
She shot up. She looked over and saw Olivia struggling beneath the covers. Olivia’s fists held the crisp white sheets. Olivia’s face was thrown backwards into the pillows. Her legs were moving as if she was running, or trying to run.
Alex flipped the light on and she saw beads of sweat on the detective’s wrinkled forehead. She grabbed Olivia’s shoulders and shook them gently. “Olivia? Olivia? Come on Liv, you’ve got to wake up. Come on Liv.”
Olivia’s panicked eyes shot open. Tears escaped from her quivering eyelids. She propped herself up quickly on her elbows. She looked at Alex as her lips drug in many, too many, jagged breaths. “Harris. It was Harris. I told him he could do whatever he wanted when he caught me. I don’t want him to touch me, Alex. Please don’t let him touch me.” Her chest collapsed then, and her small body convulsed with racking sobs.
It broke Alex’s heart.
“It’s Alex. I’m going to touch you. I’m going to hold you now.” She took Olivia in her arms. Her right hand held Olivia’s head to her own chest. They slowly lay back down. Alex’s left arm was snaked across Olivia’s shaking body. Alex stroked through the detective’s hair, whispering soft things in her ear. She held Olivia in her arms while she sobbed. Alex couldn’t help her own tears that fell on Olivia’s skin.
Alex opened her mouth slightly and sang:
So say you’ll watch over me,
When I’m in too deep.
Tell me you’ll always be,
There to pull me free.
She hoped Olivia would recognize the melody as the one they had danced to just hours earlier.
And with that, Olivia’s breathing gradually slowed to the even, quiet pace of sleep. Alex was completely aware of the sound woman, breathing on her chest.
Not too soon after, Alex fell asleep too.