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"It's okay sweetie, everything is okay. We are here with you." My mom coached, rubbing my shoulder as my father pushed my wheelchair out of the hospital entrance. My body shook from being terrified that he could easily be waiting out here for me, ready to attack like he did. The attack that left me with a broken nose, three broken ribs, internal bleeding that ruined my digestive system for a week and that all in addition to my already fractured femur. I went through hell trying to recover physically, but I knew three weeks wasn't enough for me to recover mentally. "He's gone away for a very, very, long time baby girl. No need to worry."
I could've been released earlier but they had me under suicide watch for a few additional weeks. I barely slept apart from the times when I was medicated to do so, I couldn't hold anything down apart from soup and water, any loud noise or sudden movements caused me to go into automatic panic. My life just wasn't and could never be the same after everything.
Preston never gave me the chance to even explain. Everything happened so fast, every counselling session out the window, I literally saw the devil in his eyes. I figured he had found out due to him having to check me into the triage since I was in an unconscious state upon arrival.
Although, I know that I was in the wrong for not telling him from the jump, I know that what he did was wrong and no one deserved to be treated the way I was; not only that morning but throughout that toxic relationship I held onto for so long. I gave Preston a love that no woman could ever give him, but in doing so I let myself become vulnerable and allow him to do things that he should never have gotten away with. It would only have gotten worse, everything happens for a reason and this was my reason to get out. With the karma being my injuries, of course.
"A very long time." My dad said, wheeling me out to the parked car on the curb. My mother opened the door and he lifted me out of the car, sitting me in the passenger side so I could stretch my sore leg. They shut the door and I watched them through the window, folding up the wheel chair; placing it into the trunk of the car.
My mother got into the back, meanwhile my father climbed into the driver's seat and cut on the engine. As he eased off onto the road, I let out a deep exhale, those hospital walls reminded me too much of those atrocious events and it finally felt good to be away from it all. The moment I got better enough to use crutches I would be out of here and back in Atlanta, away from Rikers county where my attacker stayed behind bars; awaiting trial. I hated being in the same city as him, regardless of how far away the jail was; it still felt too close to me and I didn't think I'd be able to sleep until I got away.
"You're going to love the Airbnb that we're staying in." my mom cooed once we hit the freeway. "We would've done a hotel but we figured a bungalow would be better for you to get around in."
"Yeah, that and most hotels wouldn't accept Grizzly." My dad chuckled. "I keep talking to your mom about feeding that damn dog. I swear, he's much taller than me when he stands up."
