Part 14
{November 17, 1999}
As the world slowly came back into focus, Kerry allowed herself time to take in her
surroundings. The room was small. A couple of hard, plastic chairs lined the stained wall on the
opposite side of the room. A tiny, laminate desk occupied the far corner. Slowly, her eyesight
regained perfect clarity, the haziness receding to the periphery of her vision.
Kerry found that she had been placed on a vinyl couch, its gray cover having seen better days.
As clarity came to her sight, an awareness of another person in the room registered. A pair of polished
black shoes were firmly planted on the ground beside her. Long legs stretched out uncomfortably from
their contorted position, seated in another of the hard, plastic seats pulled up beside the couch. As her
eyes took in the figure, she recognised the familiar outline of Reggie.
"Dr. Weaver. How are you feeling?"
"Fine," Kerry responded, her throat dry and scratchy. She felt like she could drink a gallon of
water and still ask for more.
"You didn't look to fine earlier."
"Yeah, well, I'm fine now." Kerry tried to push herself up from the couch, finding it difficult as
the word spun again.
"Don't seem too fine," he commented watching her carefully. "I've called Jeanie."
"You what?" Kerry turned her head quickly towards him, managed to maintain staying
upright, even though her sudden movement hadn't helped her balance..
"You obviously need someone to take care of you when you get home. You're still unsteady
on your feet and Jeanie wouldn't forgive me if she found out that I'd let you go home alone in your
condition. She'll stay with you."
"I'll be fine," Kerry reaffirmed, trying to reassure Reggie as well as herself that she was okay.
She leaned forward, holding her head in her hands, her arms resting on her knees. Looking tiredly
across at Reggie, she pointed out, "Jeanie's got her hands full with Carlos."
"I'm finishing my shift shortly. Carlos will not be an issue."
"But I can't. Jeanie doesn't know."
"What, the truth? The fact that you were attacked in your home by an intruder? That you were
tied up and he attempted to rape you?" Reggie stated matter-of-factly, not softening the truth of the
words.
The words hit their intended target forcefully, disintegrating the thin veil of composure Kerry
had managed to regain. She wrapped her arms around herself, hugging herself tightly, protecting herself
from the verbal onslaught. She shook her head slowly, denying the sting of hurt the words left behind.
Reggie realised his mistake. His frustration with Kerry's lack of confidence in her friendship
with Jeanie had got the better of him and lashed out against the one person who didn't need to be
attacked right now. He sat down beside her, gritting his teeth as she visibly flinched at his imposing
presence.
"Dr. Weaver... Kerry.... Jeanie has been your friend for years now. Obviously this attack has
affected you, why don't you let her help you?
"It's affected me because the guy was still out there. Now he's caught, it'll be fine. I'll be
fine," Kerry said determinedly. She felt the nails of her fingers biting into the delicate skin of her upper
arms. Trying to gain some semblance of control, she forced herself to uncross her arms and fold her
hands calmly in her lap.
"So you'll tell Jeanie what's happened," Reggie asked quietly, leaning back against the sofa,
hoping that his casual demeanour would help Kerry.
"No. It's over. Why rehash it all now?" Kerry's fingers began twisting a contorted dance over
each other.
"Because you need to talk to someone about it."
"No. I just need that guy to go to jail. End of story." The room was quiet, apart from the
harsh, irregular breaths being forced between lips tightly clamped together. Her fingers were now
blanched white by the tight grip her hands had on each other. "He will go to jail, won't he?" The
question that had been troubling her was finally said. It worried her that her stalker would be following
her home that night.
"Yes. He should." Reggie didn't want to tell Kerry right now that there was a lot more
involved in getting the guy to jail than the identification process. Subconsciously, he felt that Kerry
knew that she would have to testify against him. In the meantime, her attacker should remain behind
bars pending the hearing since he had been known to stalk his victim prior to and after the attack.
Looking at the woman beside him, he had a hard time aligning her with the strong and capable
Chief of Emergency Services he had dealt with on numerous occasions over the last few years. Her
whole demeanour reminded him of a woman who had been subject to domestic abuse. He knew that
Kerry had received minimal physical injuries in the assault, he had familiarised himself with the case
while she had remained unconscious. It was the psychological damage that was obviously ravaging her
ability to cope.
Jeanie had mentioned how surprised she was at the way Kerry had succumbed to the flu, never
having been ill in the time Jeanie had worked with Kerry. Reggie pursed his lips and decided that the
call to his wife would possibly be the beginning of an end for the trauma for Kerry. A few subtle
questions would set his wife's mind churning, the first would be tonight's little excursion.
End Part 14
{November 17, 1999}
As the world slowly came back into focus, Kerry allowed herself time to take in her
surroundings. The room was small. A couple of hard, plastic chairs lined the stained wall on the
opposite side of the room. A tiny, laminate desk occupied the far corner. Slowly, her eyesight
regained perfect clarity, the haziness receding to the periphery of her vision.
Kerry found that she had been placed on a vinyl couch, its gray cover having seen better days.
As clarity came to her sight, an awareness of another person in the room registered. A pair of polished
black shoes were firmly planted on the ground beside her. Long legs stretched out uncomfortably from
their contorted position, seated in another of the hard, plastic seats pulled up beside the couch. As her
eyes took in the figure, she recognised the familiar outline of Reggie.
"Dr. Weaver. How are you feeling?"
"Fine," Kerry responded, her throat dry and scratchy. She felt like she could drink a gallon of
water and still ask for more.
"You didn't look to fine earlier."
"Yeah, well, I'm fine now." Kerry tried to push herself up from the couch, finding it difficult as
the word spun again.
"Don't seem too fine," he commented watching her carefully. "I've called Jeanie."
"You what?" Kerry turned her head quickly towards him, managed to maintain staying
upright, even though her sudden movement hadn't helped her balance..
"You obviously need someone to take care of you when you get home. You're still unsteady
on your feet and Jeanie wouldn't forgive me if she found out that I'd let you go home alone in your
condition. She'll stay with you."
"I'll be fine," Kerry reaffirmed, trying to reassure Reggie as well as herself that she was okay.
She leaned forward, holding her head in her hands, her arms resting on her knees. Looking tiredly
across at Reggie, she pointed out, "Jeanie's got her hands full with Carlos."
"I'm finishing my shift shortly. Carlos will not be an issue."
"But I can't. Jeanie doesn't know."
"What, the truth? The fact that you were attacked in your home by an intruder? That you were
tied up and he attempted to rape you?" Reggie stated matter-of-factly, not softening the truth of the
words.
The words hit their intended target forcefully, disintegrating the thin veil of composure Kerry
had managed to regain. She wrapped her arms around herself, hugging herself tightly, protecting herself
from the verbal onslaught. She shook her head slowly, denying the sting of hurt the words left behind.
Reggie realised his mistake. His frustration with Kerry's lack of confidence in her friendship
with Jeanie had got the better of him and lashed out against the one person who didn't need to be
attacked right now. He sat down beside her, gritting his teeth as she visibly flinched at his imposing
presence.
"Dr. Weaver... Kerry.... Jeanie has been your friend for years now. Obviously this attack has
affected you, why don't you let her help you?
"It's affected me because the guy was still out there. Now he's caught, it'll be fine. I'll be
fine," Kerry said determinedly. She felt the nails of her fingers biting into the delicate skin of her upper
arms. Trying to gain some semblance of control, she forced herself to uncross her arms and fold her
hands calmly in her lap.
"So you'll tell Jeanie what's happened," Reggie asked quietly, leaning back against the sofa,
hoping that his casual demeanour would help Kerry.
"No. It's over. Why rehash it all now?" Kerry's fingers began twisting a contorted dance over
each other.
"Because you need to talk to someone about it."
"No. I just need that guy to go to jail. End of story." The room was quiet, apart from the
harsh, irregular breaths being forced between lips tightly clamped together. Her fingers were now
blanched white by the tight grip her hands had on each other. "He will go to jail, won't he?" The
question that had been troubling her was finally said. It worried her that her stalker would be following
her home that night.
"Yes. He should." Reggie didn't want to tell Kerry right now that there was a lot more
involved in getting the guy to jail than the identification process. Subconsciously, he felt that Kerry
knew that she would have to testify against him. In the meantime, her attacker should remain behind
bars pending the hearing since he had been known to stalk his victim prior to and after the attack.
Looking at the woman beside him, he had a hard time aligning her with the strong and capable
Chief of Emergency Services he had dealt with on numerous occasions over the last few years. Her
whole demeanour reminded him of a woman who had been subject to domestic abuse. He knew that
Kerry had received minimal physical injuries in the assault, he had familiarised himself with the case
while she had remained unconscious. It was the psychological damage that was obviously ravaging her
ability to cope.
Jeanie had mentioned how surprised she was at the way Kerry had succumbed to the flu, never
having been ill in the time Jeanie had worked with Kerry. Reggie pursed his lips and decided that the
call to his wife would possibly be the beginning of an end for the trauma for Kerry. A few subtle
questions would set his wife's mind churning, the first would be tonight's little excursion.
End Part 14