Casey ran from the bedroom and rushed out the door without anything more than a comforter wrapped around her body to ward off the freezing temperatures. She barely felt the snow on her bare feet and soon she managed to coordinate her limbs enough to get the car to the nearest hospital. It’s not rape if you’re my wife …

“Ma’am, what’s the nature of your emergency,” a stone-faced intake nurse asked a few minutes after she arrived.

Casey chewed the inside of her jaw, tamping down on an instant reply as she pulled the comforter tighter around her trembling form while ignoring the curious onlookers in the emergency waiting room. With a muted blonde and flamboyantly dressed woman standing off to the side but eyeing her closely, and a couple holding a toddler who was squirming to get away; it didn’t surprise Casey when all of them inched back to give her ample space. You’re supposed to submit to anything I want …

Her body, torn in a place where she warned him that she would never receive him, now had stabbing pains so bad that every step was pure agony.Blood had pooled on the bottom half of the soft material. She didn’t have any clothes or shoes to speak of. The reason should have been slightly obvious. Unfortunately, the nurse hadn’t looked up to gauge the scenario with her own eyes. She had kept those blue eyes focused on the computer, but managed to slide a clipboard over the counter. This practice was so routine that she was jaded to the fact of being the first person most would speak to after experiencing any number of traumas.

“Please fill out this paperwork front and back,” she said drily. “Return it to me when you finish.” Feeling dismissed, Casey slid the clipboard from the ledge, maneuvered past those who tried to avert their gazes. After a few minutes of not finding any stable position where pain was not a constant friend or without the memories of how she arrived in this current state, she realized standing at the counter would be best.

Approaching triage again, Casey saw the nurse point in her direction while speaking with another, much taller nurse, but was too far away to make anything of the conversation. Casey handed the clipboard in and watched as the woman keyed some information while the tall one watched over her shoulder.

Infuriated by the disrespect, Casey let loose with, “Not once have you looked up from that screen to make eye contact with any of the people who are here.”

Suddenly, there was a spike of tension in the waiting room, and once again all eyes were on Casey.

“We’re decent people,” Casey said as the second nurse snapped to attention. “With real situations who need just a little compassion. Obviously, you’ve been at this job so long that you’re desensitized to the human aspect of your position.” She drew the comforter around her before it slipped. “After everything I’ve been through this morning, having to deal with your callous attitude has been far more degrading.” She leaned in and cried, “Look at me.”

Finally, the nurse gave Casey a thorough once-over and her blue eyes widened with shock. “You should’ve said that you’ve been raped,” she replied, and had the nerve to sound indignant.

“The fact that I’m here should’ve been important enough to warrant your attention. No matter what happened to me.”

Grumbles of assent echoed behind Casey as the few waiting patients agreed; some even applauded. The nurse flinched, then mumbled something Casey couldn’t quite catch. A more matronly woman came nearby and said, “Why don’t you take a break, Becky. We’ll talk later.”

The nurse walked a few steps, grimaced, then turned to put a glassy gaze on Casey and said, “I’m sorry,” before trudging down a hallway that led to a double set of wooden doors.

“My name’s Olivia,” the older nurse offered touching Casey’s elbow. “I’ll take over from here.”. Chestnut eyes filled with warmth, flickered over Casey’s ill-clad form as she added, “The police will catch the monster that did this.”

Casey’s vision blurred with unshed tears as she whispered, “They won’t have to look far. It’s my husband …”