Total pages in book: 132
Estimated words: 127249 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 636(@200wpm)___ 509(@250wpm)___ 424(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 127249 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 636(@200wpm)___ 509(@250wpm)___ 424(@300wpm)
“Lie her down,” the doctor says, spreading one of the bathroom towels out over the bed.
It takes superhuman willpower to lay her down on the towel. I want to hold her against my chest and never let her go.
“What the fuck happened to her?” I ask myself more than the doctor.
“I think it’s safe to say she’s been through a traumatic experience, which will explain her reaction. Can you please stand aside for a moment?”
I only manage to tear myself away from her because the logical part of my brain realizes she needs help.
Not bothering with undressing her, the doctor cuts the dress open from the top to the bottom, leaving her in a modest bra and panties while I remove her stockings and shoes.
A single string of pearls fits snugly around her neck. Matching pearl earrings, the chain with the cross that belonged to her mother, and her engagement and wedding rings are her only other jewelry. The Rolex I gave her is gone.
The doctor confirms that her vitals are stable and does a more thorough examination, checking for fractures and abdominal bruises that could indicate internal bleeding.
He straightens when he’s done. “I’ve given her a tranquilizer, so she’ll be out for a while. Her heart rate and blood pressure are normal, and she doesn’t have a fever, but her pupils are dilated. I’d like to run a blood test.” He continues when I’ve nodded my consent. “I’ll give her a local anesthetic and stitch up the cut. Her knees and palms are badly scraped, and it looks as if some gravel may be stuck behind the scabs. I’ll have to clean the scrapes properly to ensure infection doesn’t set in. I can hook her up to a drip with electrolytes to help with the dehydration. I can have everything here in,” he checks his watch, “about an hour.”
“Will she be all right?”
“Physically, yes.” Pinning me with a look, he says with meaning, “But I suggest you get her to talk to someone.”
“A psychiatrist, you mean.”
“She needs trauma treatment.” He packs away his stethoscope and blood pressure gauge. “I can give you a referral.”
“I’d appreciate that.”
“I’ll text you the number.”
There’s a knock on the door.
I cover Tatiana’s body with a sheet before I answer the door.
Emily enters with a big bowl of water balancing on the stack of towels in her arms. “Where do you want these?”
I motion at the bench. “Leave everything there.”
Shaking the doctor’s hand, I say, “Emily will see you out.”
As soon as they’re gone, I get a sponge and soap from the bathroom. I follow the doctor’s example, cutting through the bra in the front with a flip knife and doing the same with the elastic on the sides of the panties. Then I carefully pull the dress out from under her.
I remove the pearl necklace and earrings and leave them with the garments on the bench. I’ll send them to my forensics expert to see what he can learn. Maybe we’ll find a clue that will help to solve the mystery of Tatiana’s disappearance.
I unclasp her mother’s necklace next and let the chain slip through my fingers, dropping it on top of the ruined dress. Tatiana’s neck is covered in streaks of dirt. I don’t want the necklace to be in the way when I clean her.
Once she’s naked, I step back to take her in. She’s denied me this up to now, refusing to show me her body. I told her I wouldn’t force her. I wanted her to come to me in her own time, but the circumstances are exceptional.
Looking at her, I marvel at the sight of the soft curves I know by heart. I’ve memorized every dip and valley with my hands and my lips. I’ve imprinted every perfect line that defines her shape in my mind.
Yet there are small changes hinting at the time I’ve lost with her. Her hips are softer, and her breasts are fuller. Faint stretch marks run over her stomach. Knowing that she grew our baby in there, they make her all the more precious to me, all the more beautiful. The fact that they’re a novelty to me confirms that it’s been too long since I’ve seen her like this, spread out on my bed with nothing to hide her from me. But I don’t take satisfaction from finally getting what I wanted, not under these conditions.
Focusing on what’s most important, which is taking care of her, I dip the sponge in the warm water and begin to wash her. I work meticulously, starting with her shoulders and arms and working my way down her legs to her feet. Not wanting her to be cold, I pat her dry and cover her with the clean towels as I advance.
When I’m satisfied that not a mark is left on her front, I gently turn her onto her stomach.