Read Online Ashes - Book 2 (New Adult Romantic Suspense) by Leslie Johnson - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Leslie Johnson
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let that fucker leave his stink on me for life.”
Wow. Kinda poetic.
I clear my throat, giving myself time to think. Two things are happening here: the girl is in complete denial, or she truly is okay. I’m seeing more of the ‘okay’ in the younger girls, like her. It’s as if they’ve become immune to the horror of victimization. Kind of like kids who play graphic video games become immune to the horror of death.
“We have a wonderful psychologist—“
“Thanks, don’t need him,” she interrupts before I can even finish the sentence. “I’m cool. Just need some tests to make sure I’m clean. My new boyfriend won’t have sex with me without a condom until he’s sure. I’ll get a piece of paper, right?”
A dozen questions swirl through my head, but I don’t open my mouth to ask them. This girl could be here to only obtain free sexually transmitted infection testing and to get the ‘piece of paper’ she so clearly is wanting. The thing is, I don’t want to accuse her or make an assumption that she is lying about the rape.
“Alright, Madeline. We need to complete some paperwork.”
I stand up and grab a packet of paper that details her HIPPA rights, a consent to treat and test as well as general patient information. I hand her the clipboard and an ink pen and step out to give her a few minutes to complete them. I walk back to the lobby to talk to Hannah.
“You’ve got to assume she’s telling the truth,” Hannah tells me after I told her the story. “I’ve known dozens and dozens of girls who think that rape is just a part of life. Something everybody goes through once in a while.”
Hannah’s eyes are green today and her hair is an almost white blond with purple tinging the edges.
“And not just girls in the scene either,” Hannah adds, meaning prostitutes and other sex workers. “Life is rough out there, Beth. And it’s getting rougher. My opinion is don’t question her, offer her the counseling again and give her the testing. If she’s pregnant, I’m 99.999% sure she’ll abort, so offer her birth control, so that maybe that part will be taken care of in the future.”
“But—“
“But what, Beth?” Hannah says, her face gentle and a million years of wisdom glowing in her eyes. “It’s not fair? Things should be different? Yeah, you’re right, it’s not and it should. But it is what it is until it’s not anymore. You have to focus on the girls who come in here hurting and wanting your help. You can’t save the ones who don’t want it.”
“But—“
“You’re worried that that girl is going to run out and tell all her friends that they can come in here and get free testing? That they’ll abuse the system?”
I shake my head, but inwardly agree that I am a little worried about that. Stephanie had been left enough money to start the center and keep us running for two years without the need to make a profit, but I want to see us in the black by the end of this year.
“How about we set up a policy where everyone has to schedule a meeting with our shrink before they get their results?” She rolls her eyes. “I know one session won’t be life changing, but it could give some type of impact.”
“Oh my god, Hannah, that’s brilliant. Why didn’t we think of that before?”
She smiles and the beautiful woman underneath the gaudy make-up mask she wears appears. “Because we’ll need to adapt our policies as new situations present themselves. It didn’t even occur to me, and probably not Steph either, that we’d be used as a ‘get out of STD hell free’ card.”
I laugh and think again how lucky we are to have this wonderful woman with us. I remember Stephanie talking about forgiveness and how she’d even thanked that bastard, Jerome, for putting her through hell because it allowed Hannah to break free from the sex trade.
I give her a quick hug, and she returns it a little stiffly as usual. But she’s getting to be more open about affection. She
Wow. Kinda poetic.
I clear my throat, giving myself time to think. Two things are happening here: the girl is in complete denial, or she truly is okay. I’m seeing more of the ‘okay’ in the younger girls, like her. It’s as if they’ve become immune to the horror of victimization. Kind of like kids who play graphic video games become immune to the horror of death.
“We have a wonderful psychologist—“
“Thanks, don’t need him,” she interrupts before I can even finish the sentence. “I’m cool. Just need some tests to make sure I’m clean. My new boyfriend won’t have sex with me without a condom until he’s sure. I’ll get a piece of paper, right?”
A dozen questions swirl through my head, but I don’t open my mouth to ask them. This girl could be here to only obtain free sexually transmitted infection testing and to get the ‘piece of paper’ she so clearly is wanting. The thing is, I don’t want to accuse her or make an assumption that she is lying about the rape.
“Alright, Madeline. We need to complete some paperwork.”
I stand up and grab a packet of paper that details her HIPPA rights, a consent to treat and test as well as general patient information. I hand her the clipboard and an ink pen and step out to give her a few minutes to complete them. I walk back to the lobby to talk to Hannah.
“You’ve got to assume she’s telling the truth,” Hannah tells me after I told her the story. “I’ve known dozens and dozens of girls who think that rape is just a part of life. Something everybody goes through once in a while.”
Hannah’s eyes are green today and her hair is an almost white blond with purple tinging the edges.
“And not just girls in the scene either,” Hannah adds, meaning prostitutes and other sex workers. “Life is rough out there, Beth. And it’s getting rougher. My opinion is don’t question her, offer her the counseling again and give her the testing. If she’s pregnant, I’m 99.999% sure she’ll abort, so offer her birth control, so that maybe that part will be taken care of in the future.”
“But—“
“But what, Beth?” Hannah says, her face gentle and a million years of wisdom glowing in her eyes. “It’s not fair? Things should be different? Yeah, you’re right, it’s not and it should. But it is what it is until it’s not anymore. You have to focus on the girls who come in here hurting and wanting your help. You can’t save the ones who don’t want it.”
“But—“
“You’re worried that that girl is going to run out and tell all her friends that they can come in here and get free testing? That they’ll abuse the system?”
I shake my head, but inwardly agree that I am a little worried about that. Stephanie had been left enough money to start the center and keep us running for two years without the need to make a profit, but I want to see us in the black by the end of this year.
“How about we set up a policy where everyone has to schedule a meeting with our shrink before they get their results?” She rolls her eyes. “I know one session won’t be life changing, but it could give some type of impact.”
“Oh my god, Hannah, that’s brilliant. Why didn’t we think of that before?”
She smiles and the beautiful woman underneath the gaudy make-up mask she wears appears. “Because we’ll need to adapt our policies as new situations present themselves. It didn’t even occur to me, and probably not Steph either, that we’d be used as a ‘get out of STD hell free’ card.”
I laugh and think again how lucky we are to have this wonderful woman with us. I remember Stephanie talking about forgiveness and how she’d even thanked that bastard, Jerome, for putting her through hell because it allowed Hannah to break free from the sex trade.
I give her a quick hug, and she returns it a little stiffly as usual. But she’s getting to be more open about affection. She
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