Sweet Magnolias Autumn

Stories & Truths

Maddie

"You're going to wear a hole in the floor if you keep pacing," Helen says to me as she looks up from her phone. 

"I won't," I tell her as I continue to pace. "I just wish we could be in there right now; they said we could be in there with her."

"I know, but assault kits are different; they can't have anyone in there other than the doctor and the..."

"The victim." We say at the same time. 

"I know, I know, but still, can't we be in there as advocates or something?" I ask her. I can't even imagine what she's going through. If it were Katie, all I would want to do is hold her. Well, they did this. I mean, it's not really that different. I love Annie like she is mine. I just wish I... we could be in there with her. I hate this." 

"I know I do, too, every bit of it, every single millisecond of it," Helen said as she walked over to me and gave me a side hug. "We going to make sure she comes out on the other side of this." 

"I know," I tell her. "It doesn't stop the hurt right now, though." 

"I know. I know." Helen said. 

"MOM." I heard Ty shout from somewhere. I let go of Helen and turned my head around, looking for him. 

"Mom," Ty said as he collided with me. I wrap my arms around him for a moment before he pulls back. "Where, Annie?"

"She is with the doctor," Helen says. 

"Why aren't you with her?" Ty asks. I look between Helen and Cal for a moment before responding. 

"We aren't allowed to be with her; it violates protocol." 

"What protocol? She is a minor," Ty says. 

"Annie agreed to do an assault kit. The protocol is that no one is allowed in the exam room except for the doctor and Annie. So we have to wait out here until they're done." I tell him. 

"I thought he didn't rape her. I thought I got there in time." Ty said, his eyes moving side to side like he was trying to replay something in his mind. 

"What happened, Ty?" Helen asked. 

"I don't know exactly." he began. "I was walking to True Brew to do some school work before tutoring tonight; I was almost off school grounds when Annie called. She could barely speak; her voice was trembling. She said Jackson was there, and she was hiding in an empty science classroom."

"I turned around to head back towards the school and called Mom, then Coach. I ran around the school looking for her; I heard Jackson telling Annie something about how they were meant to be together, so I stopped and walked down the hall until I found the classroom where his voice was coming from. I leaned against the wall, trying to get an idea of what was going on. I saw that Jackson was holding Annie's arms up by her head and had her body trapped between the wall and his body. She was frozen, I slowly walked in because I didn't want to spoke him and make it worse." Ty said. 

"You did the right thing, Ty," Cal said to him.

"Jackson was kissing her neck when I got into the classroom; Annie must have found an opening because she kneed him and ran-"

"He was kissing her?" Helen and I both cut him off and asked him in shock.

"She kneed him?" Cal asked at the same time. 

"Yes," Ty said, no emotion behind the word. 

"She passed me and ran into the hallway. I followed her into the hallway and hugged her before getting her out of the building. I kept my arm around her to comfort her, but I ended up holding most of her weight. I don't even think she realized how much she was leaning on me."

"I don't know what happened to Jackson; we didn't see him when we left the building, but he was there when we went back in." Ty finished. "Can I go see her now," he asked impatiently. 

"No, honey. We have to wait until they come get us." I tell him. 

"How are they going to find us out here? Why aren't you in there?" Ty asked frantically. 

"They know where we are; they know to come out here when they're done. Annie doesn't want people to know she is, so we're waiting out here for her." Helen explained to him. 

"What, No. We... someone should be there with her!" Ty says, his voice raised. 

"Well... No... we—" I try to figure out how to approach this. Thankfully, Cal places his hand on Ty's shoulder from behind him. 

"Let's take a walk, Ty. We will stay close, and your mom will call the second we are allowed in," Cal tells him. When Ty is hesitant, cal amends his original statement.  I promise we won't go more than two minutes from the Doctor's office."

It takes a moment, but eventually, Ty turns and leaves with Cal. I bury my head in my hands, at a loss for what to do, what's going on, or how to help either of them through this. Helen walks over to me and hugs me. 

"I know. I know," she whispered in my ear.

"What am I going to do?" I ask 

"Well, I have the duct tape if you have happy thoughts," Helen says, and I crack a smile. 

"I know someone who might need all of our happy thoughts and duck tape," I tell her, sighing before continuing. We can't put it off any longer." 

"I know doesn't mean I want to do it," Helen says.

"Me either doesn't change the facts," I tell her.

"Yours or mine?" she asks. 

"Yours."