Ronnie was sitting on the hospital bed while the doctor carefully pulled out the fragments and disinfected the wounds. Tyler was standing with his back towards her.
“I’m really sorry” he said for the umpteenth time.
“Yeah, I got that from the first zillion times” Ronnie said with a small voice. “Ouch”
“Please sit still, I don’t want to make these wounds any worse” the doctor said.
“Right, sorry” Ronnie said. When all fragments were removed and all wounds disinfected the doctor turned around at Tyler.
“Can you leave us alone for a second?” he asked.
“Yeah, sure” Tyler said, wondering why though. “I’ll just wait outside, okay?”
“Maybe you can go back to the Grill, where you said you’d go as soon as I got here?” Ronnie said a little nervous. If only one dollar was missing…
“Hey, you can’t blame me for wanting to make sure you’re okay” Tyler replied.
“You’re a sweetie” Ronnie said sarcastic. “Now off you go”
“Yes, ma’am” Tyler said and he left the room.
The doctor turned back at Ronnie. “I take it he’s the reason you’re injured?”
“Yeah” Ronnie said careless.
“You know I have to report it when patients are being violated, whether it be by their boyfriend, their father or a stranger” the doctor continued. Ronnie turned around quickly.
“No! You can’t report Tyler! It was totally my fault! I forced myself on him!” she said desperate. “If anything I violated him”
The doctor raised his hands. “Okay, then I won’t” he said. “But I hope you come to your senses. There are too many jerks like that walking around free, because women like you are too afraid to stand up to them”
“Tyler is not a jerk” Ronnie said getting angry. “And I am not afraid” she added soft.