Chapter Three

Rory drove the twenty minutes to Red Hills and parked right in front of the door. Inside she filled out an embarrassingly thorough questionnaire. When it asked how many sexual partners, she circled one, but declined to write down Dalen's name. She was clutching the clipboard when a heavyset middle-aged woman with graying blonde hair, wearing a pink smock, called her name. Rory followed her back, as the woman's white shoes squeaked on the tile.

She led Rory to an exam room. “Hop on the table,” she said with a gentle smile. “I'm Cathy,” she told Rory though her nametag said Dr. Woodgainer. “Why have you come in today?” Rory had told the receptionist when setting the appointment that she needed an exam.

Taking a deep breath, Rory whispered, “I was raped last night. I don't know if he used protection or what he did to me. I've heard of emergency contraceptive and I also thought I should see if he's done any damage. It still hurts today when I walk and stuff,” she finished bashfully.

“Poor dear,” Cathy said kindly as she read through Rory's chart. “Were you a virgin, Aurora?” Rory nodded and Cathy clucked her tongue. “Do you intend to file a police report?”

“No,” Rory said adamantly. Before Cathy could lecture her, she said, “He’s done this before and never gotten in trouble. If I go to the police, I'll be the one who gets the backlash.”

A look of fear crossed Cathy's face and she nodded.

“You know who it is, don't you?” Rory demanded.

Cathy averted her eyes, refusing to answer. “Did he force any other types of relations besides intercourse, Aurora?”

“I don't know,” Rory snapped back, outraged that so many people knew what Dalen was doing and none seemed to care enough to step forward. “Just like most of his victims, he drugged me before he violated me. I remember very little.”

Nodding once again, Cathy slipped on gloves. “Please undress to the paper gown on the counter. I'll be back shortly for the exam.” She slipped away and Rory took off the sweatpants and T-shirt as quickly as possible. When Cathy returned there was another woman with her, carrying a Polaroid camera. “This is Tanya,” she told Rory. “She'll be here during the exam to assist and take photos.”

Rory nodded then nervously lay on her back, slipping her feet in the stirrups. Cathy began the exam, occasionally asking a question. Rory had never been through one before and it was very uncomfortable. It was over within ten minutes and Cathy took a look at the rest of her body, having Tanya photograph any bruises or marks she found. “Okay, Aurora, you can get dressed. I'll be back shortly.”

Rory threw off the paper gown and dressed once more in the clothes she'd borrowed from Moriah. She was sitting on the table, fidgeting like mad, when Cathy tapped on the door and came back in. “I'll send your specimen samples to the lab and they should be back in two days. It says on your chart not to contact you at home, so if you'll call in for the results that will be helpful, or we can leave a message on your cell phone.” Cathy stood up and opened a drawer, taking out a package of birth control pills. “I'm afraid we don't have the morning after pill in stock right now, Aurora. These are regular birth control pills. When you get home, you'll take four of these. Then precisely twelve hours later you'll take four more.”

“How effective are they?” Rory asked nervously.

Cathy smiled reassuringly. “They’re about ninety percent if you take them the proper way. Still, if you don't have your period within three weeks, come back for a test.”

“What are the side effects?” Rory questioned as she looked at the pink case of pills.

“Nothing major,” Cathy responded. “Since you're only taking them this once, I doubt you'll notice anything except nausea. However, be on the lookout for anything unusual such as leg pains. It's a sign of a blood clot, which can happen but is relatively unlikely.”

“Thank you,” Rory said, grasping the pills and rising from the bed.

“Hold on,” Cathy told her and Rory stood there waiting. “I want you to come back in six months for another pap and pelvic. Any STDs will show up by then. At that time, we'll also do an HIV screening. Then if that's negative, I'll want you to do one more screening six months after that. If it comes up clear, you're probably fine.”

“Why can't we do it today?” Rory asked in a high-pitched voice. STDs and AIDS had never even occurred to her.

“The antibody won't show up for at least three months,” Cathy explained. “Six months is usually when I recommend a screen.”

“Okay,” Rory agreed reluctantly and followed the doctor out.

“We'll see you in six months,” Cathy reminded her, as if it were an event to look forward to rather than dread. Rory trudged to the reception desk without comment and got her bill. There was no charge. “Why isn't there a price?”

“Because you're a teenager,” the receptionist replied cheerfully. “You're automatically free. If you'd like to make a donation, you're welcome to.”

Rory nodded. “How much would an average exam run?”

The receptionist pursed her lips. “Around seventy,” she answered after looking at a chart. Rory slid four twenties across the counter and left quickly. She was in more pain now than she'd been when she woke up this morning. She settled gingerly into the driver's seat and backed out of the lot. The drive home was longer because of traffic and she hurried upstairs after parking the Mustang in the garage.

Rory carefully read through the instructions on the package of pills and popped four out of the foil blisters. She swallowed them two at a time with water, and then lay on the bed. By six o'clock she was very miserable and could barely get out of bed. Leigh called that dinner was ready and she ignored her.

Her mom came up the stairs and opened her door without knocking. Rory was huddled under the covers, fighting off waves of nausea. “Didn't you hear me?”

Rory nodded painfully. “Yes, but I'm not hungry. I feel kind of sick to my stomach.” Kind of, yeah right. If she died right then it would be with great relief. “I'll have something later.”

“Do you need to see the doctor, Rory?” Leigh asked concerned.

“No,” Rory denied quickly. “I'll be fine.”

Eyes narrowed, Leigh came closer. “Do you have a hangover?” she asked suspiciously. For just a moment, she was the mother Rory used to know and it made Rory feel slightly better.

“No, Mom,” she said evenly. “I just don't feel well. I've been feeling kind of sick since last night.” That was the truth. Dalen's touch had made her sick.

Leigh seemed satisfied with her answer. “All right,” she said after a minute. “Should I have Maria save you something back?”

“No, I'll fix a sandwich later,” Rory told her.

Shrugging, Leigh walked to the door. As she was closing it behind her, she stopped. “Oh, I almost forgot. Your boyfriend called this afternoon. He wanted to know if you were going to the victory party after the game? I guess not now. If he calls back, I'll tell him you aren't feeling well.”

Rory frowned. “What boyfriend?”

Leigh grimaced. “You don't have to deny it or keep it hidden. I think it's wonderful that you're making new friends and dating again. I thought you'd never get over Rusty.”

“I don't have a boyfriend,” Rory protested shrilly. “Who called?”

Looking concerned, Leigh answered. “Dalen Hudson. Maybe I misunderstood.”

“He's not my boyfriend,” Rory denounced. “I hate him, Mother.”

Nodding wisely, Leigh stepped into the hallway. “Oh, you had a fight? Well, it will work itself out.” She left before Rory could set her straight and maybe that was a good thing. Rory didn't want everyone, especially her parents and Ricky, to know Dalen had raped her.

Rory set her alarm for four a.m. and lay in the dark, seething. Eventually the events of the last two days caught up with her and she drifted off. When the alarm woke her at four, she shut it off and was drifting back to sleep when she remembered why it had been set for four. She shot out of bed and gulped down the last four pills. Before the nausea set in again, she hurried downstairs and ate a banana. Rory's stomach churned, and she realized she had eaten nothing since the previous morning at Moriah's. She had a small bowl of vanilla ice cream before returning to her room. She promptly lost the food she'd eaten and crawled from the bathroom to her bedroom, collapsing on the bed.

Rory made herself go down for breakfast later in the morning and wrestle with a piece of toast. Her parents were dressed casually in shorts, sandals, and T-shirts. When Ricky joined them at the table, he too was wearing a similar outfit. “We're going yachting with the Hudsons,” he said enthusiastically. “Mr. Hudson wants to discuss some kind of business deal with Dad.” He eyed Rory in her rumpled cotton nightshirt, with her hair flying everywhere. “You'd better hurry to change or we'll be late.”

“I'm not going,” Rory burst out. First of all, she wouldn't be caught dead spending the day with Dalen and his family and second, she was too nauseous to even think of climbing onto a yacht and sailing the ocean. “I still don't feel well.”

Leigh and Dan exchanged a look and Rory saw her mom mouth. “Told you.”

Dan took a breath. “Now, Rory, you'll have to end this argument with Dalen sometime. Why not today on neutral territory where there are plenty of people around to diffuse the situation?”

Rory couldn't tell if he was concerned about her or his damn business deal. Knowing her father lately, it was business. “We didn't have an argument,” she said slowly. “We don't have any kind of relationship as far as I'm concerned. Dalen is the one who can't get it through his brain that I don't want anything to do with him.”

Dan started to say something else but Leigh interjected. “It will all work out for the best, dear,” she assured Rory. Patting Dan's arm, she told him quietly. “Let her stay home. She really doesn't look well.” Reluctantly, Dan nodded and Rory stormed from the room.

She wanted to scream. Even her own parents seemed to be determined to help Dalen capture her. Frowning, Rory grabbed the phone and punched out Moriah's number. When Dottie answered, she asked to speak to Korith, who came to the phone a minute later. “What's up?”

“I have a question, Korith,” Rory said. “You told me Dalen would leave me alone now that he...you know. Now he's telling my parents he's my boyfriend and we had a fight. He and his parents are taking my family sailing, and I was supposed to go so we could work things out. It doesn't sound like he's lost interest in me. What's going on?”

Korith was silent for a long time before admitting. “I don't know, Rory. As far as I know, he's never done this before. It may not be over,” she warned. “Watch your back.”

“I certainly intend to,” Rory responded before ringing off. She heard her parents stirring downstairs and a few minutes later the door slammed shut. While she still didn't feel well, Rory was too keyed up to sleep, so she started on her homework. Every once in awhile she rose and paced over to the window, staring out. She couldn't help wishing she were a bird that could just fly away and leave the whole mess behind her.