I woke up to the machines beeping. I looked around and realized I was in the hospital. I tried to sit up but I felt a sharp pang on the right side of my stomach. I lied back down and placed my hand above the place on my stomach. I felt a bandage under the robe. I couldn't remember what happened except I grabbed the knife when Ted was about to rape me again.

A female doctor with white hair and a white overcoat walked in. She smiled at me. "Good. You're awake." She looked down at her clipboard and added, "Kate. That's a pretty name. I'm doctor Dawson. But you can call me Ally. Sweetie do you remember what happened?"

I looked at her and felt my chest tighten. My eyes filled with tears and she walked over and handed me a tissue. "Your mother is outside in the waiting room. We had to do surgery on you. The wound was deep and you lost a lot of blood. You're lucky your mother showed up home when she did. Or you probably wouldn't be here."

I opened my mouth but I couldn't speak. Ally gave me a glass of water and I drank.

"Can I know what happened?" Her voice was so soft and fragile.

I cleared my throat. "I was at home. Ted, my mom's boyfriend wanted to rape me and I was going to defend myself. I grabbed a knife but I'm guessing he stabbed me instead."

She nodded and let out a sigh. "A detective is here and he wants to talk to you. You will have to tell him everything that happened so that he will be brought to justice. I will call your mother so she can come talk to you."

I nodded and wiped my face with the tissue as she walked out of the room. A few seconds later my mother walked into the room. She stood at the door and looked at me. A look of concern crossed her face.

She walked over. I could see that her face was streaked with semi-visible tears.

"Oh Katy. Dear, what happened?"

I wasn't sure she would believe me. She loved Ted. She had met him about eight months after my father died. He became her escape. Days went by faster for her when he was around. She fell in love with him. He moved in with us after a while.

She looked at me expecting an explanation.

I turned away from her. "Mom, Ted was going to rape me... Again."

Her expression turned to disbelief. "What? What do you mean again?"

I couldn't stop the tears from raining down my cheeks. My mother's own eyes filled up with tears as well.

I told her everything. From how I had felt uncomfortable since he first came into our house and stared me down, to how he wanted to rape me that morning.
She was weeping. "Why did you not tell me as soon as he started?"

"Mom he was going to kill me if I did. And you looked so happy with him."

"Kate," Ally interupted. "The detective wants to talk to you now."

The detective walked in as my mom walked out. Once again, I told the horrible story. The detective was crying when I finished telling her. She assured me they would find him and he would be in prison for the rest of his life.

~~~~~

I was released from the hospital five days after. They found Ted, but it was too late. He hung himself after finding out he would go to prison.

I've tried to live a normal life ever since then, and I have. The only thing that still hurts is the memory. I could've stopped it from the beginning if I hadn't been a coward and told someone. I'm not sure I have forgiven Ted, but I want to. Even though sometimes I still have nightmares about it, I want to forgive him.