(This is chapter 14 of a series, it will make a lot more sense if you read them in order)
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I woke up and my face was throbbing. I tried to focus but I was really groggy and I couldn't see out of my left eye. I raised my hand to touch it and it was really swollen. Fuck! I am fucking so tired of hurting. I closed my eyes and I heard voices. I had to really concentrate.
"She'll be ok baby. The doctor said nothing was broken, it is just really bruised." I think it was Ken's voice.
I got sad, is he here again having to take care of me? This has to be getting old for him. I thought about him for a minute and the anger seemed to be gone. Maybe Samantha beat it out of me? Regardless, I felt sadness when I thought about Ken's reaction when he walked into the country store and saw me getting raped by Frank. Sadness, but not anger.
"But look at her eye, it looks so bad. What if she has trouble seeing? Oh Ken, I don't know what to do." I heard Tracy's voice and it cracked at the end.
That did it, I felt my sob start in my chest and erupt out of my mouth. I tried to not cry because I knew it would hurt but that wasn't going to happen. A small sob escaped my lips and then the pain hit and I was crying now.
"Ken, she's awake." I heard Tracy and felt her warm hand on my shoulder.
"Baby, it's ok. We are here. You are going to be ok." Tracy said and rubbed my shoulder.
I reached up and she took my hand and held it to her chest.
"Ken, get some more of her medicine." She said.
I opened my right eye and looked at her. She had been crying, her cheeks were wet. She was looking at me and her eyes were scared. I squeezed her hand and tried to talk.
"Sorry about the concert." I mumbled and tried not to show how much it hurt to talk.
"Kim, no, no, don't be silly. I don't care about the concert, you goofy girl." She said laughing and crying at the same time.
I smiled and she smiled back. I felt her hand touch the left side of my face. Hey, that didn't hurt, that was good. I put my hand over hers.
"Here Tracy, have her take two more." I heard Ken .
Tracy's hands left me and then I felt Ken lifting me up into a sitting position. Tracy put a pill in my mouth and held a cup to my lips. I swallowed a little water and felt the pill slide down my throat. I swallowed a second and then Ken lowered me back to the bed.
"Those will make you feel better." She said and touched my face again.
I closed my eyes. I was so mad. I just wanted to be normal. I wanted to go to class, have fun with my friends, and love my girlfriend. Was that too much to ask? I was tired of getting beat up. I took a deep breath. Tracy ran her soft hand over my face and shoulders until I went back to sleep.
The next time I woke up I felt much better. There was some sort of cold, wet thing on my face. I could see out of my right eye and I saw Ken sleeping in the chair. I watched him for a minute. He had not shaved, his face was a little scruffy. He did look kind of cute when he was scruffy, it made him look more like a man instead of the little boy I used to punch on the playground.
He moved a little and then sat up and opened his eyes. He looked at me and jumped up.
"Kim, how are you feeling?" He said and pulled the cold wet thing off of my face.
My face was cold but it didn't hurt. I lifted my hand and touched my face. My cheek felt ok, my nose was a little tender and my eye was still a little swollen. Nothing hurt though and that was a good thing.
"Ok." I said.
"You look a lot better than yesterday." He said and smiled.