Chapter eight.
Aftermath, redemption and a new life
Matt had not been able to stay with Beth, when they brought her to the Hospital. Doctor Smitherson and Hendy took charge of her immediately, Hendy telling Matt that she was in good hands and to call the next day.
"Matt. We will sedate her to start off, so there's no point in your hanging around. She may be unconscious for a day or even two, until we have found out what stuff they were pushing into her we have to take it slowly. Phone me tomorrow." With that he pushed Matt out of the front door.
As they drove, Janet regarded her Boss with sympathy. Someone had come unannounced and uninvited into his life and buggered it up, simply to take their evil pleasure, without regard to Matt's feelings. Now he couldn't know if he would get the same wife back, nor if his relationship with her would ever be the same. She was encouraged by the fact that Matt did not seem to hold Elizabeth responsible, but! Could either of them ever forget what had gone on in that room, and would those memories taint their future lives? Janet had seen enough of that room, and the terrible cuts and bruises on the cheeks of Elizabeth's arse, the cruel treatment her nipples had suffered, with dried blood encrusted on her breasts. It would haunt her for years. What it would do to Elizabeth only time would tell.
It took all Matt's reserve to delay calling the hospital until eleven o' clock, when his patience ran out. Hendy was unavailable, but he spoke to Dr. Smitherson. Who gave him a resume of the treatment.
"We have run some tests on her urine and blood. We are waiting for the Path. Lab. to come back with the results. I have treated her injuries, those are mainly to her buttocks. Her nipples, well I had to put a couple of stitches in both. The injuries appear to have been inflicted with someone's nails, so she has been given some broad spectrum antibiotics. That would appear to be the extent of her physical injuries. She is comfortable, but still sedated. I will ask Dr. Henderson to call you as soon as he has some information, but his treatment cannot start until she is conscious. I can only treat her physical injuries. Dr. Henderson is the one who will treat her mental ones."
"Doctor. I would like to come and see my wife."
"Well you can come anytime you wish. If you come today, be aware that she is sedated, so you will get no conversation from her."
"I'm on my way!"
Janet could hold the fort as well as he could, apart from referring any calls that needed his attention. Matt determined to find a hotel nearby so that he could be with Beth as much as possible. A nurse showed him into Beth's room. She was lying on her right side, with pillows at her back. Matt assumed that this was so the dressings on her bottom would not be disturbed. She was so still it unnerved him, yet the monitor showed that she was breathing regularly. He sat down at the bedside and took her left hand in his. There was nothing to say or do, yet he considered that somehow her mind would register that he was here with her.
A little while later a senior nurse came in.
"Mr. Bennett?" Matt nodded. "She's doing as well as can be expected, and she's comfortable. Stay if you wish, but I wouldn't think she will be in a position to talk for quite a few hours."
"I understand. I will stay though." The Nurse smiled.
"As you wish. Can I get you a cup of tea or coffee?"
"A coffee would be good. No sugar, thanks." Three minutes later she was back with the coffee. Matt smiled his thanks, and she went to leave. At the door she turned.
"What kind of animals could have done that?" the disgust and anger in her voice was plain. Matt had asked that question himself.
"I don't know what makes them like that, but I am certain that they will regret their actions."
"Have you informed the Police?"
"They will know soon, I suspect. But I believe punishment has already been inflicted."
"Like for like, I hope." Matt nodded his head.
"Oh yes, very much so, and unlike my wife, I am sure their scars will never fade."
"Good." The expression on her face told Matt that whatever his idea of revenge was, hers would have been ten times worse. He went on. "My only regret is that I was not present to administer the punishment in person." She came over and put her hand on his shoulder.
"From what I know, you had to take care of your wife. That was your priority."
It seemed like hours, but was just two hours when Hendy came in. He checked the monitor and seemed pleased, that is if the "Humph" sound he made was indicative. He grabbed the other chair and came and sat down with Matt.
"I've got the toxicology results. As I suspected Rohypnol, Pentothal and something like ecstasy. They didn't give her anything else, thank God. If we had to deal with a dependency as well, it would be bloody, to say the least. She should flush her system within the next day or so. We will let her come out of sedation on her own. Painkillers should cope then. The real struggle is going to be with her subconscious. Hypnosis by-passes the conscious mind; that's where we do our logical thinking, and our principles govern our actions: The subconscious has no morals nor logic, so hypnosis can instil all sorts of ideas, and the subject has no recollection of them being planted. I have to hypnotise her and try to erase those ideas. I need your permission though."
"Yes."
"Good. I'll get you to sign the release form later. Are you going to be here much longer."
"As long as it takes."
"Matt! We could be talking weeks."
"I didn't realise that."
"I have to take it slowly. It's like chipping away at a block of Granite. You don't go into someone's head and hit the subconscious with a simple instruction, but I have to tell you that it may be impossible to completely eradicate all the ideas." Matt was confused.
"Why?"
"It has to do with Elizabeth's own psyche. If she is naturally a sub missive, then I cannot erase that. You will have to deal with that."
