Page 17 of An Unhinged Wedding

“What’s your favorite color?”

She stares at the doctor. Her fear is palpable. It’s like a living, breathing thing in this room.

“Savannah. Don’t look at Dr. Cruise. Look at me and tell me your favorite color.”

Her eyes move to my face, “Blue. I like blue.”

“Why do you like blue?”

She thinks about it briefly while the doctor starts her pelvic examination. When she winces, I say, “Why do you like blue?”

“The sky is blue. Sometimes I fantasize about being free and looking up at the sky. It’s so beautiful and limitless. There are no chains in the clouds.”

I squeeze her hand, “Let’s plan a day where we can go outside, swim, and stare at the sky together.”

Even while the doctor is doing things, she doesn’t want, this makes her smile.

“I would love that, Mia.”

I smile, “Me too. Can my friend Willow come? She’s my sister-in-law and I promise you’ll love her.”

The doctor finishes, and Savannah says, “I would love that. Girls only though.”

I laugh, “Well the men will have to be around, but we’ll make them stay inside doing guy things.”

After I say that, I realize she has had no positive interaction with men. None. So, she doesn’t even know what guy things are.

“They won’t ever hurt you, Savannah.”

She nods, and Dr. Cruise asks to speak with me privately.

I grab the remote and turn the television on for her. Re-runs of Friends are on. Friends is okay for a kid this age, right? Well, after what she’s been through, I’m sure it’ll be fine. Savannah may be young however, her innocence was stolen.

“This is my friend Jade’s favorite show. It’ll give you two something to talk about when you meet her. She can have entire conversations with Friends quotes so you better study up.”

She giggles, “Okay.”

I stand beside the bed, “I have to go talk to my brother. I’ll be back in a little while. Press this button,” I point to the intercom, “if you need anything.”

MIA

Iwalk downstairs with Dr. Cruise and meet the rest of the team in the living room. We sit next to Max on the sofa. He arches an eyebrow, “How bad is it?”

She clasps her hands on her lap, “Can we have privacy?”

He nods, “Jade, Hunter, Trevor give us a minute please.”

Trevor looks at me with concern, and I smile, “I’m fine. I’ll find you when we’re done.”

Everybody leaves. The doctor, Max, and I are alone. She sighs, “It’s not good. She has severe burns as well as dehydration. I believe Savannah will need surgery which would require a hospital stay, however, I’m not a surgeon so it won’t be my call.”

Max shakes his head, “I have a surgical room set up here. It is not safe for her to be in a hospital until we get the rest of these men.”

She looks at him in surprise, “You have an operating room in a house?”

He chuckles, “I do. We’ve never used it, but Xander set it up for me a few years ago.”

Dr. Cruise laughs, “Well that’s convenient. I am not a surgeon. I can’t do it. Perhaps, Xander can recommend someone that will. However, if the surgical board finds out, that person will lose their license.”

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