AFTERMATH (Chapter 73)

Warren was in the hospital for a week. He was recovering, physically.

Warren and Tim's next door neighbor, John, had a double room but had never had a roommate. They talked it over, and agreed. Tim offered to move in with John, so Sophia could stay with Warren. "He's gonna need you, Soph. I know how shook up he is." Sophia gratefully accepted their kind offer, and helped Tim move his stuff.

When she brought Warren home from the hospital, that's the first thing he noticed.

"Where's all of Tim's shit?"

"He moved in with John, so I could stay with you as much as possible."

"OK."

The next day, the police called. Warren went down to a lineup, and picked out the four guys. They were still attending Watson's campus meetings, and the police had grabbed them there, based on Warren's descriptions. And physical evidence proved that one of them was definitely the one who had raped Warren. Because that was in the papers now, word of the rape got out. One of the effects of that was shock and disgust even among the Watson acolytes, because the irony that Sophia had spoken about was lost on no one.

Sophia was glad that the goons had been caught--although she wasn't looking forward to Warren having to go through a trial--but she had bigger problems: getting Warren back on his feet.

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It wasn't going well. It was a week after he had come home. His parents had flown back a couple days earlier, so it was all up to Sophia, and she wasn't having an easy time of it.

"Warren?"

"Hm?"

"The doctors said you could skate. We have our ice time tomorrow morning. Want to give it a whirl?"

"No."

"We really should, soon, you know. We need to see if you can get to the point where we can go to Worlds. It's only a month and a half away."

"I'm not going to Worlds."

"We might be able to. If your wrist can handle it, we might be able to."

"No."

"OK, we'll talk about this later." She took a breath. "Hey, you want to go out? Get some food, hit a movie? Might be fun."

"No."

"Warren, you can't just sit in this room, except for going to class!"

"Sure I can. Watch me."

"Oh, Warren." She went to touch him on the shoulder. He flinched. She backed away, trying to hide how upset she was. "Oh, by the way, Christine Arsenault wants you to call her. I've got her number."

"Oh."

"You should call her. A good flirt might be what you need," she said playfully.

"No."

Sophia sighed. "Warren, you and Chris have been friends for a long time."

"Yeah, but she's a skater. I don't want to have anything to do with skaters and skating."

Sophia just sighed, and went back to reading her book.

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A couple days later, Sophia was on Warren's computer, checking her e-mail.

"Hey, Snugglebear. You should see the lovely e-mail I got from Anya Malekova. She's such a sweetheart."

"Hmmm."

"She even offered to fly out here, at her own expense, and help us get up to snuff for Worlds if we need it. Might be a good idea."

"I told you, no Worlds."

"Come on, Snugglebear. You're healing. Your ribs are better, your legs are fine, and they are going to change that cast on your wrist to a splint. We just have to rechoreograph around your wrist a bit. I think you can skate. We should try."

"I have no desire to skate."

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The next day:

"Hey, Warren? Papa Bear and Cait want us to double-date some night this weekend."

"Tell 'em thanks, but no."

"Come on, Warren. Might be fun." She giggled. "We could play Truth or Dare."

That earned her the smallest of smiles, but it disappeared in a hurry. "I just don't feel like going out."

"I know, but you should."

Warren just sighed. Sophia walked over to him, and leaned down to kiss him. He flinched, and didn't return the kiss. Sophia stood up, trying not to get too upset at his rejection of her, but she said something.

"Warren, you need help."

"What do you mean?"

"Professional help. You need to talk to Mary."

"No way."

"I went when you asked me to."

"That was different."

"How so?"

"Because you needed it. I don't need it. I'm perfectly fine."

"Perfectly fine? You won't go out. You won't skate. You flinch when I go to kiss you, Warren! This is your definition of perfectly fine?"

"I just need a little time, is all."

"OK. Anything you say."

She walked out of the room, needing someone to talk to. She went up to Alexa's.

"Hey, Sophia? What's up? How's Warren?"

"Not good. Not good at all." She detailed to Alexa some of what had been going on.

"Oh, shit. You want I should go talk to him?" Alexa asked.

"I don't know if he would even let you in."

"Maybe he's right. Maybe he just needs time."

"Maybe. But I'd have an easier time believing that if I saw some sign he was getting better. I don't. Except for class, he just sits in bed. And I can't even touch him without him flinching--that's the toughest part. It's just about breaking my heart."

"You need to be patient with him."

"I'm trying. I really am." She sighed. "I am not the strong one in this relationship, you know. I never have been. I'm the one that needs to be taken care of, the one who breaks into pieces that need to be put back together. Not him. I'm not used to this. I don't know what to do."

"You're doing fine, you know. You're there for him."

"True. But it is becoming increasingly clear that it's not enough." She sighed. "Enough about me. How are you doing?"

"My parents still aren't speaking to me. They sent me a note saying that they will continue to pay for college, because that was a promise they had made. But they won't talk to me, and they 'suggested' I find somewhere else to spend the summer."

"Oh, Jesus, Alexa."

"You know what? Fuck 'em. Their attitude makes me sick. And Elise already told me that I could spend the summer there if I want. I might go home anyway, I can stay with my grandmother. I've talked to her, and she's pissed at my parents for doing this."

"Hopefully, they'll come around."

"I don't care anymore. Let them stew in their own hatred."

"It's still tough. All the shit I've done in my life, and my Mom still stands behind me."

"Yeah."

"She can't help me with this, though."