Chapter 5: The Kindness That Cursed Me

I was reading in bed when the pounding started. The sound was frantic, desperate, echoing through the empty clinic. My gut twisted with dread.

That midnight, the urgent knocking was unsettling.

The wind rattled the windows, carrying with it the scent of pine and fear. I hesitated, heart pounding, before stumbling to the door.

Savannah called for me to open the door and save her.

Her voice was raw, barely more than a whisper. "Please, Doc, please—help me."

Usually, such things are urgent, so I hurriedly dressed and opened the door.

I threw on my coat, not bothering with shoes. The cold bit at my toes as I swung the door open.

Savannah rushed in, crying desperately, saying she’d been raped.

She stumbled inside, clutching her torn jacket. Tears streaked her face, her breathing ragged. "He hurt me," she sobbed. "Please, help."

She asked me to call the police for her.

Her voice trembled. "You gotta call the sheriff, Doc. Please."

As soon as I heard this, I locked the door and quickly called the sheriff.

I double-checked the locks, then dialed the sheriff with shaking hands. "It's Savannah Cole," I said. "She's been attacked."

Then I examined her wounds and preserved the evidence.

I worked quickly, doing everything by the book. I collected samples, photographed injuries, made careful notes. My training kicked in, even as my stomach churned.

Her parents arrived faster than the police. When they got to the clinic, they were furious, pounding the table.

The screen door banged open. Savannah's parents barreled in, faces twisted with rage and fear. Her father slammed his fist on the counter, rattling the medicine bottles.

They swore to find the perpetrator and kept thanking me, saying I had saved Savannah’s life twice.

"You saved her before, Doc, and now again," her mother said, tears streaming down her face. Her father clapped me on the back, gratitude in his eyes.

I said it was nothing, since the police were coming soon, I would go out to meet them.

"Just doing my job," I replied, trying to keep my voice steady. I stepped outside to wait for the squad car, hoping for a breath of fresh air.

Unexpectedly, when I returned, everything had changed.

The mood inside had soured. Savannah's parents glared at me, their faces hard as stone. Savannah cowered behind them, eyes darting away from mine.

Savannah cried and hid in her parents’ arms, pointing at me and shouting, trembling:

She shrank into her father's embrace, sobbing so hard she could barely speak. Then, with a shaking finger, she pointed at me.

“It’s him, he raped me! He threatened me not to tell anyone. Now that the police are here, I dare to tell the truth!”

Her words exploded in the room. The sheriff's eyes narrowed. My own breath caught in my throat. I felt the world tilt beneath my feet.

My mind went blank.

For a moment, I couldn't speak. I just stared at her, the edges of my vision blurring. It was like falling through ice.

“What are you talking about?”

I managed to choke out the words, voice cracking. "Savannah, what are you saying?"

“Bastard! My daughter came to you for help, and you monster actually... I’ll beat you to death!”

Her father lunged at me, fists swinging. The sheriff and his deputies barely held him back. Spit flew from his mouth as he cursed me.

Savannah’s father raised his fist to hit me, but the police stopped him.

The deputy gripped his arm, forcing him to stand down. "Enough!" he barked. The room buzzed with tension.

I was in a daze.

I couldn't process what was happening. The walls seemed to close in, the air thick and suffocating.

I asked Savannah carefully:

I tried to keep my voice steady, fighting to hold onto reason. "Savannah, you can't say things like this. When did I ever hurt you?"

“Savannah, you can’t make up things like this. When did I rape you?”

I pleaded with her, searching her face for any sign of the truth.

“It was you who was assaulted and came to me for help!”

The words tumbled out, desperate. "You were the victim, Savannah! You asked me to help you!"

Savannah shook her head wildly, sobbing as if she would stop breathing at any moment.

She buried her face in her hands, shaking all over. Her parents pulled her close, shielding her from me.