It Takes Patience III: Stripped

*Reagan’s POV*
The guard instructed me to follow behind him to an office so that I could file a report, but I didn’t want to leave Harry alone and bleeding in his cell. I was hesitant to move feeling my anxieties take hold. There was a time when I wasn’t like this. I didn’t overthink things or worry too much about anything. I went with the flow of life and it was somehow less difficult. Perhaps it was me living in some type of bubble, shielded from how wicked and cruel the world could really be. My cover has since been stripped from me during my time in London and part of me wishes that it hadn’t been.

“It’s okay,” Harry’s voice serves as my aloe and my comfort blanket to such a shock, “it’s going to be okay Reagan. Go file the report. I love you baby. I’ll just be in here if you need me...obviously.”

He gives me a reassuring grin and chuckles at his misfortune, causing my tear ducts to dry and bringing an ounce of light to what has been a dismal day so far. My heart flutters at his soothing words and I manage a small smile to him before I glance at my watch. I get annoyed momentarily as I trail behind the guard. Dr. Koch is always one for being on time for everything and I wish that he would be just as prompt in this situation. I know he’s doing us a favor in coming so that Harry can be bailed out, but the sooner we get him out of here the better.

We get to the office where I file the claim and I sit in front of a woman showing her the messages that I received from Peyton, wishing that I hadn’t deleted the others. They assure me that it can be pulled up on phone records, but the thought of dragging out this process makes me feel more stressed and anxious than I already am. They ask me if I can remember anything from the day that the assault occurred, but when I go to open my mouth to speak I feel flustered. In the end the only thing I managed to tell them from what I remember was waking up naked in his bed. A shudder runs through me and the lady scribbles down something else on the sheet before she tells me what I have should be enough to pin Peyton with a sexual molestation and rape charge.

The lady hands me the document and has me read over it and as my eyes travel over the blue ink, a weight is lifted off of my shoulders and then placed back there once again. It would probably make no sense if I said this to anyone else but myself, but seeing my claim written out on a piece of paper that I can physically hold in my hands and touch makes everything more real. The words magnify themselves and the ones that hurt me the most play tricks on my mind, almost making me think that there’s a 3D effect as I read and see the words drugged, molested, forced, and raped.

I shake my head swallowing the lump in my throat and write my looped signature at the bottom of a page.

We stand to exit the room and as soon as we do, I hear a pompous British drawl knowing already that it’s Dr. Koch before I even turn the corner and see him in front of me. When the man simply says ‘hello’ to the people at the front desk he sounds as if he’s talking down to them. We make eye contact and I walk towards him pushing my messenger bag up my shoulder and then digging in it to hand him the cash, £500 for Harry’s bail.

“Thank you Dr. Koch. I really can’t say it enough.”

“Hmm,” he nods and I know that’s the closest thing I’ll get to a ‘you’re welcome’.

I go sit on a bench not too far from the door and when Dr. Koch is finished signing papers for Harry’s release, he surprises the hell out of me when he takes a seat next to mine. A guard walks back towards the holding cells with keys and I start to fiddle with my fingers, they’re itching to touch Harry and make sure he’s okay.

“How were you able to bail Harry out? You live in San Francisco.” I ask Dr. Koch, trying to make small talk and keep my feet firmly planted to the ground. I badly want to run to the H.

“I have dual citizenship, seeing as much of my work deals with me traveling back and forth between London and San Francisco for research.” It makes sense.

I nod my head while biting my lip and another man is brought into the station. He’s tall, muscular, dirty, ranting, and struggling against the police. I find myself staring at the man becoming more and more upset that Harry was locked up. I know that Harry would have to suffer some type of consequence for what he did, but I’m starting to feel as if being arrested was a bit much. He doesn’t deserve this. Not like this man does. I don’t even know what he did but I can tell that he’s guilty and an asshole. What Harry did was to protect me.

The doors to the holding cell hallway swing open and I’m immediately on my feet. Harry walks out slowly behind an officer and when I approach him, I meld into his frame. He hugs me back while kissing my forehead and continues to hold on to me as he walks to a desk to fill out paper work and get his possessions handed back to him. Before we leave the desk, he’s issued a court date for Peyton’s assault.

Harry’s eyes skim over the letter and he sighs before he runs a hand through his hair. I open my mouth to speak to him, but I’m beat to it when the guard that was watching him in the holding area catches Harry’s attention.

“Make sure you get that gash checked out. It looks like you could have a third eye socket.” He smiles at Harry and waves us away from the desk.

“It’s not that bad is it? I mean, I doubt it’s really that bad.” It takes a minute for me to register that Harry is indeed talking to me.

I grab his chin and turn his head to the side slightly to get a better look. The bleeding has slowed leaving a trail of dried blood down the side of his face. It doesn’t look as bad as the man says, but I’m sure it wouldn’t hurt if Harry had some medical attention.

I grab a makeup remover wipe out of my bag and wipe his face of the dried blood. When I get close to the wound, Harry inhales sharply and squeezes his eyes closed. I quickly draw my hand back.

“Sorry. I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay. It's fine, just leave it alone!”

“No Harry that’s going to scar when it heals and it’s already starting to bruise. What are you going to tell your mom? The wedding is next week.”

Harry’s face pales momentarily.

“It’s not next week...and I don’t want to tell her if it’s not going to be serious.” My eyebrows furrow.

“What do you mean not serious? You have a court date. Next week is October twentieth, Harry. The wedding is next week.” Harry doesn’t make eye contact with me, but changes the subject instead.

“Now is not the time to talk about that damn wedding Reagan! And don’t you say anything to her about the court date either! I’ll handle it.”

I scoff, “Oh, like you handled it today?!”

Harry’s eyes turn a shade darker and he narrows his brow causing the cut under his left one to run red once again. I take a tissue out of my bag this time as we make our way to the front of the station and press it to the cut causing Harry to recoil away from me and curse under his breath.

When we get back to the benches that I was sitting on to wait for Harry, Dr. Koch is still sitting there as well with his lips pressed in a hardline, surprising me for the second time today. I thought that he would have left by now.

When we get to him he stands and takes in our appearance and I’m sure we both look a mess. My makeup is smudged on my face and I feel like I’ve wiped my eyes so many times today to rid myself of tears that my mascara and eyeliner resemble that of a raccoon. Harry holds the tissue that I’ve previously pressed to his face in place. His hair is wilder than its usual state,( if that’s at all possible?) and there is blood on both his grey sweater that he is now holding in his hands and on the white t-shirt that he wore under it.

My mind wanders a mile a minute and my focused side that has seemed to be missing in action for these past couple of months reemerges from her rest. That can’t all be Harry’s blood.

H. catches me staring at him, and his eyebrows are still knotted from my earlier comment. I didn’t mean for it to come out the way it did. I know why he did what he did, but he really does need to have better control over himself than he does.

“There is no cure for what he has! It can only be tamed...”

Dr. Koch’s words from earlier echo in my head, but I quickly silence them as he clears his throat while eyeing Harry, catching my attention again. When Harry’s gaze follows to where mine is, his eyes pop in clear shock of who's standing in front of him. I speak, bringing the question that I had in my head out into the open.

“You stayed Dr. Koch?”

“I had papers to sign myself. Nice to see you again Harold, not much has changed from the last time I saw you I see.” Harry’s eyes appear to dimmer slightly at the comment and I find myself wanting to slap Dr. Koch the way I slapped Peyton only a few days ago.

Harry smirks and shakes his head while scoffing.

“This is your boss? This is who bailed me out”
I nod my head and Harry’s lips press into a line much like how Dr. Koch’s was moments ago.

“Thank you. Dr. Koch.” Harry speaks and allows a half grin to come onto his face.

They stare at each other but they both appear to be looking down at each other. I’m clearly in the dark about something else again today. I take a deep breath before I speak and break up the staring contest.

“Thank you again for everything Dr. Koch, but we really should be going now. I’ll see you at my regular starting time again tomorrow?” Harry snaps his head down to look at me and I know he wants to protest.

“Reagan, you were ra-”

“I’m fine Harry!” My eyes plead with his to keep quiet. He wants me to ask for the day off, but I can’t do that, missing today because of the events that went on is enough already. I need to keep myself busy.

Dr. Koch nods his head in agreement and I grab onto Harry’s arm ready to get out of here. The longer we stay the more energy I’m drained of. Everything is finally catching up with me leaving me both physically and mentally tired.

Just before we reach the doors I can hear my name being called. When I turn around the woman that I stated my claim to is close behind me with papers in her hand. She bumps into Dr. Koch and the papers slip from her fingers. When he bends to pick them up for her, I can see his eyes skimming over them. He hands them back to her and then walks out of the building saying nothing more.

“I’m sorry; I need you to sign one more thing before you leave.” The officer speaks and I take the clip board and sign my name to the bottom dotted line. The lady gives me a sympathetic smile and Harry wraps his free arm around my waist.

When we get outside, there are two taxis waiting. Dr. Koch stands in front of one and gestures for me to come to him, Harry follows behind me closely.

“You were raped Reagan?” My eyes instantly fill with tears. I wish they would stop using that word. I find myself unable to speak momentarily and I drop my head to the ground.

"You read that paper? You shouldn't have read that! No disrespect Dr. Koch, but that was none of your business." His eyes turn to ice.

“It was all my business Miss Stoger! That paper said that Peyton is the accused.” When Dr. Koch says his name it rumbles from his chest vehemently. I sigh and look up at him, wanting to speak but not being able to get a word around what feels like cotton blocking my throat. I nod my head and sigh then swallow hard in order to get a word out.

“I can still make it to work tomorrow.”

“You will not be working tomorrow or for the next two weeks! Why would you hide this from me? Do you know how bad that looks on me? I employed a rapist and you weren't going to say anything?!”

I can tell that Dr. Koch is angry, but I can also tell that it’s not a haughty air that drips from his words this time. When I look into the steel blue-grey of his eyes, I see a look there that I thought I never would, compassion. Unfortunately, I wish that I weren’t seeing it there because of this.

“Peyton is not in the office anymore, I’ll be alright. I just found out today myself and I-”

“You found this out today and you didn’t say anything immediately?” Koch’s tone contradicts his eyes and he pinches the bridge of his nose, “Do you need counseling?”

My mind goes back to how I felt sick in the office every time I passed Peyton’s desk, but I’m sure that will pass.

“No I’m fine.”

“You’re not!” Harry interjects for me and I furrow my eyebrows at him.

“Two weeks with pay Reagan. If you need more time let me know, and in the future, don’t ever keep things like this from an employer, especially if it’s going on right under their nose!” Dr. Koch gets into his cab and speeds off and when we turn around, the other is still waiting behind us.

Harry and I take the awaiting taxi back to Harry’s car at the Savoy and I feel my skin crawl as if I’m being haunted by what went on here today hours ago.

H. unlocks the doors and turns on the heat as soon as he starts the car. I try to keep my eyes open as we venture off back home, but I fail in doing so.

Notes

Hi Loves!! Thank you all immensely for the votes and subscriptions ITP 1 and two even went up in both (pretty please stay subscribed to all stories! It is still my goal to get each of them to at least 100 subs and votes!!!) Update for you all right now because I love you! What do you think of this chapter? Do you feel bad for Reagan or do you feel she's being a bit stupid for trying to keep it a secret? What do you think it is that Harry has finally realized about Dr. Koch? ;) (think back to the second book and Harry's run ins) keep the VOTES, SUBSCRIPTIONS, & COMMENTS COMING if you would like me to continue loves! :)

As always I ABSOLUTELY LOVE THE HELL OUT OF YOU ALL FOR READING!!~Xx M.

P.s. Have you all seen Harry's new tattoo? I was quite fond of the old one, but it is what it is I guess.