14. Case Closed

*Amanda's POV*

We can't talk to her. She's to be kept quiet until she can move normally and her temperature up to a certain point.

They are able to keep her awake, which is a great sign.

The doctor pulls us aside.

"How bad is it?" I ask.

"Moderate. Could have been a lot worse. But it's gonna be awhile before she recovers."

"Can you tell if she was sexually assaulted?" Nick asks.

"If she was able to walk, she couldn't have been in the cold for long. But her weakness suggests she was."

I look over at Nick, feeling sick to my stomach. This perp is disgusting.

It only takes 5 more minutes for Ashley's parents to show up. They give permission for the rape kit.

Just in time, too. If we wouldn't have sent the rape kit out at the time we did, Garcia would've gotten released.

We sit with the rest of the squad until we get the rape kit results. There's no fluids, but there's bruising and other signs of rape. Ashley will have to ID him. If she can ID him.

It's not until 7:45 we can talk to Ashley. Paige doesn't even want us to, but Olivia assures her it's the only to nail this guy.

~*~*~*~*~*~

"Where's Olivia?" Ashley asks. "I want to talk to Olivia."

"She's not working this case," I tell her gently. "She can't. She's connected to you."

"Technically, you are too!" she exclaims.

"It's complicated law stuff. I can see if she can come in here though."

She nods.

I send Nick to go get her, since she might be like Ellie in the fact she trusts me most, after Olivia.

*Olivia's POV*

As soon as Nick requests me to get up, Ellie moves to sit next to Paige.

I walk with Nick towards the ICU.

"She requested me?"

"As soon as we told her we wanted to talk to her, she asked why you weren't there," Nick tells me.

I nod and quicken my pace. I get to Ashley's bedside and she immediately takes my hand. Her hand is freezing, which, for whatever reason, I forgot to expect.

"Is Ellie here?" she asks me.

I nod. "As soon as you're in a regular room, she can see you."

She nods and looks up to Amanda for her questioning.

"So, Ashley, wanna tell us what happened?"

"I left the party with Jordyn and Ellie. When we got to a certain point, we all had to go in different directions home. So I was walking and I got home, I took the spare key out of the plant, opened the door and went inside. I put my stuff down in my room and went to put the key back. When I got to my front door, I saw three men. They took me and I couldn't even fight back."

Amanda nods and Nick writes it all down. She squeezes my hand so I squeeze back. With my other hand, I start fixing her hair with my fingers.

"What'd they do after that?"

"Threw me in a car, one of them held me and kept my own hand over my mouth," she says. "They put me in some room and told me if I tried to run they'd kill me. If I tried to fight or anything they'd kill me. So I stayed put."

She pauses but continues. "They...did what they did. The first time I screamed no and the big one hit me so hard I couldn't see straight. They beat me, kept all my clothes. Fed me once a day. Bread and water and that was it. If I didn't eat fast enough they'd just take it away. They made me pose and took pictures of me. I think they took pictures while they attacked me. At some point two of the men stopped coming to see me. It was just the big one. And one day he hid me in a dark room with a window like a jail cell. 4 bars. When he didn't come get me I started banging the bars, hoping they'd break. The one bar was rusty so I hit it over and over and over for hours until it broke. I jumped out the window into an alley. I passed I was so cold. I got up when I woke up and went to SVU," she finishes.

"Where is this room, Ashley?" Nick asks.

"Somewhere around the warehouse. I'm not sure."

"What about this man? What did he look like?"

"He was tall. Muscular. Latino. Um..."

"Could you identify him in a lineup?" Amanda asks her. She nods, but her olive skin goes white.

"You don't have to do it for a while. Not until you're better," I tell her.

"Okay," she whispers.

*Ellie's POV*

I sit in the tiny waiting room for what feel like an eternity. Finally, Mom, Nick, and Amanda come out of the ICU and surround me.

"She's gonna be fine. Once she's up to 98 degrees they're moving her to a regular room," Mom tells us.

I nod, feeling relieved. I can finally have my best friend back.

An hour later, she's moved to a regular room. They still have warming blankets and stuff on her, but I can see her.

Her hair is still messy and there's scratches on her face and arms, but she's still Ashley.

I go over to her bedside slowly and she hugs me. I know she won't cry. Ashley doesn't cry. And I know I won't either. But I come damn near close to it.

~*~*~*~*~*~

The next day, Ashley ID's the guy and he's definitely going away for a long time. Thursday, I return to school, but request Mom takes me.

Nobody gives me shit except Karen, who comes to cuss me out about "hurting Claire and then ditching". She gets in my face enough, waving her goddamned finger at me, that I take her arm and twist it. She cries out in pain so I release, but I know the crazy look I put in my eye scares her.

It's another week later when Ashley comes back, but the first time I see her, she's putting her things from her locker in a cardboard box. Tears are running down her face. Immediately, I'm holding her wrists, stopping what I know is happening.

"What are you doing?" I ask her.

"My mom's making us move."

"But why?" I feel tears on my cheeks too. "We got the perp."

"But two of the men who were with him disappeared. My mom doesn't feel safe. We aren't moving far but far enough for me to have to go to Burr Bank High," she tells me, shaking her arms free.

She finishes cleaning out her locker by handing me a notebook. The very notebook we would pass back and forth and write notes in and stuff.

"You keep it," I tell her.

"No. I have the 8th grade one. It's your turn," she says with a sad smile.

I hear the warning bell ring.

"My mom's waiting," she says.

I hug her tightly before running straight to the nurse. There's only one period left. Maybe she has enough pity in her just to let me sit there.

Instead of pretending to be sick, I run in with tears on my cheeks.

Before letting the nurse talk, I ask, "Would it be okay if it just sat in here? I'm only missing gym. And my best friend won't be attending school here anymore."

"Aw, child," she says sympathetically. "Of course. But just today."

I nod. "Thank you."

~*~*~*~*~*~

I know the squad only had to finish up the case's paperwork then they can go home. Starting at 6:30 in the morning means they should be done now.

What I don't know is that everyone is at our apartment. So when I storm in and see everyone, I hear more than one "how was...school?"

"Terrible!" I say, nearly yelling. I stomp to my room, slam the door, then throw my bag at it.

*Olivia's POV*

After work, the squad heads to my apartment just to relax and talk. We don't get to do much of that, so when we do, we take the opportunity.

It's around 2:45, and Ellie should be here any minute. I know exactly because I'm looking at the clock when I hear the door open and slam shut. 2:47 is the time.

Something's obviously up with her. "How was...school?" naturally comes out of all of our mouths, slowing when we see a not-happy girl.

"TERRIBLE!" is her answer.

I see the door slam, hear something like a kick or punch to the door, and then silence.

"Please tell me Jordyn didn't go missing," Amanda says.

"I'll find out," I say.

"Be careful."

I smile a little and go to her door. Ellie, even when completely pissed or upset, always forgets to lock the door.

I silently open the door. She's lying on her bed, on her stomach, face in a pillow. Crying.

When I close the door, I make more noise.

She sits up and yells, "LEAVE ME ALONE."

Unlike Amanda, I don't leave when this command is yelled.

"What happened today?" I sit next to her. I expect her to push me and when she does, I take her wrists.

"I hope that perp rots in hell."

Well then. "What happened?"

She speaks quickly. "Ashley came back to school today except she didn't actually come back to school. I saw her at her locker and she was packing up. I asked why and she said Paige was making them move because they don't feel safe that two of the men may still be out there. Well, they are but whatever. She's going to Burr Bank now. I didn't get my best friend back. She's leaving me. And Jordyn will be all secluded now and I can't do anything about that and I'll be all alone for the rest of forever. And Logan asked me why I've been ignoring him all the time and how do I reply to that? Oh sorry I was traumatized by my best friend's rape case? I can't do that. And Fin hates him anyways which means everyone else probably does and if I wouldn't have gotten in that damn car on Saturday, Ashley would have been safe and you would've found me and nobody would have to move anywhere and I would be okay with that but it didn't happen and it's not fair!"

I swear to god she said that all in like a breath and a half.

"Just leave me alone. Please," she says, way quieter.

I nod and kiss her head.

I leave her to herself and take a breath after leaving her room.

"What's up with her?" Amanda asks.

"Apparently the Larssons are moving and Ashley is transferring to a different school. She's upset."

"I can tell," Nick says. "Poor kid."

~*~*~*~*~*~

Hours after they leave, I hear a knock on the door. Just after trying to open Ellie's door, I've had enough with the wooden things for today. I answer it anyways.

Who I see is not who I expect. And I feel my heart skip a beat.