Everyone's Man – 9

 

The EMTs had placed young man on his stomach for a very obvious reason: his back and buttocks were thoroughly lacerated. Someone had taken a belt to them, and possibly a whip as well, although at the moment, Marc couldn't tell with certainty. The young man's wrists were torn and bloody from whatever had been used to restrain him. His lips were swollen and bruised, telling Marc that not only had he been raped, but he'd been forced to perform oral sex on his attackers.

 

And Marc was certain it was attackers, in the plural. There was too much damage for there to have been only one man involved.

 

It was several hours later before the young man—Colin Wilcox according to the ID found in his wallet—was finally in a bed in one of the semi-private rooms in the hospital. He'd been sedated to manage his pain. The damage to his back and wrists was stitched where necessary, then treated and bandaged. The only bright side, if it could be called that, was that there were no broken bones and no internal injuries, other that the anorectal trauma and tearing, which was severe enough to require surgery. The physical evidence of the rape had been gathered and was sealed in a box and secured until Colin gave his permission to give it to the police. If he did. If he was even willing to file a complaint against his attackers.

 

Marc ended his shift and went to check on Colin, needing, for some reason he couldn't even explain to himself, to see how the young man was doing.

 

He hadn't expected Colin to be awake and he was right. He studied his patient. Colin looked so young, despite the fact that Marc knew he was in his early twenties. Young and beautiful and innocent. Marc had a feeling innocent was the last thing Colin was. He picked up the chart, nodding slowly to himself. According to the surgeon, despite the damage to his rectum, it was obvious that the rape was far from the first time that it had been penetrated.

 

"Who are you, Colin Wilcox, and why does someone hate you enough to do this to you?" Marc asked quietly. Somehow he sensed that Colin had been targeted, that this wasn't a random attack. He couldn't explain why, but he did.