{ TRAUMA WARNING! There is mention of sexual assault in this chapter though it is not explicitly written into the story! If you are sensitive or triggered by the topic please be careful while reading!

-Love Soki }

His wrists were rubbed raw. He was twitching and covered in any number of sticky substances. Whether it was lube, spit, or whatever else James had aimed at him.

Keith had been laying there in shock for what seemed like an eternity. The only thing even keeping him awake and conscious at all was the adrenaline in his system.

He felt like his brain was scrambled and he'd forgotten how to do much of anything besides lay there. James even had an arm draped over him, and Keith was unsure of what to do about it.

That was until he heard snoring.

His eyes widened somewhat and he knew that it might've been his only chance at getting out. Keith ran through the possibilities in his head, thinking about everything that could've happened.

James could've woken up and actually beat him, or gotten really serious and locked him in a room. But on the other hand... if he could just squeeze out and make it to the phone or the front door, he'd be okay.

It seemed like the middle of the night, judging from the tiny bit of moonlight that came in through the closed blinds. Keith tried his best to scoot away from James, but the second he even moved his torso, a tinge of pain ran through him. It stung awfully from what James had done.

Keith didn't cry again, though. He'd run out of tears, and as much as his body hurt, the emotions he had were numb.

James stirred slightly, making Keith completely freeze. Once he was sure the alpha was still sleeping, he carefully began to lift up James' arm. He slid out from under it, wincing.

After setting it back down onto the bed as gently as he could, Keith put his feet on the floor. It was shockingly cold on the bottom of them. Going to stand up, Keith wobbled and his knees buckled. He grabbed a hold of the nightstand, but the lamp on top of it rocked and looked like it was going to hit the floor.

Keith frantically steadied it and whipped his head to look at James. The alpha hadn't moved.

It felt like he was in a cave with a bear and that if he made one wrong move he was going to be the next meal. His stomach was turning and he had an awful feeling in his gut, like he was being watched. Even though James' eyes were closed, he couldn't be too careful.

Keith tried to take another step, one foot in front of the other. It stung so bad and there were new tears in his eyes as he did, but he pushed through it until he could lean on the door frame to the bedroom.

The omega's wrists were still bound in front of him, having been tied with a type of rope. It wasn't normal rope, however. It was almost like cord, stretchy yet tight. Then there was the lingerie, which James hadn't taken off of him, but only yanked to the side. Keith struggled to pull the panties back up so he'd at least be somewhat covered.

Keith limped, bracing himself with the wall and trying to stay upright. He tried to remember where his keys had ended up, as well as his phone. Even still... he didn't know if he could even handle sitting down and driving.

He'd just snagged his phone up from the floor by the couch when he saw headlights shine through the glass panes on the front door. It startled Keith so bad that he went to move too fast, tripping. The flop over onto the rug was way louder than it should've been, and Keith turned over his shoulder to stare at the hallway in paranoia.

The snoring had stopped.

Keith bear crawled at the door with his bound hands, knowing that if James was awake, he had mere seconds to get out. He wanted to cry, but he couldn't make any more noise without being caught for sure.

Keith had no clue where his keys had ended up, most likely being dropped in the earlier scuffle. He didn't have time to worry about it and prayed he could make it out to call the police.

Grabbing at the door, he pulled himself up and yanked it open, stumbling out onto the doormat.

He heard a yell from inside the house.

" Keith!"

Keith sniffled and moved as fast as he could, pulling out his phone. He didn't even get time to use his finger print before he heard more yelling. But it was from right in front of him that time. The headlights in the driveway shined in Keith's eyes and he trembled while hearing a familiar voice. Two of them.

" Keith!" Pidge rushed over to him, seeing what he was wearing and how he was bruised up, pale from fear as well. " Oh my fuck- we have to get you to a hospital!"

Keith tried to talk, opened his mouth like he was going to, but nothing came out. Instead, tears only streamed down his cheeks and he shook from fear.

" KEITH!" James shouted in his alpha voice from the inside. Keith winced and panicked, his breathing going shallow as he heard it.

Pidge realized something really bad had happened to Keith, and once she heard James inside, she became livid.

Hunk ran out from the car and let Keith lean on him, as he was clearly having trouble standing up. He also tried to get off the restraints on the other's wrists.

" Keith, hey, can you walk?" He asked him.

Keith was in a state of shock.

" Help him to the car." Pidge told Hunk, and she scowled as she saw James storming around the house. Once the alpha noticed her, his eyes bulged. " You nasty, disgusting, low life rapist." She accused. " Is that what you did?!"

James slammed the door in her face and Pidge realized they had to call the cops and get Keith to the hospital.

Hunk helped Keith in the backseat, the omega hissing as he sat down in the back. Hunk was panicking, wondering why Keith wasn't saying anything.

Pidge grit her teeth and rushed back to the car, hopping in the backseat with Keith so she could comfort and keep an eye on him.

" Hunk, do you think you can drive?" She asked. Hunk looked over the controls of the car and recognized it as being similar to his own. He said yes and took the driver's seat. Pidge looked at Keith and saw his eyes beading, carefully putting a hand on his shoulder, feeling him tremble.

Keith's lip was even quivering as he sat there, not even knowing to say a word.

" We're getting you to a hospital. I'm calling the police and they're going to get him, okay?" Pidge told him.

Keith sat there with a blank stare, and Pidge took off her hoodie and put it over him. It might've been small, but it would at least cover him up a little.

She took out her phone and dialed the emergency number as Hunk pulled out of the driveway.

" I need the police." Pidge spoke.

Keith felt his eyes defocusing and being pointed out the window. He didn't even know what he was supposed to feel in that moment. Scared? Angry? Disgusted? Really his mind was so overwhelmed that it had forgotten how to feel in that moment.

It was unclear whether Hunk was speeding or what direction they were going. Keith couldn't keep track of much besides his want for one thing.

Lance.

He wanted Lance, and only then would he figure out the emotion he was afflicted with.

Pidge's words drowned out, as did the sound of the engine on the car. Everything was one big slathered together mess which Keith didn't have the energy to sort through. His body ached, having any number of scrapes and bruises. His scalp stung from how much his hair had been pulled, to the point it had nearly been taken out of his head. And most noticeably of all... he couldn't stop shaking.

They arrived at the Urgent Care entrance, nurses coming out to meet them in the doorway. Keith was leaning on Hunk so they could get him inside without him faceplanting.

Pidge talked to the nurses and Hunk kept him steady, and they were quick to load him onto a bed. But as soon as Keith felt unfamiliar hands touch him, his eyes widened. It was like a reflex as he slapped and kicked them away, breathing rapidly and feeling his heart racing.

The nurses looked at each other, drawing their hands back.

" Okay, okay, easy..." One of them tried to say. " We're here to help you."

Keith's eyes cut around the room and then to Pidge and Hunk.

" You're okay... we're right here." Hunk assured.

Keith seemed to ease somewhat and lay his head back, and Pidge and Hunk followed as they wheeled him back. Since Keith wasn't in a life threatening situation right then, they were allowed to.

" Sir, do you know your name?" The nurse asked once they were in a room. Keith stared at her and his mental voice said his name, it was just a matter of getting it out that was the problem. He only nodded once he figured out his voice didn't plan on working.

" Do you know where you are?"

Another nod.

" If you'll please forgive him, he's just been through a traumatic experience. I'm not sure he can answer anyone's questions at the moment." Hunk cut in.

" We just need to make sure his level of awareness is up to par. Otherwise we need to talk to a doctor and order a CT scan."

Keith heard more talking, looking around the room and not listening. There was bad artwork lining the walls and it smelled steryl in there. There were paper cranes hanging from the ceiling in the corner and he seemed stuck on them.

The nurses left a short while later, going to find a doctor.

Once alone, Pidge grabbed Keith's hand to support him and looked over at Hunk worriedly. Something really bad must've went down in there for Keith to be acting in such a way.

" Keith... I think we need to call your family. Is that okay?" She asked gently. If she'd been in that situation, she would've wanted her family there.

Keith turned his head at her slightly, then nodded. His mother would've been ready to beat a bitch, and his step father? Don't even get him started. Having an alpha mother and an alpha step father was definitely complicated, but he knew one thing. They'd both be pissed yet there for him. And Romelle would probably just cry and hug him forever, but that was a whole different thing.

Pidge slowly grabbed Keith's phone from her pocket, then pulled the hospital blanket up and over Keith. They hadn't given him a gown yet. And she'd managed to get Keith's phone from him on the way out.

She used her fingerprint to get in Keith's phone and then stood up.

" Do you mind if I talk to them in the hall?" She knew Keith wouldn't speak, and didn't want to trigger him with anything she said.

Keith shook his head after a few seconds. And with that, Pidge stepped out and went to Keith's contacts. Would it be awkward to just call his mom? No. They knew each other, though not insanely well.

Pushing the call button under 'Mom', Pidge held the phone to her ear and leaned back on the hallway wall. She took a deep breath and prepared herself, knowing it was late at night and she would most likely wake Krolia up.

It was a few rings later when the line picked up.

" Keith?" Was yawned from the other side. " What is it?"

Pidge gulped.

" Actually, not Keith, Katie- or uh- Pidge. Keith's friend." She said, hoping Krolia remembered her. It had been a few years since they'd seen each other after all.

There was a little bit of noise from the other side, most likely her sitting up in bed.

" Pidge? What are you doing calling me at-... just in the middle of the night? And on Keith's phone?" She asked.

" Well... you see, Mrs. Marmora..." Pidge stammered. She didn't know how to say this without scaring the parent half to death. " I'm in the hospital with Keith and... something happened with James a-and... we're pretty sure h-... he was... um..." She swallowed thickly. " Sexually assaulted in s-some way..."

A gasp came through the phone.

" Is he okay?!"

There was a squeak in the background, most likely the bed creaking in adjustment.

" What's going on?" A man's sleepy voice grumbled.

Pidge figured Kolivan would've woken up as well.

" We're not sure. He won't really talk to anyone. They're about to have a doctor see him." She informed.

" And where the hell was Keith's alpha during all this?! Lance, right?! How could this have happened-"

" Lance is out of the country visiting family but he knew something was wrong when Keith wasn't picking up the phone. I'm sorry." Pidge held herself together just barely. " But... I think it would be best if you came to the hospital."

There was a brief moment of silence at first.

" Yes. We'll be there. Text me the address and it will be a couple hours for us to drive, but tell him we love him and we're on our way."

" Will do."

Her next move would've been to call Lance as that phone call ended. But they didn't know everything yet. Lance would've been more worried than anything if he only knew half the truth. Pidge decided she would have Hunk text Lance updates as they heard them from the doctor. Plus... she didn't know if she could handle his crying again. It was too painful.

The doctor arrived just as Pidge headed back into the room and held the door for her.

It was a female doctor, one who was wearing a white coat and seemed to be sensitive to Keith's situation.

" Keith? Hi, I'm the one who's going to be taking care of you."

Keith sat there and as she introduced herself and everything he just nodded, cause that seemed to work with people.

After observing Keith and getting a reading of his vitals, she was concerned. The acceleration in his heartbeat and limp the nurses had reported were making her suspect what Pidge had already said.

" Okay, Keith. What I believe needs to happen next is taking you downstairs to forensics and pathology." She told him. " You'll need a sexual assault exam."

" A what?" Pidge asked.

" More often the public calls it a Rape Kit..." The doctor elaborated. " Furthermore, I believe you suffered some trauma that has altered your mental state. I can't make a determination on how long it will take you to recover."

Keith sat in the bed and went along with it. He didn't even know what to think anymore.

It was a while later before they began to wheel Keith out of the room, and Hunk and Pidge were told they could wait there for Keith's family, and the police to come and interview them. The hospital had been obligated to get in contact with law enforcement as well.

" Should... I text Lance now?" Hunk asked. Pidge nodded and put her head in her hands. It was well after 2 in the morning by then.

Hunk took a moment to gather his thoughts before typing.

Hunk 2:34 AM: Lance we have Keith at the hospital. We showed up at James' place and he was trying to run away from him it looked like. He was wearing hardly anything and was limping really bad so we called the cops and drove him to urgent care. Pidge called his family and they're on their way.

He didn't know if he had it in him to tell Lance about the Rape Kit. He didn't.

Lance read the message immediately.

Lance 2:34 AM: I'm booking a flight home. I'll be there in a few hours. Tell him that I'll get there as fast as I can

Hunk read the message and could tell Lance was trying to be strong, when in reality they all knew he was crying. He wouldn't call him out on it, though.

Hunk 2:35 AM: Alright

" Lance is going to blow a fuse about this..." Pidge murmured.

" We all need to be here for them even in spite of that." Hunk replied, and then his phone started ringing. He jumped and nearly dropped it, but then saw it was Lance calling. " Hello?"

" Hunk! Check Twitter! It's everywhere and I don't know what to do-"

" What? What are you talking about?" Hunk asked, motioning for Pidge to pick up the phone in her lap. He put Lance on speaker.

" Us!!! Keith is-..." Lance sniffled and sobbed. " We're both naked all over the internet and I don't even know where it's coming from! There's posts everywhere!"

{ I'm so sorry. ( ͡ಥ ͜ʖ ͡ಥ) }