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first, the only person Hope recognized was
the dark-haired social worker, Sophie. She was whispering softly to someone,
but at the angle Hope was standing, she was unable to see who it was. When Sophie
became aware someone new entered the room, she turned around; and Hope saw the
relieved look on the young woman’s face when she realized it was her. The women
were familiar with each other, having worked together on previous cases
occasionally.
    A small female child was sitting upright. The little girl
was dressed only in a bikini style panty. Her knobby knees were bent and thin
legs dangled from the examination table. Her long, dark hair was matted and
dirty. Black tears, the result of mascara painted on her eyelids, streaked down
both sides of her face. The little girl’s lips were painted bright red, and the
bottom one was trembling uncontrollably. She was holding onto a white stuffed
teddy bear, given to her by one of the officers at the scene, and she hugged it
tightly to her chest.
    Hope pulled over a rolling stool and placed herself in front
of the little girl.
    “Hi, honey, my name is Dr. Hope.” She was careful not to
reach out and touch the frightened child, but gave her a warm smile.
    The girl didn’t respond verbally, but slowly let go of the
bear with one tiny hand and gently caressed Hope’s hair. Hope took it as a
signal the child would allow her to reciprocate; so, without hesitating, she
grabbed a tissue and gently dried the child’s tear running down her left cheek.
    “What’s your name, honey?” Hope asked, her tone soft as
cotton.
    The child’s mouth opened, and it appeared she was about to
speak, and then she immediately clamped her lips shut as she became aware of
some sort of commotion outside the examining room.
    “Get me the rape kit and make it fast, I’ve got a ballgame
to go to.”
    Hope recognized his voice immediately and was not pleased when
he abruptly pulled the curtain back and entered the room.
    Hope knew Dr. Lewis was an arrogant son of a bitch and not
very well liked by most of the staff at the hospital. The man’s over-developed
physique often had the staff wondering if he was dabbling in the illegal use of
steroids. Dr. Lewis was not someone Hope had a very harmonious relationship
with. She had butted heads with the Emergency Room doctor on several occasions;
and she could visualize that this situation was likely to bring more of the
same.
    He manipulated his way past Sophie and Jean, but stopped
short at pushing Hope out of his way.
    “Excuse me, Dr. Rubin; I have an exam to do.” He told her,
taking care to avert her eyes. Careful to avoid touching her as he walked past,
he pulled his stethoscope from around his thick neck.
    Hope laid her hand on his left forearm.
    “Paul, may I see you outside, please?” She turned back to
the child. “Sweetheart, I will be right back.” Reading absolute fear in the
little girl’s eyes, she smiled warmly. Hope laid the palm of her hand on the
child’s wet cheek. Still stiff with fear, the little girl kept her eyes focused
on Hope and clutched the stuffed animal tighter.
    In an effort to convince the child that she would be safe
and okay, she sat back down and continued to speak in the soft tone. “Sophie is
going to stay with you, honey. You will be fine. I promise.” Hope told her, as
she stood up and relinquished her stool to Sophie. It broke her heart to walk
out, but she knew that she had to make sure this child was not going to deal
with any more trauma than she had already been subjected to, even if it was
from one of her colleagues.
    Realizing that Dr. Lewis wasn’t taking her cue, and made no
attempt to move, she tugged at his arm. “Now! Paul.”
    As soon as they were outside of the cubicle, she let go of
his arm. “That child is not ready for a physical exam, much less a
gynecological one.” She was thinking to herself there was no way she was going
to let any man come near the child in such an intimate way, even if