Birthday Pool Party Ch. 42

"She's having a full emotional break. We need to call 9-8-8." Steven states seriously. "It's the mental health crisis version of 9-1-1, basically."

"Seriously?!" I gasp. "Is that really necessary?"

"April's a danger to herself and others." he points out. "We have to."

"W-what do I do?" I stammer.

"First, I need to know if she has any history with mental illness, or if she's on any medication?" Steven inquires. "I'm sure they'll ask."

"Not that I know of." I shake my head. "For medication, just birth control."

"Did she take anything?" Steven follows up with. "Anything recreational?"

"Definitely not." I insist.

"Okay, thank you." he gives me a strong smile. "Go stay with her. Talk soothingly, and don't pressure her."

"Thank you, Steven." I mumble as I walk back to April.

I sit beside April, whispering softly as Steven stands by the door and pulls out his phone. He dials and puts the phone to his face. I soon realize that Steven and I stepping out so April can't hear is useless; I can clearly hear Steven's conversation.

"My name is Steven Thomson. I'm at the apartment of my employee, Stacey Martin." he begins in a calm voice. "Her roommate, April Heidele is having a mental health crisis. She has been crying and screaming. April threw herself at me and had to be physically pulled off of me. Stacey and I believe she's a danger to herself."

Tears run down my cheeks as I look at my girlfriend while listening to Steven describe what April is wearing, and what she looks like. He confirms April's age and address, explains that she isn't on any medication, and has no history of mental illness. I actually whimper when Steven insists that there are no weapons in the apartment.

I lose track of the conversation as April starts lightly pulling on the handcuffs. She looks at me with such sad eyes, that I just break. Glancing back at Steven, I see that he's still distracted, talking on the phone while not looking at us. I quickly rush around the bed to grab the handcuff key, then free April.

"She wants to talk to April." Steven says suddenly, making me jump.

"Um, okay." I nod, taking the phone and placing it to April's face.

What follows succeeds in truly breaking my heart. The only thing April manages to accomplish is to confirm her name. Other than that, she mumbles about Greg, about not wanting him, and just starts sobbing incoherently into the phone.

Steven eventually takes his phone back as I continue trying to comfort April. I hear him saying April won't let us move her, then he promises to meet outside the apartment building. He mentions my name before setting the phone down.

"They're gonna send a couple of CIT officers to talk to April." Steven tells me.

"CIT?" I frown in confusion.

"Crisis Intervention Team." he explains. "They'll be in plain clothes, and they're trained to deal with this kind of thing."

"O-oh. Okay." I sniffle.

"I'm gonna wait outside so I can show them in." Steven tells me before glancing at my chest. "Maybe you should put some clothes on?"

"Right! Clothes. I can do that!" I say as I hop to my feet and rush to my dresser to dig out a bra.

Steven gives April plenty of space as I place my boobs in the bra cups and hook it behind my back. Then I step into jeans and throw on a t-shirt. I give Steven a quick peck on the lips as he heads outside to meet the CIT officers.

April mumbles and cries softly, ignoring me completely as we wait. She won't respond to her name, and shivers every time I come too close. All I can do is stare at my love, completely helpless as I try to avoid thinking about the cause of all her pain.

I have no idea how much time passes before I hear the front door open. Steven then leads in two people dressed in casual clothing, one man and one woman. They appear to be in their late-twenties to early-thirties, and have kind smiles on their faces.

Both officers introduce themselves, then they ask to speak with April alone. I'm reluctant to leave her, but Steven quickly agrees with the officers and takes my hand, leading me from the bedroom. He takes me into the living room, out of earshot.

"Are you okay?" Steven asks quietly.

"No. Not at all." I answer plainly, arms crossed beneath my breasts.

"She's with people who are trained to deal with this kind of thing." he assures me.

"I should be helping her." I insist in a firm voice, glaring at Steven.

"Neither of us are trained mental health professionals." Steven reminds me, a small frown on his face. "In retrospect, cuffing her to the bed probably wasn't a smart idea."

"Probably not." I sigh. "Still, we were afraid she'd hurt herself..."

"NO!" April screams from the bedroom. "I DIDN'T WANT HIM!"

Steven grabs my arm, preventing me from running to check on April. I glare at him as I hear hushed voices from the other room. Their words are too quiet to make out, but it's obvious that they are doing everything they can to calm April down.

My anxiety only increases as time goes by, and I find myself pacing back and forth as I try and fail to remain calm. Just as I'm about to rush past Steven and barge into the bedroom, the two CIT officers reappear, leading a crying April. My girlfriend is still in her pajamas, the only difference now is that her feet are covered with sneakers.

"April was nice enough to agree to come with us to a nearby center." the female officer says kindly. "They're open twenty-four hours, and will be happy to help her."

"We're going with you." I quickly interject.

"Stacey," Steven begins carefully, "how about we pack some things for April and meet them there?"

"That's a great idea." the male officer smiles.

"I'm not leaving her!" I hiss angrily, my eyes flicking between the officers and Steven.

"She's in good hands." Steven responds calmly. "The best thing we can do is be calm and gather everything April will need."

"He's right." the female officer nods. "She's safe. I promise."

The male officer gives Steven the address of the Mental Health Treatment Center, then both officers leave with April, whose eyes indicate she's barely aware of the world around her. I start crying again as the door closes with a loud thud.

"April will be okay." Steven insists as he draws me into a tight hug.

"You don't know that!" I sob into his chest, finally letting go.

Steven holds me tightly as I cry loudly. I can feel his strong arms around me, his hands lightly rubbing my back as I break down. This is all too much. April is a rape victim. From what I can tell, her own uncle hurt her! I need to be with her, I need to be with her!

"C'mon, Stacey." Steven eventually says, placing his hand beneath my chin to encourage me to look at him. "We need to be strong for April."

"W-what do we do?" I ask, feeling completely helpless.

"Let's pack some things for her, then I'll drive us to the center." he suggests.

I quickly agree and get to work. I pack some clothes and other necessities in an overnight bag, along with April's purse and phone. Then I run to the bathroom to wash my face and go through as much of my morning routine as I can. Putting on my shoes, I sling my purse over my shoulder, grab the overnight bag, and follow Steven out the door.

Steven drives us to the treatment center in silence. He does attempt to make small talk, but I only reply with grunts or one word answers, so he quickly gives up. I reach out and take his hand as he pulls down a long driveway leading to the multiple buildings that make up the Mental Health Treatment Center.

As Steven parks the car, I realize the place is actually very nice. There's beautiful scenery, and the buildings all look graceful and inviting. From what my phone says, this place has inpatient and outpatient services. I hope they can help April.

We head inside the main building and I rush up to the front desk so I can demand to see April. The poor young woman, with Steven's help, manages to calm me down and let me know that April is in with a doctor right now. I'm not happy, but Steven drags me to the waiting room to sit down.

"What the fuck are we supposed to do now?" I ask in a huff, my arms crossed.

"Did April ever mention Greg to you?" Steven counters with for some reason.

"No." I snap, an angry expression on my face. "She never once talked about being assaulted."

"Is she close with her family?" he wonders.

"Kinda?" I reply with a shrug. "Her parents live in California, but they're a few hours drive away. April moved down here for school, then never went back. I don't think they know about her and I."

"Maybe we should call them." Steven suggests. "They might want to be here, and they could know more about what happened?"

"Their numbers should be in April's phone." I tell him as I grab the overnight bag and start rummaging through it.

"I know you're upset, but you should probably call." he says slowly. "They might panic if they see their daughter calling but instead hear a strange man's voice."

I'm nervous, but I nod in agreement as I pull out April's phone. Fortunately, I know her pass code, so I'm able to unlock her phone. Scrolling to her mom's number, I start the call and put the phone to my face, hoping that she wakes up to answer.

"M-morning, April." Laura Heidele mumbles sleepily. "Why are you calling so early?"

"Hi, Mrs. Heidele. This is Stacey, April's college roommate, and, uh, current roommate." I nervously stammer into the phone.

"What is it? What's wrong? Is April okay?!" Mrs. Heidele quickly asks, all traces of exhaustion gone from her voice.

"She's not hurt!" I quickly assure April's Mom. "We're at a, uh, treatment center. She had some sort of mental break, and was screaming about someone named Greg."

"Oh." she states before letting out a long breath. "I see."

"I'm guessing you know who that is?" I follow up gently.

"I do." Mrs. Heidele acknowledges. "It was a long time ago, and I thought she had moved past it. I guess not."

"W-what happened?" I wonder, my eyes wide as I fear the answer.

"We should probably talk about that in person." she sighs. "Let me wake up my husband, and we'll start the drive down."

"Thank you!" I exclaim, happy that April has a supportive family. "I'll text you the address."

"Okay, thank you." Mrs. Heidele replies. "See you soon."

"Goodbye." I mumble before ending the call.

I text April's mother the address of the treatment center while filling Steven in on the details of the call. Then I put April's phone away before laying my head on Steven's shoulder as he wraps an arm around me. We sit and wait for several minutes, at least until my stomach audibly gurgles.

"Stacey," Steven begins with a smirk, "when was the last time you ate?"

"Yesterday." I mumble softly. "At lunch."

"We probably won't be able to see April for awhile." he reasons. "Let me take you out for breakfast."

"I don't wanna leave her." I protest, my body stiffening.

"April is being evaluated, and they'll probably give her something to help her sleep and to calm her down." Steven points out, taking my hand and giving it a reassuring squeeze. "She'll be fine, I promise. You need to eat."

"Fine." I mutter, acquiescing. "Let's go so that we can get back here fast."

Steven drives us to a local place that serves delicious breakfast and lunch. We're shown a table, and I immediately order a coffee while Steven requests a glass of orange juice. Despite my concern over April, I can't help but smile at how fucking adorable my boss is. Adorable, and hot as hell!

"April will be okay." Steven says kindly after the waitress takes our orders. "She's safe, and she's being cared for by professionals."

"I know, I know." I sigh, my fingers tightly clenching my coffee cup. "I'm just so worried. I never knew she had a past like this. She always had fun stories about her childhood, and never even hinted at anything really bad happening beyond not being noticed at school."

"It sounds like she just kept it to herself, buried it." he shrugs sadly. "Then I went and brought it to the surface."

"It's not your fault, Steven." I insist. "I just wish she hadn't gotten lost and ended up by the bedrooms."

"I wish I hadn't had my tongue in Kayla's mouth." Steven grunts before taking a sip of juice.

"A-are you worried April will tell the doctors?" I wonder quietly, leaning forward slightly. "I mean, ah, it is illegal, even if she is eighteen."

"I know it's illegal." he replies seriously. "I even worry about being involved with a cop, on the off chance she finds out. Still, April's health is most important. She needs help."

"We should at least try and make sure people don't find out." I reason.

"I agree." Steven says. "If anyone asks, we'll say that we think Barry breaking in is what triggered this."

"Okay. Perfect." I nod.

We fall silent as we wait for our food to arrive. My stomach grumbles again as the waitress sets my plate in front of me. I smile at Steven as I see him pick up his knife and fork so he can dig right into his omelet. I have something similar, but unlike him, I pass on the bacon, much to my disappointment. Fuck healthy eating.

"Should I tell Sarah about this?" he asks after swallowing a bite.

"Uh, maybe?" I answer, a confused expression on my face. "I mean, are we going to end up trying to get a rapist arrested?"

"I have no idea." Steven responds. "I guess I'll just see if it comes up. It'll also depend on what we learn from April and her parents."

"Yeah..." I trail off, eventually deciding to change the topic. "Uh, where's Lexi? I would have thought she'd come with you."

"Lexi wanted to come, but I insisted she not miss more school." he explains. "She does have finals next week."

"I'm surprised she was okay with that." I snort, knowing how fiery our favorite redhead is.

"Well, she called me a thundercunt and threw a pillow at me." Steven shrugs. "So, she had mixed feelings."

"Sounds about right." I snort, before another thought occurs to me. "What about work? We already missed Monday."

"I'm gonna try and go in after lunch." he tells me. "Maybe remotely, but I'm definitely gonna get some work done today."

"I don't want to miss more work." I say carefully.

"Your boss will probably forgive you." Steven smiles playfully.

"I don't know, he's kind of an ass." I giggle cutely.

"He may just have to bend you over his desk for that remark." he comments with a smirk.

"Yes, please!" I flirt back, before a frown crosses my face. "If April lets us be together again."

"Let's not think about that right now." Steven states firmly. "If you can make it in to work today, great. If not, don't worry about it. Let's just be here for April right now, and we'll take things as they come."

Unable to muster the strength to respond, I simply return to my meal. Other than a few pointless exchanges about the weather and current events, the rest of our breakfast passes in silence. Steven pays for our food, then he drives us back to the treatment center.

What follows is over two hours of boredom in the waiting room. I browse social media and text with a few people once it's late enough, including Kayla. In addition, I inform April's boss that she won't be in today. Steven also spends the time on his phone; texting his girlfriends and occasionally taking quick work calls.

In passing, Steven mentions that Nicole is annoyed with him. Apparently, she doesn't feel like part of his life, since all the excitement happens when he's just with Lexi. It makes sense, since Lexi lives with him, and Nicole doesn't. I am suggesting Steven plan a date night for just Nicole when a middle-aged couple rushes into the waiting room.

"Mister and Misses Heidele?" I say loudly, distracting the couple as they head for the main desk.

"Stacey?" Mrs. Heidele cries out, rushing over to me and hugging me. "It's good to see you again."

"You, too." I reply, hugging the short woman back. "It's been a long time."

"College graduation, I think?" Mr. Heidele asks as he walks up for a hug as well.

"Yeah." I confirm as I hug April's father. "I wish we were meeting under better circumstances."

"Have you heard anything?" Mrs. Heidele asks when he releases me.

"Nothing yet." I shake my head. "By the way, this is Steven Thomson. My boss."

"Nice to meet you, Steven. I'm James." Mr. Heidele says, offering Steven his hand.

"Pleasure." Steven smiles charmingly as the two men shake hands.

"It's really nice of your boss to come here and support you." Mrs. Heidele says, her eyes narrowed in suspicion.

"Oh!" I exclaim, panicking.

"We're more like family at work." Steven steps in smoothly. "Stacey is amazing, I don't know what I'd ever do without her. Sometimes I wonder if I pay her enough."

"I wouldn't say no to a raise." I smile, playing alone.

"Well, thank you for helping our baby." James Heidele smiles at Steven.

"I was happy to help." Steven nods. "I'm glad she's somewhere she can get help."

"We should talk to the front desk staff." Mrs. Heidele insists, still looking between Steven and I with suspicion. "We'll be right back."

Steven and I take our seats as April's parents approach the front desk and start demanding answers. My hands are folded in my lap as I look down at them, twiddling my thumbs while my long blonde hair frames my face. I can feel my heart racing as my handsome boss lets out a breath.

"April's mom thinks I'm having sex with you, and possibly April." he points out.

"I noticed." I wince as I turn my head to look at him. "It is odd that my boss is here. Laura isn't stupid."

"Doesn't seem like she approves." Steven adds carefully.

"Well, at least you aren't wearing a wedding ring, right?" I offer, shrugging helplessly.

"Maybe I should go?" he offers.

"No." I shake my head. "I need you here right now. It's too late anyway, so you may as well stay."

I resist the urge to take his hand while we wait for April's parents to return. Soon, they are sitting across from us in silence. It's still morning, but it's getting later, so there are a few people on the other side of the waiting room. Thankfully, no one is close enough to overhear us.

"Tell us about April." Mr. Heidele requests, looking at us plainly. "Laura said you mentioned a breakdown?"

"Yeah, it definitely looked like a breakdown." I nod, my lips pressed together firmly before I continue. "Something upset her badly, and she was acting like she was somewhere else, she was screaming about Greg and how she didn't want to..."

"Oh God, my baby..." Mrs. Heidele whimpers, unable to respond as tears form in her eyes.

"Did he show up?" Mr. Heidele asks in a harsh voice, his face red. "I was too lenient last time. I'll kill that fucking bastard."

"That's enough, Honey." Mrs. Heidele places her hand on her husband's arm as she scolds him. "I know he deserves it, but this is a hospital."

"Greg didn't show up." I insist, shaking my head. "Someone tried to break into our apartment recently, it was really scary."

"Oh, my!" April's mom gasps. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, we're fine. Thanks, Mrs. Heidele." I smile. "Steven came to the rescue."

"Please, call me Laura." the older woman corrects gently. Just like April, Laura Heidele is really short. Same wavy hair, same cute face.

"Were the police called?" Mr. Heidele wonders. He's well under five-and-a-half feet tall and has a bit of a beer belly. The balding man has a kind face, and the same green eyes as April.

"Yes, and we got a temporary restraining order against the guy." I confirm. "We even have a court date for a longer one."

"Excuse me." a nurse says quietly as she steps up and interrupts us, looking directly at me. "Are you, Stacey Martin? April's partner? She's sedated, and is asking to see you."

"I am." I acknowledge. "Can her parents come with me?"

"Yes, that's fine." the nurse smiles kindly. "Just please, talk calmly and quietly. Head past the main doors, April is in room three."