At the hospital, George and Leo waited outside the emergency room. Inside, Doctors and Nurses moved quickly, taking blood samples and running tests.
After nearly an hour, a nurse approached George and Leo. "Both patients are stable," she said. "We found traces of sedatives, something mixed into their drinks. It's common in drug assisted sexual assault cases. Fortunately, no further harm was done."
Leo's fists clenched. "Sedatives?"
"Yes," the nurse replied. "A combination of benzodiazepines and alcohol. They'll be drowsy and disoriented for a while, but they're lucky you got them here quickly."
George exhaled slowly. "Can we see them?"
"In a few minutes. They've been given fluids to flush out the drugs, and we'll keep them under observation overnight."
When George finally entered Lydia's room, she was lying under a thin hospital blanket, an IV running through her arm. Her eyes fluttered open as he stepped closer.
"Hey," he said quietly, brushing a strand of hair from her face.
She blinked slowly, her voice weak. "Where… where am I?"
"You're in the hospital. You're safe."
Her brow furrowed as fragments of the night came back. "He… he was touching and kissing me Georgie. I couldn't move." Her voice trembled, and she turned away, tears slipping down her cheek.
George's jaw tightened and he took her hand gently. "He won't ever touch you again. I promise you Lydia. I'll make him pay".
After a long pause, he held her hand tighter as he whispered.
I'm here for you If you need anything. I'm not going anywhere."
Across the hall, Leo sat beside Kendra who was also slightly awake. The doctor had said she, too, had been drugged but hadn't been physically assaulted. She looked pale and shaken.
"They said they'll keep you both overnight," Leo murmured. "Just to make sure the drugs are out of your system."
Kendra nodded faintly. "Is Lydia ok? And did the police get them?"
Leo's eyes hardened. "She is ok, just a bit shaken. Mark came close to raping her. Thank God we got there on time to stop him and Dean."
There was a long pause.
"Yeah. They're in police custody now. The hospital has preserved all the evidence," he said. "The police,well, the SVU team, will come by in the morning to take your statements once you and Lydia are feeling stronger. You don't have to worry about anything tonight. Just rest. They've got everything they need to make sure those guys don't walk free."