Finally he agreed to take me to the hospital. There I was subjected to the clinical and humiliating process of collecting evidence and answering questions. I was in shock, confused, terrified, and felt totally alone. Looking back, my first step on the road to healing took place when a representative from the Santa Fe Rape Crisis Center showed up at the hospital. She explained the procedures taking place, stood by during my interview with the detective that had been called in, held my hand and let me know that someone understood the depths of what I was going through.
Simple empathy is a powerful thing.
As she left the emergency room, she gave me the phone number for The Santa Fe Rape Crisis Center and encouraged me to call if I needed help or wanted to talk. I stayed with a friend that night, knowing that I could never go back to my house. Gloria welcomed me into her home with a bubble bath, white towels and a four poster bed with clean white sheets and a mountain of pillows. I felt so raw and filthy and violated and she had tried to create the perfect environment to make me feel cleansed and safe. I hadn't planned to call The Center, thinking I could handle this alone.