A short while later Nyasha was standing beneath a hot spray of water. She scrubbed and scrubbed her body with the soap the nurse had given her. But still she felt dirty. She sank down hopelessly in the corner of the shower and wept.

“Your mother is outside with some fresh clothes for you,” the nurse called to her.

“Mom, Mom,” Nyasha sobbed. She threw her arms around her mother and wept all over again.

“We’ll get you through this, darling,” her mother said, crying with her. “Dad’s in the waiting room.”

“Let’s get you up into the ward,” the nurse said. “Then your parents can sit with you for a while.”

“I just want to forget it all happened,” Nyasha said to her parents, once she was tucked up in bed.

“I know you do, darling,” Dad said. “But the police won’t allow that to happen. Did you recognise the man who did this to you?”

“No,” Nyasha said, and shook her head.

“Don’t worry about it now, lovey,” her mom said. “I think you should try and sleep for a while.”

Nyasha closed her eyes. Much to her surprise she fell into a deep sleep.

*****

When she slowly opened her eyes again, she realised it was morning.

Marcus was sitting by the side of her bed, holding her hand.

“I told the Sister I was your boyfriend, so she let me sit with you. I hope you don’t mind.”

“Oh Marcus,” she cried. “How are you feeling? I thought maybe they had killed you.” She could see dark bruises on both his cheeks. His eyes were almost swollen shut.

“What did they do to you?”

“Nothing, compared to what they did to you, Nyasha! It’s all my fault. I should never have dragged you into any of this. We’ve got to tell the police everything.”

“No, no!” She shook her head angrily. “I can see now what they are capable of. The next time they could kill us both.”

“Listen Nyasha, these guys are getting out of control. That’s because they think they are untouchable.”

“I don’t want everybody knowing that the three of them raped me,” Nyasha sobbed.

“I know, dear Nyasha. But if we don’t do something they’ll do it again and again.”

“Oh! Hello…” Her mother’s head had popped around the curtains of the cubicle. She was taken aback by the sight of a young man sitting by her daughter’s bed, and by the state of his face.

“Do I know you?” She wasn’t able to recognise Marcus’s face because of the swelling.

“I’m Marcus Williams.”

“Oh yes, of course.” She didn’t ask him what had happened to his face. At the moment she was more concerned about her daughter’s welfare.

“I’ll be off now.” He left quickly.

“I didn’t know you were friends with him,” Nyasha’s Mom said. “Well, not since you were in Primary School together.”

“We’re just in some of the same classes at school,” Nyasha said. “He heard what happened and came to see how I was,” she lied. “Can I go home now, Mom?”

“You’ll have to wait for the doctor to discharge you, darling. Plus the police are downstairs. They want to ask you some questions.”

***

Tell us: Do you think Nyasha should keep quiet about who raped her? Why or why not?