Silence and Suffering

Stella Gibson: [quietly in hospital hallway] Tom, I need you to listen to me right now. Men always think in terms of fight or flight. In fact, the most common instinct in the face of this kind of threat is to freeze. If she didn't fight, if she didn't scream, if she was silent and numb, it's because she was petrified. If she went with him quietly, it's because she was afraid for her life. And not just her life, yours, and Nancy's, and the baby's. In that state of fear, she might well have been compliant, she might well have submitted. But that does not mean she consented.

Stella Gibson: Tom, the way you behave, the way you approach your role as Rose's helper, will either make her experience better or worse. If you react badly, you will devastate her. Or you can be a big part of her healing and her recovery. What she needs from you right now is to know that she is safe, to know that she's loved. Be patient be tender. Tomorrow's another day.