In one of my newish stories, I have a character that is beaten nearly to death. She is 5'3 - 5'6, 120- 140 lbs. The man doing it would be 5'9 - 5'11, average weight. He would have a significant amount of rage. This would happen over a day or two. What is the realistic amount of injuries from being beaten nearly to death? Weird question, I know.
Of the six adults in my immediate family, three of us are first responders and one is an ER tech. Any one of us could describe domestic violence-related injuries we've seen, but to answer your question about realistic amount of injuries... with respect, Chava, the question is not weird, but it is so naïve that I don't know where to start. One solid crack in the temple can put a person on the brink of death. Some victims are repeatedly choked resulting in all sorts of repercussions that aren't visible and may only show up days later. Other victims end up with a long list of broken bones, contusions, and internal injuries. Consider doing some serious research on domestic violence before finishing the story. There are any number of interviews with victims of domestic abuse online as well as training videos aimed at first responders who regularly encounter instances of domestic abuse.
This question is impossible to answer. Every individual is different and some people's will to live allows them to take staggering amounts of torture before they die. Some people succumb fairly quickly. I just watched a 60 Minutes interview with two girls abducted by a serial killer rapist in Australia. The German girl was like 5'4" and 115lbs but survived 3 blows to the head with a hammer by a 6'6" 250lb man, was chased by the killer in a 4x4 vehicle while she ran on foot, was struck multiple times by the vehicle, managed to jump on the hood during a ramming attack, then climbed onto the roof of the car. She held on while he sped over sand dunes and hit bumps trying to shake her grip loose. Bear in mind this entire time she was still bleeding profusely from the hammer attack. When they were finally rescued by a party of fishermen who happened onto the remote beach, the fishermen couldn't even tell that she was a woman she was so mashed up. Then, as @Catriona Grace noted, some people might get cracked once and they are on the brink of death. It all just depends and I don't think you know what kind of constitution you have for that kind of thing unless you are unfortunately put in that situation. I totally agree with @Catriona Grace again. Do a lot of research, especially if this is something you want to get published some day. There are many survivors of domestic violence out there, probably several even on these forums. When survivors are faced with these topics, their mind flashes back to their own experience. This doesn't mean that you have to avoid the topic as complete taboo, but you want to make sure that you have it well researched and well written with a clearly defined purpose and not just thrown out there for a plot element.
What kind of training does the victim have? Some people such as UFC fighters develop extremely high pain tolerances that creampuffs like me will never have - I see a needle, I faint! Other people are like, "*THAT'S* the biggest needle you have? Aw, shucks ma'am, that ain't gonna work!" Then there are people in the special forces and covert intelligence agencies that receive training in resisting torture. If your victim has that pain tolerance or that specialized training, they might be able to survive a heck of a beating. That said....if your victim is a badass, EXPLAIN why! Don't say she survived a brutal attack unless there's a reason for it - immediate medical assistance, strong will to live for her child, etc. EDIT - I remember seeing a tv show called "Fear Thy Neighbour" where in one esipode, a man was shot 5 times in the chest from a revolver and he survived. Another esipode had two boys who were each shot 4 times. One of the boys was shot in the head and survived. (No mention of his abilities/functionality that I remember.) The other boy died. Sometimes luck plays a role.
