It was dark outside when I woke. Bitter winter air crept in through the open window above my bed, i shivered. I glanced over at the alarm clock that stood on my bedside table and the glaring red numbers flashed at 5.30 am. I groaned, sat up and slammed the window shut. A sharp pain shot through my body, from sitting upright and I winced. Hardly moving, I outstretched my arm to click on the light beside my bed, and a dim warm light filled the room. Looking around my room, it would be reasonable to assume that it was nothing more than a garden shed. Wooden planks made the floor with molded peeling wall paper that was a musty yellow colour. There was a wooden bed with a bedside table and a few cardboard boxes that contained the few things I owned, though i thought of the boxes as more of a mouse bed and breakfast. I slowly got out of bed, my toes freezing on the bare floor but after 16 years, I was used to this kind of comfort. I pulled off my t-shirt and threw it onto my bed, replacing it with a warm, holey hoodie. As the hoodie was pulled over my head, I could see a big purple bruise stretching from the top of my leggings to just under my ribs. It looked nasty but in a few days it would change to a green then a yellow and then it would be gone, I was used to this too. I pulled on a pair of socks and my trainers and crept down the stairs, terrified that one of them would creek on me and give the game away. However, I was lucky and the cool morning air hit my face and the front door clicked shut behind me. I loved being outside, it made me feel free and alive, untouchable to anyone. This time of the morning, nobody was around, nobody would ask questions or look at you funny. Occationally a dog walker would pass me but apart from that, the world was mine. When I had been walking for a good 20 minutes, I reached town. Everyone was beginning to emerge from their beds and the smells of coffee mixed with bacon filled the air. My stomach rumbled and I began to feel quite dizzy. Finding a bench next to the entrance to the church I sat down and pulled a torn, scruffy paperback out from under my hoodie. I stroked the cover with my thumb and a feeling of reasurance flooded through me. My brother had given me the first Harry Potter book before he went to med school and it had never let go of it ever since. I missed him so much, he was really the only family I had. My mother went to prison 4 years ago, we were never very close and she chose alcohol over me and Tom anyway. That left me living with my step dad who wasn't really the nicest man I ever met. We moved to Holby and my stepdad never told Tom. He wouldn't let me see him or find out where he went after med school. I just clung on to the hope that one day, I would meet him again. I was pulled out of thought by the sound of the church bells ringing. It was 9am, I should be heading back now before anyone notices me missing. I stood up but the pain from my stomach shot through me and caught me off guard. I gasped and fell to the ground struggling to breathe. My hand reached up to the bench to grab it as everything began to go white and blury. A few early morning workers ran over to me and the next few minutes passed with a blur.

My eyes opened to a bright light, nope not heaven. The lights of an ambulance or so I guessed. Panic shot through me and bolted upright, gasping in agony again. 'Woah' 'Stay led down sweetie'. My head turned quickly to look in the direction of the voice. A man was sat beside me, wearing a green paramedics uniform.'I am Iain' he said. 'Don't panic, we are taking you to hospital'. It took a minute to register what he had said to me. 'No...No' I mumbled, 'Please let me out'. I could already see my stepdads angry face as he woke up to see my bed empty, this would just make it work. 'Jez...' Iain said. The man driving replied 'Just pulling up now'.
I fiddled with my seat belt that was holding me to the bed and planned to make a run for it as soon as the doors opened. The ambulance came to a stop and Iain stood up just as my seatbelt clicked open. The doors were pulled open and I made a run for it but the bloody paramedic had already sussed me out and grabbed hold of my arm. Just like before the pain emerged again and my body fell to the floor. I could hardly breathe but someone scooped me up and put me on the bed and wheeled me into the pain eased off a little and I looked around, getting ready to run again when someone caught my eye. A tall man looking about 25 walked through the doors infront of me. He had curly blond hair and blue eyes I recognised immediately. 'TOM!' I screamed, nearly falling off the bed in the process. He turned to look at me astonished and dropped the coffee he was holding. I got, well fell off the trolly and ran towards him, falling into a hug, crying and crying. 'Alyssa' he wispered. 'I've missed you so much'. The pain in my ribs worsened again and my body went weak. Tom picked me up and carried me into resus, everything was going black.

TOM POV

I was so overwhelmed with shock and joy that I didn't notice her go limp in my arms. Her breathing was shallow so I rushed her into resus, screaming at Zoe to do something. Zoe gently put a drip into Alyssa's arm and Sam got the oxygen mask from behind the bed to help her breathe. She looked so unwell, so thin. I was so angry at whoever did this too her, probably that arse of a stepdad If i could guess. I grabbed an observation trolly and put the blood pressure cuff around her arm. Zoe looked at me with concern. 'Tom' she said. 'This is Alyssa isn't it? Your sister?' I nodded, barely able to make any words but zoe understood. She came over and took hold of the cuff. 'Here, let me do that'. Just then Sam walked in, It was a relief, she was everything to me and I needed her right now. She smiled at me and came over to Zoe. 'So... I did some research, 5 different G.P's in the last 4 years, 3 broken ribs, one fractured wrist, one A&E visit for collapsing at school and now this...Something is not right here'. Zoe nodded, don't ring her parents yet, lets try to talk to her first. Sam came over to me and pulled me into a hug, 'I'm so sorry Tom, this isn't your fault. We have found her now okay'. I gave Sam a tight squeeze back. 'Thanks Sam' I said. The blood pressure machine beeped and Zoe sighed. BP 74/46 Pulse 38. That is pretty low. Could you do BM's please Sam. Sam brushed past me and pricked Alyssa's finger. Then got the handheld machine to test the blood. '2' Sam said. 'She will need a glucose drip'. 'I will go and get one'. Sam left the room, Leaving Tom and Zoe. I looked at my sister laying there and felt overwhelmed with emotion. After mum went to prison, it was my job to look after her and i failed. I never though she would end up in this state. Was she ever going to be okay again?