PART THREE

Thunder boomed overhead as Jac sat in the Rolls watching Grace intently; her mind thought of Joseph and the love that in this twisted world would now never happen because of her. No tears slid down Jac's face. Her heart ached and her head pounded, making her feel dizzy yet Jac found she could not summon another tear. Rain began to patter the window, gently at first but gradually getting heavier and heavier. There was another roar of thunder; Grace gently tapped the back of the driver's seat and almost immediately the Rolls responded, the engine churning to life with a slight splutter. She looked back at Jac who was absentmindedly twirling her ginger curls between her fingers and thumb. Boom! The Rolls shook gently as another clap of thunder sounded, closer this time. Seconds later there was a flash of bright white light; hail was pelting the roof with vigorous intent.

"Are you okay?" Grace enquired all of a sudden; she was still watching Jac, a curious expression etched all over her face. Jac looked up at her.

"No," she replied. "Why would I be? What is there to be okay about? There is nothing okay about any of this!" Jac's voice was high and shaky; it cracked and petered out. Another flash of lightning.

"Don't worry, we're almost at the next stop..." Grace turned away from Jac, her smile disappearing into a look of futility and sadness. "I'm sorry, Jac, I'm really, really sorry..." The rain and hail increased their onslaught and soon the tremendous noise drowned out the rest of the conversation. The Rolls drove on into the night in the direction of its next stop. The next stop in the road of Jac's life.

"Hey Donna, it's Maria," Maria Kendall said cheerfully into her mobile. She was standing in the fenced outside area of the hospital, the light fading slightly.

"Hey girl," Donna Jackson's reply came crackled but still with the hint of the happy-go-lucky sound she always had.

"Listen Donna, I'm still on shift, can we arrange that drink for 9?" Maria asked hopefully.

"Well, I'm gonna head to the pub now but I'll still be there later," Donna replied. Maria recognised the expression in Donna's voice; her lips tightened angrily.

"You know what Donna, don't bother. Have your fun," Maria snapped! Before Donna could plead her case, Maria hung up and threw her mobile into her trouser pocket. She started to cry quietly. Annoyed with herself, Maria wiped her eyes furiously.

"Excuse me, are you okay?" A man's voice drifted behind her soothingly.

"Yes, yes I'm fine Mr. Clooney," Maria said stiffly. She looked around, there was no one else around.

"Are you sure?" Clooney pressed. Maria's eyes flashed in annoyance. She just wanted to be alone right now. "Have you been stood up?"

"Yes...no...what are you doing out here? You should be inside recovering," Maria told him sternly.

"I've been discharged," Clooney said quickly before changing his voice to the forced soothing tone he had used before. "Whoever stood you up must be an idiot." Maria took a step back from him, something in the back of her mind was worrying her; the hairs on her neck standing on end.

"Look this concern is really nice and all but I have to go," Maria said uncertainly; she found herself captured by Clooney's charm. He took a step towards her but it wasn't menacing or sudden; Maria stood rooted to the spot as Clooney leant in to kiss her. Shocked, Maria pushed back, forcing Clooney away from her. "What are you doing?" Maria shouted! Clooney's manner changed instantly.

"Oh you're such a tease aren't you? You're all the same, all of you!' Clooney grabbed Maria's arm, pulling her towards him violently. She attempted to break free from his grip but Clooney was stronger than her. Viciously, Clooney slapped her, his fingernails causing a deep scratch above her eye. He covered her mouth with his other hand whilst holding Maria's arm behind her back, Maria struggled desperately but there was nothing she could do. She felt herself being thrown to the ground, her knees grazing across the wooden patio. Without thinking, Maria kicked out at Clooney, winding him in the stomach. Stunned, Clooney let go and Maria started to crawl away from him but he was too fast for her. She felt a sudden searing pain racing through her scalp as Clooney gripped her hair and pulled her back to him. Maria tried to scream but Clooney covered her mouth with his sweaty hand again. A sense of helplessness began to descend over Maria. There was nothing she could do to fight against this brute; there was no one around to see or hear anything. Maria did the only thing she could think of; she bit down hard on Clooney's hand causing him to cry out in agony. Maria regretted this piece of bravery almost immediately as Clooney, in a fit of rage, smacked her hard around the face. Maria felt her nose break and the flow of blood streaming from the wound and then it all went black.

"What are you trying to say?" Jac asked although she already knew the answer. Grace gave her one of her trademark sympathetic looks.

"Come on, I'll show you." Jac followed her as she walked away from the Rolls, leading Jac closer to the truth. It was cloudy overhead; the rain, thunder and hail had mysteriously dissipated almost instantly as soon as they had arrived back at the hospital. Jac didn't like to ask how when leaving the hospital they had arrived at the hospital. She wasn't even sure she knew what was going on yet. Every time Jac felt she had some kind of grasp upon the situation something even more bizarre would occur, leaving her feeling more confused than ever before.

"Whatever weird nightmare this is, I'd like to wake up now," Jac muttered breathlessly.

"This is not a dream," Grace said as Jac jumped.

"How did you?..."

"Come on," Grace indicated for Jac to follow her onto the outside patio. Jac's hands were trembling again. Her heart was sinking; she had more than an inkling of what she was about to discover. But as with Joseph's death it felt wrong, this wasn't what happened. This was not right, it never could be right. Jac felt like she was the only one who knew the truth in a world where everything was just...wrong.

As the dust settled Maria opened her eyes groggily. It was darker; there was nothing but the sound of wildlife in the plants. Terrified, she sat up immediately and looked around. Clooney was gone but the memory of what he had done to her would never fade. Maria spat out a mouthful of blood and dirt. She began to cry as she started to relive the last few minutes. She could still feel Clooney's horrible sweaty hand covering her face as he violated her. She could smell his putrid breath, her tears became more pronounced and Maria felt alone and cold, abandoned in the cruel world.

"Maria?" Jac said horrifiedly. She couldn't believe it but the more Jac stared at Maria's helpless body, her hands covering her face as she whimpered, the more she remembered her own experience. Jac had been lucky however...if Lola hadn't been there...Jac did not like to think about what might have happened. "Maria look at me," Jac said cautiously. Maria looked up at her, her expression now one of puzzlement.

"Who are you?"

"What do you mean? It's Jac..."

"Jac?" Maria was scared; she backed away from Jac, eyeing her with growing fear.

"Jac Naylor, we work together!" Jac shouted despairingly!

"I've never seen you before in my life!" Maria cried back.

"Yes you have! You know you have."

"Leave me alone!" Maria screamed! "Just get out...get away from me!" She collapsed into floods of tears. Jac stepped forward to comfort her but a firm hand on her arm pulled her back. Jac protested momentarily but stopped as she heard Grace's voice in her ear.

"There's nothing you can do, remember you don't exist..."

"This isn't right. Maria never...she wasn't...it was meant to be me..." Jac was shaking violently.

"That's right but without Jac Naylor treating him, Alan Clooney turned his attention upon a young nurse, determined to have his moment of power."

"This still isn't what happened though! Clooney never finished the attack, Lola stopped him..."

"It's amazing the ripples one person can create in life," Grace said quietly.

"What do you mean? Stop speaking riddles!" Jac shouted irritably.

"You take one person out of the equation and the whole sequence of events changes irreparably." Jac could see Maria in the corner of her eye struggling to stand and attempting to hobble back inside. The sight of her face caused Jac's heart to break into a thousand pieces. "Come on," Grace murmured softly. Jac nodded and dutifully followed Grace back to the Rolls.

Jac stared back at the hospital, illuminated in the twilight sky. She could make out the silhouettes of people rushing past the windows, busy on their shifts. Jac felt a sense of longing as though she ought be up there with them. Being a doctor was the only thing Jac had ever felt good at. The only thing in which she thought she really excelled. Yet even in her world, Jac knew in her heart; she needed more than just being a doctor.

"I can't do this, this is too much," Jac whispered.

"You can if you try," Grace replied.

"I can't!" Jac's voice pierced the air.

"Trust me," Grace said firmly. "You will discover before the end." They climbed back into the Rolls without another word. Jac took one last long look at the hospital with deepening sorrow in her eyes. As the Rolls drove away the hospital began to fade, first into a shadow and then into nothing. Jac turned around in her seat beside Grace, her seatbelt fastened, patiently waiting for the next part of this continuing nightmare.

"This is wrong..." Thunder clapped loudly outside; Jac shivered but Grace was silent, unmoving. The Rolls was being struck by hailstones just as it had been before but they seemed heavier and more dangerous this time. A flash of forked lightning lit up the sky and the inside of the Rolls; for a few brief seconds Jac's terrified, haunted face was visible to everyone. Jac couldn't explain how it made her feel; the rain that followed the pause in the hailstorm's onslaught were like tears. Tears that were out of her own control. Jac listened as the rain became heavier, a flow of emotion that could not be stemmed.

TO BE CONTINUED