Chapter 3
After a long time a nurse approached Emma and Noah and showed them to a waiting room where they could sit. Emma saw the Sheriff walk to the small desk where the nurses appeared to be gathering and spoke with one of them briefly. Emma saw him hand over his card and before he left he turned and gave Emma a sympathetic nod.
They spent another long moment in silence, Emma wasn't ready to talk and all she was able to do was re-run her last moments with Audrey before Sheriff Acosta pulled her away from Audrey. Then she remembered why Noah was in the hospital in the first place, "how's Brook?" She asked with concern, her voice still raw from crying.
Noah looked at Emma with puffy eyes, "she's going to make it, she's in a private room in recovery." He said his eyes drifting to his phone. "Stavo's with her," he said while looking at a picture of him and Audrey.
"Is she awake?" She asked her eyes on Audrey in the photo.
"She wasn't when I left to clear my head," he said sadly, "the doctor said she was going to be fine though, that she needed to sleep off the anaesthetic." He explained.
Emma was relieved to hear her other friend was going to be fine but she wasn't able to feel happy.
"You can go see her if you want, I'll wait here," Noah offered.
Emma appreciated the offer but she couldn't leave this room until she heard about Audrey's condition. At this point it was the most important thing to her. "I'm so mad at her," she finally said.
Noah looked at Emma quizzically.
Emma knew how this sounded but she had to talk about it, "she shouldn't have," she started and when Noah didn't stop her she continued. "She shouldn't have jumped on him," her anger was seeping into her voice. "She did it because she thought it would save me," Emma shook her head, it had saved her and she knew it. "How could she… Why would she do something that stupid?" She said with watery eyes.
"Because it was you," Noah said softly.
Emma looked at him with surprise, she wanted to asked him what he meant but Audrey's words came back to her, "love you" she had said she loved her. Emma shook her head she didn't want to think about that and she didn't really know why.
"She would do it again, you know?" Noah said, "she's been doing it all along," he added with a small voice.
Emma looked at him curiously, "what do you mean?" She asked.
Noah looked at her in surprise, "you don't know?" He asked and when Emma didn't answer he went on. "The killer, I mean Kieran was threatening her with you," he started, "at the Crescent Palms Motel, at the Carnaval… He made her do things so he wouldn't hurt you." Noah explained. "And he taunted her with videos of you when he made you do things."
Emma closed her eyes in understanding and averted her gaze when she opened them back up. "She didn't tell me," she said with a low voice. She had given Audrey a hard time about Piper and she had no idea what Audrey had been going through. "Why didn't she tell me sooner about Piper and everything else?" She asked.
"She didn't want to lose you again," Noah answered almost emotionless, "though she did in the end, right?" He said almost with anger. "You still haven't forgiven her and she know's it." He added looking down at his phone again.
Noah's words hit Emma hard, she already felt guilty about Audrey getting hurt because of her and Noah's words were making things worst.
"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said that," he said looking at Emma. "It wasn't fair, I'm sorry." He repeated and put his hand on her knee. "I'm just angry, I can't believe it was Kieran." He said shaking his head, "though it explains Rachel, he saw her record him with Nina and he had to make sure it didn't come out."
Emma had forgotten that, Audrey had tried to tell her back when Piper was still alive but she wouldn't hear it. Audrey had been right. Emma looked back at every moment she spent with Audrey, she was usually there for Emma not the other way around and if she was being honest Audrey would always make things better. Emma thought for a moment about the bad moment with Audrey and there were very little actually the only one she could really remember that was bad was when she found out Audrey had brought Piper to Lakewood. Every other arguments she had with Audrey were minor; usually because she was telling something harsh but to protect her. She thought about Audrey's last words and felt the need to ask Noah about it, "she told me—"
The door of the waiting room opened and a doctor walked in. He walked to Emma and Noah, "are you miss Jensen's family?" He asked.
Emma heart went to her throat, she nodded yes but she couldn't speak and Noah was as every bit frozen as she was. The fear of knowing how Audrey was froze them in their seats.
The doctor looked at them with serous eyes, "the surgery was successful," he said though his expression did not seem happy and before Emma started to celebrate she waited knowing there must be a but coming up. "But," and there it was, "she's still in critical condition, she suffered serious internal bleeding and damages to her abdomen." He added. "She was lucky the bullet missed her lung and spine but there was damages to her stomach," the doctor was listing things that made Emma and Noah worry even more. "She's not out of the woods yet but we are hopeful," the doctor said and Emma imagined that it was doctor talk for we think she'll make it though they cant really saw it. "She'll be prepped then brought to an ICU room for observation." The doctor looked at a chart, Emma assumed it was Audrey's, "her heart failed twice during the operation and she is very weak." The doctor advised before adding, "no visitors will be allowed in her room for the next 2 hours until she is settled in." He stated seriously. "A nurse will advise you when you can see her," he added before taking his leave.
Emma stood, "thank you so much doctor," she said with a smile; which felt foreign on her face after everything. Once the doctor had left Emma turned to Noah, she could tell he was trying not to cry again; they knew this was a small light of hope but hope none the less.
To be continued...
