A Promise – Broken Records. One of the most beautiful songs they had in the series, in my opinion.

.

Chapter three
A promise

The second time Emily wakes up, there's far more noise than the first time. It happens faster too. But it doesn't mean she's feeling any better than before. She is still alive when she would prefer to not be.

She blinks her eyes open to the lightness of the room, and sees an unknown lady standing over her in clothes that hinted she was a nurse. She smiles at Emily and says something to her, but it must be in french because Emily doesn't understand it. And Emily must look like she doesn't understand it too, because the nurse suddenly looks doubtfully at her.

And then there's someone else talking and Emily turns her head to see Naomi sitting in a chair with the opposite wall in the room, harshly speaking to the nurse in french. Then the nurse leaves the room, and when Emily follows her with her eyes, she sees a policeman standing with the door.

Emily's throat constricts. This was far more scarier than waking up before. With only Naomi there. Naomi seemed so non-threatening. So calm. This was unknown and unpredictable.

But then she feels a hand in hers again and looks up into baby blue eyes.

"Tossers. I told them to get an english speaking nurse because I wasn't sure if you knew french." she rolls her eyes at Emily.

Emily just simply looks at her, busy trying to catch her breath. And Naomi seems to sense this, that everything seems to be spiralling for the other girl.

"Hey..." she whispers to her. "Emily," she smiles, and Emily seems to gather herself more by hearing her own name uttered from those lips. "Do you remember me?"

Emily smiles a bit of this. Of course she remembers her.

"Yeah. Naomi Campbell, the environmental lawyer with four cars."

Naomi grins cutely at her before they're interrupted by another nurse coming into the room.

The nurse is holding a clipboard in her hand and her long ponytail swings after her. She looks kind, Emily thinks, and she hopes that is the case too.

"Hello," she greets Emily with a warm smile, "We've been informed that your name is Emily, is that correct?"

"Yeah," Emily croaks out, suddenly feeling the emptiness in her hand. She panics for a second and turns her head to where Naomi was a minute ago. She's back on the other side of the room, giving them some space. But she gives Emily an encouraging smile, telling her without words that it will be fine.

"Okay then, Emily. How are you feeling?"

"A bit grouchy."

"That's the shot we gave you to wake up. You're a very lucky girl. You escaped the fall with some broken bones and some bruises. It will all heal with some rest in the hospital, but the cast on your leg you will have to wear for some time. Other than that you broke some ribs and a few fingers."

"Right..." Emily muttered. The word lucky ringing like a bitter melody inside her head.

"I'll fill you more in on your injuries afterwards, but we need to ask you a few questions. Are you up for that?"

Emily looks to Naomi again, somewhat needing the strength she provides. Naomi gives her a simple nod from where she's sitting with her arms folded, observing the situation like she would break in if anything went wrong.

"S-sure."

"Very well. What is your surname?"

"It's F-...Fitch."

"Okay, Emily Fitch. You're from England then?"

"Yeah, I'm from Bristol."

Emily saw past the nurse, to the policeman, watching him scribble down on a little notepad.

"What is your occupation?" the nurse continues.

"I was an accountant."

"And how old are you Emily?"

"I've just turned 24."

"24 huh? We thought you were younger." the nurse gives her a kind smile. "Okay, can you give us the names and contact information to your family so we can reach them and orientate them on the situation?"

And suddenly the lump in Emily's throat is back with greater vengeance, and her hands start fiddling themselves into the sheets, gripping them tightly.

"Do... do you have to contact them?" she asks with a shaky voice.

"Yes, it is normal procedure after such an incident. You need a support system around you in the time to come."

Emily feels her sight getting cloudy and her cheeks getting wet.

"Please..." she begs, "please don't call them. Isn't it another way?"

"I'm sorry Emily, but we need to call someone. You need people to support you through this."

"B-but..." Emily sobs by this point, "but it won't help me calling them. Please don't do it. P-please..."

"I'll be her support system." is heard from across the room. The nurse turns surprised to the source.

"Sorry?" she asks, as Emily looks with teary eyes towards a now standing Naomi.

"You said she needed someone to get through this, yes? Well, obviously calling her family isn't going to make her any good, just look at her! Just the idea of it is upsetting her this much! So I would like to be her support system. If that's alright with you Emily, of course."

The tears has dried a bit on Emily's face by now. She can't believe what she's hearing. Naomi wants to do this only to save her from the presence of her family without knowing anything about it.

"You... you don't have to do this." she tells Naomi.

"I know, but I want to." Naomi answers softly before turning towards the nurse again. "There's no rules against that, is there? Clearly this is what's best for her."

"No there's no rule, but it isn't exactly normal practice. Are you sure?"

"Positive." Naomi says, not even flinching.

"I mean, we're not against it, but wouldn't it be better with someone who is familiar with the patient?"

"Someone who makes her cry just by thinking about bringing them here, you mean?" Naomi bites back.

"Okay then," the nurse gets the message, "you can be her support system, if it is alright with you Emily?"

Emily is still looking dumbfounded at Naomi, not understanding how she can do this for a stranger. There's both admiration and disbelief in her eyes.

"Yes," she whispers in the end. She don't know how to ever make this up to Naomi. And she thinks, for the first time in what feels like forever, that it might be okay. That if her family isn't contacted, that maybe things will start to look up.

"Okay, that's settled then. I'll leave you for some rest then, Emily. Ms Campbell, if you could please turn up in the reception in a while to sort some paper work, that would be great. I need to talk to the police here first."

"I think I'll join you on that." Naomi says strongly before following the two service people out into the corridor, shutting the door with a last smile directed towards Emily.

And when Emily is left alone in her room, she lets out a big, shaky breath. Her heart is racing and she feels like things are going a million miles an hour. It's all so fast, coming back to life again. Dealing with things she never knew she had to.

And the threat of her family coming here isn't exactly gone, is it? The police is here. They're probably going to contact them anyway. And what would she do when her mother turned up here to cuss her out for being so stupid. When her fiancee came with his hard eyes and thoughts of punishment? It was still all so unsafe, so close to being like before. Just a phone call and they would be here.

The more she thinks the more short breathed she becomes. She's sure she's close to a panic attack, but then she tightly shuts her eyes and focuses on that they're not here. That he's not here. He can't reach her right this minute. Her breath evens out after a while of concentrating, and when she opens her eyes again and focuses on the room she's in, she makes sure to take deep breaths. It helps.

She notices that there's flowers on almost every surface in here. That there's even some candles on one shelf. She dwells on it for a second before the door opens again.

She can't help it, she doesn't know why, but seeing Naomi again calms her. She makes another atmosphere than anyone Emily's ever known.

"Hey," Naomi says as she sits by the bed this time, "are you alright?"

"Yeah, yeah I just... Why did you do that? Volunteer to be my support system?"

Naomi exhales deeply before taking Emily's hand again. "I just saw the look in your eyes Emily... Clearly it would've stirred things up bringing them here. And I know things are still raw and hard for you, so I won't ask you to explain why. But seeing your reaction.. I just knew I couldn't let it happen."

"That's... I mean, you don't even know me." Emily says, her eyes now glistening with tears again.

"Still. I want to do this for you. And please don't feel like a burden, because you're not." Naomi reassures, reading right through the other girl.

Emily looks meaningfully at Naomi before she has to break their stare.

"But they're still being contacted, aren't they? With the police and everything..."

"No, you don't have to worry about that. I made sure that they don't get contacted. I promise."

"Thank you." Emily says breathlessly, the gratitude and relief overwhelming her.

"Hey, it's okay." Naomi reaches up to brush away a falling tear.

Emily takes a moment or two to collect herself, looking down on the hand holding hers.

"What is going to happen to me?" she raises her eyes to Naomi's.

"Well, it's a long recovery." Naomi says softly. "You're going to have to stay in the hospital for a while. Both for your physical injuries but also because it's policy in these cases. They're going to give you a psychiatrist, but I'm going to do some research, find the best and kindest in town and bring them in. I don't want you to worry about anything, I just want you to get better, whatever it is that made you... well, I'm not going to sugar coat it because I feel honesty is important, but whatever made you jump, the psychiatrist will help you address it and hopefully overcome it."

"I-I don't know if I'm ready for that."

"I know, it's not going to happen over night. But I'll find the gentlest there is out there for you, count on that."

Another shaky breath from Emily, but she's not panicking. No one has ever said to her that things can be fixed. She really don't know if things can be fixed either, but this girl is telling her there is a way. But she doesn't know the depths of it, though.

"Will you.." And Emily feels weird for even asking this, but suddenly her old life feels like a memory, and Naomi is the only constant she knows in this one, so she has to make sure, "will you be there?"

"I'll be there every step of the way. Support system, remember?" Naomi smiles at her.

"You promise?"

"I promise, I really do."

And Emily held on a little tighter, as if that could strengthen the promise. And Naomi looks at her so softly, and Emily can't remember the last time someone looked at her like this, if someone ever did. She's been overlooked for so long, so having someone finally seeing her feels like that maybe she does matter after all. That she is more than this broken shell.

And while Naomi strokes comforting circles on the back of Emily's hand, the first leaves of fall falls from the trees outside the hospital window. The swirling cold breeze that makes people draw their scarves tighter around themselves catches the leaves, making them do a familiar dance in the gust.

.

.

.

I've been listening a lot to this song recently, Run – Chasing Grace, and whenever I hear it I always picture the scene in the last chapter where Emily imagines running away with Naomi in her car.

Review? My birthday is on Sunday so it could be like your early birthday gift to me :)