Chapter 4
Baz was driving around the streets, looking for Jody as Ste sat in the passenger's seat, asking him what he was planning on doing to her once they found her.
"I don't know yet, but that little cow should know that running away will get her into a whole lot of trouble" Baz replied. They had been driving for about half an hour when they came to a halt at a bus shelter where Kevin was barking franticly and there lay slumped across the wall, was Jody.
"Here they are" Baz said as he and Ste got out of the car "you get the mongrel and I'll get the brat." Ste took kevin by the leash and put him in the back of the car as Baz picked up Jody from the floor and a small cough, followed by a groan escaped from the little girl's mouth.
"What's wrong with her?" Ste asked as he looked at his sister "she doesn't look too good, I think she might be sick."
"Well she shouldn't have been sleeping out in the rain then should she" Baz replied with little care but Ste suggested that they should take her to hospital because she looked really sick but still, Baz didn't care less and pointed out she'll get over it. After Ste put her in the back seat with Kevin, he got in the passenger seat and Baz started the engine, driving back to their house where Paula was now sitting in the front room having just discovered that all three of her kids and Kevin had gone missing but just as she was about to go out and look for them, she saw a car pull up outside the house and out came Baz followed by Ste who opened the back door of the car where Kevin ran out and she expected to see Jody come out of the back aswell but instead, Ste was lifting her out of the back seat and he was carrying her to the front door.
"What's going on?" she asked when the two boys entered and Baz explained to her how Jody had attempted to run away with Kevin so they went out to look for her and found her laying possibly unconcious in a bus shelter.
"Do you think we should get a Doctor out to her?" Ste suggested "she could have possibly caught hypothermia or something."
"Well it serves her right for being out in the rain in the middle of the night" Baz said as he laid her down on the battered sofa. Paula looked down at the little girl as she took a drink from her bottle and asked why on earth she would want to run away.
"She's just trying to get attention" Baz stated as he sat on the arm chair "stupid little bitch."
"So, are we going to take her to hospital or what?" Ste asked.
"And when did you care about the little rat?" Baz asked, giving his brother the evils "besides, if she tells the doctors about us lot knocking her about then we'll be in deep shit." he then took a swig from the bottle of vodka that Paula had as Ste pointed out that Jody could be comatose and might be unconcious for a while, possibily wouldn't be able to remember much about how they've been treating her if she was unconcious for a long time.
"Oh you are such a big moron" Baz stated "she's still breathing for goodness sake." Suddenly, a groan escaped from Jody's mouth and the little girl began stirring.
"And you said she was comatose" Baz told Ste as Jody's eyes flickered open and she slowly sat up, only to realize she was back home.
"Oh no" shew groaned, laying back down "this can't be happening."
"Welcome home you little runt" Baz said in a sarcastic manner "you know Jody, you should be greatful, me and Ste found you laying half dead out there in the rain."
"Oh wow, thanks" Jody replied in the same manner before coughing as Baz rolled his eyes before lighting his cigarette. Paula put her hand on Jody's forehead and pointed out that she had abit of a temperature.
"Well duh, she's been out sleeping in the rain" Baz pointed out "stupid little girl." Paula nodded in agreement and hit Jody before telling her that she was very naughty for running away.
"I know, I just wanted to get away" Jody replied.
"Whatever, just get to bed before I give you something much more than just a smack around the face" Paula threatened. Jody sighed as she got up from the sofa and headed for the stairs, only to pass out again and Ste ran over to where she had fallen and turned her over. The little girl was out cold.
"We should get her to Hospital, I think she's really sick" Ste pointed out as he put his hand over her forehead "she's burning up, mum, call an Ambulance."
"Can't, phone's dead" Paula said with a shrug "but if you're bothered about getting the little shit to hospital then take her in the car then, but I ain't coming." She then staggered into the kitchen to get a drink as Ste lifted Jody from the floor and told Baz that he was taking her to the hospital.
"Fine, whatever" Baz replied with a shrug "but if she tells the hospital about us, it won't be her neck I'm having, I'll be having yours too." The older boy then went into the kitchen to join Paula as Ste carried his sister out to the car, put her on the back seat before driving to the hospital and when he arrived, he carried her inside as a Doctor came running over to them.
"What's the problem?" he asked when he noticed the unconcious child that Ste was holding.
"My sister's sick, really sick" Ste said as the Doctor took Jody and put her on a stetcher "me and my brother found her at a bus top in the rain, laying there."
"What was she doing out at this time of night" the Doctor aksed as he checked Jody over. Ste didn't want to say that she had tried to run away because she was being abused by his mum and older brother, he was too scared to reveal what was going on so he just told the Doctor that she must have been sleepwalking.
"Looks like she has a case of hypothermia" he told Ste "we'll keep her in for a few days for observation but I think she'll be fine." Ste nodded and began to worry that the Doctors and Nurses will notice the bruises that Jody had and probably question her on how she got them and she might spill the beans about the abuse she was suffering at home. Of course, Ste didn't really want to hurt his sister but he feared that he would get the same treatment as Jody if Paula and Baz found out he cared about her.
"Where's your mum and dad?" the Doctor who had been examing Jody asked Ste "didn't they come in with you?"
"My dad died two years ago and my mum's at home" Ste replied "I should get going." he got up to leave just as the Doctor asked if he was going to stay with Jody but Ste ignored him and headed for the exit. the Doctor walked over to the stretcher that Jody was laying on and she was still unconcious but she was breathing ok now.
When Ste arrived back at the house, he found Paula and Baz sitting sat in the living room.
"So, did you take the little brat to the Hospital then?" Baz asked as Ste flung his coat to the floor "what's wrong with her then?"
"The Doctor's said Hypothermia" Ste pointed out as Baz shrugged, showing that he didn't care and that it was her own fault for being out in the rain. Ste chose to ignore the older boy's comment and headed into the kitchen.
"What if she tells the hospital staff about us abusing her" Baz told Paula "if she twigs then we'll be in deep shit."
"She wouldn't dare do that" Paula replied "she'll be too scared to tell anybody because she knows damn well what we'll do to her if she rats on us." Ste wanted to tell both his mum and brother to lay off Jody but he remembered that if they found out he actually cared about her, then he would possibly get the same treatment they were giving Jody aswell.
Back at the Hospital, Jody was begining to come round and the first thing she realized was that she wasn't at home anymore, she was lying in a hospital bed and she had no idea on how she got there.
"What's going on?" she mumbled just as a nurse walked into the room and saw that Jody was now awake.
"How are you feeling?" she asked her.
"Got abit of a headache" Jody replied before asking the nurse why she was in hospital.
"Some young lad bought you in, said he found you passed out in a bus shelter in the middle of the night in the rain" she explained as Jody tried to remember what happened the night before "apparently he seemed to know you, said you must have sleep walked into the street."
"I did pass out in a bus shelter" Jody explained "but I woke up at home before I passed out again."
"Not according to this boy who bought you in you didn't" the nurse replied "you probably imagined it, but don't worry, you're safe now and once you've got plenty of rest, you'll be all better."
"What's the matter with me?" Jody asked.
"You've got Hypothermia but you'll be ok, just get plenty of rest" the nurse told her. Jody nodded and feeling rather sleepy, she laid her head on the pillow and fell asleep whilst back at her house, Paula and Baz where thinking of a way to stop Jody from spilling the beans about them.
"We should take her from the hospital and keep her locked in the house, that way she won't be able to tell anybody and we won't get sent to prison" Baz suggested. Paula thought it was a brilliant idea to kidnap Jody from the hospital and lock her in the house but Ste didn't seem so keen on the plan and pointed out that Jody was sick and needed to stay in Hospital until she was recovered.
"Oh stop being a wuss and go fetch the car keys" Baz ordered the younger boy who reluctantly did so. After Ste had given Baz his car keys, the two boys got into the car to snatch Jody from the hospital whilst Paula stated that she was going to wait at the house to have a drink.
Jody tossed and turned in her sleep, moaning slightly as horrible nightmares of her abuse plagued her mind, Baz climbing into her bed, doing things to her she didn't like, being locked in Kevin's dog cage as punishment for getting caught stealing, not to mention the near drowings she was subjected to and as she continued to have nightmares about her home life, Baz and Ste had entered the room, watching as the little girl tossed and turned in her sleep.
"Ahhh look, the little rat is having a bad dream" Baz said in mock sympathy "poor little baby." He then chuckled and lifted Jody from her bed.
"I still think this is a bad idea" Ste pointed out but Baz told him to shut up and get a move on before walking out the room, carrying Jody with Ste following behind, knowing that this was going to be a bad idea.
