Paige wasn't sure how long she sat in bed looking out the window. She knew that it was long enough that the sun was now coming up. But she didn't know what time Toby had drug her father out of the room. She knew it was dark then. Nurse Miller kept popping in and checking on her after she woke from sleeping. It was the first time she slept for a few hours without startling awake, or having a nightmare. Over time, before the older nurse walked out of the room, she would stop and ask Paige if she would like someone to come in and sit with her. And every time she would have to step into the hallway and tell Emily, "not right now."
Truth was, Paige didn't know what she wanted. She didn't know how she was supposed to feel right now. She was scared and tired. She was angry at her father, but at the same time felt so lost. She was all alone now. He mother had disappeared. Two weeks before Paige had been told they were going to California. She just packed her bags in the middle of the night. Leaving only a note that said "I can't do this anymore."
Now Paige wondered if the message was about what her father had planned. Had her mother known and just left? Chose to let her daughter fall into her father's trap. And worse, she hadn't even told Emily about her mother leaving. She just told her that she had left to get things ready for California, on one of the nights that Emily stopped by her house and asked where her mother was.
She didn't want Emily to pity her. She didn't want anyone to pity her. And now, here she was. Every time someone came through the door and looked at her damaged body, laying in bed, they gave her that look. The pity look. She didn't want people to feel sorry for her. She just wanted things to go back to normal.
But what was normal now? Everything Paige thought was going good in her life, wasn't. Was Stanford still on the table? Surely now, her body broken and beaten, would be in no form to swim. At least not anytime soon. Or at all. What was going to become of her? She had no family left. Her father was headed for jail, and frankly, she didn't care where her mom was. After all she had left her. Let her with her father and his evil plan. It made Paige sick to her stomach to think it through. How long had this plan been on the table? She was pulled out of her thoughts by the churning in her stomach as she reached for the small bowl on her bedside table. Unable to reach it she slumped over her bed and emptied the contents of her stomach onto the floor.
"Oh my." Paige heard nurse Miller say as she entered the room. "Lets get you cleaned up and call a janitor."
"I'm sorry." Paige said, as tears filled her eyes, her throat and stomach burning.
"It is really ok, Ms. McCullers." Nurse Miller said as she played Paige back in the bed. "Happens all the time."
"Please don't call me that." Paige said. "I don't want to hear that name."
"Yes Paige." Nurse Miller said. "How about you call me Tammy. We can be on a first name basis with each other."
"Thank you, Tammy." Paige said as she closed her eyes and tried to calm her stomach down.
"Maybe some crackers and ginger ale will calm your stomach down. I'll go get them." Tammy said as she went to exit the room.
A few minutes later there was a knock on her door. Paige didn't register it and still had her eyes closed when the janitor walked in. He was wearing a blue jump suit and was pulling a mop behind him. He thought that Paige was asleep so he moved quietly to clean up the mess by the bed.
"Get out!" Paige yelled when she opened her eyes and saw the stranger standing by her bed. "Get out!"
"I have to clean this mess up." The janitor said to Paige calmly.
"Get out of my room!" Paige yelled as she made to get out of bed. "You are supposed to be in jail!"
"What is with all the yelling in here?" Tammy said as she entered to the room again to see Paige standing on one side of the bed with the janitor on the other. Emily, having heard the screaming was standing behind Tammy.
"How did he get in here?" Paige yelled, pointing to the janitor. "He is to be in jail!"
"Paige, that is Roy, the janitor." Tammy said as she approached Paige.
"No!" Paige said as she put her hand out in front of her to stop Tammy. "Leave! Everyone out! I don't know how you got back in here, but I will call security."
"Paige." Emily yelled firmly, pulling the girls attention to her. She stepped around Tammy and started making her way to Paige, slowly. "Who do you think that is?"
"Its Nick." Paige said the name with such venom it made Emily wince.
"Babe, its not him. He is locked up. Toby escorted him to prison. That is the janitor." Emily said, noticing now what was on the floor, and that Paige had been sick.
"Roy, dear, how about you leave those things and when I am done I'll bring them down to you." Tammy said to the shaken janitor.
"Yes ma'am." Roy said as he excited the room.
"Now what happened Paige?" Tammy asked as she stayed where she was, watching as Paige looked at Emily.
"I don't know. I was in bed one minute with my eyes closed and the next thing I know he is standing by my bed. The janitor?" Paige asked.
"Yes, Paige. That is Roy, the janitor." Tammy said.
"He was in a jumpsuit, and it is a little dark in here…" Paige said as she began to cry. Emily made to steps to get close to the girl only to have Paige deny her. "Please don't."
"Paige, I.." Emily started, but was cut off.
"No. Please just go Emily. Go home. I can't have you here with me like this. I can't let you look at me like that." Paige pleaded.
"Like what Paige?" Emily asked, tears forming in her eyes.
"Like some sad little puppy someone just kicked!" Paige yelled. "Leave."
"I am not going anywhere, Paige." Emily said with determination.
"I can't have you here." Paige said.
"Maybe some space." Tammy said as she placed a hand on Emily's shoulder. The girl shook it off.
"You're not doing this." Emily said, taking a step towards Paige. Paige just kept a straight face, staring at the girl. "You're not going to push me away Paige."
"I don't want you here. I don't need anyone." Paige said calmly.
"where do you think you are going to go? Who are you going to stay with? Paige, you need help, and it's ok to ask for it." Emily said, reaching out and taking Paige's hand in her own.
"No." Paige said as she backed up. "Just go, Emily."
"I'm not giving up." Emily said as she made her way out of the room. Paige turned back around and looked at Tammy.
"I like her." Tammy said with a smile. "Now get back in bed." A few hours later Paige was sitting looking at Veronica Hastings.
"So they have decided to release you." Veronica said.
"To who? I have no family around." Paige said, fiddling with her thumbs.
"With my family." Veronica said. "They said you can go home first thing tomorrow morning. It will be quite at the house. Spencer will be in school and Melissa and myself will be at work until 4. Peter has meetings out of town. The judge in your trial has decided you can stay with me until your 18. Which, according to Emily, is only two months away. After that, you can stay longer, if you'd like, or you can leave. No one here is abandoning you, Paige. Emily, Spencer, Hanna and Aria are all her for you. My family is here for you and will keep you safe."