AN: Get ready to have your minds blown in this chapter. They will combust more and more throughout the next couple chapters. Prepare to meet a Patricia you never thought existed.


He was gone. There was nothing she could do about it.

She ran upstairs, her face buried into her hands to hide her tears. Once in her room, she slam me the door shut and began to rummage through her were strewn askew and flying all over the floor as she searched.

Finally, she found what she was looking for. She gripped it in her hand, its cool, metal touch sending a chill down her spine.

Everyone would be at school now. She had all the time in the world.

Hesitantly, she lifted the blade and placed it on her wrist. It glided up her arm, causing blood to spurt out profusely and roll down onto the floor. Drip. Drop. Drip. Drop. It felt so good; it began to relieve her pain from the night before, and she sighed.

This would be how she would cope with her loss.


"Dr. Cartwright, please make your way to the operating room."

This was the voice that woke Patricia up. She heard it boom overheard, though it seemed as if the voice didn't belong to anyone.

Painfully, she attempted to sit up, but she was strapped down to the bed. She scanned her surroundings from her position.

Am I in a hospital? she thought. Why would I be here?

Sure enough, that was exactly where she was. Three women in blue scrubs and white masks burst through the door with a tray of medicines and foods.

"Here, love," a blonde nurse said. "Take this." She handed Patricia two tiny red tablets.

"You're going to need to eat after you've taken the pills. Not good to take them on an empty stomach," a brunette nurse said in a thick cockney accent.

Patricia was handed a tray with a glass of milk, two pieces of toast, and a small plate of eggs.

"What happened to me?" she asked frightfully.

A redheaded nurse with a Scottish accent said, "You fainted in the woods. Your friends called and ambulance and we picked you up. All night you been here."

"Why do I need this pills after just a fainting epidemic?"

The nurses cast a glance at each other.

"Well," the blonde one began. "We wanted to be sure, based on your… history. We thought you may be weak from that time. There is a possibility the fainting had something do with that, so we had to be safe."

The nurses all looked at her sympathetically.

Patricia glared at them all. "That is over and done with. I'm through with it. It can't still possibly be affecting me - it was two years ago!"

"Sorry, love," the brunette said. "It's just for your well-being. You can go home this afternoon. No one needs to know."

"Oh, you mean about my history?"

They ignored her and left the room.

Patricia groaned and stared at the ceiling, watching the hours tick by.

"Patricia?" a voice sounded a few minutes later. "Hey, it's Joy. I was hoping I could talk to you."

Patricia acknowledged her and permitted her to enter the hospital room.

"What's up?" Joy asked casually. "Never mind, stupid question."

"What do you want, Joy?"

Joy sat on the edge of the bed. "Patricia, please. Something is happening to you. Why won't you talk about it? You've been upset and hiding from everyone, especially Eddie, the one who loves you more than anyone, you run away and then faint in the woods." Her eyes widen. "Oh my god, are you pregnant? Did Eddie get you pregnant? Is that why you're avoiding him and why you fainted? Or are you avoiding him because it isn't his?"

Patricia howled with laughter as Joy rambled on. "Joy, I'm not pregnant."

"You're not?"

"No. Unfortunately, I wish it were that simple. I wish that was all I was dealing with."

"Ok, if you'd rather be pregnant that go through whatever is going on, then it must be really bad."

"Little bit."

The two girls sat in silence, unsure of where to take this conversation.

"Trix, I know you don't want to talk about whatever this is. But I'm your best friend. I can help you. If you need to talk, I'll be here."

"Look, Joy," Patricia began. "I appreciate that, I really do. But this is something that has to remain a secret. If it gets out -I do trust you- but if it happens to get out, then my life could be ruined. So many people's lives could be ruined."

"What do I say if people ask?" Joy says. "I told people I was coming to you for answers."

Patricia smiled. "Tell them the truth. Tell them I'm not ready to talk yet."

Joy was about to leave when she stopped at the door and turned back around.

"Just… one question."

"W-what?"

"Who was that tall guy you were talking to before school yesterday?"

"Oh, him. That was, uh, Dalton Simon, he's an old friend of mine. He just stopped to say hi," Patricia lied. Joy had seen her with Audwin? She thought she was completely alone.

Joy eyed her suspiciously, but her glare faded and reverted back to a cheerful smile.

"Ok," she said. "You get some rest." She was about to leave when Patricia stopped her.

"Wait, Joy," she said. "I… I think maybe I should tell you some of the story."

Joy eyed her curiously. "Really?"

"Not the whole thing. But in the past five minutes I've already lied to you a lot."

Patricia hung her head and began to speak. "Please, don't tell anyone anything. Even though it doesn't seem like much, people might start to put the pieces together if they find out."

"Of course."

"Well, first, there is no Dalton Simon. That was Audwin."

"Ok, new name, still doesn't explain anything. What's his last name?"

"I can't tell you that."

Joy rolled her eyes. "Where is this going?"

"Look, he's anything but an old family friend. I haven't seen him in two years. I practically let him ruin his own life by letting him take the blame for a terrible mistake I made."

"Huh? You knew this guy during the Year of Rufus?"

"Yeah… but anyway, he was so mad at what he'd let himself do that he left and moved to Liverpool. I haven't seen him since. He came back the other day to apologize for how he'd reacted. He said that he was fine with taking the blame because it not only save my butt, but someone else's as well."

"Whose… whose butt are we talking about here?"

"Joy… promise me you won't scream or hit me or say anything to anyone."

"Audwin? His last name… his last name is Winkler."