Matteic ,Rollieo 122, and x-Emily Tennant-x: Thank you!

WARNING! CHAPTER CONTAINS BRUTAL CONTENT!

Disclaimer: I do not own Midsomer Murders! I only own the characters I made up!


"Crisps?" Ben asked lightly as he held the bowl out to me.

"N-no thanks."

We were sitting next to each other on the couch, watching a movie we'd checked out at the video store. It was a comedy about a police officer, surprise, surprise.

"We're not allowed to do that!" he said irritably at the officer's actions.

I chuckled lightly at my uncle's annoyance. He'd been criticizing the entire film since the moment we'd popped it in, saying what they were and weren't allowed to do while on duty.

"It's just a m-movie, B-ben." I smiled.

His head snapped in my direction. "I know. I'm just saying..."

I silenced him by leaning against him, and by tucking my head beneath his chin. He put his arm around me, and pressed a kiss to the top of my head. I smiled again. This is how it was supposed to be.

Ben's mobile went off, interrupting the light humor in the air. "Sorry. It's Cora's number. I should answer." he apologized quietly. "Hello, Cora! What..." he furrowed his brows. "I'm sorry, I can't...Cora, calm down! Shh...What's happened?"

I looked on curiously, and slightly concerned at the shock that entered his eyes.

"Is he alright?" he paused. "Okay. Try to stay calm, and we'll be right over." he hung up. "Grab a jacket. Mike's been in a car crash."


We arrived at the hospital in a matter of minutes. Ben had put a light atop the car, turned on the siren, and put a lead foot on the gas pedal. I even had difficulty keeping up with him when he raced into the building, too.

I don't really like hospitals. The sights, the smells, the way I didn't want to touch anything because it seemed that everything was infected with sick germs. I'd spent way too many days in them, too. And doesn't it seem that everyone that sits in the waiting room always seem to have a solemn look about their faces, as well? Anyway. I was only too sad to realize that I knew all four of the people waiting in that wretched room.

"Ben!" Cora called sadly.

Ben was at Cora's side in an instant. He gathered the sobbing woman up in his arms, cooing and hushing her like a child.

I looked around the room, found April and Daniel, but Jerry was nowhere in sight.

"Hey." April said weakly, trying to smile through her tears.

I smiled at her sympathetically, and pulled her into an embrace. "H-how is he?" I asked quietly.

"We don't know!" she cried against my shoulder. "They won't tell us yet."

I looked down when I felt a tug on my pant leg, and found little Daniel, staring wide and teary-eyed at me. "Why won't anyone tell me what's going on?"

April smiled down at her little brother, and scooped him up in her arms. "There's been an accident." she started softly as she walked to one of the deserted corners of the room.

"I'm glad you could make it."

My already torn heart tore slightly more at the sadness in his deep, smooth, voice, and I turned to face him. My breath caught in my throat at Jerry's condition. His usually well-groomed inky hair was mussed up, as though he'd been running his fingers through it quite a lot, and his intelligent eyebrows were creased with worry. His beautiful green eyes were dark with pain, and gloom, and his lips were slightly pulled down at the corners in a light frown.

"Well, I mean, I wish none of us had to be here, but it's nice to have you with me in this place." he said with a lump in his throat.

'This place' he'd said. He had the exact same feelings about hospitals as me.

"You're walking better." he mused. "That's good. It has been three weeks, after all." he tried to smile, but it caused the tears in his eyes to fall slowly down his cheeks.

I reached out and wrapped my arms around his waist on an impulse, and tried to murmur comforting things in his ear. He pressed his face to the curve of my neck, and I was surprised to feel continuous tears on my skin. He was crying softly. He was trusting me with his emotions. Me.

"Mrs. Williamson?"

All of us looked up upon hearing the quiet voice of a nurse.

She offered a kind smile to all of us, and looked down at her clipboard. "Constable Mike Williamson is going to be fine, Mrs. Williamson. He has a few cuts and bruises here and there, and few cracked and broken ribs. But other than that, he's alright. You may see him now, but only two of you at a time may go into the room."

"Thank you." Cora choked out. "Do you know how long he'll be staying?"

"We're definitely keeping him over night, for observation. After that, it depends on his condition."

"Thank you." she said again.

The nurse nodded, and walked away.

"Come with me, Ben." she suggested. "I need an arm to keep me upright." she then turned, and looked at Jerry, April, and Daniel. "I'll be back soon, kids. Stay here."

Jerry's arms loosened slightly from around my shoulders, but stayed there otherwise. "I was starting to worry about her." he said softly. "I thought she was about to go into labor when the hospital called with the news. I had to drive us up here, and April had to sit with here and Daniel in the back." he glanced briefly at Daniel, who was looking very tired in April's arms. "Poor Daniel didn't have a clue of what was going on. He's probably been scared silly."

I smiled lightly, and rubbed small circles along his back. "Y-you looked scared, t-too."

He chuckled feebly. "I wouldn't doubt it. He's a good man, the best dad anyone could ask for."

I realized that he looked very tired, too. Drained would be a better word, actually. I took him by the hand, and led him to one of the couches in the room. He laid down and rested his head in my lap, and closed his eyes. I couldn't help but think that he looked like an angel, lying there peacefully now that he knew his father was alright, and for a moment, I wondered if he had come from Heaven.

April joined us on the couch by taking a seat next to me, a sleeping Daniel in her arms. She smiled. "He's knocked out, poor, little man. It's quite a few hours after his bed time."

I smiled as well, and studied the little lad. He resembled his big brother very much, and like his brother, looked like a spitting image of his father. He, too, looked like an angel as he lay there, sleeping in his sister's comforting arms.


An hour rolled by before Cora and Ben came back into the room. Both looked exhausted, but enlightened as they took a seat.

"Two of you, go visit him. He's eager to see you." Cora smiled.

Jerry and April exchanged glances.

"Take her with you." April said. "I don't want to wake Daniel yet."

I was shocked. Was she really willing to allow me, not even a relative of her father, to visit him before her? I shook my head. "N-no, you go w-with Jerry. I can w-wait with D-daniel." I told her.

She smiled. "It's alright. I'm not ready yet."

Jerry nodded. "Come on, he'll be happy to see you."

I walked reluctantly with him down the long hallway, hand-in-hand. He seemed more relaxed since he'd had a nap, and his steps seemed lighter than before.

"Dad!" he said softly as we entered the room.

Just as the nurse had said, Mike was slightly cut up and bruised. His right eye was black and blue, and he had a small nick on his left earlobe. A bruise covered a large section of his left cheek, and his entire right arm was bandaged.

Despite the pained look in his eyes, he smiled. "Son, Blake." he nodded.

"Goodness, Dad! You look like you've been in a fight!" Jerry laughed lightly as he gently went to embrace his father.

"Wonderful to see you, too." Mike chuckled. "And you, Blake. Come here!"

I smiled softly at him, and moved into his embrace. "G-glad you're alright."

"Me too, darling. Me too." he nodded again. "Is your mum still alright, Jerry? She looked more than just flustered when she was in here."

"Yeah, she was alright when we left the room."

I stood by silently and listened to the conversation, and watched as father and son interacted. I suppressed a chuckle when I realized that we, much like Cora and Ben, had been talking to Mike for just about an hour.

"Take care of your mother and siblings while I'm away, alright?" Mike sighed. "Make sure she doesn't go into labor, either. The last thing we need is the baby being born prematurely."

Jerry nodded in understanding. "Okay. I'll send April and Daniel in."


"Do you want us to stay?" Ben asked.

Cora looked up from her large belly, and smiled. "No, it's alright. You've been here long enough. You look terrible."

Ben rolled his eyes. "Thanks. But, you're sure? I can stay longer."

"Go on." she pressed. "We'll be fine."

Ben nodded, and took me by the arm. "If you're certain. I'll come by in the morning, and help around the house."

I took one more look at Jerry, who had finally fallen asleep on the couch. It made me ache to just leave him here, in this place, without saying bye. But, I didn't want to wake him; he looked too peaceful.

It was dark when we stepped out of the building. Eerily dark. I considered going back into the building, but couldn't think of a good reason to give Ben. So, I kept walking. Little did I know that that was the biggest mistake of my life. The car was parked near the side of the hospital, where the car park was just a bit darker than the front car park. It is easy for me to see now how the shadows hid them so well.

I was nearly to the car when they emerged.

"Hello, pretty! Why don't you just come with me and my friend?" A tall figure said as he draped his arms around my shoulders.

Before I could react, a large hand was pressed to my mouth, and I found myself being dragged to the back of the hospital, where the only light was coming from the headlights of a beaten up car.

"What do you think you're doing?!" Ben shouted as he chased after us.

I strained to see around my captor, and found that another man was hustling Ben around the back as well, except he was using a pistol as a threat. When we made it to the back of the building, I was slammed roughly against the car, and punched in the gut. Ben, having been taken off guard by what my captor had done, was in no better condition. He was being hit in the face relentlessly by the other man's fists.

'This is it.' I thought. 'I witnessed a murder, and I'm about to be murdered for it.'

My captor hit me in the face multiple times with his fists, then moved lower to my stomach. "It's a shame we have to kill her." he laughed to his partner. "She's rather pretty."

I was disgusted by the way he began touching me. His hands grabbed and touched in a way that only a husband should his wife. I could feel it in his hands that he was going to rape me before murdering me, and I wasn't about to have it. I kicked him in the groin and took off at run, but stopped suddenly when I remembered Ben.

"Run!" he called weakly from the ground. "Go while you can!" he said before he was brutally kicked in the face.

I felt as though I was being torn in half. Run and save my life, and allow my uncle to die, or turn and try to attack his attacker, and die trying. Either way sounded horrible, before I could decide, I was grabbed again.

"You shouldn't have done that." the man growled.

My body was flung mercilessly against the side of the car, and I heard the sound of a switchblade being opened. The man pulled my head back by my hair, and dragged the blade across my left cheek. I cried out for help, but was silenced by his lips hard against my own. I felt the blade slash against my side, before I was thrown to the ground, and kicked in the gut.

"Perhaps you'll cooperate, now that you know just what I'll do." he hissed.

I felt his weight on me, and I could hear my shirt being torn. This was it.

I cried vainly for my uncle, and screamed at the top of my lungs. The man pressed his blade to my throat, and I glanced at Ben. He could only watch helplessly from the side as his attacker continued hitting him.

"Get off!" A different man shouted.

Both men froze at the voice, and I felt the weight lift from my body. I looked up, and found the blond man from the valley staring down at me, and then at the man that had tried to rape me.

"That's not what we came here for! I told you specifically to murder them, and run! It seems you can't even do that!" he shouted. He drew a pistol, and aimed it, to my horror, at Ben. He pulled the trigger, then looked to his henchmen. "See? It's that simple! Now get rid of the girl, and wait for the boy!"

I gave up. If my uncle, the only man that showed me true care wasn't alive, I didn't want to be either. I flinched at the sound of another gunshot, but was confused to find that the bullet hadn't struck me. I could hear a lot of running footsteps, and then the shouting of several men and woman.

My vision was fading in and out, but I thought I saw several uniformed police officers.

"Man down!" One of them shouted. "He's been shot, but he's still breathing!"

Someone's hands were on my shoulders, then my face, as though they were examining me. My vision faded completely, and the last thing I heard was the sound of handcuffs being taken out.

So now you know why Ben will be put in the hospital. Please don't hate me! Please review! Reviews motivate me!