"Jess, you can make him pay if you tell us who it is." Zoe said.
"No. I can't tell you!" Jess raised her voice.
"Why not?" Zoe said, also raising her voice aswell.
"Zo..." Nick said. He knew that shouting at Jess wasn't the answer.
"I can't! Please. I just can't." Jess sobbed and Zoe felt guilty for not listening to Nicks warning.
"Im sorry. Its just that man is still out there Jess. Without you telling us who it is then we can't stop him." Zoe said, reaching up to hug her.
"Please just leave me alone for a bit." Jess said, frustrated. She just wanted time to herself without being asked questions.
"If thats what you want." Zoe said, standing up and walking out of the room. It was now only Nick and Jess.
"You know she only wants to help you, right?" Nick said softly to Jess.
"I know." She replied in a whispered. "Its just really getting on my nerves. All those questions."
"I know it is." Nick said. "But what she said was right."
"Yes but I can't tell you." Jess said, getting slightly annoyed with him too.
"I know you can't." Nick said. "But just think about it, alright? I will go and talk to her and maybe she will stop pressuring you."
"Thank you." Jess whispered. She really loved her dad sometimes. He always helped her, whatever it was about.
She waited until she heard the doors swing shut before letting the tears fall again. She knew that Sam would be back soon to take her down to be examined. As she thought about it, the tears fell thick and fast as she wondered what would happen next.
She whipped her hand to her forehead as the bruising stung, which reminded her about what had happened to her. She winced as she recalled when Ryan punched her multiple times, but was glad when she saw him hit her the last time before she couldn't remember anymore.
She lifted up her arm that was free of any equipment, and looked at the bruises. She could see where each of his fingers were when he grabbed her. She moved her hand around and she didn't realise how much it hurt. She threw her wrist down onto the bed, as she couldn't bare to look at it any longer.
She wiped her face quickly as she heard the doors swing open. She was still facing the wrong way so she couldn't see the door, so she twisted around, wincing in the process. She smiled when she saw it was Sam.
"Are you ready for your examination?" Sam asked her.
"Not really." Jess replied.
"It will be over soon and then you don't have to worry about it." Sam said, as she began to wheel Jess out. "How are you feeling now, anyway?"
"Better." Jess said. "But still not happy."
"Thats understandable." Sam replied. "Where are your parents?"
"I don't know." Jess said. "I had an arguement with mum and dad went to talk to her."
"Oh what was the arguement about?" Sam asked, trying to keep her mind off the examination.
"She just kept asking me to tell her who did this to me." Jess said. "But I can't. Im not... ready yet."
"Oh." Sam said. "She only wants to helpyou though. Don't blame her."
"Im not. I just wanted some time to myself without being asked the same question and always giving the same answer."
"Alright." Sam said.
"Its easy talking to you." Jess said. "You don't pressure me into answering anything."
"I don't, because I don't think it helps." Sam said to her. "But you understand what she is saying. You can get that bastard into a lot of trouble." Jess sniggered at her use of words. That was the first time she had laughed since last night.
"I guess so." Jess said. "But when I think about it, I just can't speak about it."
"I understand. It will take time to get the courage, and when you do, you will feel a lot better." Sam told her as they went into the examination.
"Zoe?" Nick said, finding her in the staff room.
"Yeah?" She replied. Nick could see she had been crying.
"Whats the matter." He said, sitting next to her.
"I feel bad." She replied.
"What about?" Nick asked.
"Asking her to tell me when I knew she wouldn't." She replied, leaning back against the sofa.
"She spoke to me about that after you left."
"She did?" Zoe asked.
"Yeah." Nick said. "It just kind of gets on her nerves when she doesn't want to answer yet."
"I feel so bad." Zoe said, looking at her watch. "And we have missed her go for the examination."
"Oh." Nick said, remembering it. "But when you see her, can you try not to ask her to do it again? She will tell us in her own time." He put his arm around Zoe to comfort her.
"Yeah." Zoe said. "I gotta tell her im sorry."
"You have to wait a little while for when she comes back." Nick said, and Zoe sighed. He pulled her onto his lap and hugged her. She kissed him.
"I don't know what I do without you Mr Jordan." She said, and kissed him again.
"And I don't know what I would do without you, Mrs Jordan." Nick replied, and they embraced for several minutes before going to check and see how Jess was doing.
Nick let Zoe go in on her own, as he knew they would have to talk things out.
"Mum?" Jess asked as Zoe walked in to view.
"Yeah." Zoe said, walking up, heels clicking on the floor.
"Im sorry. I shouldn't have snapped like that." Jess said, voice thick after crying.
"No, I should be the one apologising. I tried to pressure you into telling me, when I should have let you come to us in your own time." Zoe said, hugging Jess.
"I do want to tell you, I do." Jess said into her ear. "But I think of his name and all I see is what he did to me."
"So you know who it was." Zoe said into her ear.
"Yeah." Jess replied.
"I know I have said this once, and i'm not going to make you say it." Zoe began. "But telling someone will help you a lot."
"I know. Sam said the same thing." Jess said. "I'm just not ready yet though."
"Okay." Zoe said, pulling out of the hug. "Take your time." Jess smiled at her mother and then they both began to cry. They hugged again while they laughed and cried at the same time. Nick watched them and couldn't help but smile, so he walked in.
"How did the examination go?" Nick asked Jess.
"It wasn't too bad." Jess said. "Wasn't as bad as I thought it would be." Zoe handed her a tissue after getting one for herself.
"Thats good." Nick said. "By the way, one of your teachers is coming in to see you. I can't remember her name."
"Miss Rowling." Jess said. She remembered her clearly after last night. After all, she had found her.
"Yeah thats it." Nick said. "She wanted to see how you weredoing after she came with you in the ambulance last night.
"She came with me?" Jess asked.
"Yeah. She was very worried. Was nearly crying bless her." Zoe replied.
"Oh thats embarrassing..." Jess said, burying her head in her hands.
"No Jess she cares about you, thats all." Zoe laughed.
"I know but she is a teacher..." Jess cringed, and smiled.
"Oh well. It will give you someone to talk to later." Zoe smiled at her.
"I guess so." Jess said. Zoe couldn't help but notice she looked a bit happier now.
"Come here. I need another hug." Zoe said, and was surprised when Jess pretty much launched into her arms.
"What about me?" Nick said, and Zoe opened one of her arms.
"Come here, you big softy." Zoe said, and Nick joined them in a group hug. Things were finally getting better.