(Adam's POV)
"Nice to see you too kiddo" I replied
She seemed down, more than she usually allowed other people to see. I caught a glimpse at a bandage on her wrist before she pulled her hoodie sleeves over her hands.
I followed her into the living room where Lara, Rachel and a woman I hadn't seen before sat.
"Dad, Bridget... Bridget, dad" Poppy introduced us
"What do you want?" She asked turning to me
"Poppy!" Rachel scolded "Your dad's here to take you out for tea"
"Fuck sake" Poppy grumbled "Why can't you lot just leave me alone?"
"Because then we'd have a repeat of this morning" Rachel told her
"I haven't seen you for months and now you just turn up out of the blue" She told me
"Why doesn't your mum come too and Lara and Bridget too"
"Great!" Poppy answered sarcastically "Tea with the psychiatrist the psychologist and you two"
"We'll leave you guys to it" Bridget said
(Rachel's POV)
Recently I'd sort of stepped back as a mother to Poppy and let Lara take the reins, I really hadn't known what to do with her and I couldn't take seeing her nearly dead again. She needed help but for once I didn't know how to give it her. Today was just a reminder than I'd already failed with one daughter and Poppy was going to end up the same way if she wasn't careful.
"No don't bother, we aren't going anywhere..." Poppy said getting up and leaving the room
Lara stood up to follow but I motioned for her to sit down, it was my turn to step up and be the mum that Poppy needed.
I stood up following her upstairs with only a few minutes in between, she'd already managed to get a mouth full of tablets.
"Spit them out… Now…" I told her pushing her into the bathroom
She gradually fell to her knees as she reached the toilet and gagged on the tablets. I bent down behind her rubbing her back gently and encouraging her body to reject more of the pills.
"Good girl" I told her softly
I made her show me her mouth and when I was sure there were no more I let her lay down with her head in my lap as I gently smoothed her hair against her head. She didn't say a single word throughout the whole process but when she did it was a simple one line.
"Why won't you let me go?" She asked softly, her voice emotionless
"Because I'm your mum, I love you even if you don't want me to" I answered "Today is a reminder that I messed up once I can't lose you too"
I moved her to the bed and let her sleep the night through, but I couldn't shake the bad feeling I had inside.
I was woken by the sound of screeching brakes and a horn. I sat up instantly the sick feeling rising in my stomach before I even noticed she was gone.
(Poppy's POV)
5 minutes and one step after I'd left my bed I stepped out into the road and bang that was it, I was thrown into the air and then everything just went dark.
(Lara's POV)
We were all woken up by the screech of tyres and the sound of a car horn. The sound made me feel sick, like I knew already what had happened.
I grabbed my dressing gown rushing downstairs and out into the street followed by Bridget and Adam from a few doors down.
Poppy's mangled body lay in the road, blood covering her face and the bone from her lower left leg just visible through her jeans. It was Emily all over again. I turned quickly as my training kicked in.
"Don't let Rachel see this" I told Adam and he disappeared back inside. I could hear them arguing.
I rushed to Poppy's side as Bridget held her head still. A passer-by had already called an ambulance so it was just a case of doing what I could to help her until they reached us.
She was breathing that was a good sign but it was starting to look like she had a serious head injury, her leg was broken in several places and her foot was starting to turn a faint purple colour and we couldn't rule out any spinal injuries without a scan.
As the sirens got closer Rachel broke through the crowd just as I was trying to straighten the break in Poppy's leg. Her hand closed over her mouth as she crumbled, I'd never seen Rachel fall apart before but the sight of Poppy lying there was just too much.
Then the worst thing happened… Poppy's heart stopped.
(Poppy's POV)
I woke up on the beach the warm yellow sand pressing against my bare legs that the white floaty dress didn't protect. Standing up I dug my feet into the warm grains and let them run through my toes. Then I saw her… My little sister, exactly as I remembered her. Chocolate brown eyes you could melt into…
"What are you doing here Poppy?" She asked
"I missed you" I replied in a soft voice
"I miss you too but you can't keep doing this to Rachel, she's done so much for us"
"I can't do it on my own Em, without you everything is so empty… It hurts" I told her a tear running down my face
She stepped closer and melted into my waiting arms, her fingers closing slightly at the touch of the material of my dress.
"I hate thinking of you all alone… My baby sister"
"I'm not alone, I have friends here you just can't see them yet because you aren't here fully" Em replied
"What do you mean not here fully?" I asked
"Your body is still fighting, you're not dead"
"My body? I thought I had the choice like last time"
"It doesn't work that way Poppy"