AN: Oh my goodness I am so sorry, I have not updated in FOREVER! Before you read this very overdue chapter, I have to thank somebody. This chapter would have been even more overdue if it wasn't for the very lovely RoseByAnyOtherName215 she gave me amazing advice! If you haven't checked out her story Free as a Bird you are missing out BIG time, it is spectacular! Please Read and Review for me! Now without a further wait...
Claire's POV:
Everything was black. It was silent except for a steady beeping, having no idea where it was coming from, I tried to wake myself up more, as I did so I heard soft and unrecognizable voices. I strained my ears to get a feel as to what they were saying and who was saying it,
"...severe concussion, punctured lung broken rib and severe bruising to the inner thigh, other than that just light bruises and a bloody nose. We have already given her oxygen for the punctured lung she will just have to be careful for the next few weeks, that goes for the broken ribs as well. The bruising will go away completely in a month, maybe two, as for the concussion we won't be able to tell until she wakes up..."
God, who are they talking about? They sure got the shit knocked out of them.
"Mr. Lennon, after Claire wakes up I want her on bed rest for two weeks minimum to avoid further injury."
Wait a fucking minute. They are talking about me? And John is here too, what the hell happened? Now I really need to get up.
I mustered all the energy I could and slowly, but surely, lifted up my eyelids.
"Claire? Claire? You're awake!" John started, you'd think that I would be more than happy to hear his voice but I didn't realize until he started talking that I have a headache with equivalent of a knife being driven through my forehead. "My God, I'm so sorry this was all my fault I should've never got in that fight with you-" John continued but was cut off by a tall middle aged doctor.
"You're upsetting her! Keep your voice down!" he scolded "Betty, get in here, the girl is awake," he said with his head poking out from the door.
Not a minute afterwards a short and plump woman comes walking in and gives both John and I warm smiles. I still have no idea what the hell is going on, other than the fact that it hurts like hell to move a single muscle.
"Hi, honey," she says giving me a motherly smile which makes me warm up to her a bit
I am still unable to speak I can't find the strength to and I think she understands because she continues speaking.
"I'm Betty, your nurse," she starts, I glance over at John, he is staring at me with worried eyes and heavy dark bags under them, something bad must have happened.
"Sweetie I am here if you need anything at all, okay?" I nod.
"I have to ask you some questions is that okay?" I nod again.
"Do you know why you're here?" I shake my head.
"Thats fine, can you tell me about the last thing you can remember?" Great. I have to speak. I gather up my strength and start talking quietly,
"I...I was at...God, where was I? The Cavern...I think," I start, she nods her head telling me to go on.
"I...wanted to dance, but...John wouldn't let me, so I ran out of the club...I can't remember anything after that." I say slowly,
I see John throw his head down and look at the floor, he seems ashamed. That we fought? It wasn't a big deal.
"That's very good, you're doing great. Those are all the questions I have for you, okay. Now you get some rest and in about an hour there are going to be a few policemen here to talk to you, don't worry, you are not in any sort of trouble, it will all make sense soon." she said softly before walking out the door, muttering something along the lines of "the poor thing".
I look up at John and smile weakly, he returns it and comes to sit on the side of my bed.
"Johnny, what's going on?" I ask with my voice cracking.
"Oh Claire," he says weakly before burying his head in his hands and sobbing.
I have seen John cry before, never sob. Now I really need to know WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED.
I wanted to comfort John, hug him, kiss him and tell him everything was going to be okay. But I couldn't if I moved a bit I would scream out in pain and God knows, that would not help the situation. So instead I reach my hand out as far as I can, which is enough to touch his. He grabs onto it and holds my hand tight.
"I'm sorry, I'm so fucking sorry," he says
"John why are you sorry? What the hell is going on?" I ask
"I can't tell you. The police officer has to, the stupid bloke says its protocol," he says "Get some sleep love, you need to rest, it's going to be a rough night," that scares me a bit what does he mean by "rough night".
Besides my suspicious thoughts I listened to John and took a nap, it only seemed like seconds afterwards that there was a knock on the door
John got up and opened it, sure enough there was two policemen. They seemed like Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. One very stern and rather posh looking, just the kind of person John and I love to make fun of, the other one had a more kind face and looked a bit unsure with his back slouched.
"Hello, Ms. Jones" the posh looking one starts, I have to suppress a laugh because that is what John would say to me if we were making fun of people like him, "I am Officer Smith and this is Officer Newberry we are going to explain to you why you are in here and then ask you a few questions, understand?" He says and I respond with a nod and a quiet yes.
"After your fight with Mr. Lennon you left the nightclub and proceeded down the street..."
Once Officer Smith mentioned Josh's name I had a feeling as to what happened, and of course, I was right. They told me that they didn't have any details about what exactly happened other than that I was raped and pretty much beaten to a pulp. They also told me that soon my memory will come back and I will be able to explain, but I'm not sure I want to remember that night. I don't even know how many nights ago that was.
After Officer Smith told me everything he left quickly and after giving me a pitiful smile, I seem to be getting lots of those, he left, leaving me to sit in shock and John to shower me with apologies.
As John kept claiming that it was all his fault and that I should leave him, I felt hot tears fill up my eyes. Josh got his way, he got what he wanted from me and left me injured on the inside and out, along with John thinking he doesn't deserve me.
"John, stop!" I say rather suddenly, immediately he shuts his mouth "In no way is this your fault, do you hear me? I got involved with Josh, you had nothing to do with it, and Josh did this not you! So just shut up and hold me!" I said starting to sob at the last part.
He slowly and carefully comes and lies down next to me, wrapping his arm around my waist. It stings from the raw bruises but I don't move him, it feels better with him next to me. For the next hour or so I stay and sob into his chest.
When there is a knock on the door he get up and opens it, of course, it's my boys.
George's POV:
This is fucking insane. You see this kind of stuff in the papers happening to people you have never heard of, not your mate's girl or much less your virtual sister. When we found her last night we all seemed to have different emotions, John had this sense of protectiveness accompanied by a huge rage, Paul seemed devastated and I was just shocked. I have never seen someone like that before, there was just blood everywhere and all of her clothes were ripped to pieces and she just seemed...deathly.
John took off his coat a wrapped her in it and, since we didn't have the car with us, ran all the way to the hospital. When we got there she was taken away and John almost got kicked out because he threatened the doctor when he wouldn't let John come with Claire.
We were allowed to go in after about four hours in the waiting room. Claire was covered with bandages and hooked up to an IV. John grabbed a chair a moved next to her bed, holding her hand. Paul and I figured he would want to be alone with her so we left.
We came back the next morning to find her awake and with a red face and eyes, I guess she knows what happened. We set down the flowers we got for her on a the desk and gave us a small smile with her chapped lips.
We made small talk before a nurse ushered all of us out saying Claire needed some rest. I was sure John was going to explode on her but instead he kissed Claire on the cheek and obeyed the nurse without another word.
Claire's POV:
The same nurse from before interrupted the rather awkward conversation between the boys and I saying that I needed rest, but stayed in the room and sat in the chair next to my bed.
"You okay, baby?" she says, I nod.
"I know it's hard, do you need anything?" she says motherly
"No, not at the moment." I respond
She stays silent for a minute.
"I know kids are really stupid sometimes," she states
"Yeah, they really are" I say sighing, "Do you have any kids?" I ask
"Mmhm, and got some grandbabies too," she says, I smile
"How old are they?" I ask
"4, 6 and 10" she says smiling with pride.
I nod, I have always loved kids and dreamed of having some of my own since I was a little girl.
We get into a long conversation about kids until she hears a doctor call her name.
"Duty calls," she says with a wink and exits the room.
I wake up screaming, sweating and breathing heavily. I remembered. I remembered everything.
John woke up with a jolt as I cried in his arms.
"What is it?" he said running his fingers through my hair
"I...I...remember...what Josh...did" I say in between sobs
"Shhhh it's going to be okay," he says after a bit of a silence
I really hope it is. I hope Josh rots in prison. I hope I can move on past this and I most certainly hope John can too.