Chantelle allowed Dixie to gently press the hot water bottle to her stomach, Dixie was being as gentle as she could.
"How's that feel sweetheart?" Dixie asked, looking at Chantelle, she was laid on the sofa stroking little abs.
"Warm... but nice"
"Good. I need to ask you something" Dixie saw the change in Chantelle's expression, she looked very worried and scared.
"You won't try and take your own life again... Will you?" Dixie felt her eyes watering just saying the words, she was so scared that Chantelle would try and do something to take her own life. Chantelle just stared at her numbly. Taking a deep breath before having the courage to speak.
"I'm sorry Dixie, I didn't mean... I just felt so alone, so worthless, what is the point in me being alive if I am only going to be beaten everyday. I need to go back though. He said he will kill me if I didn't go back to him" Chantelle began to cry, Dixie wiped away the young woman's tears with her thumb.
"Sweetheart. He isn't going to kill you" Dixie tried her best to reassure her but Chantelle was having non of it, Chantelle just shook her head continuing to shiver.
"You don't know him Dixie"
"He will need to get past little abs first... Look at him lying infront of you" Dixie pointed at Little abs, he seemed to take a liking to Chantelle. He was always lying with her, protecting her.
"I like Little abs. He's sweet" Chantelle smiled down at the dog, Dixie smiled herself just seeing Chantelle smile, she was sure that dog had done lots of good in its life, Dixie was glad she had Abs.
"He loves you... You've got yourself a little protector" Dixie kissed Chantelle on her forehead then stood up, Chantelle needed to rest, ideally she should have still been in the hospital to be monitored, she was still quite weak.
"Dixie... Don't go, don't leave me alone... Please" Chantelle begged, Dixie nodded her head and sat back down on the floor next to Chantelle, seeing her relax at her presence.
"I don't want to be alone. I'm so scared that he will come back"
"He won't" Dixie protested. She was determined to protect Chantelle, he had been hurt too many times, she allowed that to happen. But Dixie had enough, she wasn't letting Chantelle being hurt no more.
Dixie noticed Chantelle had kept one foot on the floor while lying on the sofa, why was that? It couldn't have been very comfortable.
"Why have you got one foot on the floor"
"For a quick escape, I keep one leg out of the bed as well"
"Doesn't look very comfortable" Dixie commented,
"It's not... But this way I can run out quickly" Chantelle rubbed her eyes, then stared at Dixie, but she was paying more attention to hugging the waterbottle into her stomach.
"You don't need to, how about you put your leg up yeah?" Dixie gently took hold of Chantelle's leg, placing it on the sofa. She heard Chantelle sigh in relief.
Dixie stayed with Chantelle until she fell asleep, it took a while but she managed it. Dixie continued stroking chantelles hair and rubbing patterns in her palm as she slept.
Jeff came out of the kitchen, finding Chantelle sleeping on the sofa with little Abs and Dixie at her side,
"Hey Dix. How is she?" Jeff knew it was a stupid question to ask when he saw Dixie's face.
"Good. Well, as good as she can be" Dixie sighed, she didn't take her eyes off Chantelle while she was talking to Jeff.
"It's going to take time Dixie. Anyway I need to pop off to the shops" Jeff kissed her on the cheek, then looked at Chantelle frowning, he hated seeing his friend lying there so tired and vulnerable, still covered in bruises.
"You are only going shopping right?" Dixie questioned quickly.
"We need more bread and some eggs"
"Promise me you won't do anything stupid"
"Yeah" Jeff muttered, although it was very tempting, Jeff knew Dixie would make sure he had no bed if he did anything stupid.
"Jeffrey Collier you promise me" Dixie raised her voice a little, staring at Jeff until he replied,
"No No, I won't do anything stupid, I promise" Jeff looked into his wife's eyes, vowing that he wouldn't do anything stupid. Even though it would give him some sense of strong satisfaction.
"Good. Don't be long either" Dixie raised her eyebrows, watching as Jeff left the house, she saw him in the driveway. Taking the car, then pulling out the drive. Dixie chuckled at Abs, she went into the kitchen to start cooking the dinner, pulling out one of the knifes to start chopping up some veg.
Meanwhile Norman was washing down the ambulance when he noticed a man entering the station.
"Hello. How can I help you?" Norman questioned politely.
"I'm Chantelle's partner. She didn't come home, I was wondering where she was" David asked, he wanted to know where Chantelle was. She didn't come home, and wasn't returning any of his texts or calls.
"Oh Chantelle. Dixie and Jeff took her home" Norman Replied, he had no idea that David had been hurting Chantelle, he told David where she was without a thought crossing his mind.
"Ah yes. I remember Chantelle saying something about that, she doesn't have the car so has no way of coming home. Could you tell me the address, that way I could pick her up" David cleverly suggested, Norman agreed and wrote down directions to Jeff and Dixie's house, David thanked him then left.
He was so angry, what was Chantelle thinking? What was she playing at? Not coming home like that. Who does she think she is. He clenched the steering wheel so tightly it was almost being ripped off the dashboard, and his knuckles were white. He was going to make Chantelle pay, he was so cross with her, If he couldn't have her, he would make sure nobody would be able to have her.