Disclaimer: I do not own JA or any of the characters.
Chapter 43: Visits
Michael walked up to Lauren and grabbed her arm roughly. "HOW DARE YOU DEFY ME! I told you to go to your room and stay there. I told you that you couldn't come here and that you couldn't leave." He started to drag Lauren away from the bedside. "I told you...."
Lauren struggled to get away from his grip. "YOU ALSO TOLD ME THAT I WOULDN'T GET TO SEE HER! What is it exactly that I am doing now? Huh? Seeing the Pope? No, I am seeing mom, talking to mom, being here with mom. Now get off me!"
Michael slapped her, and instantly regretted it. "Michael!" Amy croaked out, wishing desperately she could defend Lauren. But her voice went un-noticed.
"I'm so sorry honey," he released his hold of her. "I didn't mean to. It's just...." Lauren backed away from him.
"Get away from me."
"Honey please. I didn't mean to, I just I...."
"There is no excuse for your behaviour sir. Will you please leave." The nurse stood in front of Lauren.
"I'm her father and I am not leaving till I get her to come with me."
"Mr Cassidy. I do believe she has asked you to leave her be. She is with her mom, and her uncle is outside. You have no president here. Please could you leave before I am forced to call security." Michael looked from the nurse to Lauren and back again. Realising he was defeated he left, but not before noticing the sadness, shock and pity that were in Amy's eyes.
Vincent looked up in shock to see Michael storm out of Amy's room. He had for some reason neglected to notice him entering and was panicked. He walked to Amy's room to see the nurse checking Lauren's cheek.
"What did he do?"
"Nothing." Lauren returned. Not looking Vincent in the eye.
"Lauren he hit you didn't he?" No response.
"He is such a bastard! He deserves everything he gets." Vincent stormed out and tried to catch up to Michael. As he ran out of the hospital he was just in time to notice Michael's car screeching out of the car park. "Bastard!"
"Now then, it doesn't seem that bad. Just hold this ice on it and hopefully you won't get a bruise." The nurse gently examined Lauren's cheek.
"A bruise, I can't have a bruise. Not on my face. All my friends at school are going to stop talking to me."
"Now why would they do that? Besides anyone who does, just isn't worth speaking to anyway, and is not a true friend." The nurse smiled at Lauren and held out the ice to her. "Now, you can call me Nicola, as I will be your mom's nurse for a while, you might as well call me by my name."
"Ok thank you Nicola."
"Would you like some juice?"
"Yes please."
"Ok, you just wait right there, I'll be right back." Nicola walked to the door flashing Amy a smile as she left. Lauren turned to Amy.
"I don't have to see daddy if I don't want to do I?"
"No, but you don't have to make that decisions yet noodle."
"I don't want to see him anymore." Lauren smiled at Amy. "It just means I get to spend more time with you, at home." Amy grinnedbefore wincing.
"I love you noodle."
"I love you to." Lauren wrapped her arms around her and Amy tried hard not to moan in pain.
"Lauren what are you doing back here. I thought you were with your father."
"I was. Then he started acting like a jerk and now I am never speaking to him again." Maxine hadn't noticed the hand print on her face upto that point.
"How did you get that?"
"How do you think. I got slapped."
"Lauren." She said in a warning tone.
"Daddy."
"Michael...." Maxine took a deep breath to calm herself. "God I always hated him."
"Well now I do too."
"Now don't talk like that Lauren."
"No, I'm serious."
Victor walked out of the family room. "Hi L."
"Hey Victor. Have you been to see mom yet?"
"No. We haven't left."
"I'll leave you two to talk." Maxine walked away.
"Is mom ok?"
"Yeah, she's not allowed to speak but she does anyway."
"Oh. That's bad isn't it?"
"I don't know. But I mean nobody had told her about D. They had just told her that he wasn't around."
"They were trying not to stress her out anymore."
"I told her."
"What! We were all told not to tell!"
"I know, but she thought he had donea runner. I couldn't let her think he had abandoned her again."
"He never abandoned her. He went to think."
"Whatever anyway, so I told her."
"Well at least she knows. Was she upset?"
"Yeah, she said he didn't kill her or Kelly." Victor winced.
"Well he obviously didn't kill her. She was talking to you."
"I know, that's what she said."
"Are you going to go see my dad?"
"I don't know. Are you going?"
"Yeah later on today." Victor tapped his pocket for a while before he looked back at Lauren. "Will you come with me? I mean it will mean everything to my dad if he knows you believe he didn't do it."
"I don't know, I mean prison must be pretty scary."
"Yeah but we aren't in it. Imagine how my dad feels."
"Suppose."
"So you'll come?"
"Yeah, why not."
"Cool."
"McClaren." David looked up. "Get up, you have visitors." His face brightened and he quickly walked up to the door. "Follow me." Roderick said as he finished putting on the handcuffs.
David sat behind the glass screen and waited. Soon Lauren and Victor sat down in front of him and Victor held the phone inbetween them.
"Hey dad, can you hear us with it like this. Or are we gonna have to take turns.
"No, no I'm fine, I can hear you."
"Are you ok in here dad? Is it scary?"
"No, just depressing. How's Amy? They won't tell me."
"She's fine. She's been awake since last night.Lauren's been to see her." David turned from Victor to Lauren. It was then that he noticed her face, which she was trying to hide with her hair.
"What happened to your face Lauren?"
"My dad."
"Your dad did that to you?!"
"Yes. When I refused to leave mom. He did it in front of her and she couldn't do anything. I mean she's not even allowed to speak."
"What happened to him?"
"Nicola asked him to leave."
"Who's Nicola?"
"Mom's nurse. She's really nice. She got me some ice to hold on my face and then she went and got me some juice."
"Does she know I'm here?"
"Yeah, I told her." She saw David's face change. "I'm sorry but she thought that you had run or something and I didn't want her thinking that!"
"Oh, ok." David hung his head.
"She doesn't understand why you are here. She doesn't understand why you were charged."
"Because of Roderick."
"Who?"
"Nobody, but if you tell your mom she will understand."
"I hate it when adults do that."
"Sorry Lauren, even if you did know you wouldn't be able to do anything anyway. Neither will your mom really, but she does have some power with this sort of thing."
"Whatever." Lauren became silent.
"So when are you getting out dad?" It was David's turn to be silent, and he turned away from them. "Dad?"
"I don't know son. I honestly don't know."
"Maybe we should tell the newspapers. You know that you have been locked up when you haven't done anything."
"That wouldn't work, they already printed that I was guilty and happened to get away on a technicality.
"But it would sell papers, I mean they change their view on things all the time."
"I suppose. But don't. Eventually they will get hold of the story anyway, I don't want you two to be involved in this. Ok?"
"Fine."
"Promise."
"Fine we promise."
"Cross fingers, legs, toes or any other limb do not count."
"Fine."
"Ok. Well how is everyone else?"
"They are ok. Especially now mom is awake. They were pretty stressed before."
"I can imagine."
"Uncle Peter is stressed at you saying it is your fault. That a whole load of bad stuff has happened since she's been going out with you."
"Well I can't help that Lauren but most of it is a coincidence. I mean Stu had nothing to do with me."
"What about Stu?"
"Shit.... just about that whole thing and everything else. But it is not because of me or anyone else other than the bad people who want to hurt your mom and me."
"Ok, whatever."
Gillian walked in to Amy's room and saw her staring at nothing in particular, but looking extremely tensed as if she had a tough decision to make.
"Amy, are you ok?" She gently touched her hand.
Amy slowly turned to her, but her eyes were glassy with emotion. "I can't read the letter."
"What letter?"
"The letter from David."
Gillian paused, looking at the clutched letter in Amy's hand. "Do you want me to read it to you?"
"Thank you Gillian." Amy replied quietly, and with difficulty turned her head away as she held out the letter.
"Ok, here goes:
Dear my love,
As I sit alone, I remember all those beautiful moments we spent together....
I miss the soft touch of your hand....
I miss spending hours with you - doing nothing - yet loving it....
And I'm waiting till we can meet again....
Because I believe our love is forever
And neither time nor distance
Can take you away from me!
I miss you!
I will love you for now and for always - remember that!
D xxx"
Amy burst into tears. "I, I...."
"Amy what's wrong?" Gillian full of concern squeezed her hand.
"Gillian I can't do this any more."
"Do what anymore?" Amy was silent, trying desperately to control her sobs. But Gillian could see her lip trembling, as she bit it in an effort of control. "You don't have to tell me Amy, but you have to tell someone.... this is eating you up inside. You need to.... I don't know, but you need to get help for all that has happened to you. You didn't speak to anybody about what happened to you, you need to get it out of your system, or it could make you ill. Please, for Lauren's sake." She closed her eyes and waited for Amy to respond.
"I can't do this any more. I can't keep getting hurt. I can't keep my.... my secret any more."
"What secret?"
Amy paused and blinked back the tears in her eyes. "I keep getting flashbacks."
"Flashbacks? Of what?"
"Of when Stu.... had me...." Tears rolled down her cheeks and Amy stopped trying to control them and sobbed freely.
"Oh Amy I'm so sorry...."
"No Gillian you don't understand. I don't see.... I don't see Stu doing those things, I see D, D, David."
