**Chapter 5**

***Aria's POV***

They didn't understand at first when I asked for a female nurse and doctor. Not until they saw the bruises on my hips and the fingernail marks. I cried when they asked me if he had raped me. They got the test and collected evidence from my body. The nurse was shocked when she asked how long ago he had raped me and I said earlier tonight. They didn't let my parents in until they had cataloged all of my injuries. My mother cried when she held me, I wrapped my arms around her telling her that I was okay, that I was back and everything would be okay now. She cried more when she said that she should be the one comforting me. My father cried when he saw the bruising on my neck, the handprints that were visible on my skin.

Mike stopped by for a few minutes, but he wanted to go see Mona and I understood that. He leaned in to give me a hug and I flinched. He looked at me shocked before I pulled him in for a hug. My mom stayed in the hospital room with me overnight, they tried telling her to go home but she said she wasn't leaving me again.

I went to see the girls in the morning, pushing down the guilt I felt at looking at them. They wouldn't forgive me for what I did to them and I knew it. We sat around Spencer's bed, each with our IVs hooked up.

"I heard them talking in my ambulance about finding all sorts of journals at the Campbell farm where he ditched the van." Hanna said.

"So we're saying that Andrew Campbell and Charles DiLaurentis are the same person." Emily verified.

"It's not theory, it's reality." I declared, unable to think it could be anyone else but Andrew. Because if Andrew wasn't Charles then that meant that Charles was still out there. That he could still come for me in the night.

"Well, reality has been through a lot." Spencer returned.

"It has to be Andrew, he's the only one that makes sense. All those times on the edge of things. Always there." The way he watched me, the way that he kissed me. I couldn't voice those things, they would ask why it was important. " It makes me sick just thinking about it."

"So what do we do about it then? When do we go to the police?" Emily questioned.

"We don't." Spencer shot down immediately. "When they get him they'll know."

I nodded in understanding. Andrew had to be Charles. He just had to be. I started shaking when I realized what it would mean if he wasn't. I took a deep breath, Andrew was Charles and they would catch him. We sat there in silence for a little while, until a nurse came by.

"Miss Montgomery, there you are." The nurse said, when she spotted me sitting there. "We need to switch out your IV and get your prescriptions."

I nodded, grabbing the IV stand and moving slowly over towards the door. I was still shaky on my feet, my muscles weak from weeks of limited use. She walked me back to my hospital room and grabbed the fresh IV that was sitting beside the bed. She switched out the bags and then sat down with me, a list of prescriptions in her hands. We slowly went over everything, when to take everything and how many. She brought my discharge papers and I signed them. My mom was waiting outside the room and brought in fresh clothes for me, as the clothes I wore when they found me had been taken for evidence. I slipped the clothes on, happy to be in my own clothes again. I felt victory when I pulled on my underwear. It never felt so good to have clothes.

We drove home in silence, the windows rolled down even though it made the cold I was feeling worse. I needed the fresh air. She took me upstairs and settled my things while I laid out the prescriptions. She watched me for a moment and I could feel her gaze on me.

"There's a lot of those." She commented.

"Yeah, they're mostly antibiotics, supplements, and something to make me feel less anxious." I replied before giving her a smile. "Can't imagine why I'd need that."

She didn't laugh.

"Too soon for sarcasm?"

"Not where I'm from." She returned, putting her arm around me.

My muscles tensed when she touched me, I felt tears burn at my eyes at the fact that my mother's touch sent terror through me.

"I'm gonna stay for a few nights."

"I think I'd like that." I informed her, squeezing her hand.

"Your dad is handling the police, we talked to the other parents and we've agreed no one needs to talk to the police until you're ready."

I turned from her suddenly alert. "I'm ready. I'll go today. He'll never hurt anyone again. I will make sure of it."

"Not today." She said, shooting it down immediately. I could feel the worry radiating off of her, that I wasn't okay. Truthfully I wasn't, but I needed him to be locked up. I don't know if I could rest with him out on the loose and it was the only thing that I could do to make sure the others were safe. I needed to make it up to them that I had hurt them all. I closed my eyes at the memory of flipping every switch. Of writing down in my little notebook by the bed how many times I flipped the switch on every friend and what punishment I bestowed on them that day.

She squeezed back before heading downstairs to take care of some things, as soon as she left the room I moved over towards the window, needing to feel the fresh air again. The walls were closing in, but when I opened the window I could feel the tension in my chest easing. The guilt still burned heavily in my chest, but I would make sure that he spent the rest of his life behind bars, that he would never hurt anyone ever again. I would kill him if I had to, but they would be safe. I breathed out, knowing that if I killed him I would go to prison. But it would be worth it, to keep them safe. I owed them that. My hands started shaking and I thought about taking my anti-anxiety medication now. But I didn't want to go to sleep, not without someone here to protect me. Sleep scared me, he always came when I was asleep. My trembling hand went to my throat pressing gently against the bruising that was still apparent. No one had asked why there were more marks visible on me than the other girls. I think the others were afraid to ask where they had come from. But it comforted me, that they were only on me. That the others hadn't faced the same nightly terrors. I could take the pain so they were protected.

My mom came up the stairs and saw me over at the window, I could tell she was still freaked out that I might disappear and she quickly came over to try and close the window.

"Please don't." I pleaded and she stopped to look at me. She must have seen the tears in my eyes because she retracted her hands from the window and instead pulled me in for a hug instead. I relaxed in her arms, feeling safe there.

"What do you want for dinner?" she asked when she pulled back.

"Salad maybe with beets?" I requested, knowing that I needed protein but would not come near any meat no matter how much they said I needed it.

"Are you sure you don't want any meat, maybe chicken?" she questioned, looking over me.

I shook my head vigorously. The doctors must have told her that I was malnourished and needed to eat a healthy diet because I could see the skepticism in her eyes. The memory of choking down uncooked steak brought bile to my throat, and I swallowed against the nausea pushing back the disgusting taste in my mind.

"No meat, please."

"How about we order from that little café just outside of town, the one with the spinach and arugula salad with beets and walnuts? And maybe some mashed potatoes too?"

"That sounds wonderful."

"Great, we'll send your brother to get it."

I smiled at her before she left the room, going to find Mike and give him the order along with enough money to pay for it. But as soon as she was gone my smile slipped away and I went back to the window, breathing in the fresh air. Tomorrow I would go down to the police station and see if they needed anything from me to cement the case against Andrew. I would make sure my friends were safe, and maybe someday when I was sure nothing would hurt them again I would tell them what I had done.

**End Chapter**