Rylan steadfastly refused to leave her room for three days. By the fourth
day, she couldn't convince herself she was better off in solitary.
"Get up," Julie said opening her door Thursday morning. "You want to eat, you'd better get moving."
"Okay," Rylan answered sitting up.
"Oh, looks like someone has finally accepted her reality," Julie smiled devilishly. "Get dressed." She handed Rylan some clothes. "The door's unlocked. Brush your hair before you come to the table."
After running a comb through her unwashed hair, Rylan got a good look at herself in the mirror. If there was any way to hide the dark circles under her eyes she would look like an extra from Saved by the Bell. The clothes Julie had given her were nothing like what she usually wore. Instead of jeans and a t-shirt with dirty sneakers she usually wore, she was in a jean skirt complete with very Carol Sever like ruffles and a pink sweater with matching pink socks and clean white keds. The only thing pink Rylan owned at the MacLeod's was the formal Tessa had gotten her, but even that was more her than what she was stuck in now. Deep down, Rylan actually liked the dress. Deciding it was a fair price to pay to be able to eat she put on her bravest face and went into the kitchen. The kids were once again at a friend's house. At least Julie wasn't tormenting her in front of the children.
"Couldn't you do anything with your hair?" Julie demanded, looking at the greasy ponytail.
"It's too dirty," Rylan answered. "And I didn't think I had time to take a shower before breakfast."
"Very well." Julie seemed to accept the excuse. "Sit down and eat."
Rylan sat at her usual spot and helped herself to two pieces of toast and half an orange to begin with. Once she finished, she started piling bacon and scrambled eggs on her plate. Forgetting her manners in favor of remembering how hungry she was she began stuffing as much as she could into her mouth. Once she had finished she began to reach for more, but Julie stopped her.
"Now, Rylan don't you think you've had enough?"
"But I'm starving," she protested.
"You don't want to get fat, do you?"
"Get fat?" Rylan repeated indignantly. "I haven't eaten for three days and you're warning me not to get fat!?"
"I'm saying you're well on your way. You're a size eight going on ten."
"And? I look just fine!" Rylan defended.
"You're getting to be a chunk," Julie answered, taking Rylan's plate.
"Am not! I happen to be in great shape!" Rylan retorted taking a handful of whatever she could get from the plate.
"A girl your size should be skinnier."
"I'm not fat!" Rylan yelled.
"Not yet, but you're on your way."
"Your genetics," she spat. "And just for the record, I'm in better shape now than you could ever hope to be." Rylan turned and ran from the kitchen, dropping her handful of eggs in the doorway.
She ran down the hall and out the back door. The fenced in backyard had toys scattered around it that she dodged and jumped over. She made her way to the back gate and yanked on it. It was locked. She had so carefully planned her escape and the gate was locked. She yanked uselessly a couple times and then saw Julie coming up behind her. She turned and ran across the yard hoping to gain some distance and climbed the seven foot wooden fence as fast as she could. She dropped into the neighbor's yard.
"Whoa, who are you?" a man around Duncan's apparent age asked.
"You have to get me outta here!" Rylan begged.
"Jordan!" Julie called over the fence. "Don't let her get away! That's my daughter!"
Rylan made a panicked squeak and turned to run again, but Jordan grabbed her around the middle. While Rylan's claim of physical superiority over Julie was valid, she couldn't break free of the neighbor's grip.
"You don't understand!" Rylan insisted, desperately kicking and squirming. "She abus.."
"Rylan, darling!" Julie said over Rylan's near claim of abuse. "We've talked about this before," she said in a soothing tone. "You need to stay in your room."
"But!" Rylan protested.
"Jordan, can I impose on you to help me get her back into her room?" Julie asked.
"No! Please mister, you can't; you have to let me go!"
"Rylan, it's not nice to yell at people," Julie continued in her soothing tone. "Let's get you settled and then Mommy will call the doctor? Would you like to see the doctor?"
"No! Look.she's crazy she locks me in my room and doesn't let me out!" Rylan insisted.
"That's because you don't behave. The doctor said when you can behave better you can have more freedom," Julie explained. Then she turned to Jordan who had been dragging a still struggling Rylan toward the house. "She's a little neurotic, she ran away to a cult."
"No, I didn't!" Rylan protested.
"She's been brainwashed."
"No I haven't!"
"And she constantly tries to run away; she thinks everyone is out to get here except the people responsible for making her this way. The doctor's want to put her in a hospital, but I just can't bare to see her like that."
"She's lying!"
"Now, Rylan, that is quite enough!" Julie scolded as if Rylan were a three- year-old. "You need to stay quiet."
"No! Hhhelllpppmmmhhh!" Julie clamped her hand over Rylan's mouth.
"Jordan, I am so sorry," she apologized. "I guess she's been hiding her medication."
They went the rest of the way Rylan pinned to Jordan's chest with Julie's hand covering her mouth smothering her screams for help. Despite Rylan's struggles they made it up the stairs and into her prison.
"Let's try to get her to lie down," Julie suggested. "Now, Rylan, can you promise Mommy to be a good girl and take a nap?"
"NO!" Rylan barked still trying to twist out of Jordan's grip.
"Rylan, you can be a good girl, can't you? Just stay on your bed and I'll go call the doctor."
"What doctor?" Rylan demanded. "I don't need any doctor; I want to go home!"
"Now if you don't behave the doctor is going to take you to the hospital, and if they take you there they're going to have to restrain you."
"That's not a bad idea, Julie," Jordan panted. Keeping a hold on the writhing teen was a difficult task. "Maybe you could find something to tie her down with."
"I'm not tying up my baby!" Julie protested.
"It's the only way to keep her safe. If she keeps this up, she's going to hurt somebody."
Julie looked at Rylan in what the girl knew was fake pity. "You're right; I'll find something that won't hurt her. I'll be back really quick. Now, Rylan, will you behave and show Jordan what a good girl you are?"
Rylan went silent until she figured Julie was out of earshot. "Please, you have to let me go. She's horrible. You don't understand. All that stuff she said was a lie; I'm not neurotic, I'm not paranoid, I'm a prisoner. Please, you have to help me get out," Rylan begged.
"That's not very nice to say," Jordan said using the same soothing tone Julie was using. "Your mom is just trying to help."
"No, she's not. She keeps me locked up in here like some convict. All you're doing is helping her. I have friends I can call. They'll be here in ten minutes. They'll back me up. Please just take me to your house and let me call them." Rylan stopped struggling and stood in Jordan's arms trying to be as calm as she could. "Please."
"You're not going to run?" Jordan asked loosening his hold a little.
"No, I swear."
"Okay, then you sit right here with me and we'll talk all this out. Can we do that?"
Rylan nodded. Jordan released her and sat on the bed. She looked at him for a brief moment then bolted for the door. Not three steps down the hall she ran into Julie.
"Where do you think you're going?" Julie asked sweetly with an evil grin taking her by the arm.
"I'm sorry, Julie, she got away from me," Jordan apologized taking Rylan back into her room and laying her on the bed.
"Please, don't!" Rylan begged as Jordan held her still so Julie could tie her hands. She took a nice silk scarf and wrapped it around one of Rylan's wrists and tied it tightly to the metal headboard then repeated the process with the other. She used a wool scarf to tie her ankles together then to the footboard.
"That should do it," she said. "Rylan, you just hold still so you don't hurt yourself while I thank Jordan for helping us. Then I'll call the doctor and give you your medicine."
"Don't leave me!" Rylan begged.
"I'm not leaving; I'll be right back," Julie assured her closing the door.
Rylan immediately began to pull at the bonds hoping Julie didn't know what she was doing. Unfortunately, it seemed she did. A few minutes later Julie was back in her room glaring so hard Rylan was sure this was where to term 'if looks could kill' originated. Julie stocked across the room and slapped Rylan five times in the face before saying a word.
"All you had to do was cooperate, and then I wouldn't have had to do this to you."
"You would have found a reason," Rylan sneered.
"Probably. Now, let me tell you how the rest of this is going to work out," Julie said moving to make sure the blinds and drapes prevented anyone from seeing into the room. "You are going to be quiet as a mouse. I'm going to tell the kids you are sick, so they won't be bothering you."
"If you think I'm just gonna just stay here and be quiet, you've got another thing coming," Rylan assure her.
"I was hoping you'd say that," Julie smiled. "You stay put." She left the room. Rylan stared after her wondering what torture she had inflicted upon herself. Julie returned a minute later with another silk scarf. This one was long enough to be wrapped over Rylan's mouth several times before being tied tightly behind her head. "You know," Julie told her. "If you weren't going to make me a whole lot of money, I'd let you stay at MacLeod's. But you're so selfish I don't think you deserve what's coming to you." With that she left the room and locked the door behind her.
Rylan screamed into her gag as loudly as she could. She could barely hear herself.
. . . . . .
Julie came back two days later with a bowl of soup. By that time Rylan was so hungry and so thirsty that she would have promised anything to have some. Julie united the gag after making Rylan promise not to make a sound and fed her the soup.
"Do you have anything you want to quietly say to me?" she asked putting the empty bowl on the dresser.
"Please let me go," Rylan whispered. "Duncan and Tessa will give you whatever you want; I know they will. Just please let me go."
"That's a good idea. ransom. But I'm sure I'll make more this way."
"Please?" Rylan begged.
"I'll make a deal with you. You stay in here and don't give me any trouble; I'll let you out when Brad gets home. And if you tell the judge that you want to live with me, then you may see the MacLeods as often as you like."
Rylan thought it over. "Why can't I just go stay with them?" she whispered on the verge of tears.
"Because I need what only you can give me."
"Can't I give it to you if I'm with them?"
"You would find a way to keep it from me," Julie assured her. "I know how your corrupt little mind works. Now will you behave?"
"Will you untie me?"
"If you earn the freedom."
"What do I have to do?"
"Promise me that you will behave, then demonstrate that you can."
"I promise," Rylan said sincerely.
"Good. You may start with one day of staying silent. Starting now. I'll bring you dinner later." Julie got up and walked out of the room, locking to door behind her.
Rylan almost called after her, but thought better of it. This was the first step to getting that lock off the door. And once that was gone, she could escape without anyone knowing it.
. . . . . .
Over the next week, Rylan did everything she was told. After two days of complete gag-less silence her feet were untied. Julie never did bring Rylan any of the promised food. But, on the off chance that it was a test of Rylan's newly bribed loyalty, Rylan didn't say a word about it. Two more days and her hands were untied but she wasn't allowed off the bed. It didn't matter though; she was too weak to do much more than breathe. Just when Rylan thought she was going to die a pathetic looser something wonderful happened. Brad came home early from his trip. She heard him come though the front door and greet Mika and Tamara then Julie. She could hear voices talking but couldn't make out what they were saying until they started coming up the stairs.
"She's very ill," Julie was insisting. "You really shouldn't go in there."
"Nonsense. I want to at least say hi to the poor little thing," Brad told her.
Rylan could tell by their tones that Julie did not want Brad to see what she had done. The handle on the door rattled for a second. Then Brad's confused voice asked, "Since when does this door have a lock?"
"Um. the kids kept bothering her, so I locked the door," Julie hastily explained.
"Brad!" Rylan croaked out. Her voice was scratchy due to lack of moisture and use. "Help me!"
"What's going on in there?" Brad demanded, trying the door again.
"She's delusional!" Julie insisted.
"Brad!"
"I'm coming, Rylan!" Brad called through the door. "If you don't open this door right now, so help me." he warned Julie. The key turned in the lock and Brad burst in. Rylan was lying in the wet and stained bedsheets, breathing heavily. "What the hell happened in here?" Brad demanded.
"Julie," Rylan whispered.
"See? She's making things up!" Julie incriminated.
"She needs to go to the hospital," Brad said scooping Rylan into his arms. "Mika, Tamara!" he called. "Get in the car; we're going on a trip." The children took one look at Rylan's slender body in Brad's arms and quietly walked to the car. Brad gently put Rylan in the back seat and then buckled the kids into the front bench seat. Without so much as a glance at Julie, Brad put the car in gear and drove away.
He first took Rylan to the hospital and after a quick examination, the doctors had her admitted for malnutrition and dehydration. While they finished examining her, he took the kids to Nanna's and told her to phone the MacLeods to meet him at the St. Mary's Children's Hospital. As soon as he had left for the hospital, Monica Fisher called the MacLeods. Duncan and Tessa were horrified at what Rylan's grandmother had told them. As soon as they closed down the shop and had gathered up Richie, they drove to the hospital where Rylan had been admitted.
They parked Duncan's T-Bird and rushed in the doors, almost running into Brad. Duncan was the first to gain enough presence of mind to speak. "Where's Rylan? Is she okay?"
Taking a deep breath, Brad began to tell them how he had found Rylan. "Unfortunately, they haven't told me anything. The nurses keep on telling me to wait and that the doctor will be out soon." It was just as he finished speaking that Rylan's doctor came out into the waiting room.
"Is there anyone here waiting for Rylan Fisher?" Richie, Tessa, Brad and Duncan all quickly approached the man, demanding answers.
"Get up," Julie said opening her door Thursday morning. "You want to eat, you'd better get moving."
"Okay," Rylan answered sitting up.
"Oh, looks like someone has finally accepted her reality," Julie smiled devilishly. "Get dressed." She handed Rylan some clothes. "The door's unlocked. Brush your hair before you come to the table."
After running a comb through her unwashed hair, Rylan got a good look at herself in the mirror. If there was any way to hide the dark circles under her eyes she would look like an extra from Saved by the Bell. The clothes Julie had given her were nothing like what she usually wore. Instead of jeans and a t-shirt with dirty sneakers she usually wore, she was in a jean skirt complete with very Carol Sever like ruffles and a pink sweater with matching pink socks and clean white keds. The only thing pink Rylan owned at the MacLeod's was the formal Tessa had gotten her, but even that was more her than what she was stuck in now. Deep down, Rylan actually liked the dress. Deciding it was a fair price to pay to be able to eat she put on her bravest face and went into the kitchen. The kids were once again at a friend's house. At least Julie wasn't tormenting her in front of the children.
"Couldn't you do anything with your hair?" Julie demanded, looking at the greasy ponytail.
"It's too dirty," Rylan answered. "And I didn't think I had time to take a shower before breakfast."
"Very well." Julie seemed to accept the excuse. "Sit down and eat."
Rylan sat at her usual spot and helped herself to two pieces of toast and half an orange to begin with. Once she finished, she started piling bacon and scrambled eggs on her plate. Forgetting her manners in favor of remembering how hungry she was she began stuffing as much as she could into her mouth. Once she had finished she began to reach for more, but Julie stopped her.
"Now, Rylan don't you think you've had enough?"
"But I'm starving," she protested.
"You don't want to get fat, do you?"
"Get fat?" Rylan repeated indignantly. "I haven't eaten for three days and you're warning me not to get fat!?"
"I'm saying you're well on your way. You're a size eight going on ten."
"And? I look just fine!" Rylan defended.
"You're getting to be a chunk," Julie answered, taking Rylan's plate.
"Am not! I happen to be in great shape!" Rylan retorted taking a handful of whatever she could get from the plate.
"A girl your size should be skinnier."
"I'm not fat!" Rylan yelled.
"Not yet, but you're on your way."
"Your genetics," she spat. "And just for the record, I'm in better shape now than you could ever hope to be." Rylan turned and ran from the kitchen, dropping her handful of eggs in the doorway.
She ran down the hall and out the back door. The fenced in backyard had toys scattered around it that she dodged and jumped over. She made her way to the back gate and yanked on it. It was locked. She had so carefully planned her escape and the gate was locked. She yanked uselessly a couple times and then saw Julie coming up behind her. She turned and ran across the yard hoping to gain some distance and climbed the seven foot wooden fence as fast as she could. She dropped into the neighbor's yard.
"Whoa, who are you?" a man around Duncan's apparent age asked.
"You have to get me outta here!" Rylan begged.
"Jordan!" Julie called over the fence. "Don't let her get away! That's my daughter!"
Rylan made a panicked squeak and turned to run again, but Jordan grabbed her around the middle. While Rylan's claim of physical superiority over Julie was valid, she couldn't break free of the neighbor's grip.
"You don't understand!" Rylan insisted, desperately kicking and squirming. "She abus.."
"Rylan, darling!" Julie said over Rylan's near claim of abuse. "We've talked about this before," she said in a soothing tone. "You need to stay in your room."
"But!" Rylan protested.
"Jordan, can I impose on you to help me get her back into her room?" Julie asked.
"No! Please mister, you can't; you have to let me go!"
"Rylan, it's not nice to yell at people," Julie continued in her soothing tone. "Let's get you settled and then Mommy will call the doctor? Would you like to see the doctor?"
"No! Look.she's crazy she locks me in my room and doesn't let me out!" Rylan insisted.
"That's because you don't behave. The doctor said when you can behave better you can have more freedom," Julie explained. Then she turned to Jordan who had been dragging a still struggling Rylan toward the house. "She's a little neurotic, she ran away to a cult."
"No, I didn't!" Rylan protested.
"She's been brainwashed."
"No I haven't!"
"And she constantly tries to run away; she thinks everyone is out to get here except the people responsible for making her this way. The doctor's want to put her in a hospital, but I just can't bare to see her like that."
"She's lying!"
"Now, Rylan, that is quite enough!" Julie scolded as if Rylan were a three- year-old. "You need to stay quiet."
"No! Hhhelllpppmmmhhh!" Julie clamped her hand over Rylan's mouth.
"Jordan, I am so sorry," she apologized. "I guess she's been hiding her medication."
They went the rest of the way Rylan pinned to Jordan's chest with Julie's hand covering her mouth smothering her screams for help. Despite Rylan's struggles they made it up the stairs and into her prison.
"Let's try to get her to lie down," Julie suggested. "Now, Rylan, can you promise Mommy to be a good girl and take a nap?"
"NO!" Rylan barked still trying to twist out of Jordan's grip.
"Rylan, you can be a good girl, can't you? Just stay on your bed and I'll go call the doctor."
"What doctor?" Rylan demanded. "I don't need any doctor; I want to go home!"
"Now if you don't behave the doctor is going to take you to the hospital, and if they take you there they're going to have to restrain you."
"That's not a bad idea, Julie," Jordan panted. Keeping a hold on the writhing teen was a difficult task. "Maybe you could find something to tie her down with."
"I'm not tying up my baby!" Julie protested.
"It's the only way to keep her safe. If she keeps this up, she's going to hurt somebody."
Julie looked at Rylan in what the girl knew was fake pity. "You're right; I'll find something that won't hurt her. I'll be back really quick. Now, Rylan, will you behave and show Jordan what a good girl you are?"
Rylan went silent until she figured Julie was out of earshot. "Please, you have to let me go. She's horrible. You don't understand. All that stuff she said was a lie; I'm not neurotic, I'm not paranoid, I'm a prisoner. Please, you have to help me get out," Rylan begged.
"That's not very nice to say," Jordan said using the same soothing tone Julie was using. "Your mom is just trying to help."
"No, she's not. She keeps me locked up in here like some convict. All you're doing is helping her. I have friends I can call. They'll be here in ten minutes. They'll back me up. Please just take me to your house and let me call them." Rylan stopped struggling and stood in Jordan's arms trying to be as calm as she could. "Please."
"You're not going to run?" Jordan asked loosening his hold a little.
"No, I swear."
"Okay, then you sit right here with me and we'll talk all this out. Can we do that?"
Rylan nodded. Jordan released her and sat on the bed. She looked at him for a brief moment then bolted for the door. Not three steps down the hall she ran into Julie.
"Where do you think you're going?" Julie asked sweetly with an evil grin taking her by the arm.
"I'm sorry, Julie, she got away from me," Jordan apologized taking Rylan back into her room and laying her on the bed.
"Please, don't!" Rylan begged as Jordan held her still so Julie could tie her hands. She took a nice silk scarf and wrapped it around one of Rylan's wrists and tied it tightly to the metal headboard then repeated the process with the other. She used a wool scarf to tie her ankles together then to the footboard.
"That should do it," she said. "Rylan, you just hold still so you don't hurt yourself while I thank Jordan for helping us. Then I'll call the doctor and give you your medicine."
"Don't leave me!" Rylan begged.
"I'm not leaving; I'll be right back," Julie assured her closing the door.
Rylan immediately began to pull at the bonds hoping Julie didn't know what she was doing. Unfortunately, it seemed she did. A few minutes later Julie was back in her room glaring so hard Rylan was sure this was where to term 'if looks could kill' originated. Julie stocked across the room and slapped Rylan five times in the face before saying a word.
"All you had to do was cooperate, and then I wouldn't have had to do this to you."
"You would have found a reason," Rylan sneered.
"Probably. Now, let me tell you how the rest of this is going to work out," Julie said moving to make sure the blinds and drapes prevented anyone from seeing into the room. "You are going to be quiet as a mouse. I'm going to tell the kids you are sick, so they won't be bothering you."
"If you think I'm just gonna just stay here and be quiet, you've got another thing coming," Rylan assure her.
"I was hoping you'd say that," Julie smiled. "You stay put." She left the room. Rylan stared after her wondering what torture she had inflicted upon herself. Julie returned a minute later with another silk scarf. This one was long enough to be wrapped over Rylan's mouth several times before being tied tightly behind her head. "You know," Julie told her. "If you weren't going to make me a whole lot of money, I'd let you stay at MacLeod's. But you're so selfish I don't think you deserve what's coming to you." With that she left the room and locked the door behind her.
Rylan screamed into her gag as loudly as she could. She could barely hear herself.
. . . . . .
Julie came back two days later with a bowl of soup. By that time Rylan was so hungry and so thirsty that she would have promised anything to have some. Julie united the gag after making Rylan promise not to make a sound and fed her the soup.
"Do you have anything you want to quietly say to me?" she asked putting the empty bowl on the dresser.
"Please let me go," Rylan whispered. "Duncan and Tessa will give you whatever you want; I know they will. Just please let me go."
"That's a good idea. ransom. But I'm sure I'll make more this way."
"Please?" Rylan begged.
"I'll make a deal with you. You stay in here and don't give me any trouble; I'll let you out when Brad gets home. And if you tell the judge that you want to live with me, then you may see the MacLeods as often as you like."
Rylan thought it over. "Why can't I just go stay with them?" she whispered on the verge of tears.
"Because I need what only you can give me."
"Can't I give it to you if I'm with them?"
"You would find a way to keep it from me," Julie assured her. "I know how your corrupt little mind works. Now will you behave?"
"Will you untie me?"
"If you earn the freedom."
"What do I have to do?"
"Promise me that you will behave, then demonstrate that you can."
"I promise," Rylan said sincerely.
"Good. You may start with one day of staying silent. Starting now. I'll bring you dinner later." Julie got up and walked out of the room, locking to door behind her.
Rylan almost called after her, but thought better of it. This was the first step to getting that lock off the door. And once that was gone, she could escape without anyone knowing it.
. . . . . .
Over the next week, Rylan did everything she was told. After two days of complete gag-less silence her feet were untied. Julie never did bring Rylan any of the promised food. But, on the off chance that it was a test of Rylan's newly bribed loyalty, Rylan didn't say a word about it. Two more days and her hands were untied but she wasn't allowed off the bed. It didn't matter though; she was too weak to do much more than breathe. Just when Rylan thought she was going to die a pathetic looser something wonderful happened. Brad came home early from his trip. She heard him come though the front door and greet Mika and Tamara then Julie. She could hear voices talking but couldn't make out what they were saying until they started coming up the stairs.
"She's very ill," Julie was insisting. "You really shouldn't go in there."
"Nonsense. I want to at least say hi to the poor little thing," Brad told her.
Rylan could tell by their tones that Julie did not want Brad to see what she had done. The handle on the door rattled for a second. Then Brad's confused voice asked, "Since when does this door have a lock?"
"Um. the kids kept bothering her, so I locked the door," Julie hastily explained.
"Brad!" Rylan croaked out. Her voice was scratchy due to lack of moisture and use. "Help me!"
"What's going on in there?" Brad demanded, trying the door again.
"She's delusional!" Julie insisted.
"Brad!"
"I'm coming, Rylan!" Brad called through the door. "If you don't open this door right now, so help me." he warned Julie. The key turned in the lock and Brad burst in. Rylan was lying in the wet and stained bedsheets, breathing heavily. "What the hell happened in here?" Brad demanded.
"Julie," Rylan whispered.
"See? She's making things up!" Julie incriminated.
"She needs to go to the hospital," Brad said scooping Rylan into his arms. "Mika, Tamara!" he called. "Get in the car; we're going on a trip." The children took one look at Rylan's slender body in Brad's arms and quietly walked to the car. Brad gently put Rylan in the back seat and then buckled the kids into the front bench seat. Without so much as a glance at Julie, Brad put the car in gear and drove away.
He first took Rylan to the hospital and after a quick examination, the doctors had her admitted for malnutrition and dehydration. While they finished examining her, he took the kids to Nanna's and told her to phone the MacLeods to meet him at the St. Mary's Children's Hospital. As soon as he had left for the hospital, Monica Fisher called the MacLeods. Duncan and Tessa were horrified at what Rylan's grandmother had told them. As soon as they closed down the shop and had gathered up Richie, they drove to the hospital where Rylan had been admitted.
They parked Duncan's T-Bird and rushed in the doors, almost running into Brad. Duncan was the first to gain enough presence of mind to speak. "Where's Rylan? Is she okay?"
Taking a deep breath, Brad began to tell them how he had found Rylan. "Unfortunately, they haven't told me anything. The nurses keep on telling me to wait and that the doctor will be out soon." It was just as he finished speaking that Rylan's doctor came out into the waiting room.
"Is there anyone here waiting for Rylan Fisher?" Richie, Tessa, Brad and Duncan all quickly approached the man, demanding answers.