The police car had patrolled around the whole of Summer Bay several times with no luck. It was after midnight, around 2am. Jade and Kirsty had both fallen asleep, it had been an eventful night. Brodie, Rhys and Shelly, however, could not bring themselves to sleep. The parents had told Brodie to go to bed and that they'd let her know what was going on but she didn't want to, she couldn't.
The cups of coffee flowed but the sandwiches and snacks lay untouched. No one could eat, it was so unlike Dani to stay out all night. Even if she was really angry and hurt, she would let her family know that she was ok. That meant only one thing, she couldn't come home. She was hurt or even worse - she was dead. These were the thoughts on everyone's minds.
The police officers believed that the Sutherlands were blowing things out of proportion. They didn't know about all the mess that had went on with Dani, no one could tell them but they'd been informed that Dani had been through a particularly rough time. They thought she was just a typical teenager, staying at a friend's house. They'd been round The Palace and to some of Dani's friends from school but no one had seen her.
It was getting lighter and earlier and still no word.
*****
At 6.30am, Scott set out for his morning run. He'd taken to running along the beach every morning since he'd had all the trouble with his mum. It'd been a year now but her memory was still raw in her mind. In the hospital bed, he saw her every day, begging him to stay strong and be good for his sister and brother. Her face was bruised and stitched up. He could never forgive the man who had mown her down. The man who had knocked her over then just left. He hadn't even gotten out of his truck to check on her or call an ambulance, he didn't care.
No, it was wrong to think like that. There was no point in being bitter, his mother was gone and she would never return. He would never again share something with his mum, just like his sister, Kit, and brother, Leo, would never either. He was responsible for them now but he'd let them go wild. Kit had turned to alcohol and was rarely sober. Leo was never home. Scott, himself, had lost control of his life. Before his mother's death, he had a beautiful girlfriend who he loved, Katie. She'd left when he'd started getting moody and didn't have any time for her anymore.
Scott went running every morning to clear his mind. That early in the morning, there was never anyone around. Occasionally, there would be another jogger but not normally. He liked it that way. He always ran far, being out hours at a time. He just had so much going on in his life that he needed some time out.
He kept running and stopped at the spot where he always stopped. It was a place where he felt he could really be himself and think. No one could see him and he couldn't see anyone else. Except from today. As he sat down, he looked to his left and his right, as he always did, to check if anyone was around. He didn't expect today to be an exception to the others when there was nobody but he was wrong.
To the right of him, behind a rock, he saw a girl. She was wet but looked like she was asleep. He moved closer. She was so still. Was she breathing? He put his middle finger and his index finger on her wrist and waited to feel a beat. It was there but it was slow and irregular. She was freezing and very pale. He didn't know who she was but he knew that she must help her. If he'd just left her, he would've been like the man who had left his mother. He didn't want to be that man.
Scott picked up the girl and held her in his arms. She wasn't heavy, she was very thin. Where to take her to? He should go to the hospital but, that place, it held so many bad memories. He didn't want to abandon her though, she really needed somebody's help and he was sure there would be somebody, somewhere missing her. He decided to take her to the Drop-in Centre. After his mum had died, he'd gone there a few times but he hadn't opened up to anyone, it was just too hard. The people there seemed nice enough though and they would take care of the girl as best they could. The Drop-in Centre it was then.
As he walked, the girl stirred. She didn't open her eyes and she didn't say anything but she moved, which couldn't be a bad sign. He got to the door of the Drop-in Centre and he considered just leaving her there because he didn't want to be hassled about his mum anymore. He couldn't do it, though. He was intrigued by this girl. He wanted to know why she had been out so all night and if she was going to be ok. He came in and was greeted by Flynn who'd eventually left the Sutherlands, deciding that being at the Drop-in Centre would keep his mind off things.
"Dani! Where did you find her?"
"She was on the beach...what did you say her name was?"
"Dani, Dani Sutherland. Her parents have been frantic all night. How could she have been on the beach? We searched there several times."
"She was really far up, no one goes there."
"Oh right, what's your name?"
"Scott, Scott Hunter."
"Right, right...I'll need to get in touch with her family."
Scott felt out of place but he didn't want to leave. He wanted to make sure that Dani was ok, he wanted to make sure that Dani got the care that his mother did not.
*****
The phone rang. Brodie jumped. She'd unintentionally drifted off to sleep. She was the only one in the room so she answered.
"Summer Bay Caravan Park."
"Brodie, is that you?"
"Yeah, who's this?"
"It's Flynn."
"Hey."
"I've got good news and bad news."
"Hit me with the good."
"Dani's safe."
"Oh my god...where is she?"
"She's here, with me."
"That's great, can I come and get her?"
"No...here comes the bad...I think she will need a hospital."
"What's happened to her? What's wrong?"
"She's been out all night, Brodie, and she's not talking or she's not even awake."
"Isn't she just asleep?"
"I don't think so, Brodie."
"Ok, well, I'm coming down anyway."
"Where's Rhys and Shelly?"
"Shelly's asleep and Rhys is away out looking for Dani again."
"Get them and then make your way to the hospital."
"Ok, thanks Flynn."
"No problem."
*****
Flynn came out from his office and saw Scott wrap a blanket around Dani.
"Mate, you can leave now if you want?"
"If you don't mind, can I come to the hospital, you know, just to check that she's ok?"
"Sure you can, I'm positive her parents will want to thank you anyway."
"Ok."
Flynn called an ambulance and fifteen minutes later, they were at the hospital. Dani was still and cold, her breathing was still irregular and she still hadn't opened her eyes or spoken. Of course, her family were glad to see her but they just wished that she wasn't like this. They'd grown to hate the hospital, just like Scott. First there was Kirsty with her drug problem, then Dani after she'd been with Josh in the caravan and now there was Dani again. Would this be the last time for Dani?
The cups of coffee flowed but the sandwiches and snacks lay untouched. No one could eat, it was so unlike Dani to stay out all night. Even if she was really angry and hurt, she would let her family know that she was ok. That meant only one thing, she couldn't come home. She was hurt or even worse - she was dead. These were the thoughts on everyone's minds.
The police officers believed that the Sutherlands were blowing things out of proportion. They didn't know about all the mess that had went on with Dani, no one could tell them but they'd been informed that Dani had been through a particularly rough time. They thought she was just a typical teenager, staying at a friend's house. They'd been round The Palace and to some of Dani's friends from school but no one had seen her.
It was getting lighter and earlier and still no word.
*****
At 6.30am, Scott set out for his morning run. He'd taken to running along the beach every morning since he'd had all the trouble with his mum. It'd been a year now but her memory was still raw in her mind. In the hospital bed, he saw her every day, begging him to stay strong and be good for his sister and brother. Her face was bruised and stitched up. He could never forgive the man who had mown her down. The man who had knocked her over then just left. He hadn't even gotten out of his truck to check on her or call an ambulance, he didn't care.
No, it was wrong to think like that. There was no point in being bitter, his mother was gone and she would never return. He would never again share something with his mum, just like his sister, Kit, and brother, Leo, would never either. He was responsible for them now but he'd let them go wild. Kit had turned to alcohol and was rarely sober. Leo was never home. Scott, himself, had lost control of his life. Before his mother's death, he had a beautiful girlfriend who he loved, Katie. She'd left when he'd started getting moody and didn't have any time for her anymore.
Scott went running every morning to clear his mind. That early in the morning, there was never anyone around. Occasionally, there would be another jogger but not normally. He liked it that way. He always ran far, being out hours at a time. He just had so much going on in his life that he needed some time out.
He kept running and stopped at the spot where he always stopped. It was a place where he felt he could really be himself and think. No one could see him and he couldn't see anyone else. Except from today. As he sat down, he looked to his left and his right, as he always did, to check if anyone was around. He didn't expect today to be an exception to the others when there was nobody but he was wrong.
To the right of him, behind a rock, he saw a girl. She was wet but looked like she was asleep. He moved closer. She was so still. Was she breathing? He put his middle finger and his index finger on her wrist and waited to feel a beat. It was there but it was slow and irregular. She was freezing and very pale. He didn't know who she was but he knew that she must help her. If he'd just left her, he would've been like the man who had left his mother. He didn't want to be that man.
Scott picked up the girl and held her in his arms. She wasn't heavy, she was very thin. Where to take her to? He should go to the hospital but, that place, it held so many bad memories. He didn't want to abandon her though, she really needed somebody's help and he was sure there would be somebody, somewhere missing her. He decided to take her to the Drop-in Centre. After his mum had died, he'd gone there a few times but he hadn't opened up to anyone, it was just too hard. The people there seemed nice enough though and they would take care of the girl as best they could. The Drop-in Centre it was then.
As he walked, the girl stirred. She didn't open her eyes and she didn't say anything but she moved, which couldn't be a bad sign. He got to the door of the Drop-in Centre and he considered just leaving her there because he didn't want to be hassled about his mum anymore. He couldn't do it, though. He was intrigued by this girl. He wanted to know why she had been out so all night and if she was going to be ok. He came in and was greeted by Flynn who'd eventually left the Sutherlands, deciding that being at the Drop-in Centre would keep his mind off things.
"Dani! Where did you find her?"
"She was on the beach...what did you say her name was?"
"Dani, Dani Sutherland. Her parents have been frantic all night. How could she have been on the beach? We searched there several times."
"She was really far up, no one goes there."
"Oh right, what's your name?"
"Scott, Scott Hunter."
"Right, right...I'll need to get in touch with her family."
Scott felt out of place but he didn't want to leave. He wanted to make sure that Dani was ok, he wanted to make sure that Dani got the care that his mother did not.
*****
The phone rang. Brodie jumped. She'd unintentionally drifted off to sleep. She was the only one in the room so she answered.
"Summer Bay Caravan Park."
"Brodie, is that you?"
"Yeah, who's this?"
"It's Flynn."
"Hey."
"I've got good news and bad news."
"Hit me with the good."
"Dani's safe."
"Oh my god...where is she?"
"She's here, with me."
"That's great, can I come and get her?"
"No...here comes the bad...I think she will need a hospital."
"What's happened to her? What's wrong?"
"She's been out all night, Brodie, and she's not talking or she's not even awake."
"Isn't she just asleep?"
"I don't think so, Brodie."
"Ok, well, I'm coming down anyway."
"Where's Rhys and Shelly?"
"Shelly's asleep and Rhys is away out looking for Dani again."
"Get them and then make your way to the hospital."
"Ok, thanks Flynn."
"No problem."
*****
Flynn came out from his office and saw Scott wrap a blanket around Dani.
"Mate, you can leave now if you want?"
"If you don't mind, can I come to the hospital, you know, just to check that she's ok?"
"Sure you can, I'm positive her parents will want to thank you anyway."
"Ok."
Flynn called an ambulance and fifteen minutes later, they were at the hospital. Dani was still and cold, her breathing was still irregular and she still hadn't opened her eyes or spoken. Of course, her family were glad to see her but they just wished that she wasn't like this. They'd grown to hate the hospital, just like Scott. First there was Kirsty with her drug problem, then Dani after she'd been with Josh in the caravan and now there was Dani again. Would this be the last time for Dani?