STRONGER
Chapter 12
Chloe sat between her mother and Aubrey, staring down at the floor while holding tightly to both their hands. Then, she heard a noise at the door and looked up. Her eyes widened in surprise when she saw the Bellas walking in.
"Chloe," Stacie called out.
"How did they find out?" Chloe mumbled as she and Aubrey stood to greet them.
"I texted them," Aubrey said. "I thought they should know."
"How is she?" Stacie asked as she reached the two co-captains.
"Right now, she's in a medically-induced coma," Chloe said. "They want to give her body a chance to heal some before they wake her up."
"How long will that be?" Cynthia Rose asked.
"The doctor said they'd try to bring her out of it in two or three days," Chloe responded.
"Hey, Mrs. Beale," Jessica said as she took the seat next to Charlotte. "Mr. Beale."
Carl gave Jessica a polite nod while still keeping an eye on Chloe.
"Hi, um, Jessica?" Charlotte said.
"Yes, that's right," Jessica said, smiling at Charlotte.
"So, what happened?" Fat Amy asked.
"We don't know," Chloe said. The girls just stared at her. "Seriously, we really don't know. The only one who knows what happened is Beca. So, until they wake her up, we're all in the dark."
"Why don't they ask your stalker what happened?" Fat Amy asked.
"He died," Aubrey said.
"Beca killed him?" Fat Amy asked.
"No, Amy, Beca did not kill him," Chloe stated, looking at the girl as she sat back down. "She hurt him, but he died from a massive heart attack while they were working on him."
"I heard some of the cops that went to the house say there was a lot of blood," Aubrey said.
"That's what Joe said, too," Chloe said. "Joe told Sarah that Daniels had a gash on his head and a stab wound in his stomach, which they believe he got while fighting with Beca. Beca and Daniels both had wounds that would have bled a lot."
"How badly hurt is Beca?" Ashley asked.
"She was stabbed twice," Chloe said. "Once in the leg and also in the back. She has a broken wrist and minor cuts and bruises. She lost a lot of bl-blood mainly from the wound in her-."
Chloe put her hand to her mouth as she tried to hold back a sob.
"It's all my fault this happened," she said, teary-eyed. "If he hadn't tried to find me, she wouldn't-"
Chloe emitted a small sob as tears fell down her cheeks. Charlotte put her arm around her; Chloe turned and cried on her mother's shoulder.
Without saying a word, Carl moved to wrap his arms around his wife and daughter.
The rest of the girls sat quietly while Chloe cried. Finally, after a few minutes, Chloe pulled herself together, and Carl released his hold. He kissed the top of Chloe's head before returning to his seat on the other side of Aubrey.
Once Carl had moved, Chloe lifted her head from her mother's shoulder and wiped her eyes.
"I'm sorry," Chloe muttered before settling back in her seat.
"It's okay, sweetie," Charlotte said, grabbing Chloe's hand.
Chloe clung to her mother's hand, taking comfort in the familiar touch.
A few minutes later, Sarah came out to the waiting area.
"Oh, I didn't know you girls were all here," Sarah said, seeing the Bellas.
"Beca's family," Cynthia Rose said. "Of course, we're here."
"I know Beca will appreciate you all being here for her," Sarah said. "But, she'll be asleep until the doctors bring her out of the coma. So, you should all go home. I promise I'll let you know when they decide to try and wake her, and you can come back then, okay?"
"I agree everyone should go home," Chloe said, standing to face Sarah and the group. " But, with your permission, Sarah, I'd like to stay for a while longer."
"So would we," said the other Bellas collectively.
Sarah looked around at each of the girls. "Beca is so lucky to have you all. Thank you for being here for her." Sarah stopped when her gaze fell on Chloe. "Chloe, I came out to stretch my legs and get a coffee. Would you want to sit with Beca for a bit?"
"I'd love that," Chloe said, hugging Sarah.
"What about the rest of us?" Fat Amy whined. "We want to see Beca, too."
"I'm sorry, Amy," Sarah said. "It's immediate family only until they bring her out of the coma. Since Chloe is Beca's girlfriend, I've given my permission for her to visit with Beca. The rest of you can see her when she's no longer in the ICU."
~Stronger~ ~Stronger~ ~Stronger~
Two days later, Chloe was sitting next to Beca's bed. She had her arms on the bed with her head resting on them, sleeping. She suddenly raised her head when she heard Beca make a sound.
"Is she in pain?" Chloe thought, looking at Beca.
She rubbed her eyes and took Beca's hand.
"I got you, Beca," Chloe said aloud, covering a yawn. "I'm here, and I got you."
A nurse walked in and greeted Chloe. She walked over and started checking the monitors hooked up to Beca.
"She was moaning a minute ago," Chloe told the nurse. "Could she be in pain?"
"Hmm," the nurse said, continuing to check the monitors. She turned to Chloe. "Her vitals are stable, so I don't think she's in pain."
"Oh," Chloe said. "Can she hear me if I talk to her?"
"I can't say for sure," the nurse replied. "But there are a lot of theories that indicate that people in comas can hear what's being said. So, in my opinion, if you want to talk to her, talk to her."
Chloe sighed. "Thanks; I want her to know that I'm here for her."
Beca made a sound that again sounded like a moan to Chloe. The nurse looked at Chloe and smiled.
"I think what you're hearing is her snoring," the nurse said. "Don't worry, it's normal. I'll be back to check on her later."
The nurse left, and Chloe took Beca's hand.
"It's okay, Beca," Chloe said, gently squeezing Beca's hand as tears sprang to her eyes. "Oh, Beca, I'm so sorry. It's all my fault you have to go through this. I love you so much, and I don't know what I would do if you hadn't survived."
Chloe wiped the tears from her eyes when she heard someone enter the room. She looked over to see Sarah standing by the door, looking at her.
"Is everything okay?" Sarah asked as she moved to take the chair next to Chloe. "Did something happen?"
"Everything's fine," Chloe said. "It sounded to me like Beca was moaning, and I was worried she was in pain. But, the nurse said she was snoring, not moaning."
Sarah chuckled lightly, causing Chloe to grin at her.
"I am so going to tease her about that when she wakes up," Chloe said.
"Dr. Anderson said her vital signs were all good, so they may try and wake her some time tomorrow," Sarah said.
"That's good," Chloe sighed. "I miss hearing her voice."
~Stronger~ ~Stronger~ ~Stronger~
The following morning, Chloe took her father to the airport because he had to return home for work. Then, she and Charlotte made their way to the hospital so Chloe could be there when Beca woke from her coma.
Chloe and Charlotte stopped inside the doorway into the ICU waiting area when they saw Ben Mitchell sitting with Sarah. Chloe crossed her arms over her chest and glared at Ben.
"Chloe," Sarah said, jumping up to meet her at the door. "He's her father."
"I know that," Chloe said.
"He heard about Beca being hurt and called me," Sarah said. "He wants to see her-"
"You don't have to explain anything to me," Chloe said. "It's as you said; he's her father."
Sarah sighed and ran a hand through her hair.
"Excuse me, Chloe," Ben said as he walked up to the three women. "I want to apologize for my behavior the last time we saw each other. I know it doesn't excuse what I did, but I was drunk."
Chloe scoffed and wouldn't look at Ben.
"I'm truly sorry," Ben said and returned to his seat.
"Um, Sarah," Charlotte said. "Do you know what time they're going to wake Beca?"
"Around ten," Sarah replied. "Chloe, I'd still like you to be in the room when they do."
"Thank you, I will," Chloe said, turning to her mother. "Mom, we should sit."
"Of course," Charlotte said.
Sarah turned to return to her seat next to Ben. Charlotte followed Sarah and sat next to her; Chloe sat next to Charlotte.
It was nearing ten, and Chloe was becoming anxious. She stood and started pacing around the room. Not knowing what to do with her hands, she shoved them into the back pocket of her jeans.
Sarah and Charlotte kept an eye on her as she went from one side of the room to the other. There was a sound from the entry, causing Chloe to stop and look over. She smiled slightly when Aubrey came rushing in and looked around before walking to Chloe.
"What did I miss?' Aubrey asked.
"Other than the fact that Beca's father is here, nothing yet," Chloe whispered. "They're going to wake her up soon."
Just then, Dr. Anderson entered the waiting area.
"Mrs. Mitchell?" Dr. Anderson called from the doorway, getting Sarah's attention. "We're ready. If you come with me, we can start waking Beca up."
Sarah and Ben stood; Sarah looked at him and shook her head.
"I'm sorry, Ben, but I promised Chloe she could be in the room," Sarah told him. "And they asked that there only be two of us. So you'll have to wait and see her later."
"I understand," Ben said, nodding his head before taking his seat.
"Chloe?" Sarah said, turning to the younger woman. "Are you ready?"
"Are you sure you don't want Dr. Mitchell to go in with you?"
"I'm sure Beca would want you there, and that's all that matters."
"Oh, okay," Chloe said.
"Good luck," Aubrey said, hugging Sarah. She then went to sit next to Charlotte.
Chloe and Sarah followed Dr. Anderson to Beca's room and stood at the door. They watched as Dr. Anderson removed Beca's breathing tube. He explained that they did that first because people would sometimes get panicked when they woke to find a tube stuck down their throat.
Dr. Anderson continued the process, telling Sarah and Chloe everything he was doing.
He finally stepped back and waved them fully into the room.
"Stand here, so the first thing she sees is you two," Dr. Anderson instructed.
Chloe and Sarah stood side by side next to the bed. Chloe reached down and placed her hand in Beca's. Beca's legs started moving under the sheet.
"She's coming around," Dr. Anderson said. "Beca? Beca, can you open your eyes?"
Everyone watched Beca as her eyes opened and then closed. She did this several times, her eyes remaining open for only a few seconds each time. They finally popped open, and she looked right at Chloe.
"Hey," Chloe said, gently squeezing Beca's hand.
"Hey, yourself," Beca said, her voice husky. "Are you okay?"
"I should be asking you that," Chloe said, smiling.
"Beca," Dr. Anderson said, getting her attention. "I'm Dr. Anderson. Are you feeling any pain?"
Beca shook her head. "I don't feel any pain, but I am thirsty."
"Nurse, would you please give Beca a bit of water?" Dr. Anderson asked.
"Small sips," the nurse instructed as she held a cup with a straw to Beca's mouth.
Beca took a couple of sips, and the nurse moved the cup away.
"Is that better?" Dr. Anderson asked.
Beca nodded her head. "Yes, thank you."
"Are you ready to hear about your injuries?"
"No, but go ahead," Beca said.
Dr. Anderson told Beca about her injuries and why they put her in an induced coma.
"Do you have any questions?" Dr. asked as he finished.
"What day is it?"
"It's Friday," Dr. Anderson responded.
"I've been out for four days?"
"Yes," Dr. Anderson said. "Any other questions?"
Beca shook her head and looked at Sarah.
"Are you ready to tell us what happened?" Sarah asked.
"I guess so," Beca said with a strangled sob. "He tried to kill me, mom."
Chloe looked from Beca to Sarah and back. Dr. Anderson quietly spoke to a nurse who turned and left the room.
"Beca," Dr. Anderson said. "I've asked the nurse to bring Sergeant Nichols in so you can tell him what happened. Do you want me to clear the room?"
"Can my mom and Chloe stay?"
"I think that's up to you."
"We'll both stay," Sarah said.
"Sarah?" Joe called from the door.
"Come in, Joe," Sarah said. "Beca's ready to tell you what happened."
"Okay, everybody," Dr. Anderson said to the medical staff in the room. "Let's give them some privacy."
Dr. Anderson is the last out the door. He closed the door behind him.
"How are you feeling, Beca?" Joe asked as he pulled her bedside table tray to the bed.
"I feel, um, I'm good," Beca replied, wiping her eyes.
"That's good," Joe said, setting a small tape recorder on the table. "I want to record what you say so I don't miss anything. Is that okay?"
"That's fine," Beca said. "Chloe, would you mind raising the bed so I can sit up a bit?"
"Certainly," Chloe said, pressing the button on the bed to raise it; she stopped when Beca said, "That's good."
"I'm going to do a little intro first," Joe said. "And then I'll ask you to tell me what happened to you, okay?"
"Okay," Beca said.
"Here we go," Joe said as he pressed the record button. "This is Sergeant Joseph Nichols, Badge number 3267, of the Barden Police Department. It is 10:45 a.m. on Friday, November 30, 2012. I am recording the statement of Beca Mitchell regarding the events of November 26 that led to the death of Roger Daniels and the injuries she sustained during that event. Please start from the first thing you remember, Beca."
Beca sat chewing on her lip for a moment. She then cleared her throat.
"Okay, so um, I was at home and had just finished dealing with Mr. Baxter-"
"Who is Mr. Baxter?" Joe interrupted.
"The insurance agent that came to assess the damage my dad did to my car," Beca replied.
"Thank you. Please proceed."
"Anyway, Mr. Baxter left-. Oh, I almost forgot. Earlier I saw some guy standing across the street, staring at the house when I was letting Mr. Baxter in. I saw him again when I opened the garage for the truck driver."
"Do you know who the guy was?"
"I thought at first it was a neighbor. But I couldn't get a clear look at him, so I waited until the tow truck moved out of the way, but the guy was gone."
Beca looked down at her hands. "I thought." She shifted in the bed. "I thought at first it might be Chloe's stalker. That it might be Roger Daniels."
"Was it?"
"At that time, I didn't know. As I said, I didn't get a clear view of him either time." She paused and looked at Chloe. "I didn't want to believe it was Daniels because we had been so careful to make sure he wouldn't find out where Chloe was staying. But, looking back, I guess I wasn't as careful as I should have been when I came home from the grocery store. I was preoccupied, and my mind was on Chloe and the dinner party." Beca sighed. "I convinced myself that I was being paranoid and went into the house through the door that leads to the garage. Once inside, I thought about calling my mom to tell her what the agent said about my car, but in the next instant, I decided to start prepping for the dinner party we were having for the Bellas that night. I grabbed some peppers and onions and placed them near the cutting board when I realized I may have left the garage door open, so I went to the door and checked. It was open, so I flipped the switch to close it. I waited at the door until it had closed completely and then went back inside."
Beca pursed her lips and swallowed. "I turned to grab a bowl from the cabinet behind me. When I turned back around, Daniels was standing in the doorway to the garage."
"How did he get in?"
"I don't, um, I don't know," Beca said. "I guess he was already in there when I went to close the garage door. I can't think of any other way he got in."
"That makes sense," Sarah said.
"What happened next?"
"We, uh, we stared at each other for a minute. Then, he moved toward me, and I hit him in the head with the bowl. He staggered back, and I saw some blood drip down. I ran past him toward the door that leads to the living room, trying to pull my phone out of my pocket. I made it to the door when he grabbed me by my hair and pulled me back; I landed on the floor. I think that's when I dropped my phone. I looked up at him and scrambled to get away, but he grabbed me again and threw me against the counter. I was dazed for a few seconds. When my vision cleared, I saw he had a knife. I don't know why, but I jumped up and ran at him. That's when-. That's when he stabbed me in the leg. I fell to the floor and held my leg while I tried to think of what to do next."
Tears were streaming down Beca's face; Chloe gripped her hand tighter. Sarah placed a hand on her leg and stroked it with her thumb.
"Do you need a break?" Joe asked.
"Could I have, uh, some water, please?"
"I'll get it," Sarah said, standing and going to the other side of the bed.
Sarah picked up the cup the nurse had used earlier and held it up toward Beca. Beca took a few sips and mumbled, "Thank you."
Sarah set the cup back on the table and remained where she was. She grabbed a few tissues and handed them to Beca. She then took one and wiped her eyes.
"Thank you," Beca mumbled, wiping the tears from her face.
"May I?" Chloe asked, holding her hand out to Sarah.
Sarah handed some tissues to Chloe, who proceeded to wipe her eyes.
"Where was I?" Beca asked, looking at Joe.
"Daniels had just stabbed you in the leg," Joe said.
"Oh, right. I managed to crawl away from him, so I was behind the counter," Beca continued. "I grabbed a cast iron pan from the cabinet, and when he rounded the counter and leaned down to grab me again, I used both hands and swung it at his head. I missed and hit him in the shoulder. I didn't do any real damage, but it did cause him to fall to the floor and drop the knife. I crawled over him to get to the knife. Once I had the knife in my hand, I used the counter to pull myself up. Once up, I held the knife out toward him as he got to his feet. He looked at me and then at the knife; he laughed and then lunged at me. I held the knife with both hands and thrust it toward him, stabbing him in the stomach. I let go of the knife, and it was sticking out from his body. He looked down at the knife and pulled it out; blood started pouring from the wound. I held onto the counter and kicked him where I stabbed him; we both fell to the floor."
Beca wiped her eyes and sniffled. She looked at Chloe, who looked back at her with tears on her face. She gently squeezed Beca's hand and mouthed, "You're doing great."
Beca nodded and continued.
"I crawled toward the garage door, dragging my injured leg." She stopped and looked at her mom. "I'm sorry about all the blood everywhere."
"Oh, sweetheart," Sarah sobbed, putting her hand to her mouth.
"Are you okay?" Beca asked, looking at her mother.
Sarah swallowed and wiped her face, nodding as she said, "I'm good."
"We can take a break if you'd like," Joe said.
"Can we?" Beca asked. "I think we all need a minute."
"Certainly," Joe said and turned off the recorder. "I'll be back in fifteen minutes, and we can continue. Is that okay?"
Beca nodded, and Joe turned to leave.
"Thanks, Joe," Sarah said as he left the room.
Sarah turned to look at Beca.
"Excuse me," Chloe said and ran out of the room; Beca watched her go.
"Do you think she's alright?"
"I think," Sarah said, taking a breath as she sat on the edge of the bed. "Much like me, I think she's a bit overwhelmed at hearing what you went through. It's hard to hear."
"I'm sorry," Beca said.
Sarah leaned forward and pulled Beca to her. "Oh, my sweet girl, you have nothing to be sorry for."
Beca held onto her mother and cried. "I caused a man to die."
Sarah held Beca, rubbing her back. "You didn't do anything wrong. You were defending yourself against someone who meant to do you harm. His actions caused his death."
~Stronger~ ~Stronger~ ~Stronger~
Chloe entered the waiting room with tears streaming down her cheeks. Aubrey and Charlotte rushed to her side.
"Are you okay, Chloe?" Aubrey asked.
"Yeah," Chloe said, wiping her eyes. "It's just. Beca was telling what happened, and it was tough to hear. I can't help but feel Beca wouldn't be here if it weren't for me. That this is all my fault."
Chloe put her hand to her mouth to hold back a sob.
"Nothing that happened to Beca is your fault," Charlotte said, hugging Chloe. "Why don't you come sit down and take a minute to pull yourself together?"
Chloe nodded, and Charlotte led her to a seat. Ben stood when he saw Chloe's tear-stained face.
"Is Beca okay?"
"She's…um, she's okay," Chloe replied. "She's awake and doing well. I'm just. Um, I, she was telling us what happened, and I got overwhelmed. It was, um, too much, and I didn't want to break down in front of her, so when she asked to take a break, I left the room."
Everyone sat; the only sounds coming from the small group were Chloe's sniffles as she tried to compose herself.
Ten minutes later, Sarah entered the waiting area.
"Chloe?" Sarah said, causing Chloe to look at her. "Beca's ready to continue if you'd like to come back in."
Chloe wiped her face and took in a breath, letting it out slowly. She did that a few times before standing and walking over to Sarah.
"I'm ready."
~Stronger~ ~Stronger~ ~Stronger~
Beca looked up when Chloe returned to her room. She could tell Chloe had been crying and she was concerned.
"Are you okay, Chloe?" Beca asked as Chloe sat next to the bed and took Beca's hand in hers.
"I will be," Chloe said. "I'm sorry I rushed out of here earlier. It was just. . . too much, you know?"
"I know," Beca said, playing with Chloe's fingers. "I'd be okay with it if you want to leave. I wouldn't want you to be here if it made you uncomfortable."
"No," Chloe said. "I'm staying. I want to be here for moral support."
"Well, if you insist," Beca said, grinning at Chloe. "I love you, you know?"
"I love you, too," Chloe said, leaning in to kiss Beca.
"Bec-, oh sorry," Joe said, causing Beca and Chloe to pull apart. "Sarah said you were ready to continue. I can come back if you want."
Beca chuckled. "Stay, Joe. It's all good, and I am ready to continue."
"Okay," Joe said as Sarah entered the room and took the chair next to Chloe. Joe looked at Beca. "You ready?"
Beca nodded, and Joe pressed record.
"Where did I stop? Oh, yeah, I was crawling toward the door to the garage. I got to the door and used it to try and stand. I managed to get about halfway up when I felt something hit my back. I looked back, and he, um, he was right behind me. I fell into the doorway and down the steps, landing in a heap by my mom's car."
Beca paused and took a deep breath. "I felt something wet running down my side, and I reached my hand back. There was blood on my hand when I brought it back around. I looked up to see Daniels standing in the doorway, holding his stomach with one hand and the knife with the other. He glared down at me and shouted, She's mine, and you can't have her!"
"Oh, my god!" Sarah gasped.
Chloe gasped as well, and Beca tightened her hold on Chloe's hand. "I'm sorry, Chloe."
Chloe shook her head. "I'm fine. Go on."
Beca nodded and continued.
"I knew if I stayed where I was, he was going to kill me. So, I grabbed the door handle and opened the car door. I managed to crawl inside, but before I could even catch my breath, he was there, reaching for me. I got away from him and opened the door on the other side, and fell out. He climbed into the backseat and came for me. I waited until he reached out for me, and then I slammed the car door on his arm. I hit him with the door two times before the knife fell to the floor. So, I grabbed it and stabbed him in the arm when he reached toward me again. He let out a scream and then fell back against the seat."
"I lay there trying to catch my breath. I reached for my phone to call for help, but I didn't have it. I knew I had to get to the hospital, so I managed to get the driver's side door open and crawled in. I hit the remote to open the garage door and started the car."
"Where was Daniels?" Joe asked.
"In the backseat," Beca said. "I wasn't sure if he was dead or just passed out. I looked back once, and he wasn't moving. I then put the car in gear and drove off. I knew I had to get to the hospital, or I was going to-."
Beca swallowed and wiped her eyes. "I didn't want to die, so I drove off. That's all I remember until waking up in here."
"You don't remember crashing the car once you got to the hospital?" Joe asked.
"No."
"Did Daniels say or do anything after you drove away from the house?"
"No. I could see him in the rearview mirror, and he was just sitting there with his eyes closed."
"I think that about covers it," Joe said, turning off the recorder.
"Are you going to arrest me now?" Beca asked. "For killing him?"
"No, Beca, I'm not," Joe said. "Based on what you told me, it's obvious you acted in self-defense. You didn't do anything wrong, Beca."
"So, what happens now?" Sarah asked.
"I'll give this tape to the DA, and if they have any questions, they'll come and talk to Beca," Joe said. "But I don't foresee that happening."
~Stronger~ ~Stronger~ ~Stronger~
Joe had been gone for about ten minutes when Dr. Anderson came in to check on Beca.
Chloe and Sarah were sitting next to the bed, their faces tear-stained after listening to the ordeal Beca had been through.
Exhausted from telling her story, Beca was lying back with her arm over her eyes. She lifted her arm and looked toward the door when she heard the doctor come in.
"Sorry for disturbing you," Dr. Anderson said. "I just wanted to do a quick check before I let you rest."
"It's okay," Beca said, sitting up.
"Are you in any pain?" Dr. Anderson asked.
"No," Beca replied. "Just emotionally drained."
"Would you like something to help you sleep?"
"No, I think after all that, I won't have any trouble falling asleep on my own."
"Okay, just let the nurse know if you change your mind."
"Thank you, doctor."
"I'll be back later to check on you," Dr. Anderson said and left the room.
"Do you want us to leave so you can get some rest?" Sarah asked Beca.
"Not unless you mind if I fall asleep while talking to you," Beca said.
Chloe smiled. "I'm going to go and let everyone know you're going to be resting."
"Okay," Beca said.
Chloe stood and leaned down to kiss Beca. "I won't be gone too long."
Beca nodded, and Chloe left Beca and Sarah alone.
"So, um, your dad's here," Sarah said.
"What?!" Beca sat up quickly. "Why?"
"He heard what happened and was worried about you," Sarah said.
"Now he's worried about me?" Beca scoffed. "Where was this worry when he was the one trying to hurt me?"
"He's sorry about all that, Beca," Sarah said, running a hand through her hair. "I think you should talk to him."
"No," Beca said.
"Beca, he's still your father," Sarah said.
"I remember," Beca said. "Too bad he remembered too late."
"Beca, please," Sarah said. "You can't hate him forever."
~Stronger~ ~Stronger~ ~Stronger~
Chloe entered the waiting room and made her way to the seat next to her mother.
"How's Beca?" Charlotte asked as Chloe sat.
"She's doing…okay," Chloe said, sighing as she ran a hand through her hair. "After hearing what she went through, I'm just glad she's here to tell the story."
"Can you share anything with us?" Aubrey asked.
Chloe relayed a few things Beca told them.
"Oh, my god," Ben exclaimed. "I, um. Excuse me."
Ben stood and rushed out of the room.
"I almost feel sorry for him," Chloe said. "He tried to hurt Beca, and now he's realizing what he could have lost if he had succeeded."
"He deserves to go to jail if you ask me," Aubrey said.
"I don't disagree," Chloe said. "Whatever happens, I just hope Beca can handle it."
"After hearing what she did to your stalker," Aubrey said, smirking. "I think Beca can handle just about anything."
"It does sound like Beca got a few good licks of her own in," Charlotte said proudly.
"She did, indeed," Chloe said as she looked around. "Where are the Bellas? I thought they were going to be here when Beca was woken up."
"Oh," Aubrey said. "They're at Sarah's cleaning up. The house has been taped off since it happened, and Sarah was told not to go in there until the police released it. So, the girls and I decided neither of the Mitchells should return to the house before it was cleaned. I called Joe last night and told him what we wanted to do, and he said it would be released this morning. We all met and went over there first thing this morning. I left Lily in charge because I know she'd make sure the job got done. The girls might come by later to check on Beca."
"That's sweet of you girls," Charlotte said. "I'm sure Sarah and Beca will appreciate it."
~Stronger~ ~Stronger~ ~Stronger~
Ben Mitchell didn't stop walking until he was outside the hospital. He wiped his eyes and pulled out his phone. He made a call and waited for someone to answer.
"Hello, you've reached the law office of Michael Donovan. This is Michelle; how may I help you?"
"Um, yes, my name is Benjamin Mitchell, and I'd like to speak to Mr. Donovan about my case," Ben said.
"I'm sorry, but Mr. Donovan is currently away from the office," Michelle said. "I can take a message for him."
"Would you please tell him I want to speak with him about changing my plea?" Ben said. "And I want to have this taken care of as soon as possible?"
"I'll be sure to make a note of it," Michelle said. "Is there anything else I can help you with?"
"No, thank you," Ben said, ending the call.
Ben sighed and ran a hand through his hair before making his way to his car.
A/N: I'm sorry it took so long to update. I hope this answers your questions about what happened to Beca. The next update shouldn't take as long to post. Thanks for reading.