A/N: Hey guys! Thanks for your patience, but really, I'm so sorry for the long wait. It's just that I've got exams next month, as well as later on in May, so I'm a little swamped with eVeRythInG. I hope this chapter is to your liking, though! Let me know what you think, what clicked with you guys - that always helps me with my writing. And thank you for the reviews, as always ;)
Amy moved to sit at Lou's bedside. Reaching forward, she dropped the bandages onto the side table. "You done with the ice?"
"Yeah, I guess."
Amy moved to carefully remove the pack from her sister's grasp. "Okay, let me see the bruise."
"Amy…" Lou let out, hesitating.
"I'll be careful. You won't feel a thing." Amy promised as she gently rolled Lou's shirt up. "Oh god, this is just…Lou, what the hell happened?"
"I fell…" Lou inhaled sharply. "...at the dude ranch." Her voice came out tight and strained.
Amy paused a moment, hesitating. "This doesn't look like a fall. I know what bruising from a fall looks like, even a shove…and this isn't it."
"Well, I'm telling you I got this when I tripped over the steps at the dude ranch cabin."
"Okay, okay." Amy said, perplexed. She exhaled heavily. "It's just, this looks like it was deliberate."
"What…?"
"It looks like you were pushed into something sharp, like a piece of furniture, or something. Like you were moments from it cutting into your skin."
"Amy, just relax, would you? I know it looks disgusting, but—"
"Okay, hey…relax. Just stop that." Amy gently put her hand to Lou's arm, trying to steady her own shaking. "How bad does it hurt?"
"I don't know, a lot…"
Amy sighed and moved to help Lou sit up. Once settled, she went to grab the bandages. "Okay, look at me. You tell me if I'm doing it too tight, or if it begins to hurt even more."
Lou nodded. "Sure."
As Amy wrapped the bandages around Lou's torso, she felt her own stomach get tied up in knots seeing her sister recoil and scrunch up her face in pain. She exhaled. "You need me to stop?"
Lou seemed to hold her breath. "No, no…just hurry."
"Alright, I'm almost done."
Lou grimaced. "Yeah." She struggled to speak.
A minute or so later, when Amy was finished, she told her sister as much. "Okay. Done."
Once Lou leaned back on the pillows with Amy's help, she exhaled, relieved. "Thanks."
"Are you okay?"
Lou nodded her head.
"Just don't move around too much…and get some rest. I guess I'll see you tomorrow." Amy started for the door.
Lou reached for her hand. "Amy, wait."
Amy turned to look at Lou. In that instant, she wanted to let go of her anger, forget today and just be there for her sister. She wanted to let Lou know she was there for her, ask her if she would be okay for the night. "Do you need something?"
"No, I just…" Lou began, ready to come clean about…well, she wasn't sure. But when she looked at Amy, her sister's expression seemed cold and uninviting. "No. Not really." Lou said tiredly as she moved her hand back.
"Are you hungry?"
Lou shook her head.
Amy stared back at Lou, who had her gaze cast down. "Where were you?"
"What?"
"You were gone for almost four hours, Lou. You missed dinner, you didn't even bother calling and you didn't respond to Georgie's texts, or my calls for that matter!"
"Amy—"
"Were you with someone? Someone you didn't want us to know about?" Amy downright accused.
"No, I wasn't!"
Amy exhaled tightly. "Then…where were you?" She pressed her voice.
"It's not for you to worry about."
"Oh, that's good. You know, for all I know, you could've been—" Amy broke off, unsure of what she even wanted to say to Lou.
"Could've been what?"
"When someone doesn't answer their phone for several consecutive hours, what is the caller supposed to think?!" Amy demanded.
Lou's lips parted. "Oh my god, Amy—"
"Next time you're hurt this badly—if you're all bruised up, don't you even dare step foot outside. After Georgie told me about you, what was I supposed to think when you didn't pick up your phone?"
"Amy, if you would just let me explain—"
Amy moved to sit beside Lou. "Come on, you're the adult here. You need to be more responsible, more aware of everyone around you. Stop torturing us like this by disappearing without a trace. Just leave a text maybe, or—or at least just answer your phone! I don't care how mad you are at me, you answer when I call you!"
"I wasn't ignoring your calls, okay? But I didn't think you would—you would even care where I was…"
"Right, that's why I called you only about a hundred times."
"Amy, I didn't know you called. I didn't have my phone on me. I still haven't even gotten around to checking it." Lou defended.
"You've gotten really good at lying, haven't you?" Amy accused, her blue eyes twinged with anger.
"Amy—"
"You know what, you're right, I don't care. Do with your life whatever the hell you want. Live it, or don't. Throw it away, and I won't even give a damn."
Lou flinched. Stricken by Amy's words, she was left speechless. "Amy…you—" She broke off, losing her voice. Lou looked away, laughing a little. "Okay, thanks. Maybe I will."
Amy sighed heavily. "You know I didn't mean that."
"Amy, it's fine. Just go."
Amy reached forward a hand to Lou's face, turning her to face her. "Lou, hey, come on…I'm sorry, I didn't mean to blow up at you. You know I love you."
Lou shook her head, as if to dismiss Amy's words. "Just please, just go…I need some sleep…"
"No, no, please just let me stay here a little while. For you."
Lou was silent.
"Lou, say something."
"Would you shut the door behind you on your way out?"
"Is she alright…?"
"Yeah—?"
"Well, what's the matter then? You look all…I don't know…"
Amy sighed. "Nothing. I just…I yelled at her in there, and now all I want to do is go back and be there for her, say I'm sorry…"
Georgie blew out her breath. "Why do the two of you just never stop fighting? And you, Amy, you know she's not in a good place right now. I mean, do you have any idea how messed up she gets when you're mad at her?"
Amy looked back at Georgie. "What…? What are you talking about?"
Georgie paused a moment before she said, "Nothing. She's absolutely fine. At least that's what she tells me right before she slams the door in my face and doesn't come out until I beg her to."
"What…? Georgie, what are you—? When did this happen?"
"What do you even care? You weren't there! I had to pick up your mess! It took me about a half hour to get her to open the door, and—and the whole time, I just kept thinking…what if something happens while I'm standing on this side of the door, and she's in there, all alone?"
Amy's throat closed up. "Why would you even think something like that?"
"I'm going to go check on her…" Georgie said, evading Amy's question.
"You sure that's a good idea?"
"No, but she needs someone. The way you two are going at it, I'm pretty much all she has right now."
"Georgie, come on. Don't do that."
Georgie looked at Amy a moment. "I'll be back."
"No, wait. Just let her go to sleep for now. Talk to her in the morning."
"You're sure?"
Amy nodded. "I'll, um—I'll sleep in my old room tonight, keep an eye on her."
"Really? You'll stay here?" Georgie sounded relieved, a weight lifting off her shoulders.
"Yeah, I will. You just, you go to bed. Please."
In the morning, Georgie came down the steps and noticed how quiet everything was.
Unalarmed, she headed toward her mom's room. Her mother was probably still asleep. She could handle getting her sister and herself ready for school, she'd done it before.
Arriving to Lou's room, she cracked it open. Lou was asleep, just as she had thought. Walking ahead, she noticed something felt…off? She moved closer and saw Lou still had her day clothes on, and she seemed really still, her arm hanging off the side of the bed.
"Mom…?" Georgie called out, grabbing onto Lou's shoulder, shaking it a little. Georgie's stomach dropped and her mouth went dry when Lou didn't respond.
"Mom? Mom!"
Lou jolted awake. "Honey, what's wrong?" Lou mumbled as she brought her arm away from the edge of the bed to rest on her side.
Georgie sucked in her breath, taking a step back. She was beyond relieved, and she felt her racing pulse slow down a little.
"Everything okay?"
Georgie swallowed. "Yeah, yeah…I just thought I'd wake you up, see if you wanted breakfast."
"Sure, I'll be up in a minute or two. But I'll—I'll make breakfast."
Georgie sat down beside Lou. "Okay. Are you sure you're feeling better?"
"Yeah, definitely."
"Did Amy help you last night…with the bandages?"
Lou nodded.
"I was…well, I meant to help you with them, but I just couldn't bring myself to look at the bruise. The one time was enough."
"Oh, no, it's okay. I get it."
"Okay. Um, I meant to ask yesterday, but there was a lot of other stuff going on as well…"
"What is it? Everything okay?"
Georgie nodded. "Yeah, it's just…there's an overnight trip this weekend, and…and we leave Friday morning, get back late Sunday afternoon."
"This Friday?"
Georgie nodded.
"Oh, honey, I don't know. It's kind of last minute. And you have a show this weekend."
"I know, but it's just one show. I can miss it."
"What about schoolwork?"
"I can get it done when I get back. And our teachers are going with us as well, they understand."
Lou exhaled heavily. "Georgie, honey, I don't know…it doesn't seem like a good idea."
"Come on, just let me go."
"Let me think about it."
"Okay, I get it. You're saying no. Fine." Georgie let out, standing up.
Lou reached out for Georgie's hand. "Wait a minute, don't get mad."
Georgie sighed tightly. "Look, I should go get ready."
"No, wait. We need to work this out."
"There's no working this out. You've already said no."
Lou quickly moved to sit up, all the while keeping her grasp on Georgie's wrist.
"Lou, stop, be careful."
Lou eventually got herself to sit up. "Look, if you want to go, you can go. I just feel like it's this frivolous outing that's going to be taking up your time. Time that you could be using to do other, more important things."
"It's just this once."
"Honey, I said you can go."
"But you're mad about it, I can tell."
"I'm not mad, and sweetheart, since when do you even care what I think?"
"What is that even supposed to mean? You're making me feel bad about going."
"What? No, I'm not—"
"Fine, then. I won't go."
Lou was flustered. "Honey, I said—"
"Just forget it."
Lou laughed a little. "No, I want you to go. Just go have some fun, okay? Don't worry about it."
Georgie exhaled. "And you're sure you'll be okay?"
Lou was taken aback. "Honey, that's not—don't worry about whether or not I'll be fine. Worry about having fun."
"Okay, but your bruising…"
Lou exhaled, a small smile on her lips. "I love you for worrying, but don't let this keep you from going. I have a lot of support here. There's Dad, Grandpa, Amy…"
"I'll believe that when I see it."
Lou studied her. "Honey, what are you…?"
Georgie shook her head. "You're alone right now. And I can't…I can't leave you."
Lou paused a moment. "That isn't for you to worry about. Georgie, I can handle being alone. What I can't handle is you throwing away time with your friends for me."
Georgie just looked at Lou, unsure of what to say, what to do.
"Okay, just forget about all that. I have Grandpa and Lisa here, okay? If I need something, I'll ask them for it."
"Promise?"
Lou nodded. "Yeah. I promise."
On Friday afternoon, Amy returned from seeing a client, and she walked back into the ranch house, determined to have a talk with her sister. "Lou?" She called out.
The house was quiet. Had Lou stepped out? Where could she have gone? Amy had just seen her truck parked outside. "Lou, you in here?"
Arriving in Lou's room, Amy stopped dead in her tracks. She felt her legs buckle underneath her as she fell beside Lou's unconscious form. Amy laboriously moved Lou onto her back, racing to find a pulse or a sign of breathing. Amy moved a hand to Lou's face, caressing her hair. "Lou? Hey, come on, I'm sorry." Shaking her shoulder, Amy tried to nudge her sister awake. "God, Lou, just wake up! Lou, come on, just open your eyes."
"Just open your eyes..."