New chapter in one day? I must really love you guys :')

Chapter 3- Undeservingly punished

Elsa's first week at college went great for her; her classes were easy, she was becoming a favourite among her professors and her assignments were up to date. Her friendship with Merida grew as they hung out more and Elsa even visited her family, including her triplet brothers. She got closer to Astrid as well, who she shared notes with and sat with during classes. She had earned the title of 'Ice Queen' among the college since she hardly associated with the other kids and gave them the cold shoulder.

As much as she hated to admit it, Jack was starting to grown on her as well. They joked around and he would throw in a flirt or tease her once in a while, but when they had serious conversations, Elsa felt connected to Jack on a deep level. She didn't need explain herself much to him ; it was as though he already understood.

Get yourself together, she thought as she tied her shoes. It was Friday and her first time on the University's track. She tugged down her grey t-shirt that had the university's logo in red on the front. Standing up, she jogged on a spot, watching the other girls do their stretches. She felt uncomfortable in the running shorts she had been given, but there was nothing she could do about it. Astrid bounced to her side. "Ready, Winters?"

The coach called them over with the help of her whistle. "Okay, we're going to separate into teams of three. A small match of relay, just to warm you girls up. Each member with one lap to finish."

Astrid and Elsa were joined with Megara, who was also a cheerleader. They were handed a yellow baton with clear instructions; Astrid was to start, Megara in second and Elsa was to finish.

The coach blew her whistle and Elsa smiled as she saw Astrid leading. Megara and the girls from the other three teams who were running as second, took their places on at the starting line, reaching out their hands. Astrid slammed the baton into Megara's hand and joined Elsa. They cheered for their teammate who, unfortunately, was caught up by the others. Elsa groaned as she took her a place at the starting line, putting out her hands. The other teams were already handing their batons, running into the last lap while Megara still lagged. She panted as she gave Elsa the baton. Elsa took a deep breath and she sprinted with the help of her long legs. She could hear her sister cheering for her from the bleachers. She pushed herself even harder, catching up with two girls, only having to beat the girl from the Red team, Gogo, who was one of the fastest girls in the university. They both ran in unison, their bodies aligned beside each other. Elsa huffed, leaning her body as forward as she could, her desperate urge to win taking control over her. She gritted her teeth, using her legs to speed further, able to move just centimetres in front of Gogo. She stepped over the finish line as the other girls cheered for her. She ran to her teammates and hugged them, and Anna jumped on her from behind. "You almost flew!"

Elsa grinned, and was surprised to see Gogo approaching her. "That was awesome. We could really use you on the team."

"Thank you," Elsa said, still panting.

"You definitely got the boys' attention!" Anna grinned, pointing at the soccer field across. Elsa saw Jack who was staring at her, along with the other guys, but immediately turned when her gaze met his.

Elsa shoved her sister playfully. "Why is it all about boys with you?"

"Why isn't it with you?" Anna retorted, and then looked at her watch. "It's almost five. I'm meeting with Rapunzel for a movie." She gave her a hug. "See you at home!"

Anna left and the coach instructed the girls with more warm ups. By the time they finished with their laps, the evening, amber light had subdued and it was almost time to head home.

Elsa jogged to the bench where Astrid was chugging down a bottle of water. "May I have some?"

"Why so formal, Winters?" Astrid remarked, tossing the bottle at her. "You want to ride back home with me?"

"Yeah, sure," Elsa said, wiping the water that escaped her lips. "I'll just go get my bag from the locker room."

"Get mine too!" Astrid called after her as she rushed to the locker room. It was in a one-storey building that was near the fields, separated by thick, green foliage. There were no lights and Elsa had to almost feel her way through to the bushes to get to the locker room, making her wish she had taken her belongings when there was light. She grabbed her bag and Astrid's, before exiting the door and flipping on the switch to turn on the faint, orange light outside. She closed the door, suddenly hearing some rustle behind her.

"Well, well, if it isn't the Ice Queen," she heard a voice say, spinning her head to see who it was. It was Gaston, with Hans and Le Fou by his sides.

"What do you want?" she said, as they cornered her to the wall.

"I told you would pay, right, bitch?" Gaston hissed, his disgusting spit spraying over her face. "You hurt me, you embarrassed me? You little piece of shit, you don't know what you've thrown yourself into."

Elsa looked at Hans. "You're my sister's boyfriend? How could you do this to her?"

Hans shrugged casually. "Gaston promised me to let me have you after he was done with his revenge."

"No, dude, he said we can all have her," Le Fou pointed.

Elsa's eyes widened in shock, her mind desperately trying yo come up with a plan.

Hans grinned at the others. "You'd think that Anna would be half as hot as this one, considering they're sisters."

Elsa eyed the gap between Gaston and Hans, knowing she could pass through. She made a move but Hans immediately caught her and slammed her against the wall. "You're not going anywhere, Ice Queen."

She winced at pain when she came in contact with the wall. Gaston grinned evilly and punched her in the middle with his huge arm. She groaned as the punch made her fall on her knees, clutching her stomach.

"Hurts, doesn't it, Hero?" Gaston smirked, pulling her back up by her hair.

Elsa screamed at the pain of her hair being pulled at the scalp, but she was going to put up a fight. She lifted her leg and kicked Gaston in swift move, and he let go of her, clutching his leg with pain. She made a move to run again but Le Fou caught her and held her by one arm while Hans held the other. She squirmed and jumped, trying to scream for help but Hans covered her mouth with his free hand.

Gaston stood up straight. "You don't know when to stop, do you?" he screamed, taking a swing at her side. There was nothing to hear except for muffled screams as he continued to hit her with closed fists. Tears ran down her face as every blow came upon her, the pain unbearable. She tried to raise her feet from the ground to kick Gaston again, but easily missed.

Gaston shook his head. "Stay down, bitch, you're pissing me off!"

He reached into his pocket, taking out a Swiss Army knife. He took her hand, slowly piercing a line on her lower arm. Elsa screamed, clutching her fists, begging with her eyes for the other guys to see her pain, but they just laughed at Gaston's work. She cried out but Hans' hand blocked out any sound. With the might she had left, she pushed her mouth forward and bit on his fingers.

"Ouch, she fucking bit me!" he screamed, grabbing the knife from Gaston's hand. He, without any thought or remorse, in a quick move, moved the knife into her, stabbing her stomach.

She yelled out, hot tears pouring out of her eyes as she covered the wound with her hand, terrified by the blood seeping from her body. The three boys kicked her again, causing her to fall and Gaston pressed her chest with his boot, compressing her breathing. She clutched her stomach, as she curled into a ball, hoping it would reduce the pain in any way. Slowly, the blackness started to envelope her as she closed her eyes, desperately trying to keep her weak hand over her open wound.

"Okay, I'm going to go first," she heard Hans say, followed by the sound of a belt unbuckling, but she was ripped off of any energy she had to fight back.

"Oh, shit, I can hear someone come!" Le Fou screamed, and she felt a warm sense of relief, as she let her guard down and let herself slip into a slumberland.

...

Astrid scrolled through her phone, liking the pictures that appeared on her feed. She sighed and looked at the time; where was Elsa? The girls on the track had all left and even the boys on the soccer field were almost done with their practices.

She stood up, a feeling of angst coming over her. What's taking her so long? She's probably lost.

She decided to go after her as she jogged to the opposite end of the field, turning on the light on her phone. She crossed the trees and pushed away some bushes in her path.

"Oh, shit, someone's coming!" she heard a guy say, and moved faster, to see who it was. Upon her arrival near the locker room, she saw three boys whiz around the corner of the building, disappearing from her sight.

"What the hell is that-" she mumbled to herself, stopping at the frightful sight in front of her; it was Elsa, crouched in a ball with multiple bruises and a pool of blood beside her. She crouched by her, her hands shaking with shock. "Oh Gosh, Elsa?! ELSA, WAKE UP!" she screamed through her tears, frantically shaking her friend, but there was no response. She checked for her pulse, satisfied with the beat she received in response.

She reached for her phone, wondering if she should call for an ambulance or for someone else. "Jack and Flynn!" she remembered her friends at the soccer field. She flipped through her phone to dial Jack's number. Her eyes were on Elsa's bleeding stomach, as she waited for Jack to pick up.

...

"God, I'm parched," Flynn grumbled, as he reached for a bottle of water from the cooler. Jack dribbled the ball, before sitting at the bench. "What are your plans, tonight?"

Flynn shrugged. "I thought of taking Punzie out for dinner. You know, like a date."

"Isn't she with Anna tonight?" Jack questioned, wiping the sweat from his brow.

"She'll be back by now," Flynn stated. "Wish me luck. By the way, your phone is ringing."

Jack reached for his phone from his bag. "Its Astrid. Hey, Astrid, what's up?"

"JACK IFOUNDELSABYTHELOCKERROOMANDSHE'SHURT-"

"Astrid, slow down, I can't understand a word you're saying," Jack told her in response to her rambling.

"Jack," he heard her cry, making him concerned. "Elsa is by the locker room and she's hurt and she's bleeding so much! I can't explain everything now, please come to the girls' locker room."

Jack almost fell with shock. He threw his phone back into his bag and looked at Flynn. "Elsa is hurt by the locker room. Let's go!"

"What, how?" Flynn asked, running behind him across the field.

"I don't know, but we've got to hurry," Jack said, rushing through the foliage with his friend trailing behind him. They arrived outside the locker room, finding Astrid crouched beside Elsa. Jack's breath was taken away as he saw her lying on the floor, the ground around her dark with her blood. Her hair was tousled and her face and body were bruised. She was almost lifeless.

"Jack, you're here!" Astrid said, standing up. "We have to take her to the infirmary."

Flynn gasped. "Infirmary!? She needs to be taken to the hospital!"

"We don't have time!" Jack stated, running his hand through his hair wondering what to do. "Our infirmary has the necessary facilities with in-house doctors." He pulled his Jersey over his head, thankful he wore another t-shirt underneath that day. He slowly lifted her t-shirt up, and wrapped the garment around her stomach to restrict anymore blood from pouring out. He gently carried her in his arms and began walking towards the fields, with Astrid and Flynn tagging behind. The scene attracted the attention of other students but that was the least of Jack's worries. He almost ran to the infirmary building, the blood from Elsa seeping over his clothes as well. The nurses rushed to him as he carried Elsa into one of the emergency rooms, placing her on a bed. Her face was paler than usual and Jack held her hand which was also cut.

"She's lost a lot of blood. Thankfully the cut isn't too deep as to cause any damage to her internal organs," the nurse told him as her colleagues checked Elsa. "We've called for an ambulance to bring her blood, and you and your friends need to be here until the police arrives to give your statement."

Jack nodded and kissed the hand he was holding, his heart full of pain at the sight in front of him and anger towards the cruel people who did this.

" Are you her boyfriend?" the nurse asked.

Jack grimaced. "Umm, no, I'm her friend."

"Okay, I'm going to have to ask you to wait outside until the ambulance arrives," the nurse told him kindly. "We're going to stop the bleeding."

Jack obeyed and exited the room, as the nurse closed the door behind him. Astrid and Flynn rushed to him.

"An ambulance is on the way with blood to replace the amount she lost," Jack informed, sitting down on the waiting chairs in the lounge.

Astrid sat beside him. "I phoned Anna and her grandmother. They're on their way."

"I found this near the locker room," Flynn said, opening up a napkin in his hand as he revealed a Swiss army knife. "We could give it to the police."

"Who would do such a thing?" Jack asked furiously. "Could it be Gaston, because of what happened at the party?"

Astrid's eyes gleamed as though something struck her. "Oh, I remember! When I came up to the locker room, I saw three guys leave. One of them had auburn hair!"

Jack sat straight. "Hans!?"

Astrid nodded. "But what does he want to do with her?"

"I knew that bastard couldn't be trusted!" Flynn muttered, slamming his fist against the wall

Hiccup rushed towards them, pulling Astrid into a hug. "What happened? I was at the library and everyone was speaking about Elsa being attacked!"

Astrid relayed the incident to him, while Jack kept his face in his hands, the smell of Elsa's blood still pungent.

In a few minutes, an ambulance pulled outside and the medics rushed to the infirmary, carrying kits and coolers.

They watched as another car pulled over, a man with huge glasses and a stethoscope around his neck hurried inside the room. Jack was frustrated with waiting around, not knowing what was going on. He prayed for her recovery, clutching his hands against his body.

"Elsa! Where is my sister!?" Anna's voice travelled through the lounge as she ran into the building with her grandma and Rapunzel. "Where is she!?"

Jack hugged her, her hot tears soaking his t-shirt. "Anna, you have to calm down. She's being treated inside."

"How did this happen?" her grandmother asked, her voice shaking with fear. "Who would such a thing to her?"

"We can only know when she wakes up," Jack said, trying to sound relaxed as possible. "Take a seat, Ms. Winters. They won't allow us inside, anyway."

The scene in the lounge was sad, Jack thought. Rapunzel held onto Anna who was weeping into her best friend's neck. Elsa's grandmother was reciting a prayer with her hands clasped together, tears escaping her closed eyes. Astrid was still shaken up about the incident and Hiccup was comforting her. Flynn was pacing back and forth, trying to wrap his head around the incident.

Half an hour later, three police officers arrived and took statements from Jack, Flynn and Astrid. They waited with them for Elsa to regain consciousness to receive her important statement.

Jack glanced at the time; 9:10pm. Surely, his family would be waiting for him, since he hadn't informed his mum that he would be out late. How was he supposed to know an incident like this would take place?

"Hiccup, I'm going to get my bag," Jack told him and walked outside to the fields. A few boys hanging out at the benches stared his blood-soaked t-shirt. He took his phone from his bag pack and dialled his mother.

"Jack, where are you?" his mother asked on the third ring.

"Mum, I'm going to be late," he said, trying to remain calm.

He could hear her sigh. "Your father is asking for you."

"Mum, there was an incident at school," he stated.

There was a gasp. "Baby, are you okay?"

"Yeah, Mum. Anna's sister was attacked and stabbed in the school premises. The police is here, and she's being treated. We will know what happened and who did it after she wakes up," he explained, slinging his bag over his shoulder.

"Oh goodness, I can't believe this!" she said, sounding confused and shocked. "Okay, be safe, Jack. I'll let your dad know."

Jack hung up and walked back to the infirmary. The door to Elsa's room was open and the waiting area was empty. He peeked into the room and a sense of relief him surged through him to see her awake, with everyone around her, narrating what happened to the police. Jack winced at the words she said; she was hit, punched, stabbed and almost gang-raped, which hadn't occurred thanks to Astrid arriving at the scene.

"Can you describe the abusers? Or are they people you know?" the officer taking her statement asked her kindly.

"I do," she murmured, eyes half closed. "One was Gaston, who threatened me at a party last week because I punched him for trying to touch me."

"So, this man has already harassed you?"

"Yes."

The officer touched her hand. "Okay, dear. Now, can you name the other two?"

"Umm, the other guy was Le Fou," she stated. "And the guy who stabbed me was..." she paused, as if she was thinking over whether to say it or not and Jack knew who she was going identify. "It was Hans Westergard."

Jack saw Anna cover her mouth in shock, her shoulders shaking.

"And I assume these boys are all students here?" another officer asked.

"Yeah, they are," Flynn answered for Elsa. "They stay a frat house just a street away from Campus grounds."

The female officer stood up and patted Elsa. "Okay, we're going to sort this matter and then speak to the Dean about this." She smiled at Elsa. "Take rest and don't worry."

After the police left, Anna leapt to her sister's side, crying. "Elsa, I'm so sorry! I didn't know he could do such a thing. I'm such a fool."

Elsa gave her a meek smile. "Anna, why are you blaming yourself? How were you supposed to know he was a psychopath?"

Anna sniffled. "I should've known. Everyone tried to warn me, but I never listened." She gritted her teeth. "That pig will pay!"

"Looks like he's going to," her grandmother pointed out, smoothing Elsa's hair. "Assault would mean at least 5 years in prison. He has to also be charged for attempted rape." She looked at Elsa. "Darling, I'm going to get some clothes for you, okay? It seems like you'll need to spend the weekend here."

After Ms Winters left, Jack walked in and stood at the end of the bed, wanting to hug her so bad. He could see her struggling to put on a brave face for the others but her eyes read pain and fear.

"So, what's the damage?" Flynn asked.

Anna sighed. "Excessive bleeding, deep cut wound, bruises and a cracked rib."

"Those SOBs are in much trouble," Rapunzel said. "You can't even call them humans."

"Let's not speak about it," Elsa suggested. She turned her head and her eyes met with Jack's and then at his t-shirt, her blue eyes widening. "What happened to you?"

Jack rubbed the nape of his neck, trying to find the right words.

"He carried you to the infirmary," Astrid answered for him. "Jack tied you around your wound with his Jersey to stop the blood flow, and then ran with you to get you treated."

Anna threw her arms around him as she thanked him continuously while Elsa looked at him with her mouth open in shock, but then smiled at him with gratitude. She held out a hand and he took it, his butterflies squirming inside of him again as she gave it a soft squeeze. "Thank you, Jack," she whispered, trying to turn a bit but that small action hurt her. "Ouch, ouch, ouch."

Jack, without hesitation, placed a hand on her and gently shifted her to her original position. "Careful, Elsa. You shouldn't make much movement if you want to heal sooner."

She nodded, and groaned. "I can't believe I have to wear this stupid cast for another five weeks."

"'The stupid cast is helping you heal, sis," Anna said, pulling the covers over Elsa.

"I wish today never happened," she said, unable to stop the tears that poured down her cheeks, making Jack's heart feel like a million pieces.

Astrid held her hand. "The important thing is you are safe now. You need rest and be positive."

"Thank you, Astrid," Elsa said, a sob escaping her lips. "If it weren't for you, I'd be in a much worse position now."

Astrid shook her head. "Don't say such things! Just relax and try to forget what happened."

Elsa nodded, and as Anna soothingly stroked her hair, Elsa slipped into a much needed sleep. "Poor thing," Anna whispered, placing a kiss on her head.

"Elsa is one the toughest people I know," Rapunzel said, trying to comfort Anna. "She'll get over this."

Anna nodded, biting her bottom lip. "I'm sorry, guys. I should've listen to you guys about Hans."

"How were you supposed to know?" Rapunzel asked her, rubbing her shoulders." He hid his personality really well."

There were the sounds of loud food steps from outside, and into the room burst Merida and Kristoff. Merida rushed to Elsa's side, her face pale with shock. "What the heck happened?! How badly is she hurt?"

Astrid and Hiccup recapitulated everything to her while the others looked at Elsa, peacefully sleeping with the help of the painkillers kicking in. It killed Jack to think that he couldn't do anything about it; this could've been avoided if he had been more careful. He had seen her going to the locker room but didn't think anything would escalate this far. The University promised safety and security, and it enraged him to think that such an incident like this could happen inside the premises. He wished he had seen the three scoundrels before the police dealt with them to give a piece of his mind. Elsa was bound to wounds and cuts for no fault of her own; just because she stood up to someone, she had to pay a heavier price. He hated and pitied the world they lived in where standing up to a bully was being punished.

"Shall we go the steaks place outside to get some dinner?" Kristoff asked, trying to lighten the mood. "Anna, it'll get your mind off things."

"I need to stay with Elsa," Anna said, clutching her sister's hand.

"Anna, you need the energy if you're going to look after her," Astrid told her, pulling her to her legs.

"Come on, it'll just be a few minutes," Rapunzel pleaded.

"Anna, you go with them. I'll stay with Elsa," Jack offered.

Anna smiled at him. "Thank You, Jack. I'll pick something for you as well."

The others followed Anna outside as they closed the door behind them. The only sounds in the room were from the beeping of the heart monitor and Elsa's soft breathing. He dared himself to stroke the side of her beautiful face, gradually tucking her hair behind her ear. So perfect, but unaware. He knew if he had this girl in his life, he would never let go. He silently made a promise to himself to be there for her forever; to protect her and to never let her go through anything close to this. Her grey t-shirt was now crimson, dyed with her previous bleeding. He knew under the covers was a plaster for her broken rib; how much did she have to take it for her rib to crack? The thought made him furious again, wanting to smash the losers' heads against any wall again and again until they cracked. He let out a loud sigh and slowly twined his fingers with Elsa's. The gesture made her stir slightly, her eyes opening to see Jack in front of her, which made her beam. "Hey," she murmured, not taking her hand from Jack's.

"Hey," he said back. "How are you feeling now?"

She twitched her nose. "Really drowsy."

"It's the painkillers," he told her with a smile.

She looked around. "Where are the others? Where's Anna?"

"They went out to have dinner," Jack stated.

She glanced at him. "What about you?"

"I'm not hungry right now," he said, running his hand through his hair. "Anna told me she'll pick something up for me, anyway." He paused to tell her the truth. "I didn't want to leave you."

Surprisingly, she grinned. "I'm happy you stayed back."

He sighed. "I'm sorry you had to go through this, Elsa. I wish I had done something to help."

She held his hand tighter. "Jack, you did help. I was alone at that point, so there was no way I could've asked for help." She closed her eyes and bit her lower lip. "I was this close to being a rape victim."

Jack's mind swarmed with emotions from fear to anger. "Don't say that! Just remember you survived this and such a thing didn't happen. The fact that you can even smile now shows me your strength. You'll get through this. Don't worry."

"It still sucks though," she said, placing her free hand over her chest.

"I know," Jack agreed.

"Only a week and a half back home and this happens," she said, with a sarcastic laugh. "What more awaits?"

Jack smiled. "Only good, Elsa."

She stuck her tongue out at him, her childish expression shining more innocence over her face. She drew circles over Jack's hand with her thumb drowsily and she hummed to herself, slowly succumbing to sleep again. Jack watched as her chest rose and fell with every breath, soft snores eliciting from her slightly gapped mouth. The fingers that were wrapped around his slowly loosened but Jack didn't let go as he watched her sleeping. Though she was bruised and hurt, she looked beautiful to him. The effect she had on him by simply doing nothing was surreal.

A nurse entered the room and Jack immediately pulled his hand away. She smiled at him. "Are you Mr. Frost?"

He blinked. "Yeah?"

She handed him his Jersey, which was clean now. "We gave it to the laundry to be cleaned immediately when we saw that it was the university soccer team's uniform."

"Thank you," he said.

"You'll have to leave now, Mr. Frost. The doctor will be here to do some tests," she explained, her gaze shifting to his bloodied clothes. "And it's better if you have a shower and change immediately. It's not hygienic for you or for the patient."

Jack nodded and, with kiss on Elsa's palm, he exited the room. He knew he had to leave but his heart urged him to stay. He walked around the lounge, his hands in his pockets, pondering about what to do next. At that moment, Ms Winters stormed into the lobby, carrying a luggage, and her eyes caught him. "Jackson, where is Anna?"

"They've gone to eat," he said, walking closer to her. "The doctor is doing some check ups on Elsa right now."

She sighed. "I'm just glad she's safe now. Go home, Jackson. Anna and I are here, and you need to freshen up, eat and sleep."

He agreed and said goodbye to her. With one last look at Elsa's door, he marched outside with his bag to find his car. Anna and the others were returning. "Jack, are you going home?" she said, handing him a takeout bag.

He nodded. "Yeah, your grandma is already here."

"We'd better leave too," Hiccup suggested to the others. They said their goodbyes to Anna and left in their respective vehicles. Jack fixed his attention on the road ahead of him, but his mind kept wandering over to Elsa's condition. Arriving at home, he checked the time. 11:00 pm. The lights downstairs were still on, which meant Jack's mum waiting for him and he was right. His mother and Pippa were in the living room and, as he entered, they gasped in shock to see his clothes. Pippa rushed over to him, slamming herself against in a tight hug. "Jack, what happened?"

"Pips, I'm fine," he said, tilting her head to face him. "This isn't even my blood."

"How is she?" his mother asked, pulling her cardigan over her.

"She's going to be okay," he said. "I'm going to take a wash."

"Okay, dear, there's leftover pizza if you're hungry," she informed as Jack started up the stairs. He dangled the takeout bag in her view. "I'm all set, Mum. Good night."

That night, Jack tossed and turned in his sleep, unable to shake the image of the blood he saw and the horror he witnessed. Every time he closed his eyes, the image of a limp Elsa, motionless in his arms and bleeding from her stomach flashed in his mind. The hours passed him as he struggled to find any continuous sleep.

At 6:00am, his phone buzzed and Jack, who was already awake, reached for it, his eyes reading the message sent by Hiccup. The police arrested the three a few hours back. Mum is furious about the entire thing. Elsa will probably have to go to court for their trial in a few days for them to be sent to jail.

Though he was relieved with the arrest, Elsa was still not free from this. He was worried that this shut her more into the shield she built around her. He suddenly shot out of bed, freshened up, and changed into his jeans and grabbed a jacket as he stormed outside of the house. The cold, morning breeze made him shiver but that didn't stop him from getting into his car and drive to the University's infirmary. He parked his car in the empty parking lot and almost ran to the building, stopping outside Elsa's room and tapped on the door gently. There was no response. Of course there'd be no response, you nitwit. It's six in the morning!

He sighed and turned to leave, but to his happiness, he saw the door creak open by Anna who beamed at his sight. "Jack! What are you doing here so early?"

He followed her inside. "I was having difficulty in sleeping. I just needed to see her again," he said, his eyes on the bed where Elsa lay, dressed in cleaner clothes, her hair sprawled across the pillow.

"I couldn't sleep either," Anna admitted, sitting on the armchair. "I sent Grandma home to get some rest, and she will switch with me after noon."

Jack stood at the side of Elsa's bed. "How is she?"

"She's experiencing a bit more pain since the painkillers are wearing off. Not that she tells me, since she's pretending so hard to look fine, but I know she's having a rough time," Anna explained sadly. "She can't sleep properly, or eat because it hurts when she swallows."

"When can she go home?" Jack asked.

"I think the day after tomorrow," she stated, suppressing a yawn. "Hiccup and his mum were here at around 12:30, after the police arrested those man-whores. The Dean was extremely upset and she kept apologising to Elsa." She took a sip of the coffee she made for herself. "Security is going to be much tighter around here."

"It should," Jack said, sitting on the stool beside Elsa's bed. Her cut hand which he took in his was covered with bandages. He smiled at her soft purring. Though she was this poised woman when she was awake, she was adorable and child-like when she slept.

"You do like her," Anna questioned, smirking from her chair.

Jack rolled his eyes. "She's my friend, Anna. I'm just concerned for her."

Anna held her hands up in surrender. "Okay, man. But it wasn't me who drove to at 6 in the morning to see her, with no sleep as well."

As she laughed, Jack shot her a glare. "Anna, stop it. You'll wake her up."

"When will you ask her out?" she asked eagerly. "You should probably wait until she recovers. I can hype you up till then."

"God, I'm not going to ask her out," Jack protested. "You and the others are seriously annoying."

"And you to us," she said with a grin as she flipped through the channels on the TV.

Jack was gobsmacked with the channel she finally settled on. "Seriously? The Kardashions in the morning?"

"I didn't watch last night's episode, so I have to catch the recap," she said, eyes glued on the screen.

"Are things like this really important now, considering your sister almost lost her life yesterday?" Jack questioned.

"Don't try to guilt me out of this!" she snapped at him, curling into the armchair.

Jack glanced at the scene on the TV; the same-looking sisters eating salad in a huge white kitchen and arguing about something. Jack shook his head disapprovingly. "Isn't the same as every episode?"

"How would you know that?" Anna asked teasingly. "Do you secretly watch KUWTK as well?"

"What?"

"Keeping up with the Kardashions," Anna stated, matter-of-factly.

"I live with two other women in my house," he replied.

"Isn't Pippa too young to watch it?" she asked, not taking her eyes from the TV.

"You tell me. That girl's got the body of a nine-year-old and the mind of a woman in her fifties," he complained, opening his mouth to say more, but a quick grasp on the hand he held Elsa with stopped him. Elsa clutched his hand tightly, her eyes still closed but her head was precipitating and her brows were knitted together with her teeth tightly clenched. "No! NO!" she screamed in her sleep, grabbing the attention of her sister. Anna rushed to her side and held her other hand. "I think she's hyperventilating!" Anna exclaimed, noticing her short and rapid breathes.

Elsa started to shake, her body clenching tighter. Jack gasped at her grip of her hand on his. "Anna, she's having a panic attack in her sleep!" he stated. He pulled his hand away from Elsa's and held her by the shoulders, his brain storming to think of what to do next. "Anna, listen, go the bathroom, get a towel and heat it under the hand dryer to make it warm. Hurry!"

Anna first pressed the bell to alert the nurses hastily and then rushed to the bathroom. Jack kneaded Elsa's hands, trying to remain calm so he could help her. She was sweating profusely, with tears escaping her closed eyes. "They're going to hurt me! HELP ME, THEY WILL HURT ME!"

Jack continued to knead her hands, slowly leaning towards her. "Elsa, this is going to pass, okay? No one is going to hurt you and you are safe now. You are strong and very brave. You can get through anything," he said calmly, but loud enough for her to hear through her sleep.

Her breathing began to slow down. "There are too many of them! They'll get me!"

Anna arrived with the towel and Jack placed it over Elsa, softly rubbing the sides of her shoulders. "But now you're safe. I promise, nothing will ever happen to you again. I'm going to be there for you and I'll protect you," he whispered. "Look, you're going to be okay. You will get through this and this will pass. After this, we can order in something you like and watch a movie?"

Elsa's breathing became constant and her body loosened, relaxing in Jack's hold. Anna wiped the sweat from her face and neck with a napkin, removing the towel from her. At that moment, a nurse burst into the room, her face trying to read the situation in the room. "Ms Winters, you called?"

"Elsa was having a panic attack in her sleep," Anna stated, and then gestured towards Jack. "But Jack took care of it. She's alright now." She then relayed the steps they took to treat her.

The nurse checked Elsa's monitors and her plastered chest. "Good thinking, Mr Frost," she complimented. "I'll be back in a while with her medicine."

After the nurse left, Jack slowly let go of Elsa, who was purring softly in her sleep. He brushed the hair from her face, a feeling of relief washing over him.

Anna sat at the other side of the bed, eyeing him the entire time. "How did you know what to do?"

Jack bit his lower lip, remembering the panic attacks he used to have as a little kid after he'd mess up or have low grades and he needed to face his dad. His mum would comfort him the same way he did with Elsa today. "Umm, just movies and stuff, you know," he lied, sitting on the stool again.

"Well, that was excellent," Anna commented. "Thank you."

"No need to mention it," he said, his eyes never leaving Elsa. Anna returned back to her armchair to watch her show but fell asleep after a few minutes. Jack held Elsa's hand and leaned his head against the railing of the bed. He watched as she snored softly, her breathing slowly lulling him to be swallowed in to a much needed sleep as well.

...

Elsa's eyes fluttered open, a mass of silver-white hair coming into view. Jack was fast asleep near her bed, with the back of his head towards her. She felt his hand wrapped around hers almost protectively, which made her smile. She glanced across the room to see her sister napping as well on the couch. The low sound of E network from the TV along with her heart monitor were the only sounds in the room. The time was 7:30, and the dull morning light seeped through the closed blinds of the room. She sighed, turning her head to see Jack's.

I'm going to be there for you and I'll protect you, she remembered him saying but she didn't know when or why. It sounded like a voice from a faint dream, but she was sure it was his. She lifted her left hand to touch his hair; soft and smooth, just as she thought. She fiddled with it for a while, wondering what he was doing her at this time. She knew he cared about her. A lot, but her mind was never ready to acknowledge it. It made her feel like a bad person, but she knew she couldn't pursue what her heart wanted, knowing that there was a risk of being hurt or being distracted.

He stirred and turned his head, his face now in her view. There was pink line across his cheek that was made by resting his head against the railing. Elsa smiled to herself at his sleeping face with his mouth slightly open and his hair sprawled across his forehead. He looks so cute, she thought to herself, pushing his hair behind in a subtle movement. She had never felt this way about anyone ever before. Jack made her weak at the knees but his words made her feel her strong. Though she would scold him or ignore him when he flirted with her or complimented, inside she couldn't help but feel giddy.

The door slightly creaked open and a nurse walked in. "Good morning, Ms Winters, " she greeted softly, not wanting to wake the others up.

Elsa greeted her back as she stood at the night stand, filling for her a glass of water to wash down with her medicines. She handed it to her, giving her pills one by one, with an occasional glance at Jack. "It's so hard to believe this boy isn't your boyfriend."

Elsa gulped down the water with the medicine. "Why?" she asked, handing her the glass back.

The nurse smiled. "Thanks to him coming early, he saved you from a panic attack that you were having in your sleep. It was really quick thinking of his part, I must say. He took care of it even before I arrived."

Elsa jaw hit the floor as she blinked with shock. The nurse lifted her shirt, checking her plaster again. "How's the pain now?"

"Umm, the chest hurts more than the cut," Elsa replied, still swallowing what she had told before.

"You've had your painkillers now. You'll feel better in a while," the nurse reassured. "Do you think you can eat?"

Elsa shrugged. "I don't know."

"I'll ask for some soup for you and we'll see if we can take it down," the nurse suggested and she left the room. Elsa looked at Jack again, sleeping in an uncomfortable position for her sake. Last night he carried her to infirmary, and now this? She didn't know how to thank him. She reached for the extra pillow that was resting under her elbow and gently tried to place it under his head, but it woke him up. "Elsa, you're up," he said immediately, a blush spread across his face. "I'm sorry I fell asleep, I mean-"

"Sleep with this," she interrupted him and pulled the railing down, placing the pillow beside her. The shocked expression on his face made her blush and he laid his head down, trying his best to suppress a yawn. Elsa twined her fingers with his, causing him to grin. "Whoa, this is new," he teased.

"Shut up, Frost. It's probably the drugs," she said, and the two found themselves finding comfort in the warmth of their hands together, falling asleep as they did.

I know this chapter was a bit... intense...but I enjoyed writing it! Hope you enjoyed reading it and please let me know what you think about the story so far :)

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Till next time!

Jelsa all the way!