Safe and Sound

Chapter 9

Shane's POV

You know the one thing I didn't miss about being a full, breathing human? Getting cold. Being cold was probably one of the worst feelings in the world. It was pretty hard, being out in the open without something to keep you warm; like a jacket, or a scarf, or a person. My skin felt cold but god, my heart was freezing. I felt icicles digging into my veins with every breath I took. I felt the ice crack with every pump of blood.

I needed Claire. I needed her to melt the ice away and make things better. That was just a shout in the void, obviously. Who in the right mind would go back to a jackass who beat them every day for six months? Claire wouldn't, anyway. I knew that for a solid fact. I hated knowing that she hated me. It was obvious that Claire was going to find it hard to forgive me; if she ever does. I wish I could just explain to her that it wasn't me! Well, it was. But it wasn't. Even though the most fucked up shit happens in Morganville, she would never believe that I died, got reunited with my parents and little sister and watched for days as she got abused by... oh yeah, me.

Sitting behind Common Grounds in a small, dark alley way, I felt the ice in my heart getting colder and colder the more I thought about this whole situation. Claire would be in hospital by now; probably in surgery. It made my body stiff at the thought of her being in hospital. Being in pain. And it was all because of me. I should've stopped it sooner, I should've believed sooner. But I didn't, and look where it has gotten Claire now. Thunder raged from above me as rain poured down on me head. Perfect. With no jacket and no more sanity, I sat on my own in the corner of the alley way, head in hands, waiting for something to come and show me what it feels like to be abused.

But instead of that, I got Michael Glass. I knew it was him by the way he made a simple, "Ahem." sound. I looked up, forgetting about how weak I must've looked with tears shredding down my face. He stood above me, arms crossed, eyebrows raised. I didn't know what to say, or what to do. I just stared at him, waiting for the fist to come flying at my face. Instead, he crouched down with his forearm resting on his knee. He stared at me, then sighed and looked down at the ground.
"Claire and Eve have both gone into surgery." He states without looking at me. "Thought I may as well come and find you since I have a lot of waiting around to do."
I ignored his second comment about finding me. I didn't want to be found. Not by him. "Why're they in surgery?" I wipe tears from my face.
Michael snorts and shakes his head. "Gee, Shane. I wonder why they would be in surgery? Not like they got beaten to shit by-"
"I get it!" I snap. I paused, staring at my best friend. Surely he knew? Surely he knew I would never, ever do that to the two most important girls in my life. "Look, Michael. I'm sorry. I can't tell you how sorry I actually am for all this shit. But you have to believe me when I tell you it wasn't me!" He stares at me as if I were insane. "It wasn't! Look, the draug killed me. It killed me like a cow in a slaughter house! I died, went to see the big man himself but I was with my family, Michael! My real, actual family! Mum, dad and Alyssa! They brought me back to the Glass House and I saw everything happening! The abuse...the fighting...everything, Michael! And I couldn't do shit about it! I just had to float around and watch! Do you know how fucking hard that was? To watch the love of my life get almost beaten to death by myself?! Dude, it's fucking torture! Then I saw myself beating the crap out of Eve... then I was going for you and it was fucking torture! Then I just... something happened and instead of watching you get beat, I was the one beating you... I don't know what happened, but I got so annoyed and pissed that it must've changed something and...just... forget it, okay? It's not that you're going to believe me anyway." Tears ran down my face as I watched Michael as he watched me with examining eyes. I dragged my hand through my hair, pulling as much as I could.

Michael shook his head, smirking at me. I frowned and threw my hands in the air. "Really, Michae-"
"You honestly don't think I understand do you?" He shakes his head. "Do you not remember what I was for so many years of my life? A ghost. I couldn't do anything. I had to watch for hours as you and the girls were getting hurt and taking risks. I couldn't do anything. I know how frustrating it is. I saw something change in you when you were about to hit me. It was the same change as what happened to me every day for years. You're eyes changed, everything changed. You know one time when I was coming back into human form when you lot were out? I stood in front of the full length mirror in Eve's room. I wanted to know what it looked like. So I did my stuff and watched as I changed. And you know what, man? When I watched you change when you were pinning me to the bed, it was like watching me in that mirror years ago. I know it wasn't you."

I looked at him in disbelief. I couldn't believe what he was saying. He knew. He actually knew everything that happened!

"So you... believe me?"
"I believe you, but I still can't forgive you. It's... it's complicated, you know? You put my wife and your girl friend in hospital. It may not have been you, but to them, it was you. And it's going to take a hell of a lot to try and get their emotions back in tact. But I'll try my hardest to make them believe too, although I'm not promising anything."

"Thanks man." I stood up and gave him a manly hug. He seemed distant, but he was there; and the hug was real. I felt the ice in my heart starting to melt slightly. I knew it wouldn't fully melt to a pool of luke warm water till I sorted things out with Claire. I had a feeling I was going to have a cold chill for a long time.

"So the girls..." I say as we break away from the hug. "What..." What was I supposed to say? 'Hey Michael, how badly did I beat up my girl friend and best friends wife?'
"They're... well no, they're not okay." He sighs and runs his hands through his hair. "Claire's injuries are really bad. A few broken ribs, fractured arm and the slightest brain haemorrhage."
"Brain haemorrhage?!" My eyes widen. No way did I hurt her enough to give her an actual brain haemorrhage!
"You were stronger than usual, Shane. You have to understand that. It's not a huge haemorrhage, but it's big enough to cause her a hell of a migraine."
I felt my stomach tighten. When I was watching, it didn't look that harsh. But obviously, I observed incorrectly.

"Eve's just got a couple broken ribs and she had a blood clot in her side. That's why she's in surgery, doctors say she'll be alright, she's just got to heal."

"Michael, I'm so, so, sorr-"
"I know you are, Shane. You've got my sympathy, just focus on the girls now, okay?"

I nod and take deep breathes. I felt the slightest bit better, knowing that Michael was now on my side. I just had to get the girls to understand. And I think we all know that trying to convince women to understand something they're completely against is one of the most difficult tasks in the world.

"Can I go to the hospital and wait?"
"I don't think so..." He sounded distant as he stared at something behind me. I saw his adam's apple bob up and down as he swallowed. I frowned and turned around.

"Shane Collins." A police officer was stood right behind me, handcuffs in hand. "You're under arrest."

Sorry if this was a short chapter, I just had to update quite late because I had GCSE exams today so I've been busy! I won't be able to update tomorrow because I'm due to go to the hospital to have a Gastroscopy (a camera down my throat to see inside my stomach) So it's not going to be very pleasant but I will be quite busy all day, but I may update before I go so make sure you review! More reviews, earlier update! Thanks for reading x