chapter seventeen

Colchester.

I put the phone down on the bedside table and felt sick. If I had just listened to him none of this would've happened, this, all this was my fault! I ran to the bathroom, slammed the door closed behind me and knelt beside the toilet.

Throwing up, I emptied the contents of my stomach, wiped my mouth with the back of my hand and stood up. Flushing the chain, I walked over to the sink and stared at my reflection in the mirror.

The colour in my cheeks had gone. My face was pale and I had dark bags under my eyes. I was losing weight, barely eating; just the thought of eating made me feel nauseous. I turned on the cold tap, cupped water in my hands and splashed it onto my face.

Turning off the tap, I left the bathroom and went back into the bedroom. Picking up the phone off the bedside table, I left the bathroom and closed the door behind me. Slowly I walked along the landing and reached the top of the stairs.

Sitting down on the top step, I put my head in my hands and began to cry.

If only I hadn't come here, everyone would be safe. Why didn't I listen to him?

"Lauren?" I moved my head and looked at Duffy, my eyes red and puffy, "He, he's hurt them."

"Who?"

I looked down at the steps and whispered the name that sent a chill down my spine and made me physically sick.

"Malick." I paused, "My—" I couldn't even bring myself to say rapist and I began to cry again. She walked up the stairs, sat down beside me and pulled me into a hug. As she ran a hand up and down my back, she whispered it was going to be okay.

( but it wasn't. it was going to get worse. )

Holby.

"This is Blake Henderson, thirty-nine years old. He's been stabbed multiple times, once in the neck, twice in the chest and twice in the left arm. He was unconscious when we got there, GCS is fourteen, BP is fifty over seventy and pulse is sixty."

Jasmine walked behind the paramedics as they walked into the Emergency Department. She was still covered in blood from earlier when she stabbed her rapist and nervously fiddled with the silver braclet her step-mother had brought her one Christmas.

She wouldn't allow anyone to touch her, whenever someone did, she freaked out. She stopped in the middle of the corridor and glanced around, biting her lower lip as she wondered where to go.

Linda walked towards the young girl and whispered that it would be best to get her checked over. Jasmine was about to agree when the doors flew open a second time and another paramedic brought in Malick. She froze, her eyes fixed on him and the wounds she created.

"This is Malick Patel, twenty-six years old. He's been stabbed twice in the chest, lost a lot of blood and the scene and has lost consciousness twice. GCS is fourteen, BP is forty over seventy and pulse is sixty."

As he was rushed into Resus, Linda noticed how Jasmine froze when he was brought in.

"Do you know him?" She asked but Jasmine shook her head. As Linda took her towards a free cubicle she wasn't convinced Jasmine was telling the truth.

Cubicles.

Jasmine was been checked over by Linda when Linda spotted bruises on the top of the girl's arms. She didn't say anything at first but when she saw bruising on her stomach and thighs, she knew she had to mention it.

"Jasmine, how did you get the bruises?"

"None of your business" She answered. She sat with her knees tucked under her chin, staring into space. Linda knew there was something, something Jasmine was refusing to talk about. She had a gut instinct about this one.

"Anything you say will be kept confidential."

"Doesn't mean I have to tell you." She spoke back and sighed.

"Is there anyone you want me to call?"

Jasmine nodded, "Lauren, Lauren Henderson."

Linda nodded. The name didn't really ring a bell for a moment until she left the cubicle and thought. If that was Lauren's daughter, that meant her husband was in Resus. Linda sighed and walked towards the reception desk.

"Have you seen Charlie?" She asked Noel who shook his head, "Problem?"

"The man brought in earlier, the one with the teenage daughter?"

He nodded, "Yes." He answered, looking down at the pile of patient files that had been thrown onto his desk.

"It's Doctor Henderson's husband and daughter." Linda answered and he looked up. He said that if he saw Charlie around he'd tell him she was looking for him. Linda nodded and thanked him before returning to the cubicle.

As she pulled open the curtain and stepped in, she looked at the bed to find it empty and sighed.

Colchester.

"You don't have to come with me." I whispered as I sat in the passenger seat. Duffy glanced over at me and told me not to be stupid and I couldn't go home on the train in the state I was in.

There was a silence after that, none of us really knowing what to say. I just stared out of the window at the lovely scenery.

"How your father?" She asked and I turned to look at her.

"He's good thanks. Got his hands full looking after Megan who may I add, enjoys running rings around him."

"She sounds like she's got him wrapped around her little finger."

I started to laugh. It was true. Megan did have my father wrapped around her little finger, "Yeah she does."

"How's Louis?" She asked and I shrugged my shoulders. I hadn't spoken to him in months. The last time we had spoken, I had a fight with him. I slapped him across the face, told him to sort out his life and how disappointed mum would be with him.

"Oh, I haven't spoken to him in three, four months. He hasn't seen Megan since she was born. I told him that mum would be disappointed. You know how much she adored Louis and always thought he'd do her proud."

I sighed and made eye contact for a second, "Anyway, how are your three?"

"Their good thanks. Peter's just graduated University, Jake's going to University and Luke is still at home. I'm glad their older though, the house is a lot less hetic." She laughed and looked at the road. There was a silence again until I broke it asking a question.

"Do you find it lonely?" I asked and she glanced back at me, "Not really, it's quiet but not really lonely."

"Would you ever move back to Holby?" I questioned. She looked at the road and then back at me. She could tell from my cheeky smile why I had asked that question. She started to laugh and shrugged her shoulders.

"I've never thought about moving back, why?"

Now it was my turn to laugh, "Because—" I began, "Dad misses you, I miss you and I think Megan could do with a mother figure. Please consider it? I mean, home isn't the same without you. Pretty please."

"I'll think about it but I'm not promising anything."

She answered and I nodded. I just hoped she would come back, I knew my dad would be happy and Megan needed a mother figure and I could do with the support if I was going to report my attack. Afterall, she knew what I was going through.

a/n: if you like it enough to favourite/alert, please leave a review.
for the next couple of chapters it's going to split between Holby & Colchester. (:

just to clear up a couple of things — i have no idea what Duffy's youngest son is called.
so for now, i've made it up. i'll probably find out at a later date & change it.