More and more people started the visit me… but there were few that I'd let in.

Emma and Spike were worried about me, so I allowed them to come in. They, after all, were like my brother and sister, since I had none biological. They brought me lilies (my favorite) and chocolates with caramel in the middle (also my favorites.) I knew I always liked them.

Cara was there, partly because she was my doctor.

Aunt Kendall, Uncle Zach and Ian were allowed in, seeing as they hadn't pissed me off.

Aunt Bianca, Marissa, Miranda and Gabby came, too.

And, of course, AJ barely left my side.

There were a whole lot more people that came.

The reporters… God, the flashing gave me quite the headache (haha, get it? You know… because I had a concussion? Well, forget it.)

They all wanted to be the first to report the story of the girl who'd "miraculously survived a fall from Miller Falls." There were certainly a hell of a lot of them… but they were not getting in.

Ryan wanted to come in and check on me… but he had a snowball's chance in hell.

And my mom… God, I was really pissed. I refused to let her in. Apparently, she wasn't eating or sleeping… and that made me feel a little guilty…

She still didn't have a chance in hell.

One night, towards the end of my stay, since they were still nursing my concussion and making sure I didn't have any brain damage, my uncle David and his 6-year-old daughter Lucy came to visit me.

"Lea!" Little Lucy was very excited to see me. She was absolutely adorable. Her black curls flopped around as she ran over and climbed up onto the chair next to my bed.

I laughed sleepily. I had just woken up, since my medicine for my head made me insanely tired.

Uncle David laughed too.

"Hey!" I said to Lucy, who was wearing the brightest smile on her face that I had ever seen.

"Hi, Lea… gosh, you don't look so good."

Now, normally, this was something that I would take offense to. But, I loved that child, I really truly did. And she was too damn enthusiastic and adorable not to laugh at or smile at.

"Well, sweetheart, I look worse than I feel." I giggled and she did too.

"I drew you a picture." She said as she pulled out a colorful picture. There were two people in it: a girl with long dark brown hair and brown eyes, and a little girl with long black curls.

It was she and I.

"Aw, honey, that's adorable!" I kissed her forehead and she smiled proudly.

Then, Cara, her mother, walked into my room, and (as always) armed with her clipboard.

"Mommy!"

The little girl sprinted over to her mother and hugged her around the legs.

"Hi, sweetie." She looked over at Uncle David, who had just sat down in the chair next to me.

"Um… let's go see what Uncle Griff is up to." Taking the hint that he wanted to speak to me alone, she took her daughter's hand and smiled at me.

"I'll see you guys later."

"Bye, Lea! Bye, Daddy!"

And they were gone with that.

Uncle David laughed at his daughter.

"Your daughter is very intelligent."

He smiled. Uncle David smiled a lot more now than he ever had really.… and he had good reason, but after a second, he frowned again.

"How are you feeling?"

"Eh, I've been better." I laughed.

"What did they say the damage from your fall ended up being?"

"Broken arm, broken wrist, dislocated shoulder, severe concussion, and slight brain damage… but not a lot… you know, just a couple of dead brain cells… nothing more."

"Then, I guess you should be out pretty soon."

"I hope so." I sighed. "I want to get out of this freaking hellhole. I've never felt more confided or detained in my life."

Uncle David laughed a little bit. "I know how you feel."

We sat there in an almost awkward silence for a little while until I broke it.

"Uncle David?"

"Yes?"

"What was… my dad like?" It was almost difficult for me to ask… but they were brothers. He'd actually be able to tell me something.

He studied my bruised face.

"I figured you'd ask me that at one point or another. Lea, your father was the greatest man I've ever had the privilege to know… he was kind to everyone, smart, and incredibly compassionate. He loved life and very much loved your mother. After your mother got pregnant, he told me how ecstatic he was to be a father, since he'd never really had one. And, he said to me that if anything happened to him that I needed to look out for you and Greenlee until someone else could… and that someone else in this situation ended up being Ryan Lavery…"

Uncle David had never really been a big Ryan Lavery fan… understandably.

I let everything he had said about my father sink in for a moment.

"Can I tell you something?"

"Anything."

"I-I… after I hit my head… I-I saw my dad."

I hadn't told anyone… not AJ… not Aunt Kendall… not my mother.

But Uncle David would understand…

…

At least… I hoped so.

He looked at me and sighed.

"I guessed something like that happened."

"We were at Miller Falls… and he told me about falling… and-and what he thought about…"

My voice trailed off… the picture started to get blurrier in my head… it was fading… the one interaction I'd ever had with my father, whether it had been a dream or medically induced or whatever the hell it was… it was almost gone.

And I was angry… really truly angry.

Uncle David got the message from the expression on my face.

"You don't remember it very clearly, do you?"

I felt a tear run down my face…

And they weren't stopping.

"The one… the one interaction I'll ever have with my father, whether it was real or not… and I don't remember."

I started breathing heavily… but that slowed after a second and I started crying again.

"I-I want to be alone… if that-that's okay with you."

Uncle David rose and squeezed my hand.

"Whenever you need me…"

But I was crying too hard, so I didn't answer him, and he was gone.

I sat there and cried in silently. I rubbed my head and thought about how badly I wanted to see my dad… how badly I missed him… how badly I needed him.

I pulled the IV drip out of my arm, threw the ugly hospital sheets off of my legs and stood.

I was a little dizzy from my medication, but I needed to get out…

Now.

I found the clothes I'd worn on the day of my fall draped over a chair and pulled them on as quickly as I could.

I saw a pair of maroon scrubs out the corner of my eye. I knew I'd have to be in disguise to get out of the hospital… so I threw them on too.

And I ran out of my room.

It took me a few minutes, but I got out to the parking lot, still a little delirious.

Somehow, I managed to find my way to a car.

It was a black Camry… my mom's black Camry.

I guess she'd been at the hospital all day… hoping I'd let her in to see me.

But she knew that wasn't going to happen.

The doors, as always, were unlocked and the keys were in the ignition.

God, I really must've messed my mother up.

I got in the car, turned it one, and drove out of the parking lot… not sure where the hell I could've possibly been going…

Or whether or not I was going to get there alive.

MWAHAHAHA! CLIFFHANGER! So, I'm hoping to get the next chapter up pretty soon, but I would LOVE to hear your feedback! Please review! They make me want to write more, and to my loyal readers and reviewers (wink wink, shout out! You know who you are!) thank you SO much for all your support and feedback.

Please keep it up!

-Emma :)