A/N: Thank you for all your reviews! You guys put me over the 300 mark last chapter. You guys are awesome!

Chapter 12: The Ugly Truth

SPOV

An hour later, Jason waltzed into my room wearing a worried expression on his face. "What's up Jase?" I asked. In truth, I needed a distraction. I was so lost in my head, worrying about Pam and her father, plus my own pain and guilt.

"It's nothin'. Just some b.s. the cops are tryin' to pull." He replied nonchalantly. I could tell he was trying to protect me from something. "What is it?" I asked.

"When do the doctor's think you'll get outta here?" he asked, avoiding my question.

"They don't know yet. Maybe in a few days. They said they want to monitor my lung function and make sure my ribs start to heal. Why?" He shifted uncomfortably. He was avoiding eye contact. Something was up with him.

"When you get out, I want you to come stay with me." He said firmly.

"What is it that you're not telling me?" I was beginning to get angry with his avoidance.

He didn't answer me for the longest time; I suppose he was trying to figure out how to say what he needed to say. But Jason, doesn't possess that kind of emotional depth, so he just went with the blunt, ugly truth. "The FBI said they don't have the manpower to patrol your house, bein' that it's all isolated out in the woods an all"

"Okay." I said hesitantly. I guess that's why he wanted me to come stay with him.

"And they ain't gonna help out over at my place neither." He said angrily.

"Jase, you've got a job and a life. I'll be fine on my own. I can protect myself." I said, then added, "And if I feel unsafe, I'll just go stay at Bill's til' this all dies down." Plus I really didn't like Jason's house. It was my parent's house that had been bequeathed to him in my parent's will. Jason hadn't changed a single thing in that house, except to add a big screen TV. Plus, Jason wasn't a very good housekeeper and it smelled like a frat house.

"Speaking of Bill, where is he?" I asked. I hadn't thought about him much at all to be honest, and I didn't have my phone, so I couldn't call him.

Jason didn't answer me, so I asked again. "Where's Bill? Does he know what happened? I bet he was worried about me since I was supposed to make him pulled pork."

"Sook." He gave me a pitying look and I knew, once again, there was something he wasn't telling me.

"Where's Bill, Jason?" I asked more pointedly this time.

"Sook, he." He stopped himself. "He ain't a good guy, Sook." He finished. Jason never did care for Bill really. Most of the people in Bon Temps were weary of outsiders, Jason included.

"I know you don't like him much, but he's my boyfriend and I want to see him or at least talk to him. Give me your phone." I reached out my hand.

"No Sook." He said.

"Jason, stop acting like this. He's my boyfriend. You can't keep me from seeing him or talking to him. I'm a grown wom-" I was cut off.

"He's a god damn criminal Sook!" Jason bellowed. "He set you up. He told the kidnappers where you were! He's the goddamn reason you was taken!"

My heart stopped and I felt like I was going to vomit. I'm sure I was crying, but I was too devastated to care. Why would he do that? I felt humiliated, used, betrayed, and plain stupid.

"Sook, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have blurted it out like that. I should've, I don't know, been more sensitive or something." Jason sat on the bed and tried to comfort me, but I couldn't be comforted. I just wanted to be alone. I told Jason to leave and pulled the blanket up to my chin as best I could and sobbed.

Later on that day, Rasul visited me. He had introduced himself formally to me the prior day. I had thanked him then for finding me and Pam and for everything he had done. He was a nice man, and I could tell that he cared for Pam and her father a great deal. He was Eric's fraternity brother, and although he didn't say it, I knew that the real reason he was so invested in this case is because of the Northmans.

"How are you felling?" He asked in his husky voice. He was a very attractive man. Tall, maybe 6 foot 5 or more, dark hair and mocha skin and he had very captivating russet eyes with deep dusky pupils. Any other day I would be very attracted to a man like him, but after being betrayed so profoundly, attraction was the last thing on my mind.

"Better. My lungs don't burn as much as yesterday." I gave him a weak smile.

"I'm sorry about Compton." He said earnestly. Hearing his name stung quite a bit.

"Me too." I replied sadly.

"He doesn't deserve your tears, Sookie." He said. "I'll let you get some rest, but if you need anything." He trailed off. I nodded and he left. Being a victim was an odd feeling. I felt like everyone around me pitied me, both for the physical abuse and also for Bill's betrayal. I absolutely hated that feeling.

I had borrowed Rasul's phone and made a long overdue call to my boss. "I'm doing better, Sam." I told him after he asked after my well-being.

"That's good to hear. We were real worried about you. By the way, don't worry about your shifts, Arlene and Holly are covering and of course, you'll still be paid." I could hear clinking glasses and muted conversations in the back ground so I knew he wasn't in his office.

"Thanks, Sam. I'm not sure when I'll be home, so you may have to hang on to my check for a while." I said.

"I can deposit it for you. I think the bank will let me do that." He offered.

"That'd be mighty kind of you." I thanked him.

"And you know if you need anything. Anything at all, I'll be there." He said sounding very emotional. I'd never heard Sam sound that way before. He was always in boss mode at the bar.

"Thank you. I'll call you." I agreed and we politely hung up.

The following day was a busy one. I had been visited by a pulmonologist, an orthopedist, a neurologist, a psychologist, and more than a handful of nurses. I'd been given the all clear by the neurologist, but the pulmonologist wanted to continue to monitor my lung function, but said that I should fully recover from the smoke inhalation soon.

The orthopedist made sure that my ribs had set; she wrapped them tightly, almost painfully so and said that I should be fully healed in about eight weeks. She had offered me codeine, but I didn't like the way it made me feel, so I declined the pain medicine.

I was tired of feeling loopy and I wanted to have full control of my faculties. I could deal with the pain.

The psychologist was an interesting visit. The psychologist, Dr. Brown, said that he was just doing an assessment and he asked me a bunch of questions like, have I been having any nightmares, which I hadn't. Did I feel uneasy? Yes I did, but only because I constantly worried about Pam. Did I feel detached from my surroundings? I didn't, not really. I honestly, just wanted to get out of the hospital and go back home.

Dr. Brown jotted down some notes, and told me that he didn't think I had any negative psychological effects from the kidnapping. Duh. I could've told him that. But he was nice enough, so I didn't want to insult his intelligence. He was just doing his job. He did give me a number to a doctor in Louisiana and told me to make an appointment if I started to feel overwhelmed by everything.

Day four in the hospital, and I was beginning to have cabin fever. I wanted to get up and walk around, but the nurse would only let me do that if I could be monitored by a physical therapist. Admittedly, I was getting a bit irritated by all the doctors and nurses. I just wanted to go home.

On top of it all, I didn't even have health insurance, so the thought of needing another specialist made my anxiety levels sky rocket. I honestly didn't know how I was going to pay the hospital bills. If I thought I could get away with leaving against medical advice, I would've done it.

Jason had gone back to Bon Temps after the Bill conversation, but said he'd be back. I had spoken to him yesterday and he said his boss, Catfish Hennessey, was giving him a hard time. I assured him that I was still fine and not to worry about me.

Feeling lonely and agitated, I was having a hard time, but there wasn't anything I could do about it. I just wasn't in a good place.

I heard some commotion outside of my door, it was the pitter patter of little feet, and then I heard the voice that could immediately wash away my worries.

"Slow down!" I heard Eric admonish Pam, but she didn't listen and before I knew it, she was sitting on my bed hugging me.

"I missed you!" she said so enthusiastically. My smile couldn't be contained and neither could the tears. I had missed her so much too. I didn't realize just how much until she was in my arms.

"Sorry we didn't call. Pam wanted to surprise you." Eric said.

"That's okay." I said, overwhelmed by their unexpected, but very welcomed visit. "I'm happy you're here."

"I drawed you this picture." Pam said and flung her drawing into my hand.

"You did? That's so sweet of you, let me look at it." I said and kissed her forehead. I took the picture from her and smiled immediately. She had drawn a picture of her, her daddy and me. We were in a park, with Pam sandwiched in between her daddy and myself. We were holding hands and there was a giant rainbow over our heads. It warmed my heart and I cried a little.

I looked up to see Eric's reaction. The last time we spoke, he had been a bit iffy on the relationship between Pam and me.

But to my surprise, Eric seemed happy. He gave me a bright big smile which lit up his face. It was infectious really, and I smiled right back at him.

"She drew you more pictures, but we left them at home." He said. He seemed a bit lighter than he did when he first left. Maybe the stress of everything had lessened. Either way, he didn't look at me with caution or hesitance anymore, which made me feel relieved.

"I'd love to see them sometime." I told Pam and ran my hand through her hair.

"And daddy told me I could make you a finger painting too." She giggled. I was so happy to see her smiling and laughing. This is how she should always be.

"Excuse me, Ms. Stackhouse." A nurse said as she walked into the room.

"Come in." I said.

"We can leave." Eric offered.

"No, no. it's fine. Please stay." I said quickly. Eric lifted Pam off the bed as the nurse jotted down my vitals and some other information from the monitors.

"Do you know when I'll get to leave?" I asked the nurse.

"Sorry, no. You'll have to ask Dr. Starling." She replied.

"Looks like your healing nicely. Your pulse ox looks good and your blood pressure is back to normal. I think the doctor has your blood test results too, so he should be in shortly to talk with you." She said.

"What about getting up and walking around?" I asked.

"Didn't the therapist come to see you?" she asked.

"No, but I was able to go to the restroom just fine on my own." I said and she gave me an admonishing look. I didn't care though, besides bedpans are demoralizing.

"Dr. Starling should be in shortly." She said and gathered the cart and left.

"So you're doing better then?" Eric asked. I could see the worry in his face.

"Much. I can't wait to get out of here though. I just want to take a shower and sleep in my own bed, ya know." And eat real food. I could endure hospital food for a day or so, but I was going on five days of bland, gelatinous faux food. I'm a southern girl who likes hearty meals, and I sure could go for some comfort food.

Eric gave me a worried look. "You're going back home?" He asked.

"Hopefully soon." I said.

"But Rasul told me that the police couldn't afford to monitor your house."

"I'll be fine. I have a shot gun." I replied, but that didn't seem to mollify him.

"Come stay with us." He offered, and then added "When you're released that is."

"I couldn't put you guys out like that." I said, but Pam was already rejoicing. Her eyes went wide and the excitement lit up her face.

"I owe you everything, Sookie. And believe me, you wouldn't be putting either of us out. I have a large home in a gated community. You'll be very safe."

"Please, please, please." Pam begged.

In truth, the thought of living with Pam made my heart soar, but I was worried about Eric. How long would it be until he got sick of me? Plus, I still worried that he resented me.

"You're not just offering because you pity me?" I asked. I'd had enough pity in the last few days, and I didn't want or need his.

"No." He said resolutely. "My daughter loves you, and I'm indebted to you. We'd be lucky to have you." He said.

I gave him a very pointed stare. I needed to make sure his offer was genuine and not born out of some misguided idea that he owed me anything. "Then ok." I said.

"Ok?" he repeated.

"Yes, I'll come stay with you guys."