Remember, guys. This is my own storyline. There's also a bit of background story with to why Lauren has done what she has done :) Enjoy :)
Alice was sat in the hospital chair, with jack and Carol at either side of her, while Max and Tanya stood with their backs against the wall. All of them lost in their own little word, until Carol broke the silence.
'What do we know so far?' she asked. It took a moment before anyone answered.
'They're treating it as murder… and the weapon has gone. We're going to be questioned… everyone' said Max, looking at Alice, who nodded and smiled weakly.
'Who would kill out brother though? I mean he wasn't the nicest person in the Square, I know… but who would seriously have the guts to murder him?' asked Carol, looking round at the others and sighing when no one answered.
'Anyone want a drink?' asked Alice, needing to get away from the silence. Everyone nodded and Alice set off down the corridor.
'Alice, I'll l come with you. Help you with the drinks' said Max. Alice stopped and turned back to look at him, nodding and smiling weakly…
Meanwhile, back in the Square, new of Derek's death had gotten round the rest of the residents. And most of them were in shock that someone had finally gotten rid of him.
'Who would seriously have the guts to do it?' said Ian, clearly shocked.
'Don't know. But sounds like its murder from the way Alice was screaming stabbed' said Whitney, taking a sip of her drink, as she sat at a table with Tyler, Fatboy, Lucy and Poppy.
'Poor baby girl, I mean that was her uncle' said Fatboy, using his nickname for Lauren
'Yes, but he was Alice and Joey's Dad', Fats' said Tyler. The smile quickly disappeared of Fatboys face
'Poor Alice, she must be heartbroken' said Whitney, feeling for her friend…
Alice was the last one to say goodbye to her Dad. She partially wished Joey was here to offer her some comfort. She slowly walked into the room and to the table where he was laid and tear quickly streamed down her cheeks.
'Daddy…' was all she could get out, before her body started to rack with sobs. She wanted to touch his hand, but she didn't have the courage. She felt an arm round her shoulder and turned her head to see Max standing next to her.
'Say what's on your mind, Al. Its okay' said Max comfortingly. Alice nodded and sniffled, before trying to speak.
'Why you, Dad? Why you? I can't believe I'm saying this to you so soon after finding you again… I'm sorry that I didn't find you sooner. I guess we don't always have as much time as we would like…' Alice broke off, crumbling into Max's arms, before he led her out of the room. Tanya almost burst into tears when she saw Alice.
'Come here, darling' she said, opening her arms for Alice. Alice hugged her and let her tears fall, grieving for her Dad…
After getting their selves under control, the Brannings decided to head home and grieve. They gathered their stuff and composed themselves, before heading up the corridor in silence towards the entrance. They just had time to flatten themselves against the wall, as a trolley barrelled down the corridor, almost running them over, as it heading to ICU. It was all such a blur, that they didn't realise who it was until Alice stopped in her tracks.
'Wait a minute! That was Lauren and Joey!' she said. Max and Tanya froze and turned to Alice
'Where?' asked Tanya
'On the trolley. I swear it was!' said Alice, turning and heading back down the corridor. Max and Tanya looked at each other before following Alice, Jack and Carol behind them…
'LAUREN! Please, get of me! LAUREN! You already died once on me out there, don't do it to me again!' screamed Joey, as he was hauled from the room, by the nurses. He pressed his face up against the window, watching as the doctors and nurses battled to save Lauren for the second time that night.
'Joey?' Joey whipped round and saw Alice, Max, Tanya, Jack and Carol standing behind him.
'It's Lauren! She tried to…' he trailed, as the words got stuck in his throat. He almost crumbled to the floor, if Alice hadn't have caught him and hugged him tightly. Max and Tanya's eyes widened and they attempted to get into the room, but Jack and Carol restrained them.
'Don't!'
'That our daughter in there, Jack! Fighting for her life again!' shouted Tanya. Joey frowned and looked at Tanya.
'What do you mean again?' he asked
'What happened? How did she…?' asked Tanya, not wanting to complete the sentence. Joey sighed and broke Alice's hug, before sliding down the wall and sitting on the floor, his head in his hands.
'She drank a full bottle of Vodka, with paracetamols…' Joey trailed off, but Tanya knew there was something else
'And?' she demanded. Joey looked at her
'She… She... .' Joey couldn't get the words out of his mouth, so he motioned to his wrist and drew his finger across his wrist repeatedly, making Max frown
'What?' he asked, watching the movement. Suddenly, Tanya let out a horrified gasp and her back hit the wall, just as Max figured out what Joey was trying to say. He gathered a hysterical Tanya up in his arms, hugging her tightly.
'Oh god. Not again' he whispered, but Joey still heard. He was about to ask Max what he mean by that, when the Doctor came out of Lauren's room.
'Mr and Mrs Branning?' he asked. Max and Tanya nodded
'Lauren is still in a critical condition. We've managed to clean up her wrist and bandaged them up. We've also pumped her stomach, but she's still critical'
'But, she will be okay, right?' asked Joey
'I can't tell you at this moment' said the doctor, before turning to Tanya.
'Mrs Branning, can I have a word, please?' he asked, Tanya nodded and headed up the corridor, leaving the others watching them, until Joey rounded on Max.
'What did you mean when you said not again?' He asked Max. Max sighed. He was still angry with what happened between Joey and Lauren, but right now, that wasn't important right now, and he let that anger go.
'A few years, ago, before we moved to the Square… Lauren suffered from the death of her closest friend. After the death, Lauren kept saying that her friend wanted Lauren to join her, said that it would make her happy. Obviously, because Lauren was so vulnerable at the time, she tried to take her own life. Luckily, Tanya found her in time and rushed her to hospital. She couldn't though, Lauren, when she came home. She was a danger to herself, getting her hands on anything she could to try and take her life… so I admitted her to hospital for four and a half months….' Said Max. Everyone was silent, processing this information.
'Is that why… why you and Lauren have differences? Because you admitted her to hospital?' asked Alice. Max nodded.
'She's never forgiven me for doing it. And to be honest, she never will' Max admitted. Just then, Tanya came back, with the doctor, looking slightly shocked.
'Tan, what's wrong?' asked Jack. Tanya looked up.
'They've found hand prints on Lauren's neck, like someone tried to strangle her…' she said. Max whipped round to face Joey and lunged for him.
'IT WAS DEREK!' Joey shouted, stunning Max and the rest of the Brannings.
'Excuse me?' said Carol
'It was Derek. Lauren told me…' Joey said. Alice took a step forward towards her brother, thinking he didn't know about Derek's death.
'Joey… Dad's dead' she said. Joey looked at her.
'I know he is. Who do you think found him?' he said. Alice felt like someone had stabbed her with a knife.
'You found him? You found him and you did nothing?' asked Alice, raising her voice
'I didn't anything because I was more concerned about protecting Lauren!' said Joey. Max stepped forward, as everyone recoiled slightly at this information.
'Excuse me?' Max asked. Joey sighed and turned to back to look at Lauren through the window.
'Lauren and I were leaving, when she remembered she'd forgotten her purse. I got a call about twenty minutes later from Lauren, telling me to go Derek's house. So, I did and I found Lauren with Derek's blood all over her hands…' Joey trailed doff, as he head everyone gasp quietly behind him….
:D R&R X