WARNING: THE CONTENTS OF THIS CHAPTER MAY BE TRIGGERING AS IT INCLUDES THEMES OF SELF HARM.

Please let me know your opinions. I feel like the characters are never out of hospital, constantly in pain, which makes me feel its repetitive. So I tried to make it interesting, but here we are, back in hospital. Let me know if you agree/disagree and if you want, leave suggestions for future chapters :)

Aimée

"Jodes, will you go grab the mail please sweetie?" Zoe asked. Jody nodded and went to empty the near bulging letter box that stood proudly at the edge of their lawn. She then went back up to the house and handed it to Zoe as she walked in and closed the door. Zoe stood for a moment, absent-mindedly flicking through the letters and junk mail, then suddenly exclaimed,

"Crap!"

"What is it Zoe?" Nick asked concerned.

"One from the government." She said, slowly. She tore open the envelope and skim read the letter within. "I knew it."

"Knew what?" Nick asked.

"The trial, its on Monday. They want us in court at one."

"Oh." Was all she got in reply.

"That's okay mum, we'll manage, like you said." Jody said, as Zoe was visibly starting to panic.

"Mm. Nick, boil the kettle?" She asked, pleading with her voice. He nodded.

"Zoe?" He said.

"Mm?"

"Relax." With that, he headed off to the kitchen.

"I'm going to go up to my room mum, that okay?" Jody asked.

"Yes sweetie. On you go." So she ran upstairs and into her room. Once she got there, a certain panic struck her. She knew that going to court would mean facing those men again. The very men that had brought back so many memories from her childhood. Just thinking about it made her sick. Her eyes welled and her breathing quickened. All of the memories of everything she and little Anna had gone through, flooding through her mind all at once, much like a Tsunami. Her knee's gave way, and he hit the carpet beneath her with a soft thud. Shaking, she moved over to her chest of drawers and nervously, yet deliberately, opened the bottom one and pulled out a small box. With a weak, tired and still shaking hand, she opened the box. Gingerly, she removed from it, her only escape from the destruction taking place at the back of her mind at the hands of mere memories. And from there, fatefully, she sat back against her bed and relieved her pain.

Later that evening, Zoe decided to go and see if Jody was okay. She herself was panicking about the court case. She found herself jumping at every little sound, getting scared when the house fell silent, and tearing up when her mind subconsciously flickered back to the memories of that event in the basement. She found herself panicking slightly more as she heard nothing but silence on route up to Jody's bed room. She knocked softly on the child's door and waited. Silence.

"Jodes, sweetheart, its me. Can I come in?" No reply. Slowly, Zoe pushed the bedroom door open and let out a loud scream at what she saw before her. Immediately, she dropped to the blood stained carper, next to an unconscious Jody and felt for a pulse. She found it, however, it was weak.

"Thank God." She exhaled. At that moment Nick came running up the stairs and into the bedroom, screaming for Zoe the whole way.

"What happened!" He screamed as he entered the room. Zoe shook her head vigorously.

"I don't know, I found her like this. Self harm, I presume... She was holding this when I found her!" She wailed, holding up the blood covered knife she'd found Jody still holding. Nick scooped Jody up in his arms and beckoned Zoe to follow him.

"Come on, we need to get her in." He said. Zoe nodded and ran with him, picking up Eilidh on route, to the car. They fastened Jody and Eilidh in, Zoe got in the back with Jody, continuously checking her pulse all the way to the hospital. The poor girl had made four, very deep cuts, two at the top of each thigh. The depth had caused a serious amount of blood loss. They arrived at the hospital in no time at all. Nick carried Jody in, closely followed by Zoe, carrying Eilidh.

"Help! Someone help!" Nick called, as they entered the ED. Everyone turned to stare at him. Within seconds, Tom, Sam and Big Mac had come over with a wheeled chair.

"Straight through to paed's resus!" Tom ordered. Nick and Zoe watched helplessly as she was laid on the bed and hooked up to the monitors. They listened, terrified as bloods were ordered, medicine administered, wounds addressed and stitched with expertise.

"Please save her Tom." Zoe said, her voice barely a whisper. "Save my little girl."