Chapter 11

Author's Note: Okay, so I did say I would triple-update. But since I've had no reviews I think I'll be evil and prolong your suffering. Mwahaha! I promised I would fix the issue of Max's fate at the end of the last chapter and I will, but it'll take me a bit longer than expected. Thanks to Onenightlive for being the only one to review with regards to whether she wanted the last chapter changing. Her vote was not to change it, so it stays the same by an overwhelming margin of one for and zero against and voting has now closed. I will reference the unintentional source material at the top of the chapter, so don't worry. Hope you enjoy this and please remember to review. It does mean a lot to me to hear what you think.

"Hello, we're here to see a friend of ours." The hospital receptionist looked up to see two girls standing in front of her desk. One was clad in what was clearly designer clothing and was holding a bunch of flowers while the other looked like a fairly timid and shy girl with a silver cross necklace around her neck and was holding a massive card that had signatures all over it.

"Which friend are you here to see?" she asked smiling.

"Her name is Max Caulfield."

"What are your names please?" the receptionist got her pen ready.

"I'm Victoria Chase and this is Kate Marsh." Victoria said. The receptionist picked up the phone and dialled an extension number.

"Doctor Price, there are some visitors here for Miss Caulfield."

"Chloe and Rachel took her outside for some fresh air. Tell them to leave any gifts by the desk and I'll take them up to her room for her."

"Just leave the gifts by the desk and Doctor Price will take them up." The receptionist got up and walked around to face the corridor in front of the girls. "Take a right and keep going until you see sunlight on the left and take that door. You'll find her in the back garden."

"Thank you." Kate said. She laid the card on the floor and Victoria put the flowers on top of it to stop them getting dirty. They walked in the direction the receptionist pointed until they got into the back garden. They had to shield their eyes against the harsh and perfect sunlight. Once they could see clearly again, the two girls noticed Max, Chloe and Rachel lying under the tree at the back. They ran over to say hi, only to find that something was wrong. Chloe and Rachel were lying on either side of Max. They were each gripping one of her hands tightly and holding each other at the same time. As Kate and Victoria reached them, they noticed that Max wasn't breathing.

Chloe noticed their arrival and looked up. Her eyes were red from crying and her face had tear streaks down it.

"She's gone." It was all Chloe could say before breaking down completely. Kate and Victoria wrapped her in a hug before bursting into tears as well. They held each other close, unable to find the right words. It wouldn't have mattered anyway. There were no words for that moment.

While they were distracted though, no one noticed Rachel lift her hand and focus on Max. This time, something different happened. Time didn't rewind, but her rewind power still activated. She pushed herself to breaking point until she couldn't do any more. Suddenly, something snapped inside her. The sensation was lost and she couldn't bring it back. Blood trickled from her nose as she realised that whatever she just did literally broke her rewind power. Although time hadn't rewound, she knew she'd done something. Whatever it was, she hoped Max would benefit from it somehow. She didn't know what, but something told her she'd just done the right thing.

With that done, Rachel moved over to the main group and wrapped Chloe in a hug from behind. She didn't know what she'd just done for Max or why she had the impulse to do it, but she did know the only other thing she could do for her was keep her promise. She'd promised to take care of Chloe, and from this day forward, that's what she was going to do.

At that moment, everyone looked up to see Ian running towards them. He reached them only to see what had happened. Chloe reached up and hugged him before he ran back inside. As far as he knew, the lapses in hospital care had just cost Max her life. His first priority was informing her family, and then he was going to crack down on this place so hard it would break backs.

Vanessa and Ryan were at the hotel when the phone rang. Vanessa picked it up, not realising this was to be the worst phone call of her life.

"Hello, Mrs Caulfield? It's Doctor Price. I'm afraid I've got some terrible news." Ryan watched as the expression on Vanessa's face shifted to one of horror before she burst into tears. Ryan grabbed the phone and held it to his ear.

"Who the hell is this?" he asked.

"Mr Caulfield, this is Doctor Price. I'm afraid your daughter passed away in the hospital garden a few minutes ago." Ian's voice cut through Ryan's aggression like a knife through hot butter.

"Was it another attack?" he asked.

"We don't know yet." Ian told him. "Chloe and Rachel were with her at the time, plus Kate Marsh and Victoria Chase had just arrived. I'll need to get witness statements from all of them. They won't be in any trouble. It's just to help us shed some light on the issue. Also, there's the matter of informing the school. I can type up an e-mail in no time, but if you want to let them know, I can respect that."

"Would you mind doing it?" Ryan asked, feeling numb.

"That's not a problem. I'll get the statements and then put the e-mail together." Ian said. "For what it's worth, I'm so, so sorry. I've all but moved in here now, and I won't rest until everything and everyone who falls short here is replaced."

"Thank you, Ian." Ryan said. "You did what you could." With that, he put the phone down. A hushed silence fell over the room.

Back at the hospital, Chloe, Rachel, Victoria and Kate were all sat in a room with a table in the middle. It looked just like an interrogation room, but with slightly a friendlier atmosphere. Ian sat opposite them with some sheets of paper and some pens.

"Okay, I just want to make this apparent that this isn't an interrogation of any kind." That instantly made everyone tense. "The fact is that you were all by Max's side when I found out what happened to her. What I need to know is what you all know about the incident. I hate having to ask, but who wants to start talking first?"

"Max said she wanted to take a nap in the sun since the hospital beds were so uncomfortable." Rachel said. "Chloe and I were living on our nerves for four days because she was ill, so we decided to join her. When we woke up, she was gone."

"Chloe, can you confirm that?" Ian asked. Chloe nodded.

"She was alive when we all went to sleep. She just never woke up."

"Kate and Victoria, what can you tell me?" Ian asked, noting down what Rachel and Chloe had said.

"We can't say much." Kate said. "We arrived to find Rachel and Chloe each holding one of her hands and crying. She was gone before we got there." Kate suddenly burst into tears. To everyone's surprise, Victoria wrapped an arm around her shoulders and pulled her in to comfort her.

"Do we have to do this now?" Victoria snapped. "We've all just lost someone precious to us. We don't need this right now!"

"Well, it's obvious you all know nothing towards helping determine what happened." Ian said. "You can all go. If any of you need anything, just ring this hospital and ask for me."

"We will; thanks." Victoria said as she pulled Kate from the room while glaring at Ian on the way out.

"I thought that went well." Ian muttered.

"They both just need time." Chloe said. "I think we all do. God, I've got to tell my parents now." As if on cue, Chloe's phone rang. She answered it only to hear David's voice.

"Chloe, why is there a second sunroof in my truck?" he asked in a venomous tone

"David, just get off my ass!" Chloe snapped, very nearly breaking down.

"Chloe, you don't sound right? Are you okay?" For once, Chloe heard David's rock-hard edge slip. She was unable to talk, so Rachel took the phone off her.

"David, we're coming home. We've got some really bad news." Rachel said before hanging up. She pulled Chloe to her feet before walking to the door. "Thanks for everything you did, Ian. For what it's worth, you really helped Max. Come on, Chloe. Let's go home."