Special thanks to WickedgreenPhantom, xxxevil cookiexxx, Allonsyintheimpalawithsherlock, GuardianDragon98, Keeping-it-Tuff, and Everything Charlie for following, favoriting, and/or reviewing my story. This is my first published attempt at fanfic and I'm extremely grateful for the support :) You are all gentleman and scholars.
When I wake up, the first thing that I register is a faint beeping noise. Its steady and strangely calming rhythm makes me want to fall back asleep, but the brightness of the room hurts my eyes. I look up and realize that I'm in a hospital room. Anna is lying in the bed in front of me, her petite little body tucked in to a mound of brightly colored blankets.
Tears fill my eyes again. "Oh Anna…" I whisper. This is my fault. This is all my fault. I should have been there to watch her, instead of talking to Jack…JACK! The thought of my best friend makes me bolt upright in my chair, knocking over a bouquet of flowers that someone must have left while I was asleep. Luckily, the vase wasn't glass, so it didn't shatter, but it takes me almost ten minutes to clean up all the dirt that spread across the floor. While I clean, I notice that the room is almost entirely white. The floor, the ceiling, the wall, even the machine that's monitoring Anna's pulse is a sterile white. How very clean, I think to myself. I'm just setting the flowers back on the stand next to my chair when the door swings open and a young woman in uniform walks slowly into the room.
She notices me almost immediately and gives me a small smile that doesn't reach her eyes. "Oh good, you're awake," she says quietly. "Your parents wanted me to tell you that they're expecting you at home. They didn't think it was right to move you from Anna's bedside last night."
I try to return her smile. "Thank you for letting me know."
She doesn't respond, just nods toward my sister and gestures for me to leave. I'm halfway to the door when I turn around again. "Excuse me? Is she going to be okay?"
The nurse frowns at me. "Preliminary tests are pointing towards no permanent injuries, but the doctor is somewhat concerned about her hearing in her right ear. We have to wait until Anna wakes up to be sure though."
She's obviously done talking, and she turns back around to check Anna's pulse. Anna's going to be deaf? I think incredulously as I quietly leave the room.
I know I should probably head home immediately, but I don't think Jack would ever forgive me if I didn't go visit him, and I would never forgive myself if I didn't either. Rather than go to the front desk to ask for his room number, I head down the hallway and take a left. I know this hospital like the back of my hand. You don't have friends like Jack and Hiccup and not know your way around the hospital. We were here last month when Hiccup broke his leg climbing trees with Flynn and Merida. And Jack's been here so many times that they've taken to putting him in the same room every time he comes in.
When I reach his room number, I put my hand on the door to walk in when I'm spun around roughly. Mrs. Overland is face to face with me, and she looks like she could murder me on the spot. "What do you think you're doing?" she demands.
"I'm going to see my best friend," I say respectfully.
"Oh no, you're not."
"Why not? I just want to make sure he's okay," I say defensively.
"You want to make sure he's okay," she repeats sarcastically. "He wouldn't be in there in the first place if it weren't for you. And Sophie wouldn't be in there either. I told you to watch them. I told you to take care of them. And what happened? Your sister and both my children end up in the hospital, with frostbite and hypothermia and God knows what else!"
I quail under her angry speech. "I…I'm sorry…I didn't mean to…" I begin, but she cuts me off.
"You stay away from my son. And my daughter. You better believe I'm telling your parents about this. Of all the irresponsible, thoughtless, reckless people in this world, you are the worst."
Ouch. That hurts. I can feel my eyes starting to fill with tears, but she ignores that and grips my upper arm firmly. "You will be leaving. Now."
The next thing I know, I'm standing outside the hospital's main doors, shielding my eyes from the glare of the sun on the snow. My house isn't too far from here, so I just walk home, dragging out the time to avoid seeing my parents. When I finally reach the house, the front door opens right before I reach it. Mom's probably been waiting for you for hours.
"Elsa! I'm so glad you're home," she says. I was expecting a reprimand about being late, so this surprises me. She takes my hand. "I heard about what happened from your friends, but I'd like to hear your side of the story as well."
"But…why?" I'm a little confused as to what she means by "my side of the story".
My mother looks at me and smiles sadly. "It seems that Mrs. Overland is taking legal action against you. She wants to place a restraining order on you to keep you away from Jack."
"WHAT?"
She winces. "Not so loud, Elsa. Your father just got back from work and is trying to sleep."
"Sorry." I lower my voice to an acceptable tone. "A restraining order?"
"That's what I've been told. However, she may have just said that because of the state she was in, but I'd like to hear what you have to say about it, just in case she is a woman of her word."
I nod and being to relate what happened. I'm amazed that I remember so much of the accident, it seemed like a blur when it was happening. My mom doesn't say anything until I'm finished. Then she squeezes my hand and gives me a small hug. "Well, don't worry about a thing. Anna's going to be fine, and Jack and Sophie will be too."
"But what about Anna's…ear?" I ask cautiously. My mom shrugs. "The doctors don't know for sure yet, so we'll be optimistic until we hear otherwise. Okay?"
"Okay."
The next few weeks are a blur for me. Despite the fact that Hiccup, Merida, Flynn and I were all eyewitnesses to what happened, it seems like no one is believing our version of what happened. Mrs. Overland's story about my dangerous, reckless behavior is spreading through the town like wildfire; I don't think there's a single person in this city that doesn't think I'm a danger to humanity.
I don't know what to do. When I go to the grocery store, even the clerks give me suspicious looks, like they think I'm going to blow up the place any second. People at school avoid me and my teachers ignore me during class. Even walking down the street is a trial for me, since people I've never met before avoid me like the plague. Even the mayor, Mr. Weasleton, is taking Mrs. O's side. The night that Anna came back from the hospital, looking tired but just as bouncy as usual, he came to visit us and spoke privately with my parents. Since I'm not allowed in the room while they talk, I only catch the very end of the conversation, or at least enough to know that I'm the topic of discussion and that Mr. Weasleton wants me to leave town.
As surprising as it is to hear those words, I'm a little relieved. I don't know how much longer I can live like this, with everyone acting like I'm a fifteen-year old criminal. But what about Jack? You'll never get to see him again. And Anna. And Sophie, Rapunzel, Merida, Flynn, Hiccup. All your friends will be gone.
When the mayor leaves, my parents call me in to talk. I can tell that my dad is uncomfortable. He keeps fiddling with his glasses and won't look me in the eye for more than a few seconds. My mom is much calmer, but her face looks worried. "Elsa, the mayor thinks that…" she starts to explain, but I stop her.
"I know, mom."
"You know?" She sounds surprised.
"I was listening at the door," I admit, and I see a ghost of a smile on her face before it's wiped away and replaced by a look of concern.
"How much did you hear?" my father asks.
"Only the very end, the part about me leaving."
He looks away from me again. "You understand, I personally don't think that this is the solution to the problem, but…" he drifts off, unable to finish the sentence.
I look at the floor. "People are treating me differently. I can hear what they're whispering behind my back, calling me a monster. My friends aren't allowed to talk to me, Jack and Sophie haven't come back to school yet. I hate this."
My mother wraps me in her arms. "I know, sweetie. It's hard." My dad clears his throat. "The mayor's plan consisted of several steps. First, you leave Burgess." I nod, that's the part I heard through the door. "Second," he continues, "You change your name, since word of this accident has most likely spread, we don't want your reputation to be tainted everywhere you go." Change my name? That sounds a bit drastic to me, I think, but I remain silent. "Third, you change your appearance."
"Change my what?"
"Your appearance," he repeats. "Your hair color, eye color, hairstyle, something that makes you different from what you look like now. Your picture was in the Burgess Bulletin, you know, that sorry excuse of a newspaper."
I didn't know that; no wonder everyone suddenly knows who I am and what I look like. "So…I have to basically become someone else, just because Mrs. Overland overreacted and is spreading lies about me?"
My parents exchange a look. "Basically…yes," my dad finishes lamely.
"But it's not fair!" I explode. "Why am I the one taking the fall for this? It was an accident!"
"We know it was, Elsa, you don't have to convince us. We just think that it's in your best interest to follow the mayor's instructions. What college would accept you if they heard about your reputation, even if it's not true? What employer would hire you? The list of ways in which your life could be affected is endless. Is that what you want?"
As frustrated as I am, I know that this makes sense. "So I just have to leave."
"Only if you want to."
"But what about Jack? And Anna and Sophie? And everyone else?"
My parents look at me sadly. "Sweetie," my dad begins, "you can't tell anyone what you're doing. It has to be a secret between the three of us."
"So I'm losing everyone and everything."
"Not everyone," my mom says, but I know she's just trying to make me feel better.
There are tears streaming down my face, I know, but I try to be brave. I let out a long, drawn out sigh and take a moment to just stare at the ceiling. "Okay," I say. "If I have to."