Brooke stared at her sisters and daughter in horror.
"What are you doing here?" she cried in shock.
"We came as a surprise, to support you and Hope, but I guess that was a stupid idea as you seem to have made your own arrangements," snapped Katie as she advanced into the room accompanied by Donna.
"It's not what it seems, I swear," Brooke babbled in panic.
"We not only saw what you did, we heard it!" screamed Bridget from the doorway as she slowly came out of her shock.
Bridget, please," said Brooke holding out her hand to her daughter.
Bridget shook her head, tears of rage and shame falling from her eyes.
"I've tried, God knows I've tried, but this is it, I can't anymore. Nothing, no-one is off limits to you, you're a whore! Stephanie Forresters was right, you're the ultimate slut from the valley! You disgust me, and I now know you'll never change, you actually like who, and what, you are!"
She shook her head, "I can't do this again, I won't! Don't call me or contact me ever again, I'm done!"
"Bridget, wait," began Donna.
"No, you wait, I said I'm done and I mean it! You may want to make excuses for your sister again and that's your right BUT, if you do, don't you ever contact me again either. I mean it aunt Donna, I don't want to be associated with her in any way ever again, and no contact means exactly that, I want no contact with her, ever again!" yelled Bridget, a wild look on her face, she then spun around and walked out the door, her phone already in her hand as she dialled a cab.
Brooke broke down sobbing, "Katie, please, I was drinking and it just happened, I didn't mean it."
Katie turned to Liam as he slowly stood on wobble feet.
"My god, you smell like a brewery, have you two been drinking together all afternoon or something?"
"No," said Liam quickly as he reluctantly explained what happened.
Katie turned and went over to the bar, snatching up the bottle of Vodka and peering at it.
"Well, I'd say you not drunk, but you've certainly had enough to loosen your slippery grip on any morals you have," she snarled turning back to Brooke.
"How could you Brooke, have you no shame whatsoever, or are you just sick!"
"What's going on? Why is Bridget crying her eyes out waiting for a cab and calling our mother a slut? Liam, what are you doing here?"
Everyone turned to see Hope standing in the doorway.
"Hope. Please, come in and sit down, something happened and I need to tell you so you don't get the wrong idea." Said Brooke imploringly.
Hope turned and looked from Katie to Donna, and on seeing their pained expressions her teeth were immediately set on edge as an impossible, abhorrent, idea entered her mind.
"Mum?" she turned to Liam, and seeing the look of concern and shame on his face she knew.
"No," she said backing away in horror.
"You wouldn't do that to me. Not to me. Tell them! Tell them you wouldn't do that to me!"
"Honey," said Brooke desperately as she shuffled towards her daughter.
"Oh god, I'm going to be sick," said Hope, her hand moving to her mouth as she fought back a wave of nausea.
"How could you? How could you? What is wrong with you?" she screamed as tear started to pour down her face.
"Hope . . . "began Brooke, before Hope screamed like a wounded animal.
"No . . . NO, NO, NO!" She turned and sprinted out the door, trying desperately to get away from the agony stabbing through her heart. With her head down and eyes so filled with tears, she didn't even hear the cab until she ran straight out in front of it.
Inside the house Brooke had collapsed on the floor, Liam, Katie and Donna were standing in shock not quite knowing what to do. That's when they heard the deep thud, followed by Bridget's scream.
Everyone rushed outside to find Bridget and the cab driver huddled over a prone Hope.
"Hope, please, speak to me, are you alright?" Bridget cried.
"Hurt," mumbled Hope as she grabbed her stomach and moaned.
Bridget looked down and noticed a slowly spreading pool on blood on Hopes dress between her legs. She immediately whipped out her phone and called an ambulance, just as she heard a scream.
"Hope, no!" cried Brooke as she rushed to Hopes side.
"Keep her back!" snapped Bridget as she glared at her mother.
"No," shrieked Brooke hysterically as Liam and Katie grabbed her, "she needs me, I'm her mother."
"Brooke, stop it, let Bridget do her work, she's a doctor!" snapped Katie as she helped drag her sister away from Hope.
A short time later an ambulance made it's way up the drive as Bridget continued to minister to Hope and talk to her. After a quick consultation with the paramedics, they loaded Hope into the vehicle and drove off.
Bridget turned to the still shocked cab driver, "can you take us to the hospital? It'll save time instead of calling another cab."
"He hit my daughter!" shrieked Brooke, "he should be in prison!"
Bridget turned around to face her mother, "No! I saw what happened, Hope came out of no-where and ran straight in front of his car, it wasn't his fault. As it was Hope was just lucky, he was already slowing down when she ran in front of him, thank God."
She turned to the cab driver and nodded, "Don't worry, I'll testify to that, no matter what happens, none of this was your fault, so please, don't blame yourself, you did well to stop as fast as you did!"
She stared kindly at the shocked driver before saying, 'Now, if you think you're up to it, I for one, need to find out how my sister is, and you're the only cab here, can you drive me to the Hospital?"
The driver took a deep breath and nodded, "Yes Ma'am, I'm a little shaky still, but I think I'm okay to drive."
Bridget nodded and turned back to Katie and Donna. "You can stay here if you want, but I'm leaving, if you want to come with me then you better haul your asses over here now."
She grabbed the cab driver and hurried him to his cab.
"Wait for me," said Katie as she let go of Brooke and followed Bridget, Donna, and Liam hot on her heals.
As they piled in the cab and started back down the driveway, Brooke was still standing there, a look of shock and horror still plastered on her face.